«> 
 
 PRESENTED 
 
 <^%5 ^°f grave, T>>^.v^ 
 
 I 
 
 PSIHCEi 
 
 THSOL 
 
 BX 9211 .P49124 P705^872 
 Murphy, Thomas, 1823-1900. 
 One hundred years of the 
 Presbyterian Church of 
 
Woodburytype. 
 
 A. P. E. P. Co., Phila. 
 
 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF FRANKFORD, 
 
 A.S IT IS. 
 
ONE HUNDRED YEARS 
 
 Presbyterian Church 
 
 FRANKFORD. 
 
 COMPILED BY 
 
 THE KEY. THOMAS ^1URPHY. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA : 
 PUBLISHED BY THE CHURCH. 
 
 1872. 
 
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by 
 
 THE REV. THOMAS MURPHY, 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, in Washington. 
 
 JAS. B. RODGERS CO., 
 
 KLECTROTYPERS AND PRINTERS, 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
PEIHGETOH 
 .HEC. 0011882 
 
 INTEODUCTIO^. 
 
 WEDNESDAY, the Fourth of May, Eighteen 
 Hundred and Seventy, was a day never 
 to be forgotten in the history of the Pres- 
 byterian Church of Frankford. It was the 
 Centennial Anniversary of the laying of 
 the corner-stone of its first church edifice. 
 The occasion was observed with such an 
 impressiveness and such a gladness as were 
 becoming an epoch over which few churches, 
 at least in this land, are as yet permitted to 
 rejoice. The memory of the day itself should 
 be cherished. Its joy, its harmony, its hal- 
 lowed memories, its festivities, its impressive 
 services, its happy gathering, the smiles of 
 Providence that were upon it, should all be 
 recorded, that they may be read over in the 
 
 8 
 
4 INTR OD UCTION. 
 
 future for the renewed pleasure of those who 
 participated in them, or for the information of 
 those who may form this congregation when 
 its present members shall have passed away. 
 Some months previous to the day, the Ses- 
 sion of the Church appointed a committee of 
 eleven members of the congregation to make 
 suitable arrangements for its celebration. The 
 names of this committee w^ere, Reuben Myers, 
 Alfred H. Foster, John McMullen, Frederick 
 K. Womrath, James C. Thompson, Linford 
 Castor, Joseph Ball, Howard Yonker, Samuel 
 Wakeling, Wm. E. Hamill, Rudolph Adams. 
 Faithfully and well did this committee per- 
 form the duties which had been assigned them, 
 projecting a plan for the observance of the 
 day, forming themselves into sub-committees 
 for carrying out that plan, and devising means 
 by which all necessary expenses should be pro- 
 vided for. But the committee were not under 
 the necessity of acting alone. The officers of 
 the Church, its Session and Trustees, and the 
 members of the congregation generally, entered 
 into the work most heartily. To the ladies 
 
INTRODUCTION. 5 
 
 particularly thanks are due for the successful 
 manner in which most of the arrangements 
 were carried out. It was by them that money 
 was collected, that bountiful entertainment 
 was prepared, and numberless efforts made for 
 the welcome reception of all friends who might 
 come to share in the festivities of the joyous 
 occasion. So completely were all the arrange- 
 ments made, and with so much unanimity did 
 all enter into the matter, that from first to last 
 there was not one ^serious disappointment, and 
 not one thing to disturb the perfect harmony 
 and good feeling. All looked forward hope- 
 fully to the important occasion, but the success 
 w^hich attended its observance went far beyond 
 the expectations of any. 
 
 When the day arrived the weather itself 
 was propitious. The days before had been 
 stormy — those which followed were cold and 
 gloomy. But upon this day the sun rose 
 cheerfully, and the air of early May was mild 
 and balmy. It seemed as if Providence was 
 smiling upon us even in this respect. An 
 
 almost Sabbath calm prevailed. The serene 
 
 1* 
 
6 INIR OD UCTION. 
 
 atmosphere and joyous sunshine tempted all 
 abroad, and spread over all a feeling of cheer- 
 fulness. 
 
 Outside of the Church, which stood upon 
 the ground that had been devoted to the 
 worship of God for an hundred years, all was 
 calm, and bright, and inspiring. Never had 
 its old trees looked down upon happier hearts 
 than upon the hundreds who were gathering 
 into the house of God that morning. Inside 
 of the Church there was felt to be an almost 
 sacred satisfaction by every one that entered. 
 The simple, yet most appropriate and impres- 
 sive decorations which covered the walls and 
 hung from the ceiling, the fragrance emitted from 
 wreaths and flowers, and the hearty words of 
 welcome filled all with surprise and pleasure. 
 The adornments were not elaborate, but they 
 were beautiful in their simplicity and in the 
 suitable thoughts they were calculated to 
 awaken. On the platform which extended 
 across the pulpit end of the church there were 
 two wide-spreading century plants emblema- 
 tic of the great occasion. Spanning the pulpit, 
 
INTRODUCTION. 7 
 
 on the wall, in letters of evergreens, was the 
 sublime and fitting text, — ^' Thou hast been 
 our dwelling-place in all generations." Before 
 this text stood conspicuously the figures, 1770 
 — after it, 1870. Noble festoons of laurel, 
 ivy, and cedar sprang down from the four 
 corners of the ceiling, and were looped up 
 together at its centre. Wreaths surrounded 
 the gas brackets around the walls, from which 
 also were suspended fragrant hanging baskets 
 of flowers. Flowers, as fresh and beautiful as 
 that May morning, were on the pulpit, on the 
 platform, in the garlands which wreathed the 
 gallery, wherever the eye could turn. The 
 purest sense was gratified, the sweetest thoughts 
 awakened. 
 
 Previous to the anniversary there was much 
 speculation as to whether a large attendance 
 could be secured on a day in the middle of the 
 week ; but as the hour of the morning exer- 
 cises arrived all anxiety on that score dis- 
 appeared. The house soon began to fill. In 
 the afternoon it was crowded. In the evening 
 very many could not find room to enter. It 
 
8 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 was a most inspiring scene, as the cars brought 
 load after load of friends from the city, as car- 
 riages drove in from all the surrounding 
 country, and as the streets in every direction 
 were alive with persons coming to join our 
 happy celebration. Many persons came from 
 a distance who themselves in former days had 
 worshijDped in the Church, or whose ancestors 
 and other relatives had been connected with 
 it. Members of families long separated came 
 together in the spot hallowed to them all. 
 Friends who, in former days. Sabbath after 
 Sabbath, had gone up to the old Church in 
 company, now met once more on earth, before 
 the days of their pilgrimage were ended. 
 Representatives of old families of the Church 
 came home again, some of them from distant 
 States. At the joyous re-union how many 
 sacred old associations were revived ! how 
 many hallowed remembrances of the past were 
 brought up ! how many sacred scenes were re- 
 vived, and fixed still more indelibly on mem- 
 ory ! how many dear names were spoken of 
 which were once cherished on earth, but now 
 
INTR OD UCTIOK 9 
 
 recorded in the General Assembly and Church 
 of the First-born above ! Besides those who 
 were thus drawn together by the precious 
 memories and associations of the past there 
 were also large numbers of others present. 
 All the denominations of the community 
 were largely represented. On the platform 
 there were ministers of the various churches, 
 United Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Epis- 
 copalian and others. Clergymen and other 
 distinguished visitors, including the Mayor of 
 the city and judges of the courts, honored us 
 with their presence. Such a concourse of 
 honored names had probably never been gath- 
 ered together on one occasion in Frankford. 
 
 It was a great source of pleasure to the 
 Committee having the celebration in charge, 
 that they were able to secure the services of 
 such eminent men as speakers for the occasion. 
 Most kindly and promptly did they consent to 
 be present, and lend their aid. It was also 
 highly gratifying that all those who had en- 
 gaged to deliver the addresses, save two, were 
 enabled to attend. Hon. J. Ross Snowden, 
 
10 INTRODUCTION, 
 
 whose father, in olden times, had often 
 preached in the church, was prevented by sick- 
 ness. The Rev. Henry W. Biggs, son of one of 
 the former pastors, was also providentially pre- 
 vented from being present. The addresses 
 were in every respect such as to give the high- 
 est satisfaction. They were listened to with 
 the deepest interest by the vast audiences who 
 were present morning, afternoon, and evening. 
 They touched upon almost every point that 
 was appropriate to the Centennial Anniversary 
 of a Presbyterian Church, and of this Church 
 in particular. It was fortunate that, through 
 the skill of an excellent phonographer, the Rev. 
 S. M. Stiles, of the Methodist Church, these 
 addresses have been preserved so fully; and 
 that they may thus be handed down in this 
 volume. 
 
 The music of the occasion w^as not its least 
 attractive feature. Conducted entirely by the 
 Church's own choir, the expressions of satisfac- 
 tion it called forth from every quarter were all 
 the more gratifying. The choir entered fully 
 into the spirit of the day. This they could 
 
INTR on UCTION. 1 1 
 
 well do, for the Church was dear to them, as it 
 had been to many of their fathers. This 
 hearty love for the cause gave zeal in the selec- 
 tion of the music, and inspired life and excel- 
 lency in the sacred songs with which the exer- 
 cises of the day were diversified. Most ani- 
 mating were the moments when some dear old 
 tunes, uttering words hallowed to the children 
 of God, were joined in by the vast assemblage, 
 «nd filled the whole house with the sounds of 
 praise. 
 
 As it is desirable that all the prominent 
 events of the day should be fixed upon record, 
 there must be mention made of the abundant 
 entertainment which had been provided. This 
 was, of course, the work of the ladies. With 
 taste and zeal they had planned for receiving, 
 with the most generous hospitality, all friends 
 who might come up to the great assembly. It 
 was believed that large numbers of strangers 
 would come to spend the happy day with us, 
 and nothing was left undone which it was sup- 
 posed would add to the heartiness with which 
 they would be welcomed. The expenses neces- 
 
12 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 sary for this provision were contributed most 
 cheerfully. Though over one thousand dollars, 
 in money, and in the estimated value of arti- 
 cles donated, were required, there was no diffi- 
 culty in collecting enough — yea, more than 
 enough. So great was the enthusiasm that 
 there should be no deficiency in the hospitality, 
 that an overflowing abundance was offered 
 without any urgency of application. Dinner 
 and tea were ]3rovided, and all comers were 
 invited to partake in the festivities of the day. 
 The Sabbath-school room of the Church was 
 furnished with elegance and true taste for the 
 cheerful gathering. Five tables extended the 
 length of the room, and were fairly ablaze 
 with shining plate, with brilliant flowers, and, 
 above all, with the savory and substantial 
 dishes with which they were loaded. Course 
 after course of guests filled these tables, and 
 made the whole scene most animated and 
 cheering. It was estimated that not less than 
 fifteen hundred individual repasts were par- 
 taken of, and still there were preparations for 
 more. Of all the pleasure furnished by this 
 
INTR on UCTION. 1 3 
 
 entertainment, there was none so great as that 
 of the fair entertainers, who doubly rejoiced in 
 the enjoyment of their friends. 
 
 As a part of the history of this celebration, 
 we give extracts concerning it from some of 
 the journals of the day, whose editors or 
 reporters were present. A desire to preserve 
 it as fully as possible for the future may apolo- 
 gize for retaining the reference to the historical 
 address read on the occasion, which perhaps 
 good taste required to be omitted. 
 
 The editor of " The Presbyterian," the Rev. 
 Matthew B. Grier, D. D., w^ho was present on 
 the occasion, and took part in the exercises, 
 gave this account of it in the next issue of 
 that paper : — 
 
 " A very bright and pleasant day was Wednesday, the 
 4th inst., the day of the centennial anniversary of the 
 Frankford Presbyterian Church. The Church was gar- 
 landed wdth evergreens and gay with spring flowers. On 
 the walls were '1770 — 1870,' indicating the years 
 through which the church's life had run, and with them 
 words of Scripture most appropriate to the time and 
 place. ' Thou hast been our dwelling-place in all genera- 
 tions.' A large platform extended entirely across the 
 
14 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 eastern end of the church, on which was seated a large 
 number of ministers of our Church and some of other 
 denominations. At the other end of the church was the 
 choir, with the organ, which varied the services by appro- 
 priate music throughout the day. 
 
 The services of the Anniversary were divided into 
 three parts, and the morning, afternoon and evening were 
 thus occupied. The introductory address was made by 
 the Rev. Dr. Musgrave, and the historical address, con- 
 taining a resume of the events which had marked the 
 church's life for the century just past, by the Rev. 
 Thomas Murphy, who has been for twenty years the use- 
 ful and beloved pastor of the church. This address, 
 which was the chief feature of the exercises of the morn- 
 ing, Avas undoubtedly one of the finest historical sketches 
 we have ever heard. Much labor had been expended 
 upon it, but this appeared only in the exactness and ful- 
 ness of statements in regard to the events of the church's 
 history. The style of the address was admirable ; and 
 though the reading lasted one hour and a half, it was lis- 
 tened to without weariness to the close. Five well defined 
 periods were described as belonging to the history of the 
 church, and in each of these some marked and salient 
 event was used, around which the other events of the 
 period were grouped. We were surprised to find that for 
 the first thirty- two years of its existence the church had 
 belonged to the German Reformed body, and joined the 
 Presbyterian Church in 1802. The names and services of 
 
INTR OD UCTIOK 1 5 
 
 many of the pastors, particularly of the Rev. Mr. Doak 
 and the Rev. Dr. Biggs, now departed, were made sub- 
 jects of special mention. The names of those who had 
 served as elders and trustees in the church were carefully 
 noted. Very few of our churches, which have reached 
 the age of one hundred years, will have as full and accu- 
 rate a history as that which has been so finely written of 
 the Church in Frankford by its pastor. 
 
 In the afternoon, the Rev. Dr. William D. Howard, of 
 Pittsburg, Pa., who was pastor of the Church at Frank- 
 ford from 1838 to 1849, gave his reminiscences, which 
 were very interesting. He described the old Church as it 
 was when he assumed the pastorate, the Church that was 
 removed to make room for the present fine structure. 
 He paid a hearty and affectionate tribute of praise to 
 some of those who labored with him in the gospel, and 
 who stood fast by the Church in its low estate, but who 
 have gone to the assembly and church of the first-born 
 in heaven. After Dr. Howard came addresses from Dr. 
 Hodge and Dr. McCosh, of Princeton, who had come to 
 join in the pleasant services of the day, and who spoke 
 with much force and aptness. 
 
 In the evening addresses were made by the Rev. Dr. 
 Beadle and Judge Allison, of Philadelphia, and Dr. 
 John Hall, of New York ; but these we were not so for- 
 tunate as to hear. Thus ended, amidst joy and congratu- 
 lation, the well-devised and well-ordered proceedings of 
 this important era in the history of the Frankford 
 
1 6 INTR OD UCTION. 
 
 Church. May the close of the century ujDon which it has now 
 entered find it in abundant prosperity ; the centre, as now, 
 of good influences, and the home of many precious souls. 
 We must not forget to add that the hospitalities ex- 
 tended by the Church to the strangers who were drawn by 
 the attractive services of the day to Frankford, were 
 generous and hearty. The ladies of the Church had pro- 
 vided dinner and tea, and gave their guests such a boun- 
 ful entertainment that, we doubt not, many of them 
 wished that they could see their fair entertainers oftener 
 than once in a century. And the only shade of regret 
 which steals in on such occasions, comes with the thouo-ht 
 that when the anniversary arrives again, all the faces 
 which looked so bright and happy last week, will have 
 vanished from the earth, and all the voices that spoke or 
 sang be silent on earth forever. Blessed be God for the 
 hope that all will at last be gathered where the wor- 
 shippers do not separate, and where the generations that 
 have successively filled one Church on earth will sing 
 together of the loving-kindness of the Lord, and praise 
 Him who has been the dwelling-place of his people in all 
 generations." 
 
 The next extract is from the " Reformed 
 (German) Church Messenger." This notice of 
 the event is valuable, as coming from a lead- 
 ing journal of that body with which the 
 Church was originally connected. 
 
INTR OD UCTION. 17 
 
 "A very interesting series of religious exercises was 
 held in the Frankford Presbyterian Church on the 4th 
 inst. They were participated in by a large number of 
 Presbyterian clergymen, to whom was added Judge Alli- 
 son of this city. It was the centennial celebration of the 
 laying of the corner-stone of the first Church. The pro- 
 ceedings possess more or less interest for members of the 
 Reformed church, in view of the early ecclesiastical rela- 
 tions of the congregation. 
 
 The pastor, the Rev. Thomas Murphy, presented a full 
 and interesting history of the Church from its commence- 
 ment to the present day. As is known to some of our 
 more aged ministers, this Church was organized and sus- 
 tained as a Reformed church for a number of years, but 
 eventually passed over into the Presbyterian church, as 
 did some others in other sections of the church, about 
 the same time and at a later period, in consequence of the 
 introduction of the English language into the services, to 
 which our early German ministers manifested a marked 
 degree of hostility. The transition, in some instances, 
 was made, not only with their full approbation, but even 
 at their suggestion. How far this applies to the present 
 case, our sources do not authorize us to assert positively. 
 The transition, however, was at least more legitimate and 
 justifiable, than are some efiected at a later day. 
 
 According to the historical statement of the pastor, 
 which, as far as our knowledge extends, is correct, the 
 corner-stone of the original building was laid on the 4th 
 
 2* 
 
18 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 of May, 1770. During the first thirty-two years of its 
 connection with the Synod of the German Reformed 
 church, the services were conducted exclusively in the 
 German language. In 1802 the English language was 
 introduced, and some few years later, we presume soon 
 after the close of the services of its last pastor, connected 
 with the Reformed church, the Rev. John William Run- 
 kel, in November, 1805, the congregation passed over to 
 the Presbyterian church." 
 
 The next extracts are from " The Hohnes- 
 burg Gazette," penned by its editor, Mr. W. F. 
 Knott. We omit his very full account of the 
 addresses, and give only a few paragraphs de- 
 scriptive of the more general exercises. 
 
 " Last Wednesday was a day in the history of Frank- 
 ford, that will long be remembered by its citizens as the 
 occasion of the Centennial Anniversary of the Presbyte- 
 rian Church. For some time past this event was looked 
 forward to with an interest that knew no abatement until 
 the occasion itself should arrive, and the good work be 
 duly consummated. As if acting in concert, the weather 
 was all that could be desired — clear, cool and pleasant. 
 The fine rain of the evening previous served to purify the 
 atmosphere, and lay the dust in the streets, thus enabling 
 strangers who had been drawn to Frankford to partici- 
 pate in this event to enjoy, during the recess of the ses- 
 sions, a promenade along its thoroughfares. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 19 
 
 The interior of the Church was most beautifully deco- 
 rated. From each of the gas brackets hung suspended a 
 magnificent basket of rich and luxurious plants, while, 
 from the ceiling of the recess in the rear of the pulpit, 
 hung suspended a large, and elegantly arranged bouquet 
 of flowers, — a credit to the fair fingers that weaved it 
 together in so artistic a manner. At each end of the 
 platform was placed a fine specimen of the " Century " 
 plant, seeming so appropriate with the day itself. In the 
 centre of the ceiling was fastened a large wreath of ever- 
 green, which threw out long streamers in various direc- 
 tions, while the walls over the windows were festooned 
 with the same materials. 
 
 Long before the hour announced for the commence- 
 ment of the morning session, the large building was filled 
 by a large and intelligent audience, who seemed desirous 
 of taking part in the interesting exercises of the day. The 
 platform was filled by eminent clergymen of the Presby- 
 terian Church, and others holding oflicial connection 
 therewith. 
 
 At the close of Mr. Murphy's address another anthem 
 was sung by the choir, after which the Kev. Henry W. 
 Beggs pronounced a Benediction. The announcement 
 was now made to the large audience assembled, that the 
 ladies of the Church had prepared a dinner for those who 
 chose to partake of it. The lecture-room had been 
 handsomely fitted up for these festival purposes. Five 
 long tables were erected, each of which would accommo- 
 
20 INTR OD UCTION. 
 
 date on an average forty-five persons. These tables were 
 covered with everything that the fancies of the lady 
 managers could suggest, in the shape of excellently pre- 
 pared edibles, and which it is needless for us to say was 
 liberally patronized. It was thought that about six hun- 
 dred took dinner, while the kind offer of the ladies to 
 furnish supper was accepted by about one thousand per- 
 sons. 
 
 During the recess that intervened between the after- 
 noon and evening sessions, the streets of Frankford were 
 made to assume quite a lively appearance by the prome- 
 nade of many of the friends in attendance at the Church. 
 Stepping into the room, previously referred to as being 
 fitted up by the Society for the entertainment of their 
 guests, the same magnificent sight met the eye as was 
 observable at the noon-day meal — tables handsomely 
 decorated with flowers, and heavily freighted with sub- 
 stantial tokens of good-will and esteem. We must be 
 pardoned for saying here that we think for courtesy, 
 kindness and liberality, the ladies of Frankford are un- 
 excelled. We could not help wishing that their future 
 lives might be full of happiness, and that they might be 
 spared to entertain their friends upon future occasions. 
 
 " Lord, Dismiss us with Thy Blessing," was sung by the 
 choir and congregation, after which the Benediction was 
 pronounced, and the large assemblage began to disperse, 
 happy at the thought that they had been participants in 
 an Anniversary held under such auspicious circumstances. 
 
INTR OD UCTION. 21 
 
 We cannot close our somewhat imperfect sketch of the 
 Proceedings of this Anniversary without making special 
 reference to the perfect manner in which the event was 
 managed in all its details. The committee all seemed to 
 have done their work admirably — laboring together in 
 harmony, and determined to spare no pains to make the 
 visit of their friends an interesting one. We feel sure 
 that all who participated in this Centennial Anniversary 
 will long remember the occasion, and regret that such a 
 thing comes but once in a hundred years." 
 
 Most of the daily papers of the city had full 
 reports of the Centennial ; we give the opening 
 and closing paragraphs of one of the most com- 
 plete of them — that contained in " The Press." 
 
 " At an early hour a rejoicing throng began pouring 
 into the beautiful Church structure, at the corner of Main 
 and Church streets, and at the opening of the exercises 
 the Church was filled in every part. The interior of the 
 Church was beautifully decorated. From the ceiling and 
 upon every wall graceful festoons depended: numerous 
 hanging baskets were hung at short distances from each 
 other, while a large number of potted tropical plants, 
 exquisite bouquets, and vases of cut flowers rendered the 
 scene one of great beauty. 
 
 The platform was occupied by prominent clergymen 
 and others invited to participate in the interesting exer- 
 cises of the day. 
 
22 INTR OD UCTION. 
 
 The music was rendered by a large choir in an excel- 
 lent manner, the selections being made with great taste 
 and a due regard for the jubilant character of the occa- 
 sion. 
 
 At the conclusion of these eloquent addresses, of which 
 w^e can only give the foregoing scanty abstract, the 
 audience was dismissed with the benediction, and dispersed 
 full of the best and happiest feelings, and greatly impressed 
 with the golden truths w^hich they had caught from the 
 lips of the denomination's greatest champions. 
 
 AVe cannot conclude this report without special men- 
 tion of the great courtesy shown us by the Committee on 
 the celebration, who fairly overwhelmed us with their 
 warm hospitalities and ministrations to our comfort 
 during the protracted stay which the occasion demanded. 
 We append the names of the members of this committee : 
 Reuben Myers, chairman ; Joseph Ball, secretary ; Lin- 
 ford Castor, treasurer; Alfred H. Foster, John McMullin, 
 William E. Hamill, Frederick K. Womrath, Rudolph 
 Adams, Samuel Wakeling, Howard Yonker, and James 
 C. Thompson." 
 
 Such was this memorable day in the exis- 
 tence of the Presbyterian Church of Frank- 
 ford. It is no wonder that the whole commu- 
 nity was alive and excited by the occasion. It 
 is no wonder that, on every hand, from those 
 who entered heartily into it, was heard the 
 
INTR OD UCTION. 23 
 
 assertion, '' It was the happiest day I ever 
 spent." It was a day that never can be for- 
 gotten. Not only in the event which it cele- 
 brated, but also in its own successful and 
 happy occurrences, it was one day of a cen- 
 tury. 
 
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION. 
 
 Morning Services, 10 A. M. 
 
 REV. MATTHEW B. GRIER, D. D., PRESIDING. 
 
 I. 
 
 INVOCATION. 
 
 BY THE KEV. JOSEPH BEGGS. 
 
 WE would worship and adore thee, O God, as. the 
 self-existent, the independent, and the ever- 
 blessed God. Thou hast been our dwelling-place in 
 all generations. We thank thee this morning for thy 
 wondrous mercy and grace to thy church ; and espe- 
 cially would we thank thee for thy goodness and thy 
 mercy to this particular church. We thank thee for 
 all that thou hast done for us ; and, as we come here 
 to-day to worship and to talk of the things pertaining 
 
 to thy kingdom, we pray that thine especial presence 
 ^ 25 
 
26 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 and thy blessing may be with us ; that every thing 
 that may be clone this day shall redound to the pro- 
 motion of thy great glory and to the advancement of 
 the Redeemer's kingdom upon the earth. We pray 
 that thou wouldst be with us when singing the songs 
 of Zion, and grant that, notwithstanding the sins and 
 the imperfections that cling to our nearest approaches 
 unto thee, the words of our mouths and the medita- 
 tions of our hearts may be acceptable in thy siglit, 
 O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen. 
 
 IT. 
 HYMN. 
 
 READ BY THE REV. JAMES PRICE, 
 
 PASTOR OF THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF FRANKFORD, 
 
 AND SUNG BY THE CHOIR AND CONGREGATION. 
 
 All people that on earth do dwell, 
 Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice, 
 
 Him serve with mirth, His praise forth tell, 
 Come ye before Him and rejoice. 
 
 Know that the Lord is God indeed, 
 
 Without our aid He did us make ; 
 We are His flock, He doth us feed, 
 
 And for His sheep, He doth us take. 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 27 
 
 enter then His gates with praise, 
 
 Approach with joy His courts unto ; 
 Praise, laud, and bless His name always, 
 
 For it is seemly so to do. 
 
 Because the Lord our God is good, 
 
 His mercy is for ever sure ; 
 His truth at all times firmly stood. 
 
 And shall from age to age endure. 
 
 III. 
 
 READING OF THE gCRIPTURES. 
 
 BY THE REV. W. E. SCHENCK, D. D. 
 
 PSALM XLVIII. 
 
 1. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our 
 God, in the mountain of his holiness. 
 
 2. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount 
 Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great king. 
 
 3. God is known in her palaces for a refuge. 
 
 4. For lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. 
 
 5. They saw it, and so they marvelled ; they were troubled, 
 and hasted away. 
 
 6. Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman 
 in travail. 
 
 7. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind, 
 
 8. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord 
 of hosts, in the city of our God : God will establish it forever. 
 Selah. 
 
28 THE PRESB YTERIAN CH UR CH 
 
 9. We have thought of thy loving kindness, God, in the 
 midst of thy temple. 
 
 10. According to thy name, God, so is thy praise unto the 
 ends of the earth : thy right hand is full of righteousness. 
 
 11. Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be 
 glad, because of thy judgments. 
 
 12. Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the tow- 
 ers thereof. 
 
 13. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye 
 may tell it to the generations following. 
 
 14. For this God is our God forever and ever: he will be our 
 guide eve7i unto death. 
 
 PSALM CXXII. 
 
 1. 1 was glad when the^^ said unto me, Let us go into the 
 house of the Lord. 
 
 2. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, Jerusalem, 
 
 3. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: 
 
 4. Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the 
 testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the 
 Lord. 
 
 5. For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the 
 house of David. 
 
 6. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem : they shall prosper that 
 love thee. 
 
 7. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy 
 palaces. 
 
 8. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say. 
 Peace be within thee. 
 
 9. Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy 
 good. 
 
OF FliAXKFORD. 29 
 
 lY. 
 PRAYEE. 
 
 BY THE REV. WILLIAM BLACKWOOD, D. D. 
 
 Almighty and ever-living Gocl, we desire now to 
 enter into thy heart-searching presence, to draw near 
 nnto the9, our Father in heaven, to praise thee for the 
 mercies of thy hand, humbly to confess our great 
 Lin worthiness, to tell thee of all our wants, and to 
 entreat thy forgiveness, and the abundant bestowal of 
 all the precious mercies that thou knowest we need for 
 the life that now is, and for a full and gracious pre- 
 ])aration for the life that is to come. O Lord, our 
 God, we entreat thee, lift now our hearts up unto thee 
 in humble trust, in the exercise of a spirit of faith 
 that realizes thy presence, that recognizes the faithful- 
 ness of thy character, as well as the freeness of mercy 
 that thou dost vouchsafe unto thy people. Put away 
 all will-worship ; put away out of our hearts, we 
 beseech thee, everything that is cold, that is formal, 
 and lead us now to thy throne in the spirit of thy 
 children ; and help us. Lord, to have communion with 
 thee, our Father, such as shall refresh and strengthen 
 our souls. 
 
 We bless thee that thou, who hast created us, who 
 dost hate all sin and abhor all iniquity, yet in mercy 
 
30 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 hast spared us, not only to crown us with the blessings 
 needful for the present life, but also to bestow npon us 
 the blessing of thy gospel, yea all the provisions of 
 the covenant ordered in all things and sure. We bless 
 thee, Almighty God, that in consequence of this, the 
 arrangement of thy grace, the lost race of the family 
 of man has heard the tidings of salvation. Wq bless 
 thee that the gospel has reached us ; and though our 
 fathers have rebelled against thee, though we have 
 been undutiful and rebellious likewise, yet Lord, didst 
 thou cheer them and bless us with tliy precious word, 
 with the organization of a church in the midst of us 
 and our generations ; and thou, Lord, art still con- 
 tinuing unto us this precious treasure, giving us so 
 richly, so continuously, to enjoy all that thy word 
 doth hold forth unto thy believing people. 
 
 We praise thee. Almighty God, that in the days 
 that are past thou didst organize a church in this 
 place. We recognize thy mercy unto the fathers that 
 have gone hence ; and we praise thee for all the light 
 thou didst give unto them in their day ; for the man- 
 ner in which thou didst direct and sustain them in thy 
 service; for all the grace given unto them in cheering 
 them, in looking forward to the realities of eternity. 
 We adore and magnify thy name that thou art still 
 present from day to day, blessing thy servants, giving 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 3 1 
 
 thy blessing, and causing this church and congrega- 
 tion still to be a living witness for thee. O Lord, our 
 God, we entreat thee, have mercy, and pour out the 
 abundance of thy blessing upon thy servants that 
 labor in this place ; upon the pastor, as every Sabbath 
 he may proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ ; 
 upon the eldership appointed to uphold his hands; 
 upon all the membership of the church, that one and 
 all may love, fear and serve thee, as it is their duty to 
 do ; give them, abundantly, we pray thee, the wisdom 
 that is from above. Strengthen thou the heart of the 
 pastor when difficulties seem to lie in his path ; give 
 him all the strength he requires for the ministry unto 
 which thou hast called him. Let him never labor in 
 his own wisdom or power, but bring him from Sab- 
 bath to Sabbath to this place endued with the Holy 
 Ghost, and let the gospel be accompanied with the 
 mighty power of God ; so shall it be effectual to 
 enlighten, to convince, to convert, to build up and to 
 prepare the people for glory. May his soul be 
 cheered and sustained, and during all the days of his 
 pilgrimage may he in his soul feel that God is merci- 
 ful, and that he is blessing him and the labor to 
 which he has been called. 
 
 May thy servants, the eldership in this place, be 
 men of prayer, of great wisdom, of much kindness 
 
32 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 and gentleness, loving their pastor, loving and kind to 
 all the people; may they, united, be helps to the min- 
 istry such as they ought to be. And may those that 
 are in the membership of the church feed upon the 
 gospel and grow in grace, and lay themselves out for 
 godly service, doing the will and mind of God, as 
 here taught from Sabbath to Sabbath ; may they live 
 for God — not only with God, but for God — and so 
 may they, in their day and generation, be a law unto 
 all around them, commending the gospel to the world 
 lying in sin and wickedness. 
 
 We entreat thee, Lord, grant a gracious outpouring 
 of thy Spirit from time to time upon thy servants in 
 this city. Yea, may they all be baptized in their 
 households, that their households may be Bethels ; 
 may fathers and mothers be faithful to their covenant 
 vows; may they see to it that in the discharge of 
 every duty they have undertaken they shall look for 
 the blessing, and wait and long for it, that when they 
 go hence they may leave behind them households 
 trained in faith and nurture of the Lord. 
 
 We entreat thee, bless all connected with this 
 church wherever the members or families may, in thy 
 providence, have been carried ; follow them with thy 
 blessing ; direct them in all the work of their hands. 
 And let thy blessing rest upon the pastors brought 
 
OF FBANKFORD. 33 
 
 together here, this day, on this interesting occasion. 
 Thou knowest what we need ; thou, wlio hast called 
 us unto thy service, who hast put us into the vine- 
 yard, Lord, Lord, thou searcher of the hearts of the 
 children of men, thou who goest through Jerusalem 
 as with lighted candles, and knowest every thought 
 and feeling of thy people's souls, knowest our difficul- 
 ties, our weaknesses, when and why we ffiint in thy 
 service; oh ! let thine arm uphold, let thine hand lead 
 us, let thy grace enrich our souls, and leave us not, 
 Lord, to yield or faint under the difficulties of our 
 ministry, but let thy blessing from day to day descend 
 upon us, that as our duties are we may have strength 
 from thee. Bless those to whom we minister; add 
 many to their number of such as believe. Help us. 
 Lord, that we may be faithful in all the duties to 
 which we are called ; and so may thy cause abun- 
 dantly prosper in our hands. Let thy blessing rest 
 upon all that from our church are going forth to the 
 desolations of this mighty land, that they may feel that 
 God is with them in the labor to which they have de- 
 voted themselves. Give them wisdom and strength for 
 their mission, and be helpful unto them from day to 
 day, and so may thy cause mightily prosper and prevail. 
 We vvould carry upon our hearts to thy footstool 
 our brethren who have g-one to the heathen. Thou 
 
34 THE PEESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 knoNvest all that they feel when they look out upon 
 the millions around them, engrossed with the world, 
 living in its lust, burdened with its sin, and yet dark, 
 and cold, and dead, and unbelieving ! Father, we 
 pray thee sustain them in the Avork to which they 
 have given themselves. Remember, Lord, thy agony 
 of Calvary; remember the covenant, the promise ; let 
 the time soon come wdien the heathen shall indeed be 
 given to Christ, and the uttermost parts of the earth 
 be his for a sure possession. 
 
 Hold not back. Lord, the blessing from thy servants 
 because of the prayerlessness, the unbelief and apathy 
 in the Church in this and other lands ; and when thy 
 servants, that have gone in obedience to thy call, 
 remember how little sympathy is felt, how little 
 interest is displayed, by those who have professed 
 to be thine, let not their hearts faint, but carry them 
 on in their duty, and give them thy blessing, we 
 beseech thee ; and let the evidence that thou art the 
 same, blessing the world by the agency appointed — 
 the evidence that thou art still faithful and gracious, 
 awake the Church to a clearer view of its great high 
 mission to evangelize the world. Hasten the time when 
 thy Church, thus awakened, shall be altogether glorious, 
 and thy people in every land shall address themselves 
 to the work of making known the blessed gospel of God. 
 
OF FBANKFORD. 35 
 
 We entreat thee be very merciful unto us ; forgive 
 our offences ; wherein we do that we ought not to do, 
 deal not with us as we provoke thee. Wash us iu the 
 blood that cleanseth from sin ; keej) us in thy fear ; be 
 helpful according to the cries of our necessities ; and 
 enable us to live so that when w^e pass hence, w^e may 
 have a clear title and abundant meetness for the rest 
 and inheritance of Jesus. 
 
 And now we commit unto thee the sick and afflicted. 
 We pray for all that are in tribulation and distress ; 
 w^e commend unto thee the dying, those who are now 
 near to Jordan ; oh, that their eyes may be enlightened, 
 that doubts, and apprehensions, and fears, may pass 
 away, and that with the soul strengthened and the 
 spirit waiting, they may be enabled to say, ^' I know 
 whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is 
 able to keep that which I have committed unto him 
 against that day ; " and so. Lord, from pain, and 
 weakness, and fainting, may they pass unto the better 
 land and behold Him who has loved them and washed 
 them in his blood. 
 
 Thus, Lord, we pray thee, bless us, yea, each of us ; 
 and when the time shall come that we shall feel the 
 dissolution of nature, then may the Lord be very 
 precious, and may our souls be filled with the peace of 
 God that passeth all understanding; and when the eye 
 
36 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 shall be closed in death, may our souls awake in the 
 New Jerusalem, and there be prepared for joining in 
 the song of Moses and the Lamb, " Unto him that 
 loved us and washed us." All that we ask is for 
 Jesus' sake. Amen. 
 
 Y. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS. 
 
 BY THE REV. GEORGE W. MUSGRAVE, D. D., LL. D. 
 
 My Christian friends, I accepted promptly the invita- 
 tion of the pastor to be present on this occasion, be- 
 cause I knew that it was not likely I should be asked 
 to take any part in the secoyid centennial anniversary 
 of this church; so it was now or never. But, aside 
 from that, it is some gratification to meet with Chris- 
 tian people on such an occasion as this, so rare at least 
 in this new country of ours. How few churches there 
 are in this land that can celebrate their first centenary 
 anniversary ! The great majority of our churches 
 have been organized within half a century, and 
 multitudes of them are not yet out of their teens ; 
 and some that existed a long while ago have become 
 extinct, and are known only in tlieir brief, and, in 
 some respects, melancholy history. I know it is hard 
 
OF FRANKFORT). 37 
 
 to kill a Presbyterian Church, it is such a sturdy 
 plant ; and yet we must acknowledge that some few 
 have died, and then others again have so changed 
 their character and location that their identity seems 
 to be almost lost. You can hardly believe that the 
 churches that once stood at certain points are the same, 
 now in the distance. Not only is the location changed, 
 but also there are very few of the descendants of the 
 men who organized the church and nursed it in its 
 infancy to be found; but here we celebrate the cen- 
 tenary anniversary of a church that occupies, not 
 precisely the same building to be sure, for this beau- 
 tiful house is comparatively new, but the same old 
 site. Here we stand upon the same hallowed ground 
 where our fathers erected their altars, and where per- 
 haps among those who are now present, are those 
 whose grandfathers knelt and worshipped our cove- 
 nant God. 
 
 I have sometimes regretted that our churches were 
 not more stable in some respects; that the houses 
 which are erected at the beginning should be so 
 ephemeral, intended merely for a temporary occupation. 
 How different it is in the Old Country ! There you 
 see the venerable piles that have stood for centuries, 
 and, in some instances, you have the name of the 
 family on the pew-door, where generations successively 
 
38 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUB CH 
 
 have worshipped God. Oh, what hallowed associa- 
 tions are thus connected with the house of God ! 
 How strong must be the tie that binds the family to 
 such a sanctuary, when they go to the same slip that 
 theii* fathers and grandfathers occupied, and the family 
 name is engraven upon the plate at the entrance of the 
 slips ! I say, I have sometimes regretted that we 
 should have buildings so temporary in their character 
 and use. I would that our sanctuaries were built for 
 centuries, and that the people might come through 
 successive generations to the same house, — the same 
 families occupying the same pews. I think it would 
 be a great gratification, and would have a moral influ- 
 ence exceedingly precious. But of course, in this new 
 country and with a population constantly shifting, 
 we cannot have such stability as is witnessed in the 
 fatherland. 
 
 But it is not only exceedingly interesting to mem- 
 bers of this church to come up here and celebrate 
 their centenary anniversary, but it is grateful also to 
 every Christian and to every enlightened people. We 
 could not say this if the character of this church was 
 different from what it is; for there are some institu- 
 tions called religious, some sects called Christians, that 
 have no religion and no Christianity, and vve would 
 not only take no interest in celebrating the anniver- 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 39 
 
 sary of such a — cliurch, shall I call it? — but, we 
 would also conscientiously abstain from countenancing 
 it. What Protestant would take any interest in the 
 anniversary of a Papal, Socinian, or Unitarian Church? 
 No, we rejoice on this occasion because we are cele- 
 brating the anniversary of an evangelical church, 
 an orthodox Presbyterian Church, holding the grand 
 doctrines of the Reformation, the glorious truths of 
 revelation, so honoring to God, so strengthening and 
 comforting and sanctifying to God's people; — truths 
 which have been instrumental in the conversion and 
 salvation of millions. Aye, it is because this church 
 has maintained its doctrinal purity, its evangelical 
 spirit, that we so rejoice at its centennial anniversary. 
 How melancholy the history of some churches ! 
 even those that were once orthodox. Alas ! alas ! 
 even some of the churches in which Calvin preached 
 and in which Luther ministered — where the reformers 
 proclaimed the gospel, even in those very houses there 
 are Socinianism and Rationalism proclaimed. And so 
 in our own country, young as it is, in New England, 
 in the city of Boston, some of those old churches once 
 resounded with the pure doctrine of the trinity, the 
 doctrines of the gospel, that are now corrupted into a 
 low Unitarianism. Thank God that this Frankford 
 Church, with others around here, has, for the century, 
 
40 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 maintained the truth as it is in Jesus, and preserved 
 its evangelical spirit. Oh, that is its glory ! that is 
 primarily at what we rejoice on such an occasion as 
 this. 
 
 But it is a Presbyterian Church ; and not only as 
 Christians, but, as I intimated, also as citizens, we 
 rejoice in its continuance ; for Presbyterians have the 
 old form, and through all the past ages have been the 
 staunch friends and defenders of civil liberty. AVhy, 
 all that this world now enjoys o^ freedom it owes to 
 the Presbyterian Church. Yes, wdiat would Great 
 Britain be to-day but for the Puritans and Calvin and 
 the Presbyterian Scotch and Irish? Who does not 
 know that our own government has been modeled 
 after our Presbyterian government? We rejoice in 
 the anniversary of such a church because we are 
 patriots, and rejoice that as long as there is a Presby- 
 terian Church on earth there will be one friend and 
 champion of religious freedom. 
 
 Moreover, we are interested in this anniversary too 
 on account of the catholicity of the Presbyterian 
 Church. This is another excellence of the Presbyte- 
 rian denomination — that she is one of the most catho- 
 lic of all her sister Protestant denominations. She 
 recognizes every child of God as a Christian brother 
 or sister. She recognizes every minister of Christ as 
 
OF FRA NKFORD. 41 
 
 an ambassador of God. She does not unchurch any 
 man that is a Christian. Why, even our Episcopal 
 brethren must acknowledge that in this respect we 
 have the advantage; for, though we claim to have 
 apostolic succession, and our Church association fairly 
 represents the original form of the Christian Cliurch, 
 thouof-h we believe that our ordination is the most 
 scriptural, and that Episcopal diocesans, Episcopal or- 
 dinations are unwarranted in Scripture, yet we do not 
 unchurch our Episcopal brethren. We would preach 
 for them if they would ask us. We ask them into 
 our pulpits, and sometimes thay do come ; we invite 
 them to our communion-table — we do not exclude 
 them, though they attempt to exclude us. 
 
 ^j the way, I feel I must tell you an anecdote; 
 shall I ? Well, there was an Episcopal gentleman in 
 New York, that frequently invited a Presbyterian 
 in the neighborhood, to go and* hear one of their 
 distinguished clergymen, and he went ; then the Pres- 
 byterian respectfully returned the compliment, and 
 wanted his Episcopal friend to go and hear some 
 distinguished Presbyterian minister ; he declined, 
 saying, he did not recognize his friend's minister as 
 having been lawfully ordained. A few weeks after, 
 the Episcopal friend asked his Presbyterian neighbor 
 to go with him again to hear a distinguished Episcopal 
 
 4* 
 
42 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 preacher. " Why," said the Presbyterian, '^ I cannot 
 do it, sir." Well, why not?" ''Why, I cannot 
 recognize that man's ministry." " Why not ? " 
 "Because he has not been scripturally ordained." 
 "Why, how so?" said the Episcopalian. "Why, 
 sir," answered the Presbyterian, " I do not read in 
 the Bible about bishops ordaining men, but I do read 
 about the ordaining of men by the laying on of the 
 hands of the presbytery ; and as that gentleman was 
 not ordained by a presbytery, I cannot recognize the 
 validity of his ordination." Well, that was turning 
 the tables upon his friend. He ought to have known, 
 however, that the Episcopalians very properly ordain 
 by presbyteries after all. You never knew a bishop 
 ordain a man single-handed ; he always has one or two 
 presbyters to present the candidate and unite in the 
 services ; and so, after all, it is ordination by the 
 presbytery, and hcHce we can consistently recognize it 
 as scriptural. 
 
 And so it is with the Baptists. They insist upon it 
 that a roan must be immersed, otherwise he cannot 
 come to the Lord's table. We believe affusion to be 
 the scriptural mode ; we are sure of it, and know that 
 for centuries it was the practice of the Church uni- 
 versally ; nevertheless, we w^ill not quarrel with our 
 Baptist brethren ; we allow them to have their 
 
I 
 
 OF FRANKFORD. 43 
 
 opinion, practise as they think best, but we do not 
 unchurch them ; we exchange pulpits with them 
 whenever they let us, and invite them to the Lord's 
 table with us though they will not let us come to 
 theirs. In short the Presbyterian Church is one of 
 the most liberal, catholic churches upon earth. While 
 it maintains firmly its own doctrine and polity, it 
 recoo-nizes Christ's imao-e anvwhere, takes by the hand 
 every true Christian, welcomes him to its bosom and 
 communes with him. Yes, and as a people how -ready 
 we are to co-operate with all other evangelical sects ! 
 Read the history of voluntaryism, and you will find 
 Presbyterians, after all, are their main supporters. 
 Your Bible, and Tract, and Sunday-school Union and 
 what-not — where does the money come from but 
 mainly from the Presbyterian Church ? And so she 
 shows her liberality and her catholicity by bidding 
 God-speed to all his people and heartily co-operating 
 with them in every good work and word. 
 
 Now, I say, a church so pure, so scriptural, so 
 liberal and catholic, ought to command the warmest 
 affection of every true patriot ; and hence this anni- 
 versary gives us pleasure, because wc may show our 
 gratitude and thanksgiving to God that this good old 
 church still exists and maintains its purity and gospel 
 spirit. The Lord help you to maintain it. lie- 
 
44 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 member to-day you are making history. Did you 
 hear it ? You who are members of this church are 
 every day, every year, making history for this 
 church — for the next century will be, under God, very 
 much what you make it. What shall its history be 
 when its second centennial anniversary shall be ob- 
 served ? Shall the orators on that occasion be able to 
 commend this church for its continued fidelity? Shall 
 the people of God rejoice that for two hundred years 
 the church of Frankford has maintained its integrity ? 
 I trust in God it will be so. Cultivate, then, the 
 spirit of God's truth, the spirit of true holiness, the 
 spirit of earnest piety. As members of this church 
 take a holy pride in her history ; try to improve it, if 
 practicable ; to make it still more distinguished and 
 successful. God grant that when the second centen- 
 nial anniversary arrives, the church then existing may 
 be able to commend the church of Frankford for its 
 fidelity to Christ and to his cause. 
 
 YI. 
 ANTHEM. 
 
 " THE LORD IS KING." 
 
 Chorus : 
 
 The Lord is King, The Lord is King, 
 
 The Lord is King, and hath put on glorious apparel. 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 45 
 
 And girded Himself with strength. 
 
 He hath made the round world so sure, that it cannot be moved 
 
 Duett : 
 
 Ever since, Ever since the world began, hath Thy seat been 
 prepared. 
 
 Ever since the world began. Thou art, from everlasting to 
 everlasting. 
 
 Bass Solo : 
 
 The floods are risen, 
 Lord, The floods lift up their voice, 
 The floods lift up their waves, 
 The waves of the sea are mighty, 
 And rage horribly, 
 But yet the Lord that dwelleth on high is mightier. 
 
 Recitative Tenor : 
 Thy testimonies Lord are sure, very sure. 
 
 Chorus : 
 Holiness, Holiness, becometh Thy house, for ever and ever. 
 Amen. 
 
 YII. 
 HISTORICAL ADDRESS. 
 
 BY THE TvEV. THOMAS MURPHY, PASTOR. 
 
 Why do we celebrate this handredth year of our 
 Church, and write the history of the way in which 
 God has led it? Because great is the gratitude we 
 
46 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHTJR CH 
 
 owe him for liaviug kept in existence so long this 
 branch of his Zion, and having favored it with such 
 a measure of prosperity. Because the completion of 
 a century of a church's history is a great event in 
 itself — but a few times before has such an event oc- 
 curred in this city. Because there is a wholesome 
 curiosity that would carry us back into the past, and 
 receives its highest gratification in tracing the foot- 
 steps of those who have gone before. Because we owe 
 too much to those who have sent down to us the 
 heritage we now possess, to forget them in a short 
 time. We would save their honored names from 
 sinking into oblivion. We would speak of what they 
 ^vere and what they have done as the great roll of the 
 centuries moves on. Because we would learn to prize 
 more highly the blessing which has been given us in a 
 church, with its ordinances unimpaired, its doctrines 
 uncorrupted, and its testimony for tlie truth unbroken 
 for a hundred years. And we would write this 
 history, because from it we would receive a new and 
 stronger impulse to preserve this Church, improve its 
 privileges, and send down its blessings, in all their 
 richness, to the generations that are coming. If there 
 shall be some tediousness in detailing events and 
 recording names, I am sure that the importance of the 
 object in view will be a sufficient apology. I would 
 
OF FBANKFORD. 47 
 
 then trace the ordering of God's providence, in the 
 history of this Church, during the past hundred years. 
 I would record the names of many of the honored ones 
 who maintained its interests and shared its fortunes. 
 I would mark the great epochs which measure its 
 past journey. I would dwell upon its progress from 
 the very smallest beginning, to what it is to-day. 
 
 There are five well-marked periods in the hundred 
 years' history of this Church, and by keeping these in 
 mind it w411 be better understood and remembered. 
 
 The first period was from the laying of the corner- 
 stone of the original building on May 4th, 1770, until 
 the year 1802. During these thirty-two years it was 
 connected with the German Reformed body, and its ser- 
 vices were conducted mainly in the German language. 
 
 The second period was from 1802 to 1809. This 
 was a season of weakness and transition. During this 
 period the Church passed from its original connection 
 until it was completely organized as Presbyterian. 
 
 The third period was from 1809 to 1831 — a space 
 of twenty-two years — which embraced the pastorates 
 of the Rev. John Doak and the Re\^ Thomas Biggs. 
 
 The fourth period extended from 1831 to 1838. 
 During this short period of seven years the church 
 was in an unsettled state, with several short pastorates. 
 
 The fifth period was from 1838 until the present 
 
48 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 time. At that date the Rev. W. D. Howard com- 
 menced his pastoral services ; and there have since been 
 thirty-two years of quiet and uninterrupted progress. 
 
 In tracing the history of the Church through these 
 years we have as our guides, our records — in the 
 earlier periods very scanty, — the records of the Presby- 
 tery of Philadelphia, the Baptismal and Marriage 
 regi"&ter of the old Market Square Church in German- 
 town, the traditions of the past, the memory of the 
 aged, and other unexpected sources of information. I 
 must especially mention the assistance rendered me by 
 Mr. John Deal, now the oldest elder and trustee of 
 the Church. He has been most intimately connected 
 with all its affairs for the last forty or fifty years, 
 and his clear and affectionate remembrance of them 
 has served as an invaluable guide in these years of its 
 history. Consulting all these and comparing their 
 various teachings we have probably gotten very near 
 to the facts in most cases. 
 
 It will give interest to this history to glance at the 
 state of the community at the time when it originated. 
 We cannot well understand its beginning without 
 this. When the corner-stone of the old edifice was 
 laid no railroad had ever been constructed, no steam- 
 boat had ever floated. At that time no American ves- 
 sel of any kind had ever sailed on Chinese waters; 
 
OF FRAXKFORD. 49 
 
 At the time when its foundations were laid Europe was 
 agitated by the division of Poland. In this country the 
 British troops had just occupied Boston; mutterings 
 of discontent with English rule w^re heard through- 
 out the colonies. Patrick Henry, Adams, and Han- 
 cock were beginning to promote the Revolution. 
 Whitefield died the very year the corner-stone was 
 laid, and Wesley was then in his prime. 
 
 There was a bright array of English authors then 
 penning their immortal works — amongst them — Gold- 
 smith, Johnson, Blackstone, Burke, Cowper, Burns 
 and others. This city of Philadelphia had then but a 
 very small population. It was not larger than 
 Lancaster is to-day. Frankford has now two-thirds 
 as many people as the whole city had then. All the 
 churches in the city then were — four Presbyterian, 
 three Episcopal, two Catholic, two Lutheran, and 
 Methodist, Baptist, Moravian, German Calvinist, and 
 Swedish Lutheran — each one. This was all — but two 
 or three more than are in Frankford to-day. In 
 Frankford itself there was then but one place of wor- 
 ship — the old Friends' Meeting House — the second 
 in the state — a wooden structure, which five years 
 afterwards — in 1775 — gave place to the present brick 
 building on Unity Street. 
 
 It was in the midst of tiiese years that our Church 
 5 
 
50 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 was founded. Its founders were, most of them, 
 Swiss, from the city of Basle. A few of them were 
 of the original German settlers of Germantown and 
 all this region. They therefore commenced it as a 
 German Calvinist, or German Reformed Church, with 
 all its services and all its records in the German lan- 
 guage. 
 
 The only important document we have remaining 
 to us of the first period — the period of thirty-two 
 years — the period during which the Church continued 
 German Reformed — is a sort of dedicatory record. 
 It is in German. In order that its very spirit may 
 remain, I will give it as it was translated by a Ger- 
 man — in the exact idiom of the original. 
 
 " In the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen. VVhereas it has 
 pleased the Almighty and All-wise God through His providence 
 and His Holy Ghost, to inspire the following persons, viz : 
 George Castor, Sr., Henry Kohrer, Sr., Rudolph Neff and Sirach 
 Schudy to build a house for the glory of His holy Name : 
 Therefore, these above-named persons, with their friends, have 
 consulted together about the undertaking of this great work ; 
 and the following persons, viz. : Frederick Castor, Rudolph 
 Mawrerer, Jacob Zebly, Jacob Myer, have joined them to help 
 with heart and hand and deed to carry out the above measure. 
 The beginning of this was undertaken by the above-named 
 persons, in the year of our Lord 1769, in the month of January 
 in the purchase of a lot for a burial-ground. But after this 
 through the help of God, and the many friends and patrons, 
 
OF FRANKPORD. \ 51 
 
 whose names will be found in the minute books, and to whom 
 we and our successors will owe the most sincere thanks, it was 
 resolved that a church should be built on the said burial- 
 ground, and the work thereof was commenced in April, 1770. 
 
 We can well affirm that the progress of this building was 
 conducted in a desired manner, by the blessing of God, in great 
 harmony, in a peaceful and untiring effort. On the fourth of 
 May, in the same year, the corner-stone was laid by the Rev. 
 Mr. Foehring. Since the church is not entirely out of debt, as 
 you will see in the minutes and records, as well as from the 
 receipts of Rudolph Neflf and Frederick Castor; we therefore 
 felt constrained to present a correct account and full statement 
 of all, that our descendants and all who shall be interested 
 might have a record which they could examine in the future. 
 AVherefore, we say to those who will follow us, be careful and 
 wise ; be on your guard — so that you may mcrease as well as 
 enlarge your numbers ; and never get tired of keeping this 
 building in good repair. We wish you therefore good success. 
 ' Jerusalem, Lift up your heads, ye gates ; and be ye lifted 
 up, ye everlasting doors ; and the King of glory shall come in.' 
 Now God Almighty, Creator of the universe, we commend to 
 thee this house which we have built in thy holy name and for the 
 glory of God. Keep m thy hands and protection those who 
 shall meet in it. Destroy all false doctrines and all that is 
 intended to destroy thy word. Give now and forever thy grace, 
 peace and unity, and thine shall be the praise and thanks, 
 honor and glory, now and forever. A7nen.'' 
 
 This devout and very important document is 
 written in a beautiful hand at the begin'ning of what 
 was intended for a Book of Records; but, alas, 
 
52 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUB CH 
 
 excepting some accounts, it is the last record made for 
 thirty-two years, whilst the Church was German 
 Reformed. We must pause to look at the honored 
 names with which this Church originated : — George 
 Castor, Rudolph Neff, Henry Rohrer, Sirach Shudy. 
 Excepting the last, their descendants are still with us. 
 The first is grandfather of another George Castor, to 
 whom the Church is more indebted than to any other 
 man. And with them were other names not to be 
 forgotten, some of whose descendants are still promi- 
 nent in the Church. Jacob Myer (now Myers), 
 Rudolph Mowrer, Jacob Zebley, and Frederick 
 Carster (now Castor), son of George. Their names 
 must never be forgotten while this Church stands. It 
 is believed that all these had either come from Swit- 
 zerland or were of Swiss descent. We must also put 
 on record the names of some others of those who by 
 their contributions helped to erect the original edifice. 
 Among them we find Samuel Neswinger, Rudolph 
 Shutz, Leonard Froelich, Yost Myers, Jacob Madeira, 
 Jacob Schmid, Jacob Mag, David Bleuh, Christopher 
 Bender, Frederick Scheibly, George Wilkins, Edward 
 Steils, Jacob Geisse, Leonard Kauifmann, Alexander 
 Edwards, Ulric NeflP, and a long array of other names 
 which we must omit. All these helped the good work. 
 It is curious to know the dimensions and the cost 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 53 
 
 of the original building before it was enlarged in 
 1810. The record of these is found in fragments of 
 the old minutes still remaining. The church edifice, 
 as it was first erected, was only forty feet wide and 
 thirty feet long. That made it just about one-fourth 
 as large on the floor as this building in which we are 
 assembled. Even the specific cost of the various 
 articles of its construction is preserved. As a 
 curiosity I will name it liere. 
 
 £. s. d. 
 
 The stone, lime, sand, hair, and hauling 133 2 10 
 
 Boards, planks, shingles, and other lumber 109 6 3 
 
 Paint, oil, glass, and painting 27 16 8 
 
 Mason work and plastering 64 16 
 
 Carpenter and cabinet work 97 16 9 
 
 Blacksmith work and other incidentals 28 17 5 
 
 Whole cost of building when finished 461 15 11 
 
 or about two thousand four hundred dollars ($2,400). 
 
 For thirty-two years after its commencement, or 
 until 1802, we know but very little indeed of the 
 history of the Church. There were no records kept, 
 or if there w^ere, they are lost. One or tAvo incidents 
 loom up distinctly in the darkness. One is peculiarly 
 interesting. During the Revolutionary War, after 
 the battle of Trenton, some of the prisoners captured 
 
 in that engagement were brought and for a time 
 
 6* 
 
54 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 imprisoned in the old })iiilding. Of this fact there is 
 no doubt. We were first made acquainted with it by 
 traditions lodging in the memory of the aged. But 
 besides this, the Eev. D. S. Miller, D. D., of the 
 Episcopal Church in this place, has kindly communi- 
 cated the remarkable fact- of his having examined a 
 journal found lately in Hesse Cassel, Germany, which 
 had been written by a Hessian officer, who was in the 
 battle of Trenton, and was amongst the captured, and 
 states that they were imprisoned for a time in a church 
 of a little village called Frankfort above Philadelphia. 
 Another interesting fact of that early day was that the 
 old Lutheran Church on the corner of Church and 
 Adams streets, was built by a few of the older 
 Germans who broke oflp from this church, because the 
 younger members insisted on having occasional ser- 
 vices in the English language. 
 
 But who were the ministers of this church during 
 that first period of thirty-two years ? Tradition gave 
 us the first clue. Old people told us that they had 
 heard of the preachers in this church coming from Ger- 
 mantown. They recollected to have heard the names 
 of Helffenstein and Hermann among these preachers. 
 They told us of their fathers and mothers going to 
 Germantown to be catechized. This sent us to exam- 
 ine the records of the Market Square Church — the 
 
OF FBANKFORD. 55 
 
 old German Reformed Church of Germantown. We 
 found their records to be mere registers of baptisms, 
 deaths and marriages. But if their preachers offici- 
 ated at Frankford we ought to find Frankford names 
 among those baptisms and marriages. And that dis- 
 covery, much to our satisfaction, we made. There we 
 found the names of Neffs, and Mowrers, and Zebleys, 
 and Myers and Froelighs. This seemed to make the 
 probability very strong. But another fact reduced it 
 almost to a certainty. The minister who dedicated 
 our old church building was the Eev. Mr. Foehring. 
 Then, as the thirty-two years of darkness are broken 
 in upon by the return of our records in 1802, we find 
 a minute of a settlement made with the Kev. Wm. 
 Runkle for his pastoral services. But in the German- 
 town registers we find that the pastor of that church 
 in 1770 was the Rev. Christian Frederick Foehring, 
 and its pastor in 1802 was the Rev. Wm. Runkle. 
 Now, if the pastors of that church at the beginning 
 and at the end of the period preached here, and if Ave 
 have the other corroborative evidence already named, 
 the conclusion is tolerably certain that the supplies for 
 this church during all that period came from that 
 source. 
 
 This theory was afterwards confirmed when we dis- 
 covered several works pertaining to the early ministers 
 
56 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUB CH 
 
 of the Dutch and German Reformed churches in this 
 country ; among them, " The Fathers of the Reformed 
 Church, by the llev. H. Harbaugh," and ^^A 3Ianual 
 of the Reformed Church in America, by the E,ev. 
 Edward T. Corwan." From all these sources light is 
 thrown upon that early period of the church, which 
 makes it tolerably plain. Undoubtedly, then, the first 
 minister of this church, and the one who laid the cor- 
 ner-stone of its original edifice, a hundred years ago, 
 was the Rev. Christian Frederick Foehrino^. His his- 
 tory was a remarkable one. He was born in Hanover 
 about the year 1736. His father died in the military 
 service of that country, and his mother knew that if 
 her son remained in his native country, he also would 
 be compelled to enter the army. To avoid this, when 
 the lad was seven years old, she tied him to her back, 
 and, skating across the Rhine, escaped. With her son 
 she finally reached Germantown, where they settled. 
 Afterwards Mr. Foehring entered the ministry, and be- 
 came eminent for his piety, talents and success. He 
 preached in German, Dutch, and English. In 1779 he 
 died of a cold caught in escaping from a party of British 
 soldiers sent to capture him because of his zeal in be- 
 half of liberty. Mr. Foehring supplied this church 
 only a short period — probably from one to two years. 
 He was succeeded in the church of Germantown by 
 
OF FRA NKFORD. 57 
 
 the Rev. J. C. Albertus Helftenstein, who also undoubt- 
 edly ministered to this church most of the time of his 
 stay there. At first he remained but three years — from 
 1772 to 1775. Then, after a pastorate of four years 
 in Lancaster, he returned in 1779, and remained ten 
 years. Mr. HelflPenstein belonged to a family in which 
 there has been a succession of ministers since the Re- 
 formation. He was born in the Palatinate. While on 
 his way to this country, a severe storm at sea led him 
 to consecrate himself more entirely to the service of 
 God. His sermons were very pointed and stirring, 
 and his ministry was greatly blessed. Often, it is 
 said, was his congregation overwhelmed by the mighty 
 power of truth, as it flowed with majesty and ten- 
 derness from his heart. He died of consumption in 
 the year 1789. 
 
 Daring part of the interval between 1775 and 1779, 
 while Mr. Helffenstein was at Lancaster, the church 
 was probably supplied by the Rev. Samuel Dubben- 
 dorf, then pastor of the German Reformed Church of 
 Germantown. He had come ov^er from Europe as 
 chaplain with the Hessian soldiers. But, afterwards 
 " through the plunderings of the English soldiers, he 
 lost nearly all he had, and amid terror, want and 
 famine, saw all his satisfaction and comfort in tempo- 
 ral things carried away as by a storm.'' On this ac- 
 
58 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 count he left his field in Germantown and vicinity after 
 a stay of about two years. Mr. Dubbendorf was a man 
 tender and refined in his feelings, of strong affections, 
 and greatly devoted to the work of the ministry. He 
 was never married. Neither the date of his birth nor 
 his age is recorded. 
 
 Towards the latter part of Mr. Helffenstein's pastor- 
 ate — in 1787 — w^e find, in an Act of Incorporation, 
 that the Rev. Philip R. Pauli was minister of this 
 church. It is probable that he became such in conse- 
 quence of Mr. Helffenstein's declining health. Mr. 
 Pauli was a native of Prussia, born in 1742. In that 
 country he was fully educated, and came to America 
 in 1783. Soon afterwards he took charge of the 
 Academy of Philadelphia for six years. It was du- 
 ring part of that time that he was minister of this 
 church. Subsequently he became pastor of the Ger- 
 man Reformed Church in Reading, Pa., which he 
 served for a period of nearly twenty-two years. He 
 w^as a superior linguist, a thoroughly educated man, 
 and an active and faithful minister of the gospel. He 
 died in 1815, amidst the dee23est sorrow of the people 
 to wdiom he had successfully ministered for so long a 
 time. 
 
 The next minister who officiated in the German- 
 town and Frankford Churches was the Rev. Lebrecht 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 59 
 
 Frederick Hermann. His ministry commenced here 
 about 1789 or 1790, and continued for twelve years. 
 I have found old people who still remember him. In 
 many respects he was a very remarkable man. He 
 was a native of Germany, and the last of the German 
 missionaries sent over to this country under the care 
 of the Classis of Amsterdam. After leaving his 
 charge here he preached in various places in Chester, 
 Montgomery and Berks Counties. No less than five 
 of his sons entered the ministry for which he had 
 himself prepared them. During many of the last 
 years of his life he was blind. He outlived all his 
 early friends and fellow-laborers, and died in 1848 at 
 the age of over eighty-four. Among his last words 
 were : '^ It is well with me. I am nearing heaven — 
 my body is very weak, and will soon be dissolved ; 
 but Jesus, my Redeemer, will construct for me a 
 glorified body from this mass of corruption.'^ 
 
 The last of the German ministers who officiated 
 here was the Rev. John William Runkle. He was 
 pastor of the Germantown Church, but preached 
 regularly here from the 1st of March, 1802, for a few 
 years, until the Church passed gradually over to the 
 Presbytery. He also was a native of Germany, came 
 to this country when about fifteen, and died in 1832, 
 at the age of eighty-four. He must have been a man 
 
60 THE PRESB YTEEIAN CH UR CH 
 
 of decided character, as has been described. " He 
 was a man of strong physical constitution, tall and 
 raw-boned in person. His powers of endurance were 
 very great. He was venerable and patriarchal in 
 appearance, excitable in temper, warm in preaching, 
 in short, a ^son of thunder.' '' He was in advance of 
 his time, and hence regarded somewhat as a fanatic. 
 His preaching was evangelical, apt in illustration, and 
 affectionate in appeal. He ever manifested much 
 sympathy towards the suffering, visiting also prisoners 
 and those under sentence of death. 
 
 Such was the goodly array of men of God, most of 
 them ministers sent from a distant land, under the 
 care of the orthodox and pious Christians of Holland, 
 who for a long time ministered in this venerable 
 church. 
 
 I must here state an interesting fact. The last 
 name, recorded in the Baptismal Register of this 
 Church before penning this history is that of a 
 great-great-grand-child of that Rev. Mr. Helffenstein 
 who probably was the first permanent supply of the 
 Church. That was by her mother; but by her father 
 she is also the great-great-great-grand-daughter of the 
 Neff who was one of the four originators of the 
 Church. For this reason the name of little Catharine 
 de MonseauWakeling, daughter of Edmund de Monseau 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 61 
 
 Wakeling, shall be written in this history. I have 
 further only to state the few names of the officers of 
 the church during that long period which have come 
 down to us. Of its elders we know of but four, viz. : 
 Jacob Grandsback, the first on record, Rudolph Neif, 
 Conrad Axe, and George Castor, first elected to that 
 office in 1801, and holding it still in 1844, when he 
 died. We have, towards the close of the same period, 
 the names of three deacons, viz. : John Myers, Daniel 
 Peltz, and Henry Castor. All the trustees of whom 
 we know are John Rohrer, Rudolph Neff, Frederick 
 Castor, Joseph Dear man, and Jacob Bener. And the 
 old sexton appointed in 1799, and who held that office 
 for twenty years, was George Rohrer. All these have 
 passed away from earth. Not one of them remains. 
 Only a few very aged persons, who were then little 
 children, are now alive of all those who saw the first 
 period of our Church. All the others rest from their 
 labors and their works do follow them. 
 
 The second period w^as a short one, but probably 
 the most eventful one in our Church's outward his- 
 tory. It extended from October 2d, 1802, until July 
 18th, 1809 — only seven years. At the first of these 
 dates the Presbytery of Philadelphia began to help 
 the Church ; at the second of them the Rev. John W. 
 Doak was installed the first Presbyterian pastor. 
 
62 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 This was^ therefore, a period of weakness, of change, 
 of transition. 
 
 What were some of the events of the world occur- 
 ring at that period? Napoleon Bonaparte Avas the 
 great name sounding through the lands. The first 
 locomotive engine was tried in 1804. Fulton's first 
 trial of a steam-boat was made in 1807. Sunday- 
 schools had been established but ten or twelve years 
 before. The American Board of Foreign Missions 
 did not come into existence until three years after- 
 ward. Such was the age of the second period of our 
 church. The Minutes of the Presbytery of Philadel- 
 phia, October 2d, 1802, tell us — ^^ It was represented 
 that there are many people in the town of Frankford 
 who are destitute of the privileges of the gospel, and 
 who are desirous of receiving it from the ministers of 
 this Presbytery. And it was therefore ordered that 
 the Rev. Messrs. Boyd, Milldoller, Linn, Potts and 
 Janeway, each supply said people two Sabbaths before 
 the next stated meeting of Presbytery, and make 
 arrangements among them for that purpose.'^ This 
 was the first connection of Presbytery with the 
 Church. It shows that the Church had sunk to a 
 very low ebb. After this, five years pass, the Church 
 still retaining its relation with the German Re- 
 formed, but evidently in a very weak and struggling 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 63 
 
 state. At the close of the year 1802, the building 
 was leased to what was called the Church Company, 
 for every Sabbath except one in each month. That 
 one was retained by the Church for its own ser- 
 vices. The Company seems to hav^e rented the house 
 for the use of several other denominations. Tiiis 
 lease was annulled three years afterwards. About 
 1805 or 1806 the pulpit was frequently supplied 
 by a Baptist minister by the name of Allison, who 
 had charge of an academy. He preached with 
 great acceptance. He was soon assisted in the aca- 
 demy by another minister of the same denomina- 
 tion called Montoney. He also frequently preached. 
 But after a while a number of persons united with 
 them, and in 1807 organized the Baptist Church, 
 located formerly on Pine Street, now on Paul and 
 Unity Streets, and which has since gone on and pros- 
 pered until the present time. 
 
 At first there were no pews in the church. For 
 thirty-seven years there was nothing but benches. 
 But in the year 1807 by a great exertion, as the 
 Church was still very weak, the benches were 
 removed, pews erected, and a new roof put upon the 
 building. 
 
 This year, 1807, was a very important one in the 
 history of the Church, for the event just stated and 
 
64 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 others. It was in this year that it formally dropped 
 its connection with the German Reformed body, and 
 became connected with the Presbyterian. The record 
 of this event is tolerably full. On the 18th of April, 
 Mr. George Castor was appointed to visit the Presby- 
 tery of Philadelphia, and solicit from it a supply of 
 ministers for the pulpit. In consequence of his visit 
 and statements, by adjournment, Presbytery met in 
 this Church for the first time on the 8th of December, 
 1807. This was a memorable meeting in our annals, 
 and we must preserve the names of those who com- 
 posed it. They are prominent in the history of 
 Presbyterianism. They were the Rev. Messrs. AVilliam 
 Tennant, Green, Archibald Alexander, Janeway, 
 Latta and Potts. Before this meeting w^as laid the 
 petition of the German Reformed Congregation of 
 Frankford — composed of about thirty families. The 
 petition asked that the congregation be taken under 
 care of Presbytery, and pledged that they should be 
 governed by the rules of the Presbyterian Church. 
 Presbytery being assured that these families were 
 nearly all that composed the congregation, and that 
 they were then in no other ecclesiastical connection, 
 agreed to take them under its care, and made arrange- 
 ments for furnishing them supplies. This was in the 
 close of the year 1807, when the ecclesiastical change 
 
OF FBANKFORI). 65 
 
 was made. In the next year the transfer to the 
 Presbyterian connection was legalized by an act of 
 incorporation from the state. In this article the 
 reasons given for the change of connection are these : 
 1st. There were not enough members in the old 
 connection to fill the places of trust required by law. 
 2d. The shades of difference between the principles 
 of the German Reformed Church and those of the 
 Presbyterians of the United States were unimportant. 
 3d. The ministers of the gos23el could be maintained 
 only in connection with the Presbyterian Church. To 
 this they subscribed with one mind, and left us their 
 names, forty-six in number. 
 
 After this, one of the first acts of the church in its 
 new connection was the purchase, in the same year 
 (1808), of the old Frankford Academy, at the price 
 of $2,000. This the church kept in operation for a 
 great many years afterwards. Frankford and the 
 vicinity were indebted to it as their principal place of 
 learning for a long time. In that academy many now 
 living, but far more who are dead, received that 
 education, which but for the nurturing of this Church, 
 they would never have reached. This acknowledg- 
 ment is due to the wisdom and foresight of the fathers. 
 And it was at great sacrifices that the Church main- 
 tained its academy. The support of the Church itselt 
 
 6* 
 
66 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 does not seem to have occupied more of the care and 
 struggles of the trustees than did the welfare of their 
 academy. I could easily fill all this discourse with a 
 history of their efforts to keep it alive and prosperous. 
 We shall not understand the value of what they did 
 unless we reflect that there were then no public schools, 
 and that consequently the whole education of the 
 community depended largely on this institution. 
 
 Who were the trustees and the other officers of the 
 Church during those seven eventful years ? who stood 
 by it in its transition state ? who received its new char- 
 ter? who established its institution of learning? Many 
 of them the ancestors of those who are with us to-day. 
 In addition to the trustees whom we have already 
 recorded as belonging to the first period, we have now 
 to name, Philip Buckius, Stephen Decatur, Benjamin 
 Fisher, George Castor, Jacob Myers, Jacob Mower, 
 John H. Worrell, Thomas Horton, Frederick Teese, 
 John Buckius, George C. Troutman, Henry Retzer, 
 Jacob Harper and Ezra Bo win. These were the trus- 
 tees in the order of their election. There was but one 
 deacon then — Jacob Deal. Two elders were added to 
 the session — Philip Buckius and Caleb Earl. There 
 was no stated pastor in the church in those years; but 
 we are so fortunate as to be able to tell nearly all who 
 supplied the pulpit occasionally. From a receipt ac- 
 
OF FRANKFORD, 67 
 
 cidentally met with in an old book of records, we learn 
 that the Rev. Wm, Runkle was the j^rincipal supply 
 for two or three years. From the minutes of the 
 Presbytery of Philadelphia we have seen that some of 
 its members were occasional supplies. But for the 
 most valuable information on this point, we are in- 
 debted to an old book of accounts found in a garret. 
 It is a sort of journal of the Sabbaths, kept by George 
 Castor, President and Treasurer of the Board of Trustees 
 and Elder of the Church. For years he gives the names 
 of the preachers for the day, the amount collected for 
 the Church, and often the state of the weather. We 
 can hardly over-estimate the value of this old book 
 in the history. From this document we learn that the 
 following persons supplied the pulpit. I begin with 
 Dr. Wm. M. Tennant, who preached twenty one Sab- 
 baths, and give the others according to the frequency 
 of their preaching. Rev. Mr. Jones, Rev. Nathaniel 
 Snowden who supplied the pulpit not only then, but 
 also at a subsequent period. Rev. Wm. Latta, Rev. 
 Jacob L. Janeway, Rev. Dr. Clarkson, Rev. George C. 
 Potts, Rev. Mr. Ervin, Rev. Archibald Alexander, 
 Rev. Dr. Wilson, Rev. Joseph Eastburne, Rev. Dr. 
 Blair, Rev. Mr. Finley, Rev. Mr. Helifenstein, Rev. 
 Mr. Edwards, Rev. Mr. Larzalier, Rev. Mr. Boyd, 
 and several others, who each preached but one Sab- 
 
68 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 bath. This is a precious page in the history of our old 
 Church. By the light of this old account-book and 
 many other lights which we have unexpectedly found 
 to guide us, we can look in upon the meetings of the 
 venerable sanctuary on one of those Sabbaths between 
 sixty and seventy years ago, and almost feel ourselves 
 among its members. We will take Sabbath, the 4th 
 of June, 1807. As we go to the sanctuary on that 
 bright morning of the day of rest, how different from 
 the streets of Frankford now ! There was but Main 
 Street then of any importance as a street. Even its 
 houses were sometimes far apart. On the other side of 
 the way from us there were but four or five houses 
 from Church up to Orthodox Street. Orthodox Street 
 itself was only an avenue of poplar trees leading back 
 to the present residence of Mr. William Overington, 
 then occupied by Mr. Robert Smith — afterwards one 
 of the elders of this Church. And the opening on 
 Main Street was through a gate. Below Church 
 Street were the old' residences of Ruan and the pre- 
 sent Womrath property, where even now stands the 
 summer-house in which, tradition says, the signers of 
 the Declaration of Independence spent the afternoon of 
 the day on which they put their hands to that moment- 
 ous document. Besides this main street or road, then 
 lined only by post and rail fence, there were then only 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 69 
 
 PauPs Back Lane, now Paul Street, with eighteen or 
 twenty houses upon it, Meeting House Lane, now 
 Unity Street, and Church Lane, now Church Street, 
 with an orchard where the Decatur Engine house now 
 stands, and only three houses occupied by colored fami- 
 lies, as far back as the creek, then crossed by a log, 
 and with a saw-mill on its bank. Such is the village 
 around you as you approach the venerable house of 
 worship. You see others coming with you — some on 
 foot, some on horseback, some in wagons, some in 
 carts. As you enter the enclosure of the sanctuary, 
 you are not covered by the venerable trees which stand 
 there now. They are only saplings, transplanted re- 
 cently from the woods near Milestown. The congre- 
 gation now assemble — not more than forty or fifty 
 families in all. We can tell you the names of most of 
 them. There were the ancestors of very many of 
 the families who worship here from Sabbath to Sab- 
 bath, even now. Among them were the old 
 families of Buckius, Castor, Myers, Teese, Deal, Har- 
 per, Neif, Worrell, Rohrer, Mowrer, Benner, Smith 
 and Froeligh. There were Col. Patton and his fam- 
 ily, then postmaster of the city, an office he had held 
 since placed in it by President Washington. There 
 was Mr. John McAllister, ancestor of the well-known 
 family of that name, still in the city. There was pro- 
 
70 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 bably Enoch Edwards, brother of the younger Dr. 
 Jonathan Edwards, from whom Edwards street de- 
 rived its name. There were the father and mother of 
 the naval hero, Stephen Decatur. Many other dear 
 names were there, which we either have mentioned or 
 shall yet mention. The inside of the building itself is 
 plain and primitive. There are simple benches instead 
 of pews. The pulpit is small and very high. It 
 stands not at the end, but at the south side of the 
 church. From it, on either side, extend elevated 
 seats, which are occupied by the officers of the church. 
 The walls are ornamented with tin candlesticks. The 
 men are seated on one side of the church and the wo- 
 men on the other. The music is led by Mr. Andrew 
 Lockey, a Scotchman, who stands beneath the pulpit, 
 with a table before him, and lines out the hymns — the 
 good old hymns of Watts — as he sings them and is fol- 
 lowed by the whole assembly. The amount of the 
 collection is two dollars and thirty-five cents. But 
 who is the preacher of the day ? No other than the 
 Rev. Archibald Alexander, whose name is still fra- 
 grant in all the churches, and will be for many a gene- 
 ration to come. And his text is the memorable verse of 
 the apostle Paul — " As I passed by, and beheld your 
 devotions, I found an altar with this inscription : To 
 the Unknown God, AYhom therefore ye ignorantly 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 71 
 
 • 
 
 worship, him declare I unto you/^ Acts 17 : 23. 
 The great and good man is in his prime, and we can 
 well imagine how the audience hangs upon his voice 
 as he proclaims the everlasting gospel, or wrestles, as 
 few could wrestle, with God in prayer. Such was the 
 worship of that brief period whose annals we record 
 and look back lovingly upon, for one short moment, 
 from this distant age. 
 
 The third period of our Church's history begins on 
 the 18th of June, 1809, when the Rev. John W. 
 Doak was installed its pastor, and extends twenty-two 
 years to the fall of 1831, when the pastorate of the 
 Rev. Thomas Biggs closed. The outline of the his- 
 tory in that time is this. The pastorate of the Rev. 
 John W. Doak lasted seven years, commencing June 
 18th, 1809, and closing September 1st, 1816. Then 
 the Church for two years had no stated pastor. The 
 pulpit was filled by occasional supplies. The old 
 account book of Mr. Castor, to which I have already 
 referred, gives us their names. Among them we find 
 the Rev. Nathaniel Snowden, the Rev. Drs. Rogers 
 and Janeway, Neill and Skinner ; the Rev. Messrs. 
 Belville and Janvier, Latta and Dun lap, Lambert and 
 Foot and many others. On November 10th, 1818, 
 the Rev. Thomas Biggs was installed pastor, and he 
 remained thirteen years — until the fall of 1831. It is 
 
72 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 interesting to recall the important epochs in the his- 
 tory and speak of the actors in them. When Mr. 
 Doak was installed he was received from the Presby- 
 tery of Abington in Virginia ; at his installation, the 
 Rev. Jacob L. Janeway D. D., presided, the Rev. 
 James P. Wilson D. D., preached the sermon, and the 
 Rev. Wm. M. Tennent, D.D., gave the charges to both 
 pastor and people. At the ordination and installation 
 of Mr. Biggs, nine years afterwards, the same Jane- 
 way presided. Dr. Wm. Neill preached, and the Rev. 
 George C. Potts gave the charges to pastor and people. 
 The first person admitted, according to the roll, to the 
 membership of the church after it had become Pres- 
 byterian, was the mother of Commodore Decatur. 
 The elders of the church elected during this period, 
 according to the time of their election, were Robert 
 Smith, Samuel W. Doak, Jacob Myers (1810) — 
 Edward Gilfillen M. D. William Nassau, Capt. Jacob 
 Peterson (1812)— Rodrick Adams (1820)— William 
 Gibson, Christopher Coon, Thomas D. Mitchell M. 
 D. (1829)— Alfred Jenks, George T. McCalmont 
 (1830). With one exception, these have all now 
 passed away from earth. Then this period had a long 
 array of trustees whose names will call up grateful 
 remembrances to many present. They were George 
 W^ilson, Edward McVaugh, Adam Baker, Jacob Peter- 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 73 
 
 son, Edward Gilfillen, M. D., Jacob Deal, Dr. William 
 Hurst, Lewis Wurnwag, Peter Brous, George Haines, 
 Henry Kohrer, Conrad Baker, Robert Worrell, Hugh 
 McKinley, Henry Castor, Danfrith Woolwurth, 
 Daniel Thomas, Jacob Myers, Abraham Tenbrook, 
 John R. Neff, Benjamin A. Prentiss, Joseph Pierson, 
 Capt. William Hess, Joseph Wigfall, Jacob Coates, 
 Peter Buckius, Gardner Fulton, James Tatham, John 
 G. Teese (who long and faithfully filled that office — • 
 the latter part of his life President of the Board), Dr. 
 John White, Abraham Yonker, Conrad Fries, Rode- 
 rick Adams, Samuel Wakeling, Samuel Castor, Dr. 
 Thomas D. Mitchell, Joseph Allen, William Gibson, 
 Bela Badger, John Wilen, Charles Dewees, Rudolph 
 Buckius, George K. Budd, Adam Slater and Alfred 
 Jenks. I do not know that one of these is alive now; 
 but very many of their descendants are still with us. 
 At the beginning of this period Joseph R. Dickson 
 was leader of the music of the sanctuary. He was 
 succeeded in 1810 by Samuel White, who conducted it 
 only one year. Then John G. Teese led it for seven 
 years. In 1818 Jesse Y. Castor established what was 
 called the Harmonic Society — a sort of singing-school 
 — whose first meetings were held around the stove of 
 the Church, but which continued in existence for many 
 years. He was the leader of the music for three years, 
 
74 THE PRESB YTERIAN CH UR CH 
 
 though he had before been associated in that office 
 with Mr. Teese. It was by ]iim about this time that 
 a choir was first organized. After him came James 
 Seddins, who conducted it for six years. Then Dr. 
 Mitchell and William Gibson had charge of it until 
 1833, a space of about six years. 
 
 The two memorable events of this period were the 
 enlarging of the Church edifice, and the commence- 
 ment of the Sabbath-school. Soon after the settle- 
 ment of Mr. Doak it was found that the old building 
 was too small to accommodate all the worshippers. 
 Something must be done to enlarge. On the 26th of 
 August, 1809, the congregation determined to under- 
 take that work. Contributions were solicited in the 
 Church and in the community, and the effort was so 
 successful that in the next year an addition of forty 
 feet was made to the front of the Church, which a 
 little more than doubled its capacity. Long lists of 
 those who subscribed for this object are still in exis- 
 tence, from which I select a few names — omitting 
 those already given in the roll of trustees, all of whom 
 subscribed. We find among them — Ann Decatur, 
 John McAllister, Joseph Wigfall, Mary Baker, John 
 McMullen, George Onyx, Jacob Fraley, Yost Yonker, 
 Robert Ralston, Abraham Kintzing, Abram Duffield, 
 Samuel Wakeling, Anthony Kennedy, Rebecca Neff, 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 75 
 
 Alexander Martin, Robert Patton, Derick Peterson, 
 Kachel Wetherill and Col. James Burn. The Build- 
 ing Committee who contracted for the work and super- 
 intended it, consisted of Messrs. George Castor, Joseph 
 Dearman and John H. Worrell. The carpenter work 
 was done by Henry Retzer ; the mason work by Jacob 
 Deal, whose son Charles, forty years afterwards, built 
 this edifice in which we are now assembled. Such 
 was the old building which most of us remember, and 
 which was taken down eleven years ago, to give place 
 to the present large one which stands on the same spot. 
 The Sabbath-school of the Church was commenced 
 fifty- five years ago in the spring of 1815. It was 
 projected by Mr. George Castor. By his persuasion 
 Mrs. Martha Dungan commenced the school in the 
 month of April, of that year. Its first session was 
 held by the stove in the Church, but afterwards in the 
 gallery. Mrs. DungarT had associated with her Mrs. 
 Patterson — the only other teacher. The scholars 
 were for a time all girls — at first only seven in 
 number. Of these seven, four are still living — and 
 all with us but one — members of the Church — they 
 are Mrs. Mary Wakeling, Mrs. Mary Stratton, Miss 
 Martha Harper and Miss Sarah Neff. The greatest 
 opposition to the school at first was because it was 
 free. Parents alleged that they could afford to pay 
 
6 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHVR Ctl 
 
 for their children's schooling. The boys' department 
 of the school was commenced three years afterwards 
 in the old square pews in the body of the Church. Its 
 first teachers were Messrs. William Gibson, Nassau, 
 and John Deal. Such was the beginning of this Sab- 
 bath-school which was one of the first in the land, 
 which has continued for more than half a century, 
 in which hundreds of souls have been converted, and 
 which to-day is so large and prosperous. 
 
 Of the two honored servants of God who during 
 that period ministered in the Church, I would now 
 love to give a sketch. The history would be other- 
 wise imperfect. But in reference to the first of them, 
 the Rev. John Whitefield Doak, I am not able to do 
 so with any degree of fullness. I have not the 
 material. What we do know of him is that he was 
 the son of the eminent Rev. Samuel Doak, D. D., of 
 East Tennessee. He was born in 1788 ; was educated 
 by his father ; was licensed i^ preach by the Abington 
 Presbytery, when he was in his nineteenth year ; and 
 shortly after was ordained and installed pastor of 
 New Dublin and Wythville churches in Virginia. 
 He was subsequently pastor of Mount Bethel and 
 Providence churches in Tennessee. He was next 
 installed pastor of this Church in 1809. Here he 
 labored diligently for seven years, leaving an impress 
 
OF FEANKFORD. 77 
 
 never to be effaced, and a name that was honored — 
 that is yet named with respect, and that is still 
 borne in families that received the word from his 
 lips in that olden time. In consequence of the failure 
 of his health, which rendered it doubtful whether he 
 would be able to continue in the ministry, he studied 
 medicine, returned to Tennessee, and became a very 
 successful medical practitioner, and at the same time 
 officiated as stated supply of Salem and Leesburg. 
 He died in October, 1820. He was distinguished for 
 his talents and usefulness. 
 
 Of the Rev. Thomas Biggs, whose pastorate here 
 was longer than any other previous to the present, we 
 happily have enough information to enable us to 
 appreciate the high excellency of his character and 
 ministry. He was born in this city Nov. 29, 1787 — 
 became a member of the Old Pine Street Church in 
 1807, when the Rev. Dr. Archibald Alexander was 
 its pastor — graduated at Princeton College in 1815, 
 some of his classmates being Drs. Daniel Baker, 
 Charles Hodge, S. C. Henry and Bishop John Johns ; 
 was for a time tutor in Princeton College — studied at 
 Princeton Theological Seminary, and was ordained by 
 the Presbytery of Philadelphia, and became pastor of 
 this Church in 1818. After remaining here thirteen 
 years he accepted a professorship in Lane Theological 
 
78 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 Seminary at Cincinnati. That office he held for seven 
 years, and became President of Cincinnati College in 
 1839. In that position he continued for six years, 
 and for three years more was President of Woodward 
 College in Cincinnati. In 1852 he was installed 
 pastor of the Fifth Church of that city, and after 
 four years resigned that charge. From that time he 
 ceased from active service. In 1864, at the ao-e of 
 seventy-seven, he fell asleep in Jesus. Of this good 
 man the memory is most fragrant with all those who 
 remember him as pastor of this Church. None ever 
 speak of him in other words than those of veneration 
 and love. There are those still with us who call him 
 blessed for having been instrumental in bringing them 
 into the kingdom. The best tribute to him I have 
 seen is that of Bishop Mcllvaine of the Episcopal 
 Church in Ohio. It was spoken at his funeral. 
 
 " I have known the deceased for fifty years. I entered the 
 college of New Jersey in 1814. The first time I saw him was 
 when he came forward in the chapel to lead the singing, which 
 he was accustomed to do. Dr. Green was then President of the 
 college. The students were generally irreligious, and opposed 
 and persecuted the few who professed religion. The latter, only 
 twelve or thirteen m number, one of whom was young Biggs, 
 were very faithful. They were accustomed to meet every eve- 
 ning at nine o'clock for prayer in the room of one of their num- 
 ber, and in these meetings they prayed earnestly for a revival 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 79 
 
 of religion in the college. Prior to this there had never been a 
 revival of religion in the college, and it required great faith to 
 expect it. At length, in answer to prayer, the Spirit of God 
 was poured out, so that in two or three days the largest room 
 in the college was filled with the previously irreligious, asking 
 for the prayers of the j)ious. The twelve or thirteen were now 
 fully occupied in ministering to their fellow-students. The first 
 prayer meeting I ever attended was in the room of young Biggs 
 and Daniel Baker. Many were brought into the kingdom in 
 connection with this revival. Among the rest were Dr. Arm- 
 strong, late Secretary of the American Board of Foreign Mis- 
 sions, and Dr. Hodge, who had previously seemed to be almost 
 a Christian. Since Dr. Biggs came to the West in 1832 until 
 his death, our acquaintance was intimate. We did not know 
 each other as Episcopalian or Presbyterian. A beautiful trait 
 in his character was the largeness of his Christian regards. 
 He was beautiful too in his faith, and the joyfulness of his 
 hope. He never seemed to see God in the pillar of cloud, 
 but always in the pillar of light. Christ was so near to him 
 that he felt no doubts. Great lovingness of mind and heart 
 characterized him beyond what is usual. It beamed from his 
 countenance, it spoke from his voice, and was expressed in 
 his whole manner He must have been useful, as he was." 
 
 These twenty-two years were a period of progress in 
 the Church. Especially during the ministry of Mr. 
 Biggs many were added to the kingdom of Christ, 
 most of whom have gone with their beloved pastor to 
 the blessed congregation above. The Church became 
 then better established, and all her ordinances pre- 
 
80 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 pared for the work of the generations that were to 
 succeed. 
 
 The fourth period of our history was a short one. 
 It covers a space of little more tlian six years. It 
 began with the close of the ministry of the Rev. Mr. 
 Biggs^ in the fall of 1831, and extended to the instal- 
 lation of the Rev. Wm. D. Howard, March 13, 1838. 
 The outline of its history is soon given. The Rev. 
 James G. Watson was invited by Mr. Biggs to preach 
 for a short time as he left the Church. This he con- 
 tinued to do for a few months when he was called to 
 accept the pastoral care of the Church. But this call 
 he declined. Soon after this the Rev. J. T. Marshall 
 Davie received a call and was installed pastor, August 
 28, 1832. In this service the Rev. Alexander Boyd 
 presided, the Rev. Wm. F. Gibson preached the ser- 
 mon, and the Rev. Robert Steel delivered the charges 
 to the pastor and people. 
 
 During that summer, between his call in spring and 
 installation in the autumn, the Church, and indeed 
 the whole community, was sorely distracted by the 
 prevalence of cholera; and during that time there was 
 only occasional preaching by a Rev. Mr. Barber. 
 Mr. Davie remained but two years. Then the Rev. 
 David X. Junkin supplied the pulpit for a few 
 months. The Rev. Austin G. Morss succeeded and 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 8 1 
 
 was installed pastor on April 30th, 1835. At his 
 installation the Rev. Robert Adair preached, the Rev. 
 John McDowell, D. D., presided and gave the charge 
 to the minister, and the Rev. James L. Dinwiddie the 
 charge to the people. Mr. Morss remained only two 
 years and closed his ministry here in 1837. During 
 the intervals of these various changes there frequently 
 were Sabbaths when no preacher could be had ; on 
 such occasions the time was generally occupied as a 
 prayer-meeting, conducted by Mr. Gibson, Dr. 
 Mitchell, or others. During this period there were 
 but three elders elected, namely, Charles Dewees, 
 John D. Harper and John Deal — the last named of 
 whom is still with us, having faithfully fulfilled the 
 duties of that office now for thirty-four years, and 
 having been thoroughly identified with all the inter- 
 ests of the Church for a much longer time. The 
 clerks who conducted the music were first Daniel Axe, 
 in 1833, and then Abraham Barnard from 1834 
 onward. The trustees, according to the date of their 
 election, were Christopher Wisner, Peter Slaughter 
 (a man affectionately remembered for his purity of 
 character, his Christian activity, and long-continued 
 usefulness in the Church), David Smith, Samuel 
 Dixon, Thomas Bell, Daniel Yonker, Francis Putt, 
 George J. Foulkrod, John D. Harper, John Lamb, 
 
82 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 M. D., John Deal, David Hunter, William Wilkey, 
 Dr. R. R,. Porter and Jesse Y. Castor. 
 
 All the ministers who officiated in the Church, 
 either as pastors or stated supplies during that period, 
 are still alive, with one exception — that of Mr. Davie. 
 Though his ministry here was short yet we must pay 
 his memory a passing tribute, for he was a good man, 
 and his pastorate was the brightest spot in this unset- 
 tled period of our Church's history. His death 
 occurred in March, 1862, at Flatlands, L. I. He fell 
 with his harness on in the midst of a beloved people 
 with whom his memory is still fragrant. Two things 
 were characteristic of Mr. Davie — an earnest adhe- 
 rence to the doctrines of the gospel as held by our 
 Reformed Churches, and a most tender and loving 
 heart in presenting them. One who was most inti- 
 mate with him bears testimony that he was an Israelite 
 indeed in whom there was no guile — that prudence, 
 practical wisdom, and earnest, persevering labor in 
 preaching and pastoral duties characterized him. 
 Another who had been an inmate of his family for 
 months declares of him that he had never seen his 
 temper even ruffled. And another that he was uni- 
 formly happy and forbearing so as never to be excited 
 into any unkind remark about any one. Such was 
 that good man whose ministry was only too short with 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 83 
 
 this people. It was during this period that the Pres- 
 byterian Church of Bridesburg was organized. The 
 pastors of this Church, especially Mr. Biggs, had 
 preached there before in a school-house. By their 
 means the way was prepared for the organization of a 
 separate church on the 24th of February, 1837. The 
 elders at its organization were Alfred Jenks, Samuel 
 Powel, Charles Ramsey and Andrew Ramsey. Since 
 that it has gone on and prospered and, for thirty- 
 three years, been a source of blessing to the com- 
 munity, and has to-day a bright prospect of useful- 
 ness before it. 
 
 Such was this short period of our Church's history. 
 It was an unsettled season — a season of great change 
 as we have seen — a season, towards its close, of strife 
 over which we will cast the mantle of oblivion ex- 
 cepting so far as fidelity compels us to say that the 
 Church was thereby weakened, and, for the time, 
 injured greatly in her usefulness. 
 
 The fifth period into which I have divided our 
 Church's history is in one sense the most easy, and in 
 another the most difficult to record. It is easy be- 
 cause it is smooth, unruffled and steadily progressive ; 
 but difficult to enlarge upon for that very reason, and 
 because it is comparatively destitute of striking events ; 
 besides most of its incidents are so recent that it seems 
 
84 THE PRESB YTERIAN CH UR CH 
 
 scarce worth while to dwell upon them before those to 
 whose memory most of them are so fresh. 
 
 This j^eriod embraces thirty-two years — from March 
 13, 1838 until the present time. At that date the 
 Rev. Wm. D. Howard was ordained and installed 
 pastor. On that occasion the Rev. R. W. Landis 
 preached, the Rev. William Neill, D. D., presided, 
 and gave the charge to the minister, and the Rev. 
 Robert Steele, D. D., the charge to the congregation. 
 Mr. Howard remained pastor for eleven years, and 
 then removed, in the spring of 1849, to Pittsburg. 
 A few months afterwards the present pastor was called, 
 and was ordained and installed, October 11th, 1849, 
 the Rev. Robert D. Morris presiding on the occasion, 
 the Rev. Silas M. Andrews, D. D., preaching, the Rev. 
 Robert Steele, D. D., giving the charge to the pastor, 
 and the Rev. Henry S. Rodenbaugh to the people. 
 This last pastorate has continued now for over twenty 
 years. The elders elected during this long period 
 have been Robert Pattison (1839), Robert W. Solly, 
 William Irwin, Philip Cressman (1853), Benjamin 
 Rodgers, William J. Warner, James Miller (1864), 
 and Robert Cornelius (1866). I must also record the 
 names of the trustees, who, with much care, have con- 
 ducted the temporal affairs of the Church, — Francis 
 Deal, Frederick Tryon, Enoch Arthur, Robert W. 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 85 
 
 Solly, George J. Castor, William Joiies, Thomas 
 Wriggins, Benjamin Kodgers, Joseph Scattergoocl, 
 William Blackburn, Randolph W. Evans, William E. 
 Hamill, David Murdock, William Irwin, James C. 
 Thompson, Rudolph Adams, Reuben Myers, Dr. E. 
 F. Leake, Thomas W. Duffield, John G. Gumming, 
 Alfred H. Foster, James Miller, Samuel Wakeling, 
 Joseph Ball, James McAllister, John C. Cornelius, 
 Jacob F. Wagner, Thomas Banes, Dr. William F. 
 Guernsey, William Keas, F. K. Womrath, Barton 
 Castor, John McMullen, Charles H. Filler, George 
 Taylor and George F. Borie. 
 
 Those who have led in the praises of God up to 
 the present time, during this period, must here find a 
 place. Abraham Barnard continued in that office 
 until 1840. Then Henry Bill followed for four years 
 until 1844. After him came William J. Warner 
 until 1848. He was succeeded by David Chipman 
 for three years, until 1851. Then James O'Neill for 
 one year, and afterwards Luther B. Guernsey one 
 year,..nntil 1853. In 1854 the present leader of the 
 music, Marshall Davie Yonker, entered upon his 
 office, and has most faithfully and well discharged its 
 duties for sixteen years. During all that time there 
 has been no serious difficulty or strife of any kind in 
 the choir ; but they have conducted the music of the 
 
S6 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 sanctuary to the great comfort, peace and edification 
 of the Church. Since the organ was placed in the 
 Church in 1865, George Lehman has been the skill- 
 ful organist. 
 
 I have already said that in 1799 good old George 
 Rohrer was appointed sexton. That office he held for 
 nineteen years, and was succeeded by Jacob Harper in 
 1818, though he continued to assist for a year or two 
 still. Jacob Harper held the position until 1829. 
 Then John D. Harper performed its duties for two 
 years, and James P. Williams for two more. In 1842 
 the present esteemed sexton, Joseph Watson, was 
 appointed, and has now filled the office twenty-eight 
 years, until he has become an essential part of the 
 Church. 
 
 On the 26th of April, 1853, the Presbyterian 
 Church of Holmesburg, was organized as an offshoot 
 from this. Both Dr. Howard and the present pastor 
 of this Church had frequently preached there to 
 gather the nucleus of a new church. Accordingly the 
 church was organized with Robert Pattison, from this 
 Church, as its first elder, and the Rev. James Scott its 
 first pastor. Since that it has faithfully held its place 
 in the sisterhood of our churches. 
 
 I have taken up too much time and must now 
 confine myself to general results. During the pas- 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 87 
 
 torate of Mr. Howard the Church grew and pros- 
 pered. Many souls were added to it, especially in 
 the year 1848, which was a time of refreshing from 
 the Spirit of God. Old strifes were healed. All 
 the machinery of the Church was brought into effi- 
 cient w^orking order. The church edifice was re- 
 paired and remodelled ; the parsonage was built in 
 1844 ; and the Sabbath-school was brought up to a 
 state of numbers and efficiency, which placed it in 
 the front rank of such institutions. 
 
 As to the present pastorate, though it has been long, 
 I have time or inclination to give only some of its 
 results. The great event in the outward condition of 
 the Church, during this time, was the removal of the 
 old building which had stood for ninety years, and 
 the erection of this one, twice its capacity, in its stead. 
 Many and dear were the associations which ^had to be 
 sacrificed ; but the necessity for more room compelled 
 the sacrifice to be made. The corner-stone of this 
 building was laid June 9th, 1859 ; and the house, 
 completed, was dedicated to the worship of the Most 
 High God June 14th, 1860. The mason-work was 
 done by Mr. Charles Deal, and the carpenter work by 
 Mr. William Irwin. Other improvements have been 
 made in these twenty years — as the liquidation of 
 debts, the enclosure of church and grave-yard, and 
 
88 THE PRESB YTERIA N CHUB CH 
 
 the purchase of a large organ — but I pass by these to 
 speak of the higher, the spiritual blessings vouchsafed 
 to us. "We have had times of refreshing, as in 1854 
 and 1858, but especially, 1866, during which year 
 nearly one hundred persons were added to the Church. 
 Out of the eighty-two communion seasons we have 
 had in that time, there were but two when no names 
 were added to our roll. In the beginning of these 
 twenty years there were one hundred and thirty-six 
 members in the church ; there are now four hundred 
 and thirty- three. Of those who were with us then 
 there remain now but forty-five. The Sabbath-school 
 which at first had but nine, now numbers over five 
 hundred persons. During these twenty years we have 
 had the inexpressible pleasure of receiving nearly six 
 hundred persons into the Church. Thus has God 
 blessed us, and to his name be the praise. 
 
 One century of our Church has closed, and as we 
 look back over it we must pay a grateful tribute to 
 the memory of those who toiled, and struggled, and 
 prayed to keep the light of truth burning here and to 
 build up the walls of this Zion. Amongst those who 
 have lived for God and their race let not their names 
 be forgotten. Let not us esp(*ially who have entered 
 into their heritage forget them. Four or five of their 
 names we would repeat before we close. They were 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 89 
 
 rulers in this house of God, and but recently in the 
 century went to their rest. 
 
 The first of these elders who slept in Jesus, was 
 Eoderick Adams in 1838, at the age of 51. For a 
 short time he was the sole elder of the Church. 
 Truthfully could it be said of him that he was a 
 man with scarce an enemy. Prudent, amiable, reti- 
 ring, he could be known only to be beloved. 
 
 Next to go home to Jesus was George Castor, in 
 1844 — at the age of 79. A descendant of one of 
 the four who laid the foundations of the Church 
 in the beginning, he was five years old when his 
 grandfather helped in that good work. Himself 
 among the first of its elders — when the church was 
 to be established in a new connection — when its 
 first house of worship was to be enlarged — when great 
 trouble had to be taken to supply its pulpit — when 
 great sacrifices had to be made to bear its expenses 
 and maintain its ordinances — George Castor was 
 always firm and ready. He has been known even 
 to mortgage his own property, that the interests of 
 his Zion might be supported. Such was the venera- 
 ble and upright man, whose name for nearly half a 
 century was on almost every page of our Church's 
 history. 
 
 The next of these elders who slept in Jesus, was 
 
 8* 
 
90 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUB CH 
 
 William Gibson, in the year 1851, at the age of 
 63. A native of the North of Ireland, he early em- 
 braced and was deeply grounded in the principles of 
 the grand old system of doctrines which we profess. 
 But he was also active in all the departments of 
 Christian usefulness. As one of the founders of its 
 Sabbath-school, a leader of its music, an active elder, 
 a man of prayer, the possessor of a warm. Christian 
 heart, — his name shall long live in our Zion. 
 
 Next of these beloved names is that of Alfred 
 Jenks, who rested from his labors in 1854, at the age 
 of 61. He was a man of strong faith and trust in 
 God. As one who was never tiring, and most gen- 
 erous in enterprises for the promotion of Christ's king- 
 dom, he is well remembered. Even though at a dis- 
 tance from the house of God, he would seldom be 
 absent from its services either on Sabbath or week- 
 day. While the church esteems those who are lovers 
 of good men and friends of Christian enterprise, the 
 name of Mr. Jenks will be fragrant. 
 
 Another of those whose memory is still cherished 
 with us is John D. Harper. As elder and trustee of 
 the church, and superintendent of the Sabbath-school 
 and member of a family connected prominently with 
 the Church from its commencement until the present 
 time, Mr. Harper cannot be forgotten. None was 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 91 
 
 more active than he in every good word and work. 
 Hand and heart, he was ready to engage in every- 
 thing calculated to promote the cause of Christ. Mr. 
 Harper was eminently a man of peace. Affectionate 
 in his own disposition, it was his study to promote the 
 brotherly affection and harmony of the church. He 
 was ever a staunch friend of his ministers in all efforts 
 to advance the interests of Zion. In October, 1865, 
 at the age of fifty nine, he slept peacefully in Jesus. 
 
 One other of these dear names I must mention — 
 that of Dr. Thomas D. Mitchell. He finished his 
 earthly work and went to his crown in 1865, 
 at the age of 74. For a long time he was ruling 
 elder of this Church, and his name stands upon its 
 records as prominent in every good word and work. 
 His piety and zeal were unflinching, and oh, how 
 many will rise up to call him blessed ! Many other 
 names of elders and others I would love to linger 
 upon, but time utterly forbids, and I would not know 
 how to select without appearing partial. 
 
 But while we speak gratefully of these, to the 
 Great Head of the Church our supreme gratitude is 
 due. He planted this branch. He has kept it alive. 
 He nurtured it during all these years. He sheltered 
 it under the rage of every storm. He has brought 
 it at the close of a century to be the goodly tree we now 
 
92 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 behold. And, with all our hearts, we say to him, as 
 our fathers did in the beginning, '^ Thine be the praise 
 and thanks, honor and glory, now and for ever." 
 
 And what a goodly portion is ours, dear friends of 
 this Zion ! It has been prepared for us by the labors, 
 and sacrifices and prayers of a hundred years. We 
 come to it when our Presbyterian Church is united 
 and entering upon a new era. We come to it in an 
 age which is most eventful and promising. Oh what 
 a glorious prospect we may have before us ! But 
 what a solemn responsibility too ! Let us then be 
 faithful in our lot. Let us recognize what that lot is. 
 All this accumulation of power for Christ and souls 
 let us use with the ardor it deserves. Let us look upon 
 these hundred years as the preparation, the sowing time 
 — now let our striving be for fruit an hundred-fold. 
 
 The stream of this Church's time is following^ on 
 and on. We have now been thrown into it, and our 
 portion is floating by. Where shall it bear us ? If 
 another hand writes our history in the years to come, 
 what shall it be ? A history of usefulness, of loving 
 piety, of burning zeal for Jesus, whose name we bear 
 and whose blood saves us ? God grant that it may be 
 — and then, in eternity, a hundred years to come — and 
 a hundred hundred years to come — we shall render 
 him far louder praise. 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 93 
 
 Our forefathers, a hundred years ago, left this 
 Church to their successors, with a solemn charge to 
 preserve it, and to seek to increase its numbers. 
 
 We now, at the beginning of another century, send 
 it down to our successors, and this is our charge to 
 them : Maintain the truth. Be faithful to Jesus, your 
 King. Keep Him near your hearts. Gather men 
 into the kingdom. Grow in grace. And our last 
 obligation — love one another. 
 
 Chorus. 
 
 VIIT- 
 ANTHEM. 
 
 BUNG BY THE CHOIR. 
 
 "the lord op hosts." 
 
 LoED of Hosts, to Thee we raise, 
 Here a song of grateful praise ; 
 Thou Thy people's hearts prepare 
 Here to meet for praise and prayer. 
 
 Teeble Solo. 
 
 Let the living here be fed, 
 
 With Thy word, the heavenly bread ; 
 
 Here in hope of glory blest, 
 
 May the dead be laid to rest. 
 
 Duett. 1st and 2d Treble. 
 
 Here to Thee a temple stand, 
 While the sea shall gird the land. 
 
94 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 Here reveal Thy mercy sure, 
 While the sun and moon endure. 
 
 Chorus. 
 
 Hallelujah, Hallelujah earth and sky, 
 
 To the joyful sound reply ; 
 
 Hallelujahj Hallelujah, hence ascend, 
 
 Prayer and praise till time shall end. Amen. 
 
 IX. 
 BENEDICTION, 
 
 BY THE REV. J. ADDISON HENRY. 
 
Afternoon Exercises, Qi o'clock. 
 
 THE REV. J. GRIER RALSTON, D.D., LL. D. PRESIDING. 
 
 I. 
 
 INVOCATIOK 
 
 BY THE REV. JOSEPH A. WARNE. 
 
 ALMIGHTY and most merciful Lord, our God, 
 thou hast been the dwelling-place of thy people 
 in all generations. A thousand years in thy sight, 
 when they are past, are but as yesterday. We are 
 met, in thy good providence, to celebrate the centen- 
 ary anniversary of the church which worships thee 
 within these walls. We bless thee for thy dealings 
 with them, and we now ask thy blessing upon these 
 exercises which yet remain. If thou wilt bless us, no 
 place shall be large enough to receive the blessing ; 
 and though the ordinary ministrations of the sanctu- 
 ary are not those of the present hour, we ask that 
 blessing from on high which renders those ministra- 
 
 95 
 
96 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 tions fruitful. Bless every exercise of the present 
 hour. May those who shall speak, speak from pure 
 motives, speak guided by heavenly wisdom, and may 
 what they speak be blessed by thee to the most bene- 
 ficial results, and to the greatest glory of thy name. 
 When thy praise shall be sung may it be sung in the 
 spirit and the understanding; and may those who 
 lead in this delightful part of worship, without a 
 solitary excej)tion, unite at last, in the song of Moses 
 and the Lamb, at thy right hand. Hear, answer, for- 
 give, and accept us for our Redeemer's sake. Amen, 
 
 II. 
 
 ANTHEM. 
 
 SUNG BY THE CHOIR. 
 
 PRAISE GOD IN HIS HOLINESS. 
 
 praise God in his holiness, 
 
 Praise him in the firmament of his power, 
 
 Praise him in his noble acts, 
 
 Praise him according to his excellent greatness, 
 
 Praise him in the sound of the trumpet, 
 
 Praise him upon the lute and harp, 
 
 Praise him in the cymbals and dances. 
 
 Praise him on strings and pipes. 
 
 Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 97 
 
 III. 
 PRAYER, 
 
 BY THE REV. ALBERT BARNES. 
 
 O Lord, our heavenly Father, assist us, \\e W^Y 
 thee, by the influences of thy Spirit, as we enter upon 
 these services. We pray that thou wilt be with us in 
 all that we may do ; that we may have a single eye to 
 thy glory, and an earnest desire to advance the inter- 
 ests of the Redeemer's kingdom. We thank thee for 
 the exercises in which we were engaged this morning, 
 and that we have been permitted to come unto this 
 house and celebrate thy praises, to call upon thy name 
 by prayer, to call to remembrance thy goodness to this 
 church, during the long period of its past history ; for 
 thy favor shown to this Church during these hundred 
 years, that thou hast been wdth it in its struggles, con- 
 flicts and changes ; that thou hast watched over this 
 vine of thy planting and caused it to bear abundant 
 fruit ; for thy servants w^iom thou hast raised up and 
 sent to this place to preach the unsearchable riches of 
 Christ ; for all the aid thou hast given them in their 
 ministry, the success that attends their labor. We 
 bless thee for the great numbers that have here been 
 converted by thy truth dispensed; sustained in the 
 
98 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 trials of life; guarded in its temptations; upheld in 
 the hour of death ; and gone to be with their Master 
 and Saviour in heaven. Blessed be thy name for 
 these great evidences of thy favor to this Church ; for 
 its personal prosperity; for this house of worship; for 
 these arrangements for thy praise ; for prayer ; for the 
 administration of the ordinances of thy house, and 
 instruction of the young. 
 
 We pray thy blessing still to rest upon this Church 
 and congregation ; that thou wilt be very gracious to 
 it in time to come, as in times past; that it may be to 
 this community a light set upon a hill, which cannot 
 be hid, its influence seen and felt far and near ; that 
 thou wilt graciously bless thy servant the pastor, 
 endue him plenteously with heavenly gifts, with 
 health, and prosperity and long life ; smile upon his 
 labors when he preaches the gospel, and in all his in- 
 tercourse with his people. Bless the officers of this 
 Church, that they may be righteous men, acting in the 
 fear of God, sincerely seeking the honor of the 
 Saviour and the best interests of religion. We pray 
 for all the members of the Church, present or absent, 
 for any who may be sick or afflicted in any form, for 
 all connected with the congregation, for all those who 
 are trained up in this sanctuary, who have been in the 
 Sabbath-school or Bible-class, and early placed under 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 99 
 
 the instruction of thy word, and have gone forth into 
 the great world ; wherever they go protect them, 
 bring to their remembrance the lessons of their early 
 life that they may practise them ; if converted, keep 
 near thyself; if still strangers, bring the lessons of thy 
 truth to their remembrance, that they may give their 
 hearts to God the Saviour. 
 
 Let thy blessing rest upon this place and people, 
 upon all the churches here and ministers of religion, 
 and pour thy blessing upon this city, upon the whole 
 country, and upon every land. Hear our prayer and 
 be with us for the Redeemer's sake. Amen. 
 
 lY. 
 
 ADDRESS 
 
 BY THE REV. WILLIA.M D. HOWARD, D. D., FORMERLY PASTOR OF THE 
 
 CHURCH. 
 
 Before I proceed to say what I intended to when I 
 came from my somewhat distant home to-day, I have 
 been requested to express the thanks of my brethren 
 here on the platform, and those scattered through the 
 house, and all others who partook of the bountiful 
 repast a while ago, which was provided by the ladies 
 of this Church. I hardly know why I was deputed 
 to express their thanks, unless, it may have been 
 
100 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 because having met with so many of my old friends, 
 I did not get into the dinner room at a very early 
 hour and therefore was not so filled that I was beyond 
 utterance, which may have been the case with some 
 others. The thanks of the brethren here, and all, as I 
 said before, are most cordially tendered to the ladies 
 for the repast which they provided. 
 
 I have a brief story to tell in relation to this Church, 
 with which no one is so familiar as myself. This is 
 my apology for occupying a few moments of your 
 precious time on this interesting occasion. 
 
 The year 1838 was a memorable year in the history 
 of the Presbyterian Church in this country. A 
 variety of agencies, which had been gathering strength 
 for some time, at length sundered the Church into two 
 nearly equal parts. The stream which had flowed so 
 long with a gradually increasing volume, was rudely 
 divided into two branches, which having continued 
 their separate, though nearly parallel courses for 
 nearly the third of a century, are now, by the good 
 providence of God, again happily re-united. The 
 year 1838 w^as also somewhat memorable in the 
 history of this particular congregation. The Frank- 
 ford Church had felt the violence of the storm which 
 beat upon the church at large, and was well nigh 
 wrecked by it. Just before the rupture of the whole 
 
OF FRANKFORD. IQl 
 
 church, this little branch was riven and so beaten 
 down as to excite the fears of all, except a few 
 sanguine friends who hoped against hope, tliat its life 
 was extinct. It was at this time that the speaker 
 became acquainted with it. 
 
 He had been licensed to preach in October, 1837, 
 and during the winter of 1837-8, repeatedly occupied 
 this pulpit. Early in the year a unanimous call was 
 tendered him by tlie congregation, which he accepted, 
 and on the 13th of March was ordained and installed 
 their pastor. At that time the Second Presbytery of 
 Philadelphia, under whose care the church was then, 
 as it is now, consisted of sixteen ministers, among 
 whom were Dr. John McDowell, Dr. William Neill, 
 Dr. C. C. Cuyler, Dr. Robert Steel, and Dr. Courtlandt 
 Van Kensselaer. What havoc has the third of a 
 century made in its ranks ! But a single man remains ; 
 Dr. Silas M. Andrews, who was then connected with 
 it. Nine, if not ten of the sixteen, are dead. The 
 industrious McDowell, the eloquent Neill, the wise 
 Cuyler, the courteous Steel, and that model man, 
 Christian and minister, Courtlandt Van Rensselaer, are 
 gone '' to join the glorious company of the Apostles, 
 the goodly fellowship of the Prophets and the noble 
 army of the Martyrs," in the services of the upper 
 sanctuary. 
 
 9* 
 
1 02 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 At the time the new pastor was inducted into office 
 the Church was in a very feeble condition. The 
 Sabbath audiences were small, not exceeding perhaps, 
 on the most inviting days, a hundred or a hundred 
 and sixty persons. With few exceptions the people 
 were poor, and could only afford for the support of 
 their minister some six hundred dollars a year. 
 
 The Church roll contained from eighty toeighty-five 
 names ; the Sabbath-school consisted of some thirty or 
 thirty-five children, taught by five or six teachers ; 
 the corporation was very considerably in debt, and the 
 Church edifice, and indeed the whole Church property, 
 was in a very unpropitious condition. 
 
 You must not suppose at that time there was such a 
 tasteful and commodious building as this. Our 
 temple was much humbler, though to the speaker, and 
 peradventure to a few of his audience, owing to the 
 very tender memories which cluster about it, even a 
 more cherished object than this. It was a small but 
 substantial stone edifice, standing nearly, if not exactly 
 on the same spot as this building, and, like it, fronting 
 the Main street. It was not wholly destitute of 
 architectural pretensions. The front door and win- 
 dows presented quite a church ly appearance, and were 
 certainly creditable to the taste and liberality of those 
 who erected the building. The rest of the house, 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 103 
 
 both inside and outside, was quite plain. It was but 
 one stoiy in height, and you entered the audience 
 chamber directly from the Church lawn. In one end 
 of the house was a small gallery which accommodated 
 the choir, and also aiforded ample room for the tiny 
 Sabbath-school ; in the other was a small pulpit, not 
 much larger than a barrel, which, according to the 
 strange taste of the times in which it was built, was 
 put as far from the people and as near the ceiling as 
 might be. It was reached by a single flight of steep 
 and narrow steps. The house was heated by two coal 
 stoves ; one of good, portly dimensions under the 
 gallery and immediately within the front doors, pre- 
 pared to battle with Jack Frost at the very threshold ; 
 the other near the other end of the Church, and that 
 with the double purpose, it may be, of protecting the 
 ends of the pews from an excess of heat and securing 
 heat of some sort in the pulpit, was elevated upon a 
 table in the middle aisle, and a few feet from the 
 preacher. This stove, with its tall, slender, rusty pipe, 
 which ran at an angle of perhaps sixty degrees to an 
 opening in the ceiling, though a very useful, was cer- 
 tainly not a very elegant piece of furniture. 
 
 From the centre of the ceiling was suspended, by a 
 huge iron rod, a glass chandelier, which, doubtless, 
 had been both costly and beautiful, but which at the 
 
1 04 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 time of which we speak was much the worse for age. 
 Indeed, so dilapidated was it, tliat though your 
 speaker spent some days of anxious and patient toil, 
 and no little ingenuity withal, upon it, he was unable 
 to put it in even tolerable repair. The other facilities 
 for lighting the Church were a number of tin sconces 
 hung upon the walls. When these were all provided 
 with their sperm candles, at our Sabbath evening ser- 
 vices, we were furnished, in the fullest sense of the 
 term, with a "dim religious light." 
 
 The pews were remarkable for their affluence of 
 lumber. The backs, of hardest and costliest pine, all 
 innocent of upholstering or paint, reached well up to 
 a short man's neck. The walls had been colored with 
 a blue wash, which the most skillful and persistent 
 endeavors could never cover with more becoming 
 white. 
 
 But the appliances for administering the communion 
 were, perhaps, more unique than anything else. Of 
 the communion service itself the speaker has not a 
 distinct remembrance. He recollects, how^ever, to 
 have found — though whether it was used or not he 
 cannot say — in a closet under the pulpit, a tankard, 
 some goblets, and possibly plates — all of pewter, and 
 so odd and antique that he presumes they had been 
 handed down from our good old High Dutch prede- 
 
OF FRANKFORD, 105 
 
 cessors, and possibly came over from the Fatherland 
 much more than a hundred years ago. But our 
 communion table ! Ah ! it would have thrown a 
 ritualist into convulsions. It was a small stand, the 
 top of which was about two feet square, and as it was 
 not high enough, when standing on its own proper 
 legs, to reach the top of the ceiling, which enclosed a 
 little chancel in which the minister stood whilst 
 administering the ordinance, there were four sticks 
 provided which were tied to the proper limbs of the 
 table, by which a cubit'or two were added to its stature. 
 Eepeatedly on this very spot, have we administered 
 the most solemn and instructive rite of our holy 
 religion from this very structure, and certain are we, 
 with not less comfort and edification to God's dear 
 people, many of whom are now in heaven, than if our 
 communion table had been of the finest Corinthian brass 
 and the service of burnished gold. " What is the 
 chafp to the wheat ? saith the Lord." 
 
 But whilst everything was thus plain — perhaps 
 some will think rude — within our little sanctuary, the 
 scene without, especially at certain seasons of the year, 
 was one of rare beauty. The smooth, green sod, 
 softer than an Eastern carpet ; the pleasant shade of 
 numerous trees, and especially the row of majestic and 
 graceful elms in front, unrivalled in this country. 
 
106 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 perhaps in the state, which — alas ! like those who 
 planted them a hundred years ago, and many who 
 have admired them and enjoyed their grateful shade — 
 have passed away ; the Sabbath stillness and the 
 subdued light streaming in at the open door and 
 windows, as the little company of worshippers waited 
 on God in the ordinances of his house constituted a 
 picture of very unusual beauty. 
 
 Though they w^re a little flock there were among 
 them some godly men and women who loved the 
 Church for its own and its Master's sake, and who 
 labored prayerfully and earnestly to build up its waste 
 places. Some of these are still living and still here, 
 whom to mention, therefore, would not be fitting. 
 Some, however, have been taken to the church above, 
 and there is great propriety on this occasion in calling 
 to remembrance their names and services. Prominent 
 among these were Mr. George Castor and his most 
 estimable family ; Mr. John D. Harper, who was ^'an 
 Israelite indeed in whom ^' there was " no guile,'' — to 
 whom more than to any other one the congregation is 
 indebted for the comfortable parsonage they have so 
 long possessed ; Mrs. John Deal, one of the gentlest 
 of Christians, a lady whose life was spent in deeds of 
 charity ; Mrs. David Hunter, whose affection for the 
 church was as tender as a mother's for her child ; Mrs. 
 
OF FBANKFORD. 107 
 
 Parthenia Clark, a godly widow who helped as much 
 by her prayers ; Mr. Tennant and Mr. FinlaysoD, 
 the one a canny, the other a fierce Scot, who had a 
 passion for orthodoxy, and who, at three-score years 
 and ten, we have no doubt, would have been ready to 
 shoulder a musket in defence of the kirk and the 
 crown rights of King Jesus. 
 
 Mr. Castor was a man of iron will and extraordi- 
 nary energy, and as he had considerable substance he 
 was, for a long period of years, an efficient friend of 
 tlie congregation ; and to his family, every one of 
 whom now sleep beside him in the little cemetery 
 adjoining, this Church owes a deep debt of gratitude. 
 We rejoice to be able to say that not only Mr. Castor, 
 whose generous friendship and efficient aid in our 
 work we shall ever look back upon with especial 
 pleasure ; but others whom I have mentioned have 
 left descendants who still live to love this Church and 
 to labor efficiently for its prosperity. There were 
 others whose names in the hurry of writing we could 
 not recall. Had we time it would affi^rd us unfeigned 
 pleasure to summon their names to our memory, and 
 to record at length our testimony to their faithful and 
 self-denying services ; for to us there is nothing more 
 grateful than to accord to those who have labored with 
 us in the gospel their full recompense of praise. 
 
108 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 From time to time others, who became efficient 
 helpers, were added to the little band. Among these 
 was om' now venerable and dear friend, Mrs. Ham ill, 
 whose husband had been for a long time an elder in 
 the Seventh Church of Philadelphia. Mr. Hamill 
 never worshipped with us. He came here only to die. 
 Had he lived, we are well assured the little Church 
 would have found in him a most valuable acquisition 
 to its strength, and the young pastor a very efficient 
 helper in his work. The families of Dr. George T. 
 McCallmont, Mr. George F. Womrath, Mr. John 
 Wetherill, jNIr. Thomas Wriggins, JNIr. William 
 Blackburn, Mr. Samuel C. Ford, Mrs. Ball and her 
 sons Joseph and Charles, cast in their lot with us, and 
 from these households, mainly after the retirement of 
 the speaker, the Church derived many of its most 
 consistent members, and active and liberal Christian 
 workers. 
 
 From time to time many of the youth whose parents 
 had long been connected with the congregation became 
 members of the Church. Among these were members 
 of the families of Mr. Enoch Arthur, Mr. Daniel 
 Yonker, Mrs. Hubbs, Mrs. Quicksall, Mrs. Dewees, 
 and others. There were several families to whom the 
 Church was much indebted, who did not live within 
 the bounds of the congregation, but who still retained 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 1 09 
 
 their connection with it. The principal of these were 
 Mr. Bela Badger, Mrs. James Hart, his daughter, and 
 Mrs. Martha Dungan, his sister-in-law. Mr. Badger 
 was a liberal man, and was ever ready to help us with 
 his counsel and his purse. These families did much 
 to carry forward the first fairs which were held in the 
 congregation, and it was in no small part owing to 
 their activity and liberality, that they were so suc- 
 cessful. During the summer the congregation was 
 increased, the treasury somewhat replenished, and the 
 pastor encouraged by the presence of a number of 
 families from Philadelphia, whose country residences 
 were in the neighborhood. Among these were Comegys 
 Paul, of the First Church, James N. Dickson, an elder 
 in the Sixth Church, Alexander W. Mitchell, M. D., 
 an elder in the Tenth Church, William McMain and 
 Dr. Bergen. In the early part of the ministry of the 
 speaker the congregation was under great obligations 
 to Dr. John F. Lamb. Dr. Lamb was a somewhat 
 remarkable man, and though he subsequently became 
 alienated from the congregation and withdrew from 
 it, yet he was, in one of the darkest hours of its 
 history, an efficient friend. Forgetting everything 
 that was, or that seemed to be unkind either to himself 
 or to the Church, the speaker feels himself called upon 
 to bear this testimony in favor of one who spent a 
 10 
 
110 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 long life in this community, and whose ashes now lie 
 in yonder little church -yard. 
 
 One of the first things the young pastor felt called 
 upon to do was to endeavor to heal the breaches 
 which had been made by the unhappy controversy 
 which had preceded his coming. In this difficult 
 task he was singularly aided by giving heed to one 
 word dropped by a wise and good man. That word 
 was "Conciliation." "A soft answer turneth away 
 wrath." So we found it. Conciliation was like oil 
 on the troubled waters. Families which had been 
 alienated returned to the congregation, and some of 
 these were among the most valuable families we had ; 
 friends who had been at variance were reconciled ; the 
 past was forgotten because we resolutely refused to 
 allow it to be spoken of; and ere long a day of slow 
 but increasing prosperity dawned upon us. From the 
 beginning a few were added to the Church. Very 
 few indeed at first, but still enough to show that the 
 work had the Master^s approval. The first year only 
 seven — three on examination and four on certificate ; 
 the second, fifteen — nine on examination and six on 
 certificate ; the third, ten — two on examination, and 
 eight on certificate — and so on. At no time during 
 the first ten years was there any special outpouring of 
 the Spirit. In the eleventh and last year, however, a 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 1 1 1 
 
 gracious visitation was enjoyed, during which twenty- 
 three persons were received into the Church on profes- 
 sion of their faith, which though not absolutely, was 
 relatively, a large number ; and it was regarded as a 
 special mark of the divine favor. During the time of 
 the speaker's pastorate there were added to the church 
 one hundred and forty-two persons — eighty-two on 
 examination and sixty on certificate, nearly doubling 
 the number of names on the church roll. 
 
 Early and special attention was given to the chil- 
 dren of the congregation. Every appliance we could 
 command to increase the numbers in the Sabbath- 
 school and to increase its efficiency was brought into 
 requisition. Among others a magic-lantern was pro- 
 cured, and as often as possible exhibitions and lectures 
 on Scripture subjects were given, not only to the 
 scholars of our own school but also to the children of 
 the town. On these occasions the little Church was 
 thronged not only with children, but also with men 
 and women, who seemed to take just as much pleasure 
 in looking at the gay pictures and listening to the 
 simple lectures as the juveniles themselves. When 
 the speaker came among this people there was a faith- 
 ful and persistent, though very small band of Sab- 
 bath-school teachers, to whose ranks, from time to 
 time, as scholars increased, others were added, until 
 
112 THE FRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 they became a little host. Our quarters in the gallery 
 were presently found to be too confined for us, and we 
 were obliged to betake ourselves to the body of the 
 Church ; and in process of time the little sanctuary 
 was well-nigh filled with scholars, teachers and 
 school-officers. In eleven years we had grown cer- 
 tainly from less than fifty teachers and scholars to 
 over three hundred. 
 
 One of the most pleasing facts in this connection is 
 that quite a number from the school was brought into 
 the Church. For a long time we were accustomed to 
 have a little prayer-meeting immediately after the 
 exercises of the school were over. These were amonsr 
 the most precious meetings the speaker ever attended, 
 and he believes the simple services conducted on these 
 occasions were more successful in gathering souls into 
 the fold of Christ than any other service he per- 
 formed. The Sabbath-school was emphatically the 
 nursery of the Frankford Church. 
 
 Whilst attending to these more important matters, 
 the congregation did not neglect the house of worship. 
 To all, we may say, to a few especially, the very stones 
 and dust were precious. We began by mending our 
 ways. A brick pavement was laid from the sidewalk 
 on the street to the front door. A vestibule was parti- 
 tioned off; the stoves were displaced by a capacious 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 113 
 
 furnace in the cellar ; the venerable chandelier and 
 homely sconces were succeeded by more modern and 
 somewhat splendid fixtures, to burn oil ; the lofty 
 pulpit was taken down and one put up, which, though 
 plain, was really not only convenient but also beauti- 
 ful. In front of it was a platform which was fur- 
 nished with neat mahogany chairs ; the little, crippled 
 communion table was set aside for the one which is 
 now before me; a new communion service was pro- 
 cured ; the pews were taken down, remodelled and 
 painted; the depressing blue on the walls, as we could 
 do nothing else, was covered with a coat of plaster ; 
 and the aisles were carpeted. And when all this was 
 done we had as pretty a little village church, me- 
 thinks, as could have been found within the limits of 
 our broad Commonwealth. 
 
 The funds to make these repairs and improvements, 
 were raised in considerable part, by fairs gotten up 
 and conducted by the ladies of the congregation. This 
 was at a time when fairs were not so common, so pro- 
 fitable, nor so objectionable, perad venture, as now. 
 Ours were conducted on the fairest principle, by the 
 fairest ladies, and the results withal were very fair — 
 not only that they furnished a considerable amount of 
 money, but they also taught the congregation the im- 
 portance of combining their efforts, and working 
 
 10* 
 
 / 
 
114 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 together to further the iDterests of Christ's kingdom. 
 About 1844, if we remember ariglit, the congrega- 
 tion took active measures to build a parsonage, con- 
 structing it in such a way as to secure a lecture-room 
 under the same roof. The house was finished and the 
 lecture room furnished at a cost of about twenty-five 
 hundred dollars. It was a very considerable under- 
 taking for the congregation at the time, but as it was 
 engaged in, after much deliberation and prayer, with 
 great earnestness and resoluteness of purpose ; in due 
 time it was successfully accomplished. The sub- 
 scriptions were not in money alone, but in material, 
 labor and time. One for example gave the stone in 
 the quarry, others took it out, whilst others hauled it. 
 The sash was all painted, and, unless our memory is 
 at fault, every pane of glass put into them by Mr. 
 John D. Harper, assisted by the unskillful hands of 
 the pastor. He, however, as we can testify, became 
 quite an expert painter and glazier before the work 
 was completed. 
 
 Whilst these labors were being carried forward iu 
 Frankford, there were several places in the surround- 
 ing country where occasional religious services were 
 held. One of these was at a school-house on Hart 
 Lane, between, as the phrase then was, Frankford and 
 the city ; another at Bustleton, a village some five 
 
OF FRANKFORD, 115 
 
 miles to the north-west ; and a third at Holmesburg, 
 about as far north. At this latter place, where several 
 families belonging to the Church, including one of the 
 elders, Mr. Robert Pattison, resided, these humble 
 endeavors proved to be the germ of a church, which, 
 however, was not organized until after the speaker left. 
 Gradually, but steadily, under the smile of Heaven, 
 the little church grew. The people were united and 
 harmonious. Their pastor had their confidence and 
 most cheerful assistance, and they had his affection 
 and undivided toil. Thus pleasantly, and through 
 the divine favor somewhat usefully, we trust, eleven 
 years and upward glided by very quickly. Those 
 eleven years had wrought very considerable changes. 
 When the period began the congregation was feeble 
 and discouraged ; when it closed it was comparatively 
 strong and full of hope. When it began the sanctu- 
 ary was by no means comfortable — there was no par- 
 sonage, no lecture-room, considerably less than a hun- 
 dred church members, the Sabbath congregations were 
 small, and the Sabbath-schools very small. When it 
 closed the church-building was a sightly and most 
 comfortable house of prayer — there was a good par- 
 sonage, a small, but pleasant lecture-room, the church- 
 membership had been doubled, the congregations were 
 more than doubled, and the Sabbath -school increased 
 
116 THE PBESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 eight or ten-fold. " It was the Lord's doing." To him 
 be all the praise. 
 
 The speaker is grateful to the Master, that he per- 
 mitted him to engage in his work here, and that he 
 gave him so many tokens of his favor. Not the least 
 of these was that he sent him such a man as he did as 
 successor. His wise and faithful labors at once pre- 
 served and perpetuated the work of his predecessor. 
 And among all who are here to-day, there is no one 
 who more heartily congratulates him on his success. 
 From the small plant which we left and he found, by 
 the help of the Great Head of the Church, he has 
 reared a majestic and fruitful tree; from the small 
 beginnings to which we have referred, he has been 
 enabled to raise a superstructure, which, every one 
 who loves our Lord Jesus Christ and his blessed 
 cause, must contemplate with delight. It is worth a 
 life-time to do such a work. But here again, we say, 
 " It is the Lord's doing." To him be the praise. 
 
 And now, whatever may betide the speaker or this 
 congregation, whilst memory lasts, he shall not cease 
 to look back upon his residence and his labors among 
 this dear people with the tenderest recollections ; and 
 when his work is done he hopes to meet many, to 
 whom he here brake the bread of life, at the marriage 
 supper of the Lamb in Heaven. 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 117 
 
 Y. 
 
 ANTHEM. 
 
 SUNG BY THE CHOIR. 
 
 Jehovah's praise. 
 
 Chorus. 
 
 Jehovah's praise, Jehovah's praise, in high immortal strains 
 
 Eesound, ye heavens, through all the blissful plains. 
 
 Solo, — Treble. 
 
 His glorious power, radiant sun display. 
 Far as thy vital beams diflfuse the day. 
 Thou silver moon, arrayed in softer light, 
 Kecount his wonders to the list'ning night. 
 Let all thy glitt'ring train attendant wait, 
 And every star his Maker's name repeat. 
 
 Duett. — Treble and Alto. 
 
 Ye glorious angels, tune the raptured lay. 
 Through the fair mansions of eternal day, 
 His praise let all the shining ranks proclaim, 
 And teach the distant worlds your Maker's name. 
 
 Chorus. 
 
 Bright with the splendor of his dazzling rays, 
 Exalted realms of joy reflect his praise. 
 
118 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHUROH 
 
 VI. 
 ADDEESS 
 
 BY THE EEV. CHARLES HODGE, D. D., LL.D. 
 
 Christian friends, I find my name on this pro- 
 gramme, and the subject assigned me is ^' The Early 
 History of Presbyterianism in this Country, and 
 Reminiscences of Rev. Dr. Biggs." As I purpose to 
 occupy only a few moments of your time this after- 
 noon T shall take the liberty of making a choice of 
 one of the two themes assigned me, and confine what 
 I have to say to reminiscences of my old friend and 
 class-mate. Though it is more than fifty years since 
 he was pastor of this Church, and more than a genera- 
 tion of men have passed away since then, I know 
 there are many present who were personally acquainted 
 with him during his pastoral life, and still more who 
 have heard of him from their parents and cherish his 
 memory to the present hour with fond affection. 
 
 It was in the year 1812, fifty-eight years ago — it 
 seems almost incredible — in the sophomore recitation 
 room of Princeton College the roll of the class gradu- 
 ating 1815 was first called. At that period in the 
 history of the college there was no freshman, — or 
 none to speak of. Allen, Baker, Biggs, — names fami- 
 liar from 1836 to 1840 — constituting the class, of whom 
 
OF FBANKFORD. 119 
 
 much less than half, probably not more than one- 
 third still live. As might have been expected there 
 was a great diversity in the age and degrees of pre- 
 paration for the college course among the members of 
 this class. Dr. Biggs was one of the oldest and one 
 of the best-prepared for the curriculum upon which 
 he was about to enter, and was very well qualified to 
 teach the rest of us. Almost all were so much below 
 him in the standard of preparation for college that he 
 was well qualified to be our tutor. During the three 
 years we remained together in college, and the two 
 years spent in the theological seminary, we were very 
 intimately associated ; so that I have the clearest 
 recollection of the man and feel qualified to bear testi- 
 mony in the midst of this large congregation, to the 
 many who either knew or have heard of him as pas- 
 tor of this church, that he was a man characterized 
 then, and through life, by wisdom, goodness and 
 benevolence. He was a man of large benevolence 
 and fine feeling. This is the character he has left 
 impressed upon the memories of the people — a wise, 
 good, amiable, affectionate man. 
 
 His associates in the class of 1815, many of them, 
 have become more or less known to the church as 
 preachers of the gospel. It was during the last win- 
 ter of connection in college — the winter of 1815 — 
 
120 THE PRESB YTERIAN CH UR CH 
 
 that that revival of religion within the walls of 
 Nassau Hall occurred, which is, perhaps, one of the 
 most remarkable that has ever been known in the his- 
 tory of the college. I believe at least twenty minis- 
 ters were the fruits of that revival. Twenty young 
 men from the number of those then gathered into the 
 church consecrated themselves to the service of Christ 
 in the ministry of reconciliation. Dr. Biggs, how- 
 ever, and his room-mate, the Rev. Daniel Baker, had 
 long been members of the church, and it was largely 
 to their influence, to the wisdom of their counsels, to 
 the fidelity of their admonition, to the assiduity of their 
 eiforts, that that work of grace was, under God, so 
 successfully carried on. I wish I could summon 
 around me some of the men who were then in college, 
 and ask them if they could not remember the room of 
 Biggs and Baker in the north-western part of that 
 college buildino;. That room is consecrated in the 
 memory of many yet living. There, night after 
 night, we young men bowed down with broken hearts 
 and subdued souls, bathed in tears, struggling for 
 eternal life ; and those men, afterwards so prominent 
 in the history of the church, were all to guide, to 
 admonish, to point to Christ and bid no man despair 
 since Christ, the Son of God, had died. Those of my 
 hearers who have lived through a single genuine. 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 121 
 
 orthodox revival will never, never forget it. They 
 know, as surely as they know their existence, that 
 such occasions are not due to the mere working of the 
 natural feeling, to the mere moral efficacy of the 
 truth, but to the presence, power, and controlling 
 influence of God's Holy Spirit. 
 
 I should like to be indulged for a few minutes in 
 speaking of some of those men, who were then in 
 college. One was the Rev. Daniel Baker, whose 
 name I have already mentioned. I dare say there is 
 not a man on this platform who has not heard of him. 
 It has been a lesson to me, it may be a lesson to some 
 of our younger brethren, to show how little we can 
 forecast the future, to say that when he left college in 
 1815, he refused to enter the Theological Seminary at 
 Princeton, and gave as a reason that he intended to 
 spend his life in preaching the gospel to the poor in 
 the mountains of Virginia. In six months he was 
 licensed. The first place to which he was called, was 
 the city of Savannah, and next the city of Washing- 
 ton. That was tlie way God ordained things. Gt>d 
 had given him natural gifts, however, and the Spirit 
 had endued him with certain special graces, and God 
 sent him through the length and breadth of this land 
 as an evangelist, or, as commonly and properly called 
 in our times, a revival preacher ; and God blessed his 
 11 
 
1 22 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 labors ; and there he is (pointing upwards) before the 
 throne, with crowds around him on whom he can 
 look and say, '^ Here, Lord, are the souls whom thou 
 hast given me." 
 
 Another of our classmates, w^ho w^as specially inti- 
 mate with your former pastor during his college-life, 
 was Bishop Johns, of Virginia, our first-honor-man. 
 And I want to say here, as I speak in the presence of 
 a great many young people, that his character and 
 standing in college and in the seminary and after- 
 wards as a preacher, was this — it was always to do 
 his best — always to do his best. He always prepared 
 for every recitation the best way he could ; for every 
 oration he had to deliver he made the most careful 
 preparation in his power — he wrote it two weeks 
 before delivered and had it committed ; and so when 
 he entered the ministry it was the same way ; and I 
 question whether there is any man in the American 
 church, who has done more good than he. Always, 
 young brethren, do the best you can. 
 
 And now I must stop. Here we are where Dr. 
 Biggs stood and preached. My dear hearers, do you 
 think Dr. Biggs' influence is gone ? Men of science 
 tell us that force is indestructible. Some one long ago 
 said, though perhaps extravagantly, that every word 
 uttered on iho, face of the earth is still pulsating some- 
 
OF FEANKFORB. 123 
 
 where in the regions of space. But the sober truth, 
 scientifically told, is, that no force is ever lost. And 
 if this be true of physical, it is no less true of moral 
 and spiritual forces. No word ever uttered for Christ 
 loses its effect — never. Every impression made on an 
 immortal soul for good, continues, still operates, 
 directly or indirectly, and will operate on that soul to 
 all eternity. Nor is that all, nor is that a thousandth 
 part of the truth. No such impulse imparted to one 
 soul fails to be communicated to other souls, and from 
 others to others, and to others and to others, till it 
 swells and extends immeasurably. O ye pastors, 
 down-hearted pastors, who think you are doing 
 nothing, that your words are vain, who take up the 
 lamentation of Isaiah and say, ^^ Lord, who hath 
 believed our report ? and to whom is the arm of the 
 Lord revealed ?" oh, remember, you have never 
 uttered a truth that will not last in its influence for 
 ever. Every song of praise to Jesus Christ, my 
 dear hearer, rings through all space, and through all 
 eternity. And it occurs to me — though this perhaps 
 is not exactly the place appropriate to say it, yet I 
 cannot help saying, — O, ye sons of men, remember, 
 that every wicked influence you exert upon your 
 fellow-men lasts, lasts forever. 
 
1 24 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 VII. 
 
 ANTHEM. 
 
 SUNG BY THE CHOIR. 
 
 and it shall come to pass. 
 Bass. Solo. 
 
 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain 
 of the Lord's house shall be established on the tops of the moun- 
 tains, 
 
 And be exalted above the hills. 
 
 Choeus, 
 
 And it shall come to pass, &c. 
 
 And all nations shall flow unto it, 
 
 And many people shall go, and say, 
 
 Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord : to 
 the house of the God of Jacob, 
 
 And he will teach us of his ways and we will walk, will walk 
 in his ways. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the 
 word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 
 
 VIII. 
 ADDRESS. 
 
 BY THE EEV. JAMES M'COSH, D.D. LL.D. 
 
 When your pastor invited me to be present on this 
 occasion of the centennial anniversary of your Church, 
 I was induced to accept his kind invitation partly 
 because he came to me with an Irish tongue, and I 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 1 25 
 
 had some evidence that he had an Irish heart. But 
 that was not all. He has a very promising boy in 
 our college at Princeton, who, if he continues as he 
 has begun, will prove himself worthy of his father ; 
 and I thought as you had sent this boy to Princeton, 
 I must return the compliment by coming to see you. 
 
 I see that I am expected to speak of Presbyterian- 
 ism and an educated ministry. In doing so I may 
 say, I believe in the holy Catholic church — not the 
 holy Romish Church, for I am not sure that she is 
 entitled to be called holy, and I do not believe the 
 Komish church is the Catholic church. Notwith- 
 standing, I do believe in the Catholic church and the 
 communion of saints. I believe the church is one ; I 
 believe therefore in other portions of the church of 
 Christ, that do not agree \\\t\\ us Presbyterians in 
 every thing. I have great pleasure in holding fellow- 
 ship with Episcopalians, Methodists, Baptists ; indeed 
 I do not think of any leading denomination in Great 
 Britain or Ireland, w^ith which I have not had plea- 
 sant connection, doing some small service for them, 
 and receiving far greater benefit in return. But still 
 we are met here as a body of Presbyterians, with our 
 friends of other denominations whom we are glad to 
 see here, and it is therefore allowable for us, once in a 
 hundred years, to speak a little about Presbyterianism. 
 
 11* 
 
126 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 We believe Presbyterianism is founded on the word 
 of God, and agreeable thereto ; but as an organization 
 of the church, separate from other organizations, it 
 began in the era of the Reformation. It was bred in 
 a mountain country, Switzerland, transplanted into 
 Scotland ; came to the north of Ireland ; and thence 
 was transported to America, and has flourished and 
 taken deep root here. There is one characteristic of 
 this church which I wish especially to bring before 
 you on this occasion, and that is the close and intimate 
 connection, throughout its whole history, that has 
 existed between Presbyterianism and education. I 
 believe Protestantism in itself is favorable to en- 
 lightenment ; it cannot subsist except among a people 
 taught in the word of God. Presbyterianism, in 
 particular, from the fact that it is an organic system, 
 at an early date sought to establish a system of schools 
 — lower schools, upper schools, higher schools or 
 academies, and colleges or universities. It did so in 
 Geneva, the place of its birth. Travelling in Switzer- 
 land you can tell whether you are in a Protestant 
 canton, or in a Roman Catholic canton, by five 
 minutes' conversation. But the system of elementary 
 education was first organized in Scotland. I know 
 that something is claimed for the United States of 
 America as the first to organize a system of common 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 127 
 
 schools ; but the principle that every parish ought to 
 have a school, and that every child has a right to be 
 educated, was undoubtedly first announced by John 
 Knox ; and not only did he announce this as a specu- 
 lative principle, but he put it into execution ; and 
 when he died, there was a school in every parish 
 except a few of the most remote, and an academy in 
 every important town, and no less than four universi- 
 ties in that comparatively small country ; and ever 
 since that time, the Presbyterian church has had an 
 educated ministry. The Presbyterian church in Scot- 
 land has passed through many and great difficulties. 
 For twenty-eight years her communicants were hunted 
 upon the mountains; yet descended from that noble 
 old Scot, they stood up for the independence of the 
 church, and resisted foreign aggression, though subject 
 ted thereby to imprisonment and death ; and during 
 those twenty-eight years they insisted that the great 
 body of their ministers should be thoroughly educated. 
 In that country they require, first, attendance upon 
 some college for four years, then at a theological 
 school three, four or six years; and it is only after 
 they have gone through this process, that they are 
 considered prepared to enter upon the ministry. They 
 hold that to build up the Christian church, men 
 should be well-educated, highly cultivated, able to 
 
128 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 bring out of the treasury things new and old, 
 thoroughly conversant with the language In which 
 the Scriptures were written, and with the word of 
 God as a system, and with the history of the church 
 In various ages ; and thus fit Instruments In the 
 hands of God, to enlighten the people from Sabbath 
 to Sabbath. That Is the principle laid down by the 
 Presbyterian church in Scotland, and continued from 
 the time of John Knox in 1660, to this day. 
 
 The church passed through that country into 
 Ireland, and there It has been the happiest educational 
 agency that has been employed — I may say the only 
 agency within the last four years. In the north of 
 Ireland, you will find the people Industrious and 
 moral. Crime is scarcely known among them ; half a 
 dozen policemen keep the whole of northern Ireland 
 in order. If you go Into prisons you will find not 
 above two in a hundred that are Presbyterians. 
 Parents educate their children, even where it is a 
 matter of very great Inconvenience. In this country 
 also you find an educated ministry. In Ireland every 
 person In ordinary circumstances, intended for the 
 ministry, is required to go at least three years to some 
 college — very commonly now Queen's College. He is 
 subjected to a very rigid examination before entering, 
 and again at the close. He then pursues a three 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 129 
 
 years' course in the theological seminary, where the 
 professors are men of great learning and ability. The 
 order recognized there is that a man must first be 
 called of God, and then educated, and sent forth to 
 the work of the ministry. 
 
 Now, it was out of Scotland, not directly, as out of 
 Scotland in Ireland — what you call in this country the 
 Scotch-Irish, that the great Presbyterian churches, with 
 the exception of the Dutch Reformed, have come, em- 
 bracing now, I believe, somewhere about six thousand 
 congregations. And these men brought over with 
 them the principles in which they had been taught in 
 Scotland and Ireland ; and throughout the whole his- 
 tory of the Presbyterian church what has been the 
 fact ? Schools have sprung up here and there, fitted 
 to impart a higher education, and theological semina- 
 ries for the education of young men for the ministry. 
 Princeton was primarily established for the purpose 
 of educating those who felt themselves called to 
 preach the gospel ; but others have availed themselves 
 of its advantages, so that not half the young men 
 educated there intend entering the ministry. During 
 the last two or three weeks as the result of the work 
 of God there, a larger number are looking forward to 
 the ministry than for many years, and some of them 
 have their minds fixed on missionary fields. 
 
1 30 THE FRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 We are proud, in this country, as in Scotland, of 
 oar elementary schools. I think we ought to be 
 proud . of them. America owes its greatness, not 
 merely to its political institutions, however admirable, 
 but to two things — first, to the religion of the people, 
 and second, to its elementary schools and its col- 
 leges. This national system of education when in 
 danger must be resolutely defended by every patriot 
 (apjilause). But while we are and ought to be proud 
 of our elementary schools, and defend them at all 
 hazards, there is another agency at work in promoting 
 education. When visiting Germany, some years ago, 
 I devoted considerable time inquiring into the educa- 
 tion of that country. I found there a system of edu- 
 cation equal, superior in many respects — not in all — 
 to that which is to be found either in Scotland or the 
 United States — even in Massachusetts, which takes 
 the lead ; yet I did not find in Germany, from very 
 close intercourse, so much reading and higher culture. 
 What is the reason ? The Germans have no Sabbath ; 
 and what is the consequence ? I find there the people 
 on the Sabbath morning toiling from six o'clock until 
 after mid-day. They have no time for reading. The 
 afternoons and evenings are spent at the beer and 
 dancing gardens. They have no time for reading or 
 reflection. And what is the cause of all this ? 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 1 31 
 
 The rationalistic doctrines tauo-ht them. As a con- 
 sequence of this state of things the Germans are less 
 intelligent than the Protestants of Scotland, Ireland 
 and America, who receive a great deal of their most 
 valuable instruction on the Lord's Day. 
 
 I would say nothing against any denomination, but, 
 nevertheless, I congratulate that people who have an 
 educated ministry to preach to them from Sabbath to 
 Sabbath. It is a great advantage to parents to have 
 in the pulpit on the Lord's day ministers well-edu- 
 cated and thoughtful — who can draw from nature as 
 well as the word of God, to illustrate and enforce 
 divine truth. I believe, therefore, that the people of 
 Scotland, the north of Ireland, and the Presbyterian 
 church of America have been rewarded for insisting 
 upon an educated ministry. I believe it is of the 
 utmost moment for you parents to have an educated 
 ministry. 
 
 Now I must give a practical application to all this. 
 It is a hobby of mine — but I trust it will become 
 everybody's, and then it will cease to be mine — that I 
 do not think the ministry of this country is paid as it 
 ought to be. What do you require of your ministers ? 
 First to go to school three, four or five years not 
 necessary for others; then to spend four years in col- 
 lege, and afterwards several years at a theological 
 
132 THE PRESB YTERIAN CH UE CB 
 
 seminary. All this is attended with considerable 
 expense. Here are, say ten years of time, spent in 
 preparation for his calling, during which he receives 
 nothing and is an expense ; and yet there are not a 
 few congregations that pay their ministers less than a 
 mechanic receives. What does the word of God say ? 
 " Let him that is taught in the word of God commu- 
 nicate unto him that teacheth in all good things." If 
 there is a duty on the part of the church as an eccle- 
 siastical body to see its ministers educated, there is 
 also a duty to see them something like adequately 
 remunerated. I would not have you make your pas- 
 tor wealthy. You over-feed some while many have 
 not enough for comfort. There should be a greater 
 equality. Those who minister to you in holy things 
 should receive such compensation for their services as 
 will place them above carking cares about temporal 
 matters. 
 
 In concluding I have to thank your pastor for 
 bringing me here to see this assembly. I believe it 
 right to commemorate what men did in seasons 
 closing. I think it is proper for us to remember the 
 men that by faith and patience established churches in 
 our land ; and when a hundred years run their course 
 I hope this Church will then be the grandmother, and 
 great-grandmother, to other churches; and, at a meet- 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 133 
 
 ing like this they will thank God for the effort made 
 a hundred years ago. 
 
 IX. 
 
 HYMN. 
 
 READ BY THE REV. B. L. AGNEW. 
 
 SUNO BY THE CHOIR AND CONGREGATION. 
 
 Joyfully, joyfully onward we move, 
 Bound to the land of bright spirits above ; 
 Angelic choristers sing as we come. 
 Joyfully, joyfully haste to your home : 
 Soon, with our pilgrimage ended below, 
 Home to the land of bright spirits we go, 
 Pilgrims and strangers no more shall we roam, 
 Joyfully, joyfully resting at home. 
 
 Friends, fondly cherished, have passed on before, 
 Waiting, they watch us approaching the shore; 
 Singing to cheer us through death's chilling gloom 
 Joyfully, joyfully haste to your home. 
 Sounds of sweet melody fall on the ear. 
 Harps of the blessed, your voices we hear ; 
 Kings with the harmony heaven's high dome, 
 Joyfully, joyfully haste to your home. 
 
 Death with his weapons may soon lay us low, 
 Safe in our Saviour, we fear not the blow. 
 Jesus hath broken the bars of the tomb, 
 Joyfully, joyfully will we go home. 
 12 
 
134 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 Bright will the morn of eternity dawn, 
 Death shall be conquered, his sceptre be gone; 
 Over the plains of blest Canaan we'll roam, 
 Joyfully, joyfully with Christ at home. 
 
 X. 
 
 BENEDICTION. 
 
 BY THE REV. J. GRIER RALSTON, D. J)., LL.D. 
 
Evening Exercises, 7J o'clock. 
 
 THE REV. J. ADDISON HENRY, PRESIDING. 
 
 I. 
 
 INVOCATION. 
 
 BY THE REV. CALVIN W. FERRIDAY. 
 
 OTHOU most high, great, and true God, who art 
 faithful to thy promise and dost love those that 
 come unto thee, who art infinite, eternal, and un- 
 changeable in thy being, wisdom, power, holiness, 
 justice, goodness and truth ; with whom a thousand 
 years are as one day, and one day as a thousand years! 
 we most humbly invoke thy divine presence during 
 our services this evening. Deign to dwell here. Lord 
 God; sanctify every heart; may the words of truth 
 we hear be implanted in our hearts, and bring forth 
 the fruits of righteousness to the glory of thy holy 
 name through Jesus Christ. Amen. 
 
 135 
 
136 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 11. 
 
 ANTHEM. 
 
 STJNG BY THE CHOIR. 
 
 Sentence. 
 
 how lovely. 
 
 Choeits. 
 
 Oh how lovely is Zion, city of our God. 
 Joy and peace shall dwell in thee. 
 
 III. 
 PRAYER, i 
 
 BY THE EEV. J. B. DAVIS. 
 
 O Thou from wliom all blessings flow, again would 
 we come into thy sacred presence ; with adoring 
 reverence and with grateful hearts would we recognize 
 thy goodness and mercy to us this day ! O God, we 
 thank thee for the position we occupy to-day ! We 
 thank thee, O God, for the precious remembrances of 
 the past, which we have to-day cherished ! We thank 
 thee for the pleasing anticipations which we are per- 
 mitted to cherish, in reference to the future. We 
 thank thee for the evidence we have to-day, that this 
 vine is a vine of thine own planting. We thank thee 
 for all the tokens of favor and mercy, which thou hast 
 
OF FRANKFORD, 137 
 
 shown thy servants who have done the "work in this 
 part of thy vineyard in days gone by. We thank 
 thee for all the influences for good, which have been 
 set in operation liere, which shall continue to be felt 
 as long as eternity shall last. O, our Father, we 
 thank thee for the pleasing emotions that have to-day 
 been awakened in our souls ! We thank thee for the 
 important lessons we here today learn — lessons 
 learned from the past, which we trugt shall be for 
 good to us and others in the future. We thank thee 
 for all our eyes have seen and for all our ears have 
 this day heard. Now, O God, we pray that thy pre- 
 sence may be with us to-night, that thy heavenly 
 benediction may rest upon us in the progress of these 
 services. Wilt thou assist those who shall take part 
 in them, and touch their lips as with a live coal from 
 off thine altar ; and may everything that shall be said 
 be accompanied with thy blessing and have a salutary 
 influence upon all. 
 
 W^e ask that thy blessing may rest upon this 
 Church. Wilt thou continue here to dwell and to 
 follow with thy blessing, the use of the means of 
 grace ; and grant that many precious souls may yet 
 be here gathered into thy fold and kingdom. Oh 
 grant, we pray thee, that thy special blessing may 
 rest upon thy servant who is permitted to close the 
 
 12* 
 
138 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 work of a centuryj here under circumstances of such 
 mercy and such interest. May his bow continue to 
 abide in strength, and may thy presence be with him 
 in the future as in the past. Grant, O God, we pray, 
 that the influence of this day may strengthen his 
 hands, and that he may be greatly encouraged and 
 blessed in his work in the future, and more from this 
 day forth than ever before. 
 
 Let thy heavenly benediction rest upon this com- 
 pany of immortal souls, and may those of us who 
 wait and worship here to-day be gathered, all of us, 
 at last to worship before thy throne above, we ask for 
 Jesus^ sake. Amen. 
 
 lY. 
 ADDRESS 
 
 BY HON. JOSEPH ALLIS0:N', LL.D. 
 
 I will commence my remarks by a confession — in 
 advance of what I shall have to say to you. It has 
 been promised for me that my special theme shall be 
 the founders of the Presbytei'ian church in Philadel- 
 phia. I am not able to speak to you on this subject 
 as I could wish to do ; it is one that might be made 
 of interest to a Philadelphia audience, if time could 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 139 
 
 be taken to investigate it and present it in its proper 
 order and arrangement. But it would not interest 
 you to be told why my remarks must be of a more 
 general nature than I desire them to be ; I have made 
 one confession — let that suffice. We are assembled 
 upon an occasion that is of much interest, not to you 
 only who are residents of Frankford, but to all who 
 are permitted to meet with you to-night and join 
 in the thanksgiving for the blessing which has been 
 conferred on you, permitting you to celebrate the hun- 
 dredth anniversary of the organization of your 
 Church. Churches, like individuals, have their his- 
 tory ; they rise and flourish for a time, but many of 
 them long, long before their hundredth anniversary 
 die and are forgotten : they pass away as if they had 
 never been. But the good providence of God has 
 kept this Church together, and the small congregation 
 which, a century ago, was here organized, is permitted 
 after so many years of trial and varied fortune to 
 rejoice in a prosperity which is an evidence of Hea- 
 ven's favor to it. 
 
 I read with great pleasure in one of our evening 
 papers, as I rode out to this meeting, the very inter- 
 esting and instructive address made to you by your 
 most excellent pastor this morning; and as he spoke 
 of the handful of men who, a century ago, gathered 
 
1 40 THE PRESB YTEBIAN CHUB CH 
 
 in this borough to organize themselves into a church, 
 professing substantially the faith which you profess 
 and maintain to-day, I thought it was a favor which 
 was not given to every one who ministers at the altar, 
 to be permitted to dig up the foundation stones of the 
 church of which he is bishop, and present them to his 
 people as the treasured memorials of their past his- 
 tory. It reminded me of a picture Scott has drawn 
 of Old Mortality, who upon the moors and upon the 
 mountains of his native Scotland, devoted his life 
 to the perpetuation of the memory of the martyrs 
 who died for the faith as it is in Jesus Christ. I 
 saw before me his picture of that old man with his 
 little pony, his saddle of straw and bridle of rope, his 
 chisel and mallet ; I thought I could see him as he is 
 represented, pausing in his work of retracing upon 
 the tombs and grave-stones of the dead, who died for 
 " Christ's crown and covenant," the names of the 
 sainted heroes of his native land ; doing what he could 
 to preserve the memory of the martyrs who perished 
 by torture, by famine, by fire and by sword, in cave, 
 and in dungeon, and wherever the arm of a bloody 
 persecution could reach them. I thought as I read 
 the address to which I have referred, that you have 
 an Old Mortality here among you, who, as a labor of 
 love, had used his chisel and mallet and brought out 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 141 
 
 again, in bold relief, the names of the men who a 
 hundred years ago in Frankford founded the organi- 
 zation of which you are the representatives and the 
 embodiment to-day. And I wish I had it in my 
 power to do for you that which I had hoped to do ; 
 supplement the work of your pastor, and bring before 
 you the history of some of those who in Philadelphia, 
 even before the organization of this congregation, 
 labored to found in this land the Presbyterian 
 Church, the counterpart of the Church of Scotland. 
 
 It is more than a hundred and ninety years since 
 the first Presbyterian church was constituted in this 
 city ; a handful of believers, who long hesitated as to 
 whether they had strength and faith enough to assume 
 the responsibility of an organization, took to them- 
 selves the name of the First Presbyterian Church of the 
 city of Philadelphia. In 1701, the Pev. Mr. Andrews 
 was installed the pastor of that congregation. For a 
 long time Presbyterian ism w^as not a very great suc- 
 cess in the Quaker City. Many years passed by and 
 it numbered but four congregations. Then Philadel- 
 phia, comparatively speaking, was but a village ; now 
 it is a city of nearly eight hundred thousand people ; 
 and the germ that was then planted has grown with 
 our growth, strengthened with our strength, and Pres- 
 byterianism here to-day may claim to be a power 
 
142 THE PBESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 among the denominations. I say this not in the spirit 
 of vain glory ; not for the purpose of contrasting our 
 position witli that of others to their disadvantage. I 
 speak merely of the fact as it exists, and ask you to 
 _look at its numerous organizations ; its churches ; the 
 numbers, power, influence, and wealth of the member- 
 ship of these churches. And when you reflect that it 
 was only in 1701 that the first church had a pastor 
 installed over it, have we not as a denomination rea- 
 son to believe that the power which has enabled us as 
 a body thus to make progress, has not been of man but 
 of God ? That he has counselled our counsellors ; 
 that he has led them and us in the way in which we 
 have been able to walk, and for all our prosperity to- 
 day we have reason to give thanks. 
 
 One element of success to which we owe much, and 
 which belongs perhaps to all organizations in the 
 United States, is, that we are not as they are in other 
 lands, without diversity in unity. AYe have in this 
 country the combination of elements that has formed 
 us into a peculiar people, and this peculiarity is 
 stamped upon the Presbyterian churches of our land. 
 For while we hold to the same system of doctrine, 
 have the same standard with Presbyterian churches 
 in other countries, we have a life and a spirit that are 
 especially our own. Any one who will look over 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 143 
 
 the records of the early history of Presbyterianism in 
 Philadelphia, will find that it was made up of men 
 from Old England, and from New England ; from 
 Ireland, from Scotland and from Wales. It is the 
 fusion of tliis varied, and to some extent conflicting, 
 material, that has made us wdiat we are, partaking 
 somewhat of the virtues and the faults of all. And 
 if you will permit me, I will here say that the Pres- 
 byterian church in this city and of our entire country 
 is indebted, in no small degree, to the country from 
 which you and I claim to have our origin. The 
 names of Andrews and Cross, and Finley and Ten- 
 nent indicate who the master workmen were, and 
 from whence they came, that laid deep, and broad, and 
 solid, the foundations of our church in this city and 
 its vicinity. 
 
 The North of Ireland sent to us large stores of 
 treasure — more valuable far than gold, or silver, or 
 precious stones; it sent her men, eminent for their 
 piety and learning, to minister in our pulpits ; and 
 with them came a tide of immigration that bore upon 
 its waves, the people who have always stood firm in 
 their faith in God, adhering with unflinching tenacity 
 to their stern and rigid Calvinism : by which sign 
 they conquered. One name among the leaders of 
 these hosts is worthy of special mention. If he were 
 
1 44 THE PEESB YTERIAN CHUB CH 
 
 alive to-day, our country could not repay to Gilbert 
 William Tennent the debt it would owe to him, who, 
 single-handed, established in the adjoining county of 
 Bucks, his humble Log College. His object was to 
 provide an educated ministry for the Presbyterian 
 church of this country ; and how fully his purpose 
 has been attained, you will all undeMand when I 
 mention the fact, known to many here to-night, that 
 the Log College, founded in what was then almost a 
 wilderness, bloomed into Princeton College and 
 Seminary. Four sons of the founder of the Log 
 College followed in the footsteps of their father ; trained 
 in his own school they preached the gospel to the 
 people, generally to the Presbyterians of this region, 
 round about where we are assembled to-night. One 
 of these brothers, Gilbert Tennent, was pre-eminent in 
 his day as a man of power, whose ministry was blessed 
 as instrumental to the conversion of many souls. 
 
 At this early period, and associated with the Ten- 
 nents, came to our shores Whitefield, whose evangelistic 
 labors were so greatly blessed that to this day and to 
 the end of time, men shall not cease to be the better 
 for his ministry here. The Presbyterian church was 
 greatly aroused and quickened by his voice, which 
 spoke for God to his audiences often thousand people, 
 as it were with the voice of a trumpet. 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 1 45 
 
 These are some of the instrumentalities which were 
 made use of to establish the Presbyterian church in 
 this portion of our country ; and whatever degree of 
 prosperity has been given us, we owe much, more than 
 can ever be known on earth, to the agencies to which 
 I have referred. 
 
 I now leave this aspect of the subject; may I speak 
 for a moment, not of the past but of the future — of 
 what cfur church may yet hope to accomplish ? Never 
 had it a brighter prospect; we have perfect peace 
 within our borders, and we are therefore prepared to 
 consecrate ourselves to the work which is laid upon 
 us; the vital question is; Will we do it"? Our spe- 
 cial field is our country ; our general field is the 
 world ; and the command is, " Go into my vineyard, 
 and work." And while we work let us not forget to 
 hold fast to the form of sound doctrine ; but more 
 careful still to maintain our faith and hope in Him who 
 is the resurrection and the life. Let us take courage 
 from the fact that we have been preserved from falling 
 into fatal error of doctrine ; that God has encamped 
 about our church, and guarded us from defection and 
 apostasy which he has suffered to fall upon other 
 churches. The mere intelligence of the Calvinistic 
 churches of New England, did not prevent the 
 descendants of the Pilgrim Fathers, who endured so 
 
 13 
 
] 46 THE PBESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 much for conscience' sake, from lapsing into Unita- 
 rianism ; and even the Church of Holland, with its 
 glorious history, which belongs to its better and purer 
 days, has been given over to Rationalism and unbe- 
 lief. Our safety is in our dependence upon the divine 
 arm ; there and there only may we ever rest. 
 
 About two years ago I was in another city of 
 Frankford, several thousand miles distant from us. 
 It was a great pleasure to follow as far as I was able 
 in the footsteps of Luther, in that city where he lived 
 for several years. I visited repeatedly the church in 
 which he preached the doctrines of the Reformation, 
 and felt while there, that I stood upon ground more 
 holy, than when under the roof of the old cathedral, 
 where for centuries the emperors of the German 
 Empire were elected and crowned. I went from 
 Frankford, to the city of Worms and stood beneath 
 the spreading branches of the magnificent tree, at 
 whose foot Luther rested before entering the city to 
 appear before the Emperor and his Diet, to answer for 
 his faith ; and where he replied to the warning from 
 his friends, 
 
 '•'I will fulfil my promise, in answer to the summons of 
 Charles, though there be as many devils in Worms as there are 
 tiles upon the roofs of the houses." 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 147 
 
 And again I stood where Luther stood before the em- 
 bodhnent of the power of the Empire; and when 
 called upon to reoant, raising his hands and eyes to 
 heaven, he exclaimed — 
 
 " Here I stand, I cannot go forward, I cannot go backward. 
 So help me God." 
 
 I thought then, as I believe now, that there is a vital, 
 sustaining, life-giving power in the fundamental 
 doctrine, on which Luther planted himself, of justifi- 
 cation hy faith. Upon this rock may this Church ever 
 rest. 
 
 In conclusion I renew my congratulations to you, 
 the minister of this Church, and to the people of your 
 charge. I congratulate you all on your prosperous 
 condition, and hope that your twenty years' pastorate 
 over this congregation may have added to it many years 
 of increasing usefulness and happiness. And when 
 another century shall have ended its course may you 
 and your co-laborers have as much justice done to 
 you, by one who shall as faithfully revive your deeds 
 in connection with this organization, as you have done 
 for those who one hundred years ago here lived and 
 labored as pastors and members of this Church. 
 
148 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 Y. 
 ANTHEM. 
 
 SUNG BY THE CHOIR. 
 
 I'll wash my hands in innocency. 
 
 Duett and Choeus. 
 I'll wash my*hands in innocency, 
 
 Lord, and so will I go to thine altar. 
 
 ^o-LO.— Treble. 
 That I may show the voice of thanksgiving, 
 And tell of all thy wondrous works. 
 
 Solo. — Bass. 
 Lord, I have loved the habitation of thine house, and the place 
 where thine honor dwelleth. 
 
 Duett. — Trebles. 
 
 1 will walk, I will walk innocently, 
 
 deliver me, deliver me, 
 And be merciful unto me. 
 
 Chorus. 
 
 1 will praise the Lord in the congregation. 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 149 
 
 YI. 
 ADDRESS 
 
 BY THE REV. E. R. BEADLE, D. D., LL. D. 
 
 This change in the programme will cause no incon- 
 venience to you, probably, while it relieves me from a 
 personal and somewhat trying embarrassment which 
 has been pressing upon me all the afternoon to solve 
 the problem — " What shall the man do wiio comes after 
 the king ?'^ We have heard a good deal to-day about 
 Presbyterianism. It runs in my blood. But I am 
 sorry that I have not heard one word said to-day about 
 old-fashioned Presbyterianism. I am asked to speak 
 (as this programme indicates) on Presbyterianism and 
 Missions — as if these two were not one. They mean 
 precisely the same thing. The very first missionaries 
 that ever went out to preach the gospel of Christ were 
 Presbyterians, and Peter was one of them (laughter). 
 If they w'ere not Presbyterians, if each man was not 
 a, presbuteros, I would like to know what he was. So 
 that our church, as our good friend at the head of 
 Princeton stated — at least implied — did not begin at 
 Geneva ; it only sprang up again there. All the mis- 
 sionaries and elders in the early church were presby- 
 
 13* 
 
1 50 THE FRESB YTERIAN CH UE CH 
 
 \ 
 
 ters — there was the beginning of the Presbyterian 
 church. Then in later years there came the Wal- 
 denses. Driven out of tlie Roman Catholic Church 
 they became Presbyterians in fact. Every congrega- 
 tion had a consistory, — made up of a minister, an 
 elder, and a deacon. Is not that Presbyterianism ? 
 The Huguenots were Presbyterians. They accepted 
 the doctrines and government of Calvin, they filled 
 France with their blood as with their faith, they came 
 to America and settled through New Jersey, and went 
 down into Maryland and the Carolinas, and found 
 their way to Boston — the hub of the universe. And 
 then from Geneva there was another spring flowing in 
 this old-fashioned style, and it burst up in Scotland ; 
 and that church in Scotland is remarkable for two 
 things — martyrs and missions. We have been told 
 that some of the noblest men in the Presbyterian 
 church in America came from Scotland. In 1701, as 
 you have heard, they landed and gathered about 
 Philadelphia in little flocks, and just one year after 
 landing they had a pastor and a church established. 
 They had no railroads then nor hotels, but went on 
 horseback through this then wilderness to preach the 
 gospel . 
 
 In 1709, good old Scotland, which I love as I do 
 the land in which I was born, sent the first missionary 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 151 
 
 to heathendom; and where do yon suppose he went? 
 Why, where we want missionaries to go now — to 
 Long Island (laughter). The very first missionary of 
 the Presbyterian church ever sent to heathendom 
 went to Long Island ; and the next missionary of the 
 Presbyterian church sent out on this continent was 
 David Brainerd. Did you ever hear of him ? You 
 go up to Easton, some of you. There, where Lafayette 
 College is located, Brainerd preached to the Indians. 
 And in some portions of New Jersey he wrought a 
 work that has never been paralleled on the face of this 
 globe. He was a Presbyterian. And then there was 
 John H. Rice, who toiled among the Africans of Vir- 
 ginia when he could have filled the first pulpits of the 
 land. He was another of our early missionaries. 
 And then there were those old Scotch-Irish, of whom 
 you will hear from the speaker who is to follow me. 
 They were bent on preaching the gospel to the regions 
 bevond, and Beverido-e was sent on horseback from 
 Philadelphia to Caledonia in Canada, to hunt up 
 some Scotch Highlanders that were understood to be 
 living there. There was a Mr. Harvey reported to be 
 a chief man amono; them. He hunted throuo-h the 
 wilderness, and by and by got track of him ; found 
 his cabin and knocked at his door. '^ Come in,'' said 
 a broad Scotch voice ; he went in and found a man on 
 
1 52 THE PEESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 a shoemaker's bench, mending an old shoe ; he kept 
 on with his work, never looking up at all. Beveridge 
 said nothing for a moment, but at length inquired, 
 "Do you want any preaching here?" I.aying down 
 his tools and springing to his feet, ^^ Yes," said he, 
 "we do." That was the beginning of the missionary 
 work in that country that has grown into Presbyteries 
 and Synods and poured its revenues into the kingdom 
 of God. That is the way Presbyterians worked on 
 with their missions. Look at the work of the Pres- 
 byterian Board of Missions — at what it has done for 
 the Indians in our country — what it is doing in 
 Africa, and in Japan, and in the Indies. Oh, how 
 my heart flutters when I say that word ! What 
 has the Presbyterian church done in India? Some 
 of the best missionary blood shed since tlie days of 
 the early martyrs has been shed in India. And in 
 China, look at what our Presbyterian church is 
 doing ! 
 
 .We have heard much of what has been done for the 
 last hundred years for this church. Depend upon it, 
 ours has not been a Rip V^an Winkle sleep. We 
 have been growing through all this century with these 
 changes and this progress. We have not awakened 
 to-day in Frankford, to find for the first time that we 
 can go to Philade]{)hia by steam. I remember myself 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 153 
 
 —and I am not so gray as some men here — the time 
 when it was said in my hearing, 
 
 " You can go in the stage all the way from Albany to Coopers- 
 town, N. Y., sixty miles, in twenty-four hours, by riding night 
 and day/' (laughter.) 
 
 And I can remember when you could go all the way 
 from Utica to Rochester by canal packet — at the rate 
 of six miles an hour (laughter). Yes, I have heard 
 that, and have lived to see the prediction of Stevenson 
 made good. When asked what he thought about 
 locomotives, he ventured, very tremblingly, to say, he 
 hoped he should live to see the time when locomotives 
 would draw trains on railways, with freight cars 
 attached, at the rate of twelve miles an hour ; and 
 afterwards he said he wanted to say twenty, but did 
 not dare to. Now, sir, you and I have gone from 
 Liverpool to London, over and over again, at the rate 
 of sixty miles an hour. 
 
 Now, I wish just to ask you from this advanced 
 point in history, from this advanced point in Presby- 
 terian ism, what you mean to do for the next century. 
 A hundred years have passed. This Church is not to- 
 day as it was a hundred years ago. You have already 
 heard that. God is going before you, and bringing 
 you up to a high place in Israel, and now he asks you 
 
154 THE FRESB YTERIA N CHUR CH 
 
 what you are going to do for tho time to come. The 
 great work of missions is only begun, and God is 
 sounding to a quicker march everywhere^ and espe- 
 cially to you and to us in this land. 
 
 I sweep away as by magic, for an instant, a hun- 
 dred years to come. We heard from the eloquent 
 gentleman before me, the hope expressed that when 
 this hundred years were passed, there should be an in- 
 gathering here lilvc this ; and when another century 
 shall have succeeded, that it should be repeated ; but 
 I believe that when tliat hundred years have been 
 told and there shall gather on this soil, perhaps on 
 this very spot, a congregation to recite the records of 
 the past, they will not come here to tell of an edifice 
 built anew, with all the modern improvements on the 
 ground where this shall have worn down to the dust, 
 they will not come here to felicitate one another, that 
 a Presbyterian church is a hard thing to kill, as we 
 heard this morning, but they will come here, as I 
 believe, to say and to sing, ^^ The world is won for 
 Christ." 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 1 55 
 
 VII. 
 
 HYMN, 
 
 READ BY THE REV. W. R. WORK. 
 
 SUNG BY THE CHOIR AND CONGREGATION. 
 MY DAYS AEE GLIDING SWIFTLY. 
 
 My days are gliding swiftly by, 
 
 And I a pilgrim stranger, 
 Would not detain them as they fly, 
 
 These hours of toil and danger ; 
 
 For oh, we stand on Jordan's strand, 
 
 Our friends are passing over. 
 And just before, the shining shore 
 
 We may almost discover. 
 
 We'll gird our loins, my brethren dear, 
 
 Our distant home discerning ; 
 Our absent Lord has left us word, 
 
 Let every lamp be burning ; 
 For oh, we stand, <fec. 
 
 Should coming days be cold and dark. 
 
 We need not cease our singing ; 
 That perfect rest naught can molest. 
 
 Where angel harps are ringing ; 
 For oh, we stand, &c. 
 
156 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 Let sorrow's rudest tempest blow, \ 
 
 Each cord on earth to sever ; 
 Our King says, " Come," and there's our home 
 
 For ever, oh, for ever. 
 For oh, we stand, &c. 
 
 YIIL 
 ADDRESS, 
 
 BY THE REV. JOHN HALL, D. D., OF NEW YORK. 
 
 My Christian Friends: — It gives me great pleasure, 
 upon this special occasiou, to address a few words to 
 this magnificent audience, who seem to show their 
 deep interest in the occasion by the patience with 
 which they remain here after the lengthened, and, I 
 doubt not, deeply interesting services of the day. My 
 brother, Dr. Beadle, asked the question, " What is 
 the man to do who comes after the king ?" — putting 
 me in that position. Dr. Beadle ought to know there 
 is no king here. This is a commonwealth, it is an 
 American republic, and there is no king on this plat- 
 form. Presbyterianism is republicanism, too, of the 
 truest and best order; and we are all brethren. We 
 all stand on a level, and have no king and no master 
 but Jesus Christ, King and Head of the church. 
 
 I am to speak to you of a section of the population 
 
OF FRA NKFORD. 15? 
 
 and a constituent element in one of the great churches 
 into whose heart this conviction has, I may say, been 
 burned by long and painful experience ; I am to speak 
 to you of the Scotch-Irish, and yet it is necessary to 
 define the term in the very beginning. These people 
 are not Scotch, for they were not born in Scotland ; 
 and they are not Irish, for they do not belong to Ire- 
 land, and do not speak the tongue, and do not inherit 
 the traditions. They are people who, two centuries 
 ago — nearly three centuries, some of them — crossed 
 over from Scotland into Ireland and remained there 
 until a very considerable number of them saw good 
 reason to leave Ireland and come to this continent. 
 When we speak of the Irish, properly speaking, our 
 Roman Catholic fellow-citizens are more particularly 
 described ; when we speak of the Scotch-Irish you 
 may be tolerably confident we are speaking of the 
 Presbyterian people, who come, for the most part, 
 from the northern province. As you pass along the 
 northern shore of Ireland and look across the water, 
 at a distance of thirteen or fourteen miles, you can see 
 the Scottish land ; so it is not difficult to see how it 
 was the Scotch people accepted the invitation extended 
 to them, and passed over in the days of persecution 
 and took possession of the county of Antrim and 
 adjacent parts of that country. When they went into 
 14 
 
158 THE PRESS YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 Ireland they found it, morally and physically, in a 
 most wretched condition. War had swept over the 
 land ; a great deal of Ulster was covered with rocks 
 and bogs; but the industry, patience and energy of the 
 Scotch people, and their religious principles, speedily 
 succeeded in making Ulster one of the most happy 
 and prosperous provinces of the land. 
 
 The Scotch people who settled there soon began to 
 
 desire ministers. I am sorry to say it is not always 
 
 the best part of the population that move away, and 
 
 there is good reason to believe that it was so in this 
 
 case. In many cases it was people broken down in 
 
 means and reputation that left, and there was need of 
 
 some religious change among them. It pleased God 
 
 in a most remarkable manner to bless the labors of his 
 
 servants among the Scotch people settled in Ireland. 
 
 It is one of the glorious things about the church there 
 
 that it was planted in the midst of glorious revivals, 
 
 and the people became earnest, devoted Christians. 
 
 They needed all that earnestness. As many know, an 
 
 effort was made on the part of the government to set 
 
 up the Established Church, and many persons began 
 
 to look upon these Presbyterians as standing in their 
 
 way. You can easily fancy what class of annoyances 
 
 they were subjected to when I tell you that for a very 
 
 long time the ministers had no license to preach, and 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 159 
 
 were liable to be imprisoned for marrying their own 
 parishioners. They durst not set up an institution for 
 training ministers, or even a day-school oftentimes; 
 and yet in face of these difficulties, strange to say, not 
 merely through continued migration, but through 
 natural growth and increase, the Presbyterian people 
 multiplied in Ireland; and it might be said of them, 
 as of Israel in Egypt, the more they were afflicted the 
 more they grew. Many of these people engaged in 
 agricultural pursuits and soon became very desirable 
 as tenants. Consequently land owners held out great 
 encouragement to them to farm, giving them leases for 
 thirty years. Subsequently the question of tenant- 
 rights — which has given so much trouble in Ireland 
 — arose ; and the people, unwilling to submit to the 
 oppression of the land-owners, clubbed together and 
 came over as congregations and established themselves 
 in America, bringing their ministers with them, thus 
 contributing largely to lay the foundation of Presby- 
 terianism in this country. 
 
 It would be interesting, if I had time, to put before 
 you some of the characteristics of the people. I think of 
 one clergyman who belonged to the seceding branch of 
 the Presbyterian church in Ulster. Annoyances were 
 put in his way, and these difficulties became so very 
 great, that at length, he left the country. Three hun- 
 
160 THE PRESB YTERIAN CH UR CH 
 
 dred of his people and himself took passage in a ship 
 sailing from a creek called Narrow Water, from which 
 no ship of any size could have sailed, and coming to 
 this country settled in Carolina where he labored with 
 the same fidelity as in Ireland. At length this man 
 died sitting in his chair, and it is reported that on the 
 table before him, when he died, there was a pastoral 
 letter written by himself to the congregation in Ire- 
 land — which he had left nearly thirty years before. 
 
 From the year 1730 until about the middle of the 
 last century, it has been estimated that there came 
 from Ulster, probably, twelve thousand people every 
 year. I had the pleasure of going back to ray native 
 land last summer and visiting my home. I remem- 
 ber walking over the parish with my brother, who 
 lived in the neighborhood and knew all the people. 
 We were comparing notes, speaking of the boys and 
 girls whom we knew as children, and were surprised 
 to find as we passed from house to house, scarcely one 
 family from which young and vigorous men and boys 
 and women had not taken their departure for 
 America ; and yet in that neighborhood there are as 
 many Presbyterian churches as when I was a child, 
 and just as many people to fill them. 
 
 If any one will take the trouble to look over the 
 history of America he will be surprised to find what 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 16 1 
 
 a laro;e number of the leadino- men of America were 
 from the northern province of Ireland, or their 
 descendants. Robert Fulton, who may be recognized 
 as the father of our river navigation, was the child of 
 comparatively poor Irish parents. The founder and 
 first class-leader of the Methodist church in this 
 country — a great and mighty church that has done a 
 world of good, and is destined to do a great deal more 
 — was the son of comparatively poor Irish peasants. 
 
 In the year 1760, a memorial was sent from the 
 corporation of the city of Philadelphia, and from the 
 city of New York, representing the extremely dis- 
 tressed condition of the Presbyterian ministers, their 
 wives and children, who had come and settled in what 
 were then uncongenial and inhospitable climes. They 
 were then colonies of Great Britain. It was believed 
 they had some claim upon the mother country ; and I 
 am glad to say the Irish Presbyterian Church 
 responded to that claim. 
 
 It is very natural to inquire what particular adapta- 
 tion the Scotch people had, for doing any good in this 
 country, taking their place among the brotherhood of 
 churches. It is my own opinion that the Scotch are 
 very much improved by living two or three genera- 
 tions in Ireland. I have great respect for Scotchmen, 
 but a Scotchman and I, talking about this matter 
 
 14* 
 
162 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHVR CH 
 
 last week, agreed together that but for the grace 
 of God, the Scotch would be a very unamiable 
 class of men. They are a little slow and rugged, 
 a little stern with a good deal of real wit in some 
 of them — but not characteristic of them as a people. 
 Now when they go to Ireland and live there for 
 three or four generations they become a little 
 brighter, quicker, gentler and more ready to appre- 
 ciate a good thing. Some one has said that it requires 
 something like a surgical operation, to make a Scotch- 
 man appreciate a joke. There is, on the contrary, 
 great readiness on the part of my countrymen in 
 repartee. A story is told of one of them who, seeing 
 a lady relieved of her parasol by a gust of wind, 
 picked it up and returned it to her, saying, 
 
 '*Ah! ma'am, if you were as strong as you are pretty, the 
 wind would not have taken it out of your hand.'' 
 
 My countrymen are a very prolific race. A good 
 Irish clergyman that I used to know, when some one 
 congratulated him upon the birth of the eleventh 
 child, feeling at the same time that perhaps he was 
 more to be pitied, replied, 
 
 *' Well, God never sends a mouth but he sends something to 
 put into it." 
 
 The poor are blessed with a large number of children 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 163 
 
 usually, and on this principle there has been such a 
 continuous stream of emigration from Ulster; and yet 
 the population of that country is not diminished. It 
 is told of the father of John Wesley, himself a poor 
 clergyman, that he was rich upon his forty pounds 
 and a baby every year ; and yet what a wonderful 
 blessing came through God's care of that household, so 
 poor in the resources of this world, but rich in graces 
 and gifts that made them a blessing to their kind ! 
 
 These Scotch-Irish were staunch to the truth they 
 had learned from their parents and their ministers, 
 and especially from their Bibles; and well was it 
 burned into them by the persecution they experienced ; 
 it was wrought into their very nature ; their minds 
 were stored with it. It was well that a strong-headed 
 and hardy people like them should come to this 
 country, when in its formation state, and impress upon 
 it a staunch, deep love of truth and a willingness to 
 support it at all hazards. 
 
 Another thing fitted this people in a high degree 
 for taking a place in this country. You know how 
 much importance Presbyterians always attached to the 
 catechism. (Having happily illustrated the advantage 
 of a thorough acquaintance with the doctrines of the 
 church as set forth in the catechism, the speaker pro- 
 ceeded.) 
 
1 64 THE PRESB YTERIAN CHUR CH 
 
 I cannot help thinking, also, that another reason 
 why this people have been the means of bringing 
 some good to this country, has been that by their very 
 history, they were taught the value of freedom of con- 
 science. A people pervaded through and through 
 with this principle, cannot easily be enslaved. They 
 are subject only to the Lord their Creator. No men 
 were wiser in counsel, readier with their purse, braver 
 on the field, than these same Scotch-Irish Presby- 
 terians. 
 
 In conclusion I should be glad to say something 
 more serious. I am a Presbyterian by birth, educa- 
 tion and conviction. I greatly value all the good God 
 has associated with that system. I am not blind or 
 indifferent to the great good also associated with 
 various other forms of Christian faith. I am thank- 
 ful for the good that is in them. I rejoice very much 
 in my Presbyterlanism, because I can be true to it, 
 and yet thoroughly true to all the sister denominations 
 around about me. If I were to-day to abandon my 
 Presbyterianism and go to some of the churches round 
 about me, some of them would insist on my being 
 RE-baptized and RE-ordained ; but if any one from 
 another church desires to unite with us, no such re- 
 quirements are needed ; if he gives evidence of having 
 been born of God, there is no barrier in the way of 
 
OF FRANKFORD. 165 
 
 reception. Presbyterianism, too, is republican. The 
 political organization of this country, in the beginning 
 was substantially organized after the Presbyterian 
 model of government; and the legislature, in some 
 States, is characterized to this day as the General As- 
 sembly. I do not see why we should not be able to 
 work freely, cordially, harmoniously, and to mutual 
 benefit and advantage with the civil government, 
 established in God's providence over this whole land ; 
 and I am persuaded the more we seek to teach the 
 truth as it is in God's word, both in the church and 
 from house to house, the better we shall be as citizens, 
 the better helpers we shall be to all the various 
 evangelical churches, that are bent upon spreading the 
 same truth and glorifying our Lord and Master. For 
 let us not forget that the churches are not ends, but 
 means to an end : the end is the salvation of immortal 
 souls ; the churches, and ministers, and synods, etc., 
 are so many means we think wisely adapted, divinely 
 appointed by the Head of the church for the attain- 
 ment of these high ends. 
 
 Now are there any of us here inclined to rejoice a 
 little in our churches — to magnify them — who have 
 never yet come to the end for which these are the 
 means? Are any of us satisfied with means, practi- 
 cally despising the end ? Where is the use of our 
 
1 6Q THE PRESB YTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 hearing preaching, of our attending the public wor- 
 ship of God, if we are not individually saved, per- 
 sonally brought into a state of fellowship with Jesus 
 Christ? Now I am sure this centenary celebration 
 will long be remembered by many here; oh, how 
 glad will that remembrance be, if some soul should 
 remember it in this way, as to say, 
 
 " It was at that time, it was near the close of the meeting that 
 I saw the main thing for me was, to be in Jesus Christ, to trust 
 in him, to close, as our fathers used to describe it, with the offer 
 of Christ and accept him as my Saviour and Lord." 
 
 What a glorious celebration that would be to com- 
 plete the century of this Church's history! what a 
 splendid monument to erect ! 
 
 I have only to say in conclusion, that it gives me 
 special pleasure to know that the blessing of God has 
 hitherto rested upon this Church. May his blessing 
 continue to be with you ; and in the memories of that 
 better life, which is to come, may this Church be 
 signalized as the birth-place of immortal souls, a 
 centre whence emanated a wide-spread, lasting and 
 spiritual influence. 
 
OF FRANKFORD. \ 67 
 
 IX. 
 
 HYMN. 
 
 SUNG BY THE CHOIR AND CONGREGATION. 
 
 DISMISSIOIJ. 
 
 Lord, dismiss us with thy blessings 
 
 Bid us all depart in peace, 
 Still on gospel manna feeding, 
 
 Pure seraphic love increase. 
 Fill each breast with consolation, 
 
 Up to thee our voices raise ; 
 When we reach that blissful station, 
 
 Then we'll give thee nobler praise. 
 And we'll sing Hallelujah to God and the Lamb. 
 
 Hallelujah for ever and ever. Amen. 
 
 X. 
 
 BENEDICTION. 
 
 BY THE REV. WM. A. JENKS. 
 
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