iLiimiiiiKL I -^^o^ -ov^^ °W° ^ "■' ! i. THE OLD WALL STREET CHURCH ON WALL STREET 11 church," the session writes, "from small and de- spised beginnings has mightily increased in a few years by the kindness of God, and [is] now in the happiest union, though the members thereof are a collection from Scotland, Ireland, and many places in America, people of various education and circum- stances." The writers go on to express the fear that any disappointment of their desire to secure Mr. Rodgers might endanger this hard-won prosperity.* The man upon whom so much was thought to depend was at this time thirty-eight years of age.f His parents had in 1721 come from Londonderry, in Ireland, to Boston, where he was born, but when he was but a little over a year old they had again moved, to Philadelphia, and he was reared in that city. He appears to have been by nature a precocious child and was early concerned with the matter of religion. The rather sombre and ponderous narrative in which this part of his experience is described by his pious biographer would be oppressive to modern readers, but in it an anecdote has been preserved which more pleasantly, and yet quite as truly, reveals the boy's early religious development. It appears that, like the church which he was later to serve, he had come under the strong influence of George Whitefield. Many times, when this moving preacher spoke in Philadelphia, little John Rodgers was among his hearers and greatly impressed by the message that he heard. On one occasion, when *For period 1706-1765, see "Manuscript Hist.," pp. 1 ff; "Presb. N. Y.," pp. 3 if.; "Br. Ch. Mem.," p. 8; "Handbook of N. Y. Presby- tery," 1903-1904, pp. 13 /.; "Disosway," pp. 131 ff. t He was born August 5th, 1727. For the facts of his life, see " Rodgers Mem." 12 THE BRICK CHURCH Whitefield was preaching, as he often did, from the Court House steps in Market Street, the boy, in his eagerness to hear, had pressed his way through the crowd until he stood directly beside the speaker, and as it happened was entrusted with the holding of a lantern for Mr. Whitefield's accommodation. " Soon after the sermon began," says the story, "he became so absorbed in the subject, and at length so deeply impressed and strongly agitated, that he was scarcely able to stand ; the lantern fell from his hand and was dashed in pieces; and that part of the audience in the immediate vicinity of the speaker's station were not a little interested, and for a few moments dis- composed by the occurrence." * It was not long after this time, we are told, and when he was but a little more than twelve years of age, that he came, as he hoped, to "a saving knowledge and acceptance of Jesus Christ," and entered upon the Master's service with devotion. He very early formed the purpose of entering the Christian minis- try and set about the definite task of preparing him- self for that work. He prosecuted his studies under various masters with great diligence, and in October, 1747, in his twentieth year, he took his examinations for licensure, which he passed with more than usual approbation. Not until over a year later was he ordained and * "Rodgers Mem.," p. 14. Sprague, in his "Annals of the American Pulpit" (Vol. Ill, p. 154), adds: "Some time after he was settled in the ministry, Whitefield being on a visit to his house, Mr. Rodgers alluded to this incident and asked him if he recollected it. 'Oh, yes,' replied White- field, ' I remember it well, and have often thought I would give almost anything in my power to know who that little boy was and what had become of him.' Mr. Rodgers replied with a smile, 'I am that Httle boy.'" ON WALL STREET 13 settled in a church, but that year was by no means a barren one. Obstacles which he experienced in Vir- ginia, due to the intolerance of the established clergy there, served only to increase his determination, while a few months spent in Maryland, which might have been passed in idle waiting, he turned to such good account that he afterward referred to these months as perhaps the most useful of his life. One incident at this time may serve to illustrate his strength of will and the determination with which he had entered upon his work. He was preaching one Sunday to a large congregation in the open air, when in the midst of the sermon he suddenly swooned, apparently without any warn- ing, and fell lifeless to the ground. AVhatever the cause of this alarming experience, it was more than an ordinary fainting-turn, for his friends, when they had gathered around him, supposed him to be dead, and were amazed, when, after some time, he returned to consciousness. " He arose with a little assistance," says his biographer, " walked into an adjoining wood, and in about half an hour returned and finished his discourse, resuming it, as his audience remarked, with the very word which was on his lips when he fell." His conduct is the more remarkable in that on the following Sunday the same thing happened and was met by him with the same indomitable spirit. Strangely enough, and most happily, the second occurrence was also the last.* On March 16th, 1749, he was ordained and in- stalled pastor of the Presbyterian Church at St. George's, Delaware. He had received calls fronx * "Rodgers Mem.," pp. 62-64. 14 THE BRICK CHURCH four different churches. The one at St. George's was the smallest and feeblest, but having been assured that its very existence depended on his coming, he determined to make that church his choice. His ministry there, which lasted sixteen years, was blessed in every possible way. The church began at once to increase in membership and soon the building required to be enlarged. At a later time the people of the neighborhood so crowded to hear him that the church of another denomination was literally deserted. He was not only admired as a preacher, but re- spected and beloved as a pastor. \Mien we read the description of his annual calls upon the families of his church, w^e cannot but admire the thoroughness of his method, and still more their patience in sub- mitting to it. There are times when one is content, it must be confessed, to live in a less heroic age. On these occasions, we are told, "he called upon every member of the family to repeat a part of the Assem- bly's Catechism ; asked them a number of extempore questions on doctrinal and practical subjects in re- ligion; prayed with them; and gave a warm and pathetic exhortation." * His own people were not the only ones who valued him. He soon won the confidence and esteem of his brother clergymen round about, and was more and more sought to give counsel and to aid in the per- formance of important tasks. It was no wonder that, when in 1765 the Presbyterian Church of New York was seeking a colleague for Mr. Treat, the name of Mr. Rodgers should be mentioned. Indeed, ten years before this they had sought to bring him to * " Rodgers Mem.," pp. 88 ff. ON WALL STREET 15 New York without success. This time their call was more effective, though for a while the result was in doubt. The people of St. George's were most re- luctant to part with him. He himself was deeply at- tached to them and to his work in that place. His Presbytery, before whom the call was laid, refused to decide, and referred the question to the Synod of New York and Philadelphia. It was only " after a full and patient hearing of all parties for near three days " * that a conclusion was reached by the Synod in favor of Mr. Rodgers' acceptance of the call to New York.f He and his family J were settled in their new home by July, 1765, and he was installed as pas- * " Rodgers Mem," p. 120. t Sprague, in his "Annals of the American Pulpit" (Vol. Ill, p. 157), says of Mr. Rodgers: " In the early part of the year 1765, he received two calls, one from the congregation in New York, then just vacated by the death of the Rev. David Bostwick, and another from a large and important Congregational Chmxh in Charlestown, S. C. Mr. Whitefield, who hap- pened to visit him about that time, gave it as his decided opinion that the indications of Providence were in favor of his removal, but was doubtful in which direction he ought to go. The question . . . was finally referred to the Synod. . . . His installation as pastor of the church in New York took place in September following. The installation sermon was preached by the Rev. James Caldwell of Elizabethtown." t He married September 19th, 1752, Elizabeth Bayard, who died January 20th, 1763. On August 15th, 1764, he married Mrs. Mary Grant, a widow. Interesting evidence of the manner in which he had made pro- vision for his wife, in the event of his own death, is provided by a docu- ment still in existence, having been handed down in his family to his great-grandson, Mr. Robertson Rodgers, who presented it to the author of this volume. This is a bond given by John Rodgers to the " Corporation for the Relief of Poor and Distressed Presbyterian Ministers, and of the Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of Presbyterian Ministers," for the annual i)ayment of seven pounds sterling during his natural life, in return for which his widow or surviving children were to receive " an annuity of thirty-five pounds current money." One of the conditions agreed to by him was, "That on the second marriage of the said John Rodgers and on every subsequent marriage of the said John Rodgers, he shall or will pay. . . the sum of seven pounds over and above the annual rate." To the bond are 16 THE BRICK CHURCH tor * on September 4th following. He was cordially received by the Presbyterians of New York City and was soon hard at work with an ardor and devotion which began at once to show good results. Not many months had passed after his installation when a decided revival of religious interest was apparent. The church was crowded with worshippers; many were making serious inquiry about their religious obligations; and it could not be doubted that the Spirit of God was at work in the hearts of the people. As we now look back at that time from a distance of nearly a hundred and fifty years, we can know but little of what took place in the experience of the in- dividuals who were then led into the ways of the Christian life— their very names are now unknown to us,- — but that revival has left behind it one tangible memorial which in itself has proved to be not the least of the spiritual blessings of the city of New York. The thronging congregations which were gathered by Mr. Rodgers' ministry, were soon too large by far to be accommodated in the church on Wall Street. At the same time the enthusiasm that had increased the numbers of the Presbyterians had also increased their courage and their readiness to assume enlarged responsibilities. They determined that they must at once build a new church. attached receipts from the treasurer, the earliest of which is for the year 1775; and at the end of the document are a number of notes in Dr. Rod- gers' own hand, of which the following are the earliest: "N. B. May 22d, 1793, I, this day paid my annual subscription to the Widow's fund as ap- pears by the Treasurer's Rect and the Entry in his Books. John Rodgers." — "This I have done yearly & every year since the Year 1763 when I be- came a Contributor — and I also paid the sum of Seven Pounds extraordinary on my marriage to my present Wife. John Rodgers." * See Appendix B, p. 516. CHAPTER II THE NEW CHURCH : 1705-1767 " And Araimah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And Pavid said, To buy the tiireshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the Lord."— 2 Samuel 24 : 21. "A decent Edifice Erected on this Spot, properly Enclosed in a pail fence, will be a Great Ornament to the Green." — Officer.^ op the Brick Church, " Minutes of the Common Council of the City of New York," Vol. VII, p. II. IN providing the new place of worship the first problem that presented itself was the securing of a suitable plot of ground. The Presbyterian Church owned no land that could be used for this purpose, and it would doubtless have been very difficult to raise sufficient money for the purchase of a site, but it was hoped that, if properly approached, the city authorities would come to the rescue. Ac- cordingly on February 19th, 1766, a petition* was drawn up, which plays so important a part in this history that it must be given in full. "To THE Worshipful the Mayor, Aldermen AND Commonalty of the City of New York, in Common Council Convened: "The petition of the ministers, elders, deacons, trustees, communicants and other members of the English Presbyterian Church of the City of New York, according to the Westminster Confession of Faith, Catechism, and Directory, and agreeable to the ♦ See "Document No. 37." pp. 504-506. 17 18 THE BRICK CHURCH present Established Church of Scotland, humbly sheweth : "That while the church to which your petitioners belong has not unmeritedly been esteemed for the purity of her doctrines, her members, we would pre- sume to hope, have approved themselves good sub- jects and useful members of society; that by the blessing of Almighty God your petitioners have so increased in numbers, as at this day to constitute a very considerable part of the freemen, freeholders, and inhabitants of this flourishing city ; that although your petitioners are already possessed of a spacious and convenient edifice for the public service of Al- mighty God, and the administration of divine ordi- nances according to their wholesome and approved form of discipline and worship, yet, by their great and continual growth, that building is rendered alto- gether incapable of containing their congregation, and the cemetery too small for decent interment of their dead; that, urged by these necessities, your pe- titioners have lately cast their eyes around them in search of a convenient spot of ground for the erection of another church, and for supplying it with a ceme- tery; that in this survey the known and approved benevolence of the Honorable Board toward every Protestant denomination in this city, and its abilities to relieve the present necessities of our congregation could not fail to command its attention; nor will the distinguished generosity by which our brethren of Trinity Church were supplied with a large and con- venient burying-ground, of the free gift of this Hon- orable Board, nor the late grant of a number of lots to the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in this THE NEW CHURCH 19 city, upon a reasonable rent, permit us to doubt of the success of this our application ; that, though your petitioners would not be thought to prescribe, yet upon the view of the several lots belonging to this Honorable Board, within the compass of the improved parts of this city, the angular lot adjoining to the ground lately called the Vineyard * and to the Green f appeals to your petitioners to command the preference, not only with a view to convenience, but what will doubtless ever merit the attention of this Honorable Board, the public ornament; that influ- enced by the latter, as a first motive, your petitioners beg leave to observe, that it will be necessary to keep open a cross street { between this piece of ground and the Vineyard, by which the angle being short- ened at its base, will be so much diminished as to contain of about six lots only, which your petitioners humbly conceive will be a compass too small, espe- cially if its disadvantageous form be considered, to contain a decent edifice and a suitalile cemetery; that therefore, should this Honorable Board conde- scend to relieve the wants of your petitioners, they would beg leave to suggest the necessity of an addi- tional piece of ground, with such convenience in point of situation and quantity, for the use of a ceme- tery, as to this Honorable Board shall seem meet, for which, as well as the angular lot above mentioned, your petitioners are freely willing to render to this Honorable Board a rent suitable to the circum- stances of their church, and to erect such an edifice, * "North-eastward of the Vineyard," is the fuller description given elsewhere. "Common Council," Vol. VII, p. 9. t The present City Hall Park. X This was the later Beekman Street. 20 THE BRICK CHURCH as will contribute to public ornament. Your peti- tioners, therefore, humbly pray this Honorable Board to take their extreme necessities into your serious consideration, and to grant to them the aforesaid angle of ground for the erection of a new church, with an additional lot, suitable for a cemetery, sub- ject to such an annual rent to be rendered forever to the Honorable Board, as they, in their great wisdom and justice, shall think reasonable; and your peti- tioner shall ever pray, etc." * When it is realized that the "angular lot" so boldly, though respectfully, asked for is approxi- mately the land bounded to-day by Nassau and Beek- man streets and Park Row, one is inclined to regard with admiration and even with amazement the te- merity of the petitioners. But in truth their request was not so extraordinary as it sounds to us. In the first place, the relation of the authorities to the indi- vidual citizens and their personal interests was at that time much more paternal than at present, a condition that had its advantages as well as its drawbacks; and in the second place, the property in question had in 1765 comparatively little value. It must be borne in mind that New York City at the time covered but a small area at the southern end of Manhattan Island. On the west side the region of houses had passed into the region of fields not far north of what is now City Hall Park. On the east, which was then the more pros- * The names of the petitioners were: Ministers; John Rodgers and Joseph Treat: Elders; William Smith, Garret Noel, Nathaniel McKinley, Peter Van Brugh Livingston, John Smith, and Thomas Jackson: Deacons; John Stevens and Peter Riker: Trustees; Thomas Smith, Peter R. Liv- ingston, Joseph Hallett, John Lashor [Lasher ?], Jr., William Smith, Jr., John Dunlap and John Morin Scott. Courtesy of Harper Brothers. NEW YORK IX 1767 From Thomas A. Janvier's "In Old New York" THE NEW CHURCH 21 perous portion of the city and the more fashionable, the houses extended somewhat farther, but in a north- easterly direction. Standing on the ground that was wanted for the new church and looking northward across the Green, one would have seen the poor- house (on the site of the present City Hall) and the City Prison (in later years the Record Office). Back of these he might have caught a glimpse of the barracks, but, except for these buildings, as far as the eye could reach was open country. In fact, the land desired was on the extreme northern edge of the city. At the same time it was sufficiently accessible, and what was more, the petitioners believed that there was a good chance of getting it. In this they were not disappointed. A committee of five was directed by the Common Council to confer with the representatives of the church and to report,* and there seems from the beginning to have been a dis- position to grant the request in substance, only the details being matter for further discussion ; for in the next communication from the church the petitioners say expressly that they "take very kindly the Speedy Attention Given by the Corporation to their Request." There was at first some doubt whether, instead of * For this and the following statements see "Common Council," Vol. VII, pp. 5 ff. Some items from the minutes of the Board of Aldermen, for the meeting at which the Presbyterian petition was received, and the one held the next week after, relating to the ferries on the East and North rivers, point out in an interesting way the primitive conditions of that time. We learn that there was but one ferry to Nassau (now Long) Island, a petition for a second one being rejected. It was ordered that after ad- vertising " in all the publick or weakly Gazzetees," the existing ferry should be farmed out "by Public Outcry to the highest Bidder." As to the means of reaching New Jersey, we learn that an exclusive grant of the right of ferriage across the Hudson from New York was given to one man, who agreed to keep in use three large boats and two small ones. 22 THE BRICK CHURCH the lot petitioned for, another piece of land, de- scribed as "opposite the Old Wind Mill Spot," might not be made to serve the church's purpose. This the petitioners vigorously opposed, and some of their arguments are interesting, not only in them- selves, but in the light they throw upon the conditions of life in New York at that time. They urged that the land proposed as an alternative, and which lay near the juncture of the present Elizabeth and Hes- ter streets, was "too remote," that the streets leading to it were inconveniently narrow and would "prob- ably not be paved for many years to come," and that there would be danger to the proposed church from the small wooden buildings of that neighborhood. They therefore renewed their request for the lots ad- joining the Vineyard, on the ground that this land was "nearer the Inhabited Part of the City," and "more convenient to the Petitioners, as it will admit of an Easy Access at all times of the Yeare," and also because it was the choice most likely to improve the appearance of the city, "whereas," say they, "it is at Present Entirely Useless, or Rather a Nuisance, as it is now a Receptacle for all the Dirt and Filth of the Neighborhood." * They add, moreover, that an accurate measurement having shown the plot to con- tain the equivalent, not of six, but of nearly nine city lots, twenty-jfive by a hundred feet each,f it will be unnecessary to provide extra land elsewhere for a "Cymetery"; and finally they make an offer of forty pounds sterling ground-rent per annum. * "Common Council," Vol. VII, p. 11. t The property measured on its south-west side (Beekman Street), 152 feet, on the south-east side, 200 feet, on the north-east side, 62 feet, and on the north-west side (toward the "Green "), 214 feet. THE NEW CHURCH 23 The committee of the Common Council reported favorably upon the request of the petitioners in its entirety, and on February 25th, 1766, the Board con- veyed the "Vineyard lot" * to the ministers, elders, deacons, and trustees of the Presbyterian Church and to their heirs and assigns forever ("in considera- tion of the pious and laudable designs of the said parties") on condition that within a reasonable time they should "enclose the same within a good and sufficient fence, and either erect an edifice or church thereon, or on a part thereof, for the worship of Almighty God, or use the same, or a part thereof, for a cemetery or church-yard, for the burial or interment of the dead, and shall not appropriate, apply, nor convert the same at any time, forever thereafter, to private, secular uses," and also upon further condition of the payment of an annual ground-rent of forty pounds sterling. Several clauses in this grant were destined to cre- ate more or less discussion and even controversy in later years. The right of burial here given was made the basis of a claim upon the city in the next century; the meaning of the phrase "private, secular uses," proved, as we shall see hereafter, to be not as clear as was at first supposed, and especially the matter of the ground-rent demanded readjustment from time to time. The land for the new church was now provided, but the church itself was still a thing of the future. Mr. Rodgers set about the raising of the money for this purpose and soon proved that in this practical * Loosely so described, though the lots merely adjoined the "Vine- yard." See above, page 19. 24 THE BRICK CHURCH department of his work he was as energetic and suc- cessful as in his spiritual ministry. For several months he went from door to door, literally collecting with his own hands the money needed for this pur- pose.* In after years he is said to have narrated many anecdotes of those days, describing sometimes the unexpected repulses and sometimes the agreeable surprises that he encountered. One incident of the latter sort has come down to us and is worth repeat- ing, for it makes us realize that the building of the church on Beekman Street was no mere business enterprise, but a labor of love. Mr. Rodgers with an officer of the church, in the course of his money- raising, called one morning at the house of a certain widow who had recently lost by death a dearly loved daughter, and who was known to be in very narrow circumstances. Little or nothing was expected from her, and indeed the two callers were loath to ask her for anything. Their reason for coming to her at all was that they would not hurt her feelings by seeming to overlook her, or to despise her little gift. They were, accordingly, amazed when, after she learned their errand, she brought and put into their hands a sum which for her was very large indeed. She could well spare it, she assured them, when they ex- pressed reluctance to take so much. It was money saved in former years; in truth, laid by to be her daughter's marriage portion. We need not be told that the good minister and his companion went out from that humble house with renewed courage for their difficult task. The other anecdotes of that soliciting tour have been forgotten, but when the * "Rodgers Mem.," pp. 181 ff. THE NEW CHURCH 25 story of the Brick Church is retold from time to time the gift of this woman shall still "be spoken of for a memorial of her." Of the appearance of the new church on its com- pletion at the end of 1767,* we have very little direct knowledge, but there is no reason to doubt that, so far as the exterior was concerned, the main features were much the same as in pictures and descriptions that come down to us from about ISOO.f Without attempting at this time to describe the details of the building, we may with certainty say that, though much plainer and in many points less attractive, it * There is to-day, set into the outer wall of the present Brick Church, immediately south of the north entrance, a piece of brownstone, bevelled, with this inscription: P. V. B. Livingsto 1767 The author has been unable to gain any direct information in regard to it, but the date suggests, of course, that it was in some way connected with the building of the church on Beekman Street. Is it, perhaps, a fragment of the original corner-stone? A newspaper report of an address by Dr. Spring at his fiftieth anniversary in 1860, quotes him as saying that the original corner-stone was laid by Dr. Rodgers' "own hands, with those of Livingston." The conclusion to be drawn would appear certain, were it not that Dr. Spring has also stated ("Br. Ch. Mem.," p. 8), that this cor- ner-stone was laid in the fall of 1766. But what was his authority for this statement? Most probably the words of Dr. Miller ("Rodgers Mem.," p. 181), "the foundation of the new church was laid in the autumn of the same year," that is, 1766. "Foundation," it will be noticed, is the word used in this older record, not "corner-stone." Doubtless Dr. Spring made an erroneous, though natural, inference, and we may assume that the stone is a part of the original corner-stone laid by Dr. Rodgers and Peter Van Brugh Livingston in 17G7. t Except that, apparently, the steeple was not added till a later time, Noah Webster, in 1788, describes the church as "a genteel brick building, . . . with a steeple not finished." The following extract from the diary of Dr. Alexander Anderson, preserved in the New York Historical Society, suggests a possible date for the steeple's completion. "Jany 11th, 1794. Saturday Evening We had an alarm of ' Fire.' I believe it arose from trying the new Bell in the Brick Meeting, which gave an alarm to the other bells.'' W THE BRICK CHURCH was built in the same style as the present St. Paul's Chapel, which had been erected about two years before, and stood but a short distance away. The front was on what is now Beekman Street, so that the church almost had its back to the Green— looked at it over its right shoulder, as it were — a fact which, were it still standing to-day, when almost the whole city lies to the north of City Hall Park, would give it a singular appearance. The northern end of the church, however, was by no means neglected. The large colonial window in that wall was in excellent taste, and indeed in general it is evident that the promise to build a church which should be an orna- ment to the city, as set forth in the petition for the land, was by no means forgotten. The church, while it stood, was one of the truly admirable speci- mens of the city's architecture. One feature of the structure must be mentioned even if all others should be disregarded: it was built of brick. It has been assumed by some that on ac- count of this fact, and because the old church on Wall Street was of stone, the new structure was at once called the "Brick Church." This does not appear to be exactly the history of the name's origin. For a number of years after the church was built, in fact, till 1799, the session records speak of it consist- ently as the "New Church." There is evidence, it is true, that in popular usage the name Brick Church or Brick Meeting-House had been commonly em- ployed at an earlier time, but it certainly had no official standing until about the date that has been mentioned. At that time a third church had been completed, so that to call the building on Beekman I ^! 1 \qQ -'"' THE mUCK CHTRCH FKOM THE Nt )irrH-EAST IN ISOO Showing St. Paul's Chapel on the right \ IKW 1 i;i )\1 I III. > \ML !•( M \ I I \ l>,.()- Steeple of St. I'luil'.s in ilie i-eiiire THE NEW CHURCH 27 Street "new" was no longer appropriate. In Eng- land, where the spirit of conservatism is strong, this difficulty would not have been regarded; the church would have continued to be called the "New Church" till the end of time, after the manner of New College, Oxford, which was founded in the year 1379, or the New Inn at Gloucester, which claims to be the oldest in the Kingdom. But it is interesting to observe that even as early as the end of the eighteenth century Americans were moved by the desire to keep up to date. The name "New" was surrendered to the younger organization on Rutgers Street, and the Brick Church assumed its present title. This, how- ever, took place as has been said, more than thirty years after the erection of the building, to which event we must return. The possession of the new land, and the invest- ment of a considerable amount of money in the building erected upon it, brought to the front once more a difficulty that had already existed for many years, and had caused the officers of the church no little concern. According to the law of the Province no charter of incorporation could be obtained by a Presb^ierian organization, a fact which made it ex- tremely difficult to hold property or to secure the payment of legacies. Attempts had been made as early as 1720 and repeatedly in the half century that followed* to secure these very necessary privileges, but without success, owing largely to the determined opposition of the vestry of old Trinity, who were re- luctant to share with others the privileges enjoyed by the Established Church. ♦ See "Rodgers Mem.," pp. 135 ff., 140 ff., 166. 28 THE BRICK CHURCH In 1730, fearing that those who were moved by this unfriendly spirit might take further advantage of their position, the Presbyterians determined to make their property safe by putting it into the hands of a body outside the jurisdiction of the colony. Accord- ingly, they conveyed it to a committee of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The practical management, however, of the church's temporal affairs was, at this period, by common consent, en- trusted almost entirely to Dr. John Nicoll, a physi- cian of New York, whose devoted service to the church deserves to be gratefully remembered. After his death in 1743 the congregation appointed for this task a self -perpetuating committee of eight * gentle- men, who were called trustees, but whose obligation to the church rested, of course, on a moral, not a legal, basis. The trust, which was thus by necessity reposed in the faithfulness of individuals, was so far from being abused in any way that when, in 1762, the church acquired possession of a "parsonage- house," the cumbersome method of applying to Scotland was not resorted to, and the property was vested in private persons, members or officers of the church. This was the method by which it was proposed to hold the New Church on Beekman Street. It could not but be evident, however, that this plan was open to very grave objections as applied to such large in- terests as were now at stake, and spurred on by their increased necessity the church authorities made a new attempt to secure a charter. It was discovered that the Governor of the Province, Sir Henry Moore, * Increased to twelve in 1771. ("Manuscript Hist.," p. 16.) THE NEW CHURCH 29 was favorable to their desire, but some doubt was raised as to his power to act in the premises, and a reference of the question to the Provincial Council, constituted as it then was, did not seem at all likely to help the matter. The officers of the church, therefore, in March, 1766, addressed a petition to King George. The Privy Council, before whom it was laid by His Majesty, referred it in turn to the Board of Trade, whose President, Lord Dartmouth, the patron of Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, showed him- self a sincere friend to the petitioners and their cause. In spite of delays and discouragements, the request might have been granted at this time, had not the Bishop of London declared himself its enemy, ap- pearing twice before the board in opposition to it. The report to the King was unfavorable and the petition was rejected. It will be perhaps as well to trace at this time the further history of this matter. In 1774, when still another request for a charter was made, the concur- rence of the King, the Governor, and the Council was actually obtained, but the obstinacy of the King's Attorney in New York, who pigeonholed it, delayed action until the imminence of the conflict with Great Britain turned the minds of men in other directions. It was finally in 1784, when the War of Independence had been won, that the Legislature of New York passed an act to incorporate the churches af all religious denominations, allowing each of them to hold an estate of twelve hundred pounds sterling per annum gross revenue. The Presbyterians at once availed themselves of this law, appointing nine trus- 30 THE BRICK CHURCH tees, and taking the name "The Corporation of the First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York." To this corporation the lands and buildings of the church were conveyed by the individuals, w^ho had until that time faithfully held and managed the property.* It will have been observed that in the building of the New Church no steps were taken toward creating a separate ecclesiastical organization. The so-called collegiate arrangement by which such a separation was made unnecessary, and which continued for forty years, should be clearly understood. The two congregations, on Wall Street and on Beekman Street, respectively, constituted one undivided church. The ministers belonged equally to them both, and preached alternately in the two churches on Sunday mornings. The second Sunday service was held in one church one Sunday, in the other the next. All the elders, deacons, and trustees were officers of the united congregations. The number of these officers was increased soon after the New Church was built, in order to enable them to cover the more extended field, but even then there was no such person as an elder of the Wall Street Church, or a deacon of the New Church: all belonged to both. From the very beginning, moreover, there was not, so far as the records show, the slightest indication that one of the congregations was in any way inferior or subordinate to the other, nor did there ever come between them, in any marked degree, the spirit of envy or of the selfish desire for power. The causes which finally ended the union lay, not in any failure of Christian * "Manuscript Hist.," pp. 17-20. THE NEW CHURCH 31 charity, but in the inherent faults of the system. It was throughout a noble and truly Christian rela- tionship, and it set up an ideal which, as one observes with interest, the Brick Church of later years has striven once more to realize, not without success.* The strong feeling of unity and equality which existed, was no doubt produced at the beginning by the fact that the congregation of the New Church was taken bodily out of the Wall Street congregation. There existed no little nucleus of people who had been already worshipping separately in some sort of makeshift quarters at the north end of the town, and for whom the good people of the Wall Street district provided a decent place of worship. The good people of Wall Street themselves were the ones who lacked adequate quarters, and they provided the New Church for those of their own number who found it convenient to worship there, or who for any other reason were willing to make the change. At the same time it must be admitted that even from the start there was a certain observable differ- ence between the two congregations. For one thing, tested by the record of the charitable offerings made from year to year, the Wall Street congregation was the wealthier. This is in part explained by the probability that the younger rather than the older portion of the congregation moved to the New Church, both because they had not so deeply rooted an affection for the very walls and pews of the old building, and also because the young people prob- ably lived further uptown, in the region where the New Church stood. But there was another differ- * In its relation to its two affiliated churches. 32 THE BRICK CHURCH ence also which was even more important than that of wealth or that of age. Either by accident or, more probably, by the drawing together of congenial per- sons, the strong Scotch and Irish element of the Presbyterian membership remained for the most part in the older church, while the New England element was largely transferred to Beekman Street.* It is not to be supposed that this difference of origin amounted to a sharp demarcation or that the diverse characteristics of these two classes, the con- servatism of the Scotch-Irish and the more demo- cratic spirit of the New Englanders, were obtrusively displayed by the respective congregations, but the difference existed and was bound to play its part in the subsequent history. * See "Br. Ch. Mem.," p. 153. CHAPTER III IN COLONIAL DAYS : 1768-1774 "The pews were all immediately taken, and it soon became abundantly evident that the erection of an additional church was neither unnecessary nor premature." — "Memoirs of John Rodgers," p. 182. " As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." — Galatians 6 : 10. ON New Year's Day, 1768, the congregation assembled in the New Church for the first time and dedicated it to the service of God. Even the very imperfect picture of the scene that, by the help of the records, rises to our view is well worth looking upon. Members of all the represen- tative Presbyterian families are in the pews — Liv- ingstons, Broomes, McDougals, Ogilvies, Quack- enbosses. The clerk is in his desk and Mr. Rodgers, in gown and bands, with his full, curled wig upon his head, has ascended into his lofty pulpit. There he offers the introductory prayer, reads from the Script- ures and gives out the Psalm, not improbably the one hundred and twenty-second as being most ap- propriate for this occasion. " How did my heart rejoice to hear My friends devoutly say, 'In Zion let us all appear, And keep the solemn day.' " Though we must guess at the Psalm, we have pre- cise information about the text of the sermon. It 33 34 THE BRICK CHURCH was taken from Haggai 2 : 7, "I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts." The theme and spirit of the discourse, thus introduced, cannot well be mistaken. Although both minister and peo- ple had themselves given so freely and worked so faithfully to build the church, they were not per- mitted on that day to think of their own powers or their own success. The house belonged to God and its only real value must come through His blessing it and using it. The occasion was in itself impressive, and Mr. Rodgers was a preacher thoroughly capable of putting it to its best use. We are assured by those who listened to him through many years that his sermons were remarkable for their effect upon his hearers. He had the power to stir the emotions as well as convince the mind, and commonly, before he had concluded, both preacher and congregation were literally moved to tears.* But while we may well believe that on that day such a preacher drove home to the hearts of the people his message of the divine presence and power, we may believe, also, that as the congregation dis- persed after the service they were by no means un- mindful of the leading part that had been played in the creation of this New Church by Mr. Rodgers himself. They must have felt, too, that its future success would, under God, depend in no small meas- ure upon his continued energy and devotion. And we, also, if we are to understand the history of the church, must recognize at the outset the power of leadership in the pastor. We have already seen what manner of man he was * "Rodgers Mem.," p. 88. IN COLONIAL DAYS 35 at the time of his call, endowed with a strong person- ality, one who might be confidently expected to take a commanding position in all the affairs in which he was concerned, and to lead them to a successful con- clusion. During his early years in New York he had continued to display these same qualities. His prompt settlement of the difference regarding the manner of opening divine worship, whether at clerk's desk or pulpit, has already been described, but another anec- dote may be added which reveals in a still more entertaining manner the forcefulness with which he exercised his authority. It seems that at one of the services a stranger had entered the church and had walked nearly the length of the aisle without being invited to a seat by any of those who occupied the pews. Mr. Rodgers, "from his pulpit watch-tower," as the narrator describes it, saw clearly what had happened and chose an unex- pected way to remedy it. His house-servant, a negro, was at that time the sexton also. To him Mr. Rod- gers called out in a loud voice, "Frank, show the gentleman to my seat." We are told that this broad hint to the congregation had an instantaneous effect, and that so many pew doors flew open as to make the stranger's choice among them almost embarrass- ing. The noteworthy thing about such incidents as these is not that they should have occurred, but that the minister who ventured to make his points in such a direct and unconventional manner, carried his congregation with him, as Mr. Rodgers indisputably did. A weak man, acting so, would soon have been disliked as a meddler, but in Mr. Rodgers the strength of genuine leadership w^as recognized by everybody, 36 THE BRICK CHURCH and his bold strokes, whether in great or in small matters, were justified by their success. Even at this early date his reputation was by no means local only. On December 20th, 1768, he re- ceived from the University of Edinburgh the degree of Doctor of Divinity,* at that time a most extraordinary honor for an American clergyman, and rendered doubly significant in his case by the fact that Dr. Benjamin Franklin had been sufficiently interested to write from London the commendatory letter which led to the granting of it. Dr. Rodgers was at this time only forty-one years of age. But we must return to the history of the New Church itself. The pews, we are told, were all im- mediately taken, showing that the forming of a second congregation had been no mistake. The list of pew- holders must, however, have included a considerable number who were not communicants, for we learn from a list of the united congregations, drawn up at this time, that there were in all three hundred and ninety-one members, allowing only about two hun- dred to each church. It would appear that the part which the Christian laymen of those days were expected to take in the church activities was very limited, a striking con- trast to the ideal of the present time. Besides living Christian lives, their duty was practically confined to attending public worship and contributing to the church collections. None of the societies, which to- day form a natural part of the machinery of every * The diploma conferring this degree is now in the possession of the Brick Church, having been presented by Dr. Rodgers' great-grandson, Mr. Robertson Rodgers. BRICK CHURCH RELICS Diploma from Edinburgh University conferring degree of D.D on John Rodgers. 2. Pocket cal- udar of Dr. Rodgers, with entries of marriage fees. 3. Dr. Spring's sand-bo.x (old-time substitute or blotting paper). 4. Brick from the Brick Church on Beekman Street. 5. Breastpin made from vood of the Beekman Street steeple. 6. Manuscript of sermon preached by Dr. Rodgers at close of levolutionary War. 7. Sermon-case of Dr. Rodgers, worked in colored crewels. 8. Pnnted form f sermon shown in No. 6. IN COLONIAL DAYS 37 church, had then been conceived of, and it is espe- cially noteworthy that the women had not begun any active or organized work, such as in later times has so greatly added to the church's usefulness. In a word, the work of the church was carried on by its officers. The ministers, of course, conducted the public worship and administered the sacraments; and theirs for the most part, was the work of visiting the families of the parish; the session busied itself especially with the matter of church discipline; and to the deacons was committed the administration of the benevolences. We may examine the work of the New Church, during the first seven or eight years of its existence, under this threefold division. The public services of the church were not many in those days, little more than half as many as at the present time, but it is to be presumed that they were a good deal longer, and that in them a much larger proportion of time was devoted to the sermon or the lecture. The congregation on Beekman Street assembled every Sunday morning and on alternate Sunday afternoons. Four times in the year the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered, apparently on the first Sundays of March, June, September and December. It is indicative of the close personal oversight given to individual mem- bers in those days, that in order to partake of the Communion it was always necessary to obtain in advance a sort of certificate of good standing. To those members who were deemed worthy of it — and the judgment was a strict one — this certificate was given in the form of a "token," evidently either a metal voucher or a ticket. These, we know, were 38 THE BRICK CHURCH applied for in person at a fixed time in advance, for in the session records we read of being "directed to attend for receiving a token for admission to the Lord's Supper." Only those who presented tokens were allowed to receive the sacrament. We are not informed whether at first there were week-day meetings held at the New Church. We know that among the Presbyterians at this time there was a weekly class for the instruction of chil- dren in the shorter catechism, and a public lecture on the catechism on Thursday evenings,* at which the doctrinal exposition was followed by an earnest practical application. There were also private asso- ciations for prayer established in different localities. But it is uncertain whether any of these week-day meetings was at the beginning actually held in the New Church. We must remember in this connec- tion that Beekman Street is but a short distance from Wall Street. By Dr. Rodgers the work of visiting the people of the congregation was most thoroughly and persist- ently performed. We know already the methods he had employed in his former parish, and these he continued in New York. The work of the minister and elders meeting as the session of the church is very fully preserved in the minutes of that body, so that we are able to say * This was started by Dr. Rodgers soon after coming to New York, and was originally intended for the older children. It was open, however, to all who chose to attend, and the room was usually filled to overflowing by people of all ages. Dr. Rodgers frequently, in later years, expressed his belief that these Thursday evening lectures had been more signally blessed to the spiritual benefit of his people than any other part of his ministra- tions. ("Rodgers Mem.," p. 17G.) IN COLONIAL DAYS 39 with certainty what the nature of it was and how thoroughly it was done. They regularly passed upon the worthiness of all persons who desired to be ad- mitted to church membership, and once a year they received and examined the financial report of the deacons; but the distinctive occupation of the ses- sion at this time was the uncongenial work of church discipline, for, to an extent, now utterly unheard of, the private morals of the individual members of the church were then investigated, corrected, and con- trolled. Delinquents, or suspected persons, or per- sons accused of wrong-doing by other members, were summoned by formal citation to appear at session meeting, and there their conduct was thoroughly sifted. At times the examination was so extended as to amount to a formal trial, witnesses being exam- ined at great length, and the full testimony being re- duced to writing. Not only was judgment pro- nounced upon offenders whose wrong-doing had already become a public scandal, but the attempt was made to discover and check, before it was too late, every sort of evil in the conduct of the members of the church. Not infrequently, on the other hand, the investigation ended in a complete acquittal, and it is apparent that in at least some of these cases the accused person had been most forward to bring the case before the session, as a means of silencing un- just or malicious attacks, without resorting to law. During the period with which we are at present occupied the session, it must be remembered, be- longed not to the New Church alone, but to the two united congregations, and we have no means of ascertaining when the recorded acts of discipline 40 THE BRICK CHURCH had reference to New Church people. It will, therefore, be best to defer the more full and serious discussion of this part of the church's life till we come to the time when the New Church had a session of its own. A passing reference may, however, be made to the curious and sometimes (in spite of the serious occasion) amusing passages which the sub- ject of discipline has introduced into the records of this reverend body. It is certainly odd to turn over page after page in which is discussed the fate of a red-and-white handkerchief supposed to have been stolen, or of "a pair of speckled silk stockings of a bluish cast," that had similarly disappeared. You may read, in the handwriting of the session clerk, the momentous history of a certain blue cloth cloak, and how the material of it was afterward identified with great certainty, although transformed into a "surtout and a pair of trousers." Or you may even learn at the mouth of an apparently friendly witness that Mrs. "loved a little Small Beer dashed with Rum every Day to refresh Nature whenever she had Money to buy it." And, by the way, the verdict of the session in this particular case is interesting for its very moderate severity. They did not decide in so many words that the accused had been guilty of intemperance, but only went so far as to aflSrm that she had "given too much grounds to suspect her of too great a fondness for Strong Liquor." Upon the shoulders of the deacons rested the whole work of caring for the poor of the church. And this is the same thing as saying that they admin- istered the whole of the church's benevolences, for in those days no collections were taken and no money IN COLONIAL DAYS 41 was given through the church for any other benevo- lent purpose than to supply the needs of the parish poor. The Church of Christ had not yet awakened to her duty and her power as the organizer and sup- porter of every sort of religious and philanthropic enterprise. The money which the deacons distributed in alms was received in the offering made at each Com- munion Service, known as "table money," and also in a special offering taken in connection with an annual "Charity Sermon," which in the New Church was preached usually on the second Sunday after- noon in December, In this special offering from twenty to thirty pounds sterling was given annually, and about an equal amount was received from the four communion offerings together.* The entire sum was annually divided among the deacons, who attended personally to the distribution of it, and reported upon their work to the session at the end of the year. One is impressed, in this brief review of the first years of the New Church, by the air of maturity to which it almost immediately attained. Sharing as it did from the beginning the whole history and experi- ence, and all the methods, customs, and traditions of the older church of which it was an integral part, it seems almost to have had no youth. As soon as the stir which accompanied the provision of land and building had passed, the church life appeared to settle at once into a placid middle age of routine use- * On one occasion at least (in 1773), the deacons endeavored to increase their ability to aid the poor by investing in two lottery tickets, showing that the moral objections to the lottery were not felt by them in that period. 42 THE BRICK CHURCH fulness; and, so far as its own internal affairs were concerned, it might have so continued indefinitely. But there were outside factors to be reckoned with, through which the second period of the New Church's history, beginning in 1775, was destined to be any- thing but serene and uneventful. Political affairs, even during the seven years studied in this chapter, were clearly moving toward a crisis, in which the church would inevitably be involved, and we must now turn back to study these contemporary events. CHAPTER IV "THE PRESBYTERIAN JUNTO": 1752-1775 "The early and just alarm our country took at the measures pursued by the British Court towards us strongly points us to the watchful care of a kind Providence over us."— John Rodgers, "The Divine Goodness Displayed in the American Revolution," p. 12. "When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. Then the chief captain came, and said unto him. Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said. Yea. And the chief captain answered. With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born."— Ac| ^«;| 5 ^^ y ^ ^ ''C ^ '^ 5i .v J^ O > X -^ . 4II ^ ■^•i'^ - ^ «- - — -^- — • — FAC •SIMILE OF THE CALL OF GARDINER SPRING THE CALL OF GARDINER SPRING 123 bold and unequivocal statement of the views I then entertained upon the subject of human ability," a burning question in that day. Had not Dr. Miller declared that he himself must be included in any condemnation of Mr. Spring's views on this matter, it is likely that an adverse vote would have resulted. As it was, the ultra-orthodox comforted themselves by the reflection that the gentleman was young and that a better acquaintance with Presbyterianism would soon modify his views. Dr. Milledoler, who was one of the first to attempt to acquaint him more fully with the Presbyterian system, and to produce the expected modification, is said to have exclaimed, at the close of a prolonged discussion, that in his judgment the best way of curing a man of such views as those which Mr. Spring obstinately professed was to dip his head in cold water. This incident, how- ever, occurred at a slightly later date, and meantime on Wednesday, August 8th, 1810, Mr. Spring was ordained and installed in the Brick Church. On that occasion Dr. Milledoler preached the sermon, and Dr. Miller and Dr. Romeyn delivered the charges to the pastor and to the congregation respectively. Dr. Rodgers was present and united with the others in "the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery." The pastorate thus begun was destined to last for more than sixty years. Mr. Spring was of New England ancestry. His father, the Rev. Samuel Spring, of Newburyport, Mass., was a man of ability and influence. He had served with credit as Chaplain in the Revolutionary War, accompanying Arnold's army on the arduous expedition to Quebec, and his subsequent call to the 124 THE BRICK CHURCH Congregational Church in Newburyport, on the strength of the single sermon preached by him to the colonial soldiers on the eve of the expedition's depart- ure, was not unlike his son's call to the Brick Church. His entire life was given to the ministry in Newbury- port and to the duties which grew out of his position there. Perhaps his greatest public service was ren- dered in connection with the founding of Andover Seminary and of the American Board of Commission- ers of Foreign Missions. Of the spirit which, in addition to his undoubted talents, made him a suc- cessful minister of the gospel, enough perhaps is said in quoting the remark of one of his hearers: "I love to hear Mr. Spring pray, because he prays as though he loved God." * For his mother Gardiner Spring always cherished a very tender affection. "She was a sweet mother," he says of her. "She was our earthly refuge. The church loved her as much as they did their pastor. The whole town, with all their denominational differ- ences, loved and respected Mrs. Dr. Spring. She was at the head of their charitable institutions, alike honored by the rich and sought after by the poor." f From both his parents Mr. Spring had received the most thorough Christian training, and their influence upon his later religious life can hardly be overstated. It is reassuring, however, to learn that he was a real * His epitaph is suggestive. It reads in part: "A man of an original and vigorous mind, distinguished for a deep sense of human depravity, and especially of his own unworthiness, and for his exalted views of the character and perfections of God the Redeemer; of great integrity, firm- ness, benevolence and urbanity; an able, faithful and assiduous pastor, an example to the flock over which he was placed; a kind husband, a tender father, and a sincere friend." t "Life and Times," Vol. I, p. 51. THE CALL OF GARDINER SPRING 125 boy before he was a good one. Our evidence comes from his own pen when he was over eighty years of age, and it is in a tone of self-accusation that he writes; but, reading between the lines, it is possible for us to take a somewhat more genial view of the youthful perversity which he confesses. "I was born," he says, "in the town of Newburyport on the 24th of February, 1785. I recollect nothing of my infancy, very little of my childhood, and nothing so early as my proneness to evil. As far back as I can remember anything, I can remember that I was a selfish, wilful boy, and very impatient of restraint. As I grew to riper years, my sinful tendencies were expressed, sometimes in bold and sometimes in de- ceitful forms. ... I was by nature a child of wrath. ... I had no outwardly vicious habits, but was impatient of control, and thought it a hard and severe discipline that I was not allowed to enjoy the ordinary amusements of boys of my age, and only wished that I was old enough and strong enough to flee out of my father's hands." * And yet, when at the "ripe" age of twelve, he was sent away to school, he soon showed, according to his own confession, a quite different character. "I had no heart for study," he says, "I had no heart for anything but homer ■\ We may say, then, that at the outset he had the good fortune to be very much like other boys of his age. He was not so fortunate in the fact that his studies were unduly pushed, so that he entered Yale College % when he was but fifteen years old, the youngest of * "Life and Times," Vol. I, pp. 74-76. t Ibid., Vol. I, p. 76. X He tells us that in the college "at that time there were but three pro- fessors." Ibid., Vol. II, p. 285. 126 THE BRICK CHURCH his class. He was, he tells us, "a severe student and as ambitious as Caesar," * and the result was that his eyesight was injured and his health impaired, so that he was forced to drop out of college for a year, and finally graduated in 1805. He was the valedic- torian of his class, and in his address, he says, was "foolish and wicked enough to adopt the vainglorious maxim Aut Ccesar, aut nullus.''-\ The boy of twenty who thus once more assures us that he was entirely human, had, during his college course, passed through a very decided religious experience. During a revival in the college he had been led to give to the subject of religion a measure of that awful consideration which was then regarded as indispensable. He speaks particularly of one Satur- day afternoon which he devoted entirely to prayer, endeavoring to reach the assurance that he had se- cured the divine mercy. "There," he says, "in the south entry of the old college, back side, middle room, third story, I wrestled with God as I had never wrestled before." % For a month he thought he had succeeded in his purpose, and then on the Fourth of July "marvellous to be told, amid the arrangements and speeches, the songs and glee of that memorable day, my religious hopes and impressions all vanished^ as *a morning cloud, and as the early dew.'"*^ It is noteworthy that although he did not "abandon [his] closet nor forsake the society of [his] religious class- mates," || he now considered that he was leading a distinctly irreligious life. This belief was strength- ♦ "Life and Times," Vol. I, p. 78. t Ibid., Vol. I, p. 82. : Ibid., Vol. I, p. 80. § Ibid., Vol. I, p. 81. II Ibid., Vol. I, p. 81. THE CALL OF GARDINER SPRING 127 ened by the fact that at the time of another revival in the college during the next summer, though he "rejoiced to see so many students pressing into the kingdom of God," he himself felt that he had "no lot nor part in this matter." * It will probably seem to readers of the present day that a less wooden conception of the process of con- version than was then current would at once have assured this young man of the essential Christianity of his thoughts and purposes; but the extreme con- scientiousness, which the old view inculcated, cer- tainly played a most important part in the building up of that stalwart Christianity by which our grand- parents were distinguished, and unless we have some knowledge of these passages in the early experience of Mr. Spring we shall not be prepared to understand some of the strongest and most characteristic elements of his later life and work. On leaving college he began to prepare himself for the profession of the law, but this was shortly after interrupted by an opportunity to go as school-teacher to the island of Bermuda. One of his letters, written while in that position, displays in the most singular manner the religious perplexities in which he was then involved. At one and the same time he first expresses in the most feeling terms his inclination to turn to the ministry as his life-work, and then with equal force declares his haunting fear that he is not even a Christian. He tells frankly the best and the worst about himself, as far as he is able to see them. The best could hardly be better, and the worst was not so bad after all. "I am attached to the world," * "Life and Times," Vol. I, p. 82. 128 THE BRICK CHURCH he confesses, "I am avaricious; and in the present state of my family, make money my god. I strain honesty as far as I can to gain a little. ... I serve God and Mammon."* One clause in these damaging accusations informs us of an important element of the story. The "family," to which he refers, consisted of his young wife and their son, three months old. For Mr. Spring, while still in New Haven, had fallen in love. Miss Susan Barney was a pupil at the weekly singing school; Gardiner Spring was the teacher; and " before I was aware of the attachment," he says, " my heart was led captive by one who had captivated more hearts than mine."t When he first went to Bermuda, however, he was so ill provided in a financial way, that marriage was as yet out of the question : indeed, it is evident that his acceptance of a position so far away, and out of the line of his intended profession, was influenced by his desire to provide as soon as possible the necessary income. Even when, in the spring of 1806, he claimed his bride, making a hasty journey to Connecticut for that purpose, and taking her back with him im- mediately to Bermuda, his circumstances could not be called affluent. He was still teaching and saving money, at a little place called the Salt Kettle, when he wrote the letter to his father already quoted, and one may conclude therefore that the conditions and problems of his life, quite as much as original sin, accounted for that attachment to the world and alarm- ing avarice which he there confesses. But at last * "Life and Times," Vol. I, pp. 87 /. t Ibid., Vol. I, p. 88. THE CALL OF GARDINER SPRING 129 enough money was saved to enable them to return to America. In New Haven, Mr. Spring resumed the study of the law, and in December, 1808, he was admitted to the bar. It was not until now that this essentially good man, who, both in his outward observance and in his inward purposes, had been living a life of which many Christians might be envious, thought himself fitted to unite with the church. The truth was that he was at the same time prepared for a still further step, though he did not at once realize it. The state of his own mind was revealed to him by the sermon preached at the college commencement in 1809, at which he was present to take his degree of A.M. and to deliver an oration. The sermon, preached by the Rev. Dr. John M. Mason, started from the text, "To the poor the gospel is preached," and to tell in a sentence its overpowering effect upon Mr. Spring, he left the church possessed by the one thought that he must devote his life to the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was, as may be imagined, no easy task for a husband and a father to make so radical a change, to abandon the law for which he had now prepared himself and enter upon a preparation for the totally different profession of the ministry. His wife, how- ever, when after some delay he told her of his purpose, rose to the occasion in a brave spirit of loyalty which must have greatly cheered him, and which was all the more creditable to her in that she did not at that time entirely share his convictions. The new seminary at Andover was the place chosen by Mr. Spring for his theological studies, and there. 130 THE BRICK CHURCH in the extraordinarily short period of eight months, he completed his preparation. During that time he had for a number of weeks supplied the pulpit at Marblehead, and for this purpose he had written eight sermons. With these as his visible equipment, and with such preparation of head and heart as he had received from his home-life, from his own reflec- tion and experience, and from his brief period of study at Andover, he set out, being now twenty-five years of age, on the journey to Philadelphia which led him, by God's providence, to the pulpit of the Brick Church. CHAPTER X THE TEMPORALITIES: 1810-1850 " I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be dona therein." — Ezekiel 44 : 14. "The house does not belong to us, but to him; and therefore we are bound to husband the property entrusted to us, for the best interests of his kingdom." — Gardiner Spring, "The Brick Church Memorial," p. 39. THE period of forty years upon which we now enter is crowded with events, and we are fortunately provided with full information in regard to it, so that we shall be able to follow the history in all necessary detail. It would not, however, be desirable to proceed by a strictly chronological method. Various interests of the church developed side by side, and it would be only confusing to attempt to deal with them all together in one interwoven narrative. It will be best, therefore, to treat each main group of subjects in a separate chapter, with the understanding that each of these chapters covers the same period, and that the events and develop- ments described in any one of them were contem- porary with those described in the others. This arrangement is the more feasible because the whole period may be regarded as a unit : it was not divided into parts by any events of critical importance, but consisted of one continuous development. The material may be conveniently divided into five parts; first, the temporalities of the church, its 131 132 THE BRICK CHURCH lands, buildings, and general finances; second, the work of the minister as pastor and theologian; third, the church's religious and moral progress; fourth, the history of the church's schools for secular and religious instruction; and fifth, the growth in the church of missionary and philanthropic enterprise. The present chapter, then, will be devoted to the first of these five divisions, and will give an account of the changes which took place, during the first forty years of Gardiner Spring's pastorate, in the lands and buildings upon and within which the history of the Brick Church was enacted, and of its financial problems and achievements during that period. The interior of the church itself first demands our attention. WTiether in 1810 the old pulpit, lifted high on its supporting post, still existed, is not certain. Mention of the fact that in 1813 certain ladies had presented "the curtains for the pulpit," combined with our knowledge that after the pulpit had been changed to a platform against the rear wall, with the usual desk, curtains were then hung across the win- dow behind it, leads us to suspect that the change may have been made at that date. On the other hand, in 1822 extensive repairs were undertaken with the express purpose of rendering the church more easy to speak in, and we learn, incidentally, that these repairs involved the removal of certain pews, all of which might readily suggest some change in the pulpit. In any case, the change was made at some time dur- ing this period. One other relic of antiquity was early removed. The two *' Governor's pews" for the use of strangers, had in 1811 been exchanged for six of the ordinary t.\'- ya .__L.i/. L , 4 1 J H .^ L. 1 i IT -\ """" ■ t GROUND-PLAN OF THE BRICK CHURCH ON BEEKMAN STREET AS ALTERED IN 1822 THE TEMPORALITIES 133 size. A few years later the addition of some form of mahogany trimming for the pews throughout the church was authorized, and no doubt added a good deal to the general appearance. Indeed, any modest adornment must have been welcome, one would think, in that severely plain apartment, whose main features, the whitewashed walls and the plain glass windows with interior shutters, made a somewhat cheerless effect. Even the mahogany trimmings did not satisfy some of the worshippers, who accordingly introduced, of their own accord, certain decorative changes in the pews which they had rented. This led to a curious declaration of the trustees in 1824, in which they ''discountenanced, not to say prohibited, the lining of pews with green cloth or painting them the same color." In 1840 the trustees themselves caused the pews to be lined, but the color is not mentioned. There was in the church one decorative feature which must not be overlooked. This was a shield surrounded by conventional foliage, carved in wood and painted in white and gold. Upon it was in- scribed in gold letters the words Holiness to the Lord. It was placed over the high window behind the pulpit, and no doubt in those days, as in later times when it was removed to a corresponding posi- tion in the church on Thirty-seventh Street,* it offered a grateful object of study to the wandering eyes of the children of the congregation. How was the church lighted in the early days of the nineteenth century ? A bill of over <£30 for * Though no longer a part of the church's decorations, it is still pre- served, together with the large clock from the downtown church. 134 THE BRICK CHURCH candles paid in 1813 gives us our answer.* Five years later brass lamps were proposed, and after a year of consideration they were installed, a row with reflectors ranged along the wall in the galleries, and others, for lighting the main floor, suspended from the gallery fronts. In 1830 the lamps were in their turn disposed of, and gas was introduced. During the first part of this period the heating of the church was by stoves. Some £23 were paid for their erection in 1810, and it may be that until that time the worshippers had had no other source of heat during the long services than the old-fashioned foot- warmers. In 1813 two "Russian" stoves were pro- vided, but four months later, whether because of ob- jection to stoves in general or dislike of the particular design chosen, it was ordered that "the committee who were appointed to have stoves erected in the church be directed to have them removed." With the coming spring the matter was then dropped for the time, but the frosts of the next December produced the following resolution: "AMiereas it is represented that a number of persons who worship in the Brick Church are desirous that stoves should be erected in said church, . . . Resolved that stoves be erected." This time they remained, and at about the period when gas was introduced we hear also of furnaces. f By that time the idea that worship was best carried on under a certain degree of bodily discomfort had given way to the more luxurious modern view. We now pass to the outside of the building and ♦The candles were supported in brass "chandeliers," this word then having its true etymological significance. I Croton water was introduced ten j'ears later, SHIELD FROM THE BRICK CHURCH ON BEEKMAN STREET INTERIOR OF THE BRICK CHURCH ON BEEKMAN STREET IN ITS FINAL STATE THE TEMPORALITIES 135 consider first its surroundings. Its situation was certainly attractive, for the City Hall Park, which formed its western boundary, was probably, in the early years of Dr. Spring's pastorate, the most attrac- tive part of the entire city. The City Hall, which still ranks among the most admirable of New York's buildings, was completed in 1812, while the Park itself during this period "is described as having been a beautiful place, the walks and grass-plots being trimly kept, and shaded by groves of elm, poplar, willow and eucalyptus." * Fronting upon it were some of the most important buildings of the city in that day, such as the New York Gardens, Mechanics' Hall, the London Hotel, the Park Theatre, then the city's most fashionable place of amusement, and Tammany Hall, besides the Brick Church; while St. Paul's Chapel stood opposite the Park's southern point, for in those fortunate days the open space in- cluded the site of the present post-office. But what was the external appearance of the Brick Church itself.? The wooden pale fence, erected, as we have seen, in 1809, continued till 1840, when an iron railing succeeded it. f The earlier structure, besides its natural use in protecting the property, served several picturesque purposes. To it were fastened the chains which, from 1810, were on Sun- days extended across Nassau and Beekman streets in order to prevent any noise of traffic from dis- turbing the services. Against it, moreover, were placed the stands and booths of fruit- and oyster- * "Mem. Hist., of N. Y.," Vol. Ill, p. 202. t When the church was finally torn down, this fence was removed to the place of Mr. J. T. Stranahan, in South Brooklyn, where it is still standing. 136 THE BRICK CHURCH sellers, and especially of the petty dealers whose rich harvest-time was the third and fourth of July. From 1828 there are frequent indications that these en- croachments upon the church's property were making the life of the sexton* miserable. What is of more importance, the same facts suggest that by that time the Brick Church was beginning to be "down- town." On the other hand, the mention in 1815 (not many years before) of a willow tree on the church grounds, whose limbs overhung the street and oc- casionally needed trimming, reminds us that the scene would nevertheless have looked rural enough to modern New Yorkers. Standing on Beekman Street, we look up at the front of the church and are at once reminded that its well-proportioned steeple was nearly destroyed soon after the coming of Mr. Gardiner Spring. On Sunday morning. May 19th, 1811, a destructive fire broke out in the region northeast of the Green, and, before it could be extinguished, burned nearly a hundred buildings. In the midst of the conflagration flying embers set fire to the wooden steeple of the Brick Church, and it seemed to the onlookers that at least a portion of the building, perhaps the whole of it, * A few facts regarding the sexton's office may be of interest. By a minute of the trustees in 1814, it was declared to be the duty of the sexton "to attend to ringing of the bell, opening, sweeping, dusting, and lighting the church; and sweeping and cleaning the streets adjacent, as required by law; opening, sweeping, and lighting the session room, at all such times as are now usual in the day or evening, for the accommodation of the session, trustees, lectures, and prayer-meetings of the church." At the same time his salary was fi.xed at $125 per annum, while "other emolu- ments arising from the church," such as burial fees, for instance, were guaranteed to amount to $225 more. During a large part of this period the sexton was also collector of pew-rents, for which service he received five per cent, on collections. See Appendix K, p. 528. THE TEMPORALITIES 137 was doomed. How the blaze was extinguished is made plain by the following notice which was ordered to be inserted next day in the daily papers: "The board of trustees of the Brick Presbyterian Church, deeply impressed with a grateful sense for the timely and constant aid offered for the preservation of the said church from the calamitous and destructive fire of the 19th instant, make in behalf of the congregation their most sincere acknowledgments to their fellow- citizens in general, and more especially to the un- daunted mariner and several others who by the [lightning] conductor ascended the steeple and checked the fire that had then broke out, until more effectual means arrived, and were instruments in the hands of God of saving the church." At the same time one hundred dollars was voted to Stephen McCormick (evidently the "undaunted mariner"), and half that amount to four other rescuers, as rewards for the signal service thus rendered, and as the addresses of the persons in question were unknown and several days' inquiry failed to discover them, a further news- paper notice invited them to call and receive the money. It is a curious fact, commonly reported in histories of this period, though it does not appear on what authority, that the hero of the incident never claimed his reward. If in our examination of the building we now pass around it toward the rear, and if we imagine that it is the week of Mr. Spring's installation, we observe that, adjoining the north end of the church, is a smaller wooden structure just completed. This is the "session and prayer room," which had been projected in the preceding May and was finished just 138 THE BRICK CHURCH in time for the use of the new pastor. It measured about thirty by fifty feet and contained an assembly room, fitted with a pulpit, and having its walls, like those of the church, w^hitewashed — "The Old White Lecture Room," as it w^as affectionately called by those who in later years remembered it. Here the weekly evening lecture and other meetings were now held, and to this room the session, who heretofore had met in the charity school-house, transferred their head-quarters. By 1829 the needs of the church had outgiiown this building, and it was then proposed to tear down the old addition and erect in its place a "large and com- modious two-story brick session house." Accord- ing to the plan then suggested the new building was to contain large rooms suitable for church meetings and for the Sunday-schools which had now been established,* smaller rooms "for the pastor, session, trustees and for school and church libraries, etc." (probably one room was intended to serve more than one of these uses), "and in addition two or mope valuable and pleasant rooms to rent, "f There were two difficulties in the way of this pro- posal. In the first place, the trustees did not feel able to undertake the expense. This was overcome by the guarantee of certain members of the congrega- tion that the money should be provided from other sources. But it was also necessary, if the plan to rent certain of the rooms was to be carried out, to secure the removal of the restriction in the original lease of the Beekman Street lot by which the church ♦ As will be described in Chapter XIII. t For secular purposes. THE TEMPORALITIES 139 was forbidden to convert the land "to private, secu- lar uses." A petition was accordingly made to the Common Council, praying for such a modification of the original grant as would permit the carrying out of the new plan, and this petition was granted. This event was important, not only in its relation to the matter then in hand, but because of the precedent thus established of removing certain restrictions upon the use of the church property. It was now possible to proceed to the erection of the new building, called at first the session house, but finally named the chapel, and by December, 1832, it had been completed at a cost of about $12,000. It was a handsome structure. Its windows were sepa- rated by pilasters which rose to the eaves. The roof was considerably lower than that of the main church, and the two buildings together made a harmonious design. The arrangement of the interior, according to the best information obtainable, was as follows: on the first floor directly adjoining the church (but not communicating with it) were two Sunday-school rooms, opening into each other, one looking out on Nassau Street and one on the Green. Over these rooms was the large lecture room. Still further m the rear on each floor there were four rooms, two on each side, and between them, with the entrance at the north end, a hallway containing the stairs. Doubtless it was in one of the smaller rooms on the second story that the pastor kept his books and prepared his sermons, "that memorable study," he calls it, "so enbowered, so retired and tranquil amid noise and uproar." The two small, rear rooms on the first story facing Chatham Street (now Park 140 THE BRICK CHURCH Row) were the ones originally designed for renting. The trustees in the end determined that they would themselves provide the money expended in the build- ing, which they were enabled to do by mortgaging the property. The interest on this mortgage was provided by renting not only the two rooms just mentioned, but also, afterward, with the permission of the city,* other rooms not required for religious purposes. In about 1840 the chapel was extended fourteen feet to the north so as to provide more space that might be "let for offices.'* The tenants to whom the records refer were a physician, an agent for the Foreign Mission Board, and a publisher and book-seller. The last mentioned, Mr. John S. Taylor, opened his store here soon after the chapel was built and continued it through almost the whole of this period. His advertisement, inserted in a publication of 1838, shows that his was a business not inappropriately housed beneath the eaves of a church. It calls the attention of the public to the "Popular Religious Books, published by John S. Taylor, Theological and Sunday-school Bookseller, Brick Church Chapel, New York." In 1846 another publishing house became the church's tenant, that of Baker and Scribner, whose successors, Charles Scribner and Co., and the present Charles Scribner's Sons have continued the firm's long relationship to the Brick Church by becoming the publishers of the principle works of the church's ministers during the last half century. t * In 1835 permission was given to rent any portion of the chapel. t According to the terms of the lease of 1846 the trustees rented to Baker and Scribner for five years "the two rooms on the lower floor of the Brick Church chapel, one of which fronts on Nassau Street, the other THE BRICK CHURCH ON BEEKMAN STREET Showing Chapel in the rear THE TEMPORALITIES 141 It will be remembered that in the original deed of the land on Beekman Street the use to which it was to be put included the burial of the dead. In the days of which we write it was considered a proper and important part of a church's duty to provide a suitable place of burial for the members of its own congregation, and the natural place for this was con- sidered to be the yard about the church itself. Like Trinity and St. Paul's, though in a much more re- stricted area, the Brick Church had thus surrounded itself with a cemetery. Besides the open, graves there had been constructed early a limited number of vaults which were sold to individuals, and these were increased from time to time until nearly all the available area had been thus utilized, and even some space beneath the sidewalks, by permission of the the city. The flat tops of these vaults, level with the ground and inscribed with the names of the owners, were a familiar sight to all who entered the church or passed along Beekman Street. In 1823 a city ordinance was passed prohibiting any further burial of the dead^outh of Grand Street.* The trustees of the Brick Church had barely com- pleted some new vaults at considerable expense and were dismayed at this sudden and unexpected enact- fronting on Park Row (with the privilege of removing the single partition between the said two rooms for convenience, but at their own expense)." Provision, it is interesting to note, was made for a termination of the lease "in case the said trustees should sell the said premises before the ex- piration of this lease or in case the Corporation of the city of New York should interfere with the present rights of the said trustees held under cer- tain acts of said Corporation to lease said premises so as to divest said trustees of sard rights." * The plague of yellow fever in 1822 was thought to have started with a burial in Trinity churchyard. See "Westervelt Manuscripts" (Lenox Library), p. 14. 142 THE BRICK CHURCH ment, which, they persuaded themselves, was un- necessary or at least premature. One paragraph of the memorial which they presented to the corporation of the city, stating their grievance, is sufficiently interesting to be quoted. "Your petitioners," they say, "would briefly notice a reason repeatedly urged against a discrimination in private vaults" (such dis- crimination was what they had petitioned for) . . . "namely, that it savored of aristocracy. The sug- gestion, it is believed, had great weight at the time; but it is as fallacious as it was popular. Of the whole number of private vaults in this city, one-half are supposed to be owned by those who are in moderate circumstances, and if the remaining half belong to persons of opulence, who can deny that there are hundreds, if not thousands, as well able to own them as they." Possibly this argument did not tend to strengthen their case. At any rate, the city stood by its ordinance. A few months later a second memorial was presented by the trustees, rehearsing the conditions of the original grant of their land and asserting with some reasonableness that the city's recent ordinance pre- vented the church from exercising]: a ri<>ht which had, in return for a certain rent, duly paid, been promised to them forever " without any let, trouble, hindrance, molestation, interruj)tion, or denial." At the same time or shortly afterward an interment was made, in spite of the ordinance, for the purpose of testing in the courts the validity of the city's act. In this contest the church was worsted. But imconvinced, they again memorialized the city authorities, and followed this up by instituting suit against the city for $30,000, THE TEMPORALITIES i4§ damages. The sole issue of this proceeding is told with suflficient clearness by the only subsequent refer- ence to the matter in the trustees' minutes: "Ordered to be paid: H. Holden, Esq., costs of suit for breach of covenant, $123.93."* The limited area around the church was not, of course, its only burying-ground. The Brick Church had also its one-third part of the Beekman lots on the corner of North (afterward East Houston) and Chrystie streets, where burials were made throughout the whole period now under consideration. f There still remains to be considered the vital question of the income and financial condition of the church during the forty years covered by this chapter. In the preceding period the revenue had been derived from collections and the renting and sale of pews. It became, however, more and more desirable to de- vote the collections to benevolent objects, and at length the pews were made to bear the burden alone. To this, after the erection of the chapel, was added the income of such rooms in that building as were rented for secular purposes. In 1835 this amounted to $925. The buying of a pew meant little more than the renting of it with the right to hold the same year by year thereafter; and on the other hand, there were decided drawbacks to be encountered. Assessments for repairs, or to make up a deficit, or to meet some extraordinary expense, were by no means uncommon. * The permission of the city, a few years later, to rent certain portions of the chapel (see above, p. 139), was asked and granted as being at least a partial compensatioa for the loss entailed by the prohibition of burials. t It may be added that this land was sold in 1866 for $64,200. Groimd had been purchased in Evergreen Cemetery in 1856. 144 THE BRICK CHURCH And yet from the frequent references in the records, there seem always to have been people who were anxious to buy. It must be added that there seem also to have been people who failed to pay their annual tax or their rent, as the case might be, so that the sale of the pews thus confiscated and of others that were deeded or bequeathed to the church from time to time, provided not infrequent opportunities of purchase. For the first few years after Mr. Spring's installa- tion the treasurer reported each year a substantial balance. In 1817, however, we learn that an advance in the pew-rents was necessary to keep the church from running behind, and there was a still further increase two years later designed to provide an un- solicited addition of $750 to the pastor's salary. In 1824, the burden upon the pew-holders being evi- dently a subject of complaint, he offered to relinquish $500 of his salary, if the taxes on the pews should be correspondingly reduced; and the state of the treasury at that time must have been indeed discour- aging, for the trustees went so far as to request that he would make the relinguishment unconditional. This he would not do, and they were fain to accept his original proposition. The result was interesting. A meeting of the men of the church was held at once, proposing to restore tlio pastor's salary without delay to the figure from which it had been reduced, $3,!250, by actually advancing the pew-tax. It was thus made evident that, whatever the financial difficulties of the situation might be (and there was no doubt that the cluirc-h had been forced to borrow money to meet its obligations), the congregation stood behind THE TEMPORALITIES 145 the pastor and were unwilling that he, rather than they, should be made to suffer. Whether as a result of this episode, or because of objection to the legal contest, being waged with the city at this time about the burial-rights, at the next election of trustees, in April, 1825, the three whose terms then expired were not reelected. Imme- diately the other six handed in their resignations, and although three of these were afterward prevailed upon to remain, the board when it assembled in May was distinctly a new body. It had to meet, however, the old problems. In the next year with a view to extinguishing the debt and completing certain necessary work on the build- ing, it was again necessary to propose an extra pew- assessment, and to appeal directly to the loyalty of the congregation for support in this unpleasant measure. Yet on the whole the situation as then described by the trustees, though demanding a remedy, was not alarming. "The regular annual revenue," they say, "is barely suflScient to meet the current yearly ex- penditure," and "the debt, although not now large, will soon become so by the accumulation of interest." Evidently a small increase in revenue would at that time have removed the embarrassment. From 1832 a new source of revenue was added by the renting of the rooms in the new chapel, as above described, but all of the money so received was re- quired in paying the interest on the debt incurred in the chapel's erection, and in the gradual reduction of the debt itself. Meantime the difficulty in meeting the ordinary expenses of the church continued. Year after year 146 THE BRICK CHURCH the treasurer reported a deficit, which even the old expedient of an advance in the pew-tax did not now serve to check.* In 1839 began a series of loans, sometimes for current expenses, sometimes for repairs or alterations. These appear on the records at rather frequent intervals and reveal a condition of affairs which, to say the least, was undesirable. But now once more the special emergency was the occasion of showing the church's strength. At the request of the trustees in January, 1841, the pastor undertook to raise from the congregation a voluntary subscription for the purpose of obliterating the debt. In less than three weeks' time he was able to put into their hands the sum of $10,077.22. The subscriptions, he says in his accompanying report, ranged from $1 to $370, and came from one hundred and forty differ- ent persons. *'The claim," he continues, "has re- ceived the most prompt and warm response. . . . Six thousand dollars were paid in by the subscribers in a single morning, simply on a public notice from the pulpit." By means of this generous contribu- tion, the entire debt, except the less troublesome mortgage on the chapel was at once paid off, princi- pal and interest, and the congregation set its face to the future with a new spirit of hopefulness. From this time until 1850 the situation, although not free from anxieties, was more easy. There con- tinued for a time to be a yearly deficit, but a part of this at least could be met from the sinking fund, while by the same means the old debt of $12,000, on the chapel had been finally extinguished. At last, on the very year which closes the period of our ♦ The financial crisis in 1837 should be remembered in this connection. THE TEMPORALITIES U1 present study, the treasurer was able to report that the revenues had exceeded the expenditures. When it is remembered that the Brick Church had no endowment whatever, that in spite of a narrow income it not only maintained its original building, but twice over made considerable additions to it, that at the same time, as we shall see in later chapters, it was carrying on a missionary and benevolent work of constantly increasing proportions, and that during the very years when it was beginning to lose in num- bers through the northward drift of population it nevertheless succeeded in clearing off all indebted- ness and putting its work upon a self-supporting basis, we cannot but admire the energy of its oflScers and the generous loyalty of its people. CHAPTER XI PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN: 1810-1850 "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel Is, that they might be saved." — Romans 10 : 1. " Whatever subordinate ends, therefore, the Christian pulpit may secure In this or the coming world, its lepitimate, paramount aim is the glory of God in the salva- tion of men." — Gardiner Spring, "The Power of the Pulpit," p. 170. THE last chapter, although in many of its facts and incidents suggestive of the real life of the church, is for the most part only a description of the outer shell. It presents to us in detail the physical conditions under which the work of the church was carried on. We now turn to study that work itself, and we shall begin by tracing the career of him who was the church's leader throughout this period. In a sense the whole religious life and activity that then existed in the Brick Church, all those matters, for example, that will be presented in the next three chapters, form a part of his biography. But there are certain more personal facts and events which may well be treated by themselves in a chapter especially devoted to him. And here it will be convenient to deal also with all the church's distinctly theological interests during these years, since in them the church could hardly be said to act at all except in the person of its j)astor. 148 GARDINER SPRING IN THE EARLY YEARS OF HIS PASTORATE From an oil portrait in the possession of his great-grandson. Shepherd Knapp PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN 149 For the whole period now under observation Gardiner Spring performed alone the duties of min- ister of the Brick Church. Dr. Rodgers' active work had ended, as we know, before his successor came. Even his service as moderator at the meetings of the Brick Church session in 1809 and 1810 had been performed with great difficulty and frequent interrup- tions. He was but waiting patiently for the end; and at length the end came when the new pastorate was less than a year old, on May 7th, 1811. It had greatly cheered Dr. Rodgers that, when he was called to go, he had already seen the church moving forward with promise under its new leader. During those last months, his biographer tells us, "he took his young colleague by the hand with paternal solicitude and affection, discovered great anxiety to promote his usefulness, and rejoiced in his talents and suc- cess." * Thus the mantle of Elijah fell upon Elisha's shoulders. The task which Mr. Spring had assumed was ardu- ous, and, except for the force of character, the Christian spirit, and the consecrated purpose which he brought to his work, he was imperfectly prepared. "My theological attainments," he says, "were very limited," f and it was necessary for him to continue as best he could the training and stocking of his mind. He began at once a thorough investigation of Christian doctrine, which he pursued, not only by reading, but also by conference and correspondence with his older contemporaries. His progress, however, was necessarily slow, for the ♦"Rodgers Mem.," p. 277. t "Life and Times," Vol. I, p. 119. 150 THE BRICK CHURCH first demand upon his time was the vigorous perform- ance of his daily ministerial duties, and these were so engrossing that he seemed to have little leisure for aught else. "I neglected everything for the work of the ministry," he says, "I had a strong desire to visit the courts, and listen to the arguments of the eminent jurists of the city; but I had no time for this indulgence. I had none for light reading, none for evening parties, and very little for social visiting, or even extensive reading. Everything was abandoned for my pulpit ministrations. . . . Under God it was this laborious and unintermittent effort that saved me from shipwreck. " * He was abundantly justified in asserting, as he did, that a faithful minister is in the most thorough sense "a working man." Let him in his own words give us some idea of his method and habits of work. "There is nothing," he affirms, "of which I have been constrained to be more economical, and even covetous, than time. I have ever been an early riser, and even in mid-win- ter used to walk from Beekman Street f round the 'Forks of the Bowery,' now Union Square, before I broke my fast. I usually went into my study at nine o'clock, and after my removal to Bond Street, more generally at eight, though my study was opposite the City Hall, and more than a mile from my residence." J This description of the prompt beginning of the day prepares us for his account of the system and regu- * "Life and Times," Vol. I, pp. 104 /. t Dr. Murray in his "Memorial Discouree" (p. 20), Bays: "He once told me that his first residence in the city being on Broadway, near Canal Street, he was obliged to walk across a number of open lots to get to his Thursday lectures, and on dark nights stood sometimes in dread of assault." t "Life and Times," Vol. I, p. 105. PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN 151 larity with which he produced his sermons. "For a series of years," he says, "I rarely retired to my pillow of a Lord's Day evening without having selected my subject for the following Lord's Day." * On Tuesday almost without exception he would begin actual work upon his sermon,f and with the same regularity he brought his writing to an end at Friday noon. Never except in two instances, he declares, had Saturday been devoted to the preparation of the sermon for the next day. It should be added, how- ever, that when the importance of the subject de- manded it, and when the assistance of other clergy- men made it possible, he would spend two, three, or even more, weeks in the preparation of one sermon. He preached commonly from a manuscript, but when, as he occasionally did, he employed the ex- temporaneous method, he went to the other extreme, using no notes whatever, preferring to be absolutely untrammelled; and he records his opinion that some of his best and most profitable sermons were delivered in this way, by a method "so literally extemporaneous that from beginning to end I did not know^ beforehand what would be my next sentence." J This success, however, he points out, was the result of previous mental discipline, in which the regular use of the pen had played a considerable part. In regard to his written sermons it is significant in * "Life and Times," Vol. I, p. 110. t In his "Letter to a Young Clergyman" ("Fragments from the Study of a Pastor," 1838, p. 117), Dr. Spring says: "One sermon a week, well planned, well digested, carefully written, and faithfully applied, is labor enough for any man who allows himself any time for intellectual improve- ment." He adds that, in that case, "you may draw upon your Text Book for two or three others without much preparation." t "Life and Times," Vol. I, p. 111. 152 THE BRICK CHURCH this connection to hear him say that when sometimes he had begun a sermon without any fixed method in his mind, he had almost always found it lost labor. "For the most part," he says, "my divisions and ar- rangements have been thoroughly premeditated ; and so thoroughly that ... I have in many instances written the application first, and the body of my dis- course last." * These facts in regard to his persevering and meth- odical industry go far toward explaining the success of Gardiner Spring as a preacher. But, of course, method could have produced but a mediocre result, had it not been inspired by something more spontane- ous and personal in the man himself, and been pro- vided with good material on which to work. For the first of these necessities w^e have his declaration, ut- tered with enthusiasm, that he "loved the work of writing sermons and preaching the gospel." f To him the routine and the system of it all were no drudg- ery, for his whole heart was in it. There was no other occupation in which he took so much delight. And as for the second necessity, material to work on, his strongly acquisitive and fertile brain kept him well supplied. His own reference to this subject is interesting, and especially because it incidentally dis- pels any notion that he was merely a student of books, as we may have hastily assumed. He was also, as he here shows us, a student of life. "I have rarely been embarrassed for want of subjects," he said in his later years. "The wonderful facility with which one subject leads to another, the state of the congregation, an interview with some individual or * "Life and Times," Vol. I, p. 112. t Ibid., Vol. I, p. 106. PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN 153 family, a watchful observance of the leadings of Divine Providence, intercourse with ministerial brethren, some unexpected suggestion during the night-watches, a solitary ride on the saddle,* my index rerum and the inexhaustible treasures of the Bible, furnished me with subjects which I have not yet overtaken." f But we have yet to observe the most important characteristic of Mr. Spring's plan of work. Of greater significance than his natural talents, his strong personality, his enthusiasm, or his faithfulness, was the high aim which he held constantly before him. He was literally possessed by a great determination to use all his power and opportunity in the reclaiming of sinful men and the establishing of them in the kingdom of God. Not to write learned or elegant or striking sermons was the purpose he had set before himself, but "by the foolishness of preaching" to save men from sin. He was not even content to address himself to the less urgent needs of those who were already Christians, but from the beginning labored "rather with the view of being instrumental in the conversion of sinners, than of comforting the people of God." f How serious and deep-seated this purpose in him was, is shown by the fact that he maintained it in face of the greatest obstacle of all, namely the surprise and * Dr. Murray says, " He loved to recall the incidents of the earlier period of his ministry; and on several occasions, while riding with him to funerals, it seemed to me like the telling of some curious dream to hear him say in the midst of some busy street, shadowed by massive buildings; 'There ran a stream, and there is the spot over which I used to jump my horse in my afternoon rides years ago, during which I composed my lecture for the evening.'" ("Memorial Discourse," p. 20.) t "Life and Times," Vol. I, p. 112. i Ibid., Vol. I, p. 109. 154 THE BRICK CHURCH criticism of some of those who were his best friends. Both the congregation and the officers of the church, he tells us, were eager, when he first began his work among them, that their minister should win the popu- lar ear. Not that this was their chief desire, but they not unnaturally wished to see him cultivate such qualities in his sermons as would draw large numbers to the church and keep them there. And perhaps he would not have been greatly blameworthy had he adopted their point of view. On the contrary, he showed the depth of his conviction by refusing to forfeit anything whatsoever to the lower motive. He boldly preached a sermon to his own people from the ironical text, "Speak unto us smooth things," and by it succeeded in establishing once for all, as the rule of his preaching in the Brick Church and as the test for judging it, that a sermon should aim to please God, whether it pleased men or not. Perhaps it is not surprising that a man so strongly moved by conscientious considerations, should have had doubts from time to time about the value of his work. This was, at any rate, the case with Mr. Spring. There were periods during his early ministry when he was utterly discouraged. "Many a time, after preaching," he writes, "did I remain long in the pulpit, that I might not encounter the faces of the people as I left the church, and many a time, when I left it, did I feel that I could never preach another sermon." * This depression in regard to the real usefulness of his ministry was by no means the only great difficulty by which he was beset in those early days. His health *"Br. Ch. Mem.," pp. 21 /. PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN 155 threatened to give way and frequently caused him serious anxiety. In 1813 it was twice necessary to employ a ministerial assistant for him on account of his "feeble state," and during the next year he was compelled to leave his work altogether for a couple of months. A still more serious difficulty in those early years was the doubt entertained by a number of his Presby- terian associates in regard to his orthodoxy. As we have seen already, he had been received under care of Presbytery with a good deal of hesitation on this score. After he began his regular preaching in New York, the feeling of uncertainty in regard to him in- creased rather than diminished. It was a time when theological questions excited the greatest interest in all the churches, so that any supposed peculiarity of doctrine, even on points of secondary importance, would at once be seized upon with avidity. Congre- gations enjoyed and expected theological preaching from their pastors, so that almost invariably the sermons preached on Sunday supplied to the critics of orthodoxy abundant material for the coming week. Mr. Spring, moreover, was thoroughly in sympathy with this theological interest and his sermons were distinctly of the theological type. This does not imply that he for a moment lost sight of the sermon's practical purpose. On the contrary, that was con- stantly and prevailingly before him; but he was convinced that that purpose could hardly be achieved except by the theological mode of approach. "Men who complain of doctrinal preaching," said he, "are strangers to the worth and power of practical preach- ing. ... I do not see how any man can preach 156 THE BRICK CHURCH practically who does not preach doctrinally, for the obvious reason that Christian doctrine is truth in theory, and Christian practice is truth in action," * From what has been said it will readily be seen that any differences between the theological views of Mr. Spring and those of other Presbyterian clergymen of the city would soon be thoroughly known and become the subject of anxious consideration. Now Mr. Spring had been somewhat influenced by what was known as the New England Theology, in the midst of which he had grown up; and New England Theology, though Calvinistic in its basic principles, was regarded with grave suspicion by the New York Calvinists. Mr. Spring's father was a follower of Dr. Hopkins of Newport, one of the New England leaders; and the son in his sermons in the Brick Church gave some reason for fearing that he also might be a Hopkinsian. When it was said that Dr. Mason, preaching in the church on Murray Street, in his denunciations of New England divinity made ** unmistakable allusions to a rising young preacher, who was suspected of favoring some pecul- iar views of the New England School," the reference was to the pastor of the Brick Church. f The Rev. Ezra Stiles Ely published a book entitled "The Con- trast," which, in its discussion of the difference be- tween Hopkinsian and Calvinistic theology, was plainly aimed at the same person. Such attacks as these he could well afford to ignore except so far as preaching the truth "more plainly and pungently" J was an answer. On the other hand, he felt bound to ♦ "Br. Ch. Mem.," p. IIG. f "Br. Ch. Mem.," p. 136. X "Life and Times," Vol. I, p. 129. PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN 157 give full and frank replies to a series of questions propounded to him in writing by certain members of the Presbytery, who had been disturbed by his sup- posed errors, and who in a courteous and straight- forward manner sought to learn just how far their fears were well grounded. Some ground there was. Mr. Spring had, in truth, adopted certain Hopkinsian views and was by no means slow to express them. Especially he made much of a distinction between " natural" and "moral" inability to become holy, the former of which he denied, against the old Calvinists, while the latter he accepted, with them. It would be diflScult perhaps to awaken any enthusiasm on the subject nowadays, or to explain the ardor and enthusiasm with which Mr. Spring contended that men have in themselves "all the natural faculties that are necessary to holi- ness," and, if disposed to use them aright, would be holy, since he at the same time admitted, nay, urgently asserted, that the total depravity of human nature creates "an invincible aversion to holiness," and that the "moral inability" thus produced is actu- ally innate in the human heart. * But at the time of which we write, this subject aroused the keenest interest, and Mr. Spring's position was regarded as more than questionable. There were, besides, other New England views of smaller importance, which, with more or less certainty, he was prepared to urge as a modification of the older Calvinism. All this, however, was far from amounting to an acceptance of Hopkinsianism as a whole. The most characteristic doctrines in that system, as he took * Spring's "Essays" (1813), p. 35, note. 158 THE BRICK CHURCH pains to assert, he had always emphatically rejected. He did not believe, for instance, that God's absolute sovereignty in all things should be so construed as to make him the direct cause of sinful as well as of holy actions. Nor did he believe in "unconditional sub- mission," the doctrine that a man ought so wholly to resign himself to the divine will as to be ready to be damned for the glory of God. The truth was that he remained, after all, a Calvinist of the stricter sort, yet one who had come near enough to the New Eng- landers to share some of their good points, while maintaining his own freedom and avoiding their extreme positions By degrees this became plain to all, and in the end, instead of being regarded as sus- picious in his theology, he was accepted as a champion of orthodoxy. It should be added at this point that his relation to the Hopkinsians had given him something far better than the few minor doctrines he had adopted from them. It had early given him the power to appreciate men from whom he continued to differ on many im- portant points. It was no small thing, at a time of theological controversy and in a man whose own views were always clear-cut and positive, that he could in so large a measure keep his Christian sym- pathies free from the influence of intellectual preju- dice; and the characteristic which we here observe was without doubt one of those that most contributed to the large usefulness of his career. In this connec- tion it will be interesting to note two passages from his autobiography which exhibit admirably his liberal- mindedness. In mentioning at some length the pub- lished sermons which he had read with most profit. PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN 159 he says, "I do not hesitate to include the name of Emmons" (that name was to strict Presbyterians Hke a red rag to a bull), "because, while in my judgment he has some errors, he has more truth than any writ- er whose works have fallen under my notice. The young minister who refuses to read Emmons because his name has been proscribed by the Princeton reviewers, will remain ignorant of truth which, as a preacher of the gospel, he ought to know." * The second passage is still more significant. He has just been speaking at length of certain Hopkinsian doc- trines from which he strongly dissented. Then he continues: "Great and good men have been the zealous advocates of the views here animadverted on, nor are we among those who have called in question the excellence of their Christian character. As a class I have never known more godly men. Men of greater humility, greater self-denial, greater devoted- ness to the interests and enlargement of Christ's kingdom, have never existed in New England than the disciples of Dr. Hopkins. If their opposers had known them as well as I have known them, I am confident their prejudices would vanish." f It is certainly pleasant to note these expressions of generous sympathy, and the tolerant spirit which they display. At the same time, we must not give them an exaggerated meaning. It must be admitted that outside the pale of Calvinism Mr. Spring's views were not so free from bias. He had not much patience, for instance, with the so-called New Haven Theology J * "Life and Times," Vol. I, p. 114. t Ibid, Vol. II, pp. 14 /. t Yet see below hia attitude toward the allied New School Presby- terians. 160 THE BRICK CHURCH of Dr. N. W. Taylor, with its complete denial of native depravity; he could countenance the excom- munication of a woman from his church for no other reason than that she disbelieved in the eternal pun- ishment of the wicked, the Universalist heresy; he frankly regarded the papacy as antichrist, and af- firmed that he actually preferred infidelity to Roman Catholicism. But, as we have seen in the passages quoted above, among the different kinds of Calvinist (and they were many and none too amicable), Mr. Spring set a notable example of liberality. "I do not ask," he said, "that in every particular my brethren should subscribe to my creed. I only ask that they ' sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith of the Presbyterian Church, as containing the system of doctrine contained in the Holy Script- ures.' . . . Few in this age of inquiry, believe every word of it. Nor did our fathers. I myself made two exceptions to it, when I was received into the Pres- bytery of New York. ... I could specify more points in which not a few of our ministers and rul- ing elders do not exactly agree with our standards. Yet they are all honest Calvinists. . . . The iron bed of Procrustes is not suited to the spirit of the age." * We shall shortly have occasion to ob- serve how at an important historic crisis he urged in vain that his own liberal attitude be al- lowed to guide the counsels of the Presb}i;erian Church. It must not be supposed that the opinions and char- acteristics which have been described were, at the beginning of his ministry, as clear-cut and mature as * "Life and Times," Vol. II, p. 21. PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN 161 they appear in some of the quotations by which they have been illustrated, and which have been derived in a number of instances from utterances of his later years. Yet in a less complete form they were a true part of his original mental and spiritual equipment. They plainly make their appearance, for instance, in his "Essays on the Distinguishing Traits of Christian Character," published in 1813, to which, as his first printed book, a few paragraphs may properly be devoted. This small volume, which ran through nine edi- tions, was the outcome of the theological controversy, already described, in regard to the two kinds of "inability," yet I believe a reader of the present day would be surprised at the practical vein in which it is written. It distinctly is not controversial in tone, but makes a direct and continual appeal to the wills of those to whom it is addressed. This was in accord with Mr. Spring's often expressed ideal of what Christian preaching and teaching should be. In the first five chapters he exhibits the several traits of character "that cannot be relied on as conclusive evidence of genuine religion." * These are, a mor- ality which, however excellent, proceeds from selfish motives; observance of the outward forms of religion, however assiduous; a merely intellect- ual apprehension of religious truth, however or- thodox; the conviction of sin without genuine re- pentance; and a merely inward assurance of conver- sion and salvation unaccompanied by the evidences of a redeemed character. In the rest of the book he describes, on the other hand, those traits ♦"Essays" (1813), p. vi. 162 THE BRICK CHURCH which "may be relied upon, without danger of de- ception."* It is no small commendation to say that after a hundred years and in spite of all the doctrinal modi- fications that have taken place in that time, this book still provides profitable reading, is still a practical book. Practical, it should be added, for one sole purpose, the awakening of sinners to the conscious- ness of their perilous state and of their absolute need of Christian salvation. It does not deal with every- day morals except as they are directly related to that one momentous subject. It does not attempt to apply Christian principles to the details of daily life. It does not even undertake to train the already converted man in higher ways of holiness. Its one aim, pursued with extraordinary force and persistence, is the bringing of the sinner to the feet of Christ. Occasionally Mr. Spring had some misgivings in regard to a possible one-sidedness in his message. "I early found," he says in a curious passage, "that I could more easily prepare a good sermon from an awakening and alarming subject, than from one that is more comforting. The fact is, I knew more of the terrors of the law than the preciousness of the gospel. . . . The difficulty of preaching well on the more at- tractive and winning themes, has sometimes alarmed me, and made me fear lest, after having ' preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.' "f In this, it is hardly needful to say, he maligned himself: even ♦ The titles of the chapters indicate sufficiently what these are: namely, Love to God, Repont;incc, Faith, Humility, Self-denial, The Spirit of Prayer, Love to the Brethren, Non-conformity to the World, Growth id Grace, and Practical Obedience. t "Life and Times," Vol. 1, pp. 109 /. PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN 163 in his early years he was by no means confined to the awful subjects of judgment. But the confession does certainly throw light upon a prevailing tendency of his thought. Soon after the publication of his Essays he began the custom of preaching sermons in series, sometimes two or three, sometimes as many as twenty or thirty on the same general topic. Indeed, the first series con- sisted of more than a hundred discourses, and was really nothing more nor less than a whole system of theology. He himself describes it as "the great effort of my life," and says that in the preparation of it he spent "more than three years of laborious and continuous study."* A few sermons from one or another series, written in later years, still exist in the original manuscript, and not only their bulk but the inscriptions on their front pages create a feeling of respect, almost amounting to awe, for both the preacher whose industry and research produced them and the audiences to whom they were delivered. Thus we find that in February of 1826 he was engaged on "System No. VI," on "Divine Revelation," while in November of the same year he had already reached "System No. XVIII," on "The Goodness of God." In 1828 "Series of Discourses No. LII," on "The Method of Salvation" was being delivered. (It is in- teresting to note that on the cover of the still-existing sermon in this series, its individual theme being "The Nature of the Christian Atonement," is added this instructive legend, "All wrong. G. Spring, February, 1841.") In 1829 "Directions for Anxious Sinners" was the subject of "Series of Discourses No. LXV." *"Br. Ch. Mem./'pp. 17/. 164 THE BRICK CHURCH Much of the material thus laboriously produced was doubtless incorporated in his later books. In 1 8*2^2 Dr. Spring, for by this time he had received the degree of D.D., took the occasion of the church's being closed for repairs to go abroad for four or five months. He had been invited to make the voyage as guest of one of the members of his church, and hoped that this might prove an effectual measure for the restoration of his health. In this he was not disappointed, but the sights of Europe, its "scenes of splendor, and of folly, and of sin," and especially the evidences of superstition which he observed there, seem to have disgusted and depressed him. His chief pleasure had been found in the ocean voyages and the friends whose companionship he had en- joyed. Thirteen years later he crossed the Atlantic again on a more important and more interesting journey, but before speaking of that, a brief reference must be made to an incident occurring in the interval. In the summer of 183"-2 there was a dreadful outbreak of Asiatic cliolera in New York. More than a hundred persons perished every day, nearly a thousand in one week. The ministers of the Presbyterian churches in earlier days had already set a high standard of conduct in such emergencies, and Dr. Spring was not the one to lower it. He might possiljly have withdrawn from the city without special blame, as it was time for his annual vacation, but, instead, he made announcement that as long as the danger lasted he would remain in the city with his people. Throuirh the summer he ministered to the sick and dying by personal visitation, while to those who PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN 165 had as yet escaped he brought cheer and strength, both by the regular services of the church, and still more by a prayer-meeting held daily at six o'clock in the afternoon for many weeks, to which people of all denominations came in large numbers. This inci- dent is not mentioned here because it was the greatest proof of his faithfulness — there were a thousand days of inconspicuous, and for the most part unrecorded, service which really counted for more in his ministry — but this is at least an incident easily grasped, and it will perhaps serve as well as any to prepare us for the strong bond of reverent affection which had been growing up between the people and their pastor, and which in 1835, when he started on his second journey to Europe, already alluded to, found op|X)rtunity to express itself in an appropriate and emphatic way. He had been appointed by the General Assembly as its delegate to the Congregational Union of Eng- land and Wales. He was also delegate to the meetings of the British and Foreign Bible Society in London and the French and Foreign Bible Society in Paris, and he was to attend besides several other important meetings. It was almost a diplomatic mission, its purpose being to draw together Christians living on the two sides of the Atlantic, and both the Brick Church and its pastor made extraordinary prepara- tions. The people collected a purse of $2,500 to pay the expenses of the journey, while he, until then utterly ignorant of the French tongue, mastered it in three months under two teachers, with such success that he was not only able to write in French his address for the French Society, but to pronounce it (as he says with pardonable pride) ''almost without 166 THE BRICK CHURCH any foreign accent." * Then came the time for his departure, and on that occasion his people, through a committee, presented to him a letter which tells more of the relations that existed between them than could a whole chapter of explanations. It is possible to quote but a part of it: "It is no light matter for any Christian church to be deprived, even for a few weeks, of the stated minis- trations of a beloved pastor; but in a case like the present, where the church is large, and its members [are] scattered over the whole extent of a great com- mercial city, the population of which is ever changing, and where the separation is not for a few weeks only, but for months, the trial is vastly greater. . . . But the objects of the mission were understood to be of such an interesting nature that the church has not felt itself at liberty to interpose an objection, however great the sacrifice — more especially as it feels that the confidence in their pastor, [expressed] by the General Assembly, has not been misplaced. . . . "But however much the members of our local com- munion may feel honored by the selection of your- self, their beloved pastor, for these high and responsi- ble trusts, or however strong may be their confidence in your ability, under God, to discharge the duties devolving upon you, with credit to yourself and your constituents, and far above all with acceptance to your divine ]\Iaster, yet the moment of separation will be painful to a degree which language can but faintly and inadequately express. The long and intimate, the profitable and happy relationship which we have reason to believe has subsisted between yourself and ♦ "Life and Times," Vol. II, p. 111. GARDINER SPRINC. IN THE LATER YEARS OF HIS PASTORATE From a photf)graph PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN 167 us, the thousand endearing and sweet recollections which rush upon our minds, the depth and the strength of the affection which we entertain for you, and which we fondly believe, however little we may deserve it, is also cherished for us by you in return — all make us to feel that the present is no common parting. . . . "Allow the undersigned, therefore, Reverend and Dear Sir, in behalf of the church in whose name they have been deputed as a committee to act on this oc- casion, to give you a parting assurance of their high regard for your person in social life, and their most affectionate attachment to you as a faithful minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, an attachment that has been increasing through a long series of years, during which, at all times, in seasons of plague and pestilence, of personal peril and public danger, they have ob- served and marked your devotedness to the cause of your Master, and the zeal, perseverance, and activity with which your laborious and often painful duties have been discharged. . . . *' Allow us likewise and in conclusion to request from yourself a continuance of your prayers in our behalf — prayers that have been so long put up for us, and, we have reason to believe, so often blessed — that we may be preserved in unity and concord, and kept steady in the faith once delivered to the saints, and that through God's rich mercy we may each and all of us be spared to witness your return with renovated health, crowned with abundant success in the objects of your mission, and with increased means of private and ministerial usefulness. Farewell." Only two other items remain to be added to this 168 THE BRICK CHURCH already extended chapter. The first concerns the action of the Brick Church and its pastor in the pro- ceedings that led to the unhappy division of the Presbyterians into the Old and the New Schools. While Dr. Spring was absent in Europe a controversy, due to the spread of the New Haven Theology among some of the Presbyterians, came to a climax, and in 1837 the General Assembly, in which the staunch Calvinists had control, cut off certain western synods by what were called the Disowning or Exscinding Acts. Dr. Spring, as we know, rejected entirely the New Haven teaching; he was prepared to oppose it by all proper means; but he did not approve of the Exscinding Acts and he vigorously protested against them. "Error," he said, "has never been eradicated from the church by the severe process of adjudication. Where errors are not essential in their character. . . the most effectual means of opposing their progress is the diffusion of light and the exercise of love. . . . Let the Church go forth unmanacled to the great work of converting the world."* When however, in spite of protest, the division had been accomplished. Dr. Spring and his church, since it was no longer a ques- tion how others should be treated, but what they themselves believed, unhesitatingly took their place in the ranks of the Old School. Blame, Dr. Spring tells us, was imputed to them by both parties, for what was deemed their neutrality. He claimed, however, that they had not been neutral. Their action had been, not negative, but positive throughout. It had been controlled throughout by the same clear and con- sistent principles. The plain fact was that they had ♦ "Life and Times," Vol. II, p. 55. PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN 169 allowed neither their strong personal views to make them unjust toward those who differed from them, nor their toleration to modify their own conscientious opinions ; and their position is one that their descend- ants in the Brick Church regard with peculiar pride and gratitude. Finally, it must be mentioned that not long after the event just described, Dr. Spring began to publish the books which soon became almost as influential in a larger field as his preaching had been within the limits of his parish.* * He had published, in the eariier days of his ministry, a few small books and many pamphlets. The first of his larger works, referred to in the text, was "The Obligation of the World to the Bible" (1839). Next "The Attraction of the Cross," was issued in 1846. These were followed at short intervals by "The Power of the Pulpit" (1848); "The Mercy Seat" (1850); "First Things" (1851); "The Glory of Christ" (1852); and "The Contrast" (1855). Still later appeared "Pulpit Ministrations" (1864) and the "Autobiography" (1865). His completed works would fill twenty-two octavo volumes. CHAPTER XII RELIGION AND MORALS: 1810-1850 "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart." — Psalm 15 : 1 /. " In what consists [Christianity's] true glory, unless it is in the fact that where It Is thus ascendant millions of intelUgent and immortal beings, in the solitude of their retirement and in the noise and bustle of the world, in the depression of their grief and in the tranquillity of their joy, in the secrecy and publicity of their devotions, In the rectitude, truthfulness, and benignity of their deportment toward God and their fellow-men, manifest his glory, who is ' the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth'?"— Gardiner Spring, "The Glory of Christ," Vol. II, pp. 39 ff. AS the last chapter was devoted to the pastor, so this one is devoted to the people of the Brick Church during this period of forty years. But the task now set before us is the harder of the two. Nothing, indeed, is more difficult than to ascertain the facts regarding the inner life of the peo- ple of former times, and in spite of a careful use of records and biographies and reminiscences, it is to be feared that we shall but attain to a picture of ex- ternals after all. It will be possible to state with some fulness what were the means used to bring the duties of relifrion home to the hearts of individuals and to control or correct their morals; but when we seek further a knowledge of the actual results, an acquaint- ance with the regenerated men and women themselves and of the thoroughness of their regeneration, we shall be able to do little more than catch a few tantaliz- 170 RELIGION AND MORALS 171 ing glimpses, and must rely, far more than we should wish, upon a general knowledge of the church's strength, and a study (in the next two chapters) of the active Christian work of the congregation, in order to assure us that the means employed for moral and religious training were successful. Most obvious among such means were, of course, the public services of the church. These, except for the necessary reduction of the number of Sunday services from three to two, continued as in the time of Dr. Rodgers. that is, morning and afternoon worship on Sunday, a prayer-meeting on Tuesday evening and on Thursday * evening a lecture. "The Old White Lecture Room," in which, until the build- ing of the new chapel in 1832, these week-night meetings were held, was remembered long after with an affection which assures us of the deep religious im- pression made by these gatherings. "What a foun- tain of sweet memories does its simple name unseal," exclaimed Mr. Horace Holden a short time before his death in 1862, "What deep and pungent convic- tions of sin! What tears of contrition! . . . What songs of triumphant rejoicing! It must be reserved for eternity to recount the triumphs of grace witnessed in the Old White Lecture Room."-j- The story of how Mr. Holden himself, who after- ward became perhaps the leading layman of the church, was first introduced to this room, almost makes us feel as though we, too, had entered it. "In 1814," he says, "Stephen Dodge, a member of this church, . . . met me in the street and invited me to ♦ Changed to Friday for a time, beginning in March, 1825. t"Br. Ch. Mem.,"pp. 145/. 172 THE BRICK CHURCH accompany him to your* Thursday evening lecture. I had never attended an evening religious lecture. I could not resist his polite entreaty. He called for me. He took me to the Old AMiite Lecture Room, and seated me near the pulpit among the elders. The place was full. It was a new scene to me. I well remember the very spot I occupied on that memorable evening; and well do I remember the text, 'If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?' . . . From that night forward I became a regular attendant upon your ministry. That lecture decided my whole future." f As will be evident from this passage the "lecture" was practically a sermon, so that this meeting de- pended wholly upon the pastor. Not so the weekly prayer-meeting. This, at least at certain periods, was conducted by the elders in rotation, and even if Dr. Spring was the leader, there were, he tells us, in those early days, no less than sixty men whom he could call upon to offer prayer. The meetings, under such circumstances, were, as may well be imagined, full of interest, and it is especially worthy of note that they were attended, not merely by the members of the church, but by many who were as yet uncon- verted. In 1820 it was even thought necessary to establish an extra meeting for prayer on the third Monday evening of each month, in order that the members of the church, meeting by themselves, might have the special benefit of more private and intimate communion. Even two regular services between Sundays did not * This is quoted from a speech addressed to Dr. Spring personally. t"Br. Ch. Mem.," p. 137. RELIGION AND MORALS 173 always exhaust the people's zeal. We learn that in addition "there were maintained for a long period twelve neighborhood prayer-meetings at private houses, on every Friday evening, in different parts of the congregation, sustained by committees averaging seven each, which were so distributed as every week to ensure a continual rotation."* It was certainly a strong church that could thus provide nearly a hundred men to carry on such a work. Other meet- ings held during the week, throughout the whole or a part of this period were the quarterly meeting, a large adult Bible class, the monthly concert of prayer for missions, f a class for instruction in the Shorter Cathechism, the singing-school, and the inquiry meeting. J Only two of these demand at this time a fuller comment. The nature of the inquiry meeting may be learned from the following description, in which Dr. Spring was setting forth, under the form of a narrative, his conception of what such a meeting ought to be like. No doubt the methods here described were employed in the Brick Church. " I should judge there were from one hundred and thirty to one hun- dred and, fifty persons present — chiefly of those who were from sixteen to thirty years of age, together with a few of more advanced years, and a few who were children. All were seated. . . . The meeting was opened by singing. . . . When the hymn was closed, the object of the meeting was briefly stated, *"Br. Ch. Mem.,"p. 145. t Toward the end of the period covered by this chapter this meeting was changed from the first Monday to the first Sunday of each month. X This was probably occasional only, and may have been held on Sunday evening. 174 THE BRICK CHURCH and all were requested to kneel and unite in a few words of prayer. After prayer the pastor himself, together with three other gentlemen, who as I sup- posed were officers of the church, dispersed themselves throughout different parts of the room, and entered into conversation with the individuals who were present. Here and there were clusters of persons with whom they conversed collectively. The con- versation with individuals was sometimes continued two or three minutes, and sometimes elicited no answer. Sometimes it consisted of a single enquiry and an appended observation or two. And some- times it continued for eight or ten minutes. So that at the close of the meetinof there were none who had not had the opportunity of a personal interview. . . . The conversation was conducted in rather a low tone of voice, and much as it would have been, had the parties been alone in a private parlor." * The quarterly meeting, included in the list given above, was held during the week preceding each communion service, on Wednesday evening. f It was evidently what is now known as the preparatory service, and is described at one place in the records as "the quarterly meeting of the church with their children." It would appear that until 1816, new members were received into the church at this or some other weekday meeting, but in March of that year it was decided that this ceremony should take place "in the sanctuary and in the presence of the congregation." The "Profession and Covenant'* used in the admission of new members is still in • "Fragments from the Study of a Pastor" (1S3S), pp. 57-60. t So iu 1838. The day of the week may have varied from time to time. RELIGION AND MORALS 175 existence,* a very solemn and searching document. It required a somewhat extended declaration of faith in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and a confession of sin which included the following items: "the original and total depravity of your nature, the past enmity of your heart against God, the unbelief which has led you to reject a Saviour, and the manifold transgressions of your lives." For a few months in 1845, *'in view of the difficul- ties experienced in relation to the public profession and covenant," its use was discontinued, and it was ordered that "no other engagements be required of those received into the church save those entered into at the baptism of adults, as required by the Directory for Worship and those implied in actually coming to the Lord's Table." This change was soon reconsidered, however, and the church returned to its earlier practice. It need hardly be said that candidates for admission to church membership underwent a careful examina- tion. It was necessary for all such persons to appear before the whole session and reply to such questions as were there propounded to them. In 1844, how- ever, an exception was made in the case of those who in the opinion of the pastor might be "deterred by diffidence or natural modesty" from submitting to this formidable examination. In their case, the pastor, alone or with the assistance of one or more elders, was permitted to conduct a more private inquiry into the candidate's "knowledge and faith." f Turning now to the Sunday services, we must re- * See Appendix T, p. 539. t In 1859 the examination of all by the session itself was again ordered. 176 THE BRICK CHURCH mark first of all that in those days there was, of course, no recognition of any of the festivals of the church year, so that the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper,* observed four times annually f in the simple and reverent manner of the non-liturgical churches, f was the only service that had a peculiar character of its own. To this one service, however, which he re- garded as the culmination of Christian worship, Dr. Spring gave a very marked emphasis. It was observable, we are told, that "he brought to it always, so far as he could, the most careful preparation on his own part and that of his people. . . . He gave it the highest prominence in his ministry, as the comfort of disciples, and the preacher of Christ to the world. At the communion table some of his most moving spiritual addresses were made." § The character of a service upon an ordinary Sunday may readily be conceived by recollecting what has already been told regarding Dr. Spring's preach- ing, and from the following suggestive account of his * In regard to the administration at this time of the other sacrament, that of Baptism, we know only that a silver bowl was provided for that purpose (see above, p. 81), and that the service was almost invariably held in the church. Only for very strong reason, such as sickness, was it allow- able to hold it elsewhere, and then at least one of the elders was present with the pastor. t Both the month and the Sunday in the month assigned for this service were changed from time to time. As an illustration may be given the dates assigned in 1827, viz.: the second Sundays of January, April, July and October. X In regard to the silver communion service we have this note under the date, January 5th, 1819. "The committee (of the trustees) also reported that they had procured two pitchens, six flagons, two dishes, and one plate, making with the pieces previously belonging to the church a complete service. " Four silver plates had been presented by a member of the congregation in 1S13. ^ "Memorial Discourse," p. 25. RELIGION AND MORALS 177 manner of conducting public worship. " His prayers were wonderful," we are told by his successor, "rich in the letter and in the spirit of Holy Scripture, varied, most felicitous in all personal allusions, deep in the devotion of a Christian heart, comprehensive in their range, . . . even more remarkable than his sermons for marked impressiveness. . . . His reading of the Scriptures, his reading of hymns, were always accord- ing to the maxim so often used by Dr. John Mason, that * correct emphasis is sound exposition.' One of the leading merchants of the city, whose name is the synonym for Christian benevolence, has told me that he never was able to shake off the religious impression made on him by Dr. Spring's manner of reading the hymn of Doddridge, *Ye hearts with youthful vigor warm.'"* Not upon the minister alone, however, did the character of the service depend. f The music during this period attained a considerable importance, and claimed a greater degree of attention than we should probably have supposed. When Mr. Spring came * "Memorial Discourse," pp. 24 /. t As to the customary or prescribed action of the congregation at the public services we know little. The following minute by the General Assembly of 1849 in regard to "Posture in Prayer" will, perhaps, be sur- prising to some readers: "While the posture of standing in public prayer, and that of kneeling in private prayer, are indicated by examples in Scripture and in the general practice of the ancient Christian Church, the posture of sitting in public prayer is nowhere mentioned, and by no usage allowed; but, on the contrary, was universally regarded by the early Church as heathenish or irreverent; and is still, even in the customs of modern and Western nations, an attitude obviously wanting in the due expression of reverence. Therefore the General Assembly resolve, that the practice in question be considered grievously improper, whenever the infirmities of the worshipper do not render it necessary; and that minis- ters be required to reprove it with earnest and persevering admonition." "Assembly Digest," p. 205. 178 THE BRICK CHURCH to the church the musical equipment consisted chiefly of the clerk, or chorister, as he was then beginning to be more frequently called. At first this oflScial con- ducted the church's music by simply beating time and leading in the singing; but gradually his duties were, as we shall see, changed and enlarged. The gradual advance in his salary is an indication of this. The $100 paid in 1811 was soon increased to $150 or $200, with occasional relapses to the original figure. One especially valuable man, Marcus Alden, was allowed to augment his salary by a collection in the church. Later, in the thirties, the figure rose to $500, which was the highest reached up to 1850. Seventeen different names appear on the list of choristers in the forty years, many of them for very short terms. Evidently it was a difficult position to fill. In 1813, for instance, Mr. Roberts, "a teacher of psalmody from Connecticut," is ushered in with a decided flourish, but even before the year is out Mr. William R. Thompson has succeeded him. Some- times the difficulty was increased by the fact that a man who could not properly lead the singing was, nevertheless, a faithful worker and an excellent Christian. There was one instance of this sort so striking that it deserves to be recorded for its illustra- tion of victory in defeat. INIr. S. P. Pond, who had served for several years, was told with regret, in 1841, that his work was not giving satisfaction. The com- mittee of the session, who presented the matter to him, reported, "that ]\Ir. Pond treated the whole subject in a kind and Christian s|)irit, himself cheerfully re- signed his place, and suggested Mr. Comes as his suc- cessor." Also "that Mr. Pond is willing to continue RELIGION AND MORALS 179 his services in assisting Mr. Comes until the first day of February next." We are glad to hear that a hearty and appreciative resolution was passed and sent to this excellent man, and also that it was accompanied by a still more substantial recognition of his services. Mr. Spring had barely been installed when Mr. Holbrook, the chorister of that day, obtained per- mission to teach sacred music in the session room on two nights in the week. Remembering what an im- portant part the singing-school in New Haven had played in the life of Mr. Spring himself, one fancies that his favorable opinion in regard to such institu- tions was not difficult to obtain. This new step — new, that is, for the Brick Church — is the first indica- tion of any decided movement toward the encourage- ment of the congregational singing in the church services. In 1815 Wednesday and Friday evenings were devoted to this enterprise. At first there was apparently no attempt to train any special group of people, general improvement in singing appearing to be the object in view; but in December, 1819, the session records the receipt of a communication from "the singers of the congregation" in regard to their instruction in vocal music. From this we may con- clude that the process of specialization had begun. Three years later they had advanced so far as to form a society which went under the formidable title of "The Association for the Promotion of Sacred Music in the Brick Church." What constituted this " sacred music" we do not know. At the church services most probably nothing but psalms in the metrical version and a certain number of hymns were permitted. Possi- bly a little more freedom was permitted at the "con- 180 THE BRICK CHURCH certs," which from 1819 were given in the church about once a year, partly as a benefit for the chorister and partly for some benevolent purpose or the church funds. Some idea of the hymns admired and sanctioned in the church at this time may be gained from a little volume published in 1823 **by request of the mem- bers" and entitled "The Brick Church Hymns, De- signed for the Use of Social Prayer Meetings and Families, Selected from the Most Approved Authors, and Recommended by Gardiner Spring, D.D., Pas- tor of Said Church." Of the two hundred and fifty- odd hymns in this volume only about one-fifth con- tinue in use, and only one or two of these are among the really good hymns in our modern books; while some of the sentiments which were in 1823 com- mended to the use of Brick Church peo])le will some- what astonish modern readers. For instance, "Alas! this adamantine heart, This icy rock within! Alas! these active powers congealed By the deceits of sin." It is no wonder that another hymn exclaims: *My heart, how dreadful hard it is!" Many of the selections dwell with painful persistence upon the lessons of mortality, such as that which begins, "Death! 'Tis a melancholy day," or that more famous one, "Hark! from the tombs a doleful sound! Mine ears, attend the cry — 'Ye living men, come view the ground, Where you must shortly lie.' " RELIGION AND MORALS 181 Even in singing the glad tidings, the joy was not per- mitted to be unmixed; witness the uncompromising terms of the following: "Go preach my gospel, saith the Lord, Bid the whole earth my grace receive. He shall be saved that trusts my word; He shall be damned that won't believe."* It should be understood that the hymn books of those days contained the words only. The music was in a separate volume, and the bills for '* music books" became, as time went on, a considerable item in the accounts of the treasurer. The fitting of tune to psalm (or hymn) was at first the work of a com- mittee of the session, consisting of the pastor and two elders, but afterward was evidently left to the dis- cretion of the chorister. * Watts's Hymns, with additions by Dr. Timothy Dwight, had been "cheerfully allowed" by the General Assembly in 1802. Four years later they declared that other psalms and hymns than those expressly allowed might be used, but that sessions and presbyteries must keep strict watch to exclude "hymns containing erroneous doctrine or trivial matter." Down to 1820 the following books had been authorized: " Rouse's Psalms," "Watts's Psalms" and his three volumes of hymns, and Barlow's and Dwight's revisions of Watts. In that year the Assembly decided to have a book of its own prepared, which should include " a compilation of the metrical versions of the Psalms" and "a copious collection of hymns and spiritual songs from various authors, giving the preference to those now authorized, so far as good taste, sound sense, and enlightened piety admit." This book was issued in 1830. A revised edition appeared in 1843. At the very end of the period imder discussion, namely in 1848, the Assem- bly appointed a committee on church music with special reference to the preparation of a book of tunes. One paragraph in the Assembly minutes is especially interesting: " It is proposed to add an appropriate selection of set pieces for special occasions, such as anthems and chants, both metrical and prose, adapted to our psalmody, and also to portions of the common prose version of the Book of Psalms and other inspired IjTics from the Old and New Testaments." This tune book, or "psalmodist " was completed in 1850. See "Assembly Digest," pp. 195 /. 182 THE BRICK CHURCH The musical society above referred to did not last long, unhappily. Ten months after its first mention in the records it is referred to as "the late association." But meantime it had made one hopeful suggestion. It had proposed that the singers in the congregation have assigned to them certain special pews in the gallery of the church. The trustees gave their ap- proval and bought certain pews for this purpose, making them free of rent for the singers' use. Then for the first time a choir might be said to have been assembled. This was in 1822. Shortly after this either the funds were low or applications for places in the choir became suspiciously numerous, for we learn that the singers, though continuing to occupy their special seats, were required to pay a pew-tax; but finally the more generous policy was resumed. Pews No. 86, 85 and 38 "in the front gallery" facing the pulpit, were set aside for the choir, and permission was even given to make such changes in them as would adapt them more perfectly to their purpose. In 1825 musical matters were not considered to be in a satisfactory state. The trustees took measures "to make, if possible, some improvement in the sing- ing department of this congregation." Possibly as a result of their activity, a second musical society was formed in the next year, called the "Asaph Associa- tion," and a couple of years later we become aware of another innovation. The board of trustees at that time resolves "that Mr. Rolla and his daughters be engaged to fill the choir for one year." Besides the somewhat amusing form of this statement, the fact stated is worth noting, for it indicates that in 1828, other paid singers besides the chorister began to be RELIGION AND MORALS 183 employed. Mr. Cole, who succeeded Mr. Rolla, was assisted in like manner by a Miss Gould, and the con- siderable sums of money which soon after this were voted from time to time for "improvement of the choir" suggest that other singers not mentioned by name may have been employed. In regard to the question of instrumental music our information is meagre. No mention of any such accompaniment to the singing appears in the records of this period until 1844, when we learn that Mr. Samuel Johnson was paid $25 a quarter to play the violoncello ; and from that time on this appropriation continued to be made at regular intervals. But how are we to interpret the entire silence of the records in regard to instrumental music during the first thirty- four years of Dr. Spring's pastorate ? * Possibly the "orchestra" of which we heard in the days following the Revolution, had been discontinued, a stricter standard having been introduced, forgetful of the biblical warrant for the use in worship of trumpets, psalteries, and harps, stringed instruments, organs, and high-sounding cymbals. Or it may be that dur- ing the earlier part of the nineteenth century the players upon instruments had rendered their service without remuneration, so that the records of the trustees had no need to refer to them. The most that can be said with certainty is that the violoncello was a regular feature of the Brick Church music, from 1844 and until its place was taken by a more modern instrument.! * Except that a small organ, evidently for use in rehearsals, was ad- mitted to the lecture room at the desire of the "Asaph Association." t The General Assembly in 1845, in reply to an overture from the Synod of Cincinnati on the subject of instrumental music, adopted the fol- 184 THE BRICK CHURCH Without underestimating in the slightest degree the power of Dr. Spring's impressive eloquence to build up and maintain a faithful congregation, we need not doubt that the improved music and especially the opportunity to have a hand (or even a voice) in that improvement was a decided help. There were, how- ever, times when, it is plain, any such aid was ab- solutely unnecessary, times when services grew and multiplied as though of their own accord, and when the distinctly religious interest was so great that the problem was to control and apply rather than to create it. From the year 1792, and still more strikingly after 1800, the American churches had experienced a remarkable series of religious awakenings. Hardly a month passed but some village, some city, or some college reported a "revival." Mr. Spring himself, as we have seen, had been greatly influenced by sharing in such an experience at Yale, and it w^as manifestly his great desire, as soon as he was settled in New York, that his own church should be visited by the revival spirit. His preaching, as we have seen, was carefully calculated to promote this end, and in- deed during his first three or four years there were several "seasons of deep reflection and fervent prayer," which, though of short duration, had made a deep impression upon many individuals. lowing minute; "^\'hereas, By our constitution the whole internal arrange- ment of a church, as to worship and order, is committed to the minister and session; therefore, Resolved, That this Assembly do not feel themselves called and obliged to take any further order on this subject, but leave to each session the delicate and important matter of arranging and con- ducting the music as to them shall seem most for edification, recommend- ing great caution, prudence and forbearance in regard to it." "Assembly Digest," p. 197. RELIGION AND MORALS 185 During the summer of 1815,* there began a much more important and enduring movement. Pastor and people were moved alike by what seemed to be a new earnestness. Days of fasting and prayer were occasionally observed, and what was still more note- worthy, the younger men of the church organized a special weekly meeting for prayer which met at private houses on Saturday evenings. "Our Sab- baths," says Dr. Spring, "became deeply solemn and affecting. We watched for them like those who watch for the morning." f "What days of heaven upon earth!" exclaimed old Mr. Horace Holden, re- calling the services of this same period. "No tongue can describe them. . . . Every pew filled, the gal- leries crowded in every part with anxious and devout worshippers. . . . What a beautiful and sublime spectacle to behold the vast assembly retiring after each service in profound silence, to meditate and pray. Amid these scenes of mercy it is delightful to * Dr. Spring in his autobiography says "the summer of 1814," and states that the New Year's sermon (to be described presently) was preached on the last day of the same year. But December Slst, 1814, was a Saturday, so that the next day was both Sunday and New Year and the New Year's sermon would certainly have been preached on that day. Moreover, the sermon refers in the following terms to the peace which closed the War of 1812: "In the recent desolations of our land, we were not exempt from our portion of calamity. But the silver clarion of peace has again vibrated on our ears, and the rich blessings of peace have been again restored in unexampled profusion. Worldly prosperity has been flowing in upon us in deep, wide channels, and all classes of men have been growing rich." Now the peace of Ghent was signed on December 24th, 1814, and the news of it did not reach New York till February, 1815. Moreover, it is evident from the above quotation itself that months rather than days had already passed since the peace was declared. Dr. Spring, we must therefore conclude, had made a mistake of a year. The sermon was preached on Sunday, December 31st, 1815, and the summer of revival referred to was the summer of that year, instead of the year previous. t"Br. Ch. Mem.," p. 22. 186 THE BRICK CHURCH know that almost every member of the church was actively employed."* On the last day of 1815, Mr. Spring put his whole soul into a New Year's sermon, to which later was given the appropriate title "Something Must Be Done."t The pastor, as we learn from this impor- tant discourse, was by no means content with the evidences of revival already existing among his people. He felt that as yet there had been no "general out-pouring of the Holy Spirit," and his aim was to secure for them, if possible, this supreme blessing. In spite of the interest already manifested, he felt that the love of riches and the comforts of a time of prosperity and peace, | were blinding the eyes of many, even of many Christians, to the higher inter- ests of religion. In view of all this, he declares that "something must be done." He calls upon his peo- ple to repent as a church, sincerely to desire a revival, to pray for it, to work for it, and not least, to expect it. If they so act, they will not, in his judgment, be disap- pointed. But if they neglect their duty in this matter, he cannot but warn them of their responsibility for those who, for the want of this revival, will be over- taken in their sins. This most solemn and fervent address seems to have been, under God, the means of achieving the end to which it so ardently looked. The effect, indeed, was almost instantaneous. The next Sunday, the first of the New Year, was marked by services especially solemn, and from that time, continuing through the winter and even longer, men *"Br. Ch. Mem.,"p. 145. t It was published and ran throuph four editions. X The War of 1812 had recently been concluded. See note on preceding page. RELIGION AND MORALS 187 and women were continually seeking admission to the discipleship of Christ in a spirit which had not been known before. It must not be supposed that the cruder methods of evangelistic appeal, which were perhaps more preva- lent at that time than at the present day, were ever adopted in the Brick Church. Dr. Spring had a very positive repugnance for "getting up" * a revival. He says expressly of the revivals in his church, that in them "there were no *new measures,' no * anxious seats,' and no public announcement of the names or the number of those who were striving to enter into the strait gate." The means used were simple. First "there was prayer," and upon this he lays chief emphasis. Then "there was solemn and earnest preaching," and "there were private circles for re- ligious conversation, and prayer, and praise, and these scarcely known beyond the individuals who composed them." He mentions particularly a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, which he shared with some thirty others of the church one Thursday of January, 1816. They met at a private house in Church Street, just in the rear of St. Paul's, " and such a day," he says, "I never saw before, and have never seen since." f It is not possible to follow further the details of this memorable epoch in the church's life, or to describe other similar experiences in the course of the next twenty years ;| nor would it be accordant with the * "Life and Times," Vol. I, p. 219. t Ihid, Vol. I, p. 166. X Dr. Murray says: "That remarkable series of revivals seems to have ended in 1834. Then came the work of training in Christian knowledge those who had been converted to Christ by this ministry." "Memprjal Piscourse," p. 18. 188 THE BRICK CHURCH spirit by which the church was then controlled to record even now the number of converts or to give the names of those, afterward pillars of the church, who were thus claimed for the Master's service; but there is hardly need of further statement to prove that the Brick Church in the years which we are here studying, was a place where deep and genuine religion was effectively urged and earnestly accepted. Besides its services and meetings the church em- ployed two other means of caring for the religious and moral needs of the people, namely, visitation and discipline. To the work of the pastor in carrying his message and influence into the homes of the people emphatic witness is given by one of his parishioners. He speaks, it will be noticed, with discrimination. Dr. Spring, he tells us, did not make frequent calls upon his people as a matter of routine, and it was well understood that he regarded his preaching, to- gether with the necessary preparation for it, as the most important part of his ministry. All the more impressive, therefore, is this testimony of the parish- ioner to the faithful pastor. The people of the Brick Church, he says, had been taught by their experience under Dr. Spring to esteem pastoral visitation a valuable means of grace. Especially in the memor- able seasons of unusual interest had their pastor made use of this method ''going from family to family to guide enquiring souls, cheer the faint, comfort the feeble-minded. . . . Not one weary heavy-laden sin- ner was overlooked. ... I do not recollect," con- cludes this witness, who knew the church as few did, "I do not recollect to have heard of an instance in which a pastoral visit was neglected, if there was any RELIGION AND MORALS 189 real call for it, or the least prospect of doing any good."* The sharing of this work of visitation in those days by the members of the session is a matter that needs to be brought to the attention of modern Presbyterians, who would probably be astonished to receive from the elders of their church such calls as were customary in the early nineteenth century. Dr. Samuel Miller, in a sermon on Ruling Elders, delivered in 1809, thus describes this particular function of the elders' oflSce. "It is their duty to converse with and admonish in private those who appear to be growing careless, or falling into habits in any respect criminal, suspicious, or unpromising. It is their duty to visit and pray with the sick, as far as their circumstances admit, and to request the attendance of the pastor on the sick and dying, as may be judged desirable. It is their duty to visit the members of the church and their families ; to converse with them ; to instruct the igno- rant; to confirm the wavering; to caution the un- wary ; to encourage the timid ; and to excite and ani- mate all classes to a faithful and exemplary discharge of duty." f That the elders of the Brick Church did not always live up to the height of this ideal, we may believe without seriously accusing them of lukewarmness in their service, but that they themselves held the ideal before their eyes is made evident on more than one page of their records. Mention may be made of one instance where they undertook "to digest a system of measures with the view to extending their official visita- * Horace Holden in "Br. Ch. Mem.," p. 141. t "The Divine Appointment," etc., pp. 31 /. 190 THE BRICK CHURCH tions to the members of this congregation." And there is another minute which still more clearly indicates the seriousness with which they regarded their own participation in this ministry. In October, 1820, after a meeting *' devoted to prayer and friendly conversa- tion on the present languishing state of this church," they appoint a committee to suggest, not merely what may be done in general, but what they themselves can personally do, to better the situation, and, of the four measures afterward adopted, one proposed to consider it "the duty of each individual of the session to converse with a given number of the congregation at least once a week, on the importance of personal piety, and that reports of such interviews be made to the session at each monthly meeting," while another provided "that in his pastoral visits the minister be associated with one of the elders, and that each elder perform this service in rotation." In the administration of discipline for errors and offences, the final means of supervising and controlling the private life of the members, the elders played a still more prominent part, for this work was always carried on by the session as a whole, in which the pastor had only such superior authority as belonged to his position as moderator. The amount of time devoted to this work, the patience and system with which it was executed, and the conscientious adminis- tration of justice which it exhibits make this element of the church life an impressive one. That the record of it is not pleasant, need not be said. It is not agree- able to read here the record of old sins and follies and insincerities, to learn that in those days there were some black sheep in the fold. But, after all, we know RELIGION AND MORALS 191 well enough that the mere profession of Christianity does not at any time ensure a pure heart and an honest life, so that this record of discipline in the Brick Church of the early nineteenth century merely illustrates by concrete instances a well-known fact; and on the other hand, the courageous facing of the practical problem thus made manifest, the reclaiming of some, and the protection of the church from the accusation of indifference to the sins of its own mem- bers — all this serves to give the subject an honorable place in the church's history. It will be instructive to present an abstract of the procedure in one specific case, as an illustration of the general method. Information having been received that Mr. C, a member of the church, is addicted to the habit of intemperance, a committee is appointed to expostulate with him. He acknowledges his offence, gives "some evidence of penitence" and promises to reform. The session then "consider it their duty to forbear with Mr. C. for a short period, . . . while at the same time they view themselves under obliga- tion to watch over their offending brother with re- doubled diligence." Four months later they perceive that he has not mended his ways and that a trial can- not be avoided. A committee is accordingly ap- pointed to obtain the necessary evidence. This, un- happily, is an easy matter, and furthermore there now appears to be ground for adding profanity to the orig- inal accusation. Finally, the day of trial is set, and Mr. C. is cited to appear. The trial is duly held * and the examination, in which he is forced to acknowl- * Had he failed to respond after three citations they would have pro- ceeded in his absence. m THE BRICK CHURCH edge the justice of the charge, is carefully recorded, with questions and answers given in full. As a result he is "suspended from sealing ordinances." A com- mittee informs him of this sentence and urges upon him repentance and reformation. Two years now pass, and it becomes necessary to inquire whether still more severe measures should not be adopted. Evidence is obtained that Mr. C. is now guilty of bigamy in addition to the original offences. The Presbytery is consulted. A second trial is held in which the accused makes a full confession, but with- out due evidence of sorrow. The Presbytery, again appealed to, counsels the imposition of the full pen- alty, and Mr. C. is accordingly "excommunicated." The sentence is publicly announced, and is recorded in the minutes of the session in the following terms: " Whereas Mr. C. hath been, by sufficient proof, con- victed of the sin of habitual intemperance, and also of the crime of bigamy, and after much admonition and prayer obstinately refuseth to hear the church, and hath manifested no evidence of repentance ; there- fore in the name, and by the authority, of the Lord Jesus Christ we pronounce him to be excluded from the communion of the church." The penalties imposed upon the unrepentant were, as we have just seen, either excommunication or sus- pension, which involved especially exclusion from the Lord's Supper, and which might be publicly announced or not, according to the circumstances. Those who declared themselves to be repentant were required to make reparation in case of injuries done to other persons, and commonly to make a public confession of their sin and of their sorrow for it. No RELIGION AND MORALS 193 clearer conception of the effect of this last expedient could be given than in the record of one pathetic instance which I shall venture to quote. It may seem, at first sight, to set forth the session of the church as a stern and awful court of judgment, but even in the formal record we can surely hear a deep note of pity and tenderness, by which the judges were really controlled, and which made even so hard a punishment as is here described not altogether un- bearable. "The moderator stated," say the minutes, "that information had been communicated, stating the very reproachful conduct of , widow of , one of the members of this church. . . . The mod- erator also stated that he had called on Mrs. in company with one of the session; that Mrs. did not deny the fact; that she appeared penitent for her crime. . . . Mrs. herself, being present [at the session meeting], begged the privilege of confessing her folly, and desired the forgiveness of God and the church. She stated . . . that she felt she had sinned greatly against God; that she felt . . . heartily sorry that she had brought reproach on the name of Christ, and that she was willing to humble herself in any shape and seek forgiveness. Whereupon, Resolved, after much deliberation and anxiety, that Mrs. be required to make a public confession before the whole [church] this evening, at their quar- terly prayer-meeting, and be restored to Christian privileges. Resolved that the moderator publicly address Mrs. , and read, and unite in singing the 51st Psalm at the close of the exercise, and finally close the whole with prayer." The purpose of mercy which prompted this judgment is evident, as 194 THE BRICK CHURCH has been already said, but certainly much love and tenderness in session and congregation were neces- sary in order to make the bearing of such public shame a true means of grace. The transgressions that were dealt with by these faithful guardians of the flock were numerous. We may divide them into two separate classes; First, those which were distinctly offences against religion. These were violation of the Sabbath, neglect of prayer, neglect of public worship, neglect of the Lord's Supper, heresy (for example, "the crime of disbelieving in the inspiration of the Holy Scrip- tures") and infidelity or atheism. The second class consisted of offences against morals. Here intem- perance was the most common charge, and there were, besides, keeping bad company, profanity, un- chastity, dishonesty in various forms, card-playing and theatre-going. There were between thirty and forty cases of discipline in the forty years we are now studying. It is a fact not unworthy of notice that discipline for what was regarded as worldly and un-Christian amusement was inconspicuous, showing that the session used its powers in no bitterly inquisitorial spirit. The charges of card-playing and theatre- going above referred to appear but three times in the records, and even then were merely additional to others of a more serious nature. Dr. Spring, it should be noted, held strict views in regard to the grave dan- gers inherent in "gay amusements and the various pursuits of the present scene." * He was "thor- * Spring's "Essays," p. 191. See also for quotations which follow, "Hints to Parents," p. 24, anii "Life and Times," Vol. I, p. 128. RELIGION AND MORALS 195 oughly, and more and more, persuaded that the great mass of novels and plays exert a pernicious in- fluence, both on the intellectual and moral character." To dancing he was emphatically opposed. It dis- tressed him greatly that Christian parents would countenance it for their children, and was led by it to exclaim that "our mercurial youth live for folly and fun." "Balls and assemblies," to his mind, were the natural enemies of the Spirit of God. At the same time he perceived that "youth" (or as he pre- ferred to call it, "old Adam"), was a very real force in the world. "It is a foregone conclusion that our young people will dance," he said with a naive sort of sadness; and he had to confess that in these mat- ters he had not been able effectually to stem the tide. Positive as he was in his own opinion, it was certainly a sign of moderation that he practically did not use at all the power of church discipline to enforce his view. The control of the morals of Christians by the session acting in its judicatory capacity is now seldom attempted. In the more complex life of our great modern cities it would be almost impracticable in the absence of any legal power to summon witnesses. We have not the ready means of knowing the facts of the inner life of our neighbors as men did seventy- five or a hundred years ago. Perhaps, moreover, our repugnance for undertaking this painful work has something to do with our neglect of the old method. In this latter reason Dr. Spring would have had no sympathy with us. "Church discipline," he said, looking back upon the practice of the Brick Church in this matter, "is not less truly an ordinance of 196 THE BRICK CHURCH God than church Communion. No church can prosper that connives at heresy or immorahty among its communicants. ... It has often been at great sacrifice of feeling, and some of interest and influ- ence, that these acts of discipHne have been per- formed; but, however reluctantly and cautiously, it is a work that has to be done." It is unfortunate that there was no occasion for the session to inquire formally into the lives of its good and faithful members, whose record would re- mind us that the offenders, who were dealt with in the way described above, constituted a very small minority. No such authoritative records exist. But we will not admit that Antony in the play was right, and that only "the evil that men do lives after them." On the contrary, the good lived on, in other and better ways than on the pages of minute books; and even in books, though of the less formal sort, some happy memories of the individual members of the Brick Church between 1810 and 1850 have been preserved for us. Two or three such passages may be quoted, in the hope that, at least, they will help the reader to see with his mind's eye the forms and faces of some of those whose memories are cherished by the church, and to feel that he has gained some personal acquaintance with these good people. The first passage is from an ad- dress by Horace Holden, already several times quoted* He is looking back, in memory, to the most faithful and beloved of those officers of the church who had died before the time at which he spoke. They had, all of them, served in the early years of Dr. Spring's * "Br. Ch. Mem.," pp. 14G /. RELIGION AND MORALS 197 ministry. He says, "I may not omit to mention the sedate and venerable John * Bingham; the warm- hearted and heavenly-minded William Whitlock; the meek and childlike Richard Cunningham ; the intelli- gent and upright Peter Hawes ; the wise and useful Ste- phen Lockwood ;f the respected and pious Rensselaer Havens; the courteous Horace W. Bulkley; the con- servative and gentlemanly Alfred de Forest ; the sober- minded John Stephens; the urbane and gentle John C. Halsey; the amiable and exemplary Daniel Oak- ley; the earnest and devout Abraham Bokee; the humble, lowly and refined John McComb ; the guile- less and unassuming Samuel Brown; the modest and diffident William Luyster; the sincere and un- pretending Elijah Mead; the consistent and de- voted Richard Harding; and John Adams the in- flexible and just." To this list must be added one other name, in words recorded by the pastor of the church. Among the members of the original session, all of them men of worth and influence, *'the ruling spirit," says Dr. Spring, '*and the man eminent for discernment, practical wisdom, ardent piety, and vigorous action, was John Mills." Thus much for the elders and deacons of those early days. In regard to the congregation as a whole we fortunately pos- sess, in an address by one of the later officers, a brief characterization of the people among whom Gardiner Spring began his ministry. "As I remember this community in early life," says Mr. Daniel Lord, "the * The Christian names, not in the original, are here inserted. t One of the most competent, most esteemed, and beloved members of the session. He was killed, almost in the sight of Dr. Spring, by a boiler explosion on the steamer Oliver Ellsworth, in 1827. He and his pastor were returning together from an ecclesiastical council in Sonnecticut. » 198 THE BRICK CHURCH Brick Church congregation was composed of men in the middle ranks of life — thinking, working, inde- pendent men ; men whom you could not drive by fear, nor coax by favor, and with whom you could not deal without intellectual conviction. Convince them and they were yours; fail to convince them, and they were the most independent body of men that could be seen." * The other roll of names, which shall form the conclusion of this chapter, is of a different character from that of Mr. Holden, given above. It is only an extract fr.om a reminiscent sketch f in a newspaper, and did we not supplement it from other sources would give us little more than a glimpse of the outer appearance of some of the people who attended the Brick Church in the twenties, thirties, and forties of the nineteenth century, yet even from such a source as this we may be able to gain some impression of the wholesome Christian graces of Dr. Spring's parishioners. "Let us walk into the church a fine Sunday morn- ing in spring, and see whom we shall find there — you and I, reader — and I will answer all your questions. There is ]\Ioses Allen, with his bright, cheery face, [a man generous, active in Christian work, and prominent in all benevolent enterprises,! '-^^^^^ there *"Br. Ch.Mpm.,"p. 154. t By R. W. Newman, published in the "Evening Mail" in 1873. The text has been sliglitly rearranged and abridged. Additions are indicated by brackets. t This insertion is from the session records, which add also: "We shall miss his beaming face. We shall miss the affectionate interest with which he regarded his associates. We shall miss his cheering words." Dr. Beven, the pastor at the time of Mr. Allen's death, described him in these tenns: "Busy, familiar with earthly pursuits, wise with the wistlom that RELIGION AND MORALS 199 are] his pretty daughters, Miss Priscilla * and Miss Charlotte. They live in St. John's Square, and are among the admired belles of their locale. There is Eli Goodwin, of the firm of Goodwin, Fisher and Spencer, with his two interesting daughters, and a little one, Caroline, one of our first young ladies to make the tour of Europe in the old packet-ship days. She and Susan Spring, f daughter of the pastor, were in Paris together, and they were there called the * beautiful Americans.' That is Jonathan Thompson with his wife; he is Collector of our Custom House. That is Daniel Parish [one of the trustees, a man of energetic temperament, reticent in speech, a strong adherent of Dr. Spring and the Brick Church], J and that Drake Mills [a trustee also, and described by his colleagues as uniformly attentive and courteous, one who fully commanded both confidence and esteem]. "In the next pew is Anthony Dey and his hand- some family. That is Miss Catherine Patton, an heiress, step-sister of Rev. Dr. Patton. She has since died, leaving handsome bequests to many charitable societies. There is Abijah Fisher, a man of talent and poverty, who rose to great distinction by his merits. That is Joseph Sampson, a large merchant, who lives at 116 Chambers Street. He recently lived gives a man influence and force among his fellow-men, he still lived as ever in his Master's presence. There was a peculiar sweetness and gentleness, a simplicity of demeanor, a directness of character in him, which belonged rather to the higher than the lower life." He was a prominent and prosper- ous banker. * Afterward Mrs. Thomas P. Lathrop. t Afterward Mrs. Paul Spofford. t The following note in regard to him has an interest beyond its refer- ence to himself: "He was very matter-of-fact and indisposed to argue a point when he knew he was right, so that he kept from discussing doc- trinal points which rnade so large a portion of the church life of that period." 200 THE BRICK CHURCH in the elegant house at the corner of Broad Street and Broadway, now [1873] in process of demolition. There are Abner L. Ely [sagacious in counsel, firm in his convictions, scrupulously honest, generous, conscientious, systematic in his benevolence,* and Jasper Corning, whose family has long been con- nected with the church], and Thomas Egleston [that humble-minded and consistent Christian, 'ever es- teeming others better than himself,' much beloved for his uniform courtesy and fidelity]. f That tall, straight man is George Douglass, a merchant of good standing and a man of great and good mind. "That is Horace Holden of No. 34 Beekman Street. He was a great man in the church [the right hand of his pastor and deeply beloved by him — be- loved, in fact, by every one, an invaluable friend, 'a Christian lawyer,' prompt and diligent in office, cheerful, useful, and wise]. J There is Miss Maria Laight, afterward Madame de Gourley; and there are Anson G. Phelps [unostentatious though pros- * See "A Memorial of Abner L. Ely" (1873). He was a prominent real- estate broker. He failed in the panic of '37. Thirty years later he had the satisfaction of paying off the whole of the old indebtedness. The following is a portion of a letter sent by one of the creditors at that time. " Yours of yesterday, inclosing cheque for , principal and interest on an in- debtedness to the old firm of , is at hand. I hardly know how to ex- presstmy surprise and pleasure in the receipt of this money; not so much, I trust, in its money value as from its moral worth. Your own experience in mercantile life must bear witness to the rarity of such returns, after having been outlawed and forgotten. So far as regards yourself, it is only the natural outgrowth of those religious principles which you have illus- trated by an active Christian life; and I sincerely thank you, and thank God, for such an example by his followers." Mr. Ely's affection for the Brick Church was deep and constant. " That beloved church," he called it in a letter to his pastor, dictated from his dying bed. t From the session records. t From the trustees' records and Disosway's "Earliest Churches of N. Y.,"p. 154. RELIGION AND MORALS 201 perous, benevolent, given to hospitality, especially if the guest was a clergyman,]* and Daniel Lord, a great lawyer, a man of uncommon industry, and of the highest Christian character. He united with the church in 1833, at which time he was marked as a rising man. His fame has since increased, and he has been engaged in every prominent case in our courts for many years. f "There are James McCall, a merchant of high standing, Samuel B. Schiefflin, the druggist in Wil- liam Street, and Samuel Marsh, J of Erie Railroad fame, an old bachelor who lived at the Astor House as soon as it was built, and continued to do so till he died. William Black, of Ball, Black & Co., is yonder, and Isaac Kip, father of Bishop Kip of California. [Mr. Kip was one of those who had been in the church almost from the beginning of Dr. Spring's pastorate; and with him must be men- tioned another of the older generation, William Couch, who, in the course of his long connection with the church, served as deacon, elder and trustee]. § Shepherd Knapp, [a leather merchant in the 'Swamp,' and afterward for almost forty years President of the Mechanics' National Bank, a close friend also of * "Disosway," p. 151. t His colleagues in the session record their appreciation of his "judg- ment, charity, cheerful service and consistent example," which "have tended to secure [the church's] harmony and prosperity." Daniel Webster was his intimate friend and often sat in his pew when in New York. t He was a pew-holder, but does not appear to have been a member. § As deacon (from 1823) " he cared for the poor with great assiduity and wisdom and in the tender spirit of his Master." To his duties as elder (from 183-4), he brought "a firm independent judgment exercised always in Christian modesty." In the board of trustees he served as clerk, then as treasurer, and finally for many years as president. From the session records. 202 THE BRICK CHURCH the pastor, and like Mr. Couch, a holder of the three church offices], was, with his family, an attendant at this church; and Guy Richards [admired and loved for his honor, his generosity, his frankness, and his genial courtesy],* was a conspicuous member." * Thus characterized by one who well remembers him, and who sup- plies also the following facts: Mr. Richards' New England home training made him ever a sincere and childlike believer in the truths of Christinnity, and for more than forty years he was a regular worshipper in the Brick Church. Not until late in life, however, did he make an open confession of his faith, being deterred by conscientious motives. The persuasion of his pastors, who had no doubt about his fitness, were for a long time ineffectual. One evening, in 1867, Dr. Newman Hall preached in the Brick Churcfi to a crowded audience, from the text Gen. 24 : 31, "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without?" Mr. Richards, being hard of hearing, was provided with an arm-chair and sat directly beneath the pulpit. That sermon brought him into the church, he being then above eighty years of age. He was a graduate of Yale, had studied law, followed the sea for several years, and later was highly successful in commercial life. The present pastor of the Brick Church is his great-nephew. CHAPTER XIII THE SCHOOLS: 1810-1850 "What children are to be at a more advanced age depends on the character they form in childhood. . . . Here, then, at this most interesting period of their existence, when the understanding is docile, the memory tenacious, the fancy vivid, the sensibilities tender, and the character accessible by a thousand avenues which will be closed in maturer age-are parents called on to decide the deterioration and degen- eracy or the improvement and progression of human society. -Gardiner Spring. " Hints to Parents," pp. 44 f. "Your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evU. they shaU go in thither, and unto them will I give [the land), and they shall possess it." — Deuteronomy 1 : 39. IT will be remembered that, when in 1809, the Brick Church became a separate ecclesiastical body, it retained, according to the terms of the agreement, its one-half interest in the land and build- ing of the Presbyterian charity school on Nassau Street, and a proportionate responsibility for its sup- port and management. Almost immediately, how- ever, there came an opportunity to sell the property at an advantageous price, and thus dispose of the joint control, which, had it long continued, could not but have caused inconvenience. The sale, for $6,500, was effected in the spring of 1810. The trustees of the Brick Church, although now without any school-building, did not intend that the charity school should cease. They entered at once into an arrangement with one Seabury Ely to take such charity scholars as the Brick Church might send to him, and to instruct them, in quarters pro- 203 204 THE BRICK CHURCH vided by himself, under the superintendence of the school committee of the trustees. He was to be paid at the rate of nine dollars a year for each child, books and stationery being furnished by the church. Under this arrangement thirty * children were in- structed in "all those branches of literature which it is supposed will be most useful to them," by which, however, it is likely that nothing more "literary" was intended than reading, writing, figuring, and the cate- chism. The church also provided for the " cloathing" of these scholars. (It is noticeable that in those days spelling was never explicitly mentioned as an essen- tial element of education.) Our first inquiry concerns the sources of income for the carrying on of the school. In November, 1812, the annual accounts showed that $1,291.22 had been received "by collections and otherwise," and of this $654.60 had been expended. The word "otherwise" here employed refers evidently to cer- tain assistance from the State. For the State had by this time begun tardily to feel its obligation to share the burden of educating the poor. A movement had been started by a group of people in New York City in 1805 to establish free schools for such children as were not provided for by any religious organization. A society then formed to accomplish this end, and known afterward as "The Free School Society of New York," succeeded in opening in 1809, in a building on Chatham Street, the first non-sectarian school in New York City. School No. 2 followed promptly in 1811. These events had had an indirect effect upon public policy, and the State Legislature * Forty for a limited period, beginning May, 1811. THE SCHOOLS 205 had, before the time of the separation of the Presby- terian churches, made a grant for schools, of which the Presbyterians had received £626, 6s., 5d., to be held as a fund whose interest should be used for the charity school maintained by them. The Brick Church, after the separation, had its proper share of this annual income. In 1813, provision was made for still further State aid. The Legislature voted an appropriation and ordered that that part of it received by the City and County of New York should be apportioned among the Free School Society, the Orphan Asylum Society, the Society of the Economical School, the African Free School, and those incorporated religious socie- ties in the city by which charity schools were sup- ported. In return it was necessary to make regular reports to the State Commissioner. The funds thus secured, added to the collections taken in the church, evidently provided ample money for the Brick Church school expenses. The provision of a permanent school-house, on the other hand, proved to be a difficult undertaking. At first, however, the prospect was hopeful, for soon after the sale of the old school property on Nassau Street, the Brick Church was so fortunate as to ob- tain from the city the grant of "Lot No. 21 in Augus- tus Street," agreeing to pay for it a low annual rental. This piece of land was given with the express stipulation that the church should erect a school- house upon it and maintain a charity school therein: otherwise it should revert to the city. No doubt the expectation had been to build at once, but almost immediately a time of depression in 206 THE BRICK CHURCH business intervened, caused by the political disturb- ances which resulted in the War of 1812. The city authorities in May, 1813, deeming that the failure of the church to raise the necessary sum at that unpro- pitious time was excusable, were pleased to extend the period for erecting the school-house until the end of the war. When, however, peace had been de- clared and the months still increased to years with- out the fulfilment of the church's part of the agree- ment, the patience of the Corporation of the City was exhausted, and at some time prior to November, 1817, the lot on Augustus Street had been declared forfeited. The trustees of the Brick Church, when they applied for another similar grant, were refused, and were fain to be content with receiving back from the city some $671, which they had already paid on the first lot. Thus ended the last attempt to provide a permanent school-house; for by the time that re- turning prosperity made the church able to carry out its plan, the necessity no longer existed. Meantime, during all the years covered by these futile negotiations the Brick Church scholars had continued to be taught in the manner already de- scribed, and for five years of that time Seabury Ely continued to be the teacher. We learn from a report to the State, made in 1814, that the school was held throughout the entire year, and that the largest number of scholars (31) attended during the quarter extending from the middle of May to the middle of August. The ages of the chil- dren ranged from four to fifteen years. As to the supervision of the trustees we know that in 1812 they ordered "that the charitv scholars be examined in THE SCHOOLS 207 the session room quarterly, the teacher being present at the examination." To the first of these awful en- counters the children were summoned on Saturday, June 6th, at three o'clock in the afternoon. But our fullest information in regard to the man- agement of the school, and indeed, concerning its whole character, is provided by ''The Rules of Gov- ernment of the Charity School," which were pre- sented by the school committee of the trustees and adopted by the board in November, 1814. They are comprehensive, and tell us in considerable detail the things we most desire to know. We learn from them, for instance, that there were at this time about thirty children, boys and girls, and that they were not now received at such an early age as formerly, the girls not till they were six, and the boys, evidently a duller species, not until they were seven. Many of these little people were orphans, for to such children pref- erence was given, but in any case they were children of Presbyterian parents who were, or during their life-time had been, in full communion with the church. . All applications for admission were entered in a certain book which the teacher kept, and were sub- mitted in due time to the school committee of the trustees, who made selection of the fortunate names. No doubt the children themselves might have ques- tioned this assertion of their good fortune in being selected, for the school was by no means intended to be a place of recreation. At nine o'clock each morn- ing and again at two each afternoon the scholars must be at the school door, and punctuality was greatly emphasized. Still more trying was the regu- 208 THE BRICK CHURCH lation that scholars must "appear in school with their clothes clean and whole." The teacher was strongly admonished to see to this important matter. The first study that is mentioned in the rules — and it has a whole rule to itself — is the Shorter Cate- chism. All the scholars were "obliged" to commit to memory the whole or (merciful provision!) "such parts of it, as they may be found competent to"; and on Wednesday afternoon of each week, or at such other times as might be appointed, they must be at the church to recite what they had learned. This important study having been arranged for, an- other sino^le rule of much less length was enoufjh to cover all the remaining subjects in the curriculum — reading, writing, arithmetic, "and, if circumstances permit, the principles of English Grammar." What penalties and punishments the teacher may have been allowed to inflict upon disobedient or negligent scholars we are not told. The rules dis- creetly refrain from inquiring too curiously into that subject. But under certain extreme conditions the trustees themselves, we learn, would step in and cause a scholar to be expelled. If a child was absent without adequate excuse for six days in succession or for more than eighteen days in one quarter " or " (these long dashes, suggestive of a very ominous pause, are copied accurately from the official text of the rules), "if any scholar shall be guilty of misbehavior, and, being admonished by the commit- tee, shall continue such misconduct," the sentence of expulsion must be imposed. If a scholar did indeed thus misbehave, the record of his conduct was set down in that same THE SCHOOLS ^00 book of the teacher's, already mentioned, and there it was carefully preserved for the eyes of the trustees. It was not necessary to send the record to them, for every week the school was visited by at least one of the board's school committee, and once a month the committee appeared in its entirety to "inspect" and "receive returns," especially as to the matter of conduct. Once in each quarter occurred the chief visitation, when the entire board of trustees of the Brick Presbyterian Church "in a formal manner" made their appearance to "inquire into the profi- ciency of the scholars and the attention of their teacher." If Saturday was a holiday, no mention is made of that fact. At least Sunday was not, for here is the description of it. All the children of the school must attend divine service, morning and afternoon, and they must occupy the seats provided for them. Moreover, "during the whole of the service, and in coming into and departing from the church" they must "demean themselves peaceably and quietly" and must "return from church direct to their places of residence." Finally, they must "remain at home during the day and evening" and remember that the Lord's Day is to be kept holy. Poor little charity scholars; their life, as outlined in the "rules," does not sound very cheerful; but after all, if Mr. Seabury Ely had any true love for children in his heart, perhaps their school-days were happy in spite of the committee; and in any case there was open the usual expedient of children, who turn even a stiff rule to some cheerful human use by regarding it as something to be broken. 210 THE BRICK CHURCH In 181G took place another change even greater than the abandonment of the school-building, and still further indicative of the fact that the denominational schools were on the wane. The Presbyterians in that year ceased to hire their own teacher and sent their charity scholars to Free School No. 1, paying over to the commissioners of that school the portion of State funds received by the Brick Church, only stipulating that the Bible should be read in the school daily. The sole direct responsibility, therefore, which con- tinued to devolve upon the trustees was the clothing of their scholars, and for this purpose they still caused a collection to be taken annually, in Novem- ber or December, until the year 1829. Then a legacy from Mrs. Catherine Ryan, expressly for the use of the charity scholars, provided the trustees with all the money needed, and accordingly the collections ceased. At last in May, 183-1, we find recorded a vote that any balance at that time remaining in the Ryan legacy should be turned over to the Sunday- schools of the church, from which it is evident that the whole charity school system had come to an end. For the full explanation of this w^e must refer to a few facts outside of the history of the church. Ten years before this time there had begun a decided movement to remove the schools from religious in- fluence. The churches themselves had largely con- tributed to this result by their denominational rival- ries, as we perceive in an incident of the year 1824, when the suspicion that a certain church was trying to claim as scholars children belontjing: more natu- rally to other congregations, led the Free School Society and certain churches, including the Brick THE SCHOOLS ^11 Church, to protest vigorously and demand a firm restriction of the offending church to the limits of its own parish. It was significant, too, that at this time, New York State, and a year later New York City, excluded the clergy and the churches from administering the school fund. The gradual relinquishment by the Brick Church of its charity school was, therefore, not peculiar to that church, but a result of the general situation. As reported by Dr. Spring in a speech some years later, the Brick Church was solicited to surrender its individual rights and denominational feelings for the sake of the general good, and promises, he said, were made, not in writing, but *'as a solemn matter of compromise and contract," that if the Brick Church withdrew from the field, the Pub- lic School Society should hold itself free from any other religious control or influence. From this time the Brick Church took no further part in the work of secular education. It will have been noticed above that when the Ryan Fund seemed about to lie idle through the dis- continuance of the charity school, the trustees were able to transfer it to a kindred institution. The fact was, that as the church's secular school waned to its extinction, two Sunday-schools, which the Brick Church people had founded, were flourishing more and more, and had gradually become a chief interest of the church. We must now turn to study their origin and growth. In New York at the beginnine: of the nineteenth century Sunday-schools were a decided novelty. 212 THE BRICK CHURCH Even in England the idea was but twenty years old, having been originated by Robert Raikes in 1781 to meet the needs of the poor children of Gloucester. In Great Britain the movement spread with aston- ishing rapidity, and more slowly it made its way to America. In New York it is said that the first school was opened by a poor negro woman in 1793, but with more certainty the beginning there may be dated from the school of a Mrs. Graham and her daughter, Mrs. Bethune, who had seen the English schools in operation, and now started one in New York in a private house in 1801. By this time the teachers, who in the earlier schools elsewhere had been paid at the rate of a shilling a Sunday, were volunteers. It is noticeable, also, that from the beginning they had been women. Two more schools were started in the city by 1804, and these also were the work of private indi- viduals. It was not until nine years later that a Sunday-school was started by one of the churches, the old Dutch Church on Garden Street. But the advantages of this plan were at once apparent, es- pecially in giving more permanence than private management could secure; and when in February, 181G, the *'New York Sunday-school Union" * was organized, for the purpose of encouraging the estab- lishment of schools throughout the city, the church- school had practically won the field. Dr. Spring was among tliose who joined in the formation of this Union, and one of its early meet- ings was held in the Brick Church; but the best evi- ♦ See "Semi-Centennial Memorial Discourse of the Sunday-school Union," by Isaac F. Ferris, D.D., 186G. THE SCHOOLS 213 dence of the church's hearty interest in the move- ment was its establishment of two Sunday-schools of its own in the very first year of the Union's existence. These were "No. 3," * on Fair (now Fulton) Street, and "No. 23" on Henry Street. Why, it may be asked, was no school started in immediate connection with the church itself.? The "Old White Lecture Room" would have been avail- able for the purpose, and very convenient for a ma- jority of the children of the church. But it must be understood that these early Sunday-schools were not intended for the children of the church at all. These were trained by their own parents at home, the church undertaking merely to assure itself of the thoroughness of their home instruction, by bringing the children together for the recitation of the cate- chism on a week-day afternoon. The Sunday-schools, on the other hand, were distinctly missionary insti- tutions. They were intended for children belonging to the poor and ignorant classes, and were regarded merely as a substitute for the home teaching which was lacking in their case. Of the history of the first sixteen years of the Brick Church Sunday-schools we unfortunately know but little. The records prior to 1832 have been lost,t and the references in the session and trustees' minutes are few and fragmentary. We do not even know the number of schools maintained through- out this period — whether, for example, there were * No. 1 was the school of the Garden Street Dutch Church referred to above. No. 2 was started by the Wall Street Presbyterian Church. t A note written in 1837, states that these earlier records were then "in the possession of Miss Delia Stevens." She moved from New York about May, 1838. 214 THE BRICK CHURCH ever more than two, or how long precisely the second of the original schools, "No. 23," was continued.* We know nothing of the manner in which the schools were governed, except that they had superintend- ents,! as at the present time, elected, apparently, by the teachers, and that the general rules of the Union provided for a board of management, and systematic visitation by a committee. Apparently the instruction was biblical, for there is reference to the committing of passages of Scripture to memory (reward tickets were given for proficiency in this, as well as for attendance and good behavior), and one at least of the Brick Church schools seems early to have tried with success a plan of "selected and limited lessons," first put forth in New York in 1824. All the further details that we possess on this period are given in a report to the Union for 1827, J from which we learn that at that time School No. 3 *The facts known to us are very perplexing. In 1817 and 1818 there are references in the trustees' minutes to "The Sabbath school [singular] connected with this church," yet, apparently, schools No. 3 and No. 23 were both in existence long after that. From 1819 to 1825 "schools" are consistently referred to in the records. Then again in 1826 the singular number is used, and this falls in with the fact that the report of the Sunday- Bchool Union for the next year (which happens to be in existence) includes no mention of School No. 23. We should, therefore, be certain that this second Brick Church school had been discontinued by this time, were there not references in 1828, 1831 and May, 1832, to "schools" once more. Before October, 1832, some sort of a "union" had taken place in connec- tion with the schools of the Brick Church, and after December, 1833, there was certainly but one school for several years. In 1839 the girls' depart- ment of the school is referred to as "The Female Sabbath-school attached to the Brick Presbyterian Church." Possibly this suggests the explanation of the plural used between 1828 and 1832, and also of the "union," in the latter year. t See Appendix J, p. 527. t See "Semi-Centennial Memorial Discourse of the N. Y. Sunday-school Union," 1866, by Rev. Isaac F. Ferris, D.D., p. 14. THE SCHOOLS 215 was for boys only, sixty-seven being enrolled; that there were twenty-one teachers, all men; that there was a library connected with the school including nearly four hundred volumes; and that the school was then situated at 208 William Street.* When, beginning with 1832, our information be- comes more detailed we find that a number of im- portant changes have taken place. For one thing, as soon as the new chapel was completed, in December of that year, the Sunday-school took possession of the rooms in that building which had been especially designed for its use, and this change of location, as might be supposed, was indicative of another change still more radical. The scholars were no longer drawn exclusively from the poor and unchurched families, but included the children of Presbyterian parents. We do not know when or how this change had taken place, but at the time now referred to it was an accomplished fact, as is evidenced by an appeal issued to the church-members in January, 1834, in the hope that they would interest themselves either "to obtain new members or bring in such of their own children as they may have previously withheld." Another important change that had taken place was the admission of girls, and the in- troduction of women teachers, although "the male department" continued to be the larger portion of the school. f * From 1819 till 1826, it was the custom in appointing the annual offering for clothing the charity scholars, to direct that the surplus, if there were any, should be used to defray the expense of a room or rooms for Sunday-school uses. t In December, 1833, there were seventeen men and fourteen women enrolled as teachers. 216 THE BRICK CHURCH In 1833 and 1834, it is evident from the records, the school was undergoing a thorough reorganiza- tion, and when this had been accompHshed a good deal of satisfaction was felt in the result. The secre- tary, having been requested to "furnish some brief statement of the present situation of the school to such of the church and congregation as would prob- ably feel willing to exert their influence in the cause," wrote "that the school is in a flourishing condition under the immediate supervision of Mr. Seward,* and is well supplied with faithful, devoted and effi- cient teachers," and "that there has been ample pro- vision made for an additional number of scholars." The organization of the school effected at this time remained practically unchanged until 1840, and the description about to be given may therefore be taken to apply to the whole period ending in that year. There were five officers elected annually by the teachers, namely, a superintendent, an assistant su- perintendent, a female superintendent, a librarian, and a secretary. The treasurer, on the other hand, was appointed by the session of the church. The teachers were apparently chosen with great care and entered upon their duties in a spirit of serious conse- cration. Before being appointed they were required to answer the following questions: "Are you so situ- ated in the providence of God that you can probably hereafter attend to the duties of a teacher with vigor and punctuality ? Can you attend ordinarily to a faithful examination and study of the weekly lesson ? When your scholars are absent, can you promptly visit them .'*" * Mr. B.J. Seward was agent of the Sunday-school Union. THE SCHOOLS 217 A fuller description of the teachers' duties is con- tained in an appendix to the constitution * wherein is stated what the superintendent expects the teach- ers to do. They are to be in their seats at least five minutes before the hour of opening and "ready to greet their scholars as they appear," thus "appro- bating punctuality and reproving delinquency." At the ringing of the bell and throughout the devotional exercises they are to maintain in their classes "per- fect silence." They are to allow "no idleness in any class for a moment." At the close of the session they are always to "accompany their classes to the door of the church, maintaining order among the schol- ars." And finally, teachers who are necessarily ab- sent are expected to provide substitutes. Perhaps more important than rules and statements of duties was the spirit in which the work was under- taken, as expressed in the preamble of the constitu- tion just referred to. There "the teachers and con- ductors of Sunday-school No. 3" make it evident that in their opinion the work of teaching in the Sun- day-school was to be regarded as no merely routine exercise, no mere providing of a safe and suitable occupation for children on the Lord's Day, but as a genuine preparation of boys and girls for Christian life and especially for Christian service. It is very noteworthy that they mention with most emphasis the need of missionaries to heathen lands and of ministers at home, as their incentive to "unremitting labor." Their object, as they finally state it, is "to win souls to Jesus Christ, and to prepare them for usefulness in his kingdom." * Adopted on December 2l8t, 1833. See Appendix W, p. 545, 218 THE BRICK CHURCH Until 1839 two sessions of the Sunday-school were held each Sunday, the first beginning at nine o'clock in the morning throughout the year, while the second began at half-past one in the afternoon from the first of October to the first of May, and at two o'clock from May to October. In June, 1839, it was decided to omit the afternoon session for three months, and later in the year it was voted to make this change permanent. The sessions began and closed with devotional exercises, the interval being filled by the teaching of the lesson. For the most part the subject of study was a passage from the Scriptures aided apparently by some sort of ''Question Book," but the fourth Sunday of each month w^as devoted to the teaching of the shorter catechism. At the close of the afternoon session it was customary for the superintendent to examine the scholars on the lesson for the day. Teachers' meetings for the preparation of the lesson were a regular institution. They were held on Sat- urday evenings "in the committee room of the chapel," * and were conducted by Dr. Spring. The library w^as evidently regarded as an important department of the work of the school, though it may be feared that the "select books" which were pur- chased from time to time were of the sort that has caused the name "Sunday-school book" to be re- garded as a title of opprobrium. Select though the books were, the children were not allowed to choose among them for themselves, but it was the duty of the teachers to "choose such books from the library as they may judge most proper for their scholars." ♦ Referred to eometimes as "the missionary room." THE SCHOOLS 219 Once a year, on a Sunday morning in April, the school celebrated its anniversary by exercises held in the church. We do not know the nature of the ser- vice except that the secretary read a report which, sometimes at least, included a sort of history of the school, that Dr. Spring preached a sermon appro- priate to the day, and that on that occasion it was customary "to have the female scholars and their teachers sit in the front seats of the gallery next the Park, and the male scholars and teachers op- posite." In the summer of 1837 a new light broke upon the Brick Church Sunday-school. Then for the first time it was suggested that a small amount of play be mingled with the school's discipline and study. One cannot but be impressed, in reading the accounts of the treatment of children in the time of our great- grandparents, with the almost utter ignorance of the men of that time in regard to the child-nature. Children were then commonly dealt with much as though they were merely old men and women dressed in bibs and pinafores. There was barely any attempt to appeal to distinctly childish tastes. There was very little consideration for the inevitable immaturities of childhood. Especially there was almost no appre- ciation of the fact that all teaching, and religious teaching quite as much as any, should be adjusted accurately to the children's intelligence and ex- perience. An illustration of this is provided by the use made in the Brick Church Sunday-school one Sunday in 1850, of the tragic death of a scholar resulting from injuries received in an accident on Hague Street. 220 THE BRICK CHURCH Dr. Spring, with reference to the melancholy event, *' addressed the children," we are told, "on the ne- cessity of being prepared for [Christ's] coming, and the danger of provoking God's wrath and curse in this life and that which is to come." Another inci- dent, which occurred a few months earlier, and which is curious enough to be quoted for its own sake, was no doubt made the text for a terrifying address upon the crime of theft. It seems that in May, 1849, the superintendent received from some unknown person a Bible in which, written in pencil on a slip of paper, was found the following pathetic message: "To the Superintendent of this School. Dear Sir, about three years ago, when the School was downstairs, this Bible was stolen with some others from the bookcase. Will you inquire for the owner in the school and ask him to forgive and pray for the thief." But to return to the proposal which in 1837, marked the beginning of a fuller appreciation of the needs of childhood. As it happened the plan then proposed could not be carried out at once, but it afterward bore fruit, and even the proposal of it must have made the life of the little scholars dis- tinctly more worth living. The full record of the incident may be quoted: "June 27th, 1837. By agreement the teachers met this evening to take into consideration the utility of celebrating the coming 4th [of] July with the scholars. The committee re- ported verbally as follows: They have taken in con- sideration all the places in the neighborhood suit- able to visit, and found that they would probably be filled by many visitors and thus defeat the object in THE SCHOOLS 221 view and also the lateness of notice prevents suit- able arrangements for the occasion. It was therefore concluded to postpone until another year. In 1840 a radical change in the whole management of the Sunday-school was made by the session ot the church who were dissatisfied with the conditions which then existed. Up to this time the school though closely identified with the church life had been in a large degree independent. It had ap- pointed its own officers,* made its own rules, deter- mined its own policy, without any reference to the session whatsoever. The only superior authority to which it looked was the New York Sunday-school Union, an outside and undenominational society. As early as 1836 the session had expressed some uneasiness in regard to the situation, and had ap- pointed a committee to consider "the measures to be pursued for the religious education of the children, and especially to provide for some direct intercourse between the children and the officers of the church. At that time, however, they did not undertake to interfere with the Sunday-school, but merely adopted additional means of ensuring the children s proper instruction. They were content to appoint an afternoon service in the session room once a month.f in which the children and youth of all the church and congregation may meet for instruction in the cate- chism." t The older members of the congregation * Except the treasurer. See above. I M *VaX* LtbSore the day of Su„day-,chools, such a .ervice had W hew wU. In 1835, the Ge-a. A.se„,bly had exp-ed ^^^^ regret that the Sunday-achoob seemed to have superseded very largely the catechetical instructions of the pastor. 222 THE BRICK CHURCH were invited to participate, and the pastor and elders were to superintend the course of instruction. This expedient, however, after about three years* trial, proved to be inadequate, and on January 9th, 1840, the session, "having taken into consideration the existing state of the Sabbath-schools * and the present plan of instruction," referred the whole sub- ject to a committee. The report which this com- mittee presented two weeks later is of such interest from several points of view that it must be quoted in its entirety. "The committee appointed to take into considera- tion the present system of instruction in the Sabbath- schools connected with this congregation, beg leave to submit the following suggestions and plan as their report : "It appears to your committee that the original design of these schools has been to a great extent lost sight of, in the almost exclusive instruction of the children of families belonging to our own congregation and the gradual withdrawing from them of the poorer and more ignorant population around us. "It may be assumed as a fact which will not be questioned that those who receive instruction in these schools are almost exclusively made up of our own congregation. f This circumstance throws no small weight of responsibility on this session to in- quire into the condition of the schools, both as it regards the system of instruction, the qualification of ♦ The plural is frequently used at this period, though it is evident that but one school existed, including a boys' and a girls' department. t Three years later when 114 scholars were enrolled, all but fourteen were from Brick Church families. THE SCHOOLS 223 the teachers, and the number and progress of those who are taught. "In the prosecution of these inquiries your com- mittee have been persuaded that there is a diminu- tion in the number * of young persons who receive rehgious instruction among this people which must awaken solicitude in the minds of all who feel the importance of bringing up the youth in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. "Your committee have no doubt that this is to be attributed in part to the widely scattered condition of the congregation and the great distance of many families from the place of instruction. But they are convinced that this is not the only evil. From a variety of circumstances neither necessary nor proper to be mentioned in this report, there has been un- happily so great a change of teachers in the school and, with few exceptions,t such instability in their attachment to this particular field of labor that more than once the whole system has been not a little em- barrassed by this single circumstance. "It will at once be seen that these frequent changes must originate incompetency in the teachers them- selves as well as a want of confidence in parents in the whole system of Sabbath-school instruction, and both these things are lamentably true. Nor is this the whole evil. While parents have relinquished the instruction of their children to the Sabbath-school, and while the Sabbath-school has in too great a de- ''• Whereas there were thirty-one classes in 1833, there were but twenty- two at the end of 1839. t Among the notable exceptions were Abner L. Ely, Henry K. Bull, Albert Woodruff, Charles J. Steadman, John K. Starin, Henry Brewster, J. F. Donnell, and Miss Delia Stevens. 224 THE BRICK CHURCH gree failed to supply the place of parents, it is to be feared that parents have not themselves resumed their former wonted care of the religious instruction of their offspring; so that while the Sabbath-school has taken this great work out of the hands of parents and out of the hands of the pastor and elders, the work itself remains to a great extent unfulfilled. "There are other evils also in the very constitution of the Sabbath-schools which in the judgment of your committee call for the kind but decisive inter- position of the session. "The system of instruction in the Sabbath-school, designed to meet the views of various denominations of Christians, necessarily omits very important truths, and truths with which the youthful mind ought to be familiar. It is feared that teachers from among us, with some honorable exceptions, have lost their interest in the established institutions of the Church, so that there are few ' to guide her among all the sons she hath brought up ' ; and there is that in the system which, while it is independent of the Church of God, is insensibly weakening her influence and govern- ment and relaxing those bonds by which the mem- bers of a church as individuals are bound and obliged to walk together in truth and love. "In view of these things your committee recom- mend the following plan and resolutions: "1. Resolved that the Sabbath-school connected with this congregation be placed under the immediate superintendence of the pastor and an assistant elder by whom all its teachers are to be appointed and all its lessons assigned. "2. Resolved that, with the exception of those THE SCHOOLS 225 whose age, infirmities or distance may excuse them, all the elders of this church attend upon this service, each one having the superintendence of assigned por- tions of the school, for the special purpose of securing the attendance of its classes and, in connection with their teachers, visiting the families of which they are composed. "3. Resolved that it be the duty of all the members of the church — and their Christian fidelity is confi- dently relied on for this purpose — to take such parts in the instruction of the school as shall, upon a full view of their relations and condition, be assigned them by the session. "4. Resolved that the session look with confidence to parents and guardians connected with this congre- gation to send their children to the school attached to their own church, to teach them carefully the lessons at home, and to make it a business of more serious importance to furnish their minds with instruction in the doctrines and duties of re- ligion. "5. Resolved that the pastor of this congregation attend a weekly meeting on every Saturday evening with all the teachers, for the purpose of examining the lesson for the ensuing Lord's Day and that all the Sabbath-school teachers belonging to this con- gregation, in whatever schools they may teach, be invited to be present at this weekly exercise. *'6. Resolved that the monthly prayer-meeting established for Sabbath-schools be discontinued and henceforth united with the monthly prayer-meeting of this church, at which it shall be considered a lead- ing object to implore the divine blessing upon the 226 THE BRICK CHURCH instructions of the Sabbath-school and the youth and children of this people." Unfortunately the school records close abruptly after announcing the succession of the pastor to the superintendency. Perhaps it was thought that since the session was in complete control, no separate rec- ords were longer necessary. At any rate, for the con- ditions that existed during the next six years we must seek elsewhere for our information. Enough, how- ever, is known to assure us at least that the change of policy was beneficial. One evidence of this is the fact that at some time prior to 1844 a branch or "mission" school* was started, an attempt to reach once more the poorer children for whom the schools were originally intended. We know also that the original Brick Church school (No. 3) was slowly in- creasing in numbers under the session management. In three years it achieved a gain of over twenty per cent. Further, the afternoon session was probably resumed at this time, for a little later we find it a regular feature of the school. Exactly how long the session of the church retained control we do not know, but probably it was until about 1846, for when the school records are resumed at that time the superintendent is found to be a layman once more, and the minutes give the impres- sion that some important readjustment has just taken place. A new constitution, for example, is prepared and adopted, which resembles in substance (though not in form) the old constitution of 1833. Probably llie session felt that its object had now been ac- * Mr. Woods was superintendent. This school is probably the No. 12 referred to later in the records. THE SCHOOLS 227 complished, and at this time gladly surrendered the burden of direct management which it had tem- porarily assumed. In any case the school continued to prosper. In 1847 it maintained thirty-five classes, including an infant class and Bible classes, and had on its roll one hundred and seventy-five scholars, much the largest number recorded up to that time. The standard of its scholarship, also, seems to have been high, for when the children who had memorized the whole of the Shorter Catechism were from time to time rewarded (according to a custom introduced in this period) the lists were surprisingly long, while a still larger num- ber of boys and girls received Bibles, Bible diction- aries, Bible geographies, "Illustrated Skethes," or "small books" as rewards for punctual attendance and good behavior. On one occasion a scholar named Miss Catherine Halsey received a "gilt Bible," which must have betokened a mo^t extraordinary degree of goodness and punctuality. But perhaps the two most interesting developments were those which still remain to be described. One was the system of visitation, which w^as at this time devised and put into practice. Here once more we see the reawakening of the old sense of responsibility for the children of the ignorant poor, the children of the slums as we should say to-day; and this awak- ening was due, no doubt, to certain important changes in outward conditions. For the neighborhood of the Brick Church on Beekman Street was now be- coming more and mo.re a downtown region, full of the bustle of business, and used for residence by the poorer classes only. How to reach the many ne- 228 THE BRICK CHURCH glected children who lived within hearing distance of the Brick Church bell became, therefore, a more and more urgent problem. The officers and teachers of the school gave themselves earnestly to the solving of it. The section of the city in the vicinity of the Brick Church * was by them subdivided into con- venient districts which were assigned to individual teachers for "thorough" visitation. Full reports were then presented at the teachers' meetings, of the whole number of children in the district, of those at- tending the Brick Church school or other schools, and of those who attended none. Special pains were taken "to ascertain the wants and supply the neces- sities of those applying for aid," and especially to provide proper clothing for poor children, whose parents desired them to attend the school. f A " char- ities committee" was at the same time appointed to solicit funds from the congregation and to relieve the cases of need reported by the visitors. Finally, and this will complete the subject of this chapter, we must notice that the Sunday-school, to- ward the close of the period we are studying, began to take a direct and practical interest in missions. We have seen already that the moving purpose of the workers had long been, in no small part, the pro- vision of such religious training as might in the future prepare their scholars for the work of the * The Sunday-school Union at that time apportioned a certain district to each church, much as the Federation of Churches proposes to do at the present day. t One entry states that arrangements are to be made for visiting " ma- lignant children," but probably the secretary did not intend to refer to the young reprobates of the community. " Indigent," the word used in several similar passages, was no doubt the adjective he meant to use here. THE SCHOOLS 229 gospel at home and abroad. But now, in addition to this, the school began to make direct contributions to the work of missionaries already in the field. The initiative in this movement came originally from one of the school's own teachers. Miss Cowdrey, who when on a visit to Cincinnati, in 1836, was moved by the sight of "the destitute of the West," and wrote to her fellow-workers in the Brick Church Sunday- school, begging a donation of old question books, hymn books, etc. A prompt response was made,* and a precedent was set which had important con- sequences. Not until the late forties, however, was anything like a habit of missionary giving estab- lished. After that we read of comparatively frequent appeals for aid from Sunday-school missionaries in the West, asking still for books, but new books now, not old ones. "Raising a library" became accordingly a familiar undertaking among the Brick Church teachers. At last in 1850, at the very close of the period to which this chapter is devoted, occurred an incident which was dramatic in its effect and launched the school suddenly upon the high seas of benevolence. At the teachers' meeting on Sunday, February 17th, a Mr. Chidlar made an address on "The Needs of the West." What anecdotes he may have told or what arguments he used we do not know, but at length, pausing in his appeal, he unfurled a worn and faded banner which had evidently seen long service in some Sunday-school. While his hearers * The secretary with singular accuracy records that 247 question books, 35 new hymn books, bound in leather, and 31 of the same bound in paper, were sent by dray No. 1304 to Mrs. Cowdrey, in Albion Place, to be for- warded to her daughter. 230 THE BRICK CHURCH were wondering what this meant, he told them that this banner was one that the Brick Church Sunday- school had itself sent out to Illinois eighteen years before. It had now come back from the faithful workers on the frontier, with the message that they had done with it all that they, unaided, could pos- sibly do, and that to send it westward again, unac- companied by the means for carrying out its glorious object, would be a kind of cruelty to those brave but exhausted workers in the West. It is needless to say that in a school which was, as we have seen, not unfamiliar with the cause of missions, such a direct appeal as this could not be disregarded. At once, there was proposed and adopted a resolution, which, brief as it is, still communicates to us something of the noble emotion which prompted it: "Resolved, that we will support a missionary to be our standard- bearer for the West, and will supply him with ten libraries to aid him in his labors." But this growth of practical benevolence in the Sunday-school * was, in reality, part of a much larger movement of the same kind in the church itself, and this is the subject of the next chapter, to which we niust now turn. ♦ It should be remarked that up to this time no attempt seems to have been made to interest the scholars in these practical enterprises. When money was needed it was raised by the teachers from other members of the congregation. The Sunday-school was apparently supposed to consist of two parts, opposite in character — the scholars, who were expected to be for the most part entirely passive, and the teachers and officers, by whom the whole active work was to be done. CHAPTER XIV MISSIONS AND BENEVOLENCE: 1810-1850 " In those great and benevolent enterprises, for which the age in which we live has been distinguished, it has been the privilege of the Brick Church to bear her part. Taking the forty-six years of my ministry together, no church in the land has given more bountifully to the cause of domestic and foreign missions." — Gardiner Spring, 1856, "The Brick Church Memorial," p. 29. "As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." —Matthew 10 : 7 /. WHEN Gardiner Spring came to the Brick Church, almost all the money received in the collections was used for the church expenses. The two established exceptions, it will be recalled, were the annual collection for the support of the charity school * and the provision that on communion Sundays and at the time of the annual charity sermon the collections should be devoted to the needs of the poor of the church. f We have also seen that occasional exceptions had begun to be made from time to time in response to special ap- peals, but as yet the instances of these were so few and scattered, that they must be regarded only as a prophecy of greater things to come. J Under Dr. Spring the collections for the poor § and, as long as was necessary, for the charity school * See page 90. t See page 85. t See page 87. ^ This money was administered as formerly by the deacons, except that a email sum was put into the hands of the pastor for special cases. The funds appear to have been ample till about 1842, from which date there was frequently a small deficit, easily made up. 231 232 THE BRICK CHURCH continued as before; but the growth of occasional benevolences was for a time checked, apparently by a combination of two causes. First, the period of business depression before and during the War of 1812 made it necessary to observe great economy in the management of the church's finances. And, second, a custom had by this time been adopted of taking up a special annual collection which should be in part devoted to missions.* This was usually set for a Sunday in April, and at first (in 1810), the sum received was divided into three equal parts, one- third being "for the use of the Presbytery," one-third "for missionaries," and the rest "for the use of the Commissioners of the General Assembly." Five years later a different apportionment was made. Two-thirds were now to be given to "The Education Fund," and the remaining third to be "divided be- tween the Commissioners and Missionary Funds." This regularizing of the church's benevolence, though it was but a small beginning, was a distinct advance upon the irregular and indiscriminate offerings of the earlier period. Moreover, the change in the appor- tionment which has just been mentioned, omitting altogether, as it does, the contribution to the purely ecclesiastical expenses of Presbytery,t and empha- * The General Assembly as early as 1791, had resolved "that the Pres- byteries composing the Synod of New York and New Jersey and that of Philadelphia, use their best endeavors to forward, yearly to the General Treasurer a collection [for missions] from each of their churches." The only evidence that this was carried out in the Presbyterian Church of New York City is the record of three offerings, in whole or part for the purpose of sending missionaries to the frontier, in 1791, 1792, and 1796. (See above, p. 87.) The next allusion to a stated yearly collection is the one referred to in the text (1810). t Of course the church by some other means than a collection must have continued to bear its share in these expenses. MISSIONS AND BENEVOLENCE 233 sizing missionary and benevolent objects, indicates a most wholesome tendency. This one stated annual collection seems to have provided a sufficient outlet for the church's missionary benevolence for about eight years, but in October, 1818, the trustees passed a resolution which, simple as it appears to be, marks the beginning of a new ad- vance. It was the granting, to the directors of the African School, of the use of the Brick Church for their anniversary sermon, and of permission to take up a collection at that time for the institution which they represented. It is plain from this action and from other instances of the same sort which followed in the succeeding years that the church's sense of mis- sionary responsibility had again begun to outgrow the means provided for its exercise. Moreover, from without the pressure at this time had greatly increased. To this the General Assembly had called attention in a notable communication in the year 1817. It had then declared: "The gradual increase of gospel light; the extension of the bless- ings of education to all classes and ages ; the growing diffusion of missionary zeal and exertions; the rapid multiplication of Bible societies, and through their instrumentality, the wonderful spread of the knowl- edge of the word of life in languages and countries hitherto strangers to the sacred volume ; the numerous associations for evangelical, benevolent, and humane purposes, which have arisen, and are daily arising, in every part of our bounds; and, above all, the convert- ing and sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, which have been poured out for some time past, and especially during the last year, in many of the con- 234 THE BRICK CHURCH gregations belonging to our communion — form an assemblage which cannot fail to be in a high degree interesting and animating to the friends of pure and undefiled religion; an assemblage which, while it gratifies for the present the pious and benevolent heart, must excite the most precious hopes for the future. Such mighty plans of benevolence, such won- derful combinations, such a general movement to mankind, in promoting the great cause of human happiness, were surely never before witnessed. "At such a period, dear brethren," this utterance of the Assembly continues, "let it be impressed upon the mind of every member of our church, that we are called to humble, diligent, persevering exertion. Much has been done, but much more remains to be done; and much, we hope, will be done by us. Every day makes a demand upon the time, the affections, the prayers, the property, the influence of the people of God, which it would be ingratitude, cruelty, nay, treachery, to repel." * To the great appeal which the times were thus making the Brick Church re- sponded, slowly for a while, but more and more as the years passed. From 1821, there is in the church records constant allusion to the granting of the use of the church, f and of collections, sometimes at special services on week-days, but more commonly at one of the regular Sunday services. The number and vari- ety of the causes to which the Brick Church thus rendered material aid is really astonishing. Widows, orphans, and other poor persons, both young and old, * "Assembly Digest," p. 313. t A nominal charge of two dollars was charged in most cases as a fee for the sexton. MISSIONS AND BENEVOLENCE 235 students, sailors, negroes, churches in America, in Europe and in Asia, Sunday-schools, hospitals, and more kinds of missionary enterprise than one would suppose possible, were among the debtors to the hos- pitality and liberality of the Brick Church.* The collections given to these causes (thus diverting money, be it remembered, that would otherwise have gone into the church's own treasury), amounted fre- quently to more than $100 each, and the sum total must have attained to a very generous figure. It will readily be imagined that as appeals for these special collections increased in frequency, the oflScers * The following is a list of societies, etc., aided from 1818 to 1838, in the ways described in the text: The African School; Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children; Institution in Amherst for the Classical Education of Poor and Pious Youths; N. Y. Evangelical Mis- sionary Society; *N. Y. Sunday-school Union Society; *N. Y. Religious Tract Society; Auburn Theological Institution; United Foreign Mis- sionary Society; * Church in West Farms; * United Domestic Missionary Society; * Society for Promoting the Gospel among Seamen; Church in Scipio; Orphan Asylum Institution; Presbyterian Education Society; Female Sunday-school Union Society; Church in St. Augustine; * Mari- ners' Church; * Marine Bible Society; Young Men's Auxiliary Education Society; Palestine Mission Association; widow and children of late James C. Crane, the Missionary; * American Colonization Society; * Bethel Union (for Seamen); Greek Committee; Colored Church lately under pastoral charge of Mr. Cornish; * Port Society of New York; *African Presbyterian Church of N. Y.; N. Y. City Bible Society; Infant Schools Nos. 1 and 3; Female Lying-in Asylum; Sunday-school No. 42 on Orange Street; Society for Relief of Respectable, Aged, Indigent Females; * Board of Education; * General Assembly's Board of Missions; Commissioners' Fund; Five Points Sunday-schools; Matron Association; * Young Men's Missionary Society; Seaman's Friend Society; American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions; *N. Y. Young Men's Bible Society; American Sunday- school Union; *N. Y. Colonization Society; Church in St. Petersburg, Russia; Church in Brussels, Belgium; N. Y. Academy of Sacred Music; *Poor of the City. The names are given in the form in which they appear in the church records. Those marked with asterisks received aid from the church two or more times. The N. Y. Sunday-school Union, for instance, was granted five collections in the twenty years. 236 THE BRICK CHURCH of the church would again grow dissatisfied with such a haphazard and unorganized method of distributing the benevolences. In giving full opportunity to the growing spirit of liberality, the absence of a hard and fast scheme had, for a while, been advantageous, but the time was bound to come when it would be desirable to control, in a more systematic way, the habit of generous giving which had now been well established. There was, moreover, another objection which made a change expedient. The admission to the Brick Church pulpit of the agents, who came to plead the cause of the various institutions, interfered seriously with the regular ministrations of the pastor, without supplying an altogether satisfactory equiv- alent. Accordingly, early in 1838, when the subject of organizing the church's benevolences was seriously brought forward in the session, the first step taken was to exclude agents altogether, and to provide that "hereafter all appeals on behalf of the religious chari- ties be made by the pastor and, whenever necessary, be followed up by the session and members of the church." * This, however, was but a preliminary step. A month later a plan was presented and adopted by which, it was hoped, the current evils would be * In this matter the Brick Church was evidently helping to form the opinion of the Church at large. In the next year the General Assembly passed the following resolution: "That while the necessity for agents is at present felt and recognized by the Assembly, in order ultimately to remove this necessity, and thus to reduce the expenditures of the Board, the indi- vidual agency and cooperation of every minister and church session, in forwarding the interests of this Board, would, in the opinion of the Assem- bly, if faithfully employed, with least expense and the greatest certainty advance the cause and multiply the resources of the Board." "Assembly Digest," p. 315. MISSIONS AND BENEVOLENCE 237 remedied, and a more adequate use made of the church's present opportunity. What they really pro- posed to do was to expand the old idea of the three- cause offering taken in April, into a much broader and more inclusive scheme adapted to the later con- ditions. To this end it was resolved that, with the concurrence of the trustees, five specified causes should ''receive the stated and annual patronage of the congre- gation." In January of each year the Presbyterian Board of Education was to receive its collection, in April the American Board of Commissioners for For- eign Missions, in June the American Tract Society, in^'October the Sunday-school Union, and in Novem- ber the Presbyterian Board of Domestic Missions. Nor was this all. Almost equally significant was the appointment of five special committees, of two elders each, to watch over the interests of these five causes. Thus two important results were sought to be accomplished; first, it was insured that henceforth the chief appeal to the church's liberaHty should be made by causes of paramount importance, and second, the people were to be trained by pastor and elders to feel that these causes were worthy of their regular and generous support. There was, it is true, a special provision that collections should from time to time be taken for " such other occasional charities as the urgency of the case may require," but at the same time, there was an evident intention that these occasional appeals should become much less frequent than heretofore. The money formerly avail- able for them was now to be appropriated by those five objects selected by the session as the ones which the Brick Church ought most strongly and constantly 238 THE BRICK CHURCH to aid. As a matter of fact, the special offerings be- came, after this, noticeably rare, and two years later a regulation that outside organizations should usu- ally be charged $25 for the use of the church, tended still further to diminish their number. Reviewing briefly the thirty years of development which reached a culmination at this time, we observe that the advance had been by a sort of pendulum movement. In 1810 an enlarged capacity to give to missions, etc., evidenced by a growing readiness to respond to occasional appeals, was met by the estab- lishment of a regular annual offering mostly devoted to benevolent objects. At once the irregular benevo- lences ceased. Eight years later, although the annual collection still continued, the occasional offerings once more made their appearance and rapidly multi- plied, showing again that there was a surplus for be- nevolence, over and above the sum which the existing scheme demanded. Whereupon steps were again taken to adapt the scheme to the advance. The one annual offering, mostly devoted to benevolent objects, was replaced by five annual offerings, entirely devoted to benevolent objects. Once more the custom of occasional collections ceased at once, from which it might be inferred that the change had accomplished its purpose. The chief test of success, however, must, of course, be sought not merely in the orderly working of the scheme, but chiefly in the amount of money produced by it for benevolent purposes. From this point of view, also, the result was eminently satisfactory. In 1838, although the month for the offering for the Board of Education had already passed before the plan MISSIONS AND BENEVOLENCE 239 was adopted, no less than $3,516.96 was received in the four remaining collections. Indeed, in this the congregation had apparently outrun its real ability. It was a case of the new broom performing a service which, as it grew old, it could not maintain. The next year all five offerings amounted to but little more than $2,700. Even this, however, was not un- satisfactory, and the average annual total for the years from 1838 to 1850 was certainly excellent, namely, $3,330. Each year in this period, except the last, the cause of foreign missions took the lead, receiving always more than $1,000. Domestic mis- sions came next ; and the other three were about equal claimants for third place. Miscellaneous offerings were exceedingly variable; sometimes there were none reported, and sometimes they amounted to sev- eral hundred dollars. This chapter would be incomplete without some account of the part played, directly and indirectly, by the Brick Church in some of the important religious organizations through which its benevolences were distributed. It will have been evident already that the forty years which we have been studying were marked by an extraordinary development of such organizations. When Gardiner Spring was installed one could almost have counted upon the fingers of one's hands the important societies then carrying on benevolent work, and as for societies whose work was distinctly Christian, Christian in definite purpose as well as in general spirit, there were almost none. But in 1850, as we have seen, the question for the Brick Church was not so much. How shall we put our 240 THE BRICK CHURCH money at work ? but, How shall we prevent it from being dissipated among a hundred different channels of Christian usefulness ? In the marked change of condition which had thus taken place, the Brick Church and its pastor had played an active part. The American Bible Society, for example, had Dr. Spring for one of its founders. It was, he tells us, his privilege, as delegate from the New York Bible So- ciety, to sit in the convention in New York in 1816, when the national society was organized. He was afterward one of its directors, served on one of its standing committees, and contributed not a little to its progress and efficiency. In a still more interesting manner was the Brick Church connected with the origin of work for seamen in America. In the summer of 1816 — and, by the way, it will have been noticed that this was a very eventful year in the history of the Christian activities of New York — some of the members of the Brick Church held meetings in the lower part of the city with the general purpose of reaching, if possible, the neglected and churchless people of that section. It was noticed that certain of these meetings, held in Water Street, were attended by numbers of seamen, w^hich suixaested the holdino; of meetings for sailors only, an entirely new idea in America at that time. The first meeting of this sort was held in a house at the corner of Front Street and Old Slip, and out of it grew, in time, the Mariner's Church in New York, similar organizations in many other Atlantic ports, and finally the American Seaman's Friend Society. On one occasion an unsuccessful attempt on the part of Dr. Spring to organize a movement was, nev- MISSIONS AND BENEVOLENCE 241 ertheless, so excellent an illustration of his relation to the larger interests of practical Christianity, that a de- scription of it may be here included, especially as he himself speaks of it at some length in his own auto- biography. The object which he had in view was Sabbath reform. In 1827, the year in which he made his attempt, conditions in respect to Sunday observ- ance had materially changed from those which had formerly existed. "When I first came to New York," wrote Dr. Spring, "Sabbath desecration was by no means so flagrant as it became at a later period. Carriages and carts were not allowed to run wild by our churches; an iron chain was stretched across Nassau and Beekman streets in order to pro- tect the church, at whose altars I served, in the quiet enjoyment of its religious services. . . . The leading minds of our fellow-citizens strongly favored a decent observance of the Lord's Day." * But as the years passed "the men and the times changed." In 1827, Dr. Spring preached a series of five sermons on "The Obligations of the Sabbath," the last of which, on "The Sabbath, a Blessing to Mankind," f made so decided an impression upon Mr. Stephen Allen, then mayor of the city, that he wrote to Dr. Spring, asking him to publish it, and afterward consented to give his hearty cooperation in some general effort for Sabbath reform. He "en- gaged to preside at a public meeting of the citizens in the City Hall, summoned through the public press, for the consideration of this important subject." * "Life and Times," Vol. II, pp. 141 /. t This was printed, not only in English, but in Italian and Modern Greek. 24^ THE BRICK CHURCH "I was warmly zealous in the cause," says Dr. Spring. "The meeting was called. Able speakers, both clergymen and laymen, saw the importance of the discussion, and the city was in a glow of excite- ment. But long before the appointed time the place of meeting was preoccupied by those who had taken the alarm at this supposed, and clerical, invasion of their civil rights. ... It was not without difficulty that we got into the Hall; our friends earnestly entreated me not to attempt it. Those on whom we relied to advocate our cause, one after another, deserted us, and the Rev. Alexander McLeland and myself were left alone, of the ministers of the gospel, to face the storm. We forced our way through the crowd, and found ourselves in the midst of an indigr- nant assemblage, passing resolutions requesting the ministers to mind their own business. We were marked men. The excited multitude looked dagsrers at us. They would not listen to us. Our persons were in danger, and we left the Hall without the op- portunity even of bearing our testimony for God and the Sabbath. There was more zeal than wisdom in that movement. It was a failure." * But to return to the successes. The relations of Dr. Spring and the church to the creation and devel- opment of the New York Sunday-school Union has already been alluded to. A still closer connection ex- isted between them and certain societies which repre- sented the cause of home missions. The New York Missionary Society, a very old organization, f whose work was done in "the Indian territory in the remote * "Life and Times," Vol. II, pp. 142 f. t See above, page 2^2. MISSIONS AND BENEVOLENCE 243 West," was aided after 1809, by an auxiliary, known as The Young Men's Missionary Society of New York. This society was composed of young men from all the evangelical churches in the city and, "by the enthusiastic spirit which animated it, gave a pow- erful impulse to the good cause, and promised to be one of the important agencies in the missionary work." Most unfortunately, however, the society after a few years, was greatly hindered by internal differences and jealousies. This state of things reached a climax in 1817, at which time Dr. Spring was a member of the board of directors. In November of that year a Mr. Cox was nominated as a suitable missionary to be sent by the society, but after a prolonged series of meetings, held, as it happened, in the session room of the Brick Church, he was rejected by a majority of the members, for the reason that he represented a somewhat less extreme form of Calvinism than did these opposers themselves. The minority, which in- cluded Dr. Spring, held that the objections were con- ceived in a spirit of bigotry and represented an at- tempt to achieve by main force such a theological narrowing of a supposedly undenominational society as would virtually exclude many of the members themselves. The result was that the minority with- drew and formed a new organization, known as the New York Evangelical Missionary Society of Young Men, declaring it their belief that the great needs of the time called upon true Christians, even if differing "in important articles of faith," to unite as laborers for the harvest, This new society at once achieved a striking success, enrolling more than four hundred members in a few weeks. In its beginning Dr. 244 THE BRICK CHURCH Spring was a moving spirit, and his connection with it was afterward still closer. "It was my privilege as the secretary," he says, "to correspond with the mis- sionaries, and to address the communities to which they were sent ; and much as it added to my labors, it is with thankfulness that I look back to the part I was called to perform in originating and sustaining this society. It was an honor to be a fellow-worker with them. . . . They gathered around me, encour- aged, and strengthened me, and gave a hallowed influence to the church of which I was pastor and so many of them were members." The second home missionary organization in which Dr. Spring and his church were directly interested was one of larger scope. Up to 1826, the missionary work in the United States had been carried on by a number of State or city societies, but the need of a national institution had for some time been felt, and at length, in the year mentioned, a committee of the home missionary workers in New York City "ad- dressed a circular to a large number of churches, in- viting them to convene at the session room of the Brick Presbyterian Church in the city of New York, for the purpose of forming an American Home ]\Iis- sionary Society. . . . The response to this invitation was a large assemblage in convention, of one hundred and twenty-six ministers and laymen from thirteen States and Territories of the Union, men of high char- acter in Church and State and from four different Christian denominations," * the Dutch, Scotch, Con- gregational and Presbyterian Churches. The plan was successfully carried out, and three Brick Church rep- * " Life and Times." Vol. I, p. 265. MISSIONS AND BENEVOLENCE 245 resentatives were among the first officers of the new society, Dr. Spring as one of the directors, Peter Hawes as treasurer, and Stephen Lockwood as re- cording secretary. . If in the founding of the first great American for- ei™' missionary society, the Brick Church did not pfay an equally prominent part, this was because the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign M,s- sions had already been organized while Gardiner Spring was studying theology at Andover. He was present, however, as a spectator, at the meeting in Bradford, Mass., in 1810, where that famous Board was first projected, and heard his fellow-students from the seminary, Mott, Mills, Newall, and J"dson, pre- sent that" respectful and earnest memorial which led directly to this result. Associated as he was with these men, he could hardly fail to feel a deep interest in the subject of foreign missions. Moreover, his own father. Dr. Samuel Spring was, as has been abeady stated in an earlier chapter, one of those who joined in the creation of the American Board. Dr. Gardiner Spring narrates one interesting incident which oc- curred in his father's church, on the Sunday imme- diately following the Bradford meeting On his return to Newburyport," he says, "my father on the Sabbath morning, gave a brief narrative of the de- votement of the young men, . . . and also_ gave notice that he would preach on the subject m the afternoon, and that after the sermon a collection would be taken up for missions to the heathen, in the days of my youth." Dr. Spring continues, the town of Newburyport was an ^et've, commercial vil- lage of great enterprise and wealth. My father s con- 246 THE BRICK CHURCH gregation had a large share of the wealth of the place, and a large share of its mercantile marine, composed of sea-captains and native mariners. At the close of the [afternoon] service, one of the old and rich sea- captains remarked, as he came out from the church, ' the Doctor has given us a grand sermon, and he has preached all the jack-knives out of the sailors' pock- ets.' On returning to my father's house and laying out the collection on the parlor table, there was gold, silver and copper, and not a few jack-knives. The sailors had little else to give. ... I know not now the amount of the collection, and only know that such men as William Bartlett, Moses Brown [and others] contributed something besides jack-knives. And this, the first collection in the United States for foreign missions, was taken up in the North Church in Newburyport, where, by my father's hands, I was baptized." * Interest in the American Board may thus be said to have been a part of Dr. Spring's inheritance, and it continued and increased after he became pastor of the Brick Church. In 1820 he published a life of Samuel J. Mills, one of the participants in the his- toric "Haystack Prayer Meeting'' f in Williamstown, from which the whole foreign missionary movement * "Life and Times," Vol. I, pp. 279 /. t It is interesting that, according to Dr. Spring's own statement, he was the first to make known the story of this meeting, in the book referred to in the text. For this reason it may be worth while to give his descripn tion of it in full. "He [Mills] led them out [two or three of his more inti- mate fellow-students] into a meadow, at a distance from the college, to a retirement probably familiar to himself, though little exposed to observa- tion or liable to be approached, where, by the side of a large stack of hay, he devoted the day to prayer and fasting, and familiar conversation on this new and interesting theme [of foreign missions]; when, much to his sur- MISSIONS AND BENEVOLENCE 247 in America started, and one of those who presented themselves for service at the Bradford meeting. In 1824, Dr. Spring was chosen one of the corporate members of the American Board, and he and his church were its faithful friends and supporters through a long series of years. It has been already stated that, in accordance with the organized system of benevolences inaugurated in the Brick Church in 1838, the American Board was the organization appointed to receive the church's foreign missionary offering. This is especially inter- esting because the Presbyterian Church had formed a Board of Foreign Missions of its own in the pre- ceding year, whereas the American Board was at that time interdenominational. It is natural for us to wish that in both their home and foreign missionary work the Christian churches of America might have continued to work together, instead of starting independent and, in some cases, rival organizations. But apparently the times were not propitious. Men of differing views within the national organizations seemed more and more in- clined to come into open conflict, and if this could not be avoided in any other way. It was better, as even those who were themselves most liberal agreed, prise and gratification, he found that the Spirit of God had been enkin- dhng in their bosoms the flame which had been so long burning in his own. The reader will not be surprised to learn that, from this hour, this en- deared retreat was often made solemn by the presence, and hallowed by the piety, of these dear young men. . . . The operations and existence of this Society were unknown to the rest of the college, and have remained con- cealed by a veil which has never been removed till now. Though some of this little company yet remain on earth, I am forbidden by very sacred ties to lisp any other than the name of Samuel J. Mills." "Life of Samuel J. Mills," by Gardiner Spring (N. Y., 1820), pp. 29 /. 248 THE BRICK CHURCH to create separate societies, which might provide con- genial opportunity for all sorts of Christians without danger of internal contention.* i\.ccordingly the dif- ferent denominations proceeded to create mission boards of their own. WTien a distinctively Presbyterian Board had been thus formed, it was natural, indeed almost inevitable, that Presbyterian churches should sooner or later rally to the support of their own organization. In home missions this had happened comparatively early. In the Brick Church's benevolent system of 1838 the American Home Missionary Society, which the church had itself helped to found ten years before, had no place. Instead, the allegiance of the church was pledged to the Board of Domestic Mis- sions of the Presbyterian General Assembly. The church and its pastor had been criticised in some quarters for this change of front, especially as they had always been forward to urge a liberal and * The following extract from an act of the Presbyterian General As- sembly in 1840 throws further light upon this subject. "The relation in which we stand to other denominations furnishes another reason why we should consolidate our strength and foster our own institutions. It is obviously for the interest of the evangelical churches in our country that they should preserve a mutually good understanding with each other. Perhaps the best way to secure this is for each to act in its own appropriate sphere, the different denominations uniting together only in those plans and organizations which require no sacrifice of their distinctive principles. Our sister churches are, it is well known, actively engaged in fortifying their respective positions and extending their boundaries. We are so far from complaining of this, that we commend them for their fidelity to their principles; and in so far as they are propagating the truth, we bid them Godspeed. But we urge their activity as a motive why we also should be up and doing. If it becomes them to be active, it becomes us much more. For they are imbued with a denominational feeling of long standing and mighty energy; among us this feeling is in its infancy." "Assembly Digest," p. 313. MISSIONS AND BENEVOLENCE 249 comprehensive attitude toward all the large interests of Christianity. There is little doubt, however, that their action was made necessary by the conditions then existing. In 1837, the American Home Mission- ary Society had come under the control of men who represented that New Haven Theology which influ- enced the New School Presbyterians, and led, first to the Exscinding Acts, and then to the New School secession. One of the acts of the General Assembly, in the course of this unhappy development, was to declare its belief that the American Home Missionary Society had been conducted by such methods as were "exceedingly injurious to the peace and purity of the Presbyterian Church," and in particular, that some of its managers designed, if possible, to " break down" the Presbyterian Board, and to "introduce and propagate opinions at war with the standards" of Presbyterianism. It was, therefore, recommended that the Society should cease to operate in Presby- terian churches.* We can hardly be surprised that under such circumstances the Brick Church, which, however tolerant toward others, was itself firmly con- vinced of the truth of the Old School views, should feel compelled to transfer its allegiance to the Presby- terian Board of Domestic Missions. In relation to foreign missions the change from national to denominational allegiance was deferred for some years longer, and was less abruptly made. From 1839 small sums, from five to fifteen per cent, of the whole foreign missionary offering of the Brick Church, were given to the Presbyterian Board, prob- ably by the expressed desire of the givers. In 1842, ♦ "Assembly Digest," pp. 754, 757. 250 THE BRICK CHURCH the Presbytery having urged the churches to do as much as they felt they could to strengthen their own organization, the Brick Church session declined to do more than regularize the special designation of offerings for that purpose. Undesignated offerings were still to go to the American Board. But in the next year, pressure no doubt continuing, it was ordered that the undesignated money for foreign missions be equally divided between the two socie- ties. Not until several years later did the American Board cease altogether to be one of the stated bene- ficiaries of the Brick Church. As we look back over the forty years whose history has now been completed, it is hardly necessary to call attention to the great changes in benevolence, and, indeed, in every department of the church life, that these years had witnessed. At the beginning the church was comparatively weak, unformed in meth- od, confined to a rather narrow programme of Chris- tian work. From this it had grown to be a strong, efficient, and highly influential organization, active in every important movement, sharing liberally in the growing work of the Church at large, and itself not- able for the type of Christian character and conduct which it had succeeded in creating in its members. Perhaps it was well that such a church was not permitted to rest on its laurels. At about the time which we have now reached it was called upon to face a new and serious difficulty, which threatened al- most to cause its overthrow. What this was, and how it was met and conquered, the next chapter will show. CHAPTER XV THE LAST YEARS ON BEEKMAN STREET: 1850-1856 " Had any one told me twenty years ago that I should live to see (this church] abandoned as a place of religious worship, I should have thought him a romancer, if not a madman; yet the hour of abandonment has come." — Gardiner Sprino, 1856, "The Brick Church Memorial," p. 35. "Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honor dwelleth." — Psalm 26 : 8. SEVERAL allusions have already been made to the great changes that had taken place in the neighborhood of the Brick Church. The truth was that during the eighty-odd years from the build- ing of the church to the middle of the nineteenth century, the relation of the site on Beekman Street to the rest of New York had been completely reversed. In 1768 the church was at the extreme north end of the city; almost all the residence quarter lay south- ward toward the Battery. In 1850, on the other hand, so greatly had New York grown, that the church found itself practically at the extreme south end of the city ; the homes of the people lay almost all to the north of it. The change from residence to business was not yet complete, for hotels and boarding-houses were still to be found in that vicinity in considerable numbers, but the private houses had moved away northward and they had taken the congregation of the Brick Church with them. 251 252 THE BRICK CHURCH The difficulties produced by this state of things will readily be perceived. In order to carry on the work and worship of a church, it is necessary that the members should come together at frequent intervals in the church building, and it is desirable that they should be known to one another, so that they may work together in a friendly and cordial spirit; but when they have moved to a distance from the church, and, not improbably, at the same time have moved in different directions, these desired conditions are very difficult of attainment. It will surprise most people to learn that the Brick Church had at least begun to experience this sup- posedly modern difficulty more than twenty years be- fore 1850, long before one would suppose the city large enough to make even the greatest distances in it a very serious obstacle to social intercourse or church attendance. It will be necessary for us to turn back thus far in the narrative and to trace through the in- terval the development of these conditions and their effect upon the church's life and the church's policy. We will begin for this purpose with the year 1828. None of the Brick Church people were then living above Fourth Street,* and yet the preface of the little church catalogue, issued in that year, remarks that * It will, perhaps, be interesting to note the addresses of the officers of the church at this time (as given in the catalogue of 1833): Elders. — Rensselaer Havens, Lafayette Place; William Whitlock, 80 Franklin Street; John Adams, 144 Thompson Street; Alfred de Forest, 26 Bond Street; Horace Holden, 34 Beekman Street; Moses Allen, 113 Hudson Street; Silas Holmes, 8 College Place; Jasper Coming, 60 Walker Street; Abner L. Ely, 394 Pearl Street. Deacons. — William Couch, 50 Bleecker Street; John McComb, 193 Fourth Street; John C. Halsey, 189 Water Street; Daniel Oakley, Jamaica, L. I.; Shepherd Knapp, 76 Boekman Street; Elijah Mead, 48 Cliff Street; Nichol H. Deering, 110 Grand Street. ON BEEKMAN STREET 253 "the great obstacles to a personal acquaintance and familiar intercourse among Christians, in a city like this, are their wide dispersion, the continual change in their places of residence, and the consequent diffi- culty of ascertaining where they reside from year to year." Indeed the catalogue itself, which contained chiefly a list of the names and addresses of the con- gregation, was issued with the express hope that it might in a measure counteract these tendencies of the time, and lead to the cultivation once more of "that spirit of mutual intercourse which has in former years been so productive of good to this people." Apparently, in 1828, the members still managed to attend the church services with regularity, but a little more than ten years later the session felt called upon to prepare a special circular, of which 250 copies were printed, expressing to delinquent members the con- cern with which the session had observed their " habit- ual absence from the public worship of God" in the church of which they were members. The cause of this, the circular says, has no doubt been in large measure "the distance of [their] residence from the House of God," although the session is constrained to attribute it in part to a blameworthy neglect of duty also. "Exemplary churches," the elders point- edly add, "are composed not of members whose names simply are upon their records." If this was the state of things among the grown-up people, it was no wonder that at this same time, as was related in a former chapter, the children were similarly affected, and that the Sunday-school had diminished in num- bers as a result of "the widely scattered condition of 254 THE BRICK CHURCH the congregation and the great distance of many famiHes from the place of instruction." In view of such real diflficulties as these, the ques- tion began to be asked whether the Brick Church would not be forced to move, and already various rumors were current concerning its probable new quarters and its successor on the site at Beekman Street. A New York writer in 1839, informs us, for instance, that "for a year or two past there has been some talk of removing the Brick Meeting House to make room for a post-office building. But I be- lieve," says he, "that the danger is now past, and the venerable edifice will still continue to grace our city, and serve for many years to come as a temple for the worship of the Most High." * The rumors here referred to were not altogether without foundation. At least, it was certain that the removal of the church had been seriously considered, and indeed, all but accomplished. The initiative in the matter had come from the city. In February, 1836, the chairman of "the Committee on Lands and Places, of the Board of Assistant Aldermen" had written officially to ascertain whether the trustees of the Brick Church would be willing to surrender to the Corporation of the city "the triangular piece of ground now in their possession on Nassau, Beekman, and Chatham Streets leased from the Corporation," and, if so, what sum of money they would be willing to accept by way of compensation. The trustees, even at that early date, regarded the matter with sufficient favor to name a figure, * "Familiar Conversations on the History of the Evangelical Churches of N. Y.," by R. Carter, 1839, pp. 17G /. ON BEEKMAN STREET ^55 $150,000, and even when the Corporation replied to this, offering $20,000 less, the trustees determined to bring the matter before the pew-holders, in order to gain their necessary consent. The pew-holders, however, by the smallest possible majority rejected the proposition. The vote stood fifty-one to fifty. It was thought that they might view the matter dif- ferently if the compensation were held at the trus- tees' original figure, but when, four days later this also was put to the vote, it met with a still more decisive defeat, sixty-one noes against forty- nine ayes. It would appear as though the incident had now been closed, but evidently a good deal of private ar- gument had been indulged in, and in this manner a large number of converts made, for another meeting of the pew-holders was held after a month's time, and at it the former action was reversed. In the preamble to the resolutions then adopted the objections to the Beekman Street site were again succinctly stated. "From the residence of a large portion of the families of the congregation at a distance from their present place of worship," this preamble said, "and the in- creasing changes of residence into the upper parts of the city, the present site of the church is deemed less promotive of the interest of religion than one which may be selected." Moreover, "the contemplated im- provement of streets * in the vicinity will render the place less quiet than it is, and will be accompanied with heavy expenses." On these grounds the pew- * The property had already suffered from the improvement of streets, the rtndening of Beekman Street in 1831, and of Spruce Street (affecting the north end of the lot) in 1834. The assessment in the one case was $750, in the other $2,000. g5C THE BRICK CHURCH holders voted to relinquish the property for $150,000. But now, when, apparently, this difficult step, from which many shrank, no doubt even some of those who voted for it, had been irrevocably taken, one word reduced the whole scheme to ruin. The Chancellor of the city, whose order was necessary to the com- pleting of the transaction, refused to give it, "on the grounds both of law and expediency." As a conse- quence the Board of Aldermen withdrew from the negotiations, and the trustees necessarily allowed the matter to drop. All this occurred, it will be remembered, before 1838. Ten years now passed, during which the dif- ficulties perceptibly increased. The officers of the church realized more and more that the removal from Beekman Street was becoming a matter of the ut- most importance. Something must be done before the whole organization should be imperilled. It was true that, as yet, though the conditions were highly inconvenient and calculated to create alarm for the future, the church was in a prosperous condition, as the preceding chapters have abundantly shown. If only the Beekman Street site could by some means be exchanged for another before the tide turned, the church might yet be carried through the crisis with- out any real loss. Toward the close of 1847, the trustees themselves reopened negotiations. They sent a formal address to the Common Council requesting that body either to buy the church's interest in the property in ques- tion, or for a consideration to remove all restrictions from it, and transfer to the church " all the right, title, and interest of the Corporation of the City of New ON BEEKMAN STREET 257 York therein." This communication, however, pro- duced no effect.* In May, 1850, the trustees, who must by this time have been a good deal troubled by the situation, again endeavored, without success, to bring the Common Council to some agreement. But even had they succeeded, they would now have been too late to bring the church through unscathed, for in this year of 1850, which we have already marked in pre- ceding chapters as a turning-point in the church's his- tory, the difficulties under which the church was labor- ing had become acute. The church had visibly begun to lose ground, and when this process had once set in there was no telling how rapidly it would advance. Of course the strongest and most valued friends of the church stood by her. She had no lack of wise and faithful men to fill her offices. Her treasury was well sustained by a generous constituency, which more than made up for any falling off in the pew-rents. Indeed, it will be remembered that in this very year of 1850, the treasurer had the pleasure, for the first time in a long period, of announcing a balance, and * It is a rather amusing circumstance that at the same time when these deeply important matters were the subject of correspondence between the church and the city government, the following somewhat msigmficant matter was also thought worthy of being carried direct to the attention of the city's Executive: "Repeated complamts having been made to the board of trustees that the noise by collections of boys in the neighborhood of the chapel is a very serious annoyance and frequently an interruption to the religious meetings held therein; therefore, Resolved, That a commu- nication be addressed to his Honor the Mayor, desiring his interference m the premises and the urgent request that he may adopt suitable measures effectually to remedy the evils complained of." Had the city fathers per- mitted themselves to be guided by their sense of humor, they might have sent word to the Brick Church trustees, "We regret our inability to buy your church site or remove the restriction in your title, but, on the other hand, we will see that the ' collections of boys ' are ' effectuaUy ' dealt with. 258 THE BRICK CHURCH this comfortable state of things, so far as finances were concerned, continued even for two years longer. The first danger, then, did not lie in this direction. Rather it was the spiritual life of the church that was primarily imperilled. Its practical work was being curtailed, its habits of religious observance were be- ing weakened, its accustomed meetings and services, upon which its influence was so much dependent, were beinoj neglected more and more. The first direct effect was felt in the week-day ser- vices. For some time it had been difficult to maintain them, but now they were apparently about to die out altogether. Judging by the ominous silence in regard to it for the next six or eight years, the prayer-meeting did actually expire at this time; but an attempt was made to save the Thursday evening lecture by hold- ing it in quarters uptown, secured for this purpose. "Hope Chapel," a building erected not long before, on Broadway nearly opposite Waverly Place,* was accordingly hired. f Three years later, in 1853, the session proposed that the second Sunday service also should be held up- town, a still more radical suggestion. We do not know that it was ever carried out, but if not, it is probable that the service was at once abandoned altogether, for we know that a little later this had occurred. Indeed, there were periods, possibly of * It was built by certain members of the Stanton Street Church who took their letters and organized a church of their own in 1846. Mr. Bel- lamy became their pastor. It became later the Broadway Baptist Church. "A History of the Churches of All Denominations in N. Y.," by J. Green- leaf (N. Y,1850). p 412. t The precise date on which this was determined was October 17th, 1849, but for the convenience of the round number, 1850 has been used in the text to date the "turning-point." ON BEEKMAN STREET 259 a year at a time, when even the Thursday even- ing lecture was not held, in Hope Chapel or else- where; and finally in May, 1856, Dr. Spring, in show- ing how utterly impossible the condition of things had become, tells us that the weekly lecture, the prayer-meeting, and the Sunday-school had all per- force been discontinued, while it was with no small difficulty that a single service was maintained on the Lord's Day. That the Brick Church, which a few years before had been one of the most prosperous and influential churches in the city, should be reduced to this state, was an unhappy, and, to those who loved it, a heart-breaking fact. But meantime the officers had not been idle. On the contrary, as conditions grew worse and worse, in the years between 1850 and 1856, they redoubled their efforts to liberate the church from the position in which it was manifestly starving to death. Baf- fled as they had been in every attempt to dispose of their rights in the Beekman Street lot, they proposed in 1852, to abandon that endeavor, but at the same time held to their purpose "to procure or build an- other church edifice in the upper part of the city, to be occupied as an associated or colleague church, with their present establishment." Where the money was to come from for this costly enterprise is no- where explained, and it was probably this financial difficulty that caused the matter to be tabled from meeting to meeting without any progress toward a definite result. At any rate, the scheme was at length abandoned, and the trustees once more, with what discouragement we can well imagine, were forced back upon the attempt to effect a sale. 260 THE BRICK CHURCH It may be well at this point to refresh the reader's memory in regard to the conditions which compli- cated this endeavor, and had thus far thwarted it. To state the matter in a sentence, the church did not own its property. It merely held it on a perpetual lease, and, moreover, with the restriction that it must never be converted to "private, secular uses." It is true that, carefully interpreted, these words did not imply the prohibition of every use that was either private or secular, but only such use as was both private and secular; that is, it was no doubt allow- able to put the property to a use which was secular but not private, such as a custom-house or an armory, or to a use which was private but not secular, such as a church or a cemetery. It was only forbidden to put it to a use which was both private and secular, such as a dwelling-house or a dry-goods store. From this in- terpretation there was some gain, and yet not very much, when it came to making a sale; for though some other church or the federal or State Government, if one of them acquired the Brick Church's rights in the property, could use it for some of the purposes mentioned above, they would not be very much in- clined to acquire land which was so strictly condi- tioned, and which would, therefore, be transferred again with great difficulty, if that should ever become desirable. Furthermore, it was questionable whether the church, acting by itself, had the power to transfer its rights at all. At one time, as has been described in an earlier chapter,* the Corporation of the city had shown a certain disposition to modify the restrictive terms of * See pp. 138-140. ON BEEKMAN STREET 261 the original grant. In 1831, when the new chapel was being built, permission had been given to rent for ordinary business purposes "two smaller rooms fronting toward Chatham Street," "without affecting the validity of the grant or lease." In 1835 the Cor- poration granted still greater liberty, for they then so modified the terms of the grant "as to authorize and permit the said church, from time to time and at all times during the continuance of the said lease, to rent so much and such parts of the new edifice erected on the rear of said church as may not be required for religious purposes." From this the church derived decided benefit, in that the rental of its rooms added materially to its income ; but it is evident that nothing in these modifications of the grant concerning the use of the chapel made a sale of the entire property any more easy. To sum the whole matter up, it appeared that in the ordinary course of affairs there were but two ways open by which the church could proceed. Either it must obtain from the city, for an equitable considera- tion, a complete removal of all restrictions, so that the property could be sold to any one for any purpose whatsoever, or else the city itself must be induced to take the property and pay the church the value of the church's rights. In 1847, as we have seen, an attempt had been made to accom- plish either one of these two things, but without success. This was still the situation of affairs in 1853. But we have as yet spoken of only one set of diffi- culties by which a sale was prevented. There were also other difficulties of a different sort. The church 262 THE BRICK CHURCH had been in the habit of seUing its pews from time to time to individuals. It had also sold in like manner certain burial vaults in the churchyard. The pur- chasers in each of these cases had thus acquired cer- tain rights in the property and must be reckoned with if the property should be alienated. In regard to the vaultrowners, it was at first proposed to sat- isfy them by the promise of a reasonable indemnity, but finally, before the end of the negotiation which we are about to study, it was deemed wise for the church to buy back the vaults and so remove this complication altogether. It so happened that a sec- ond widening of Beekman Street just at this time, which forced the removal of a number of vaults in any case, aided the church materially in this under- taking.* The rights of the pew-owners could not be dealt with in this way. The sum required would have been very considerable and, moreover, they themselves did not wish to sell. They preferred, if the church moved, to have their rights transferred to pews in the new building. Meantime, as we have seen, it was considered necessary to gain their consent before any sale of the property could be consummated; and they had a Avill of their own, which they occasionally asserted in opposition to the measures proposed by the trustees. Happily, however, as time went on, practically all of them were convinced that the change of location was necessary. In February, 1853, it was found, after a careful inquiry, that there was only * The city officials in 1853 claimed that the opposition of the vault- owners to a sale of the property had up to that time been not only one, but the chief obstacle to an agreement. This, however, is extremely unlikely, 1 11 1 "li" 1 ■ . i^l n ft.='S;f i %^ !^ -.slisiii 4 3^ ass^s^^i = «a ■! - 1 »| f C-. 1 •s « t Tio L " ON BEEKMAN STREET 263 one pew-owner who expressed decided opposition to the measure.* At the same date all nine trustees and nine mem- bers of the session, including the pastor, put them- selves on record as being of the opinion that the change must be made, and the remaining two elders declared that they would at least offer no opposition. Backed by this almost unanimous approval, the board of trustees took an entirely new step ; they made application to the Supreme Court for an order authorizing the Brick Church to dispose of its prop- erty "and to execute to the purchaser or purchasers good and sufficient conveyances therefor." In this the trustees scored their first real success. The order was issued on February 15th, 1853. f Exact- ly what power it gave must be thoroughly understood. It did not alter in any way the original restriction upon the property, that it should not be converted to private, secular uses, but it authorized the Corpora- tion of the Brick Church "to sell and convey all their church property, lands, and tenements, situate in the Second Ward of the City of New York . . . either at public or private sale, subject to the conditions and restrictions contained in the grant." That is, it was now declared that, if the church could find a pur- chaser, able and willing to use the property for other than private, secular uses, a legal sale could be made without any permission or cooperation of the city. On the other hand, a new restriction was added. The proceeds of the sale must be applied "to the * Twenty-one others did not favor it, but agreed not to oppose, and of five the opinion was not known, they being absent from the city. See Ap- pendix S, p. 537. f See Appendix X, p. 547. 264 THE BRICK CHURCH purchase of other lands in said city and to the erec- tion of a new church edifice thereon." This, of course, was an entirely just provision.* Greatly encouraged by this evidence that the tide had at length turned, and assured of their position in a degree that had not before been possible, the trus- tees approached once more the authorities of the city. They had several interviews with the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, and made the offer to give $15,000 to the city for a removal of all restrictions. This, however, "was considered a sum too trifling." The Commissioners called attention to the facts, that for eighty years the church had been exempt from taxation and had enjoyed freely the city's protection. Moreover, the value of its property had been greatly increased by many improvements which had involved the city in a heavy debt and burdensome taxation. It was urged that the trustees should, in view of these facts, concede something to the public benefit, "and it is believed," say the Commissioners in their report to the Common Council, "that these considerations have had their influence in bringing the trustees up from their proposition of $15,000," to the accept- ance of the plan which was finally agreed upon. By this it was proposed that the property be put up at auction, the minimum price being fixed at $225,000, and that of the proceeds, twenty-five per cent, should go to the city, the rest to the church. By this arrangement the city would receive at least $56,250, and the church at least $168,750. It was thought, however, by the representatives both of the * For this and other details to follow see "Board of Aldermen, Docu- ment No. 37" (1S54). ON BEEKMAN STREET 265 city and of the church, that the property would bring at least $250,000, and probably much more. This plan in its entirety was accepted by the trus- tees on April 6th, 1853,* who even appointed a com- mittee to confer regarding the "time, the terms, and conditions of site," but although the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund and afterward the Committee on Finance of the Board of Aldermen reported favor- ably, no final action was taken by the city at this time. The trustees, disgusted by the delay, employed legal counsel to aid them, and even secured opinions on the subject from Judge Bronson and Charles O'Connor. They attacked the city authorities through the Comptroller f and through the Mayor. J They even considered § "the expediency of institut- ing legal proceedings against the city Corporation, with a view to ascertain what the rights of this church are under its grant." But, although they were apparently led to believe that the city would at some time act favorably upon the matter, no action could be secured until 1856. This tedious interval, however, had not all been spent by the trustees in a state of discouragement. At one point in it they had strong reason to believe that they had the whole matter in their own hands, that, armed with the Supreme Court's order, they might accomplish a sale without any cooperation of the city authorities at all. The circumstances were ♦Their committee, in recommending this, gave as one reason "the present peculiar condition of the city government." PoUtics in New York at this time were in a somewhat confused state. Corruption had already infected many lower officials. Two years later the notorious Fernando Wood was elected Mayor. ^ ,occ t In February, 1854. t In January, 1855. $ In August, 1855. 266 THE BRICK CHURCH these. In September, 1854, the agents of the United States " advertised for proposals for the purchase of a site for a post-office and for courts, etc.," in the city of New York. Here was the very chance that the church needed,* and for which it had not even dared to hope. For the purposes here expressed the church had full legal right to sell, and the United States Government to buy and use, the property on Beekman Street, without the aid or consent of any other party whatsoever. The trustees very quietly went to work, considering the matter from every point of view, and finally send- ing a committee twice to Washington to confer with the proper officials there. From the second of these two visits the committee returned, feeling that the prospect of a sale was favorable. There was, indeed, a difficulty (was there not always a difficulty in this struggle to dispose of the church's "angular lot".'*). Congress had so left the matter, that it was a question whether the President could act without further sanction. Still Mr. Pierce, who was at that time the nation's Chief Executive, and with whom the church's committee had conferred, gave them the impression that he considered himself to have the necessary authority. The Secretary of the Interior, the Hon. Robert McClelland, had also received the church's proposition in a friendly way; and indeed the offer was, in the trustees' opinion, so highly advantageous to the Government, that they expected every effort would be made to accept it. They had offered the property at $300,000, which * For a curious prophecy of this proposal fifteen years before, see above p. 2o4. ON BEEKMAN STREET 267 was one-fourth less than what would be the value, it was said, were there no restrictions, the reduction being made because of the government's being ready to use the land for purposes not prohibited by the original grant, so that the city need not be consulted and the whole sum would go to the church. If, moreover, the valuation was thought to be too high they would willingly submit that matter to any com- petent judges for revision. They asked for a reply within twenty days and also "that unless accepted and the contract signed, the proposal shall not be made known to any but the gentlemen connected with the service of the United States, whose inter- ference may be deemed useful to the government." But the reader knows, of course, that the New York Post-Office was never built on the church's land. Within the twenty days, on May 22d, 1855, word was received "that the President, after mature re- flection, had concluded that it w^ould be of doubtful propriety to take any action in the matter of the pur- chase of the Brick Church property without further sanction of Congress." This, it is a pleasure to state, was the last of the many disappointments which these patient church officers were called upon to endure. At the very meeting when the declination was received from Washington, two applications for the purchase of the property were received from other quarters. These were conditioned, no doubt, upon that coop- eration of the city which had been so long delayed; but still there was distinct encouragement in the knowledge that the property was in active demand, and that pressure would now be exerted, not only by 268 THE BRICK CHURCH the sellers, but by prospective buyers, to have the matter speedily settled. The trustees had, it is true, felt all along that their property possessed an assured value, which was bound to be realized in time — they had even trusted so far in this assurance as to open negotiations already for new land uptown, as we shall see in the next chapter — but the result would be doubly and trebly welcome if it could come at once. In January, 1856, they received a definite offer of $175,000, for their rights in the property, but they stood out for $200,000. And three months later, this course was justified, when their figure was definitely accepted by Frederick P. James, Edward B. Wesley, and Henry Keep, who became the purchasers, for the sum named above, of all the rights of the Brick Church in the property which it had occupied for nearly ninety years.* ♦The contract was signed on April 11th, and the deed delivered a month later. The church was given " the right to remove from the church edifice the bell and furniture and fixtures in the church" and also "the right to remove at their own cost the remains of the dead contained in the vaults and in said ground." The church was to receive the award for damages for the widening of Beekman Street; but agreed to pay the assess- ment for the same, and also to settle the claims of all vault-owners who should not have been previously bought out. In the process of removing the dead, as here provided for, there arose the "novel and interesting question, Who is legally entitled to the custody of the dead?" In order to settle this point a friendly suit was instituted. The remains of one Moses Sherwood (identified " by the ribbon, by which his hair was tied in a queue, found lying with his skull and bones") were claimed by his daughter, al- though the grave in which he had been buried was now the property of the church. The trustees raised no objection, but desired that the rights in the matter should be legally determined. They received with pleasure the decision of Judge Davies, in committing the dead exclusively to the next of kin, and thanked both the Judge and Samuel B. Ruggles, Esq., who had "vindicated the rights of the dead," for the achievement of a result so distinctly in accord with "Christian sentiment, taste and feeling." See "An Examination of the Law of Burial," by S. B. Ruggles. ON BEEKMAN STREET 269 This sale was consummated, "subject to the pro- posal made by the church to the Corporation to sell said property at auction," for this proposal had finally been accepted by the city, and the auction did actually take place on Wednesday, May 14th, at twelve o'clock noon, at the Merchants' Exchange. In this the church, of course, was not directly interested. It had aheady sold its rights and received the payment therefor in full. Yet the trustees could not but regard with interest the event which, in accordance with the city's agreement, would once and forever wipe out those words "private, secular uses," which had so long chained the Brick Church, against its judgment, to its downtown site. When the auction took place, and the property was sold for $270,000, it was found that Messrs. James, Wesley, and Keep had bought it in.* It was reported that the only bidder against them was Mr. A. T. Stewart. As is well known, upon the ground m question were afterward erected the Potter and Times office buildings. After following the history of the church through these trying years, the reader will certainly agree that only a very strong organization, sustained by devoted members, could have withstood the effects of such a prolonged period of discouragement and increasingly adverse conditions. How much reserve strength the church possessed, and how soon that strength manifested itself in the reestabhsh- ment of the old work in a new field, as soon as that was possible, and also in the establishment of new work, even before the move uptown had * The property therefore cost them $267,500. 270 THE BRICK CHURCH been fully accomplished, will be told in the next chapter. It is but fair to say that a large element in this ability of the church to outlive such a long wandering in the wilderness was the devotion of all the people to their now venerable pastor. A very convincing evidence of this, and at the same time, a notable proof of the fact that the adverse conditions of the years between 1850 and 1856 had not exhausted the financial resources of the congregation, are sup- plied by the fact that in June, 1854, in the very midst of the period of discouragement. Dr. Spring's salary was increased to $5,000.* In voting this, the trustees expressed some contrition that for a series of years their pastor had been receiving a salary "below the average amount paid to many of the clergymen of this city." But that this delay had been due to no lack of appreciation, their act at this diflScult juncture, and perhaps still more the words of unbounded con- fidence and love by which it was accompanied,! proved beyond any doubt. * From $3,250. Cf. p. 144. t The letter which conveyed the notice of the increase of salary was as follows: New York, June 13th, 1854. Rev. Dr. Spring : — Dear Sir: The undersigned have been appointed a committee to com- municate to you the accompanying resolutions, passed unanimously at a meeting of the congregation, and subsequently in hke manner ratified and confirmed by the board of trustees. It affords us great pleasure to discharge this duty, and it is only em- bittered with the regret that this act of justice has been so long delayed, much of which delay may be chargeable to our own negligence or forget- fulness, not to use a harsher name. It is gratifying to be able to state that on this occasion but one senti- ment pervaded the entire meeting; not the slightest dissent was mani- fested in thought, word, or deed. It was the spontaneous expression of grateful feelings from full and thankful hearts. ON BEEKMAN STREET ^71 On Sunday May 25th, 1856, the Brick Church congregation met for the last time in their old down- town churcli- We need not be told that, in how- ever remote a part of the city they might then be living, they found the distance no bar to their attend- ing on that memorable and affecting occasion. We are even sure that many who had transferred their membership to other churches, or had even moved For almost half a century you have occupied the same post and the same sphere of labor and of duty. Some of us have sat under your min- istry for more than forty years, and during that long period can bear testi- mony to your untiring industry, your unbending integrity in the exhibi- tion of gospel truth amid conflicts and parties, and your entire devotion to the appropriate duties of the ministry. We feel, too, that it is neither flattery to you, nor vain boasting in us, but a thankful expression of gratitude to God, to say that yours has not been an unprofitable ministry, nor [has] your influence been confined to this church. We can see traces of your faithful preaching, marked by the divine Spirit, not only in our city and vicinity, but in almost every State of this vast republic; and we expect, if we are ever so happy as to arrive at our Father's house on high, to meet multitudes there, of those whom nei- ther we nor you have known in the flesh, brought home to glory through your instrumentality. It is a source of delightful reflection to us that in the early evening of your days, after so long a ministry among us, you retain the undimin- ished confidence and affection of your whole people, an affection as warm and fresh as crowned the day when first you devoted your youthful prime in this church to Christ and his cause. Our beloved Pastor, these expressions but feebly represent our own sincere emotions. We would humbly commend you to the Great Head of the Church, and earnestly pray that he may preserve you yet for many years to come, to preach the everlasting gospel to this people; that he may make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you; and finally, when our warfare ia accomplished, that he may receive you and us to that blessed communion where our love shall be forever perfect, and our joy forever full. Respectfully and affectionately, Horace Holden, "1 Samuel Marsh, I Moses Allen, }■ Committee. Ira Bliss, 1 Guy Richards. J Quoted from "Br. Ch. Mem.," p. 32. note. 272 THE BRICK CHURCH out of New York, were found in the pews that day, their hearts full of old memories wliich made it good to be there.* We may leave it to Dr. Spring himself to express the emotions which characterized that last meeting in the familiar place, and to interpret its significance. The following extracts from the farewell sermon which he that day delivered f will fitly bring this chapter to its conclusion. *'The present service," he began, "closes the pub- lic worship of God in an edifice where it has been en- joyed for eighty-eight years. For whatever purposes this hallowed ground may be hereafter employed, ex- perience has convinced us that it is no longer a fit place for religious worship. We have admitted this conviction reluctantly; we have resisted it too long. It is now forced upon us by considerations which we have no doubt God approves, and the best interests of his kingdom demand. "With the future," he continues, "we have less to do on the present occasion, than the past"; and with this introduction he proceeds to tell briefly that his- tory which has already been told with greater fulness in the preceding pages of the present volume, includ- ing an account of the discouragements and losses of the last six years. One detail only needs to be added at this point. "The question has been asked," says Dr. Spring, "AMiy not leave this church as a church for strangers, and for the hotels and boarding-houses in this part of the city ? To this we have this conclu- * When the building was torn down many were seen rescuing " bricks " from the ruin, and one of these, preserved by Miss Sarah Casper, now of Fort Lee, N. J., is to-day among the church's rehcs. t The text was Psalm 48 : 9-14. ON BEEKMAN STREET 273 sive answer, We ourselves have proposed to do so. At a meeting of the Presbytery of New York I myself made the proposition to the churches, that this con- gregation would subscribe $50,000, for that purpose, on condition that the other congregations would unite in raising the balance of $150,000. The Presbytery received the proposal with favor, and appointed a committee to take it into consideration. That com- mittee reported against the proposed arrangement, and the Presbytery and the congregations dropped the subject. **And now," says Dr. Spring, after he has com- pleted his historical survey, "in this brief review, what shall we say.? One thought forces itself upon your minds and my own. It relates to a theme on which I have so often dwelt in this sacred desk: The goodness of God, how wonderful it is ! The rising and setting sun proclaim it, and every star of the dark night. . . . Every sea, every lake and fountain, every river and stream and sparkling dew-drop, re- ceive alike their riches and their beauty from this un- created source. How much more richly and purely, then, does it flow here in the sanctuary, where all its streams are confluent, and from the mountain tops of Zion send gladness through the city of our God. . . . "On an occasion like the present something is due to this ancient sanctuary. The speaker stands here for the last time; and you, beloved friends, meet for the last time in the consecrated place, where we have so often assembled for the worship of God. . . . We call upon you to witness, we call upon the sacred spirits of the departed to witness, we make our appeal to the walls of this hallowed edifice, if the truth of 274 THE BRICK CHURCH God . . . has not been proclaimed from this pulpit. This house has also been greatly endeared to us as 'the house of prayer,' as 'the house of prayer for all people.' . . . This house has been our thankful re- sort in prosperity ; in adversity it has been our refuge. Here the aged and the young have come for the first and the last time to commemorate the love of Christ at his table. Here our children have been baptized, and their children after them, and here we have wept and prayed together as God has called them from these earthly scenes. ... I seem to stand to-day amid generations that are past, so vividly does my imagination people these seats with faces and forms whose place now knows them no more. "This house has also been the stranger's home. Of this and of that man it shall one day be said, that ' he was born here.' Many a wanderer from other lands, and more from distant regions of our own broad ter- ritory, have here sought and made their peace with God. *We have thought of thy loving-kindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple,' that 'we may tell it to the generations following.' . . . "But our work and our privileges in this house of God here have an end. It is his voice which to-day says to us, * Arise ye, and depart hence, for this is not your rest.' We have occupied it too long; and, al- though it has been for the benefit and enlargement of other congregations, it has been not only to the dimi- nution of our strength, but to the injury of our habits as a people. . . . "We have been a harmonious people for six and forty years; and we are now harmonious in this great and agitating question. . . . We bid [this house] ON BEEKMAN STREET ^75 adieu, to follow the guidance of [God's] providence, and pitch our tabernacle under the pillar and the cloud. . . . Farewell, then, thou endeared house of God! Thou companion and friend of my youth, thou comforter of my later years, thou scene of toil and of repose, of apprehension and of hope, of sorrow and of joy, of man's infirmity and of God's omnipo- tent grace, farewell ! * "But not to thee, O thou that hearest prayer . . . do we say farewell. . . Even now, at this late, this last hour, from the bottom of our hearts do we say, 'If thy presence go not with us, carry us not up hence.' . . . Nor, my beloved people, is it to you that your pastor says farewell. These brick walls and this plastered ceiling, and these pillars and seats, do not constitute the Brick Presbyterian Church. Ye are these constituents, and 'ye are our glory and joy-' • • • "These days of solicitude and agitation will soon be over. 'The root of Jesse' yet stands as an 'en- sign to the people, and his rest shall be glorious.' * In "Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper," for May 10th, 1856, ap- peared pictures of both the exterior and interior of the church. The fol- lowing is a part of the accompanying text: "It is probable that in the course of a few weeks the Old Brick Church in Beekman Street, known for so many years as 'Dr. Spring's' will be torn down to make way for 'mod- ern improvements.' It is thus that one old landmark after another disap- pears, and the time is not far distant when ' old fogies ' will not find a fa- miliar wrinkle upon the entire face of New York. . . . Our engravings make any allusion to the architecture of the building and its interior un- necessary. Suffice it to say that, with all our wealth and extravagance, but little advance has been made upon the real beauty and picturesque effect of the old churches, built when New York had but little wealth, and was really but a country village. Embalmed in our columns, the antiquarian will, in future times, turn to them with pleasure, and learn what was the appearance of the Old Brick Church before it gave way to the wants of our ever-increasing population." 276 THE BRICK CHURCH Only take diligent heed and be very courageous to do his will, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul, and his presence and blessing shall be with you and yours for a great while to come. The Lord bless you and keep you ; the Lord cause his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. His name be upon you and your children. Amen and Amen. And let all the people say, Amen." * *"Br. Ch. Mem.,"pp.7-42. CHAPTER XVI THE MOVE TO MURRAY HILL: 1855-1858 " So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shout- ing, and with the sound of the trumpet. . . . And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it." — 2 Samuel 6 : 15, 17. " We have lived to see the top stone of this edifice laid, and its doors open to us. We have nothing to ask in the external and material arrangements of this house. It is not a gorgeous edifice; it has no decorated walls and arches, and no splendid magnificence. Yet there are stability and comfort and tasteful architecture, which do honor to the genius and fidelity of those employed in projecting, erecting, and embellishing it. 'Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.'" — Gardiner Spring, 1858, "The Brick Church Memorial," p. 71. A PERIOD of fifty years in the life of a city does not seem very long, but when we realize the changes that have taken place in New York in the last half century, we cannot but realize that, counted by results, it may be a very long time indeed. It is, in truth, hard to picture to ourselves the city that existed on Manhattan Island in 1855, when the Brick Church first definitely began to look at new sites. One is almost inclined to doubt that Thirty-fourth Street, which to-day is fast becoming the centre of the retail shopping district, was then al- most at the northern limit of the built-up part of the city, with open fields beyond, and indeed many unoc- cupied spaces below it; but such was, indeed, the fact. An extract from some unpublished reminiscences of New York in the forties and fifties * will serve to * By the author's mother. 277 278 THE BRICK CHURCH introduce us to the conditions then existing in the neighborhood of the present Brick Church. In 1848, we are told, the last houses on Madison Avenue were just above Twenty-seventh Street. "A grove of trees was where the next block now is, and nothing ob- structed the view from our windows, so that we could see as far as Hoboken. ... I could roll my hoople before breakfast to the end of Madison Avenue, which stopped at Forty-second Street." One de- tail of the life of the city at that time I venture to add from the same source. It goes far toward showing how different conditions then were from those with which we are now familiar. "I walked generally to school and back. If I rode, it was by stage. They were white stages, filled with straw for your feet, and with cornucopias containing flowers painted on the sides. After a heavy fall of snow there would be stage-sleighs, and there was enough snow then to give us fine sleigh-rides. The traffic was nothing, compared to to-day. I remember that we knew generally to whom the private carriages be- longed, usually from the coachman, who stopped long enough on the box in those days to impress his feat- ures on the rising generation." Street railways were, in certain parts of the city, beginning to make their appearance, but they were as yet very far from being the typical mode of conveyance. In 1856, as another writer tells us, "the slow stage still travelled its weary way along Wall Street and Broadway." * The fashionable quarters of the city were then Broad Street, Washington Square, East Broadway, St. John's Park and Second Avenue, while Chelsea * "Memorial Hist, of N. Y.," Vol. Ill, p. 447. THE BRICK CHURCH ON MURRAY HILL Taken in March, 1908 THE MOVE TO MURRAY HILL 279 was regarded as a very select neighborhood.* Some "splendid ranges of private residences" f had been built on lower Fifth Avenue, and a very few, like out- posts of the advancing city, had even reached as far north as Murray Hill. "The wealthy Dr. Town- send," for instance, had erected at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Thirty-fifth Street a mansion of "almost royal splendor," as contemporary observ- ers described it. The curious public were admitted by ticket, we are told, the proceeds being devoted to the Five Points Mission. J A new fashion in domes- tic architecture, by the way, had just invaded New York at this time. Houses of red brick and built in the London style, such as were then to be seen on Broadway and may still be seen on the north side of Washington Square, were being replaced by the brownstone, high-stoop structures, § which for many years became almost universal throughout the city, and which went far toward making New York, in the day of their ascendancy, one of the homeliest cities on the face of the globe. This sketch of the conditions which existed, when the trustees of the Brick Church began to look for their new site, will help us to appreciate what it really meant for the church to "move uptown." We soon discover that in order to build for the future rather than for the fleeting present, the church proposed to move practically out into the country. This was cer- tainly a bold plan, but no less certainly it was a pro- foundly wise one. * The region about Ninth Avenue and Twentieth Street. t "Putnam's Magazine," March, 1854. i "Leshe's Hist, of Greater N. Y.," by Daniel Van Pelt, Vol. I, p. 344. ^ "Memorial Hist, of N. Y.," Vol. Ill, p. 447. 280 THE BRICK CHURCH The trustees took their first definite step toward securing new land at the time when the sale of the old site to the United States Government still seemed a possibility. And, indeed, they almost bought, in April, 1855, a plot of ground on the south-east corner of Fifth Avenue and Thirtieth Street.* It was only the discovery of a possible defect in the title that prevented the purchase from being made. No further steps were taken in this matter until April, 1856, when the old property had finally been sold. Then preparations were made to proceed at once. To a committee of two, consisting of Paul Spofford and Shepherd Knapp, the task was en- trusted, and for their guidance it was formally voted that the site selected should be somewhere between Twenty-third and Forty-second streets, and between Sixth and Madison avenues. A week later the com- mittee made its first recommendation. Of all the sites examined by them within the prescribed area they favored one on the north-east corner of Fifth Avenue and Thirty-sixth Street. f They also men- tioned verbally that a piece of land on Twenty-third Street, belonging to Mr. Amos R. Eno, and held at $72,000, was available, but they did not recommend it. The trustees, however, "after mature deliberation and discussion," decided upon Mr. Eno's land, J and the committee, although they were unconvinced, and although Mr. Knapp requested that "his decided * It measured 96 feet on the avenue, by 175 on the side street. The price was $58,000. t It contained eight city lots and was held at S60,000. t It consisted of 100 feet "east of Mr. Arnold's house" on Twenty- third Street, and extending through to Twenty-fourth. THE MOVE TO MURRAY HILL 281 choice" of the Thirty-sixth Street site be noted in the minutes, consented to make the vote unanimous. A month later an irreconcilable difference as to cer- tain conditions of the sale arose between Mr. Eno and the trustees, with the result that they ceased to negotiate. The majority of the board, however, still favored Twenty-third Street as the most suitable location for the church. It is interesting that in spite of this expressed pref- erence of the board, the committee on the new site, had so far the courage of their convictions as to report at the next meeting Murray Hill sites only; and what was more, they succeeded in bringing the majority to their views. Before they rose from this meeting the trustees had voted unanimously that the committee "be directed to purchase one of three plots of ground reported by the committee, and that the north-west corner of Thirty-seventh Street and Fifth Avenue have the preference, and the corner of Thirty- sixth Street and Fifth Avenue have the second pref- erence, and the corner of Thirty-eighth Street and Fifth Avenue, west side, have the third preference." Six days later, on September 15th, 1856, the com- mittee reported that the first choice had been actually bought * for $58,000. This, it will be observed, was $14,000, less than had been asked for the Twenty- third Street property. The newly acquired land, upon which the present Brick Church was to be erected, measures ninety- eight feet, nine inches on Fifth Avenue and one hun- dred and forty-five feet on Thirty-seventh Street, and the purchase included "all the stone, brick, lime, * From Mr. U. Hendricks. 282 THE BRICK CHURCH and cement that are now on and in front of said lots." The property, as this added clause suggests, had been previously occupied. In about 1845, Mr. Cov- entry Waddcll, who, we are told, had held for a long time a confidential position in the State Department at Washington, had here built himself a residence of "yellowish gray" stucco with brow^nstone trimmings. It was in the Gothic style and was regarded as a handsome specimen of domestic architecture. The following account of it is taken from Lamb's " History of the City of New York." * ]Mr. WaddelFs man- sion "was a famous social centre, although at the pe- riod of its erection Fifth Avenue above Madison Square was little more than a common road, and the old farm fences were visible on all sides. . . . The place, when improved, was called a suburban villa; its grounds, beautified with taste, covered the whole square between Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth streets. . . . When Fifth Avenue was graded, the edifice was rendered still more imposing and pictur- esque by its elevated position." A writer in " Putnam's Monthly," March, 1854, gives a contemporary descrip- tion: "It is remarkable for being enclosed in its own garden ground, as high as the original level of the island, and descends by sloping grass banks to the street. There is also a Gothic cottage-lodge on the north side of the garden, of which and of the whole ground, a fine view is obtained from the terrace of the Croton Reservoir." The house, we are also told, "was finished in a style of costly elegance, and a large conservatory and picture-gallery were among its •Vol. II, pp. 75G/. THE MOVE TO MURRAY HILL 283 attractions. From its broad marble hall a winding staircase led to the tower, from which a charming view was obtained of both the East and Hudson rivers, the intervening semi-rural landscape, and the approaching city. It was the scene of many notable entertainments, Mrs. Waddell being a leader of society." * There is probably no district in New York to-day whose character exactly corresponds with that of Murray Hill in the years while the Brick Church was building, 1856 to 1858. To-day one must travel out into the more distant suburban towns in order to see an entire community of the better sort coming into existence all at one time, the homes and churches of the well-to-do, with schools for their children, all go- ing up together. Where, on the "frontier" of the city itself, new regions are now suddenly developing amid open j&elds, the buildings are usually of an in- ferior sort. The wealthy residents of New York in our day have ceased to be pioneers. But in the middle of the nineteenth century Murray Hill was suddenly seized upon and developed by people of posi- tion and means, who there set about the transforma- tion of a region of almost open country with scattered suburban residences, into a district of city streets, with costly houses built in solid blocks. Dr. Town- send's somewhat pretentious house, which had been erected in 1855, and which stood two blocks below the site of the church, has already been mentioned. In 1857 and 1858 houses were going up to the west of the church site on Thirty-seventh Street and imme- diately north of it on the avenue. The building of *Lamb'8 "History." See above, 284 THE BRICK CHURCH the church itself was, of course, a most important fac- tor in these operations, for it helped greatly to fix the character of the neighborhood and to attract as residents the most desirable class of people. Even before the site for the church had been se- cured, the trustees had begun to consider in a general way, the plans for their new building, but when Thirty-seventh Street was finally determined upon, they began in earnest. A committee consisting of Messrs. Spofford, Knapp, and Holden of the trustees, and Mr. John M. Nixon, representing the congrega- tion, presented tentative plans for the new church and lecture room in November, 1856. It seems to have been agreed by all, from the beginning, that in its shape and in the general arrangement of its pews the new building should resemble the old one, and especially that, while each pew might well be made more commodious and the aisles increased in width, the seating capacity should not be enlarged. "No church [to be under the charge of one pastor]," it was said, "should contain a greater number of pews'' than did the old place of worship on Beekman Street. In regard, however, to several other important matters, there was some uncertainty. It was first proposed, for instance, that the lecture room should be under the church, but fortunately it was at length decided that a chapel should be erected in the rear of the main build in*', although it was feared that this would add $10,000 to the cost. Another important question related to the placing of the pipe organ; for it had been determined that the violoncello should no longer supply tlu^ rhurch's music. This innova- THE MOVE TO MURRAY HILL 285 tion, which the trustees had early made a part of their plans, was, it is interesting to know, heartily desired by the congregation and by the session, "in the hope," as they said, "of adding interest to the public worship of the sanctuary." * The debated question in regard to the organ, therefore, was not whether there should be one, but where it should be placed, some favoring the front of the church above the entrance, and others the west end behind the pulpit. The architect employed for the preliminary work was Mr. Leopold Eidlitz, but after February, 1857, the work was in the hands of the firm of T. Thomas and Son,f to whom doubtless the final plans, from which the church was built, should be altogether attributed. Several months were spent in this all- important work of preparation, and then, in the summer of 1857, the walls began to rise. They were built of two materials. The first was, of course, that which tradition and the church's name prescribed: it was still to be the "Brick" Church. But in deference to the accepted fashion of that par- ticular time, referred to a few pages back, the base, the trimmings, and the greater part of the steeple, whose strong and graceful lines have made it ever * The session at this time were aroused to an increased interest in the music of the church. Possibly they felt that the trustees had too entire control of it. At any rate, mindful of "the sacred privilege and the appro- priate duty of the session to conduct that part of public worship which consists in praise to Almighty God," they now appointed a special com- mittee for this purpose. The committee's first task was to secure an organist, who was to receive a salary of $500 a year. t On May 18th, 1858, and from that time on, the architect's fees were paid to Mr. Griffith Thomas, who is subsequently referred to as " the archi- tect of the church." 28G THE BRICK CHURCH since one of New York's noblest architectural monu- ments, were of brownstone. * The tower, from which the steeple rose, contained the old Beekman Street bell and a clock, f whose four faces told the time to the whole neighborhood. There were three main entrances to the building from Fifth Avenue, and high windows lighted the church, the vestibule, and the chapel, on either side. The style chosen for the architectural details was the somewhat late classic, and the design as a whole was simple and dignified. On both street and avenue the church was surrounded by a high iron fence with lamp-posts at the entrance gates. In short, without continuing further this description, it is enough to say that except for the stained glass in the windows and the vine which now covers the entire south wall and is making its way across the front, the exterior at the present day tells us precisely how it looked at the time of its erec- tion. J The same thing cannot be said of the inside of the building. The plaster walls were then almost white in color, and divided into rectangles to give the effect of courses of stone. The windows, filled with plain glass, were fitted with great folding shutters,^ * The tendency to scale of! which this stone developed in the moist climate of New York, has caused the repair of the steeple from time to time to be a very troublesome and costly operation. t The clock was ordered while the church was building, but it did not arrive until after the dedication. The gossip of the time gave out that, when installed, it would have "illuminated dials." See "The Presby- terian," November 6th, 1858. X In March, 1908, new clock faces of glass replaced the original wooden ones, of which one was blown down in a strong wind in the preceding fall. ^ The writer well remembers with what interest, as a boy, he would watch the sexton manipulate them, if by some good fortune they needed readjustment during service. THE MOVE TO MURRAY HILL ^87 while the ceiling, now so richly adorned, was then a perfectly plain white surface. Yet it is interesting to observe that those features of the newly completed interior which were selected for special mention by a contemporary journal * a week after the building was first opened to the public, are, with one exception, to be seen in the church to-day. The " Scagliola col- umns" still support the half dome of the apse behind the pulpit. t The floors of the vestibule, "laid with marble," have withstood admirably the tread of almost two generations (though at the pres- ent day of costly buildings their material would hardly be deemed worthy of any special admira- tion). The stairways to the galleries are still of the same "solid oak," of which they were con- structed in the beginning, and we hope that those who climb them still find that they "are of easy ascent." The one exception referred to a moment ago was perhaps the most magnificent object of which the new church could boast, the sole extravagance, one might say, in which the trustees had indulged. It was a huge brass chandelier of a hundred lights, which hung from the centre of the ceiling, and, except for a few single brackets under the gallery and two lamp- stands in the pulpit, lighted the entire church. It cost no less than $1,300. Its place now knows it no more. Long ago, no doubt, it was broken up and sold for old metal, but it was greatly admired when the * "The Presbyterian," November 6th, 1858. t Their position, however, was sHghtly changed a few years after the church was built. Originally the six columns were all at equal distances from one another. The reason for the change will be explained at the proper place. 288 THE BRICK CHURCH new church was first opened and for many a year after. Three other features of the church need to be naen- tioned before the reader will be able adequately to picture to himself the original interior. First, the pews were painted white or cream-color and had the same mahogany trimmings that exist to-day, though now almost overlooked amid the generally dark tones that prevail. Secondly, the organ-loft had been placed at the west end, above and behind the pulpit. The marble columns in those days stood free, and through the openings between them one could look into the gallery, where the organ * had been erected, and from which the chorister led the con- gregation in the singing. Finally, as many people of the present day will remember, there were, in the east wall of the interior, over the central door, three niches. It was originally intended that all of these should be used, as the following action of the trustees informs us. At a meeting held the day before the church was dedicated, they resolved "that whenever the lady friends of the Rev. Dr. Spring shall procure a bust of his person, in bronze or marble, semi-co- lossal in size, and executed with artistic skill, the cen- tral niche in the inner front wall of the new Brick Church be, and is hereby appointed, to its reception, and the side niches to urns or vases as shall most appropriately embellish the same." The embellish- ing urns or vases were never introduced, and the bust of Dr. Spring did not take its place in the centre until after his death. If the interior of 1858, with its light color and ♦ The organ was built by Mr. Richard Montgomery Ferris, for $2,300. THE MOVE TO MURRAY HILL 289 severe simplicity, would seem strange to persons familiar with its present appearance, it seemed no less strange to the members of the old Brick Church, when they first entered it, for, aside from the most general resemblances to the older building in shape and arrangement, there were but two familiar objects in the whole church. As they came in at the central door they could see, on the left-hand wall of the ves- tibule, the old dedicatory tablet of black stone which had been removed to this place from the front of the downtown building, a visible memorial of the "Pres- byterian Church erected in the year of our Lord 1767," * and when after entering the church itself, they had taken their seats and begun to look about them, there, in its familiar place, high on the wall above the pulpit, was the old white shield with its gilt letters, beloved by all the Brick Church people, still proclaiming that this house was "Holiness to the Lord." t * Opposite, on the right-hand wall was (and is) another tablet of the same style and material, bearing the inscription: THIS EDIFICE ERECTED In the Year of Our Lord 1858. t See p. 133. Some other facts, which should not be altogether omitted may here be set down indiscriminately. At the west end of the church there were, on each side, above the entrances to the side galleries and just below the cornice, two smaller galleries which have been de- scribed as "the slave galleries," but they could hardly have been put to such a use in New York in 1858. They are now bricked up, so that they are no longer visible from the church, but the spaces still exist, and in one of them the old seats remained until a few years ago, when the room was fitted up as a robing-room for the choir. The p;ilpit of the church in 1858 290 THE BRICK CHURCH When the church was complete, and ready for occupancy, one deHcate problem still remained to be solved. Those who had owned pews in the old building must in some just manner have their rights transferred to the new. At first it was hoped that in planning the uptown church the plan of pews might be made identical with that on Beekman Street, and the rights of the pew-owners simply transferred to new pews, exactly corresponding with the old ones. This, however, proved to be impracticable, and a more complicated method was adopted. First, $140,000, a figure somewhat arbitrarily fixed upon as the value of the pews in the old church, was ap- portioned among the said pews according to their size and location, and scrip for the proper amounts was issued to the owners. Second, minimum prices were assigned to the pews on Murray Hill.* And, third, the pews were put up at auction "in order," as the trustees somewhat naively remarked, "to give was furnished with an enormous sofa and two equally enormous arm- chairs. The coverings of these, and of the cushion on which the Bible rested, together with the valance which surrounded the marble-topped communion table, were of brilliant red damask. The carpet also, I believe was red. The chapel (and this name, by the way, was applied to the entire building in the rear of the church) contained on the first floor the lecture room, fitted up with pews like a little church. The square entrance hall was then open all the way up to the roof. On the second story were the pastor's study or "library," and the Sunday-school room. It had been proposed to place the Sunday-school in the basement, and possibly this was done for a time. The entire building, church and chapel together, cost about $150,000. (This was §125,000, more than had been expected at the out-set.) The furniture and carpets had co.st nearly $5,000. Including the land, therefore, the trustees had paid out about $2 1^,000. The pro- ceeds from the sale of the old site, with interest, provided 203,000, so that $10,000, had to be borrowed. Other needs increased this loan to $15,000. * The prices ranged from $150 to $1,500. THE MOVE TO MURRAY HILL 291 every person an opportunity to locate according to his wishes." Before this plan had been entirely car- ried out, however, the church had been opened for public worship. And happy must the people have been as the time approached when they would once more have a church of their own. For more than two years they had been using Hope Chapel, maintaining there, as well as they could, their church life. * And, indeed they had succeeded nobly. This is suflSciently in- dicated by the mention of a single fact, namely, that it was at this very juncture, while they were strug- gling to reestablish their own organization on a new basis, that they found time and energy to go outside of their own immediate interests, in order to inaug- urate another work of the utmost importance. This refers to the opening of that Sunday-school on the west side of the city which has since developed into Christ Church ; but the complete story of that unsel- fish and most successful enterprise must be reserved for a future chapter. And now, at length, the time had come to take possession. The period of exile was over, or, since these pilgrims were not minded to return to the land from whence they had come out, we may rather say that their ship, which had left the old harbor and put to sea two years before, had at last been brought * Dr. Adams had " very kindly and cordially " offered the use of the Madison Square Presbyterian Church for the holding of the Communion Service on at least one occasion, and this was gratefully accepted. The trustees' meetings during the two years had been held in the directors' room of the Mechanics' Bank, the session meetings in the pastor's temporary study. 292 THE BRICK CHURCH in safety to her desired haven. On October 31st, 1858, the church on Murray Hill was dedicated to the worship of Almighty God. * * From contemporary newspapers and other periodicals, the following account of this event has been compiled. The people, assembled by the same bell that had " sounded the call to worship for so many years in the old church," came together in great numbers. When the service began " an immense crowd filled the spacious edifice, even to the aisles and por- tals." Ex-President Filhnore and his wife were observed to be among the congregation. The service was, of course, conducted by Dr. Spring, "the venerable pastor, who seems yet to retain a large portion of the vigor of his younger days." The order of service was as follows: 1. Opening Prayer. 2. Psalm (sung by the congregation), " Where shall we go to see and find A habitation for our God." 3. Prayer. 4. Psalm 132. 6. Collection, "A Thank Offering, for the benefit of the Princeton Students." 6. Sermon, on "The Sanctuary," from the text Leviticus 19 : 30. (It " held the unwearied attention of the audience for an hour and a half.") 7. The Dedication (the people standing). 8. Hymn. 9. Benediction. " Fifth Avenue was completely blocked with carriages for a long time after the close of the services." Afternoon and evening services were also held, Dr. Samuel Spring of East Hartford officiating at the one, and Dr. PhilUps of New York at the other. See "N. Y. Tribune," "N. Y. Evening Post," and "N. Y. Times" for November 1st, 1858, and "The Pres- b>i;erian" for November 6th. CHAPTER XVII WORK RESUMED: THE CIVIL WAR: 1858-1863 " We enter upon our new career under few circumstances of discouragement and many of bright anticipation. ... In the name of the Lord, therefore, we set up our banners. It is an eventful age of the world in which our enterprise receives this new impulse." — Gardiner Spring, 1858, " The Brick Church Memorial," pp. 74 f. "Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." — Matthew 24 : 6. THE members of the Brick Church had not waited for the new building to be ready be- fore they began to revive the work which was to occupy it. At least one discontinued enterprise had been zealously taken up again as soon as the new site had been purchased, and even before the plans for the new church had been fairly begun. This was the Sunday-school. At the call of Dr. Spring, eighteen persons came together in Hope Chapel on a Sunday afternoon in November, 1856, "to organize a Sabbath-school which should be con- nected with the Brick Church and located for the present at the Hope Chapel." One of the first acts of the teachers, after the school had been started, was to inquire whether during the interval the old title, "School No. 3," had been assigned to any other in- stitution. If not, they voted to reassume it. We do not know whether they were successful, for this is the last time that the old name appears in the records, 293 294 THE BRICK CHURCH But the school itself, at any rate, was reestablished, ready for the new opportunity that was about to open, and on the day of the new church's dedication, the first service was that of the Sunday-school, which, at quarter after nine assembled in its own room in the chapel in the rear of the church. The immediate renewal of this important department of church work was certainly an auspicious opening, and indi- cated that the people were eager to regain as soon as possible whatever ground had been lost. As soon as the church was established on Murray Hill, preparations were made to take stock, as it were, of the congregation, and to exploit the neigh- borhood. Districts were laid out for visitation by the pastor and elders, and we still possess a copy of a printed street-plan which was used to facilitate this work. It represents the section between Thirty-sixth and Fortieth streets and between Sixth and Lexing- ton avenues, divided up into sixty visitation districts. Dr. Spring, in his dedication sermon, had called attention to the fact that no other churches had lo- cated in the immediate neighborhood, * so that there was a free field for the Brick Church to work in, and he declared also that the surrounding population had already shown a disposition to receive the church in a most friendly spirit. Many, indeed, of those who were now neighbors, had in former days attended the old Brick Church, and these welcomed the opportunity of restoring the old relationship. * The Madison Square Church had been built on Twenty-fourth Street in 1854 and the "Marble" Dutch t'hurcli at Fifth Avenue and Twenty- ninth Street in the same year. There were less important churches at Eighth Avenue and Thirty-fourth Street, Broadway and Thirty-ninth Street, and Lexington Avenue and Thirtieth Street. WORK RESUMED: CIVIL WAR 295 For all reasons, therefore, it was desirable that a very patient and thorough visitation of the whole region should be made, and this the session now undertook. But this very undertaking must have brought forci- bly home to them a truth long evident to all, that their pastor, now over seventy years of age, was ill able to do the full work of a city pastorate, and least of all, to break ground in a new field. Indeed, there was already an understanding between them that as soon as the new church was complete, steps should be taken to lift a part of the burden from his shoul- ders. As early as 1848, it had been necessary to provide a considerable amount of pulpit assistance. The sum of $1,000, was then put at the disposal of the session for this purpose, and this act was repeated three years later. But some months before the de- parture from Beekman Street it became evident that a more radical change was necessary. The situation was one that the ojSicers desired to treat with the greatest delicacy, not wishing to seem in any way im- patient of the growing infirmities of their beloved pastor; and we may well believe that he, for his part, lover of the church as he was, and of his work in it, was reluctant to begin the laying aside of the powers and responsibilities he had borne so long. The letter which he wrote to his elders in October, 1855, is, therefore, touched with that inevitable pathos of the old workman who is conscious of the coming night. "It must be quite as obvious to you as to my- self," he said, "that I am not able to discharge the duties of my office to any such extent as satisfies my 296 THE BRICK CHURCH own mind. Though my health is vigorous and my courage for hibor undiminished, the calamity * with which it has pleased a wise and righteous Providence to visit me, unfits me for the toil in which it has been my privilege to be so long employed." But aside from this special affliction, his age itself, as he said later in this same letter, made some decided assist- ance an immediate necessity. He made several sug- gestions as to the means of providing this, evidently thinking himself that the best plan of all would be to call a colleague; and in this the session concurred, but upon full consideration of pastor and session to- gether, it seemed so difficult to secure a proper per- son for this office while the church was still strug- gling for the sale of one property and the purchase of another, that delay was decided upon, until the new land should be secured. As a matter of fact, the church, as we have seen, was already at work on Murray Hill, before any active measures were taken for calling a colleague. For the first few months in the new church the Sun- day afternoon service was supplied by students from Princeton Seminary. But finally in March, 1859, a call was issued to the Rev. \Yilliam James Hoge, D.D., Professor of Biblical Literature in Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. Dr. Spring and two of the elders had gone to Virginia expressly to see him, and had returned with the report that, in their opinion, "the intellectual, religious, and social qualifications of this gentleman, as well as his public performances in the pulpit, are such as in no ordi- nary degree (jualify him to become the associate * Hie failing eyesight. WILLIAM J. HOGE WORK RESUMED: CIVIL WAR 297 pastor of the Brick Church." He had been licensed to preach in 1850, and, previous to entering his pro- fessorship, had been for four years pastor of the West- minster Church in Baltimore, where his former pa- rishioners regarded him with high esteem. The call now issued to him by the Brick Church was unan- imous. * It must be confessed that in accepting, as he did. Dr. Hoge was undertaking a difl&cult work, which would require not only high talents and great indus- try, but an unusual degree of tact and Christian grace. Dr. Spring and his people had worked to- gether, without any other person between them, for almost half a century, and it was only with the ut- most reluctance on both sides, and in answer to an imperative necessity, that the expedient of a col- league had been adopted. At the congregational meeting which called Dr. Hoge, a set of resolutions, offered by Mr. Holden, was adopted, in which were feelingly expressed the love of the Brick Church people for Dr. Spring, their sense of obligation to him for past service, their ever-increasing apprecia- tion of "his richly matured and invaluable instruc- tions," their joy that, though " his eye is dimmed by excessive devotion to his chosen work," yet "his natural force and mental vigor are not abated," and their assurance that "it will always be our pleasure and anxious desire to hear him preach once every Sabbath and to render such other assistance at our weekly evening services as may be agreeable to his own feelings and wishes." It would almost have seemed to an onlooker at the meeting that it had * His salary was $5,000, the same as that received by Dr. Spring. 298 THE BRICK CHURCH been assembled with special reference to the old rather than to the new pastor. But both pastor and people had determined that the newcomer should be given all the help that could be conveyed by a hearty and affectionate welcome, and Dr. Spring, especially, had determined that his young colleague should be as free as was possible from the difficulties inherent in the situation. Those who were present on the evening when Dr. Hoge was installed in the Brick Church * were much im- pressed by the generous spirit in which the venerable Dr. Spring said of his youthful associate, "He must increase, but I must decrease. My sun is setting; his has not yet reached its zenith." "And when,'* says one of the eye-witnesses, "the senior pastor stopped in his discourse, and took his associate by the hand, assuring him of the cordiality of his welcome to take part in the work, there were few dry eyes in the house. Such scenes are rare," this writer con- tinues, and points out that all the circumstances of the occasion were such as could only be produced by great personal qualities in the chief participants. f The Brick Church had not been mistaken in re- gard to the man they had chosen. His "lovely Christian character and thrilling pulpit eloquence," to quote the words in which one of his successors in the Brick Church has referred to him, J soon won ♦May 22d, 1859. The Rev. F. G. Clarke presided as moderator of the Presbytery. The Rev. S. D. Ale.xander offered prayer. Dr. Spring preached the sermon. The charges to pastor and people were given by the Rev. Dr. Krebs and the Rev. Dr. Potts, respectively. The Rev. Dr. Phillips offered the concluding prayer. t "The Presbyterian," May 28th, 1859. X Dr. Henry van Dyke "An Historic Church," p. 23. WORK RESUMED: CIVIL WAR 299 him a place in the people's affection and drew great numbers to hear him preach. He delivered the gos- pel message with all the fire and passion of the Southland, from which he came, and soon the younger generation, who naturally did not share all the en- thusiasm of their parents and grandparents re- garding Dr. Spring, were again thronging the Brick Church. Certainly a church that could thus appeal to all ages and varying tastes was well calculated to do a great work. Dr. Spring in 1860, at the time of his fiftieth anniversary, which was celebrated with great enthusiasm,* declared that the church's change of locality had resulted in great gain; and spoke with gratitude and joy of the fact that the services in the new edifice were *' filled to overflowing." A study of the benevolences of the church at this time tells the same story and with a most decided emphasis. It will be remembered that for a number of years before 1850 the average annual benevolences had amounted to a little over $3,000. The highest figure for any single year up to that time had been about $5,800. Until 1860, this figure had not been exceeded. But in that year, it suddenly rose to $8,500, and from this time continued to rise by leaps and bounds, year after year.f * The anniversary sermon was preached by Dr. Spring on August 5th. Owing to the illness of Mrs. Spring at that time and her death soon after, the rest of the celebration was deferred till October 15th. On that occa- sion a magnificent silver service was presented to Dr. Spring, while the words spoken by his oldest and dearest friends in the Brick Church were a still richer expression of esteem and love. 1 1861, $9,300; 1862, $9,600; 1863, $14,600; 1864, $14,700; 1865, $19,200. This increase was partly due to growing interest in the mission Sunday-school to be described in the next chapter. 300 THE BRICK CHURCH One evidence of the church's increased activity is directly traceable to the influence of Dr. Hoge. It has already been pointed out that his great oppor- tunity was with the younger people. It was surely by no accident, therefore, that "The Young Men's Association of the Brick Church" was organized during the first year of his pastorate.* It is easy to believe that the following words from the preamble of the society's constitution were suggested by Dr. Hoge himself, and that they represented with some exactness a chief purpose of his own New York min- istry. *'The disciple who leaned on Jesus' bosom once said, ' I write unto you, young men, because ye are strong.' It is to the young men . . . that [our churches] must look as the future depositories of that Christian and moral influence which is to pro- tect and advance the highest interests of the church and the world." It was, accordingly, the purpose of this organiza- tion to draw together as many as possible of the young men of the Brick Church, from fifteen years old and upward, into a comradeship whose objects were "to promote Christian friendship and social intercourse among its members, to improve their spiritual and mental conditions, and to take such measures for benevolent action as may be deemed proper, especially such as will tend to exert a salu- tary influence in the neighborhood of the church." The regular meetings were held on the second Mon- day of each month (except July and August), and no * The constitution was adopted on February 27th, 1S60. The officers for 1860-1861 were: Pres., George de Forest Lord; Vice-Pres., Robert Stewart, M.D.; Sec, Arthur Gilman: Trcas., William D. Black; Mana- gers, George A. Bennett, Charles T. White, Thomas C. M. Paton. WORK RESUMED: CIVIL WAR 301 special regulations were made as to their nature, ex- cept for the provision that '*all remarks or discus- sions of a political or controversial character shall be excluded." When we remember in what year of our American history this society was formed, the year namely, In which Abraham Lincoln was first elected to the Presidency, we perceive a very special appropriate- ness in that one restriction just quoted, and when we realize further that Dr. Hoge was a Southerner, we can see that *' political and controversial" subjects were especially dangerous to the peace of the Young Men's Association. But more than that, they were a danger, we may readily believe, to the peace of the whole church. How had It happened that on the very eve of the war a Virginian had deliberately been installed over the Brick Church in the city of New York ? We cannot but regard this occurrence as the result of a serious error in judgment on the part of the church and its officers, and of a singular lack of foresight. Dr. Hoge, on the other hand, urged to come to a great church in America's greatest city, was more pardonable. And yet upon him, of course, the chief punishment for the mistake fell. Some of the very qualities that made him eloquent, the quali- ties of a sensitive and high-strung nature, made him also the more quick to suffer from any of the thou- sand bitter words that filled the air in those days of controversy; while to avoid giving offence, on his side, required perhaps more tact than any ordinary man was likely to possess, and it must be confessed that tact was not his strong point. 302 THE BRICK CHURCH In 1861, when war had actually broken out, the situation soon became acute. Dr. Hoge had many warm friends in the church, men who, although, as he himself declared, they totally differed from him in everything relating to the national crisis, believed that he was following a wise and blameless course,* and were "unwilling to allow a dissolution of the pastoral relation on grounds of political opinions." Such prominent officers in the church as Daniel Lord, Abner L. Ely, Moses Allen, James Darrach, and Thomas Egleston, held this view of the matter. On the other hand, the preponderant element in the church felt that the situation was intolerable, and that the presence of an avowed Southerner in the Brick Church pulpit could not but cause continual and increasing friction, however careful he might be to avoid in his public utterances all controverted subjects. The ideal of conduct which Dr. Hoge had set be- fore himself was in theory admirable. f On the one hand, he assumed that as a free citizen of the Re- public he had an unquestionable right "firmly to hold and calmly to express," in private, his opinions. His position, to be sure, required him to declare them "unobtrusively," and sometimes to waive conversa- tion on such topics, but " when fairly approached by any responsible person" in private conversation, he claimed his right to make known "frankly and cour- teously" his political faith. On the other hand, he purposed to exclude abso- lutely from the pulpit the questions that divided ♦ "Farewell Discourse of Dr. Hoge," p. 8. t The following outline is taken from his " Farewell Discourse," pp. 9/7- WORK RESUMED: CIVIL WAR 303 men's minds. His prayers he designed to make of such a character as would express the proper peti- tions of men in South or North, and his sermons he undertook to keep entirely out of the realm of poli- tics. Indeed, he held, and had held even before the war, that the rigid exclusion of politics from Chris- tian preaching was the duty of every minister of the gospel, even if he and his congregation were in agree- ment on every point. In much of this, without doubt. Dr. Hoge was in the abstract quite right. But whether his plan fitted exactly the existing situation, or would work among ordinary human beings at a time of heated excite- ment, was another matter. The practical question was whether a man whose approval of secession was well known, could be listened to with composure by a Northern congregation week after week; whether he could go in and out as pastor among a people to whom he was a "rebel"; whether the studied avoid- ance of direct allusions to the war in prayer and dis- course would really keep the services free from all political significance, so long as the minister stood there as a personal representative of the enemy. One concrete instance may be given by way of illustration. In the petitions for those in places of authority. Dr. Hoge had used such expressions as would include (of course without mentioning them) the rulers of the Confederate States. Now without doubt, such obedience to the apostolic exhortation that "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giv- ing of thanks, be made for all men," is, as Dr. Hoge declared, in full accord with the truest Christian spirit. In every Christian Church in time of war the enemy 304 THE BRICK CHURCH ought certainly to be prayed for. But for a South- erner, who frankly hoped that the North would be annihilated, to lead a Northern congregation in ask- ing, however vaguely, for a blessing upon the rulers and fighters of the South, was, not unnaturally, a little more than average Northerners could stand. At length in July, 1861, a meeting of the session was called for the declared purpose of discussing *'the relations of the church and its pastors to the present state of the country." But Dr. Hoge felt that the time for discussion was over, and as soon as the meeting opened, he offered his resignation. It was accepted by a bare majority. Dr. Hoge, as was very natural, felt some bitterness toward those who had plainly desired him to leave. The unfortunate tone of sarcasm and accusation in which he allowed himself, in public utterance and in print, to speak of them * makes this evident. And not a few of the cong-regation were inclined to feel that his personal qualities and his work in New York had not been fully recognized. On the day after that on which his resignation had been accepted by the session, a number of them expressed in writ- ing to Dr. Hoge their sorrow at his parting from them, and their veneration for his consistent preach- ing of the gospel, and for the Christian moderation and gentleness of his bearing " in the midst of angry, political excitements." Yet it must in time have be- come evident to his most warm admirers, and indeed to Dr. Hoge himself, that his position in the church at such a juncture was unnatural, and could not pos- sibly have long continued. ♦ "Farewell Discourse," pp. 7 /., 24. WORK RESUMED: CIVIL WAR 305 At the time when the resignation was accepted, the session voted to submit their action to a congre- gational meeting one week from that day. But for this Dr. Hoge refused to wait. On the intervening Sunday he preached a farewell sermon to a congre- gation in which the tension was extreme. One inci- dent of the occasion was especially significant of the irreconcilable differences which no attempt at fair- ness of statement could overcome. While the sermon was being delivered Dr. Spring sat in the pulpit. Dr. Hoge, at the close of a passage in which he had spoken of recent events in the country and the church, turned to Dr. Spring and said: "I appeal to my venerable colleague whether this is not in sub- stance correct." Dr. Spring shook his head in the negative, and in a decisive tone, loud enough to be heard by many in the church, declared, "It is noU Sir."* The truth was, no doubt, that a Southerner and a Northerner at that time inevitably saw the same events with different eyes. Early in the following week, and before the arrival of the day set for the congregational meeting. Dr. Hoge took his departure, and thus passed out of the history of the Brick Church. He was soon at work again in a Virginian parish, and now threw himself, untrammelled, into the work that opened for him there on every side, exhibiting that Christian zeal and devotion which had always characterized him. The truth was, that when he went back to the South, he went to lay down his life for that Southern cause in which he conscientiously believed. Almost a year * This scene has been described to the writer by an eye-witness. See also "N. Y. Tribune," July 23d, 1861. 306 THE BRICK CHURCH before the war was over his labors in the army hos- pitals, added to his work among the people of his parish, had worn out even so robust a frame as his, and made him an easy prey to the typhoid fever which then attacked him. He died on July 5th, 1864. From the time of Dr. Hoge's departure, the Brick Church stood, without reservation, for loyalty to the Union, and that in no uncertain manner. Dr. Spring did not at all agree with the view that at that time the pulpit should hold aloof from the discussion of current politics. Rather he held that the national situation was such as to demand from the Christian Church a strong and unmistakable declaration of its attitude. He was not, it should be said, one of those who, from the beginning, had bitterly opposed the policy of the South. He said himself: "When the first in- dications of this conflict made their appearance, all my prepossessions, as is well known, were with the Southern States."* As early as 1839, and again in 1851, he had delivered and published lectures de- signed to rebuke the extreme abolition spirit of the North, and even a short time before the war, he was strongly drawn to espouse the Southern cause, through his horror of a dismemberment of the Union. Slavery, he felt, was recognized by the Constitution of the United States, and the rights of the South in this matter could not be ignored, however much slavery itself might deserve extinction. It was only when he became convinced of what he regarded as a wicked and determined disloyalty in the South, and ♦"State Thanksgiving during the Rebellion; A Sermon." N. Y., 1862, p. 32. WORK RESUMED: CIVIL WAR 307 especially when the seceding States had actually broken the Union, that his sympathy for the South- ern position came to an end. It was not, therefore, because he was carried away by excess of passion that, after the war's beginning, he gave himself, in private and in public, in the pul- pit and out of it, to the support of the government, but because he felt that loyalty had been made the issue, and that the church ought openly and officially, to withstand the destroyers of the nation, as they would withstand any other enemies of public morals. " Strong as have been my predilections for the South," he said, " ... I have not been able to see, nor do I now see, the justice, the equity of her demands. We regard the act of secession, so causeless, so rash, so fratricidal, so ruthless — as unequalled in wickedness. I do not know that the history of the world records a more criminal procedure." * In May, 1861, at the General Assembly, then con- vened in Philadelphia, Dr. Spring introduced and urged certain resolutions, declaring the loyalty of the Presbyterian Church, which were, with slight modi- fications, passed by a large majority. The part of these "Spring Resolutions," as they were called, which now especially concerns us was as follows: "Resolved, that the General Assembly, in the spirit of that Christian patriotism which the Scriptures en- join, and which has always characterized this Church, do humbly acknowledge and declare our obligations to promote and perpetuate, so far as in us lies, the in- tegrity of these tlnited States, and to strengthen, up- hold, and encourage the Federal Government in the * "State Thanksgiving," etc., pp. 34 /. 308 THE BRICK CHURCH exercise of all its functions under our Constitution; and to this Constitution, in all its provisions, require- ments, and principles, we profess our unabated loy- alty." * By this declaration, which Dr. Spring had led the Church at large to make, the Brick Church was guided throughout the war. The stars and stripes flew from her steeple. The sermons to which her congregations reverently listened were filled with the love of country as with the love of God. The prayers in which the people were led, from Sunday to Sunday, asked in all plainness that the endeavors of the national enemy might be brought to nought. We who live so long after that tragic conflict, and who, with the disappearance of old prejudices, know now that honor and truth and love of country were by no means the exclusive possession of one side, do not care to dwell more than is necessary upon that period of division and bitter strife ; and it is more con- genial to us to note, as we may, in concluding the account of the attitude of the Brick Church through the war, that even in the heat of those passions which war inevitably arouses, the Brick Church people were not permitted to forget the bond of Christian brother- hood which bound them to the people of the South- ern States. "We reluctantly take up the sword in defence of the rich heritage God has given us," said Dr. Spring in the Brick Church pulpit in November, 1861, "and most cheerfully will we return it to its scabbard when this heritage is secure. ... It will be * Dr. Hoge did not resign till two months after these resolutions were passed. Their effect upon his continuance in the Brick Church pastorate will be evident. WORK RESUMED: CIVIL WAR 309 the joy of our hearts and the thank-offering of our Hps to sound the retreat the moment the voice of re- belHon is silent. We have no bitterness against the South. We do not wish to reign over them, but to reign with them, and wish them to reign with us, as they have ever done, in all the rights and immunities of the Federal Government." * While the war was in progress the church had once more called and, to the great regret of all, lost again, an associate pastor. On February 6th, 1862, the Rev. William G. T. Shedd, Professor of Ecclesi- astical History and Pastoral Theology in Andover Seminary, was unanimously called to be the col- league of Dr. Spring. Dr. Shedd hesitated not a little to change his field of labor from that of teach- ing, in which he had been engaged for seventeen years, to that of the active pastorate; and probably, had it not been that the call also offered him an op- portunity to enter the Presbyterian Church, whose doctrine and polity were peculiarly congenial to him, he might not have accepted. At length, however, his duty in the matter seemed to him clear, and he en- tered with gladness into the service of the people of the Brick Church, and into the close fellowship which it offered with "their revered pastor, whose praise and influence," as Dr. Shedd said, "are in all the churches." f It was a remarkable fact that Dr. Spring, though so far advanced in years, was still able to carry a very large part of the burden of the church's work. But Dr. Shedd had not long been settled in New York * "State Thanksgiving," etc., p. 42. t The installation took place on April 13th, 1862. 310 THE BRICK CHURCH when it appeared that the senior pastor must with- draw largely from active service. Upon the associate, therefore, the responsibility fell more and more heavily, and toward the close of 1863 it became evi- dent that soon he must bear the whole burden alone. This sudden increase of demand upon his strength Dr. Shedd had not anticipated, and his health began to break down under it, so that when in September, 1863, he received a call to the chair of Biblical Liter- ature in Union Theological Seminary in New York, he felt constrained to accept it. The church allowed him to go with the greatest reluctance. He was most affectionately regarded by the people and by his senior colleague. His brief work in the church was felt to be "eminently useful and acceptable," and had given to all " encouragement and hope for the future." If at the last moment he had been willing to remain, his decision would have been hailed with joy, and such assistance would have been given him in his work as would have freed him from all anxieties on the score of overtaxing his strength. But Dr. Shedd persisted in his decision, and his subsequent life abundantly proved that in returning to the work of a teacher and a writer, he was following the natural bent of his genius. It was a happy circumstance that, after leaving the pastor- ate of the Brick Church, he continued his allegiance to her as an attendant upon her services until the time of his death.* The choice of a successor to Dr. Shedd was de- * In November, 1894. He had continued as Professor in Union Semi- nary until 1891, but had been transferred to the chair of Systematic The- ology in 1874. WILLIAM G. T. SHEDD WORK RESUMED: CIVIL WAR 311 layed for some time through the failure of the church, on two occasions, to secure the persons whom they desired to call, and the year 1864 had almost come to a close before this important undertaking was accomplished. PART THREE THE MODERN PERIOD CHAPTER XVIII "THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH": 1864-1875 "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; be- fore they spring forth I tell you of them." — Isaiah 42 : 9 /. " It is the duty of those who'have anything to do with sacred song, to educate the Christian popular heart in the very best and highest forms of devotional ex- perience." — James O. Murray, "Christian Hymnology," p. 37. ON December 12th, 1864, the church called to be its associate pastor the Rev. James Orms- bee Murray, who, ten years before had been one of Dr. Shedd's pupils at Andover, and was now recommended to the church by him. Although osten- sibly his position was the same as that held by Dr. Hoge and Dr. Shedd before him, the conditions under which he entered upon his pastorate were in one respect essentially different. Dr. Spring had now so far withdrawn from active work that his associate became in everything but name the sole pastor of the church. Six months before Dr. Murray was called. Dr. Spring had communicated to his people the fact that "by reason of his age and increased infirmities" he felt unable to continue even so great a measure of service as he was then rendering. The name *' pastor emeritus" was not used, but the understanding was that he should now be retired on a reduced salary of 315 316 THE BRICK CHURCH $3,000, and that the associate, about to be called, should assume practically the whole burden of labor and responsibility. During the eight remaining years of Dr. Spring's life it was his joy to take such part in the services of the church as his strength permitted, and to his old parishioners the sight of his venerable head and the sound of his voice seemed like a benediction upon the church's work. By the thoughtfulness of the trustees a railing was erected beside the steps at the right-hand side of the pulpit in order that he might ascend and descend in safety. He was now almost totally blind, yet so richly was his memory stored, that he could, if there were need, conduct an entire service, repeating the Scripture lesson and the words of the hymns with as much accuracy as though he were reading them from the book. Not only by his own congregation — the grandchildren and great grandchildren of the generation among whom he had begun his work — but also by the whole city, the presence of this aged saint was counted a blessing: "the patriarch of our metropolitan pulpit," Dr. Adams called him. It was regarded by every one as a peculiarly happy thing that Dr. Spring lived long enough, not only to see, but to take some part in, that reunion of the Old and New Schools for which he had long been hoping and praying. It will be remembered that in 1837 he had been one of those who deeply deplored the divi- sion, and that he had done his best to prevent it. Thirty-two years later, in 1809, he rejoiced in the coming together again of the two schools in a reunited Church. The Assemblies that year, with a special *'THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH" 317 view to facilitating this happy consummation, were both held in New York and within four blocks of one another, that of the New School at the Church of the Covenant at Park Avenue and Thirty-fifth Street, since incorporated into the Brick Church, and that of the Old School at the Brick Church itself. In spite of the strong movement toward reunion, which had been gathering strength for several years, there was at the last moment a feeling on the part of many that the attempt was, after all, premature. Dr. Spring, eighty-four years of age, and knowing that his time on earth could not be greatly prolonged, was one of those who would not listen to the word delay. At the opening of the Old School Assembly, sitting in the pulpit beside the presiding oflficer, he suggested to him the propriety, as the first business, "of notifying the other branch of our readiness to consummate the reunion immediately." This did not at the moment appear to be practicable, and Dr. Spring, called upon to make the opening prayer, felt that there was still work to be done by him in his Master's vineyard. "When this majestic and veter- an pastor . . . rose in prayer," says Dr. Jacobus in the official history of the reunion, "he uttered such exalted petitions, in such glowing and godly words, as even he, perhaps, had never excelled." * In the course of the succeeding debates and con- ferences, Dr. Spring's voice was still heard. He urged that any delay in the consummation would be "flying in the face of the prayers of God's people." "If you postpone this union another year," said he, * "The Presbyterian Reunion." N. Y., 1870., p. 334. 318 THE BRICK CHURCH "I shall probably not see it, but shall die a member of a divided Church." * As is well known, his fears, so feelingly expressed, were not to be realized, and meantime, on Friday, May 28th, at the joint Com- munion Service in which the members of the two Assemblies shared, he, with the two moderators, officiated at the table. "It was," says the historian, *'as if Moses or Elias had come down to talk on that Transfiguration Mount, of the decease accomplished at Jerusalem." f After sharing in this historic event Dr. Spring might well feel that his work was accomplished. "The closing years of his life," wrote Dr. Murray, "were marked by what he himself used to call 'a gentle decay.' It was, indeed, very gentle. His fac- ulties were clear, his interest in things about him keen, his enjoyment of life healthy and true, almost to the very close." Of the days just before the end there is but a single incident that need be here repeated. We are told that during those last days he was never tired of hearing what he called the bairns' hymns, and it was a striking illustration, says Dr. Murray, of how the mightiest disciple must enter the kingdom of God only as a little child, to hear the old man, lying like an aged patriarch in the midst of his household, re- peat in broken accents the children's prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep," adding at the end, as though the words had carried him back to his childhood days, "and make me a good boy, for Christ's sake. Amen." On the 18th of August, 1873, he died. He ♦ "The Presbyterian Reunion," p. 349. t Ibid., p. 300. "THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH" 319 had been the pastor of the Brick Church for sixty- three years.* Mr. Murray, who came to take up the work of the church as Dr. Spring was laying it down, was in the prime of Hfe, and was fitted in an exceptional degree for the ofiice upon which he now entered, f He had graduated with honors from Brown University in 1850, and had at that time already become known for his Christian character and his scholarly taste and attainments. He had especially devoted him- self to the study of English literature and throughout his whole later life he was distinguished for '*the true literary spirit" with which he was imbued. The next period of his life, spent at Andover in his theological preparation, is admirably described by one of his classmates, Charles Tiffany, afterward Archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. *'Mr. Murray at Andover," wrote Dr. Tiffany, "showed as a student just the same qualities which made him eflBcient and beloved in his later career. He was faithful in his work and commanded respect * Although he received several calls to other spheres of work, he never seriously contemplated any change. During his early ministry he was offered the presidency of both Dartmouth and Hamilton colleges, and later he was sought as teacher of Sacred Rhetoric in Princeton Theological Seminary. Even in 1865, eight years before his death, there remained alive but four persons who had been members of the church at the time of his call. He had, in one instance, baptized the great-great-grandchild of one of those early parishioners. New York's population during his pastorate had increased from something under a hundred thousand to more than a million. So far back in our national history did his memory reach that he coxild say, " I well remember the day when Washington died." "Life and Times," Vol. II, pp. 212, 282 /. t He was born November 27th, 1827. On his father's side his ancestors were Presbyterians and Episcopalians, and partly of Scotch stock (the Murrays), partly of English, settled in Ireland, (the Syngs). On his mother's side his blood was wholly English and Puritan. 320 THE BRICK CHURCH as a scholar; and his literary felicity, even at that early period of his life, made a marked impression on all who heard him in his addresses in the chapel and on other semi-public occasions. Every one proph- esied for him a future of eminence and distinguished usefulness. Those who were privileged, as I was, to be of the number of his intimate friends felt the spell of his charming and genial personality, and loved him as much as they respected and admired him. His religious character was too deep to be ostenta- tious, but it was manifest in his profound earnestness and in a high tone of thought and simplicity of ex- pression which marked his intercourse with others. He was so genuinely human and so unconsciously true and spiritual that one knew he would reach men and elevate them by merely being what he was. . . . His humor added a glow to his more solid qualities, and his refinement of nature gave him the distinction and influence so commanding in a genuine gentle- man. He belonged to the very elect both by nature and by grace." * Such, even in his seminary days, was he who, after two Massachusetts pastorates, f was called to the Brick Church in 1864. His ten- year pastorate in New York will be described in this chapter and the next. It was characteristic of the man and a sign of the beginning of what may be called the modern period of the history of the Brick Church, that Mr. Murray early gave his attention to the improvement of the * From a letter quoted in "James O. Murray: a Memorial Sermon." By John DeWitt, Princeton, 1899, pp. 23 /. t In South Uanvers, near Salem (1854-1861), and in Cambridgeport (18G1-18G4), where many students of the University were drawn to hie servicea. JAMES O. MURRAY "THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH" S21 music of the church services. Already, as we have seen, the changed spirit of the times had caused the introduction of the pipe organ, but the singing was still led by the chorister, and, with the removal from the old site, even the volunteer choir had evidently been discontinued. No doubt the cono^regation were ready to welcome a change in these conditions, but there had been lacking some one in authority who was in sympathy with the more modern taste, and willing to exert himself in an endeavor to satisfy it. Mr. Murray was both able and ready to undertake this work. He had not long been in the church when he was asked to become chairman of the session's music committee, and the attempt to improve the quality of the music, evidenced by a decided increase in the chorister's salary at this time, was no doubt the im- mediate result of his influence.* These changes, however, were merely preliminary to another of much more importance. In April, 1866, the committee on music reported to the session that upon inquiry a very general desire had been found among the congregation for *'a change in the present method of conducting the singing," by sub- stituting for the precentor or chorister "a choir of at least four voices." It was not intended, they said, that "congregational singing should be superseded by the performances of a quartette, but only that the choir should lead the congregation in the service of song in the house of the Lord." * It now became a part of the chorister's duty to sing at the meeting on Tuesday evenings. In 1872 a small pipe organ was erected in the lecture room. 322 THE BRICK CHURCH *'In the judgment of some of our best professional musicians," the report continues, "the only method of maintaining congregational singing successfully is by putting it under the guidance and assistance of a choir of voices, where all the parts are represented; and the musical education of many among us, es- pecially the young, as also the musical tastes of the community, are such that the change suggested is thought to be needful in order to make them inter- ested worshippers in this most delightful part of our worship of God. In the case of persons seeking a new place of worship, an attractive form of church music is often a controlling element in their choice." The committee were of the opinion that any addi- tional expense, entailed by the proposed change, would without difficulty be met by means of private subscription. The proposal involved, as it happened, something more than the hiring of a quartette. No proper place had been provided in the new church for a choir, even of four voices, and it was at first thought that the best way of dealing with this difficulty would be to open an entirely new gallery under the tower at the east end of the church. But Mr. Thomas, the archi- tect, recommended a less costly change, by which the gallery behind the pulpit might still be utilized. Under his supervision the columns, whose arrange- ment had interfered with that gallery's use, were now moved to their present positions, providing a clear space of ten feet in the centre.* Here it was designed that the quartette should stand, while the organ, considerably enlarged,! was moved back as * Seep. 287, note, f Itwaa reconstructed by Mr. William J. Stewart. "THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH" 323 far as was necessary, a certain portion of the room in the rear being appropriated for this purpose.* When these structural changes had been made, a quartette f was engaged and a new era in the history of worship in the Brick Church was begun. The trustees had dealt with the matter in a generous spirit and provided out of the church treasury the additional sum which the change involved. The music, which had been costing $1,400, now called for $2,500. The next musical problem to which Dr. | Murray gave his attention was the providing of a suitable hymn-book. Already the volume entitled *' Songs for the Sanctuary" had been purchased, in 1866, for use at the weekly meetings, but to find a satisfactory book for the use of the Sunday services was a matter much more difficult, and in November, 1867, the session decided to undertake the preparation of a hymn-book of their own, which should include a se- lection *' as well from the psalms and hymns of Watts as from all other published hymns." This task was entrusted to Mr. William S. Oilman, Mr. Daniel Lord, and Dr. Murray.^ The report of this committee, at the time when the * A wall was built ninning west from the north end of the organ loft and cutting off entirely the whole southern end of the room in the rear, then used for the Sunday-school. It was necessary, in consequence, that the Sunday-school be moved to the third story, where it was held for a number of years. t This first quartette was composed as foUows: Miss Kellogg, soprano; Miss Gordon, alto; Mr. Emerson, bass; Mr. Millard, tenor. X He received his Doctor's degree in 1867. $ Mr. Lord, whose "discriminating taste and excellent judgment" were highly prized, died before the book was complete. Dr. Spring made the selection of metrical versions of the Psalms. 324 THE BRICK CHURCH completed manuscript was submitted to the session, may be regarded as a part, not only of the history of the Brick Church, but of the history of hymnology in the Church at large. For two years, the report tells us, the committee had devoted itself to the work of making a select list of hymns from American and English publications, with a view to securing *'the best hymns upon the various topics." During this time weekly meetings had been held, at which the hymns were discussed one by one, while the consid- erable literature on the subject, "on which," they say, "more has probably been printed during the past ten years than for a generation preceding," was thoroughly canvassed. The aim pursued had been to select hymns "which show forth the praises of God and the glories of his attributes in the glowing language of the emotions," such hymns as "appeared best to express Scripture truths regardino; man's lost estate and the means of his recovery through Christ," and to be most "ex- pressive of the warmest love and nearness to God. . . the most fervent zeal, and the most touching and com- forting religious experience." In pursuing this purpose the committee had "cast aside a large mass of mediocre hymns," * and had chosen in their place "those which in Watts, Steele, Wesley, Doddridge, Toplady and some more modern writers prove themselves the offspring of deep re- ligious convictions based upon a sound and true * They add, however: "Your committee has not hesitated to retain some hymns apparently subject to criticism by a cultivated taste, but which, by general consent of Christians, appear to be of such merit as to defy ordinary rules of criticism. Among such we regard Newton's "Tis a point I long to know,' and ' I asked the Lord that I might grow in grace.' " "THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH" 325 theology." On the other hand, they had added a large number of valuable hymns which were not to be found in the General Assembly's book* nor in ''Watts and Select," f the book which the church was at that time using. The result was a collection of six hundred and sixteen psalms and hymns, of such a character that the committee believed no other recent compilation for congregational use was "more rigidly confined to the productions of the great hymn writers," or more free from the second-rate material by which in recent years the hymnology of the church had been debased. The book was rendered still more valuable by the inclusion in it of certain of the ancient hymns of the Church, such as the "Gloria in Excelsis" and the "Te Deum," $ also a selection of other chants, es- pecially from the Psalms, and a collection of sacred * "As a sample we name the following, namely: by Toplady, 'When lan- guor and disease invade'; by Charles Wesley, 'Soldiers of Christ, arise'; by Needham, 'Rise, O my soul, pursue the path'; by Cowper, 'The bil- lows swell, the winds are high'; by Montgomery, 'Prayer is the soul's sin- cere desire.'" Committee's report. t "As a sample we name the following, namely: by Doddridge, 'How gentle God's commands'; by the same, 'My gracious Lord, I own thy right'; by Tate and Brady, 'As pants the hart for cooUng streams'; by Doddridge, 'Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve'; by Cowper, 'Jesus, where'er thy people meet'; by Wesley, 'Come, O thou Traveller un- known'; by Gerhardt, 'O Sacred Head, now wounded'; by Charlotte EUiot, 'Just as I am, without one plea'; by Mrs. Adams, 'Nearer, my God, to thee'; by Henry Francis Lyte, 'Abide with me, fast falls the eventide'; by an unknown author, 'Ye Christian heralds, go proclaim.'" Commit- tee's report. t The committee quote with approval the opinion of Dr. Hamilton "that in churches where the Apostles' or Nicene Creed is not audibly re- peated by the congregation, great advantage is derived from confessing with the mouth the doctrine of our holy faith in song, especially in this chant [the Te Deum] which was praised by Luther as a good symbol not less than a perfect hymn." 326 THE BRICK CHURCH lyrics,* which, although from their nature unfitted for congregational singing, "are exceedingly profitable in private devotions and are calculated greatly to benefit young persons in the family, cultivating in them a taste for the very best order of religious verse." In November, 1869, the book was published under the title, "The Sacrifice of Praise." It was at once introduced into the church, and with its aid the regular committee on music, with Dr. Murray still at the head, took up their w^ork again with renewed interest, and especially directed their attention to the devel- opment of the congregational singing to the fullest possible extent, t In raising additional subscriptions for the music, the committee proved themselves equally zealous, and for several years, they thus provided about $1,400, for by this time the annual cost of the music had come to be nearly $4,000. The singing was by no means the only element of public w^orship that engaged the attention of the ses- sion at this time. Indeed, in 1870, a committee was appointed to consider whether in general there were any changes that ought to be introduced into the manner of conducting the services in the Brick Church. We do not know what proposals they may have made, except that at the suggestion of their chairman the gown, which had been worn * "Exquisite gems such as Wesley's 'Wrestling Jacob,' and Montgom- ery's 'Poor wayfaring man of grief,' and Keble's celebrated hymn on com- plete resignation to God." Committee's report. t We learn that besides the congregational singing of psalms and hymns there was now an "opening piece," sung presumably by the choir alone. "THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH" 327 by the minister in Dr. Rodgers' day, but had been disused during Dr. Spring's pastorate, was now re- sumed. We may, perhaps, infer from this that their recommendations were in the direction of an in- creased orderliness and dignity in the worship of the church. It should be added that the manner of cele- brating the Lord's Supper * was, during Dr. Mur- ray's pastorate, given careful consideration. f It was during this period, moreover, that certain changes were made in the number of the services and meetings and in the time at which they were held, by which some of the customs, still prevailing at the present day, were originated. Thus the change of the hour of Sunday morning service to eleven o'clock was first broached in 1873, "for the accommodation of families with children, Sunday-school teachers and scholars, persons living at a distance from the church, and the many others whose convenience would be promoted by the change." Earlier than this a more radical departure from established custom had been introduced: in 1866, the weekly lecture, which was at that time held on Tuesday evening, was tem- porarily discontinued, "with a view to increasing the interest and attendance at the weekly prayer and conference meeting on Friday evening." J A year later the holding of but a single meeting between Sundays was still further established as the accepted custom — it consisted of "a brief lecture connected * After 1865, this Sacrament was administered five instead of four times yearly. t See Appendix V, p. 543. For order of Baptismal service at this time see Appendix U, p. 542. t Although the nights had been changed, these were, it will be ob- served, the same two week-day services as were held in Dr. Rodgers' time. 328 THE BRICK CHURCH with a prayer-meeting, to continue for one hour and a quarter," * — and by 1869, when the meeting was held, as at present, on Wednesday evening, it was referred to as "the weekly church meeting," as though a second week-day service were not so much as thought of. Among the changes which during Dr. Murray's pastorate marked the beginning of the present era, one of the most important concerned the activities then commenced among the women of the congrega- tion. In Christian work of every sort the part played to-day by the women of our churches is so important that we find it difficult to conceive what the condi- tions would be, were they to become inactive. Yet it must be remembered that this great importance of women's work is a very modern development. When Dr. Murray came to the Brick Church the women had only begun to discover their powers, but before his departure their work had assumed definite shape and had already acquired a place of unquestionable prominence and practical value in the church's pro- gramme. Long before this time women had, of course, been active in Sunday-school work and their benevolent impulses had no doubt found abundant expression in personal charities, and to some extent in money- raising auxiliaries of the prominent missionary and benevolent organizations of the church at large, f * It was held on Tuesdays that year. t A " Female Auxiliary Tract Association of the Brick Church," for example, had been in existence before tlie middle of the century. The account book of the treasurer of this organization for the years 1837 to 186), is preserved in the church archives. Its subscription lists constitute an interesting roll of the givers and workers among the Brick Church women for that period. "THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH" 329 but for women alone the only distinctive organized work in the Brick Church had been a struggling little "Dorcas Society," concerning which but few facts have come down to us. We do not even know when it was founded. Its chief purpose, as its name im- plies, was to provide garments for the poor ; but occa- sionally, we are told, it also superintended the sending of a home missionary box. Aside from these scanty facts, the only thing we know about the Dorcas So- ciety is connected with the burning of Dr. Hoge's house one night in February, 1860. It seems that on that occasion the entire clothing of Dr. Hoge's family was either burnt, or spoiled by the water used in extinguishing the fire, so that the chil- dren were forced to stay in bed till clothes could be borrowed for them from the neighbors. But the Dorcas Society came to the rescue. The members were promptly called together and worked to such good purpose that by Sunday the minister's family had all been refitted and could appear in church with new clothes of their own. * In January, 1869, some of those who had been active in this society decided that, by adopting a somewhat different plan of work, they could accom- plish a great deal more good. If, instead of making with their own hands the garments to be given away in charity, they employed for that purpose poor women who needed work and especially work that could be done at home, it was evident that the value of the benevolence would be doubled. This plan was already in use in a society in the Marble Collegiate * These facts are taken from a letter written by Miss Sophia Ely in 1902. 330 THE BRICK CHURCH Church on Twenty-ninth Street, and the women of the Brick Church now adopted it, forming for that purpose what has ever since been known as the Em- ployment Society.* For some time the old Dorcas Society continued its work in cooperation with the newer organization. The latest mention of it was in April, 1871. The work of the Employment Society, which was carefully systematized, is worthy of being described in some detail. The first necessity was to secure capital for running the business — for "business" is the proper word to use: the society was really en- gaged in a small way in the manufacture and sale of clothing. The needed capital was provided by an- nual subscriptions from the members, by donations, and, after the work had been started, by the proceeds of the sales. A certain portion of the money was then expended for materials, and the records show that the buying committee were constantly on the alert to lay in their supply when prices were most favorable. The rest of the money was set aside for the payment of the women employed to do the sewing. Meantime the garments must be cut out, and for this purpose the cutting committee met in the * The following were the members whose names appear in the records of the first year: Mrs. Barbour, Beebe, Blakeman, Bonnett, Brown, Buchan, Buchanan, Burr, Church, Clark, Comstock, Corning, Downer, Dunning, Oilman, Ilolbrook, Holden, Lathrop, Morgan, Murray, Odcll, Paton, Shedd, Stafford, Talmage, Tucker, Watson, White; Misses Bon- nett, Donaldson, Houghton, Lord, Parish, Phelps, Smith, Vernon, Vose. To Mrs. W. G. T. Shedd, who was first directress for several years from the time of the society's organization, much of the success of the society was due. The minutes of the board of managers from the begimiing till the present time have been carefully preserved. "THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH" 331 church rooms on Friday mornings, while many of the members continued this work at home between the meetings. Frequently from three to four hundred garments would be cut in a single month. The employment of women to do the sewing was managed by a system of "permits." Each annual subscriber had the privilege of sending, in the course of a season, a certain number of applicants. If the subscriber's recommendation and her guarantee of the return of the materials were satisfactory, a permit was issued which entitled the applicant to receive work from the distributing committee. When fin- ished, the work was brought back and submitted for inspection. Here was encountered one of the chief difficulties: the women were often found to be far from skilful with their needles. Various expedi- ents for solving the problem thus created were pro- posed from time to time, such as, the absolute refusal of work to persons not competent; the re- quirement that work be done over when not satis- factory; the imposing of some sort of penalty upon the sewer or upon the subscriber who had recom- mended her; or the offering of some sort of reward, especially the promise of double the amount of work, to those whose work was well done. But the happiest expedient attempted was one which responded to the need by introducing, in addition to the society's des- ignated work of "employment," some features prop- erly belonging to a sewing-school. A concrete instance may be given. At a meeting in January, 1871, the subject of poor sewing "was enlarged upon," the minutes tell us, and in the course of the discussion "one girl was alluded to as a great 332 THE BRICK CHURCH object of charity, but a very poor sewer." There- upon, the record continues, "Mrs. Odell cut the dis- cussion short by kindly offering to give her instruc- tion in her own house, to see if she showed any disposition to improve under proper teaching." It is pleasant to read in the minutes of the next meeting that Mrs. Odell's pupil already showed "decided improvement." When the garments had been completed and the women paid for their work, the next problem was to dispose of the finished product. Occasionally, when a large stock had accumulated, donations were made to the Dorcas Society or other similar organizations, but for the most part the goods were sold. The prices were adjusted in accordance with a double standard: members of the society and their friends paid the full, or nearly the full, cost of materials and making; while to the poor and to charitable societies garments were sold at a small percentage of the cost-price. In order to give some conception of the amount of work accomplished by this useful organization, the results of a single season chosen at random, that of 1871-1872, may be noted. Including the work done by the members during the summer months two thousand and ninety garments were cut out, and by the end of the season all but one hundred and eight of these had been finished. The sewers, who ranged from forty to seventy in number, had been paid $911.25. Garments sold had brought in nearly $900, and over $400 had been received in subscriptions and donations. As the years passed all these figures were materially increased. Out of the Employment Society there grew another "THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH" 333 organization. In order to follow up, in a more dis- tinctly personal and religious way, the work which the society was doing, a Bible reader, or visitor, had been employed, Miss Margaret Griffiths, whose duty it was to visit among the poor women of the mission. In the course of her visitations Miss Griffiths found a great many sick children whose need appealed to her most strongly, and to the women of the Brick Church, also, when she brought her report to them. The proposition was made that the Brick Church children be organized to meet this emergency, under the direction, of course, of their elders. The result was the Children's Society, which flourished for many years, and did an excellent work, not only for the sick children on the west side, but also for the boys and girls of the Brick Church, whom it trained in Christian service.* At the meetings of the society the girls were set to work at making simple children's garments, and the boys, who are, it must be confessed, somewhat hard to make useful under such circumstances, were fain to be content with making scrap-books. Besides this, a good deal of money was raised, and with it a work begun which was destined to extend far beyond the sphere to which it was originally limited. We shall in a subsequent chapter have a glimpse of the Chil- dren's Society during the next pastorate, and at a still later time shall learn how, in dying, it gave birth to another organization which remains and works to the present day. * The originators of this plan were Mrs. Norman White and Mrs. James O. Murray. Others who aided them were Mrs. Alexander McLean, Miss Mary M. Roberts, Mrs. John E. Parsons, Mrs. W. G. T. Shedd and Miss Houghton. 334 THE BRICK CHURCH In this account of the activities of Dr. Murray's pastorate, which mark the beginning of the present era, we come finally to the benevolences, which, with the ffrowine: wealth of the time had so increased in amount as to render the old schedules quite inade- quate, and which were now reorganized on a modern basis. The five annual offerings arranged in 1838 had, with some changes in the objects, continued un- til 18G4, when a sixth offering was added; but two years later the number was increased to nine, and in 1870 there were ten stated objects of Brick Church benevolence.* Except for the division of some of these into two or more, and the addition of two others,! the present schedule is practically the same. In 1871, in response to a recommendation of the Presbytery, an entirely different system was tempor- arily adopted, the so-called "plan of weekly giving," by which the members were invited to pledge a stated sum for each Sunday throughout the year, the entire amount so received being then apportioned by the session among the various causes. For a time the results of this change were highly satisfactory. In October, 1872, for example, it was reported that "the aggregate contril)iitions for the past year have con- siderably exceeded those of the preceding one, al- thouo;h the new svstem was not inaujjurated until the middle of December." But at the end of four years' time, when the excellence of novelty had worn off, it * These were, Church Erection, N. Y. Bible Society, Brick Church Mis- sion, Board of Freednicn, Domestic Missions, Board of Eilucation, For- eign Missions, Aged and Infirm Clergy Fund, City Missions, Board of Pub- lication. These offerings were taken on the third Sunday of each month except July and August. t For Hospitals and Church Federation. "THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH" 335 was felt that for the Brick Church the old arrange- ment was, on the whole, more successful, and the schedule of ten specific annual collections was re- sumed. The spirit in which the church at this time ap- proached this whole subject of giving is well illus- trated by the brief address on the subject of " Chris- tian Beneficence" which the session prepared in 1865 and published in the "catalogues" of the congrega- tion for 1866 and subsequent years. In this little publication, it may be added, no other department of the church's life, except the duty of Christian disci- pleship as a whole, was given so much space. "That our prosperity as a church," the session declare, "is closely connected with the use of prop- erty for religious objects, is apparent from the Word of God. As an explanation of our frequent public contributions in the church, members are here re- minded of first principles made known in the Script- ures." They then proceed to show that the religion of the Old Testament was inseparably connected with "statedly recurring tithes and offerings, so that no conscientious Hebrew could fulfil the duties of the sanctuary without necessarily becoming a systematic giver"; that the prophetic teaching of later Israel was no less emphatic on this subject; that "the pre- cepts and example of the Saviour confirmed all previ- ous teaching as to the importance of alms-giving, and gave assurance of great spiritual benefit result- ing therefrom," and finally that "apostolic authority enjoins Christian liberality as a grace in which Christians were to abound." S36 THE BRICK CHURCH Therefore, they conclude, " regarding alms-giving as an imperative Christian duty, an exalted Christian privilege, a means of grace, and an act of worship, the session of the Brick Church recommend all its members to accord to Christian beneficence a high place in their Christian life, and to see that it be un- ostentatious, cheerful, systematic and prayerful." That this appeal of the session to the spirit of gen- erous giving in the people met with a large response, the statistics of the offerings for these years plainly testify. Though not so eloquent, in the form of ex- pression, as the words of the church officers just quoted, the figures reported by the treasurer from year to year did certainly possess a certain eloquence of their own. In 1865, the people had given about $19,000, a very large figure, it was thought at the time, and more than twice as much as had ever been given in any one year up to three years previous. But in 1866, the next year, the people of the Brick Church gave $61,550. The special work * which caused such an amazing increase at this time will form the subject of the next chapter, and for the present it is necessary only to notice the amount contributed. The next year, when the same special demand con- tinued, the contributions reached almost the same figure, amounting to over $59,000. This was re- markable enough, but when, after the special need of those two years has been met and left behind, the offerings continue, in 1868 and 1869, to aggregate as much or more, we become aware of a new standard of giving adopted by the people of the Brick Church. *The building of the Brick Church Mission on West Thirty-fifth Street. '*THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH" 337 After that there was, indeed, some falling off, but even so, there was no return to the old low figure of 1865. The congregation had learned how much they could give, if they chose, and were plainly dis- posed to take a large part in the religious and philan- thropic work of their day. CHAPTER XIX A WIDER HORIZON: 1857-1875 " When I ceased my active connection with the mission, I felt, and I had occa- sion frequently to say, that I looked upon the twenty years of my service there as the most profitable of any work in wliich I had been engaged. I doubt if there is any work in this city which bears larger or more satisfactory fruit than this." — John E. Parson.s, from an address in "The Story of the Christ Church Work," pp. 43/. "Behold, I have set before thee an open door." — Revelation 3 : 8. OF all that was accomplished during Dr. Mur- ray's pastorate nothing can be compared in importance with the opening in 18G7, of the Brick Church Mission Chapel. The work for which this building was provided has already been several times alluded to in this history, for it had been started ten years before the date just mentioned. We must now turn back to trace its progress through those earlier years. It is fortunately possible to tell the story almost entirely in the words of those who were themselves the foremost workers in the enterprise. * * An address of Mr. John E. Parsons, first superintendent of the Brick Churcli Branch Sunday-school, dcUvered November 27th, 1905, and pub- lished in "The Story of the Christ Church Work," N. Y., 1906. Also a minute of the Brick Church session in 1866, on the origin of the mission, printed in tlie same pamphlet. It was signed by Dr. Murray as pastor, Mr. John E. Par.son.s, whose controlling influence in the work will be made abundantly evident in the succwding narrative, and Mr. George de Forest Lord, another devoted lalxirer in the school " who taught the b