•.r:;ii?: Columbia rttVIViyC PASTOK OF THE CHUSICH IN ^ALr.-STRFEJ . .YEIV'YORK, PUBLISHED BY WHITING AND WATSON, THEOLOGICAL AND CLASSICAL BOOKSELLERS. J. Seymour, printer. 1813. a TO THE MINISTERS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, IN THE UNITED STATES. REVEREND FATHERS A]NT» BRETHREN, The character and ministry of the venerable Man with whose memoirs you are here present- ed, were dear to you all. Most of you knew him personally ; and all of you revered him as one of the Fathers of the American Church. Knowing this, I had no doubt that you would be gratified with seeing some account of his long, laborious, and useful life : and knowing also, that no one could so naturally be expected to give this account as his surviving colleague, who served with him as a son in the Gospel, for more than seventeen years, I did not hesitate to make the attempt. 58030 In the progress of the undertaking, I have greatly exceeded the Ihnits originally prescribed to myself. What was at first intended to be a pamphlet of moderate size, has insensibly grown Into a volume. Whether any apology ought to be made for such an extension of the work, can be ascertained only by the perusal. Such as it is, allow me to inscribe it, most re- spectfully, to You. As I wrote under the habitual impression, that it would be my own fault if I did not profit by the contemplation of the character exhibited in the following pages ; so I will also frankly confess, that I was not a little encourag- ed and animated by the hope, that the work, with all its imperfections, might not be entirely useless, among others, to my Fathers and Brethren in the Ministry. One thing is certain, that if the portrait here drawn be even tolerably just, it cannot be viewed wholly without benefit by those who have a taste for studying and copying excellence. I shall not be surprised if it should be imagin- ed by some, that I have discovered, in the ensu- ing sketch, more of the partiality of friendship, than of the sternness of historical justice. I can only say, that it has been my sacred aim to ex- hibit every feature that was attempted to be por- trayed, true to the original. If I have in any case failed, the error was certainly unintentional. But it is a consolation to know, that, even after making the most liberal allowance on this score that can be required, there will still remain a large and solid mass of personal and professional worth, which we can scarcely too often, or too respectfully, contemplate. We may say concern- ing the character in question, what I have some^ where met with, as said concerning another — " Take away nine parts out of ten, even of its " virtues, and there will be still enough left to •* admire, to imitate, and to love." For the introduction of so many minute details respecting the Chnrch in New-York^ I hope to be 6 forgiven. Though they cannot fail of being com- paratively uninteresting to many readers ; yet by another, and perhaps equally large class, they will be considered as among the most valuable parts of the volume. There are not a few, in- deed, who feel so great an interest in the affairs of that church, that they would be glad to possess a history still more minute of its rise and progress. I have been studious of the gratification of such persons, as far as ray plan permitted. Nor can I forbear to add, that the sentiments of attachment and gratitude which I have long cherished, for that portion of the flock of Christ, with which my de- ceased Colleague laboured for near half a century, and which I have had the happiness of serving for more than nineteen years, led me to take peculiar pleasure in noticing and recording every thing important concerning it, which came to my knowledsre. I That we may all have grace given us to imi- tate our departed Fellow-labourer, so far as he served our common Master; and that the fol- lowing account of his Life may be made, in some degree, to promote that great Cause, in the ad- vancement of which he lived and died, and to which we, as Ministers, have solemnly professed to devote ourselves, is the fervent prayer of, Reverend Fathers and Brethren, Your fellow-servant in the Gospel of Jesus Chi-ist. SAMUEL MILLER. Nerv-York, Feb. 25, 1813. MEMOIRS^ Luke ii. 42. 49. CHAPTER I. From Ms Bii^h, to Jds Licensure to preach the Gospel, A MODERN writer, w ho, to no ordinary talents, unites great eccentiicity and great errors, recom- mends the erection and preservation of some memorial of every one that dies. The sentiment embraced in this plan is as false, as the plan itself is chimerical. The celebrated English moral- ist. Dr. Johnson, is imdoubtedly correct w^hen he observes, that there are " many characters " which ought never to be di'awn." " There " have been men," he adds, " splendidly wicked, " whose endowments threw a brightness on their " crimes, and whom scarcely any viilany made " perfectly detestable, because they never could " be wholly divested of their excellencies ; but 10 Before his Ordination. " such have been, in all ages, the great corrup- " tors of the world, and their resemblance ought " no more to be preserved, than the art of mur- ** dering without pain *." With respect to ma- ny who are born and die in our world, the soon- m* they are forgotten the better. As they were cumberers of the ground while they lived ; so their memorial would no less encumber the page of history, or the tablet of tradition. It is a real blessing that, according to the divine declaration, the name of the wicked shall rot. But there is another mistake, much more pre- valent than that which has been noticed. It is the mistake of those who run into the opposite extreme. They suppose that no life ought to be recorded and transmitted to posterity, unless it be that of one who has immortalized himself, ei- ther by his writings, or by a course of distin- guished action on the theatre of the great world. Such a principle, if admitted, would undoubted- ly exclude from the shelves of Biography some of the most useful characters that ever adorned human society. It is, therefore, a false principle. And while it is freely granted that the public ousht not to be troubled with the life of everv * Rambler^ No. 4, Before his Ordination, 11 good, or of every useful man ; it may be confi- dently maintained, that whenever a case occurs in which a life has been marked with respecta- ble talents, eminent piety, exemplai-y diligence, and extensive usefulness, such a life, if survivors are disposed to profit by the contemplation of it, ought not to be withheld from them. On this principle the author of the following Memoirs presumes to lay them before the pub- lic. The venerable Subject of them was never indeed considered, either by himself or by others, as belonging to the class of those extraordinary men, who, by the splendour of their genius, the variety and extent of their learning, or the num- ber of their publications, excite the admiring gaze of mankind. But if solid and respectable talents; if acquirements which enabled him to act his part, in various important stations, with uniform honour ; if patriarchal dignity ; if sound practical wisdom, and a long life of eminent and extensive usefulness, be worthy of grateful re- membrance, and of respectful imitation, then the life of Dr. Rodgers is worthy of being written and perused. There is a day coming, and the estimate of christians ought now to anticipate it, when such a character will appear infinitely J 2 Before his Ordination. more worthy of conlemplation and reg'ard, than that of the most splendid improver of human science, or the most admired leader of victorious legions, that was ever immortalized by the his- torian's pen. In that day it will be found, that bearing the image of Christ, and a gracious re- lation to his Person, is the highest nobility; and that services done for the Saviour's cause, will obtain the only lasting reward. With these reflections in view, the attention of the reader is requested to the following Memoirs, The Reverend John Rodgers was born in the town of Boston, in Massachusetts, on the fifth day of August, A. D. 1727. He was the son of Mr. Thomas Rodgers, i^nd Elizabeth Baxter, his wife, who removed from the city of Londonderry, in Ireland, to Boston, in the year 1721. There they resided until 1728, in the autumn of which year, when the subject of these Memoirs was a lit- tle more than a year old, they left Boston, on ac- count of some troubles occasioned by the In- dians, and transferred their residence to the city of Philadelphia, They had two sons, and six daughters. James, the elder son, died early ; John, the younger, was the comfort and the pride Before his Ordination, 13 of his parents, while they lived, and survived, for a number of years, all the rest of the family. His parents, early discovering in their younger son more than usual sobriety, reflection, and taste for knowledge, bestowed much pains on his education. His pious mother, in particular, was unwearied in her endeavours to form his tender mind, and to imbue it with the principles of piety. At the age of about twelve years, he was brought under serious impressions, and evinced much thoughtfulness and concern respecting his eternal interest. At this time, he had fre- quent opportunities of attending on the ministry of the Reverend Mr. Whitefield, that ^' prince of *' preachers," whose gifts were, perhaps, more wonderful, and whose labours were, probably, more eminently blessed, to the conversion of souls, than those of any other individual, since the days of the Apostles. The preaching of this herald of the cross w as blessed to young Rodders, in a very remarkable manner. That he attend- ed upon it with great interest, and with deep im- pression, even at that early age, will abundantly appear from the following anecdote, which he of- ten related to his particular friends, with much tenderness and pleasure. 14 Before his Ordination, It is generally known, that Mr. Whitefield often preached in the open air ; sometimes, be- cause houses of worship were shut against him ; and at others, because his audiences were too large to be accommodated in any ordinary building. In Philadelphia, he often stood on the outside steps of the Court-house, in Market-street, and from that station addressed admiring thousands who crouded the street below. On one of these occasions, young Rodders was not only present, but pressed as near to the person of his favourite preacher as possible ; and to testify his respect, held a lantern for his accommodation. Soon af- ter the sermon began, he became so absorbed in the subject, and, at length, so deeply impress- ed, and strongly agitated, that he was scarcely able to stand; the lantern fell from his hand, and was dashed in pieces ; and that part of the audience in the immediate vicinity of the speak- er's station, were not a little interested, and, for a few moments, discomposed, by the occurrence*. * A subsequent circumstance, connected with this event, and not less remarkable, is worthy of being record- ed Mr. Whitejield, in the course of his fifth visit to jimericas about the year 1754, on a journey from the southward, called at St. George's, in Delaware, where Mr. Rodger s was then settled in the Gospel ministry, Before his Ordination. 15 The impressions thus begun, were confirmed and deepened, and resulted, in a short time af- terwards, as he hoped, when he was but little more than twelve years of age, in a saving know- ledge and acceptance of Jesus Chi'ist as the only refuge and hope of his soul ; and in a cordial devotedness to his service. From this period he resolved, if God should enable him, to devote himself to the service of Christ, in the work of the Gospel ministry. — With this view he immediately began the study of the learned languages, under the direction of and spent some time with him. In the course of this visit, Mr. Rodgers, being one day riding with his visit- ant, in the close carriage in which the latter usually tra- velled, asked him, whether he recollected the occurrence of the little boy, who was so much affected with his preaching, as to let his lantern fall ? Mr. Whitejield an- swered, " O yes ! I remember it well ; and have often. " thought I would give almost any thing in my power to " know who that little boy was, and what had become of " him.'* Mr. Rodgers replied with a smile, " 1 am that "little boy!" Mr. Whit ejieldy with tears of joy, started from his seat, took him in his arms, and with strong emotion remarked, that he was the fourteenth person then in the 7ninistry whom he had discovered in the course of that visit to A/verica^ of whose hopeful conver- sion he had been the instrument. 16 Before his Ordination* Mr. Stevenson, an instructor of reputation from Ireland, who, a short time before, had set up a grammar-school in Philadelphia. With him he remained a few months, much to his own profit and to the satisfaction of his preceptor. About the year 1741, he was removed to a grammar- school, shortly before erected on the Neshaminy, a few miles from Philadelphia, by the Rev. Mr. Hoan, an eminent clergyman of the Presbyterian Church. In this school he continued several years. Here he distinguished himself by his di- ligence, his love of order, and his exemplary de- portment ', and not less by the decision and ar- dour with which he manifested his love of reli- gion. At the age of fourteen he regularly main- tained family worship in the house in which he boarded ; and at the same tender age, his reli- gious depoilment and conversation were such as that even pious adults did not disdain to at- tend to them as sources of pleasure and profit. — An excellent woman, a number of years since deceased, who spent the early part of her life in Mr. Roans congregation, used to mention, that she often contrived, on the sabbath when she went to church, to walk a few feet behind young Rodgers, " on purpose to hear his pious Before his Ordination. 17 " and sensible conversation with his class- ** mates*." In the summer of the year 1743, when this excellent youth was sixteen years of age, he was removed from Mr. JRoans school, with a view to his pursuing' the higher branches of stu- dy at some other seminary. And there being, at that time, no college nearer than at New Ha- ven, in Connecticut, on the one hand, or Wil- lianuhurg, in Virginia, on the other ; he was sent to an academy of high reputation at Fogs Manor, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, under the care of the Rev. Mr. Samuel Blair, who was one of the most respectable scholars and divines of his day f . Here he completed his academ- ical studies, including the moral and physical sciences, as well as the languages, and made considerable progress in the study of theology* * Communicated in a letter from Dr, Rush, for which see a subsequent part of this volume. t The Rev. Samuel Blair, was a native of Ireland^ He came to America very early in life ; and was one of the students of the Rev. William Tennent, at his celebrat- ed Log College, on the JVeshaminy. He was considered not only as one of the most learned and able, but also as ene of the most pious and excellent men, that ever adorn- ed the American Church. He died in 1751. 3 18 Before his Ordination. At Mr. Blair s Academy, Mr. Rodger^ was so happy as to find a number of young* gentle- men, of excelleftt talents, and of eminent piety, preparing" for the Gospel ministry, in whose friendship he found much comfort, and whose so- ciety contributed not a little to his improvement. Among these was Mr Samuel Davies, after- wards so highly distinguished for his pulpit ta- lents, and who died President of the College of NeiV'J ersey ^ . Among this number also, was * The Rev. Samuel Davies was born in the county of J\few-Castle^ in the state of Delaware, November 3, 172 L He received the greater part of his academic and theolo- gical education under the care of the Rev. Mr. Blair, of Fog's Manor ; and was licensed to preach the Gospel, by the Presbytery of Jyeiv-Castle, in 1745. Soon after this event he travelled into Virginia, where he settled, and remained, highly respected and useful, for a number of years. In 1753, he was chosen by the Synod oi JVeiv- YorA-, at the solicitation of the Trustees ef JVi^w-Jifrsey College, to accompany the Rev. Gilbert Tennent, on a mission to Great-Britian and Ireland, to solicit benefac- tion for that College, In 1759, he was elected to suc- ceed Mr. Edioards, in the Presidency of the same Insti- tution. In this station he remained but eighteen months, being removed by death in January, 1761, in the thirty- seventh year of his age. The genius, taste, learning, and eminent piety, of President Davies are so well known?, that it is unnecessary to dwell on them here> Before his Ordination. 19 Mr. Alexander Cumming, who became early in life, one of the ministers of the Church in Nerv^ York, and who held a high place among the ministers of hi3 day. To these may be added Messrs. Robert Smith, James Finley, Hugh Henry, and a number of others, who af- terwards became distinguished clergymen. — With several of these gentlemen, and especially with Mr. Davies, he formed an intimacy of the most close, and endearing kind ; which he often mentioned in terms which evinced that he con- sidered it as one of the most happy circumstan- ces of his life, and that he remembered it with the deepest interest. It is an old observation, that men assist in forming each other. Hence considerable men are apt to arise in clusters. Dr. Rodgers was so happy as to receive his education at a pe- riod when some of the most eminent divines that ever adorned the American Church, were entrusted with the direction of her affairs, and with the formation of her ministry. It was not difficult to perceive, from the whole of his ministerial character and deportment, that he had enjoyed the advantage of early and inti- mate intercourse with tliose venerable, and ^0 Before his Ordination. excellent men ; and that he had profited much by the advantage. If there was a formality in their character at which modern flippancy is dis- posed to smile ; there was, also, a solid worth, an apostolic dignity, a primitive piety, and a fer- vent zeal, which would to God were more fre- quently to be found, at the present day, in the Church of Christ ! Though it appears, from the preceding state- ment, that the subject of these memoirs did not receive what is commonly styled a College edu- cation, he certainly received an education incom- parably better than what usually passes under that title. The classical literature, especially, which was possessed by the Tennents, the AlU- sons, and the Blairs, at that period, was much more deep and accurate than is commonly ac- quired at the present day, by most American scholars. They received it from the best Em'O- pean sources ; and their first pupils, like them- selves, were generally well instructed, and bore no mean resemblance to the literary stature of their masters. That young Bodgers had able instructors, at this period, and improved his time, is apparent, from the Latin discourse, found among bis papers, which he delivered, as a park Before his Ordination, 21 of his early trials before the Presbytery ; and also from the numerous and apt quotations from the ancient classics, which his memory enabled him to make, on proper occasions, to the end of life. From the discourse just mentioned, it appears, that, to the Latin and Greek languages, he had added some knowledge of the Hebrew, when he left the Academy. Many persons are apt to suppose, that the race of divines who flourished in om* country seventy or eighty years ago, though pious and excellent men, had a very scanty supply of books, and in many cases, a still mo re scanty education, compared with the divines of later years, and especially of the present day. This opinion is not only erro- neous, but grossly so. Those venerable fathers of the American Church were more deeply learn- ed than most of their sons. They read more, and thought more, than we are ready to imagine. The greater part of the books of ancient learn- ing, and ponderous erudition, which are now to be found on this side of the Atlantic, were im- ported, and studied by those great and good men. Original works are actually in fewer hands, in our day, compared with the number of readers, than in theirs. They read solidly and deeply : 212 Before his Ordination. we hurry over compends and indexes. They studied systematically, as well as extensively | our reading is more desultory, as well as more superficial. We have more of the belles lettres polish ', but as biblical critics, and as profound theologians, we must undoubtedly yield to them the palm of excellence. Mr. Rodgers, having pursued his theological studies for some time with Mr. Blair, returned to ]iis father's, m the city of Philadelphia, and finished them under the direction of the Reverend Mr. Gilbert Tennent, who had then become the Pas- tor of the second Presbyterian Church, in that city *. In the month of June, in the year 1747, * The Rev. Gilbert Tennent was born in Ireland, Pebuary 5, 1703. He was the eldest son of the Rev. William Tennent, who had received Episcopal ordination in that country, and emigrated to America in the year 1718. Soon after his arrival he renounced Episco- pacy, and was admitted a member of the Presbyte- ry of Philaddjihia. He was one of the most eminently pious, useful, and learned ministers, especially in classic- al literature, that the American Church ever had. He educated his four sons Gilbert, William, John, and Charles, (together with a number oi other young men,) at his Log-College, on ihe Keshaminy ; and had the satis- faction of seeing them all useful ministers. Gilbert, in Before his Ordination, 23 he appeared before the Presbytery of New- Cas- tle, and entered on the usual trials for licensure to preach the Gospel. Having passed these with more than usual approbation, he was licens- ed, on the 14th day of October, in the same year ; and soon gave, in his public ministrations, as well as in his private deportment, those presa- ges of future excellence and usefulness, which were afterwards so happily realized. the year 1743, established anew Presbyterian Church in Fhiladelfihia^ chiefly composed of those who were de- nominated the converts and followers of Mr. Whitejield, He was a bold, ardent, practical, and unusually impres- -sive preacher, He died in 1764 or 1765* CHAPTER II. ^ —Vigens juvenilibus annis. Cum juveni tantam dedit experientia lucem, Tale ut promat opus, quam dabit ilia seni ? Efiigr. in Borell. From Ms Licensure, tilljiis settlement in St. Georges. I^iMEDiATEiiY after his licensure, Mr. Hodg- ers, by the appointment of his Presbytery, began to supply the numerous vacant Churches under their care ; and spent the following winter among those more immediately in the vicinity of his usual residence. In the spring of the year 1748, Mr. Davies, (afterwards President Da- vies,) received a call from the people of Hano- ver, Henrico, and three other neighbouring con- gregations, in Virginia, to settle among them as their pastor. This call, in the month of April,, of that year, he accepted ; and immediately set out to the scene of his intended pastoral labours. Mr. Davies, however, made it one condition of his accepting this call, that his young friend, Mr. Bodgers, (to whom he w as particularly at- Before his Ordination* ^5 iached *, and whose popular talents he had no doubt would be eminently useful in that country,) should accompany him into Virginia, and assist him in his evangelical labours there for a few months. Mr. Rodgei^s consented to go. The Presbytery made the appointment accordingly : and the two friends, without loss of time, prose- cuted their journey together, and reached Vir- ginia toward the latter end of April. This journey was attended with an occurrence too remarkable to be omitted. Mr. Rodgers, from his earliest years, had been unusually fearful of lightning and thunder. So great, indeed, was his agitation and suffering during thunder storms, that the approach or prospect of one made him unhappy. He had taken much paini? to get the better of this weakness ; but, to use * The attachment between President Davies and Dr. Rodgers was unusually ardent and uniform. The former named one of his sons John Rodgers, after his friend. The latter, on his part, was not less aft'ectionate and con- stant in his testimonies of regard. He received Mr. Da- vies' mother, after the premature and lamented death of her son, into his family, where she was treated with filial kindness and respect; for a considerable time, and where she died. 4 26 Before his Ordination* his own langnage, " neither reason, philosophy^ " nor rehgion availed any thing ;'' and it was the more distressing, because he feared it might, in some degree, interfere with his ministerial use- fulness. But in the course of the journey under consideration, he was entirely delivered from this infirmity, and by means the most unlikely tliat could be imagined to produce such a happy effect. While he and Mr. Davies, after they had en- tered Virginia, were riding together one after- noon, they were overtaken by one of the most tremendous thunder storms ever known in that part of the country. They were in the midst of an extensive forest, and several miles distant from any house which offered even tolerable shelter, either to them or their horses. The storm came up with great rapidity ; the light- ning and thunder were violent beyond all de- scription; and the whole scene such as might be supposed to appal the stoutest heart. Their horses, terrified and tremblingv refused to pro- ceed. They were obliged to alight , and stand- ing by their beasts, expected every moment to be precipitated into eternity by the resistless ele- ment. Providentially, however, they escaped un- Before his Ordination, 27 hurt : and the consequeuce was as wonderful, as the preservation was happy. From that hour I\lr. Rodgers was entirely delivered from the in- firmity which had long given him so much dis- tress ! On whatever principle we may attempt to account for the fact ; whether we suppose that he was so completely saturated with fear on the occasion, as to be, ever afterwards, unsuscepti- ble of its influence from the same source; in other words, that he was literally " frightened *^ out of his fear i' or whether we suppose that so sio-nal an expei'ience of divine protection, was made the means of inspmng him, thence for- ward, with a larger share of pious confidence, when a similar danger arose : — whether we re- solve the fact into one or the other of these prin- ciples, still the fact itself is unquestionable that during the whole of his after life, he dis- played an unusual degree of composure and self-possession amidst the severest thunder storms. The rise and progress of the body of Presby- terians in Virginia, to whom the labours of Mr. Davies and Mr. Rodgers were now directed, deserve some notice, before we proceed. They deserve this notice not only as being remarkably 28 Before his Ordinatian. interesting in themselves, but also as throwing light on the treatment received by the subject of these Memoirs, in the course of the southern mission of which we are speaking. The first settlers in Virginia were generally connected with the Episcopal church. Episco- pacy was early established in the Dominion, by law, and remained so until the revolution which terminated in American independence *. A * In 1618a law was passed in Virginia which enacted, that " every person should go to church on Sundays and " holy-days, or lye neck and heels that night, and be a " slave to the Colony the following week." For the se- cond offence he was to be a slave for a month ; and for the third, a year and a day. Stith^s Hist. p. 148. In 1642 a law passed, which enacted, that " no minister shall " be permitted to officiate in the country but such as " shall produce to the governor a testimonial that he " hath received his ordination from some Bishop in Eng- < land ; and shall then subscribe to be conformable to " the orders and constitutions of the Church of England : ** and if any other person, pretending himself to be a mi- " nister, shall, contrary to this act, presume to teach or " preach, publicly or privately, the governor and council " are hereby desired and empowered to suspend and silence " the person so offending ; and upon his obstinate persis- " tence, to compel him to depart the country with the ^^ first convenience." Laws of Virginia. Edit. 1769. p. 3. Before his Ordination* 29 very small number of Presbyterians from ScoU land, and a still smaller number of Dissenters from Sou fh' Britain, were thinly scattered through the Colony ; but they were so few and so destitute of religious zeal, that no ecclesiastic- al organization different from that of the estab- lishment seems to have been thought of, (except- ing on a small scale on the eastern shore, as will hereafter appear,) until between the years 1730 and 1743, of the last century. During that pe- riod, a few Presbyterian Churches were formed, under circumstances too remarkable and interest- ing to pass unnoticed. About the year 1730, there resided in the great JSorthern Neck, between the Rappahan- noc and Potowmac rivers, a certain John Organ^ a pious schoolmaster, from Scotland, vSoon af- ter his establishment in that country, finding that there was no place of public worship in his im- mediate neighbourhood, and that a large portion Several of these laws were aiterwards repealed, or their penalties mitigated ; but they remained severe un- til the revolution. We are accustomed to smile at what are called the blue-laivs of Connecticut ; but it would be difficult to find any thing in them equal to the first act abovementioned. 30 Before his Ordination, of the people wjiolly disregarded the ordinances of religion, and were sunk in carelessness and profligacy, his spirit 7vas stirred within him to attempt something for the spiritual advantage of his neighbours. Accordingly, he collected, in pri- vate houses, such of them as were tolerably de- i:ent and sober, and had any sense of religion, and read to them the Scriptures and other pious writ- ings, accompanied with prayer and singing. These exercises were much blessed, to the awak- ening and conversion of a number of souls. For several years nothing more was attempted ; es- pecially as the frowns of the government were soon directed towards this little flock, and the laws against dissenters rigorously enforced against them. In a short time, however, after the formation of the Synod of Philadelphia, the people of Organs neighbourhood made an ap- plication to that body for supplies. This request was granted ; and the Rev Mr. Anderson, who had before resided in New-York, but was then settled in Pennsylvania, was sent by the Synod to preach among them, to organize a church, and to intercede with the government on their behalf. Mr. Anderson succeeded in attaining all these objects. He preached to great accept- ance and with much impression ; and formed a church w])ich has continued to the present day. Before his Ordination. 31 While these things were going on in one neighbourhood, events of a similar kind, but still more extraordinary, were taking place in another. In Hanover, and the adjacent counties, the aspect of religion and morals had long been ex- iremely low and discouraging. The establish- ed clergy were many of them notoriously profli- gate in their lives, and very few among them preached, or appeared to understand, the Gospel of Christ. It was under these circumstances that some pious books, or fragments of books, which fell into the hands of a few individuals, were 'made the means of awakening them to a concern for their eternal interest, and of commencing a work of grace, which was afterwards most pow- erfully and happily extended. Boston s Four fold State was one of these books. A few leaves of this inestimable work, which had belonged to a pious Scotch woman, fell into the hands of a wealthy planter. Being pleased and surprised at what he read, and finding the title-page among the leaves, he sent a commis- sion, with his next cargo of tobacco, to procure for him a copy of the book. He obtained it ; and 32 Before his Ordination. the more he read, tlie more he found himself iii^ terested in its contents ; until he was brought, as there was every reason to believe, to a saving acquaintance with the truth as it is in Jesus. An- other wealthy planter, Mr, Samuel Morris, of Hanover, having providentially fallen in with an old copy of Luther on the Galalians, perused it with eagerness and astonishment. He there found representations of Gospel truth, such as he had never met with before, and widely different from what he had been accustomed to receive from the pulpit*. Deeply affected with the * It will be considered, by many, not a little remark- able, that those who loved and admired Boston's Four- fold Stater. Atexan-^ der Macwhorter, of Newark^ in New-Ji^rsey *. 1 'e was seven years young'er than Mr. Rodgers, and at the primary visitation of his youthful pastor, presented himself as a subject of ecclesiastical inspection and instruction. The prudence, the good sense, the readiness in reply, and the high- ly promising character which this youth exhi- bited, first drew the attention, and afterwards the special regard and friendship of Mr. Rodg" ers ; and laid the foundation of an affectionate union between them to the end of life. On the one hand, Mr. Rodgers noticed, encouraged, * The Rev. Alexander Macivhorter^ D. D. was bora in the county oi JVenv-Castle^ in the state oi Delaware^ July 26, 1734. He graduated at the college of JsTew-Jer' sey^ in the year 1757 ; studied theology at Freehold^ un- der the direction of the Rev. William Tennent ; was or- dained to the work of the gospel ministry, and installed pastor of the church in J^'ewark^ Keiv-Jersey^ in .759 ; and died in that town, July 20, 18u7, in the 73d year of his age. Dr. Macwhorter was one of the most able, learned, venerable, and useful ministers in the American church. His pious labours ; his public spirit ; his activi- ty in all the great movements in the religious denomina- tion to which he belonged ; and the universal confidence which he commanded, will transmit his name to posteri- ty with high honour. SL Georges. 73 and directed young Macyvhorter ; and on the other, Mr. Macwhorter soon gratified his friend and pastor by exhibiting tliose pledges of future eminence and usefulness which were aiterw.i-ds so honourably redeemed. Ilie^ were destine to reside near each other, and to act together, in many of the most important affairs of the church, for more than forty years. Those who are acquainted with the history of American ecclesiastical affairs, know that the Presbyterian church, at the time when Mr. Hodgers took his station as one of her ministers, was divided into two great parties. A v ery brief account of the causes and influence of this divi- sion, will not only, it is presumed, gratify curi- osity, but will also throw light on some events which properly belong to these memoirs. From the orisrin of the Presbyterian church; as an organized body, in this country, the mate- rials of which it was composed, and especially its clerical materials, were, in a considerable degree, heterogeneous. The principal constituent parts were, strict Presbyterians, from Scotland and Ireland; and Conyregationalists, from South- Jiritain and JSew-England, The former were 10 74 tSt, Georges. desirous of establishing the system of Presbyte- rianism to which they had been accustomed in all its extent and rigour ; the latter, were willing to bear the name, but wished for many abate- ments and modifications of that system. The Congregationalists, and those who sided with them *, appear to have been, generally, more ardent in their piety than the strict Presbyterians. However this might be, it is undoubtedly a fact, that they urged in the judicatories of the church, with peculiar zeal, their wishes, that great care should be taken respecting the personal piety of candidates for the holy ministry ; and that a close examination on experimental religion should always make a part of trials for licensure and ordination. The strict Presbyterians, on the one hand, were zealous for the Westminster Confession of Faith, Catechisms, Directory, Presbyterial order, and Academical learning, in the preachers of the gospel ; while they ap- pear to have disliked the close examination con- tended for in regard to personal piety ; or, at least, to have disapproved the method in which the examination was conducted, as being different * A few of the Scotch and Irish and their descendants, took this side from the first, and more after a while ; par- ticularly the Blairs^ the Tennents-, Dr. Finley^ Sec. iSt George's. 75 from any thing to which they had been accustom- ed. On the other hand, the Congregationahsts, provided they were satisfied on the score of per- sonal piety, did not set so high a value on hu- man learning, or require so much of it as indis- pensable, in candidates for the ministry, as their opponents contended for ; but were too ready to make abatements and to give dispensations as to this point, in violation of the rules of Pres- byteries and Synods. As the leading objects to which these parties w ere severally attached, were reasonable and pro- per in themselves, so each had influence enough to procure the adoption of its favourite measure by the Synod *. In 1729, in consequence of an Overture dra\vn up, and prosecuted with great zeal, the year before, by the Reverend John TJwmpson, of Lewis-town, in Delaware, the Sy- nod passed what was called " The Adoptincj "* The first Synod of the Presbyterian Church in Ame- rica was formed in 1716, and was called the Synod of Philadelfihia. It consisted oifour Presbyteries, viz. the Presbytery oi Philadelfihia^ the Presbytery of Aew-Caa- tle^ the Presbytery of Snow-Hilly and the Presbytery of Lo7ig'Island. 76 SL Georges. Act.'' This Act consisted of a public, authorita- tive adoption of the 11 esf minster Confession of Faith, Catechisms, S^c. as the Confession of Faith of the Church; and made it necessary, that not only every candidate, but also every actual mi- nister, in the church, should be obliged, by sub- scription or otherwise, coram Presbt/terio, to ac- knowledge these instruments respectively as the coniession of their faith. This Act, though it did not pass without much opposition *, appears to have been adopted by a large majority, and was, at length, peaceably acquiesced in by all. In 1734, an Overture was brought into Synod, concerning the trials of candidates for the minis- try ; directmg, that " all candidates for the minis- " try be examined diligently as to their expe- " rience of a work of sanctifying grace on their " hearts ; and that none be admitted who are " not, in a judgment of charity, serious chris- " tians." This overture was adopted unani- * It was particularly opposed by those members of the Synod who had come from England, Wales, and the JVew-England colonies. Mr. Dickinson, of Elizabeth" Tonvn, took the lead in this opposition, and appeared as a •writer on the subject. He was answered by Mr. Thomfi^ son. St. Georges. 77 mously ; but became a source of great uneasi- ness within a few years afterwards. These two Acts embraced the favourite objects of each party. But the manner of executing them gave rise to the principal difficulty. In the several Presbyteries, according as the one party or the other was a majority, they practised pretty much agreeably to their own views ; and this was the source of much contention and debate, when the parties met in Synod ; each charging the other, and commonly with justice, for some violation, in the several Presbyteries, of the orders of Sy- nod. In 1738, the Synod passed an Act, directing that young men be first examined, respecting their literature, by a commission of Synod, " and obtain a testimony of their approbation, " before they "can be taken on trial by any Pres- " bytery." The Presbytery of New- Brunswick first met on the 8th of August, in this year, and immediately, " for several weighty and suffi- " cient reasons," took Mr. Jolm Rowland on trials, contrary to the above Act, and proceeded to license him in September following. Two vacant Congregations in New-Jersey, under the 78 SL Georges. care of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, which had given them leave to invite any regular can- didate to preach for them, requested Mr. Row- lands services, who, having* obtained the con- sent of his own Presbytery, preached for them one sabbath. The Presbytery of Philadelphia immediately met, pro re nata, and unanimously declared, that *' they could not accept of Mr. ^^ Rowland as an orderly licensed preacher, nor " approve of his preaching in any of the vacan- " cies within their bounds." In 1739, the Synod declared, that Mr. Roiv- land could not be allowed as a reg-ular candi- date. Notwithstanding this, however, Mr. Wil- liam Tennent, the elder,, introduced him into his pulpit ; and when some of his congregation complained of this act to the Presbytery of Phi- ladelphia, Mr. Tennent justified his conduct; disclaimed the authority of Presbytery in the case, and " contemptuously withdrew." The Pres- bytery censured his conduct as " irregular and disorderly." This took place in September, 1739. In the month of October following, the Presbytery of New- Brunswick ordained Mr. Rowland ; and he continued a member of that Presbytery until the month of November, 1742, St. Georges, 79 when he was dismissed to join the Presbytery of New-Castle. Every thing of this kind served, of course, to exasperate feelings previously ex- cited, and to lay a train of combustible materials, ready to be kindled into a flame, whenever an occasion occurred. While things were in this state, Mr. White^ field, in 1739, paid his second visit to America. The extensive and glorious revival of religion which took place under his ministry, and that of his clerical advocates and adherents, is well known. The friends of this revival generally co- incided with that portion of the Presbyterian church, which was most friendly to ardent piety, and least zealous for strict presbyterial order, and literai-y qualifications in the ministry. While the strict Presbyterian party, perceiving some really censurable irregularities in the active friends and promoters of the revival, were too ready to pro- nounce the whole a delusion*. This brought * A diversity of sentiment, concerning the character and ministrations of Mr. JVhiteJield^ arose, about the same time, in the Congregational churches of the Eastern colonies. Such men as Dr. Colman^ Mr. Foxcroft, Dr. Seivall, Mr. Prince^ Mr, Edivards^ and a number more, who were the glory of J\''e-:V'£7ig'iand, though 80 iSt, Georges, on the crisis. Animosities which had long beea burning in secret, now burst into a flame. The Old Side, (as the strict Presb}'terians were call- ed,) regarded the New Side, or New Lights, (as the others were denominated,) as a set of extra- vagant and ignorant enthusiasts : while the Neiv Lights considered the men of the Old Side, as a set of Pharisaical formalists. Undue warmth of they reprobated and opposed certain extravagancies which they witnessed ; thought it their duty to express « their full persuasion, that there had been a happy and *' remarkable revival of religion, in many parts of the " land, through an uncommon divine influence." While Dr. Chauncey, and some others of more orthodox character, were so deeply impressed with the cir- cumstances of disorder which attended the revival, that they condemned the whole work, as mere wild- fire and enthusiasm, and made the most determined opposition to Mr. Whitejield and his adherents. President Cla^iy though a Calvinist, and a friend to vital religion, also imbibed a strong prejudice against the labours of Whitejield, and took the side of opposition. The Legis- lature of Connecticut passed a law, about this time, pro- hibiting itinerant preachers from entering parishes in which a minister was settled, unless by his consent. For violating this law, by preaching to a congregation in JSTenv-Haven, the Reverend Doctor Finley, afterwards President Finley, was arrested by the civil authority,- and carried, as a vagrant, out of the colony. SL George's, 81 feeling" and speech, and improper inferences, were admitted on both sides. One act of vio- lence led to another. Until, at length, in 1741, the hig-hest judicatory of the church was rent in twain; and the Synod of Netv-York was set up in a sort of opposition to that of PldladeU phia. Among the most active and conspicuous members of the former, were, the Tennents, the Blairs, Mr. Dickinson, Mr. Pierson, of Wood-^ hridge, Dr. Finley, and Mr. Burr, Among the leaders of the latter, were Messrs. John and Sa- muel Thompson, Dr. Francis Allison, Mr, Robert Cross, and several others*. In fomenting this division, there is some rea- son to believe, that rivalship between different Liter art/ Institutions, patronized by the parties respectively, was not without its influence. This * It ought to be noticed, that some expedient and ju- 4flicious ministers, believing both sides to be in the wrong, could not fully agree with either. These took no part in the controversy, as such ; were sometimes claimed by both parties ; and took that standing in Pres- bytery and Synod which was most convenient from local circumstances. And even some of those who were rank- ed by themselves, as well as by others, with one or the other of the parties respectively, disapproved of mticjj that they saw in both. 11 82 St. George o, rivalship certainly rose very high after the sepa- ration, and did not wholly disappear for a con- siderable time after the re-union. All the ori- ginal patrons of New-Jersey College belonged to the New Side ; while their opponents declar- ed in favour of the celebrated academies of NeW'Londofi and Newark, under the direction of Dr. Allison, and Mr. Mc JDowell, and the College and Academy of Philadelphia. In this controversy there were, undoubtedly, faults on both sides. This, mdeed, some of the most zealous actors in the scene were candid enough to acknowledge, after union was restor- ed; and severely censured themselves. The Old Side were wrong in opposing the revival of religion under the ministry of Whitejield and his friends^; and in contending against examina- tions on personal piety : while the New Side were wrong in violating Presbyterial order; in undervaluing literary qualifications for the holy mmistry ; and in giving countenance to some real extravagancies w hich attended the revival of religion. These errors were afterwards seen and la- mented. The parties gradually cooled. Both St, Georges, 83 became sensible that they had acted rashly and uncharitably. Both felt the inconvenience, as well as the sin, of division. Congregations were divided. Two places of worship, and two mi- nisters, were established in places where there was not support for one. The members of one Sy* nod were excluded from i he pulpits of the other 5 and this was the case even when individuals cor- dially respected, and wished to invite each other to an interchange of ministerial services. Still, although both parties soon became heartily sick of the division, the Synods remained divided for seventeen years. The first overture towards a union appears to have been made by the Sy- nod of New-York, in the year 1749. But nine years were spent in negociation. At length, mutual concessions were made; the articles of union in detail were agreed upon ; and the Sy- nods were happily united, under the title of " the " Synod of New-York and Jh'hiladelphia,'' in the year 1758. In contemplating this controversy and divi- sion, at the present period, when the lapse of more than half a century has allayed the heat, and removed the prejudices, which then agitat- ed and rent the church ; although we see much 84 St Georges, to lament and to reprobate ; we see also some- thing' to inspire thankfulness. The King* of Zion brings good out of evil. One of these parties was undoubtedly made the means of preservmg the vital piety, and the other, the learning and order of our Church : blessings worth contend- ing for, and seldom maintained without many struggles. May they increase, and be perpetual ! Mr. Rodger s was ordained in 1749, as be- fore stated, when the division had existed for a number of years, and when the heat of separa- tion had, in some degree, abated. He took his stand, with decision, on the Nerv Side, in compa- ny with the Blair s, the Finleys, the Tennents, and others, his intimate friends. And although he never approved of violence, and never counte- nanced extravagance or disorder ; though he cultivated sincere and affectionate friendship with individuals of the other party ; and freely acknowledged the errors of some with whom he commonly acted ; yet he maintained the charac- ter of a staunch JS'ew Side man, as long as the distinction lasted. He was of that part of the Presbytery of JSew- Castle, which met with, and was always considered as a constituent branch of, the Synod of New-York, He rejoiced, however,, St, Georges. 85 in the union, which took place when he had been about nine years in the ministry ; and was ever esteemed a lover, and, as far as possible, without a dereliction of principle, a promoter, of peace. It will be seen that Mr. Rodders entered on the pastoral office at a very early period of life. But though his age and his appearance were ex- tremely youthful ; yet the uncommon prudence and dignity of his manners in private inter- course ; the devoted engagedness in the duties of his office, which he manifested from the first ; the fervent piety of his discourses ; and the ani- mated, bold, and commanding style of his ad- dress in the pulpit, were above his years. It was long ago said, by an illustrious heathen, Non po- test in eo siiccus esse diuturnus, quod nimis celeri- ter maturitatem est assecutus * ; and by an- other, Nullus est et diuturnus et prcecox fruc- ills t : the spirit of both which maxims is con- veyed in the English proverb, soon ripe, soon rotten. This proverb was actually applied to Mr. Rodgers, soon after his settlement at St, George s, by a distinguished layman, who hap» pened to hear one of the most judicious, elevated, * Cicero. t Curtius. 86 St. Georges. and forcible specimens of his eloquence. — But happily the calculation was erroneous. His fruit did not early decay, neither did his leaf prematurely wither. For more than sixty years, after this prediction, he was destined to adorn and to bless the garden of God. Of the general acceptance and usefulness of Mr. Rodgers ministry at St, George s, the fol- lowing Letter, from the Reverend Mr. Latta, of JNeW'Castle, will give a satisfactory view. It was originally communicated, indeed, by the wri- ter, under the expectation that the materials which it furnished would be exhibited in another form : but it is so judicious and comprehensive, that the reader will, no doubt, prefer seeing it without alteration. Christiana Village, 10th July, 1811. Rev. and dear Brother, AgTeeably to your request, I have made in- quiry of Mr. Vandegrift and others, in the con- gregation of St. Georges, with a view to collect some materials for your proposed account of the St Georges. 8? life and character of your late excellent col- league, the Rev. Doctor Rodders, In conse- quence of the great lapse of time since the Doc- tor's settlement in that congi-egation, I have been able to collect but very few particulars. The following, though much less than I could wish, must be accepted as the result of my in- quiries. Dr. Rodgers settled in the congregation of St, Georges about the year 1748, and continued with them sixteen years. Antecedently to his settlement with them, a revival of relio:ion had ta- ken place in the congregation, through the instru- mentality of the preaching of the Rev. Mr. i?o- hinson, and the celebrated Whitefield. Mr. Ro- hinson was their first pastor, and the immediate predecessor of Dr. Rodgers. This revival con- siderably increased during the Doctor's pastoral labours. His audiences were generally crowded, solenm, and attentive. In consequence of the number attending public worship, it became ne- cessary to make a considerable addition to their house of worship ; and even after the building was enlarged, the aisles, the doors, and even the windows, were frequently filled with auaitors. 8.8 St. Georges^ Such was the zealous, animated, and popular^ character of the Doctor s preaching", that he drew people of all denominations to hear him ; and, ultimately, his popularity so far prevailed^ that an Episcopal church which stood near the village of St, Georges, was deserted ; the con- gregation became extinct ; and the scite of their house of worship is now only known by the mo- numents of the dead. Several who were Epis- copalians when the Doctor settled at ^S'^ Georges, connected themselves with his church ; and their descendants are Presbyterians, and belong to that church, to the present day. This excellent man preached, not only at St, George s, but also a part, perhaps one third of his time, at what was called the Forest Church, near Middletown. Dr. Rodgers was an animated and fervent preacher. He seldom preached without weep- ing himself; and generally melted his audience into tears. But he was more than a good preach- er ; he was a zealous, vigilant, and faithful pas- tor. He regularly, besides holding annual dis- trict examinations on religious subjects, paid a pastoral visit, yearly, to every family in his con- gregation. On these occasions he called upon every member of the family to repeat a part of ^i. Georges, 89 the Assembly's catechism ; asked them a number of extempore questions on doctrinal and practi- cal subjects in religion 3 prayed with them ; and gave a warm and pathetic exhortation. Through a blessing, most probably upon these exercises, there was then at least the form of relig^ion in al- most every family. In them the morning and evening sacrifices of prayer were regularly offer- ed. Every house, with very few exceptions, ap- peared to be a Bethel, a house of God. At the present time, in that vicinity, not one family, perhaps, in twenty, exhibits even the form of re- ligion in their house. The Doctor was particu- lar too, on all occasions, in administering pri- vate rebukes to the disorderly, and especially to the intemperate ; and generally, even in his com- mon visits of friendship or business, it was his custom to speak a word in season, which he hop- ed might prove a savour of life to those who heard it. In 1751, Dr. Rodger s circulated a subscrip- tion paper through his congregations, with a view to raising a permanent fund for their use. That it might accumulate, he would not, for several years, receive the interest of this fund, though it was raised principally with a view that 12 m St: GeOrye$, the stated pastor might enjoy the benefit of the annual proceeds. To this fund, humanly speak- ing, the congreg-ation of St, Georges now owe the stated preaching of the Gospel among them;, for without it they could not pay their propor- tion for the support of a pastor, for even a small part of his ministerial labours. Dr. HodgerSy therefore, though long since removed from them, and now dead, may be said to be preaching to that people ; not only by his many pious, pathe- tic instructions ; but also by laying up in store the means of supporting a preacher to break to them the bread of life. What a striking proof is this of the propriety, (and what an encourage- ment to those who are thus engaged,) of adopt- ing and pursuing measures which are calculated to be permanently useful, and especially to the church ! How pleasing the thought, that even after they are dead, and their bodies, which had been engaged in the important object, have mouldered into dust ; the seed which they had sown will be bringing forth abundant fruit in the salvation of souls, and to the glory of God ! So much was Dr. Hodgers respected and be- loved by the people of St. George's, that they parted with him with the utmost reluctance, and St, Georges, 91 the deepest sorrow. Even after an application had been made to the Presbytery for the dissolu-e tion of the pastoral relation subsisting between him and them, a reference was made of the sub- ject to the Synod, with a view to arrest the pro- iieedings, and continue the relation. After the dissolution had taken place, and the day arrived for the Doctor to preach his farewell sermon, the moment he rose in the pulpit, a paroxysm of grief seized every heart, and the swollen tear stood in every eye. The impression was felt by every individual, that although they were about to hear him preach, he was no longer their pastor, and they should never more hear him as such ; and they son^owed most of all, because they should see his face as their preacher no more. The so- lemnity of the silence which generally prevailed during the preaching of this discourse, was only exceeded by the audible expressions of bitter lamentation, which now and then issued from every quarter of the church. Every head was bowed down with grief, and every heaii: bled with sorrow. After Dr. Rodgers left St. George s, the Rev, Mr. Spencer^ a zealous and animated preacher, settled there, and continued four yours. Dur« 92 St, Georges. mg his continuance, the congregation was near-^ ly as large and prosperous as it was whilst Dr. Hodgers was their pastor. The first symptom of their decline was the departure of some of the people from the church, before the afternoon service *. When Dr. Rodgers preached there, none of the people thought of withdrawing till the whole service of the day was concluded. In consequence of this disposition in the people, to leave the church between sermons, increasing, they have had generally, for a long time, but one sermon preached on the sabbath. Upon Mr. Spencer leaving the congregation of St, Georges, it began rapidly to decline, and * This is neither a neiv nor a solitary fact. Perhaps there is no symptom of decline in religion moj^e common or more infallible. It may be safely asserted, that no in- dividual, in whom the religious principle was strong and lively, ever habitually neglected a second service on the I^ord's day, when it was in his power to attend upon it : and that church in which there is a prevailing negligence of the public worship of God on sabbath afternoons, may with confidence be pronounced to be languid and declin- ing in its spiritual condition. The excellent minister ivhose memory we are endeavouring to honour, when-* ever he remarked a circumstance of this kind, as existing in any church, always lamented over it, as a sympton\ highly imfavourable and distressing in its indications. St George's. ' 93 }ias ever since continued to decline, till within these two years, during which time it has some- what revived, in consequence of enjojdng a part of the stated ministerial labours of the Reverend Samuel Bell, who is a warm and animated preacher. Thus you have ascertained, that Doctor Rodg- ers was much respected by the congregation of St, Georges ; that his labours were greatly bless- ed to them ; and that bv his removal from them they sustained a severe loss, and experienced a shock from which they have never yet recover- ed ; and perhaps never will recover, till the ge- neral effusion of the Spirit take place, when " the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the f' Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Your very respectful and affectionate brother in the Gospel, Rev. Dr. Samuel Miller, John E. Latta. On the 19th day of September, 1752, between three and four years after his settlement at St. George s, Mr. Rodgers formed a mairimonial connexion with Miss Elizabeth Bayard, the eldest daughter of Colonel Peter Bayard, of Cecil 94 St. Georges. County, in Maryland. In his alliance with that lady, and her family, which was one of the most respectable for piety, wealth, and influence, in that part of the then American colonies, he found much happiness. She was a woman of excellent understanding, of eminent piety and prudence, and proved truly a " help meet'' for him. By her he had four children ; two sons and two daughters. Of these one son and one daughter died in infancy ; the others yet sur- vive *, In the year 1753, the Reverend Messrs. Sanm- el Davies, of Virginia, and Gilbert Tennent, of Philadelphia, were appointed by the Synod of New-York, at the request of the Trustees of New-Jersey college, to visit Great-Britain, for the purpose of soliciting donations for the support of that college. During their absence, of more than a year, on this mission, their respective pul- pits were supplied by order of the Synod. Mr. Hodgers was sent, by that body, in the spring of * Pr. John R. B. Rodgers, an eminent Physician of J\/'€w-York, and, for a number of years, one of the medical professors of Columbia College ; and Mrs. Susannah Tennent, relict of the late Rev. Dr. William M, Tennent, of Abington^ Pennsylvania, St George S4 9j 1754, to supply the pulpit of Mr. Davies. He remained in Virginia several months, preaching with great assiduity and acceptance. Recollect- ing the unpleasant treatment which he had re- ceived from the government of that colony, six years before, he was not without apprehensions of having some difficulty, of a troublesome, if not of an insurmountable kind, again thrown in his way. In this, however, he was agreeably dis- appointed. He was permitted to fulfil his mis- sion without any serious molestation. There were, indeed, threats of prosecution thrown out from pretty respectable quarters, and in a tone of apparent determination ; but they were never executed. Presbyterianism by this time had be- come better known, and more respected. Nor was there wanting an influence in its favour, in the person of the chief magistrate himself. The Governor's chair was then filled by IVIr. Dlmvid- die, a Scotch gentleman, who had been bred a Presbyterian, and who had married a sister of the Reverend IMr. Mc Culloch, the celebrated minister of the church of Camhuslang, in Scot- land. By him IMr. JRodgers was treated with marked politeness ; as he also was by several other persons of distinction in the colony. After a pleasant and profitable tour, he returned about the middle of the smnmer to St. Georges, S6 St Georges, Mr. Hodgers character as a preacher and pas- tor was soon so extensively known, and so high= ly esteemed, that toward the close of the same year, (1754,) he received a very urgent and affectionate invitation from the church in New- York, to pay it a visit, with a view to settlement. That church had become recently vacant, by the removal of Dr. Pemherton and Mr. Cmnmingy its collegiate pastors ; and was in a state of un- happy disunion and ferment. Its leading mem- bers entertained a hope that the popularity of Mr. Modgers might be the means of healing their di- visions, and restoring comfort to their church. Considering that he had never, at that time, been in New-} or k, and was, personally, an entire stranger to all the members of the church there, this invitation undoubtedly carried with it a high testimony of respect. But feeling himself hap- py with an affectionate people ; animated with his prospects of usefulness among them; and unwilling to exchange these for an experiment of doubtful issue, in a strange place, he sent a negative answer to the invitation by the commissioner who delivered it* About the 3 ear 1755, a curious circumstance occurred, in the neighbourhood of aS'^ George's, St. George's, 97 \vhich, as it was connected with the subject of these Memoirs, and has never been communicat- ed to the pubUc, may, with propriety, find a place in this volume. Mr. Hugh Knox, a na- tive of Ireland, and afterwards a distinofuished Presbyterian minister in the Island of St. Croixj came to America, quite a youn^ man, about the year 1753 or 1754. He immediately waited on his countryman, the Reverend Dr. Francis Alli- son, then residing at New-London, in Pennsylva- nia, to whom he had letters, and in whose aca- demy he hoped to find employment as a teach- er. Dr. Allison, not being able to give him a place in his seminary, furnished him with a let- ter to Mr. Rodger s, requesting his good offices in endeavouring to procure a grammar-school for the young stranger, within the bounds of his parish. Mr. Rodgers soon succeeded in forming a respectable school^ at the Head of Bohemia, about ten miles from St. Georges, at the head of which Mr. Knox was comfortably placed. He continued to preside over this school for more than a year ; and, having received a good classical education in his own country ; being remarkably prepossessing in his personal appear- ance and manners; and attending with great assiduity to the duties of his station, he soon bcr, 13 lib St. George's came much esteemed among his emj)loyers ; and was considered as most agreeably settled. He attended public worship, with great punctuality, at Mr. Rodijers lower, or Forest church, near Middletorvn, and looked up to the pastor as his patron and friend. Things had been going on in this happy and promising manner for a number of months, when a sudden reverse occurred. Mr. Knoxy though a respectful attendant on public worship, and a young man, hitherto, of decent morals, had manifested nothing* like real piety. He was accustomed, every Saturday afternoon, to meet some gay companions, at the tavern of a Mr. J\ itherspoon, near the place of his residence, with whom he passed several hours, at fii'st with decency and temperance ; but, alter a while, not so entirely in this manner, as could have beeii wished. On a certam Saturday afternoon, when Knox and his companions had been diverting themselves in their usual way, some of the com- pany said to him, " Come, parson," (a title which they gave him on account of his being the most grave of their number, and a great admirer of Mr. Uodfjers,) " Come, parson, give us a ser- '* mon." He declined. They urged him. He , St, Georges, 99 still resisted. At length, however, overcome by their importunity, and probably excited, in some deg-ree, by drink, he said, " Well, come, I will *^ give you the sermon which Mr. Rodgers <^ preached last simday." Mr. Rodgers had preached on the preceding sabbath, from 2 Cor, V. 20. and had given an unusually solemn and excellent discourse. Mr, Knox, having a good memory, a flexible voice, and great powers of imitation, was enabled, not only to recollect and repeat the substance of the discourse, as he actu- ally heard it delivered ; but also to copy the voice and manner of Mr. Rodgers so closely, that Mr. Witherspoon, who heard it all from an adjoining apartment, declared, that if he had not known to the contraiy, he should really have supposed it was Mr. Rodgers himself preaching. In short, he was carried beyond himself, and spoke so much like a man preaching the Gospel in good earnest, that his profane hearers were deeply affected, and, when the discourse w^as ended, one after another silently withdrew. But what is still more remarkable, Mr. Knox himself was solemnly impressed by his own mock preaching, especially as he drew to- ward the close of the discourse ; and, when it was finished, sat down with mingled emotioits 100 »S^. George s. of shame and hoiTor at the profane mockeiy of which he had been guilty, and deep conviction of the importance of the doctrines he had been dehvering, in application to himself. So strong" indeed were these impressions, that he could not bear the thought of looking Mr. Rodger s, or any of his other pious patrons, in the face, after such conduct ; and, accordingly, early the next morning, without waiting to collect any of his dues, or to adjust his affairs, he precipitately quitted that part of the country, and was not heard of for a number of months. The next autumn, when Mr. Rodgers attend- ed the commencement of the college of New^- Jersey, which was then seated at JSewark, he was surprised to find Mr. Knox at the house of the Rev. Mr. Burr *, the president of the college. * The Reverend Jaron Burr^ was born at Fairjield^ in Connecticut^ in the year 1714. He graduated at Yale college in 1735. In 1742 he took the pastoral charge of the Presbyterian church, of Nenuark^ in JVew-Jersey. In 1748, on the death of president Dickinson^ he was unani- inously elected president of the college of A^'enu-Jerseyy which was removed, about this time, from Elizabeth- Town to JVewark. In 1757, the college was removed to Princeto?i, where president Burr died, on the 24th of September, in that year, in the 43d year of his age. In Sl George's. 101 The youn^ fug'itive had applied to Mr. Burr, sooa after his retreat from Bohemia, for admission into one of the classes of the college ; but having in- formed him that his last residence had been in the neighbourhood of Mr. Rodders; and being un- able to produce testimonials from that place of his good moral character ; Mr. Burr advised him to wait in Newark, until the commence- ment, when he expected to have an opportunity of seeing Mr. Rodgers, and of conversing with him on the subject. Mr. Knox, upon first meet- ing his old pastor, was much agitated, and, as soon as possible, took him aside ; acknowledged his unworthy conduct, with every appearance of deep humiliation ; implored his pardon for the offence committed ag^ainst himself, in turninsf his sermon into profane mockery ; and informed fine talents ; in fervent piety ; in public spirit ; in unwearied activity ; in extensive acquaintance with books ; in commanding eloquence and popularity as a preacher ; in knowledge of human nature j in conciliat- ing, attractive manners ; and in a peculiar power of gain- ing an influence over those with whom he conversed, president Burr has always been considered as holding a place in the first rank of American clergjonen. It was the happiness of Mr. Rodgers to enjoy an intimate ac- quaintance with this gentleman, during the first seven or eight years of his residence at St. George* s. 102 St. Georges. him of the situation in whicli he stood with re- gard to his expected admission into the college, Mr. Rodgers promised to speak as favourably of him to Mr. burr as truth would permit, and not to disclose the conduct which led to his elopement from Bohemia, unless it should be drawn from him by unavoidable questions ; and with these promises, left him in the most painful anxiety. Here Mr. Rodger s learned from young Knox\ that the serious impressions made on his mind by the sermon which he had so profanely repeat- ed, had never been eradicated ; that his wicked- ness had been over-ruled, as he hoped, for his eternal good ; that he had for some time cherish- ed a hope concerning himself, as a real chris- tian ; and that his earnest desire was to com- plete his education at the college with a view to the gospel ministry. Happily, president Burr, in the hurry of commencement, only asked Mr. Rodyers whe- ther he knew Mr. Knox ; and whether he would advise that he be admitted into the college. To both these questions, Mr. Rodgers answered promptly in the affirmative. The young man &. George's. 103 was admitted ; passed through the college, and his subsequent theological studies, with reputa- tion ; and after receiving many testimonies of sincere and active friendship from his old pastor at St, George s, entered on the work of the gos- pel ministry, and became equally honoured and useful in his profession *. r * Mr. Knox-i after being settled, as the pastor of a church in the Island of St. Croix, where he resided many years, was honoured with the degree oi Doctor of Divini' ty by the university of Glasgow ; and published five or six volumes, chiefly sermons, which are highly esteemed. It appears, indeed, from a long letter addressed by Dr. Knox to the Rev. Mr. Green^ of Hanover^ J^ew-Jersey^ and published in the Churchman^s Magazine, of AVw- York, that the former, at one period of his life at least, was not so strictly orthodox in his theological creed, as the friends of truth might wish. On this letter, however, two remarks may be made. The^rs^ is, that the Pres- byterian minister discovers more decisive ability than any other American writer that ever graced the pages «f the Churchman^ s Magazine. The other is, that al- though he does not appear in this letter to be, in all res- pects, rigidly orthodox ; yet he is not so far otherwise as the commentator on that letter hastily imagines. In several instances of supposed deviation from Calvinism^ there is only a deviation from the excesses 2Lnd extravagant cies of certain professed friends of that system ; which the commentator above alluded to, supposes to amount to an abjuration of Calvinism itself. 104 St. George^. While Mr. Badgers was settled at St. George^ s^ he not only served with fidelity the people of his own immediate charge ; but such was his zeal for the advancement of his Master's cause, and the salvation of souls, that he often visited those vacant congregations, or smaller settle- ments, which were destitute of stated ordinances^ and preached to them, with much affection and indefatigable labour. Among other places of this description, he often preached, and admi- nistered the sacraments, among a large body of Presbyterians who were settled in Queen Anne's county, on the eastern shore of Maryland. In this neighbourhood his ministry was attended with remarkable success. On one occasion, more particularly, when he went to administer the Lord's Supper to the church there, a scene of more than ordinary interest was exhibited. Besides a large number of others admitted to full communion in the church at the same time, who had been bapti ed m their infancy, there were twenty-nine adults, on one day, publicly baptized. The greater part, if not all these per- sons, had been educated in connexion with the society of Friends; and were awakened, and brouglit, as was hoped, to embrace the gospel by the instrumentality of his ministry. He often St. Georges, 105 spoke of that day as among" the most gratifying and animating of his hfe. In the year 1760, in the midst of Mr. Rodger & usefulness at St. George s, an event occurred, which not a little mortified him and his friends, and which made considerable noise in the ec- clesiastical circles of America. There resided in Philadelphia, at this time, the Rev. Williain Mc Clenachan, an Episcopal clergyman, whose preaching was considered as more evangelical than that of the generality of his brethren of the same denomination. While this circumstance endeared him to a considerable number of the Episcopalians of Philadelplda, and rendered them earnestly desirous of retaining him as tlieir minister ; it excited the opposition of a still greater number, and threatened to produce his exclusion from the Episcopal church in that city. During a meeting of the Synod of Neiv-York and Philadelphia, in May, 1760, the character, difficulties, and prospects of Mr. Mc Clenachan, happening to be the topic of more general and more warm conversation than usual, a number of the members of the Synod were so deeply impressed with the excellence of his character^ ^nd the probable usefulness of his ministry^ and 14 106 St. Georges. felt so much interest in his continuing to reside in Philadelphia, that they determined to attempt something in his behalf; and accordingly ad- dressed a letter to the archbishop of Canterbury, requesting him to exert his official influence, in favouring Mr. Mc Clenachans wishes, and those of his friends, that he might retain his place. This indiscreet and undignified interference with the affairs of another denomination, wasi condemned by all impartial persons : and, in- deed, the authors of the letter themselves had scarcely dispatched it, before they became sensi- ble of the impropriety of theu' own conduct, and wished it recalled. The reception which it met Avith from the Archbishop was such as might have been expected. No answer was re- turned ; and the letter soon found its way into the public prints, accompanied with such com- ments as were natural, and not wholly unmerit- ed. When the Synod convened in PhiladeU phia the next year, they found this unfortunate letter, followed with severe strictures, printed in the form of a pamphlet, and circulating very generally among the citizens, under the title of " The Eighteen Preshyterian Ministers.^^ And not unfrequently, when walking the streets, M^ere St. Georges. 107 their ears assailed by the shrill notes of the haw- kers of small books and pamphlets, ci-ying", " Eighteen Preshgterian Ministers for a groats These circumstances afforded a subject for much merriment, and severe remark, not only on the part of Mr. Mc Clenachans episcopal opponents ; but also on the part of those members of the Sy- nod who were still denominated Old'Side-tnen ; and who had declined having any thing to do with the letter to the Archbishop, The name of Mr. Rodger s appeared among the subscribers to this letter *. He did not, however, subscribe his own name to it. Not bemg even present, when it was signed, a par- ticular friend of his, who was an actual subscri- ber himself, who knew the zeal of Mr. Rodger s in every thing which had for its object the pro- motion of vital religion, and who did not doubt, for a moment, that, if he had been present, he * The names of the eighteen ministers who appeared aa subscribers, were, Gilbert Tennent^ William Tenneiity Samuel JDaviesy John Blair, Charles Tennent, Moses Tuttle, Charles Mc Knight, Benjamin Chesnut, William Ramsey, John Rodgers, James Finley, Abraham, Keteltas, John Roan, Abner Brush, John Moffat, Alexander Mac-- m^horter, Robert Smithy and Samuel Kennedy, 108 St Georges. would have joined with his friends, took the liberty of putting down his name, as well as his own. Though this unwarrantable procedure gave Mr. Rodger s a fair opportunity of making a public disavowal of any concern in the busi- ness ; and though he was urged to make such a publication ; yet the delicacy of his friendship to the excellent man who had taken this improper liberty ; together, it is probable, with some lurk- ing doubt whether, if he had been present, he would not have given his name with the rest of his brethren ; induced him to forbear such a measure, and to take his share of the current ridicule and censure. In 1762, Mr. Rodgers was chosen by the Sy- nod of New-York and Philadelphia, to go on a mission to Great- Britain and Ireland, to solicit benefactions toward the establishment of a " Fund for the relief of poor and distressed Pres- " h liter an ministers, their widorvs and childrenJ*^ A variety of considerations rendered this mission a very desirable one; and he certainly would have accepted the appointment, had not the situ- ation of hLS family rendered impossible so long an absence from home, as would have been ne- cessary to accomplish its purpose. The Rever- St. Georges. 109 end Charles Beatty *, another minister of emi- nence in the Presbyterian church, was afterwards appointed to the same mission in the place of Mr. Rodger s, and fulfilled it, to the great advan- tage of the fund, and to the satisfaction of the Synod. * The Rev. Charles Beatty was a native of Ireland. He obtained a pretty accurate classical education in his own country ; but his circumstances being narrow, he migrated to America.^ and employed several of the first years of his residence on this side of the Atlantic in the business of ^pedlar. In the pursuit of this vocation, he halted, one day, at the " Log-College^^ on the A''eshaminyy then under the care of the Reverend William Tennent, the elder. The fiedlar^ to Mr. Tennent^s surprise, ad- dressed him in correct Latin^ and appeared to be familiar with that language. After much conversation, in which Mr. Beatty manifested fervent piety, and considerable religious knowledge, as well as a good education in other respects, Mr. Tennent addressed him thus—" You " must quit your present employment. Go and sell the « contents of your pack, and return immediately, and stu- " dy with me. It will be a sin for you to continue a fied" " lar^ when you may be so much more useful in another " profession." He accepted Mr. Tennent's offer ; return- ed to Keshaminy ; completed there his academical and theological studies ; and in due time became an eminent minister. He died in Barbadoes^ whither he had gone to solicit benefactions for the college of JVew-Jer&ey^ about the time of Mr. Rodgers* removal to Aew- Yor^\- 110 St. Georges. It is often said of the servantsof God, that they are immortal till their work is done. And it is, at once, both pleasant and profitable to remark how often his protecting- power is manifestetl in avert- ing danger, and in prolonging their lives. The favour of a gracious Providence was, on various occasions, as conspicuously displayed in preserv- ing Mr. Rodyers life, as in blessisig his labours. Of this fact, one instance, among many, shall suffice. Within the bounds of his congregation, and near the place of his residence, there lived an unhappy man, of the name of Marsh, who, borne down by domestic affliction, and besotted by habitual intemperance, had become weary of life. Unwilling to be guilty of suicide, which he sup- posed would be an unpardonable sin, as it might afford no time for repentance, he resolved to commit murder on some other person, that his own life might be taken by the hand of public justice. And, fearing that, if he murdered an obscure person, whose loss would affect the pub- lic mind in a comparatively small degree, he might be pardoned, and thus fail of attaining his object, he determined to select for this horrid purpose no other than his minister, whom he knew to be universally beloved, and whose im- portance in public sentiment, he was aware St. Georges. Hi would produce an overwhelming' weight of ab- horrence and indignation against his murderer. Accordingly the miserable wretch made every preparation for executing his nefarious purpose. He watched the motions of ]\Ir. Rodger's, with a loaded musket, day after day, for a considerable time, and eagerly sought for a favourable oppor- tunity to destroy his life. He waylaid him when he rode abroad. He hovered about his door, at intervals, by day and night* But something al- ways occurred to caiTy the object of his pursuit in a different direction from that which was ex- pected, and thus to avert the intended mischief. The wife of 3Iarsh first revealed to Mr. Roclgers the murderous purposes of her husband ; and in consequence of this disclosure, the infatuated man was summoned before a neighbouring jus- tice, and bound over to his good behaviour for a limited time. Mr. Rodgers himself appeared before the magistrate, and, by his zealous inter- cession, prevented his imprisonment. This ge- nerosity, however, on the part of his intended vic- tim, produced no favourable effect on the mind of the unhappy man. He still sought, with most ingenious contrivance, some opportunity to exe- cute his design ; but was still providentially pre- vented. At length, wearied with unsuccessful 112 St Georges. attempts, and becoming altogether desperate, the abandoned mortal, on a certain night, when watching within a few feet of Mr. Rodger s" door, turned against himself the fatal weapon which he had prepared for his minister, and perished by his own hand ! On the 20th day of January, 1763, Mr. Rodg-^ ers was deprived, by death, of his wife, with whom he had lived, in the greatest happiness, for more than ten years. Of this bereavement he often spoke, to the end of life, with much ten^ derness, as the sorest and most distressing that he ever experienced : and there is reason to be- lieve that he kept the anniversary of her decease, as a day of special prayer, as long as he lived. After living a widower more than a year and a half, he formed a second matrimonial connexion, on the 15th day of August, 1764, with Mrs. Mary Grant, the widow of Mr. William Grant, an eminent merchant of Philadelphia^ and equally eminent for the fervour of his piety. Mr. Rodger s connexion with this lady proved no less happy than that with the companion of his youth. She was truly a blessing to him to the end of life, and survived him about ten months. Her great firmness of mind ; her re- St, Georges. 113 mark able prudence ; her polished and dignified manners; her singular sweetness and evenness of temper, joined with fervent piety, endeared her to all that had the happiness of her acquaint- ance, and rendered her an excellent model for the wife of a clergyman*. Mr. Rodgers, at an early period of his public life, had received a deep impression, that the wife of a minister of the gospel ought to be such a person as would prove a counsellor and aid in his official character, as well as in his private capacity. He believed, that, as an am- bassador of Christ ought to have in view the * This lady, whose family name was Antrobosy was a native of Manchester.^ in England. Her father was one of the colonists who came over to Georgia^ with General Oglethorfie, in the year 1733, when she was about eight years of age. It is remarkable that both her husbands, as well as herself, were particular friends, and spiritual children, of Mr. Whitejield. By Mr. Grants she had seve- ral children, one of whom was the second wife of Col. John Bayard^ late of JVeiv-Bruns^vick.^ in JVciv- Jersey. By Dr. Rodgers she had one child, a daughter, who died a num- ber of years before her parents. Mrs. Rodgers^ after adorning her christian profession, through the greater part of a century, was translated to a better world, on the 16th day of March, 1812, in the 88th vear of her age. 15 J 14 St, Georfje's, psefuiness of his ministry, and the honour of his Master, in every thing" else, so also in his marriag-e. He was, therefore, uniform and point- ed in his advice to young ministers, not only to seek pious wives, but also to seek such as by their good sense, prudence, and amiableness of natural temper, might win the hearts of their parishioners, form an additional medium of in- tercourse and attachment between them, and prove examples to the flock. He often remark- ed, that no man could calculate the importance of such a companion to the usefulness, as well as to the comfort, of his ministry, until he had made the experiment. His own conduct was, most happily, in perfect accordance with his advice ; and the blessings, of which he often spoke, as resulting from a wise choice, were, in his own case, no less happily realized. In the month of April, 1765, Mr. Rodger s was elected one of the Trustees of the College of New-Jersey. It was not wonderful that his public spirit, his zeal for the promotion of useful know- ledge, and his deyoted attachment to the interests of evangelical truth, should have pointed him out thus early as one of the governors of an insti- Ititiou, consecrated by its venerable founders as a iS^t. Geor^< Dum vivimus, vivamus. Doddr. Viresque acquirit eundo. From his removal to the City of New-^Yorh^ iili the commencement of the Revolutionary War, IMr. Rodgers arrived in New-York^ as before stated, to enter on his pastoral duties ther^, on the 24th day of July, 1765. He was received by the people of his new charge with great respect and affection ~, and with no less cordiality by the Presbytery of New-York, which convened at Springfield, Nerv- Jersey, on the 20th of August, for the purpose of receiving him ; and appoint- ed his installation to take place on the 4th day of September following. In tho installation solemnities the Reverend Timothy Johnes, of fliorristown, the oldest member of the Presbytery^ presided, and the Reverend James Caldwell, of Elizabeth-town, preached the sermon. Mr, Rod^^ New-Tork. 1:75 ers often spoke of that day, as one in which the tenderest regrets for the people he had recently left, and the most grateful affection for the mark- ed kindness and attachment of those to whose service he then devoted himself, produced a sin- gular conflict in his mind. Formed for activity, and prompted to diligence in his appropriate functions, as well by tempera- ment and habit, as by a strong sense of duty; Mr. jRodJ^rer* immediately transferred to the new ^here of action in which it had pleased God to place him, the ardent zeal, and the tender pasto- ral anxieties and assiduities, which he had long displayed toward another flock. The disadvan- tage arising from the material difference, in seve- ral respects, between a country and city charge, was soon surmounted by him : or rather, hap- py in a style of manners peculiarly adapted to a polished and populous city, he at once found himself at home as pastor of the church in Nejv- York. He had not been many weeks in this new sta- tion, before he began to direct to the catechetical instruction of the children and young people un- der his care, the same particular and unwearied 176 New-York. attention, which he had found so beneficial in St, George's. Besides collecting* the younger children, once a week, and hearing them recite the Assembly's shorter catechism, accompanied with prayer, and an extemporaneous exhortation^ as before, he instituted a morc public lecture on the same catechism, which was held on Thurs- day evening in each week, designed for the in- struction of the elder classes of children ; but which was generally attended by as many, of all ages, as could be accommodated in the building in which it was held. These two services he con- tinued, with persevering diligence, until within a few years of his decease ; when his growing in- firmities compelled him to yield them to his col- leagues. He had a deep impression of the im- portance of catechetical instruction ; which he embraced every opportunity of endeavouring to urge, especially on his younger brethren in the ministry. And he often declared that, as far as he was able to judge, the familiar, but sys- tematic, doctrinal instruction, accompanied with a w arm practical application, which he always aimed to give in his Thursday evening lectures, had been more signally blessed to the spiritual benefit of his people, than any other part of his ministrations. NeW'Yorh 111 Mr. Rodyers also encouraged the establish- ment of private associations for prayer, in different parts of the congregation, which accordingly, soon after his arrival in New- York, were consi- derably multiplied, and which he countenanced by his presence, as often as his numerous engage- ments permitted. A short time previous to the decease of Mr. Bostwick, the means of grace had been attended with a more than common bless- ing in the congregation ; and although this par- tial revival had, in some measure, declined, pre- vious to Mr. Hodgers anival, still a portion of its happy influence remained ; so that the minds of the people were, in a considerable degree, pre- pared to give a favourable reception to any pro- posals which had for their object the promotion of christian knowledge and piety. This circum- stance both facilitated the introduction, and was, no doubt, a means of contributing to the efficacy, of those new plans and labours for the advance- ment of religion, to which Mr. Modgers settle- ment in NeiV'York gave rise. These plans and labours were crowned with success. By the divine blessing upon them a considerable revival of religion almost immedi- ntelv ensued. The congregation rapidly increajs- 23 ITS New-York'. ed. The assemblies for the worship of Go(f were croaded. Many were awakened to serious^ thoughtfuhiess ; and a large number were brought,- as was hoped, to a saving knowledge of the^^ truth. > In the course of the family visitations which Mr. Rodyers early commenced, and for many^ years faithfully maintained, he discovered a num-^ ber of poor children, belonging to the congrega- tion, who were growing up without any suitable education, and without the means of obtain- ing .it. He immediately reported their cases to. the officers of the church, and inquired whether there were no practicable means of putting such children to school, and preparing them for use- fulness in life. The church-officers informed him of Captain Onenis legacy * ; of the exer- tions which had been niade to obtain and apply; it, according to the will ai the testator ; and o£ the circumstances m which it was then placedw^ Mr. Rodyers, with that ardour and promptness for which he was remarkable, went immediately to Mr. Ludlow, and made a new and urgent ap- plication for the payment of the legacy.. Mr». Ludlow, in the same spirit which he had always * See the preceding chapter, page 1 67. New-York, 179 laanifested, assured him, that he had long been desirous to be able to put the money in question lawfully and safely out of his hands ; that he was still so ; and that if any method could be devised of applying it to the object which Capt. Owen had in view, and of indemnifying him, he diould most cordially consent to its adoption. After re- peated conferences on the subject, Mr. Ludlow at length agreed to pay the legacy to the trea- surer of the church, provided six of the principal members of the congregation would give him a bond of indemnity against all future claimants. This method of accommodation was adopted ; the bond was given, and the money paid, in the year 1766. The gentlemen who had given the bond *, immediately invested, and began to apply the legacy, in such manner as they judged mo^t conformable to its benevolent design. When Mr. dodgers entered on his pastoral charge in New-York, he found several cujstoms established in the church, which by no means met his approbation. Among these, was the prac- tice of making the introductory prayer in public * These gentlemen were selected by Mr. Ludlow him- 'Self, and were the following, Peter Van Brugh Living- ^ton^ William Livingston^ William Smith.^ John Morin Scott^ Fh{er Mc Dougall, and Jose/ih Hallett. \ .. (^^ 180 New^Yorh, worship, reading the scriptures, and giving out the first psalm, from the clerk's desk, instead of the pulpit. This had been, for many years, a subject of complaint with a portion of the con- gregation ; but a majority being in favour of the practice, it had been continued. Mr. Rodgers, without consulting the eldership, determined, on his own responsibility, to lay it aside, and to perform the whole service in the pulpit ; which he did ever afterwards. This measure created some dissatisfaction, for a time, among a few leading members of the church ; but such were the popularity and success of his ministrations; and such his influence among the people, that the unpleasant feelings expressed on the occasion, by these individuals, were but little regarded by the body of the congregation, and soon entirely ceased to be manifested. Mr. Rodyers had not been many months in New-York, when it was found, that his labours had been so much blessed to the increase of the congregation, both in numbers, and in zeal, that it was necessary to erect a new place of worship. Measures were accordingly taken for this purpose, early in the spring of the year 1 7(56, A lot of ground, at tjie corner of Beekman and New-York, 181 Nassau streets, was procured, from the corpo- fation of the city, on a perpetual lease. The foundation of a new church was laid in the au* tumn of the same year. The work was prose- cuted with vigour ; and in about fifteen months the edifice was completed. As Mr, Rodgers, by his popular and unweari- ed pastoral labours, had been the means of ren-. dering this enterprise necessary ; so his ardent and indefatigable zeal in promoting its success, was equally conspicuous, and worthy of being recorded. He went from door to door, for seve- ral months, soliciting subscriptions, with a pa- tience and perseverance which ought never to be forgotten by those who take an interest in the history of the Presbyterian church in New-York^. A large part of the funds employed in erecting * The Subject of these memoirs often related little an- ecdotes concerning the unexfiected repulses, on the one hand, and the agreeable surprises, on the other, which occurred in the course of this begging season. One, of the latter class, shall serve as a specimen. Mr. Rodgersy attended by an officer of the church, called, one morning, in his soliciting tour, at the house of an excel- lent woman, a widow, who had recently lost by death a pious and beloved daughter. As her circumstances were narrow, little was expected from her. Indeed 18^ Neiv-Yorfi. %he edifice in question, were collected by his hands ; and no inconsiderable portion of them obtained by the weight of his professional cha- racter. This new church was opened for public wor- ship on the first day of January, 1768. The first sermon was preached in it by Mr. Radars, from IIa(jgai ii. 7. The pews were all immedi- ately taken ; and it soon became abundantly evi- dent, that the erection of an additional church was neither unnecessary nor premature. The congregation, though now worshipping in two buildings, was still considered as one body. The ministers preached alternately in each -, and there was but one board of trustees, and one el- dership, for the whole. they called upon her chiefly to testify their respect, and to avoid the imputation of either forgetting her person, or despising her mite. To their great surprise, however, when their errand was made known, she presented to them, with much promptness ^nd cordiality, a sum which, for her, was very large ; so large, indeed, that they felt and expressed some scruples about accepting it. She put an end to their scruples by saying, with much decision-^ <^' You must take it all ; 1 had laid it up as a portion for ^* my daughter ; and I am determined that He who has ^^ my daughter shall have her portion too." NerV'YorK. 183^ In the beginning of the year 1766, when the erection of a new church was resolved upon, it was judged expedient to make another attempt to obtain a charter. The inconveniences result- ing from the want of it were found daily to ac- cumulate ', and it was distinctly perceived that the enterjTise at that time in prospect, would serve to multiply them still further. Sir Henry Moore, then governor of the province, was friendly to the object of the applicants; but a doubt being started, whether his commission invested him with incorporating powers ; and there being some rea- son to fear that a. favourable decision on the part of the council could not be depended on ; the offi- cers of the church determined at once to approach the throne with their request. Accordingly, ia the month of March, 1766, a petition to the King^ was drawn up, and signed by the ministers, el- ders, deacons and trustees, exhibiting the cir- cumstances of the ease; stating the grievances under which the church had long laboured ; and prayings for a charter of incorporation. This pe- tition was presented by the agents in London^ who were employed for the purpose. The King laid it before his privy council ; and they referred it, according to the usual routine of such bushiCss^ to the Board of Trade. That board, (of which 184 New-York, Lord Dartmouth, a sincere friend to the applica- tion, was then president,) wrote to sir Henri/ Moore f to know " whether the facts stated in the petition," of which he Avas furnished with acopy^ ** were true.*' This brought the business before the governor's council in New-York, who, after every possible delay, were obliged to report, that " the facts stated in the petition were all true." Their answer was forwarded, by the go- vernor, to lord Dartmouth, without loss of time > but when the subject afterwards came before the board of trade, the bishop of London appeared twice before the board, and zealously opposed the application. Their report to the king was unfavourable ; and the petition was finally reject^ ed on the 26th day of August, 1767. On receiv-^ ing notice of this rejection, the congregation vested the title to the new church and cemetery, in private trustees, as they had before been oblig- ed to do with respect to their parsonage house. But amidst all these discouragements, the church continued to increase in numbers and strength, and religion prospered. The num- ber of new communicants added, about this time, was greater than at any period before, or for many years afterwards. And it is probable New-Yorh 18^ that the very means by which the miserable cal- culators of this world thought to oppress, to dis- hearten, and perhaps to destroy ; were made in- strumental, by a sovereign and gracious God, to bind together, to build up, and to inspire with a more ardent zeal. Soon after Mr. Rodyers removed to New-Yoik, the controversy respecting an American Episco- pate was at its greatest height. The leading episcopalians of thp American colonies, were ex- ceedingly zealous, and had taken unwearied pains, by application to the spiritual lords, and other persons of influence in Great-Biitain^ to secure the establishment of diocesan bishops in this coun- try. This plan being regarded, by the non-epis- copal inhabitants of the colonies *, as highly * The opposition to an American Episcopate was not confined to non-episcopalians. Some zealous members of the Episcopal church, and even some ministers of that denomination had the wisdom to perceive, and the magnanimity, to acknowledge, the dangers likely to arise from this measure. Among the latter were the Rev. Mr. Gvjatkin^ and the Rev. Mr. Henly^ Episcopal clergymen of Virginia^ who openly opposed the plan, and wrote against it. They both protested against it in the ecclesiastical convention of that colony, in 1771 ; and af- terwards the former published a pamphlet with the same 24 186 Nerv-Tork dangerous to their ecclesiastical liberties, they dc* lermined, by all fair and honourable means, to oppose it Their opposition was hrm, persever- ing, and successful. The friends of the Episco- pate, notwithstanding all the zeal and exertions which they employ ed in its behalf, were continual- ly disappointed by difficulties and delay, until the Revolution ; which, by establishing the Indepen- dence of the United States, eflfectually precluded the dangers apprehended from their scheme ; re- moved the fears of their opponents ; and termi- nated the controversy. Among the measures which were taken for defeating the plan of an American Episcopate, and for keeping the non-episcopal churches awake to their interests and dangers ; was the ap- pointment of a general Convention, to compare view, under the following title : Ji Letter to the clergy of J\feiV'York and Kew-Jersey.^ occasioned by an address to the JS/iiscofialians in Virginia. By the Rev. Thoinas Gwatkin, professor of Mathematics and Natural Philoso-* phy^in William and Mary college. Williamsburgh, 1772, 4to. pp. 28. For their conduct in this affair, Gwatkin and Henly were very much hated and persecuted by the cler- gy of their own denomination ; but they received the thanks of the House of Burgesses of Virginia. See Penvr sylvania Gazette^ August 8, 1771. 4( it New-York 187 opinions and concert plan^, for the promotion of these objects. This convention was formed of delegates from the Synod of the Presbyterian church, and from the several Asspciations of Con- necticut. The objects toward which its comisels were directed, to use its own language, were, *^ To gain information of the public state of the " united cause and interest ; to collect accounts ** relating thereto ; to unite endeavours and coun- sels for spreading the Gospel, and preserving the religious liberties of our churches ; to dif- *^ fuse harmony, and keep up a correspondence, " throughout the united body ; and with our ^* friends abroad^ to recommend, cultivate, and ^* preserve, loyalty and allegiance to the king's " majesty; and also to address the king, and the ^' king's ministers^from time to time, with assur- ances of the unshaken loyalty of the pastors comprehended in this union, and the churches ** under their care, and to vindicate them, if un- ** justly aspersed *." This Convention first met at Elizaheth-town, in New-Jersey^ I^ovember 5th, 1766; and continu- * MS. Records of the Conventiofif in the hands of Ebenezer Hazard^ esquire, %i Philadelfthia, 188 New-York. ed to meet annually, sometinies within the bounds of the Synod, and sometinies iij Connecticut, until the year 1775; when its meetings became unne^ ces^ry, and were discontinued. Mr. Rodgers was always one of the delegates frona the Synod of the Presbyterian church, and an active n^ember of the Convention. This circumstance, while it evinced the high confidence which his brethren reposed in his fidelity and wisdom, introduced him to a very general and honourable acquaint- ance with the clergy of the American colonies % and also gave him the best opportunity of exhibit- ing that ardent attachment to civil and religious liberty, which distinguished his character, and pervaded his lifco The following extracts from a letter address- ed by this Convention, to the dissenting commit- tee in England, will serve, at once, to show the spirit of those times, and to rescue frpm misre- presentation the conduct of some great and good * As a member of the conventiop, he was not only as- sociated with such men as Dr. Francis Allison^ Dr. Pa.' trick AUison^i Dr. Macwhorter, and a number of other dis- tinguished clergymen of the Presbyterian church ; but also with some of the most eminent clergymeu of A^evj^- EnglancL NeW'Yorh 189 men, who had then much influence in the ecclesi- astical concerns of America, " This we have apprehended to be our duty, ^' especially in our present circumstances ] not ^' only that we might strengthen our influence <^ in suppressing or discouraging any measures " that might be fallen upon by the people com- ^* mitted to our care, that would be inconsistent " with our character, as peaceable and loyal " subjects, or detrimental to the public peace and i^ tranquillity ; but also that we might, as faithful " officers in the church of Christ, watch over her " rights and privileges, and endeavour more ef- " fectually to prevent any attempts of any other " denomination of christians to oppress us. The " late attempts of the Episcopalian missionaries " among us to introduce an American Episco- " pate, have given a very just and general alarm to *' our churches, who fled from the unmerciful ri- " gour and persecutions of diocesan bishops in our ** mother country, to settle in an uncultivated wil- " derness. The recollection of the cruelties and " hardships which our fathers suft'ered, before */ this peaceful retreat was opened for us, fills our *^ minds with an utter abhorrence of every spe- -** cies of ecclesiastical tyranny and perseQution, it 190 isJeiv-Yorh '^ and therefore we would guard with special care " against admitting any just suspicion that we " would suffer that to take place among ourselves, " which we so much condemn in others. ^* We oppose not, therefore, the introduction ** of diocesan bishops in America, from any ap- prehension that we have any exclusive privi- leges above others, or from any right we have " to endeavour to prevent them from enjoying the ** same liberty with any other denomination of ** christians in the colonies. We oppose the " scheme from very different motives and princi- ** pies. Our fears would not be so much alarm- " ed, could any rational method be devised for " sending over bishops among us, stripped of eve- " ry degree of civil power, and confined in the ^* exercise of their ecclesiastical functions to their " own society ; and could we have sufficient secu- ^* rity, that the British parliament that would send " them over, thus limited, to gain a peaceable " settlement here, would never be induced by their ^' complaints for the want of power, to enlarge it at any future period. But it is very evident that it is not that harmless and inoffensive bishop which is designed for us, or which the mission- ^' aries among us request ) and therefore we cai^- ti it NerV'Yorh. 191 *' not but be apprehensive of danger from the pro- *' posed episcopate, however plausible the scheme ** may be represented. We all know the jealousy *' of the bishops in England concerning* their own *^ power and dignity suffering by the example of " such a limited bishop in America, and we also " know the force of a British act of parliament, ** and have reason to dread the establishment of " bishops' courts among us. Should they claim the right of holding these courts, and of exer- cising the powers belonging to their office by " the common law of England, (which is esteem- " ed the birth-right of a British subject,) we could " have no counterbalance to this enormous pow° *' er in our colonies, where we have no nobility or proper courts, to check the dangerous ex- ertions of their authority, and when our gover- nors and judges may be the needy dependents ** of a prime minister, and therefore afraid to dis- " oblige a person who is sure of being supported " by the whole bench of bishops in England. So " that our civil liberties appear to us to be m *' eminent danger from such an establishment. " We have so long tasted the sweets of civil and " religious liberty, that we cannot be easily pre- ** vailed upon to submit to a 7/oke of bondage^ 192 New-Yorh. *' which neither 7ve nor our fathers were able td '' bear */' But besides acting as a member of this conven- tion, Mr. Rodger s was associated with a band of worthies in the city of New-York, who were tirm friends to the same cause, and who made a num- ber of useful publications on the impolicy and dangers of an American episcopate, and on sub- jects connected therewith. Of this number were the Reverend Doctors Laidlief, and Mason, with * MS. Records of the Convention, t The Rev. Archibald Laidlie, D. D. was a native of Scotland. lie had accepted a call to the Butch church of Flushing, in Zealand, and had been four years the pas- tor of that church when he was called to the city of Ae^y- York, where he arrived in 1764. He was the first min- ister of the Dutch church in America, who officiated in the English language. He was a man of distinguished ta- ientft, of respectable learning, and of ardent piety. As a preacher, he was evangelical, powerful, popular, and sue- cessful to an uncommon degree ; and as a pastor, indefati- gably faithful. His ministry was greatly blessed to the Dutch church in J^eii)- York. He died at Red- Hooky in 1778, while an exile from the city, on account of the revolutionary war. Probably no minister ever lived in jyew' York, more honoured, or more useful, or died more universally regretted, than Doctor Laidlie, New-York, 193 William Livingston *, William Smith f, and John Morin Scott J, esquires, who were vigilant oliservers of the course of public affairs, and who did much to awaken and direct the public mind, at that interesting period. Though the subject of these memoirs did not himself make any large publication at that time ; yet he published some smaller pieces, which were considered as useful; and constantly aided by his influence and his counsels, the cause in which he was engaged. In 1768, Mr. Rodgers had the degree of Doc- tor of Divinity conferred on him, by the Univer- sity of Edinburgh, Academic honours of this kind have become so common at the pre- sent day, that their value, even in public opinion, is much reduced. But this was by no means the case at the date of the event in question. At that time, considerable advancement in age, and more than usual elevation and weight of cha- * Afterwards Governor of JSTew' Jersey ^ whose charac- ter and writings are well known. t The Historian of JVeW' York^ and an eminent counsel- lor at law J who died, a few years ago, chief justice of Canada. \ A Counsellor at law, of much eloquence, wit, and in- fluence, at that period. 25 194 New-York, racter, were deemed indispensable requisites far meriting this degree. The circumstances also attending this tribute of respect from a foreign XJniversity, were honourable to its object. It was as unexpected, as it had been altogether un- solicited by him Mr. Whitefield being then in London, and wishing a public honour of this nature to be conferred on his American friend, commu- nicated his wish to Dr. Franklin, who was also in London, at the same time. Dr. Franklin, at the request of Mr. Whitefield, immediately wrote to Dr. Robertson, principal of the University of Edinburgh, giving Mr. Rodders such a charac- ter as he thought proper, and requesting for him, from that university, the degree of doctor in divinity. Dr. Robertson immediately took measures for complying with this request. The degree was conferred. And in a few weeks Doctor Franklin received the official testimonial of the fact, which he sent to Mr. Whitefield, and which was by him transmitted to Mr. Rodders, The diploma bore date, December 20, 1768, and reached the hands of Mr. Rodders, in the following April, in the forty second year of his age. The gradual depreciation of the value of ho* NeW'YorTi. 195 uoi'afy c'eg^ees in later times, and especially in our own country, may be ascribed to a variety of causes : — to the multiplication of colleges in the United States, be\ ond the necessities of the country, and beyond its power of efficient sup- port ; each of which colleges, deems itself bound to continue the habit of annually bestowing its honours : — to the great increase, of the number of those, in proportion to the mass of society, who pass through a collegiate course, and receive the first collegiate laurels, by which their ambi- tion is excited to seek after those of a hig'her grade : and, perhaps, in some measure, to the pre- vailing plan of government adopted in col- leges on this side of the Atlantic, But to what- ever causes it may be ascribed, the fact itself is unquestionable ; and is chargeable, it is believed, in a greater degree, on the colleges of America^ than on any others in the world. What a contrast between that state of public sentiment, and public habit, which permitted president Dickinson, president Burr, president Edwards, president Davies, the apostolic Tennenls, Mr. Whitefield, and a long catalogue of similar men, to descend to their graves without a Doctorate ; and that which now lavishes the title, on juvenili- ty, on ignorance y and on weakness, with a frequen- 196 New-Torh cy altogether unworthy of the dispensers of litera- ry honour! And although the venerable sub- ject of these memoirs, received his education, his habits, and his clerical title, in the better days of literary administration, if the expression may be allowed ; yet it must be owned that his great benevolence and urbanity, too often prompted him, when called to act as one of the guardians of literature, to concur in that system of facility and yielding on this subject, which has so much reduced the value of Academic honours*. * The practice of conferring the honours of literary institutions on individuals of distinguished erudition, com- menced in the twelfth century ; when the Emperor Zo- thaire, having found in Italy a copy of the Roman law, ordained that it should be publicly expounded in the schools : and that he might give encouragement to the study, 'tC further ordered, that the public professors of this law should be dignified with the title of Doctors, The first person created a Doctor^ after this ordinance of the Emperor, was Bulgarus Hugolinusy who was greatly distinguished for his learning, and literary la- bour. Not long afterwards the practice of creating doc- tors was borrowed from the lawyers by divines^ who, iiv their schools, publicly taught divinity, and conferred de- grees on those who had made great proficiency in this science. The plan of conferring degrees in divinity was first adopted in the universities of Hologna^ Ox/ordyosid NeW'Yorh 197 In the summer of 1768, the Reverend Doctor Witherspoon reached America, and took charg^-e of the college at Princeton^ to the presidency of which he had been called a short time before. Doctor Rodders was among the first to do honour to the talents, learning, and piety of this emi» Bent stranger; and was always ranked among his most respectful and affectionate friends. In 1769, he accompanied Dr. Witherspoon on a visit to Boston, and other parts of Neiv- England^ where they spent some weeks ; and where they were received and treated with the most gratify- ing distinction and respect. This journey was exceedingly interesting to both. It introduced them to a new, and highly valued circle of friends : Paris. See Mather*^s Magnalia Christi Jmericana, B» av. p, 134. It is remarkable that the celebrated Dr, Samuel Johnson^ when he had become eminent in litera^ ture, could not obtain the degree of Master of Arts, from Trinity college, Dublin, though powerful interest was made in his behalf, for this purpose, by Mr. Pofie, Lord Govjery and others. Instances of the failure of applica- tions of a similar kind, made in favour of characters still more distinguished than Johnson then was, are also on record. So cautious and reserved were literary institu- tions, a little more than half a century ago, in bestowing- theii' honours ! 198 New-York. and furnished matter for pleasing reflection, and entertaining anecdote, to the end of life. Few men were ever more free from feelings of envy and jealousy than Dr. Rodger s. He had the discernment to perceive, and the magnanimity to acknowledge, intellectual and literary superiority wherever they existed ; and was unfeignedly gratified with the public honours received and enjoyed by such superior minds. His inter- course with Doctor Witherspoon was a striking exemplification of this part of his character. That distinguished president of Nassau-Hall^ had, probably, one of the most sound and vigor- ous minds of the age in which he lived; and in every company, or deliberative body, in which he appeared, his superiority was apparent*. Yet * Doctor John Withersfioon was a native of Scotland^ •where he was born, February 5th, 1722. He was lineal- ly descended from John Knox^ the eminent reformer. He received his education in the university of Edinburgh') which he left, after completing his studies, in the Theolo- gical Hall, at the age of twenty-one. From that period, until his arrival in America, he devoted himself to the work of thie gospel ministry, first at Beith, and after- wards at Paisley. Whether we consider this great man. as a divine, a statesman, or the head of a literary in- stitution,^ his talents and usefulness vrere pre-eminent. New-York. 199 no man ever perceived in Doctor Bodgers the smallest uneas.ness at the fame and honours of his ilkistrious friend ; though, amidst the inter- course of manv vears, he was often called to wit- ness them. On the contrary, he was ever among the most forward to coi.fess his superior powers, and to promote his merited reputation. He culti- vated towaj'ds hiui the most affectionate friend- Many men have had greater brilliancy of genius, and greater variety and extent of learning ; but scarcely any man ever possessed more sound practical wisdom, more comprehensive views, or a mass of information better selected, or more thoroughly digested, than he. His works will do him honour, as long as piety, or- thodoxy, good sense, and profound discussion of truth and duty, shall be esteemed among men. He was the first person in Great- 'vitain who published the leading doctrine relating to the illustration of the powers of the human mind, on the principles of common sense, after- wards so largely and successfully developed by Dr. Reid, and others. It is asserted, by competent judges, that an essay in the Scott's Magazine, by Doctor Withers/ioon, published several years before Dr. Heid had given any thing to the world on the subject, distinctly exhibits the grand doctrine for which the latter has received so much praise. And it is certain that Dr. Ulthersfioon himself, whose temper was very remote from vanity or arrogance, always laid claim to the honour of being, in a sort, the discoverer of that doctrine. 200 NeW'Yorh ship, and took pleasure in acting with him, as long as they both lived. At the meeting of the Synod, in 1774, Dr. Rodyers was appointed to spend a number of weeks, in the summer and autumn of that year, on a missionary tour, through the northern, and north western parts of the province of New-York, He accordingly devoted several months to that service, itinerating and preaching the gospel with unwearied zeal and assiduity ; for the most part in places utterly destitute of the means of grace ; gene- rally with great acceptance ; and in a number of instances, with the most gratifying success. His labours, in the course of that mission, were the immediate or remote means of forming many churches, which have since proved large, flou- rishing, and happy. The period in which the Doctor fulfilled this mission, was the period rendered memorable by the warm dispute between the settlers in the terri- tory which is now Vermont, and the government of New-York, which claimed that territory as lying within its jurisdiction. Measures of great decision, and even violence, had been taken by both parties, a short time before he went into that Nerv-Yorh 201 country; so that he found the public mind, par- ticularly in VermonU highly irritated and inflam- ed. Nothing was further from his view than any political design ; but some of the jealous and ex- asperated Yermonters, knowing that he came from the capital of New-Yorh, and connecting every thing with the existing dispute, suspected him ot being engaged \n some mission or plan unfriendly to their claims. In a particular town, which he had entered, by appoihtment, for the sole purpose of preachmg, he observed, a little before the public service began, se- veral rough and fierce looking men approach the house in which he was about to preach, and enter into very earnest, and apparently angry, conversation with those who were near the door. He was utterly ignorant, at the time, of their design, or of the subject of their conversation ; but was afterwards informed, that they were very warmly contending with his friends, that he was a spy, and, of course, a very dangerous charac- ter, and that he ought to be immediately arrest- ed. It was in vain that the friends of the Doc- tor remonstrated, on the ground of the sacred- ness of his office, and the solemnity of the duty in which he was about to engage, and to attend on which the people were then collecting. His 26 202 New-York, angry accusers replied, that the more sacred hiif office, the greater his power of doing* mischief ; and that to let him escape would be treason to their cause. At length, finding that all they could say availed nothing to his exculpation, and that the most positive assurances of his being known to be a man of pious and exemplary character, only rendered these hostile and ar- dent spirits more determined in their original purpose, the friends of the Doctor only begged them to delay the seizure of his person until after divine service should be closed, as it would be a pity to disappoint so large a congregation as had then assembled for public worship. To this proposal, after much persuasion, they reluct- antly consented, and divine service in a few mo- ments began. The exercises were more than usually solemn and impressive in their character ; many of the congregation were in tears; and even those who had come into the assembly arm- ed with so much resentment, were observed to be first serious, and then softened, with those around them. When the solemnities of worship were ended, they said nothing more about their plan of arresting the preacher ; but quietly re- tired, and suffered him to pursue his journey. Before he left the house, however, in which he NerV'Yorh 203 had preached, the owner of it, who had stood his firm friend in the contest, put him on his guard, by relating all that had passed. Two or three days after this, while the Doctor was preaching in a more northern town, in the same district of country, soon after the public service began, he saw two men enter the assem- bly, marked with countenances of peculiar fero- city and rage. He afterwards learned, that they had come from a southern town, under the same impressions, and with the same views, as their predecessors in violence. On entering the assembly, they seated themselves, resolving to wait until the service should be ended, and then to arrest the preacher. The exercises of the day, as in the former case, were the means of disai'ming them. When the benedic- tion was pronounced, they withdrew ; saying to each other, that they were probably mistaken in the man, and had better go home. Those who are acquainted with the piety, the^ fervour, and the affection, which Dr. Rocl(/ers habitually manifested in his public addresses, will feel no surprise at their producing such effects as these. No one could hear him without 204 New-York. being; impressed with the conviction, that he was not acting a part ; but that he was deeply in earnest ; that he felt the importance of what he uttered ; and that he was actuated by a tender concern for the temporal and eternal welfare of those whom he addressed. It is impossible, here, not to recollect the case of an inhnitely greater than the subject of these memoirs, by whose dis- course the officers who had been sent to seize him were disarmed ; and concerning whom they ingenuously said, on their return, never man spake like this man. In 1774, it was judged proper to make one more effort to obtain a charter for the Church in New-York, Governor Tryon, being about to embark for Great- Britain, in the autumn of that year, was made fully acquainted with all the steps which had been taken, at different times, for at- taining this object, and also with all the distress- ing embarrassments and difficulties which had arisen from repeated disappointments. He pro- fessed to have a deep conviction of the injustice and impolicy of the treatment which the congre- gation had received in relation to this affair 3 and promised his best offices, when he should arrive in hnyland, to promote the accomplishment of New-York. 205 their wishes. On receiviiiof from him declara- tions and assurances of this kind, that he might be furnished with a proper document to lay before the King and the Privy Council on the subject, a petition was formally presented to him, making suitable statements, and praying for a charter. Petitions of a similar nature were presented to the Governor, from several Presby- terian congregations, in different parts of the province, and also from several Low Dutch Re- formed congregations. These petitions he took with him, and pursued the business intrusted to him with so much fidelity, that he actually obtain- ed an order from the King and Council to grant all the charters for which application had been made. On his return to New-York, in the sum- mer of 1775, he imparted this pleasing intelli- gence to the several petitioners ; in consequence of which, the ministers, elders, deacons and trustees of the Presbyterian church, in the city, in compliance with a form which they were told was necessary, presented another petition to the Governor and Council, accompanied with a draft of the charter for which they prayed. This pe- tition was favourably received; the charter, as drafted, actually passed the Council; and was put into the hands of Mr. Kemp, the King's at- 206 New-York. torney, to report thereon. The report of this of- ficer was made necessary by the tenour of the royal order ; but was, at the same time, consider- ed as a mere formahty, and a favourable report as a thing of course, after the steps which had been taken. In this, however, the persons con- cerned were deceived. Neither the charter, nor his report upon it, could ever be gotten out of the attorney's hands. On one frivolous pretence or another, he delayed from time to time, until the approach of the revolutionary struggle, which, while it rendered the congregation less solici- tous about obtaining a charter, attracted and fixed their attention on other subjects. Doctor Rodgers was an early, and a decided friend to American independence. When the contest between Great-Britain and her colonies was drawing to a crisis, and it became evident that an appeal to the sword was unavoidable, he did not hesitate to take side with the latter ; and was the uniform, zealous, and active advocate of his country's rights. A few of the principal members of his Church took a different course* ; * Among those members of the Presbyterian Church in J^ew-York^ who took the side of Great- Britain^ in this contest,were Andreio Eliot^ Esquire, the collector of the port J William Smithy Esquire, mentioned in a preceding Nm-Yorh 207 but a great majority of them decided and acted in concurrence with their pastor. For a consi- derable time before this crisis arrived. Doctor Modgers, and several other clergymen of the city, among- whom were Doctor Mason, and Doctor Laidlie, had been in the habit of holding weekly meetings, for cultivating friendship with each other, and for mutual instruction. To- ward the close of 1776, the gentlemen concern- ed, agreed to sus|»end their usual exercises at these meetings, and to employ the time, when they came together, in special prayer for a bless- ing upon the countr}^, in the struggle on which it was entering. This meeting, thus conducted, was kept up, until the ministers composing it, and the great mass of the people under their pastoral care, retired from the city, previous to the arrival of the British forces. It being taken for granted, immediately after the commencement of hostilities with Great- page ; James Jauncey^ Esquire, a gentleman of great wealth and respectability, and some others, to whom Dr. Rodgers was greatly attached, and from whom he sepa- rated with pain. But, compared with the body of the congregation, the number of those who took this ground was extremely small. 208 New-York. Britain, that gaining possession of New-York would be one of the first and most favourite ob- jects of that government ; and the movements of the enemy soon beginning to confirm this ex- pectation, a large part of the inhabitants of the city, not wishing either to join the British, or to lie at their mercy, thought proper to retire from the scene, and go into a voluntary exile. The greater portion of those who took this course, left the city toward the close of the winter and in the spring of 1776. On the 29th of Febru- ary, Dr. Rodger s removed his family to a place of retirement, in the neighbourhood of the city ; where they remained during the months of March and Aprik and from which he found it convenient to visit the city, as often as his pro- fessional duties required. On the 14th day of April, in that year, Ge- neral Washington reached New-Yoik, and took possession of it for its defence. Soon after his arrival. Dr. Rodgers, in company with other friends of the American cause, waited on the Ge- neral to pay him his respects. The General received him with pointed attention; and when he was about to retire, followed him to the door, and observed, that his name had been mentioned to him in Philadelphia^ which he had just left, as a gentleman whose fidelity to the mterest and li- berties of the country might be relied on, and who might be capable of giving him important information : and added, "May I take the hberty, " Sir, to apply to you, with this view, whenever " circumstances may render it desirable?" The Doctor, after assuring him of the readiness and pleasure with which he should render him, in the cause in which he was engaged, any service in his power, took his leave. It is not impro- per to add, that the General actually did con- sult the Doctor, on several occasions afterwards, concerning certain parts of the public service, and, particularly in one case, received from him important information. A number of letters passed between them, some of which were found among the Doctor's papers after his decease. In the month of May, 1776, the Doctor remov- ed his family from the neighbourhood of JServ- York to Greenfield, in Connecticut, as a place of more comfortable retirement and greater safety. About the same time, or a few weeks afterwards, the great body of his congregation left the city, and either joined the army, to ren- der what aid they were able to the common 27 210 New-York. cause, or took i^fuge in such parts of the adjacent country as were most secure from the incursions of the enemy. The Reverend Mr. Treat, his colleague, leit the city about the same time. It ought not to be omitted, that Doctor Rodg- ers, among the many points in which his contiuct is worthy of remembrance and imitation, dis- played, about this time, that tender filial aflection, which might have been expected from his gene- ral character. A few years before the commence- ment of the revolutionary war, his father's house, in the city of Philadelpiiia, was consumed by fire, and his father perished in the flames. He immediatety took his mother under his own roof, and, as long as she lived, displayed towards her all the unremitting attentions of the most dutiful son. He removed her, at the commencement of the war, into Connecticut^ where she died, in the course of the next year, at a good old age, and after a life of exemplary piety. A short time after the removal of Dr. Rodger s to New-York, and more particularly after the public testimony of respect which he received from the University of Edinburgh, he was led, by a variety of circumstances, to commence a cor- NerV'Yorh 211 respondence with several gentlemen of distinc- tion, in Great- Britain, which he maintained, un- til the commencement of hostilities interrupted the intercourse with that country; and which, with respect to most of them, he resumed and continued, after the restoration of peace. Among these gentlemen, were the Rev. Dr. Gillies, of Glasgow, the Rev. Dr. Gibbons, of London, the Rev. Dr. Price, of Hackney, and the Rev. Dr. Ryland, of NortJiampton, But among all his friends beyond the Atlantic, he prized the corres- pondence of none more than that of the Rev. Dr. Erskine, of Edinburgh, whose talents, learning, and fervent piety, rendered him eminent thi-ough- out Protestant Christendom. His epistolary in- tercourse with this venerable clergyman was con- stant and peculiarly affectionate, and continued till the death of Dr. Erskine, which took place seven or eight years before that of Dr. Rodgers"^, * An incident connected with the correspondence with Dr. Erskine, impressed the writer of these pages very forcibly at the time of its occurrence. When Dr. Rodg- ers received the news of the death of that excellent man, he was himself recovering from a severe illness, and was deeply affected with the intelligence. After some pious remarks, and a reference to the circumstance of Dr. Ers' kine*s age and his own being nearly the same ; he added, 212 NeW'York. " I have now lost the last of my correspondents in Great " Britain. I believe I must open a correspondence with " Dr. Balfour, of Glasgow ; as I do not wish to be without " a friend on that side of the Atlantic, with whom I can " occasionally exchange letters." The wriier acknow- ledges that the first impression made on his mind by this re- mark, from the lips of a man of 76 or 77 years of age, and then so feeble as not to be likely to live many months, was rather of the ludicrous kind. But a moment's re- flection entirely removed this impression, and produced one of respect and admiration. It was the same firm, persevering, practical spirit, which had attended Dr. jRodgers through life, and had prompted him to so much active usefulness, which, on this occasion, led him, in- stead of giving up to inaction and languor, for the re- mainder of life, to go on laying new plans for exertion and enjoyment, as long as he had power to make an effort. The famous motto of Dr. Doddridge, Dum -uivi- mus, vivamus, has an admirable application here. There is no doubt, that the premature dotage of many distin- guished men, has arisen from their ceasing, in advanced life, to exert their faculties, under the impression that they were too old to engage in any new enterprise. If the spirit of Dr. Rodger s were more prevalent, old metJ would live with more comfort, and to more purpose. CHAP. VI. Septennium luctuosum, gloriosissimum. The period of his Exile from New-York, during the Revolutionary War, In the month of April, 1776, Dr. Rodders was appointed chaplain to General HeatKs brigade, consisting" partly of militia, and partly of regular troops, enlisted for a short period. This brigade for several months, during the spring and sum- mer of this year, was stationed near Greenwich, on New-York island. The Doctor, therefore, after placing his family at Greenfield, as before stated, under the hospitable roof of his excellent son-in-law, the Rev. Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Ten- nent, returned to the neighbourhood of the city, and faithfully attended to the duties of his chap- laincy. Whatever he did, he did with his might. He engaged, with his wonted zeal, in plans for benefiting the soldiery, and devoted himself to their best interests. He frequently, in subse- quent years, pointed to a small grove near the spot on which the State Prison now stands, and 214 Revolutionary War, said, " That was my Church in the summer and autumn of 1776." In the month of November of that year, having important private business to transact in the state of Georgia, he resigned his chaplaincy, and leaving his family still at Greenfield, he set out, by land, for Savannah, On this occasion, as well as every other of a similar kind, he made his journey a kind of evangelical mission; preach- ing, not only regularly on the sabbath; but also on the evenings of week days, when he found the people in those towns in which he arrived desirous of hearing the word, and in circum- stances which admitted of their being readily convened for the purpose. He had much reason to believe that his labours in the course of that journey were useful to many individuals. Having spent some time in Charleston, and the intermediate country, he reached Savannah in the month of Januar3^ Here he remained a number of weeks, in the house of his friend, the Rev. Dr. Zubly,^ who revered and loved him, * John Joachim Zubly,T>.T). was a native of Snvitzerland, He came to America, and took charge of the Presbyterian church in Savannah, in the year 1760. He not only Revolutionary War, 215 and who had been his guest a short time before in New-York, In Savannah he found himself on ground which had been often trod by his illus- trious friend, and spiritual father, Mr. White- field; and had an opportunity of contemplating' the monuments of his pious zeal. The friends of that eminent servant of Jesus Christ, received and treated him with the most pointed respect ; and testified their readiness to embrace with af- fection one who appeared to have drunk so deep preached in that church. In the RngUsh language ; but also in one neighbouring congregation in German^ and in another in French. He was a member of the Provin- cial Congress of Georgia^ \n 1775; but as he took, the side of opposition to American independence, he incurred the frowns of a majority of his fellow-citizens ; and be- came, for the remainder of his life, less happy and less useful. Dr. Zubly was a man of strong mind, of great learning, and of eminent piety. His evangelical labours "were zealous, unwearied, and extensively useful. The few and small publications which he made do honour to his memory. He died at Savannah^m 1781. Dr. Rodg- ers and he had a great respect for each other. The only subject on which they ever materiaily differed, was that of American independence. Dr. Zubly was much grieved in the course of the visit in question, at the decisive and ardent manner in which Dr. Rodger s prayed, in public and private, for the success of the arms, and the establish- ment of the independence, of .4?nerica. 216 Revolutionary War, at the same fountain, and to be animated with the same spirit, which distinguished their de- ceased friend and benefactor. In the month of April, 1777, Dr. Rodders re- turned from Georgia^ and joined his family at Greenfield, On his way home, he was informed of his election to the office of chaplain to the Con- vention of the state of New- York, then sitting in Esopus, and engaged, among other things, in forming a Constitution for the state. On receiv- ing this information, he immediately repaired to the Convention, and entered on the duties of his office. He continued to serve that body in the capacity of Chaplain, as long as it continued to sit. On the dissolution of the Convention, and on the power of the state being temporarily lodged in a Council of Safety, which also, for some weeks, held its meetings at Esopus, the Doctor was chosen to the chaplaincy in that body. And shortly afterwards, when the first Legislature of the state, under the new constitution, convened, he was a third time elected, to serve the legisla- ture in the same office. In fulfilling the duties of these successive appointments, he and his family, which he had now removed from Greerifield, were led to reside at Esopus the JRevoliitionary War, 217 whole of the summer, and a part of the autumn ©fl777. mWo or three days before the burning" of JEJ^o- pjis, by the British troops, which took place in October of this year. Dr. Rodgers^ learning that the enemy's fleet was ascending the river, and fearing those acts of wanton and cruel devasta- tion, which were afterwards so unhappily realiz- ed, thought proper to remove his family to the eastern side of the river, to a settlement smaller j and less likely to be the object of hostile opera- tions, than a town which was then the seat of go- vernment of the state. Here, in a house near the place of landing, he deposited the trunks containing his books, his plate, and all the most valuable articles of portable property, which the •enemy and his frequent removals had left him. In this place he^ as well as all whom he had con- sulted on the subject, considered them as per- fectly safe, and supposed all further precaution to be unnecessary; In a few hours, however, af- ter they w ere thus deposited, an aged and illiter- ate German, with whom he was but little ac- quainted, and whom he chiefly knew as a great friend to the clergy and to the American cause, came to him late at night, and with much ap- 28 218 Revolutionary Wat. parent anxiety, asked him where he had left his baggage. The Doctor informed him. He re- phed, with earnestness, " It must be removed " this night." It was in vain that the distance of the place of deposit, which was several miles ; the late horn* of the night -, the impossi- bility of obtaining the means of transportation mitil the next day ; and the supposed safety of the baggage in its then situation, were urged. The honest German, to all these suggestions, had no- thing else to reply than, " I tell you your things *' must be removed this night ;" and when he found that no other plan would answer, actually took a wagon and went himself, and brought them to the place where the Doctor and his fa- mily lodged. It is remarkable that before the light of the next morning dawned, the house in which this baggage had been deposited, was burnt to ashes by the British troops ! Eso2ms being burnt, the Doctor was compelled to seek some other place of residence. And con- sidering the towns on the margin of the Hudson as too much exposed to the attacks of the enemy, he determined to select a more retired situation. With this view, he made choice of the town of Sharon, m the state of Connecticut, to which he Hevolutionary War. 219 removed his family, toward the end of October, 1777, where he spent the following winter. Dur- ing his residence here, he preached repeatedly for the Reverend Mr. Smith, the minister of the town ', but more frequently to a congregation in the town of Amenia, in Dutchess county, Neiv- York, lying adjacent to Sharon, in which he, shortly afterwards, made a temporary settlement. The following extract of a letter from a Gen- tleman residing in that neighbourhood, contains the best account that could be collected, of his ministry, during the time that he spent in Sharon and Amenia, *' Dr. Rodgers came to Sharon, with his family, ^' in the autumn of 1777, and for several succes- " sive sabbaths preached in the Rev. Mr. Smith's " pulpit, to the great acceptance of both pastor " and people. Early in the following winter, in " consequence of an urgent application, he con- " sented to supply a congregation in the south- ** east part of Amenia, which had become va- " cant by the dismission of their minister, the " Rev. Mr. Knibloe. The parish is composed " in about equal numbers of inhabitants from the " the two adjoining states ; the southern section " of the town of ^haron, by an early regulation it 220 Revolutionanj War, ^' having' been annexed, for parochial purposes, " to that part of Amenia, The church is of the " congregational denomination, and stands con- ^* nected with the association of Litchfield coun- " ty. At their place of worship, more than four " miles distant from his abode, the Doctor at- tended regularly every Sunday, m^til the open- ing of the spring, when he removed his family <*^ into that neighbourhood. He has there left lasting memorials of his usefulness, and his name will be long held in grateful and affec- ^* tionate remembrance. The society was agitata " ed by the most unhappy divisions. A spirit " of discord had prevailed for several years be« " fore the removal of their minister, and was ^* far from being quieted by that event. Under t* these discouraging prospects, the Doctor com- " menced his labours ; and by the blessing of " God thev were crowned with remarkable sue- " cess. His mild and condescending, yet digni- " fied deportment, more especially his fervent pie- <* ty, the energy of his public addresses, and the " sanctity of his life and conversation, effectually " secured him the affection and reverence of all " parties. Harmony was soon restored ', and has *' continued without interruption until the present If time.. Shortly after his departure, the peaple Revolutionary War. 221 ?^ united in building a new and more spacious " cliurch, and in making" a permanent provisioa »'* for the support of the Gospel. <* But Dr. jRodgers did not confine his active ^* and useful exertions to the place of his imme- " diate residence. He preached lectures fre- ^^ quently in the neighbouring parishes. To a " society of free-masons in Stockhridge, (Mass,) ** by particular request, he delivered a sermon, "which the society procured to be printed, and " which was very favourably received by the pub- *** lie. He also made a tour into Vermont ; dis- *• pensed the word in the several towns through which he passed ; and every where attracted the deep regard of his hearers. He attended " the various meetings of the clergy ; and enjoy- " ed, in an eminent degree, the confidence. " and esteem of his brethren in the ministry, " They admired him, not only for those superior ** endowments which constituted ' his praise in all <* the churches,' but also for the gracefulness of " his person and manners, the charms of his con- " versation, and the surprising patience, and " even cheerfulness, with which he bore a painful " exile, the duration of which was involved in the *i most gloomy uncertainty. In short, he was 4( 222 Revolutionary War. " respected and beloved by all descriptions of " men. And notwithstanding those in this part *' of the country, * who knew him best and loved ** him most/ have preceded him to the grave, there are still many sm-vivors to attest, not mere- ly to his talents as a divine, but that no man " ever exhibited a more happy union of all those " qualities which go to form the gentleman and " the christian. ** Whilst the Doctor remained at Amenia, he " received repeated and pressing solicitations to remove to Danhury, and preach to the first so- ciety in that town. Perceiving a prospect of " more extensive usefulness in that quarter, and " of better accommodations for his family, he at " length yielded to these considerations, and, " to the great regret of the people of Amenia, " left them in the beginning of the year 1780." It was in the month of April, in the year above- mentioned, that the Doctor removed with his fa- mily to Danhury, He found the congregation in that town in a divided and broken state, and labouring under all those habits of coldness, neg- ligence, and disorder, which the want of a pas- tor and of the regular administration of gospel i6 Revolutionary War. 223 ordinances, for several years preceding, might have been expected to produce. He proved to them, as he had proved to the congregation of Amenia, a messenger of peace. His prudence, wisdom, and zeal, were, as before, conspicuous. The divisions among the people were, in a great measure, healed \ the ordinances of the Gospel, some of which had been long neglected, were regularly administered ; the church was greatlj edified and comforted ; and numbers were added to its communion, whose life and conversatioa have since manifested the sincerity of their pro- fession. While Dr. Rodgers was at Danhnry, though he considered his settlement in that place as only temporary ; and though he on this account de- clined being installed as the pastor of the church, expecting, on the restoration of peace, to return to his pastoral charge in New-York; yet he judged it expedient to connect himself, in the meanwhile, with some regular ecclesiastical body. He, therefore, soon after his removal thither, joined the western Association of Fairfield county, of which he remained a member as long as he re- sided in the state. But he did not merely join the Association. Though a firm Presbyterian in 224 Revolulioiiaru War, principle, and a full believer in the apostolic ori- gin of that form of Church government; he thought himself justifiable, situated as he then was, in holding the most unreserved and affec- tionate communion with Churches which, though defective, approach so near to the primitive mo* del as the Con ore nationalists of Connecticut He therefore entered, with fraternal cordiality, into the whole ecclesiastical system, in the midst of which Providence had cast his lot. He assist- ed in ordaining, installing, and dismissing Coun- cils ; he served, in his turn, as Moderator of As- sociations, and Consociations ; and rendered himself highly acceptable to his neighbouring brethren in the ministr}^, and to the body of the people, by the promptness and the zeal with Avhich he co-operated with them in all plans fof the oreneral advancement of relio'ioue Although the labours of Doctor Hodgers iii Danhury were not attended with any remarka- ble revival of religion, they were by no means Avithout visible success. The ConPTe^ation was gradually restored to union and otder ; the chil- dren were collected and instructed ; the taste for sound and faithful preaching evidently increased ; the attendance on public ordinances grew more Revolutionary War. 225 and more general ; and the whole aspect of the congreg-dtion, when he left it, was decidedly more favourable than when he commenced his labours as its pastor. But the labours of this venerable servant of Christ, though generally and highly acceptable to the congregation, were not universally so. Some of the enemies of the truth, thought him, in many of his addresses from the pulpit, too plain and pointed to be borne. One person in particular, who held a sort of pre-eminence in this class, after hearing one of the Doctor's most solemn and pungent sermons, declared, that *' if he ever went to hear him preach again, he hoped his arm might rot from his shoulder." In a few weeks afterwards, this person was seiz- ed with a swelling in his right hand, which gra- dually extending up his arm, a mortification en- sued, and he died miserably ; his arm, before his death, literally rotting from his body. This event made a deep impression on multitudes; though the unhappy victim himself, to the last hour of his life, discovered no symptoms of re- lenting or penitence. Doctor Rodgers, while in Danhury, as had 29 (6 226 Revolutionary War. been the case in the former places of his resi- dence, by no means confined his labours to his own cong-regation. He was an unwearied la- bourer in the word and doctrine, and an assidu- ous peace-maker, wherever he went. He preach- ed in vacant parishes ; assisted his neighbouring brethren in their public labours ; interposed with his best advice, and conciliatory persuasion, in cases of ecclesiastical division and difficulty ; and, in one instance particularly, was the means of bringing" about a reconciliation between a neighbouring chui'ch, and a refractory member, to effect v^^hich, the benevolent exertions of others had long been employed in vain. In the spring of the year 1782, when the Doc- tor had resided a little more than two years in JDanhury, some circumstances occurring which rendered his situation less pleasant than before, he determined to leave it; and being invited about the same time by the church of Laming- ton, in Hunterdon county, JS erv-J ersey , to come and minister to them, as long as he should re- main an exile from his own people, he accepted their invitation. And, accordingly, in the month of May, of that year, he and his family were removL(l from Danhury, at the expense of the Revoluti07iary War. 1227 ^sDngreg-ation of Laniinyton, and put in posses- sion of their parsonage tjouse, which he contuiu- ed to occupy uiitil the autumn of 1780. The following extract of a letter from the Rev. Enocli hurt, the present pastor of the church of Lamington, presents a view of the Doctor's ministry thei'e, which, though brief, w ill be found comprehensive and satisfactory. ** The reg'ular pastor of this church, the Rev. " Jeremiah Halsey, died in October, 1780, aiter " a ministry in this place of about ten years. " In iMarch, 1781, the Rev. Doctor Mason, who " had probably left the city of JS en-York about " the time that Doctor Rodgers did, came to " Lamington, occupied the parsonage house, and " preached occasionally as a supply. Some " months afterwards, the congregation, hearing' " that Doctor liodgers was at Danbury, in Con- " necticut, had a meeting for the purpose of " giving him an invitation to take the pastoral " charge of them, during his absence from the " city. The result of this meeting was a unani- " mous request for that purpose. This request " the Doctor complied with ; and in the month " of May, 1782, his family was removed by the 228 Revolutionary War, congregation to Lamington, and put in pos- session of the parsonage, which he occupied during his stay among them. He continued " from that time until his return to Ne7V- j ork, " to discharge regularly all the duties of a pas- ** tor to this church, though without the forms " of what we denominate a regular call, or in- " stallation ^* The Doctor's ministry here, although attend- " ed with no more than ordinary success, was yet pei^formed faithfully, zealously, and with a great degree of plainness of speech. On this subject he often remarked, that he felt himself " bound to adapt his instructions to the very " meanest capacity of his hearers ; so that none " might remain unbenefited by his labours. " His zeal for the visible honour and word of " his divine Master, made him jealous of what- " ever appeared like disrespect toward the or- " dinances of the Gospel. Something of this will appear from the following circumstance. It was, at that day, very common here, to see individuals rise from their seats during the " course of the sermon, and almost as soon as ris- " en, turning their backs toward the speaker. This " practice appeared to him so much like visible i6 66 Revolutionary War. 229 ** disrespect to the word of God, that he viewed it with indignation, and ceased not to repro- bate it publicly in the strongest terms, until he had entirely abolished the practice. 66 66 66 66 " He manifested continually, that it was the ** desire and joy of his heart to see Zion prosper. " Of this there were many proofs during- his re- " sidence in Lamington. One example shall " suffice. Hearing, while here, of a revival of religion at Redstone, in Pennsylvania, and that the inhabitants of that district of country were but partially supplied with copies of the Scrip- " tares, he opened a subscription in the congre- " gation, and obtained a considerable sum, with ** which he purchased Bibles, and sent them " thither. " He made it his business, while here, to visit " the schools in the congregation, to examine " and catechise the children, and to do every " thing in his power for their encouragement " and religious instruction. '^ On the whole, although Dr. Rodgers' minis- " try at Laminyton, was not attended with any 230 Revolutionary War, " remarkable power, or signal success, at the " time; ^jei there is an abundant reason to be- " lieve that it was far from being* in vain ; that " he obtained here some seals of his minis- ^' try, which will be crowns of his rejoicing in " the day of the Lord ; and that the precious " seed of the w^ord, which he here scattered, with " a diligent and skilful hand, has since sprung^ " up, and borne fruit to everlasting life." In a short time after the definitive treaty of peace was signed, the disbanding of the Ameri- can armies commenced. About this time Dr. Rodyers, whose mind was ever busily employed in fojming plans of piety and benevolence, sug- gested to some leading persons the propriety of presenting to each soldier, on retiring from ser- vice, a Bble. The war had, of course, entirely suspended the importation of Bibles from Great Britain; and they had become, prior to the year 1/81, extremely scarce in this country. Under these circumstances, it was found, as might na- turally have been expected, that the needy sol- diery were almost wholly destitute of copies of the Scriptures. In the year last mentioned, an enterprising printer and bookseller of Fhiladel- Revolutionary War. 251 phia,* printed a large edition of the Bible. This event, however, though it removed the difficulty arising from the scarcity of copies of the sacred volume, by no means supplied the army. Dr. Rodgers determined to interest himself, and to take measures for prevailing with others to inter- est themselves, in furnishing the defenders of their country with so valuable a present. Among those whom he endeavoured to eno^agfe in this pious design, was the Commander in Chief, to Avhom he addressed a letter, cono^ratulatino- him on the restoration of peace, and proposing the exertion of his influence for the attainment of this desirable end. The following- answer to the Doctor's letter, while it serves to assign one of the reasons why his pious plan did not succeed, will also furnish another testimony to the uni- form dignity and greatness of the wonderful Man by whom it was written. * Mr. Robert Aitkin. His duodecimo Bible, printed in 1781, was the Jirst Bible, in the English language, ever printed in jYorth America. Five years before, (1776,) Mr. Christotiher Soiuer had printed, at Gerrnantown^ near Phi- ladelphia^ a quarto edition of the Bible, in German ; and" more than a hundred years before, (1664,) the Kev. Johri Eliot had printed, at Cambridge^ in Massachusetts^ an edi- tion of the Bible in the language of the ^Yatick Indians. 232 Revolutionary War. " Heaa Quarters ^ 11th June, 1783. " Dear Sir, " I accept, with much pleasure, your kind " congratulations on the happy event of Peace, " with the establishment of our Liberties and In- " dependence. ** Glorious indeed has been our contest : glo- " rious, if we consider the prize for which we " have contended, and glorious in its issue. But " in the midst of our joys, I hope we shall not for- " get, that to Divine Providence is to be ascribed " the glory and the praise. # " Your proposition respecting Mr. Aitkin s Bible, would have been particularly noticed by me, had it been suggested in season. But the " late resolution of Congress for discharging " part of the army taking off near two thirds of " our numbers, it is now too late to make the at- tempt. It would have pleased me well, if Congress had been pleased to make such an important present to the brave fellows who have done so much for the security of their country's rights and establishment. " I hope it will not be long before you will be 6( U it (( Revohdionary War, 233 ** able to go quietly to New-York, Some pa- " tience, however, will yet be necessary. But " patience is a noble virtue, and, when rightly " exercised, does not fail of its reward." " With much regard and esteem, "I am, dear Doctor, " Your most obedient servant, " Go. Washington." " P. S. Be so good as to inform me whether ^* Mrs. Thompson is living with you, or gone in- " to New- York ? Before I retire from service, it " is my wish to render her what is owing to " Rev. Doctor Rodgers. " G. W." While Doctor Rodgers was thus a sojourner, and variously, but always usefully, employed, during his exile from New-York, it may be pro- per to inquire, what was going on, in the mean time, in that city, in relation to his affairs, and * This postscript, though irrelative to the main subjects of the letter, is retiiined, not only as another example of the scrupulous justice of the illustrious Writer ; but also to show that he had a mind which, while it grasped ^^rea^ objects, was capable of attending to mimite details, 30 234 Revolvlionary War, the interests of the church with which he was connected. The British armies, in the course of the revo- lutionary contest, whenever they had an oppor- tunity, manifested a pecuUar hostility to the Pres- byterian Church. This hostility, prompted part- ly by sectarian ran con r, and partly by the consi- deration, that the Presbyterians were generally favourable to the American cause, was display- ed by many acts of violence and indignity of the most wanton kind*. The Presbyterian churches in New^York, were the objects of spe- * The following is extracted from a note in a Sermon, delivered and published by Dr. Bodgers, entitled, ji Ser- mon preached in JsfenV'York^ Dec. 11, 1783, apfiointed by Congress^ as a day of fiublic Thanksgiving throughout the United States^ p. 26. " It is much to be lamented, that " the troops of a nation that has been considered as one of " the bulwarks of the reformation, should act as if they had " waged war with the God whom Christians adore. They " have, in the course of this war, utterly destroyed more " than fifty places of public worship, in these states. Most " of these they burnt, others they levelled with the ground, " and in some places left not a vestige of their former si- " tuation ; while they have wantonly defaced, or rather de- " stroyed others, by converting them into barracks, jails, " hospitals, riding schools, Sec. Boston^ JSfetDport, Phila- Revolutionary War, 235 cial vengeance. The church in Wall-street was immediately seized, and converted into Bar- racks ; and that in Beekmanstreet into an Hospi- tal. It is hardly necessary to add, that in pre- paring" them for these purposes respectively, they were not only defaced, but almost entirely strip- ped of their appropriate interior ; and that they were left in a most ruinous condition. JNor was this all. The Parsonage-house, belonging to the congregation, was, during the same period, de- stroyed. It fell a prey to the dreadful fire, which consumed so large a portion of the city, in a few " deljihia, and Charleston^ all furnished melancholy inslan- " ces of this prostitution, and abuse of the houses of God : " and of the nineteen places of public worship in this city, " when the war bega^j, there were but nine fit for use, " when the British troops left it. It is true, Trinity church, " and the old Lutheran, were destroyed by the fire, that *^ laid waste so great a part of the city, a few nights after " the enemy took possession of it; and therefore they are " not charged with designedly burning them, though they " were the occasion of it ; for there can be no doubt, after " all that malice has said to the contrary, but th». fire was " occasioned by the carelessness of their people, and they " prevented its more speedy extinguishment. But the " ruinous situation in whicn they left two of the Low " Dutch Reformed churches, the three Presbyterian *' churches, the French Protestant church, the Anabap- " tist church, and the friends' new meeting house, was the 236 Revolutionary War, weeks after the British troops took possession of it, in the autumn of 1776. In the spring of the year 1783, when it be- came known that the preliminary articles of peace with Great- Britain had been signed, an intercourse began to take place between the city of New^Yorky and the adjacent country. On the commencement of this intercourse, many of the old inhabitants of the city returned from their ex- " effect of design, and strongly marks their enmity to those " societies." Concerning the Middle Dutch Church, in Missau-streef, which in the beginning of the war, was used by the British garrison as a Prison, and afterwards turned into a Riding' School, the venerable Dr. Livingston thus expresses him- self in a sermon, delivered July 4, 1790, when it was for the first time opened for public worship, after being re- paired : " 1 dare not speak of the wanton cruelty of those " who destroyed this temple, nor repeat the various indig- " nities whieh have been perpetrated. It would be easy " to mention facts which would chill your blood ! A recol- " lection of the groans of dying prisoners, which pierced " this ceiling ; or the sacrilegious sports and rough feats " of horsemanship exhibited within these walls, might « raise sentiments in your minds that would, perhaps, not « harmonize with those religious affections, which I wish, " at present, to promote, and always to cherish." Revolutionary War, 237 ile ; and among" these were some of the members of the Presbvterian churches. In the course of the ensumg summer a few more returned. But the larger portion remained in their various pla- ces of retirement until the evacuation of the city by the British troops, which took place on the 2oth of November, 1783. On the 26th, the day after the evacuation, Dr. Rodger s returned with his family to the city ', and in a short time after- wards, the great body of the exiles were restor- ed to their former habitations. In taking a retrospect of the conduct and character of Dr. Rodgers, with reference to the revolutionary war, it will be nothing' more than justice to his memory, and may not be unpro- fitable to others, to make two or three general remarks. The first is, that, although constitutionally, as well as by habit, a prudent and cautious man, and perhaps sometimes so to an extreme \ yet when the path of duty became perfectly plain, he pursued it with fearless intrepidity. This was the case with respect to the American con- test. The decision with which he acted in that contest, was bevond what was usual with him. 238 Revolutionary War* A gentleman of great political eminence in the United States*, who was much with him, and had the best opportunity of observing his conduct, dur- ing that interesting period ; and who is also of a different religious denomination, expresses him- self, in a communication on the subject, in the fol- lowing respectfnl terms. " The late Dr. Rodgers " appeared to me a christian and a gentleman. " Believing the opposition oi America to be right, " he adhered to her cause ; and was a good " whig, because he was a good christian. Be- " ing chaplain to the Convention, he followed " that body from place to place, with much per- " sonal inconvenience, and I believe, too, at a " considerable pecuniary sacrifice.'* A second remark is, that, while he was a firm, and even an ardent whig, yet he did not forget that he was a Minister of Jesus Christ ; and never failed to make the latter his prominent charac- ter. When a Christian minister ventures much into the society of political men, and suffers his attention to be habitually occupied with their schemes and measures ; and especially when he undertakes, in his public prayers and sermons, to expatiate freely on the political events of the day, * The Hon. Gouverneur Morris^ Esq. Hevolutionary War* 239 he attempts a task as difficult as it is delicate. Nay, it may not be going too far to say, that he undertakes a task in which his ministerial feel- ings and character will seldom wholly escape in- jury. The truth of this remark, if the writer is not greatly deceived, was often exemplified du- ring the revolutionary war. The conduct of many of the clergy, and especially of those of the Presbyterian church, in the course of that strug- gle, was indeed nobly patriotic, and eminently useful. Yet it may be seriously doubted, whe- ther some of them, in their zeal, did not, now and then, in their public ministrations, as well as in their private intercourse, overstep the bounds of propriety ; and appear more like politicians, pleading an earthly cause, than servants of the meek and benevolent Jesus, referring every thing to his wise and holy government, and breathing peace on earth and good-7vill toward men*. It * It has been said, and doubtless with truth, that while many pious ministers, and other christians in America^ during the revolutionary war, were praying, in public and in private, that the councils of Great-Britain might be overthrown ; that defeat and destruction might attend their military and naval armaments ; and that victory^ in every quarter, might crown our arms ; thousands of pious persons, on the other side of the Atlantic^ were praying, in 240 Revolutionary War, •would, perhaps, be extravagant praise to say, that Dr. Rodgers, amidst the contagion of tlje times, was, in this respect, wholly free from fault. But he was certainly much more free from the fault in question, than most of those active clergymen of the day, who took the same side, and possessed as much ardour of mind, as himself. Wherever he went, he set a noble example of devotedness to the ministry of reconciliation. Whether he addressed Conventions, or Legislatures, brigades of soldiers, or christian churches, the peculiar and precious doctrines of the Gospel were not only the constant, but the leading subjects of dis- the same language, against J7nericay and in favour of Bri- tish oppressions. Is it possible to suppose that such op- posite petitions, on the same subject, were equally accept- able to Him who hears firayer ? It is not possible. But it may be asked, where is the remedy for such occurrences I The remedy lies in ministers and others, when they ad- dress the throne of grace, being less of fioliticians^ and more of chrutians. It is plain that, if men were less prone to firescribe to the Most High in prayer, and more ready to adopt those humble, submissive^ andjilial forms of peti- tion, of which the Sacred Volume gives so many noble ex- amples, real christians, in different countries, even in the midst of war, might meet at tlie throne of grace, as on common territory, and unite in precisely the same re- quests. Some have been inconsiderate enough to allege, Revolutionary War. 241 course. And the tendency of all his preaching, was to lead the minds of his hearers from this scene of conflict and change, of sin and sorrow, to a more holy and happy world. Finally ; Dr. Hodgers^ amidst all the decision with which he thought, and the firmness with which he acted, during the struggle for Ameri- can Independence, was distuiguished for his li- berahty toward those, who adopted different opinions, and took a different course. He wa» remarkably free from the bitterness of party ani- that a remedy for all this difficulty may be found, so far as firayers are concerned, in the adoption of stated forms of prayer. But if such persons had an opportunity of perus- ing a few of the " forms" and " offices," prepared " by au- " thority," to be used on Fast and Thanksgiving Adcys^ and in " times of war," in countries where liturgies are established, they would frequently find much of their contents quite as exceptionable, both in spirit and expression, as what some- times falls from the lips in extemporaneous fervour. With this difference, that in the one case, the evil is confined to its immediate authors ; while in the other, it is imfiosed on thous- ands, and ybrcec? into every reading-desk into which the form is introduced. 1 here is no remedy to be hoped for from this quarter. It is to be found in the prevalence among ministers of the Gospel, of piety, good sense, sound judg- ment, and minds deeply imbued with the language and the spirit of the Holy bcriptures. 31 ^42 Revoluiionary War, mosity, and ever ready to make allowance for the diversity of views and of conduct, which he had occasion to observe in others. Those who are acquainted with the history of his private friendships, and of his affectionate correspond- ence, after the melarjcholy disruption of social bonds which the revolution, in so many cases, produced, cannot doubt that " the law of kind- *^ ness" was in his heart, as well as upon his lips. The same gentleman who was last adduced as a witness of the Doctor's patriotism*, thus speaks, in the same communication, on this part of his character: " In his opinion of others, he showed " the liberality of a gentleman. Not soured by " that intolerant spirit which assails, and some- " times subdues, clerical men of great talents and ^' worth, he had not only the faith, and the hope, " but also the charity of a christian." * Mr. Morris. CHAP. VII. rrbr wyi '^i^i< S51 h^y kS ^hby^i Psalm i. 3. Fro7n the Revolutionary War, till his hist Illness, The situation in which the subject of these me- moirs, and the remains of his flock, found them- selves, on returning- from their exile, may be more easily imagined than described. Their numbers greatly reduced by death, and by permanent re- movals to the country; the pecuniary resources of all of them impaired, and of many of them exhaust- ed ; both their houses of worship in a state little short of complete ruin; their parsonage burnt; and a considerable debt accumulated in consequence of their long exclusion from the city, — it may be supposed that nothing but christian faith could have preserved them from total discouragement. This faith they were enabled, in some degree, to exercise. They trusted in the faithfulness of the great Head of the church ; in his name they lift- 244 Ne7V'YorL ed up their banner ; and He did not either for- sake them, or disappoint their hopes. The first and most serious difficulty which presented itself, was the want of a place of wor- ship, A number of months, it was perceived, must necessarily intervene, before either of their churches could be prepared for the reception of a worshipping- assembly. In this extremity, the vestry of Trinity church, unsolicited, and with a politeness which did them honour, made an offer of St, Georges and St, PauVs churches, to be used by the congregation alternately, until one of their own churches could be repaired. This ofier was gratefully accepted ; and from Novem- ber 1783, until the following June, the remains of the congregation alternately worshipped, in conformity with a settled arrangement, in the spacious edifices just mentioned. In a few days after Doctor Rodgers re-com- menced his ministration in JSeyv-York^ihe day which had been recommended by Congress to be observed throughout the United States, as a day of Thanksgiving and Prayer, arrived. On this occasion he delivered a sermon on Psalm 126. 3. which was afterwards published, under the fol- New-York, 246 lowing' title, *^ The Divine Goodness displayed " in the American Revolution* .^' This was the second publication he ever madef ; and it is va- luable, not only on the account of the pious and judicious discussion of its subject, in a religious view, but also on account of the historical mat- ter, with which the body of the discourse and the notes are enriched. It being found that the Brick church, in Beek- man-street, had suffered less from the ravaofes of the enemy, and could be repaired more speedily, and at much less expense, than tlie church in Wall-street, it was determined. to attempt the re- storation of the former without delay. The work was immediately commenced, and com- pleted in about six months, at an expense of be- tween three and four thousand dollars. It was * This sermon was delivered December llth, 1783, in St. George* s Chapel. t The Jirst was a sermon under the following title, " Holiness the nature and design of the Gosfiel of Christ : " A Sermon preached at Stockbridge, June 24, 1779, 6e- *^fore the Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons^ of Berk- " shire county^ state of Massachusetts j and published by " their request.** This sermon was preached and pub- lished during the Doctor's residence at Amenia, 246 Nerv-Yorh. first opened for public worship, after bein^ re- paired, on the 27th of June, 1784, when the Doc- tor delivered a sermon on Psalm 122. 1. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord, As long" as the congregation continued to meet in churches belonging to another denomi- nation, it was not easy to draw the line between stated and occasional worshippers. The open- ing of the Brick church furnished the first oppor- tunity of drawing this line, and of determining the real strength of the congregation. The re- sult was more favourable than could have been expected. It soon became apparent that the de- mand for pews could not be supplied, and that another church was indispensable for the accom- modation of the people. It was resolved, there- fore, as soon as the necessary funds could be pro- cured, to undertake the repairing of the church in Wall-street. The reverend Mr. Treat did not return to the city after the close of the war. Some consider- ations of a personal nature induced him to remain in the country until the summer of the year 1784, when, on the first day of July, the congregation Nerv-YorJc. 247 assembled, and among other resolutions, unani- mously adopted the following — " Resolved, that " this congregation can support but one minis- " ter. — Resolved, that the reverend Doctor " Rodders be that minister. — Resolved, that a " committee be appointed to apply to the mode- " rator of the presbytery, and request him to call " a meeting of that body as soon as convenient, " that we may apply, in a regular manner, for a " liberation of this congregation from the rever- " end Mr. Treat, as one of our ministers." This application to the presbytery was regularly pro- secuted, and on the twentieth day of October following, at Elizabeth-Torin, the pastoral rela- tion between Mr. Treat and the congregation o{ New-York was dissolved. In the month of March, 1784, Dr. RodgerSf and such of the elders and deacDns as had re- turned from exile, presented a petition to the Corporation of the city, praying a remission of the arrears of rent, which had accumulated dur- ing the war, on the lot upon which the Brick church was erected ; and also requesting a re- duction of the annual rent of the said lot. The prayer of the petition, with respect to both these points, was granted. The back rents, amount- it 248 New-York. ing- to between seven and eight hundred dollars, were all remitted ', and the annual rent was re- duced from one hundred dollars, to nearly half that sum*. The Legislature of the State, in their first ses- sion after the conclusion of peace, passed an act, entitled, ** An Act to enable all tLe religious " denominations in this state to appomt Trustees, " who shall be a body corporate, for the purpose of taking care of the temporalities of their res- pective congregations, and for other purposes " therein mentioned." This act, which is dated April 6th, 1784, at once afforded relief from all the vexations and injuries which had been so long sustained, for want of a charter, under the op- pressions of the provincial government. In the course of the following month, the Presbyterian congregation met, and became a body corporate, agreeably to the provisions of the act, under the style of " The First Presbyterian Church in the " City of NeiV'Yorky The first Trustees were, Peter Van Brugh Livingston, Joseph Hallet, William Neilson, Daniel 3Ic Cormick, Daniel Phoenix, Eleazer Miller, Samuel Broome, * Fifty-three dollars, and twelve and an half rer^**: New-York. 249 Archibald Currie, and John Mc Kesson. Dr. Eodgers, and the other surviving gentlemen, to Avhom the Brick church, and the lot on which it stands, had been conveyed, in trust, re-conveyed them to this corporation, soon after it was con- stituted. The numerous applications for pews, men- tioned in a former page, induced the newly- elected Trustees, with the advice of the other officers and members of the congregation, to hasten the repairing of the Wall-street church. The work was accordingly commenced in the autumn of 1784, and completed, at an expense of between six and seven thousand dollars, in the month of June following*. On the nine- teenth day of that month, it was opened for public worship, and a sermon preached by Dr. Rodger s, from Psalm Ixxxiv. 1, 2. The pews on the ground floor were all immediately taken, and a number of those in the gallery. The expense of repairing these churches w^as * The whole of the interior of the IVall-street church had been destroyed during the war. Nothing but the walls and the roof, or rather the principal timbers of the roof, were left. 32 2dO New-York. defrayed by subscription. And as this subscrip- tion was taken up at a period peculiarly inauspi- cious for raising money, a more than common shaie of address, patience, and perseverance, was necessary for prosecuting* it with success. Dr. Hodgers, as usual, shrunk from no task that was assigned him. He went from door to door, for a number of weeks, begging for the churchy and chiefly to his exeitions, under God, may the^ speedy and happy accomplishment of the under- taking be ascribed. Toward the close of the year 1784, Mr. James Wilson, a licensed candidate for the gospel mi- nistry, arrived in New-York from Scotland, It was perceived that when the Wall-street church, which was then repairing, should be completed, a second minister would be absolutely necessary for the maintenance of regular service in both churches. Mr. Wilson having preached for se- veral months, on probation, to the acceptance of the people, it was determined to call him to be one of their pastors. This was done, unanimous- ly, on the twenty-ninth day of April, 1785. Mr. Wilson accepted the call, and was ordained to the work of the gospel ministry, and installed collegiate pastor, with Dr. Rodger s, of the United New-York. 251 churches of New-Yorky on the tenth day of Au- gust following. Soon after the close of the revolutionary war, the Legislature of New-York passed an act, es- tablishing a board, styled, " The Regents of the " University of New-York,^' The powers and duties of this board are highly important. To them it belongs to grant charters of incorpora- tion to all seminaries of learning ; to visit and in- spect colleges and other seminaries ; and in ge- neral, to watch over the interests of literature throughout the state. Of this University Doctor Rodger's was chosen Vice- Chancellor, which place he continued to occupy until his death. In the month of May, in the year 1785, the Synod of Ne7V-York and Philadelphia, then the supreme judicatory of the Presbyterian church in the United States, began to take those steps for revising the public standards of the church, which issued in their adoption and estabhshment on the present plan. Every step in this system of mea- sures, affords evidence of the respect in which the subject of these memoirs was held, and the con- fidence reposed in his wisdom and fidelity. He was a member of almost every committee ap- 252 New-York, pointed to conduct the business. On the 23d day of [VI ay, in the year just mentioned, the Synod bein^ convened in Philadelphia, it was on mo- tion resolved, — " That Dr. Witherspoon, Dr. ** Rodgers, Dr. Robert Smith*, Dr. Patrick Alii- " S071, Dr. Samuel S. Smith, Mr. John Woodhull, " Mr. Cooper f, Mr. Latta^, Dr. Dujield, and ^' Mr. Matthew Wilson, be a committee to take " into consideration the constitution of the church " of Scotland, and other protestant churches ; ** and ag'reeably to the general principles of pres- " byterian government, complete a system of ge- * The Rev. Dr. Robert Smithy of Pequea, P ennsylvania, a gentleman of respectable talents and learning, and of eminent piety. His most important publication consists of three sermons on Faith, in the fourth volume of the American Preacher. He died about twelve years before Dr. Rodgers. t The Rev. Robert Coofier, of Shifiiiensburgh, PennsyU vania, afterwards Doctor of Divinity. Dr. Coofier had a remarkably strong, sound mind ; and though late in ac- quiring an education, and entering the ministry, he was a divine of great judiciousness, piety, and worth. \ The Rev. James Latta, of Chesnut Level, Pennsylva' nia, afterwards Doctor of Divinity. Doctor ia^^a, for ta- lents and learning, as well as piety, held a high place among the clergy of his day. He died at an advanced age, a few years before Dr. Rodgers. He published a Dis- course on Psalmody, which does honour to his memory. Ne7V-York. 263 " neral rules for the government of the Synod, and the several Presbyteries under their inspec- tion, and the people in their communion ; and " to make report of their proceedings herein at the next meeting of synod." (6 a The same afternoon, an overture was brought into synod, " That, for the better management of " the churches under our care, this Synod be di- " vided into three synods ; and that a general " Synod, or Assembly, be constituted out of the " whole." The consideration of this overture was postponed till the next year. On the 17th of May, 1786, on resuming the consideration of this overture, the following mo- tion was introduced into the synod, and carried in the affirmative, viz. " Resolved, that this Synod " will establish, out of its own body, three or " more subordinate synods, out of which shall " be composed a General Assembly, Synod, or ** Council, agreeably to a system hereafter to be " adopted." In pursuance of this resolution, the Rev. Doctors Rodders, Smith, Ditffield^y and * The Rev. George Duffield, D. D. Pastor of the church in Pine-street^ Philadelphia. This gentleman was distin- 254 NeW'Yorh. Allisorv^ ; and the Rev. Messrs. Latta, Martin^ Matthew Wilson, Graham, Houston, James Finley, and Hall, were appointed " a committee " to prepare and report a plan for the division of " the synod into three or more synods." On the 22d day of May, in this year, the com- mittee appointed in 1785, to mature a system of disciphne and government for the church, made their report, which was referred to another com- mittee, consisting" of the following gentlemen, viz. the reverend Doctors Witherspoon, Rodders, guished for the fervour of his piety, his intimate acquaint- ance with the constitution of the Presbyterian church, and his excellent powers as an extemporary preacher. * The Rev. Patrick Allison^ D. D. was born in Lancas- ter county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1 740. He received his education in the College of Philadeljihia ; was ordained to the work of the gospel ministry, and installed Pastor of the Presbyterian church in Baltimore, in the year 1762 ; where he remained honoured and useful until his death, which took place in 1802, in the 62d year of his age. Dr. Allison undoubtedly held a place in the very first rank of American clergy. He shone with distinguished lustre in the judicatories of the church. For the perspicuity, the correctness, the sound reasoning, and the masculine elo- quence of his speeches, in ecclesiastical assemblies, he was long admired, and had scarcely an equal. New-York. 255 McWhorter, Sproat^, Driffield, Allison j Erving^, Smith, and Wilson; together with Isaac Snow- den, Esq. and Mr. Robert Taygart, and Mr. John Pinkerton, Elders. This committee was directed to meet in Philadelphia, in the month of September following; and was empowered to ** digest such a system as they shall think to " be accommodated to the Presbyterian church in " America, and procure 300 copies to be printed " and distributed among the Presbyteries." * The Rev. James Sfiroat, D. D. was a native of Scitu- atcy in Massachusetts, where he was born April 11th, 1721. He received his education in Yale College; was ordained to the work of the ministry at Guilford, Connec- ticut, August 23, 1743 ; was removed to the pastoral charge of the second Presbyterian church in Philadelphia, in March, 1769 ; and died October 18th 1793, in the 73d year of his age. Dr. Sfiroat was one of the most venera- ble and excellent ministers of his day. t The Kev. John Eiving, D. D Pastor of the First Pres- byterian church in Philadelphia, and Provost of the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania, He was born at J^ottingham, in Maryland, June 21st, 1732 ; and died Sept. 8th, 1802, in the 71st year of his age. The eminent character of this gentleman ; the vigour of his talents ; the extent of his learning ; his extraordinary accomplishments as the head of a literary institution ; and his excellence as a preacher, are well known. His Lectures on JVatural Philosophy, and a volume of Sermons, will long attest them. 256 Nerv-Yorh After several meetings, and reports, in part, by these committees, the Synod, on the 28th day of May, 1788, completed the revision and arrange- ment of our public standards, and finally adopt- ed them, and ordered them to be printed and dis- tributed for the government of all the judicato- ries of the church. This new arrangfement con- sisted, in dividing the body as it formerly stood mio four synods, viz. the synod of New-York and ]Se7V-Jers€y,\he synod of Philadelphia, the synod of Virginia, and the synod of the Cai^olinas^ ; and constituting over these, as a bond of union, a General Assembly, in all essential particulars after the model of the General Assembly of the established church of Scotland. The Westmin- ster Confession of Faith, with three inconsiderable alterationsf ; and the Westminster larger and * To this number,ybw7* others have been since added, viz. the synod oi Kentucky^ the synod oi Pittsburgh^ the synod of Albany^ and the synod of Geneva. At the date of the above arrangement, there were 16 Presbyteries, under the care of the General Assembly ; at the present time there are 40, t These alterations in the Westminster Confession of Faith, consisted in modifying the last section of the tiven" tieih chapter, entitled, Of Christian Liberty ^ and Liberty of Conscience ; the third section of the tnventy 'third chapter, entitled, Of the Civil Magistrate ; and the first section of the ;/i?fr^?/-^rs; chapter, entitled, Of Synods and Councils. New-York. 257 shorter Catechisms, with one small amendment in the former^, were solemnly adopted as a summa- ry exhibition of the faith of the church. And a Form of Government and Discipline, and Directo- ry for public worship, &c. drawn chiefly from the. standards of the church of ScoUana, with such alterations as the form of the civil government, and the state of the church, in this country, re- quired, completed the system. The adopting acts above stated, were imme- diately followed by a resolution, declaring, that, " the true intent and meaning of the above ratifica- " tion by the synod is, that the Form of Govern- " ment and Discipline, and the Confession of " Faith, as now ratified, is to continue to be our " constitution, and the Confession of our Faith ** and practice, unalterably, unless two thirds of " the Presbyteries, under the care of the General " Assembly, shall propose alterations or amend- " ments, and such alterations or amendments shall * This single amendment in the Larger Catechism, con- sisted in expunging the words " the tolerating of a false " religion,** from the answ^er to the lo9tii question, What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment ? 33 258 New-York. " be agreed to and enacted by the General As- " sembly*." The Synod, in adopting this system, though neaily unanimous, was not entirely so. In the course of the ample discussion which took place on the subject, a plan of church government was proposed more nearly approaching to the congre^ gational form, than that which was finally pre- ferred. The principal advocate of this plan, was the reverend Doctor Matthew Wilson, of Lewes, in the state of Delaware, a gentleman of great piety, learning, and benevolencef , who had ob- * Since that time no alterations whatever have been made in the Confession of Faith^ or Catechisms ; and only a few, and those of small importance, in the Form of Go- vernment and Discipline ; which were effected in the man- ner above prescribed. t The writer of these memoirs embraces, with particu- lar pleasure, this opportunity of paying a small tribute of respect to the memory of the Rev. Doctor Wilson^ his own friend, and his father's friend ; and whom he can never recollect, without mingled emotions of the tenderest affec- tion, and the most profound veneration. Ingenious, learn- ed, pious, patriotic, and benevolent, in an eminent degree, all that knew him, respected him ; and he had no enemies but the enemies of truth and righteousness. Though every circumstance, in his early life, conspired to place him among those who were called Old-Side'Tnen^ in the New-York. 259 jections almost invincible, against the rigid Pres- byterianism of Scotland, and who was not with- out difficulty reconciled to the mitigated form of it, which was finally chosen for the church in America, He drew up and offered a plan of government, in detail, more conformable to his own views, which was so respectfully considered by the synod, that it w^as publicly read in their hearing. He was seconded in his efforts to re- commend this plan, among others, by his friend great controversy which divided the church in his day ; yet such was the fervour of his piety, and the amiableness of his temper, that both parties loved him ; and he was taken by the hand, by his JVenv-ude brethren, and heard by their congregations, with as much pleasure as if he had been nominally with them. An ardent lover of peace, he lamented the divisions which agitated the church when he came into the ministry ; and was one of the principal in- struments of bringing about the Union of 1758, an account of which was given in a former chapter. Dr. Wilson was an eminent Physician as well as Divine. He was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania^ January 15, 1731 ; re- ceived his academical education under the direction of the Rev. Doctor Francis Allison^ and the Rev. Doctor AleX' ander McDowell ; settled as the Pastor oi Lewes and Cool Spring congregations, in Delaware, in 1755 ; received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from the University of Penn- syl-vaniay'm 1786; and died March 30, 1790, universally lamented. 260 NeW'Tork. and neighbour, the reverend John Miller, pastor of the church in Dover, Delaware, and the father of the writer of these memoirs*. They failed, however, of procuring the adoption of their sys- tem. The model of the church of Scotland, though not servilely copied, was with great jus- tice, in general, preferred ; and a form of govern- ment and discipline, as nearly corresponding with that model, as the different circumstances of the two countries rendered expedient, was final- ly established. In the month of May, 1789, the first General Assembly of the Presbyterian church, under the new arrangement, met in Philadelphia. Doctor JRodgers had the honour of being the first Mode- rator of that body ', and scarcely ever failed of * The Rev. John Miller, A. M. was a native of Boston, in Massachusetts, where he was born in the year 1721. After receiving a regular academical and theological edu- cation, he was ordained to the work of the gospel minis- try, in his native town, in 1748 ; and took the pastoral charge of the united congregations of Douer and Duck- Creek, in Delaware, toward the close of the same year. He continued in that pastoral charge, diligent, faithful, and beloved, until July, 1791, when he died, in the 69th year of his age, and the 44th of his ministry. Nerv-Yorh. 261 being sent as one of the delegates to represent his Presbytery in the General Assembly, as long as he had sufficient health and strength to encounter a journey to the usual place of its meetings. While these events, so important, and so fa- vourable to the general interests of the church, were taking place, the congregations in JSew- York were destined to experience new agitations and difficulties. The reverend Mr. Wilson^ after labounng in a collegiate connexion with Dr. JRodgers, for nearly three years, with great dili- gence and faithfulness, found himself affected with a pulmonary complaint, which threatened serious consequences. Receiving, about this time, a call from the Presbyterian church of Charleston, in South- Carolina, where there was reason to believe that both the climate and the ser- vice required of him, would be more favourable to his health, than those of New-York, he judged it to be his duty to accept of the call ; of which, accordingly, he declared his acceptance on the 22d day of January, 1788. He was immedi- ately dismissed, by the Presbytery, from his pas- .toral charge in New-York ; and in a few days afterwards left the city, with a view to pro- 262 New-York. ceed to Charleston, sincerely and deservedly es- teemed*. The measures taken for supplying the vacan- cy occasioned by the removal of Mr. Wilson, gave rise to no small uneasiness and difficulty. The congregations soon became divided into two parties. The one was warmly in favour of giv- ing a call to the reverend Mr. James Muir, who had been for several years invested with a pas- toral charge in the island of Bermuda, and had, a short time before, paid a visit to New-York, The other was quite as warmly in favour of call- ing Mr. Jedidiah Morse, then a candidate for the gospel ministryf . Both of these gentlemen preached several months on probation ; and each of them had numerous and zealous friends. The contention concerning them ran high during the * Mr. Wilson, after spending several years usefully and comfortably in Charleston, returned to Scotland, his native country, where he remained a year or two, and then again came to America. He never took a pastoral charge, how- ever, after his second visit to this country ; but, after struggling with ill health, for a long time, died in Virginia, in the year 1799, in the 48th year of his age. t Now the reverend Jedidiah Morse, D. D. Pastor of the church in Chariest onun, Massachusetts, whoSe high character, and useful writings, are well known. New-Yorh. 263 greater part of a year, and threatened very se- rious consequences. But Mr. Morse, after a time, declining to be considered as a candidate for the place, and retiring from the city ; and Mr. Muir, soon afterwards, receiving and ac- cepting a call from the city of Alexandria, in Virginia*^, the congregations were restored to to- lerable quietness and harmony, in the spring of the year 1789, by each party givmg up its fa- vourite. After spending a number of months in the most uncomfortable strife, the congregations, in the summer of the year 1789, gave a call to the reverend Mr. John ]McKmghi'\, pastor of the church in Marsh-Creek, Pennsyivania, and a member of the Presbytery of Carlisle, It being deemed of great importance that this call, in the then peculiar state of the congregations, should be successful. Doctor Rodgers was prevailed upon to be its bearer, and to prosecute it before * The reverend Mr. Muir, now Doctor of Divinity, has ever since resided at Alexandria, with honour and use- fulness. His various publications have been well received. t Mr. Mc Knight, soon after his removal to JVeTy-For/t, received the degree of Doctor of Divinity, from Yale College, 264 New-York, the Presbytery of Carlisle. His mission was at- tended with success. Mr. McKnight accepted the call, on the 8th day of September, 1789, and was installed as a collegiate pastor of the united churches, with Doctor Rodgers, on the second day of December following. Under his minis- trations the churches soon became united and harmonious ; and their prospects of spiritual com- fort and increase again brightened. As soon as the difficulties occasioned by the revolutionary war were, in some degree, sur- mounted, it became a favourite object with the pastors and other officers of the Presbyterian churches in New-York, to establish a regular Charity School for the education of their poor children. The legacy of Captain Owen, before mentioned, laid the foundation of such an estab- lishment*. In 1787, a subscription was opened for carrying into effect the same benevolent de- sign ; when about 1250 dollars were obtained. In 1788, Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, a pious and ex- emplary member of the church, bequeathed to * See page 167. The legacy of Captain Oiven, though originally, about 8750, was much diminished by the de- preciation of the paper currency, during the war. New-York, 260 the corporation near 900 dollars, for the same purpose. These fruits of christian liberality enabled the trustees to begin their school. This was accordingly done on the first day of May, 1789, by employing a master to teach their poor children, and hiring a suitable apartment for their accommodation, until a school-house could be erected. The last mentioned object was ac- complished in 1790. Ill that year the trustees purchased a lot in NassaU'S\,vee\,^ between Liber- ty and Cedar streets, on which they erected a brick building, of sufficient extent to furnish an ample school-room, and accommodations for the family of the instructor. In April, 1792, Mr. James Leslie, a school-master, and long an exemplary member of the church, bequeathed to the trustees the sum of 500 dollars, to be added to the school-fund. These legacies, to- gether with annual public collections, enabled them constantly to maintain a school of fifty poor children for a number of years. Doctor Mc Knight's health being impaired, early in the year 1792, by his unwearied and ar- duous labours, it became evident that he was no longer able to preach three times on each sab- e34 266 NeW'York. bath, as he had faithfully done from the time of his settlement. The congregations, earnestly desirous of maintaining evening service, to which they had been long accustomed, determined to call a third minister. A joint meeting being held, for this purpose, on the 29th day of August, in the year last mentioned, a call was unanimous- ly voted to the writer of these memoirs, at that time a licentiate of the Presbytery of Levves, of which his Father, then recently deceased, had been a member. He accepted the call, Novem- ber 20th, 1792; arrived at New-York^ io enter on his labours, on the third day of January, 1793; and was ordained to the work of the gos- pel ministry, and installed collegiate pastor with Doctor Rodger s and Doctor Mc Knight, on the fifth day of June following. In the year 1 793, articles of correspondence between the General Assembly of the Presbyte- rian church, and the congregational churches in Connecticut, were mutually ratified and adopted. These articles provided for the stated inter- change of three delegates, to sit and deliberate in the General Assembly, and the General Asso- ciation, at the annual meetings of each. Doctor Rodgers was on the j^r*^ delegation to Connecti- NetV'York, 261 cut, in pursuance of this plan*. He accord- ingly attended the General Association of that state, in the month of June, 1793. In the month of November, 1794, the college of New-Jersey, and the Presbyterian church in the United States, were deprived by death, of one of their distinguished ornaments, the rever- end Doctor Withei spoon. The trustees of the college immediately took measures for paying a suitable tribute of respect to his memory. For this purpose Dr. Rodgers was requested to pre- pare and deliver a funeral discourse. He ac- cordingly prepared, and at the next meeting of the Board, on the sixth of May following, deli- vered a sermon^ on Matthew xxv. 21. which was soon afterwards printed, under the title of ** The faithful servant rewarded;^' and which was subsequently prefixed to Woodward's edi- tion of Dr. Withei spoons Works. This sermon will probably be pronomiced, by discerning read- ers, the most respectable publication, in a literary view, that the author ever made. * The other delegates, at the same time, were the reverend Doctor John IVood/iulli oi Freehold, JVewJersey, and the reverend Doctor Aaror. JVooltvorth, of Bridge- hainfiton^ Long-Island. 268 New^York. In the year 1796, it became ap)3arent that a third church was much wanted, to supply, more particularly, the inhabitants of the north-eastern part of the city, who could not be accommodated in either of the other churches. When this fact began to engage the general attention of the con- gregations, and plans to be formed for attaining the object, Henri/ Rutgers, Esquire, a gentleman of great wealth and liberality, who was then in connexion with the Reformed Dutch Church, with his accustomed munificence, made a deed of gift to the trustees of the First Presbyterian Church, of an ample lot of ground, at the corner of Rutgers and Henry streets, on which to erect the contemplated edifice. The generous dona- tion was gratefully accepted ; subscriptions were immediately commenced for defraying the ex- penses of the building; and early in the spring of the year 1797, Dr. Rodger s had the plea- sure of laying the corner-stone of a third Pres- byterian church, on the spot just mentioned. The work was carried on with expedition ; and on the 13th day of May, 1798, it was opened for public worship. In this introductory service Dr. Badgers presided, and delivered a sermon on the occasion from Haggai ii. 7. Afid I rvill slmke all nations ; and the Desire of all nations shall NeW'Yorh 209 come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The greater part of the peWwS were immediately taken, and the church became filled with worshippers quite as soon as could have been rationally expected. In the autumn of the year 1799, the Doctor, finding the infirmities of age sensibly to increase, thought it his duty to relinquish the Thursday evening lecture, which, with unwearied dili- gence, and great usefulness, he had maintained for more than thirty years. He communicated this intention to his colleagues ; and suggested to them the propriety of their undertaking, and con- tinuing this part of his labour. They readily as- sented to the proposal ; and the service was con- tinued by them, in a form somewhat different from that in which he had conducted it, as long as the churches remained united. The ministrations requisite for carrying on the stated service of three churches, becoming every day, from the natural increase of the city, more extensive, multiplied, and laborious, it was judg- ed expedient to call ei fourth minister. Accord- ingly, after the usual preliminary steps, the con- gregations were convened, in joint meeting, on 270 New- York, the 5th day of August, 1805, when they unaniT mously made choice of the reverend Doctor Philip Milledoler, then pastor of the Third Pres- byterian church, in the city of Philadelphia, to be one of their collegiate pastors ; with a view, however, to his taking the church in Rutgers- street, under his more particular care, and being considered, if a separation of the churches should ever take place, as its sole pastor. The call for Dr. Milledoler was regularly prosecuted before the Presbytery of Philadelphia ; and he having accepted it, was installed in the church in RuU gerS'SXxeeX, on the 19th of November following. This measure proved most auspicious to the spiritual interests of that part of the city. Few instances have occurred of a more useful ministry than that of Doctor Milledoler in this church. The work of the Lord prospered abundantly in his hands. The number, both of stated worship^ pers, and of communicants, rapidly increased. And from being small and feeble when he en- tered on the pastoral charge, it became, in less than seven years, the largest Presbyterian church in the United States^, * In speaking of the church in Butg-ers-street, as, at present, the largest in the Presbyterian body in the Uniicd NeiV'Y^rk. 271 In the spring of the year 1807, a number of gentlemen, worshipping in the V^'a//-street and Brick churches ; together with others, who had not been able to obtain pews in either, associated for the purpose of erecting a new Presbyte- rian church in the city. They purchased a lot in Cec/«r-street, between Nassau and Wil^ Ham streets; on which Doctor Rodgers had the pleasure of laying the corner-stone of a fourth church, in the month of May of that year. This edifice was completed in about eighteen months from the time of its commence- ment, and was opened for public worship on the 6th day of November, 1808, by Doctor Rodgers, who delivered the same sermon on this occasion, which he had delivered at the opening of the church in Rutgers-siveei ; and which was soon afterwards printed. States^ there is a reference to the number oi communicants^ which is between Jive and six hundred. The church in NeiU'Ark^ under the pastoral care of the Reverend Mr. Jiichards^ was, it is believed, quite as large, previous to the erection of the second church in that town, under the care of the Reverend Mr. Gumming, At present, it is not known to the writer that any Presbyterian church in ou country embraces so large a number of communicating members as that of Dr. Milledoler. 272 New-York, The persons composing the Cedar-^iveeX con- gregation, convened, in the month of August, of the year last mentioned, for the purpose of choos- ing a pastor. At this meeting Dr. Rodgers pre- sided. They unanimously made choice of the rev- erend John B. Romeyriy then pastor of the church in Albany, to be their minister. Doctor Romeyn having accepted the call, removed to the city, and was installed their pastor, on the 9th of November, ensuing. Hitherto the three churches in TTa/Z-street, Beehnan-^Xxeei, and T^w^^er^-street, were united. There was one board of Trustees, and one bench of Elders, over the whole. So that, though wor- shipping in three houses, they were, properly speaking, but one church. And each of the mi- nisters, (excepting Doctor Milledoler, the pecu- liarity of whose call placed hitn in different cir- cumstances from his colleagues,) was equally con- nected with all the congregations. The incon- veniences attending this arrangement, both to the ministers and the people, were many and se- rious. These inconveniences had been long seen and deplored. But the difficulty of removing the cause of them, seemed almost insurmountable. A large number of the people were so much at- New-York. 273 tached to the union of the congregations, to which they had been long accastonaed, that there ap- peared little hope of being able to overcome their prejudices on this subject. The formation of the CSj!>rm^-street, in the city of New-York, The short prayer which he made, on this occasion, in the open air, was, so far as is recollected, the last public service that he ever performed. He was never able, after that day, to perform any official duty, excepting those, which admitted of being attended in his own house. * The new church in Wall-street was opened, by the writer of these memoirs, with a sermon from 2 Chron. vi. 4l, t The church erected by the Irhh Presbyterian congre- gation, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. McJVeice and which had been opened in the summer of the preced- ing year, was Xh^Jifth. New-York. 277 The infirmities of Doctor Rodgers led the members of the Brick church, of which, after the separation, he was the sole pastor, to look out for further ministerial aid. Accordingly in the month of May, 1810, they gave a unanimous call to Mr. Gardiner Spring, a licentiate from Massachusetts, who had preached to them for a few weeks. Mr. Spring accepted their call, and was ordained to the work of the gospel ministry, and installed collegiate pastor of that church, with Dr. Rodgers, on the 8th day of August fol- lowing. The Doctor attended with his brethren, on this interesting occasion, and united, for the last time, in the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery ; but was not able to take any other part in the services of the day. During the few months afterward that he lived, he took his young Colleague by the hand with paternal solicitude and affection; discovered great anxiety to pro- mote his usefulness ', and rejoiced in his talents and success. CHAP. VIII. vtt^ns^ S^nu^^ ^Ti ^:3J< "^^K 2 Kings ii. 12. a^^tt^ tt^-^S nnnx ""^d y:^'< nK*n> sn -id^^ Psalm xxxvii, 37. His last Illness and Death, The decline of Dr. Rodgers was remarkably gradual. In the month of December, 1803, he informed the church session, that " on account " of his age, and growing infirmities, he was no " longer able to preach more than once on the " Lord's day ;'' and requested that such measures might be taken to obtain additional supplies for the pulpit, as his failure to perform full service rendered necessary. On which it was re- solved unanimously, " That the session entertain «* a high and grateful sense of the long and faith- " ful services of Doctor Rodgers ; and though " they deeply regret that his infirmities will de- " prive the churches of a portion of his usual la- 6( ii His last Illness and Death. 279 " boars ; vet they are persuaded that he ought *' to be excused from such a portion of his minis- trations as he may not find himself able, without difficulty, to perform ; and that measures ought " to be adopted, as soon as convenient, to procure " further supplies for the pulpits." In addition to this decline of bodily vigour, which rendered a partial retirement from public service necessary, his mind began to discover marks of decay. His memory, as usual, was the first of his mental powers which manifested a failure. About the time w^hen he withdrew from the second service on the sabbath, he commenced the use of notes in preaching. Through his whole ministerial life, prior to this period, he had been in the habit of delivering his sermons in a degree memoriter, that is, he in general wrote with care, the substance of what he delivered, and afterwards read it over with sufficient fre- quency to impress upon his memory the whole of the matter, and, to a certain extent, though not servilely, the language, which he had com- mitted to paper. This was his constant habit anterior to the year 1803. In that year, when he was in the 77th year of his age, perceiving that his memory was neither so prompt, nor so 280 His last Illness and Death. faithful, as he had been wont to find it, he began to take his written discourses into the pulpit, and to lay them before him in the delivery. In this habit he continued as long* as he was able to preach. Still, however, he was always in a de- gree animated, and sometimes so much so as to rem Hid his more aged hearers of the ardent and impassioned manner of his early life. In the summer of 1809, such was the feeble- ness of his body, that it became difficult, not to say almost impossible, for him to ascend the pul- pit, and, even when he had reached it, the failure of his memory, especially at some limes, was so great, that he was unable to go tlirough the ser- vice without giving more or less pain, both to himself and his hearers. In September, of that year, he preached his last sermon. Nothing re- markable attended this service. Neither he nor the congregation considered it, at the time, as likely to be the last : but so it proved. A vari- ety of circumstances concurred with the gra- dual decline of his strength, to prevent his ever entering the pulpit again. On the first sabbath of the following Decem- ber, the Lord's supper was administered in the His last Illness and Death. 2Sl French Church, in which the congregation then worshipped. Occasions of this kind never failed to excite in Dr. Rodders peculiar tenderness of feeUng, and to draw from him his most affection- ate and interesting addresses. On this occasion, he forgot, for a moment, his infirmities, and at- 4;empted to serve a table. But his recollection so entirely failed him, in the midst of the service, that it was with the utmost difiiculty, and not without important omissions, that he got through it. Seldom has a more affecting scene been ex- hibited. The tears of hundreds witnessed their mingled emotions of respect and sympathy, to- ward a beloved pastor, whom they saw sinking into the grave. In the year 1810, nothing remarkable occur- red, concerning the subject of these memoirs, ex- cepting his attendance, as related in the last chapter, at the laying of the corner-stones of the TF«//-street, and <^rm^-street churches. His daily decline, both in bodily and mental strength, in the course of this year, was perceptible and distressing. It grew more and more difficult for him to walk abroad, until toward the close of the year, when his feebleness became so extreme, that he no longer attempted to leave his house. 36 282 His last Illness and Death. And early in January of the following year, at the solicitation of his family, he was prevailed upon to retire to his chamber, which he never again quitted, excepting* to walk for a few moments into an adjoining apartment, till his death. For about six weeks before his death, he was confined almost entirely to his bed. During this period, his memory was so far impaired, that he often could not recollect the names, and some- times appeared scarcely to recognize the persons^ of his most intimate friends. On one occasion he did not appear distinctly to know even his own son, when he made one of his daily visits. But it is a fact, that even when his recollection was thus far weakened, with respect to the nearest and dearest temporal objects, it was nearly as prompt and faithful as ever with respect to spiritual and eternal things. He never ap- peared, for a moment, to forget his God and Sa- viour*. In the most reduced state of his mental * It is pleasing to reflect, that this case is by no means a singular one. An eminently pious minister, in a neigh- bouring state, who had passed a long life of more than or- dinary devotedness to the cause of his Divine Master, had so far lost his memory, a short time before his death, as His last Illness and Death. 283 powers, lie caused his family to be convened in his chamber, morning and evening, and prayed with them in a tender, connected, and edifying manner. And when he could no longer re- cognize the name or the countenance of an in- timate friend, whom he almost daily saw, he could speak of the Lord Jesus Christ; quote passages of scripture, which relate to his per- sonal glory, and his gracious benefits; pour out the fulness of a heart breathing after the holy joys of his presence; and recommend him to those with whom he conversed ; not, in- deed so fluently or uninterruptedly as in his or- dinary health ; but in a manner truly gratifying to those around him. Facts of this kind are neither new nor un- common. An eminent Physician of our own country, has said, " I never met with a single in- " stance in which the moral or reliijious faculties not to know his own children, or even to recollect that he had children. A christian friend asked him, on a parti- cular occasion, whether he knew such a child, or such a neighbour ? his reply, in each case, was, " No, I did not '' know that I had such a child, or such a neighbour." His friend then said, " Do you know the Lord Jesus " Christ ?" — He replied, immediately, and with strong emotion, " Oh yes j I know Him j he is my best Friend /" 2l84 His last Illness and Death, " were impaired in old people. In the course of " my inquiries I heard of a man of 101 years of " age, who declared that he had forgotten every " thing" he had ever known, except his God/' The same writer, in another place, tells us, " I " once knew a man who discovered no one mark ^* of reason, who possessed the moral sense or '* faculty in so high a degree, that he spent his *' whole life in acts of benevolence. He had no *' ideas of time, but what was suggested to him ** by the returns of the stated periods for public " worship, in which he appeared to take great " delight. He spent several hours of every day ** in devotion*." The influence of constant hahit in preserving an aptitude and readiness, as well as capacity, for this class of exercises, as sug- gested by this writer, is, no doubt, great. The exercises of piety are among the few which aged people, who have any taste for them, never in- termit ; but rather abound in, more and more, as they advance in life. Perhaps, however, there is another consideration, on which still more stress ought to be laid, in accounting for the fact in question. The commencement, the * Rush's Medical Inquiries and Observations, vol. 1. D. 442. and vol. 2, p. 12, 13. second edition. His last Illness and Death, 285 maintenance, and the progress of real piety, in any heart, are the result of Divine injluence. We no where have a promise, that the intellectual powers of the pious shall be preserved unimpair- ed, until their translation to a better world ; but we have a promise, that He who has begun a good work, will perform it until the dag of' Jesus Christ, It would, doubtless, be as easy for Om- nipotence to continue a capacity for one class of exercises as for another ; but as his promise has secured this blessing' in one case, and not in another; and as the consolations which result from moral and religious sources are much more desirable and important, in the evening of life, than those which are connected with intellectual activity; it appears in every respect worthy of infinite wisdom and goodness, to ascribe the ac- knowledged fact of which we are speaking-, to the benign and gracious agency of Him, who has said, to every child of his grace, / 7vill never leave thee, nor forsake thee. — But to return to the venerable subject of these memoirs. In the evening preceding his death, he prayed with his family for the last time. After a few short petitions of the usual kind, for their tempo- ral and spiritual welfare, he prayed fervently and 286 His last Illness and Death. affectionately, for the Congregations which had been so long under his pastoral care. Having dwelt, in a number of appropriate and connected sentences, on this topic, he passed on to other subjects of petition ; but immediately returned to the " dear people of his charge," and, with in- creasing fervour of manner, prayed for them a second time. Nay, after a few intervening sen- tences relating to other objects, as if unable to take leave of the subject, he introduced a third time, with as much affection and copiousness as before, his " beloved people ;'' and with earnest entreaties that the Holy Spirit might be poured out upon them, and that they might be more and more united in affection, and built up in holi- ness, he closed the last social prayer that he ever made. The next morning, after being raised up and placed in his easy chair, for a few moments, while his bed was made, he requested, on lying down again, that the family might be convened, as usual, for the purpose of praying with them. When it was suggested, that he was too much ex- hausted, and that he had better wait a short time, until he should recover a little after his recent ex- ertion, he acquiesced, but soon fell into a gentle His last Illness and Death, 287 slumber, and did not mention the subject after- wards. Toward three o'clock, in the afternoon of that day, he became in a small degree restless, and manifested symptoms of approaching dissolution. His colleague was immediately sent for, and in a few minutes entered the room. He found him unable to speak ; but had the pleasure of perceiv- ing, that he knew him ; and by signs, as well as by his countenance, that he enjoyed his wonted hope and consolation, and that he wished him to pray with him. A short prayer was accordingly offered up ; and the venerable servant of Jesus Christ, without again recovering his speech, was, about four o'clock, P. M. on the 7th day of May, 1811, in the 84th year of his age, and in the 63d year of his ministry, quietly released from his mortal tabernacle, and translated to his eternal resW The officers of the churches to which the de- ceased had sustained the pastoral relation, on be- ing informed of his death, immediately conven- ed ; and having communicated to his widow and family their wishes that the care and expense of the funeral might be left with them, proceeded to 288 His last Illness and Death, take order oq the subject. The funeral was at- tended on Thursday, the 9th of May. Scarcely ever was there seen in New- York so large a con- course of real mourners. The corpse was taken into the Brick church, while an impressive fu- neral oration was delivered by Doctor Milledoler, and was afterwards deposited in a vault in the yard of that church. The pulpits of all the Pres- byterian churches in the city, were hung" in mourning on the occasion ; and on the succeed- ing sabbath, in most, if not all, of those churches, funeral sermons were delivered ; a specimen of which will be subjoined to this volume. CHAPTER IX, v^c^« xi. 24. His general Character. Before the writer undertakes to sketch the general character of his venerable Colleague, to the commemoration of which he has devoted the present volume, he begs leave to oifer the tes- timony of some others on the same subject. By inserting the communications which follow, he has no doubt he shall afford pleasure to every reader. Happening to be in Philadelphia^ a few days after the death of Doctor Rodgers, he addressed the following letter to that enlightened Physi- cian and Philanthropist, who, more than any other individual, deserves to be styled the Father of Medical Sciei ce in America, and who is not ashamed to be called a Christian. 37 290 His general Character, '' Philadelphia^ May 25, 1811.'' '' Dear Sir," " I have resolved to present to the public some account of the life and character of my late col- league, the reverend Doctor Rodgers^ " Having frequently heard you speak of an ac- quaintance, which, from early life, you enjoyed Avith that venerable man, and tell a number of anecdotes which did him honour ; will you allow me to solicit from you a communication, contain- ing such facts and remarks as may occur to your recollection, and appear proper to be introduced into the proposed account ? It is my wish to re- cord your testimony, with that of some other dis- tinguished characters, in an attempt to do honour to the memory of a Minister of Jesus, who was eminently useful while he lived, and whose la- bours and example will not, I trust, cease to be useful for many years to come." " I am, dear sir, with high respect," " your obliged friend, and humble servant," " Dr. Rush:' " Samuei. Miller." In consequence of this request, the following communication was, in a short time afterwards, received. His general Character. 29 1 " Philadelphia, June 7th, 1811." ^ Dear Sir," " I re^et that I shall not be able to fulfil your wishes in such a manner, as to render my small tribute of respect and aftection to our departed Friend, worthy of a place in your account of his life and character." ^' My first knowledge of the late reverend Dr. Rodgers was at the reverend Dr. Finleys school, in Cecil county, in 3Iaryland, in the year 1756. He was a member of a Presbytery which met statedly in Dr. Finley's church, in the neigh- bourhood of the school. During the sitting of the Presbytery, he, together with several other clergymen, always lodged at Dr. Finleys house. He likewise assisted the Doctor occa- sionally in the exercises which usually accom- pany the commemoration of the Lord's Supper in the Presbyterian cliurch, at which time he was always a guest in the Doctor's family. In all these ecclesiastical visits, he endeared him- self to the little boys that boarded in the Doc- tor's house, by finding out and calling them by their names \ by conversing with them upon the subjects of their studies; and, when called upon to pray in the family, by offering up the 292 His general Character > most fervent supplications to the throne of grace, for their temporal and eternal welfare. His ser- mons were likewise very acceptable to us, because they were more accommodated to our capacities, and delivered in a more impressive and affection- ate manner, than those of most of the ministers that occasionally filled our preceptor's pulpit. The respect and attachment I thus early con- ceived for our excellent Friend, grew with my years, and was much strengthened by the con- nexion which took place between his Son and me, the present worthy Dr. John R, B. Rodgers, from his studying medicine under my direction. In all the Doctor's visits to Rhiladelphia, he never failed to dine, or pass an evening, in my family, in which he was always a welcome and agreeable guest.'* " I have great pleasure in recollecting, not only his pleasant and instructive conversations, but many agreeable anecdotes I have heard of his piety, prudence, and good sense, I shall mention two or three of the latter. Some years ago I was sent for to visit a Mrs. Kirkpatrick, of this city, who told me she had spent the early part of her life, in the congregation of the rever- end Mr. Roan, of jNeshaminy, at whose school His general Character, 293 Dr. Rodgers received his academical learning ; and that she had often contrived on a Sunday, when she went to church, to walk a few feet be- hind him, when he was but fourteen years of age, on purpose to hear his pious and sensible con- versation with his school-mates.*' ^* A member of the Doctor's congregation once complained to him, that his prayers were too me- thodical, and that they appeared to be studied, " You are right, Sir," (said the Doctor,) " my " prayers are studied. Would you have me ^* offer God that which costs me nothing?" " In one of his last visits to Philadelphia, he informed me, that when he resided \n New- Castle county, in the then three Lower Counties, as they were called, upon the Delaware, he offended a part of his congregation, by voting at a disputed election for a Sheriff, in consequence of which, he said, he had never voted at a general election afterwards. In this act of self-denial, he disco- vered a practical knowledge of the scale of du- ties ; for how feeble is the obligation in a minister of the gospel, to promote the supposed prosperity of his country by a solitary vote, compared with his obligation to preserve a commanding and 294 His general Clmracter, undivided influence over his whole congregation, in order more effectually to direct their attention to subjects of an imperishable nature !" " Of his christian and ministerial character, I need say nothing to you, who have been so long, and so happily, united with him in parochial la- bours. To both he added, in an uncommon de- gree, the manners of a fine gentleman. Such was his intuitive knowledgfe and strict attention to time and jylace, in his intercourse with the world, that he not only pleased, but I never heard of his having, even from carelessness, or inadvertency, offended a human being in the course of his life. Indeed, his manners seemed to be in strict unison with his pure and exempla- ry morals. Considering how little he was in- debted to instruction, and fashionable company, in the early part of his life, for the singular po- lish, and charm of his manners, and how many men, with all the advantages of high birth, and constant as well as early intercourse with ele- gant society, are deficient in the air, and ease, and all the proprieties of behavioui', it would seem that a real gentleman is as much the child of nature, as a poet or a painter." His general Character. 295 " The following extract from a letter written to me upon my marriage, will show the happy mixture of piety with the friendship with which the Doctor honoured me." " NeW'Yorl!, Jan. 30, 1776." " My dear Sir," " With great sincerity I congratulate you upon your late agreeable marriage ; nor is there any happiness, temporal or spiritual, that I do not most cordially wish you and your amiable consort. May the best of Heaven's blessings attend you both, through all the various scenes of future life ! May they meet you in rich vari- ety and plenty in every change, and hand you both, after a life of usefulness and comfort, into the mansions of eternal rest!" " In the summer of 1777, the Doctor's Son, while my pupil, was attacked with an obstinate and dangerous fever, which he caught in attend- ing a crowded military hospital in Philadelphia* During his illness, I received two letters from the Doctor, extracts from which will show in a very stnku.g manner, the union of paternal solici- tude with Christian resignation." .J 296 His(/eneral Character. " Kingston, June 3cl, 1777/' *' My dear Sir," ** I wrote you a few lines this morning, by an express to the delegates of this state in Congress ; but he is not to return immediately, and such is my solicitude to hear from my dear Johnny, that the bearer goes on purpose with this letter, and another to Mr. Smith, to bring me news from him. Is he yet among the living, or is he num- bered with the dead ? — tender and solemn ques- tions, indeed, respecting an only son, and a fa- vourite child ! But it is the Lord, and it becomes me to submit. Pray dispatch the bearer as speedily as possible." " Kingston, June 11th, 1777." " My dear Sir," " With inexpressible solicitude I am waiting the return of the express I dispatched to Phila- delphia, last week, to hear the fate of my dear son. I expect him to-day. O ! that he may bring me favourable accounts; but the will of the Lord be done ! I hope the express will bring me a line from you. I beg you will be kind enough to give me as particular a state of his case, as your time will admit, by the first post, whether dead or alive." His general Cliaracter. 297 " I shall only add an extract of a letter I re- ceived from the Doctor, after he heard of the re- covery of his son." 7? Kingston, June 16, 1777." " My dear Sir,' " Accept, I entreat you, of my most cordial and affectionate gratitude, for your care of my dear son, in his late dangerous illness. 1 shall never forget it. And pray thank his kind land- lady, and his fellow-students, most affectionately in my name, for their kindness to him. O that I had it in my power to reward them all ! My God, however, I trust, will. I most aidently pray He may ! Give my love to Johnny, My heart is too full to write to him, by this post ; and he, perhaps, is too weak to read a letter from me. Tell him we are well !" " With great respect, I am, dear Sir," " your sincere friend," <^ Benjamin Rush." '* Rev. Dr. Mf/Zer." A request similar to that which is above re- corded, as addressed to Doctor Rush, was also addressed to the reverend Doctor Livingston, the venerable President of Queens College, New- 38 298 His general Characier. Brunswick, and Professor of Theology in the Reformed Dutch Church, in the United States, The letter from which the following extracts are taken, was intended as an apology for not com- plying with this request ; and of course, was not designed for publication. But it is presumed that every reader will concur in opinion with the compiler, who was not able to reconcile it either with his judgment or his feelings, to conceal from the public eye such paragraphs as these. " With affectionate regard and tender emo- tions I attended to your letter. I entered fully into your meaning, and felt happy in the hope that it might be in my power, in some measure, to meet your wishes. I owe to you a compli- ance with every request. I owe to the memory of your venerable Colleague, to assist in render- ing the history of his exemplary life acceptable and useful. And I owe to the cause of the Di- vine Redeemer to suggest, if possible, such re- flections and observations as ought to be blended with the memoirs of a man, who served his Lord so long with diligence and success. Under the impression of all these motives, which upon reading your acceptable favour, were indulged without restraint, I immediately viewed the sub- His general Character. 299 ject, with an ardent desire to recollect and ar- range something which might answer your ex- pectations. But I find myself disappointed. The most eminent characters, and perhaps the most profitable in their stations, are, for the greater part, so uniform in their course, and exhibit so few changes, that there is scarcely a prominent point to be discovered, on which the biographer can rest, or an insulated spot to which particular re- marks can suitably apply." " A river which for ever flows in one direction, " and is always of the same depth, without a *' cataract, cascade, or angle, is justly considered " the most profitable stream, and may be eulo- " gized as a source of wealth in commerce; as a " treasure to a nation ; but it can never employ " the detached touches of the pencil ; it absolutely " evades all partial descriptions." " I placed my old Friend full before me, and viewed him distinctly as a Man, as a Christian, as a Divine, and as a Preacher. In every article he appeared conspicuous, amiable, and excel- lent ; but in all of them he was for ever the same. One general encomium compnses the whole, and includes all that can be said. Few of the human 300 His general Character. family have passed through a long life so blame- less and unimpeached, so undeserving of reproof, and shielded even from slander. Few of the followers of Immanuel have lived more habitual- ly by faith, or taken up their cross and followed their Master with more cheerful and signal obe- dience. Among divines there may be those whose opportunities for obtaining information, whose extensive reading, and perhaps stronger powers of mind, have rendered them superior to him in science ; but there are not many who have surpassed him in clear and decisive views of the doctrines of grace, or an ardent and per- severing attachment to the fundamental truths of the gospel. In the pulpit there are prodigies of eloquence, men who soar above the ordinary standard ; whose elocution, energy, and pleasing address, astonish and captivate their audience; but these of necessity must be few, and are not always the most powerful or successful in con- verting sinners, or edifying believers. Our de- parted Friend was never classed among celebra- ted orators. An impediment in pronouncing some words prevented him frequently from in- dulging in a full and uninterrupted flow of speech ; but he was always in earnest ; he believ- ed what he spoke j and with a feeling heart, sus- His general Character, 301 ceptible of tender affections, he was, especially when in the prime of life, an impressive, accept- able, and excellent preacher." " As to anecdotes, of which, in a series of mutual intercourse for nearly half a century, there must have occurred many that would be worth preserving, I cannot at present call any correctly to remembrance, or at least sufficiently recol- lect them, in their striking points, to attempt a detail." In compliance with request, the reverend- Mr. Forrest f a respectable minister of the Asso- ciate Reformed Church, made the following communication, which is inserted with pleasure, as another valuable attestation, in concurrence with the preceding. " A few years ago, I related to Dr. Rodgers an anecdote of a Scots clergyman, who, while preaching from these words, Heb, xi. 32. And what shall 1 more say P for the time would Jail me to tell of Gideon, 8cc. observed, " My breth- ren, here are some very rough-spun saints : really, if the Spirit of God had not decided this matter, it would have been hard work to have admitted ^02 His general Character, them among the number. But, my brethren, this teaches us that, if we get to heaven, we will see many folks there that we did not expect." Dr. Modgers observed, " Yes, my friend, I expect to *' see in heaven among other wonders, three very " great ones : some there whom I did not ex- " pect to have seen there ; others not there, " whom I had great expectations of seeing there; " but the greatest wonder of all, will be, to see " myself there, the chief of sinners, pardoned and " sanctified through the grace of God !'' ** I have often admired the talents displayed by Dr. Rodgers, while he presided in the board of Directors of the Missionary Society. Having, in my younger days, been often led, by curiosity, to attend the meetings of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and the Synods of both branches of the Secession, I may be allowed to express an opinion concerning this subject. Never have I, in any of these courts, seen a Mo- derator who could preserve decorum, interest the members of court in the business before them, and command the respect and affection of mem- bers, equal in any degree to Dr. Rodgers*' " I am not in communion with that church His (jeneral Character. 303 to which Dr. K. belonged, and never had an opportunity of hearing' him preach more than once. My acquaintance with him commenced in 1802, when he was in the decUne of life; but it was my happiness to enjoy his private conver- sation for a few years ; and I always consider- ed him as a singular blessing to the American church." Having presented these testimonies, from differ- ent and impartial witnesses, an attempt will now be made, to pourtray those remarkable features in the character ol this eminent servant of Jesus Christ, which so highly distmguished him, and which contributed so largely, under God, both to the acceptance and the utility of his labours. For it is a fact not to be disguised, that the reputation, the influence, and the usefulness of Doctor Rodders, considered jointly, were greater than usually fall to the lot of one, who had no higher claims than he, to strong and original powers of mind, and to profound learning. Shall we say, then, that his reputation was undeserved ; or that it rested upon an unsubstantial basis? By no means. It was merited. It had a solid founda- tion. And it may not be altogether without be- nefit to inquire, nhi/ it nas, that this venerable 304 His general Character. minister of the gospel, was more known, more honoured, more influential, both in the church and in civil society, and more extensively useful, than many other clergymen, who ranked higher on the scale of native genius, and were more con- spicuous for their literary acquirements ? This question will be answered, by exhibiting and illustrating the most remarkable features of his character, under a series of heads. I. And here, the first place shall be assigned to his ARDENT AND UNIFORM PIETY. This waS the grand ornament, which appeared in all that he said or did ; and which shed a lustre on his character, in whatever point of light it was con- templated. Common sense dictates to every man, that the minister of religion ought to be truly re- liofious ; that he who makes it the business of his life to explain the doctrines, enforce the pre- cepts, and recommend the spirit, of Christ, ought himself, in some good measure, to exemplify what he preaches, in his own temper and conduct. Accordingly, as the evident want of piety is one of the last deficiencies, that can or ought to be pardoned in a clergyman; so the habitual dis- play of warm, practical, consistent piety, in the sacred profession, is of more importance in every His general Character. 306 point of view to ministerial reputation and useful- ness, than is generally imagined. The pious love it; formal professors approve it; and even the most determined votaries of profligacy, or of infide- lity, secretly revere it, and, like Herod, pay it a trembling homage. Such piety, even in clergymen, is much more rare than is commonly believed. It will be observed, the assertion is, that such piety is more rare. None will suppose that a general reflection is intended on the profession of which the writer is a member ; and still less that he imagines him- self entitled to take the place of censor among his brethren. But fidelity to the Master's cause is paramount to all other obligations. " The " piety of some," as a late excellent biographer remarks, " is official rather than personal. It " consists in certain exercises and appearances, " which are resigned with the occasions that re- " quire them : and in company they are the merry " companions, the temporizing associates ; in the " house, the cruel husbands, the negligent fa- " thers, the tyrannical masters*." The piety of a much larger class of ministers, though real, * Jay's Life of Winter^ p. 230. ./V*. York edition. 39 306 His (/eneral Character, sincere, and in the main, exemplary, is still mixed with so many levities, and littlenesses, and ad- mits so many of the phrases, the habits, and the calculations of worldly men, into their language and daily deportment, that the lustre, both of the Christian and the Ambassador of Christ, cannot fail of being obscured, and even tarnished. But we have reason to rejoice, that the piety of a goodly number is of a higher order. Their deportment in private, corresponds with their lan- guage in pubhc. Their preaching is, in some good measure, exemplified in their lives. They recommend religion as much on the other six days of the week, as on the sabbath. Their piety is of that uniform, unaffected, impressive charac- ter, which, while it assumes nothing, is seen wherever they go ; which combines evangelical seriousness with simplicity, benevolence, and cheerfulness ; which exhibits as much of the meekness and humility of the Christian, as of hi& heavenly mindedness; and which continually shows itself to originate rather from the heart than from the office. Such a character, speaking after the manner of men, is irresistible. It is loved by the good, and revered by all. And while the frivolous witlingr and the profane scorn- , His general Character* S07 er, may occasionally sneer at what they call its " strictness," and its " puritanism," they find a tes- timony in their own consciences in its favour. They secretly honour it, as much more conformed to the spirit, and the example of Christ, than the character of the clerical bon vivant, who has no other mark of his sacred office than a black dress ; and on whom, while they court his compa- ny in the hour of festivity and mirth, they bestow none of their real confidence or esteem* This was one of the great charms of Doctor Tlodgers character. The fervour and uniform- ity of his piety seldom failed to impress all who approached him. It not only appeared con- spicuous in the pulpit; dictating his choice of subjects, his mode of treating them, and his af- fectionate earnestness of manner; but it attend- ed him wherever he went, and manifested itself in whatever he did. In the house of mourn- ing it shone with distinguished lustre. Nor was this all. He probably never was known to enter u human dwelling, for the purpose of paying an ordinary visit, without saying something, before he left it, to recommend the Saviour and his ser- vice. Seldom did he sit down at the convivial table, without dropping at least a few sentences 308 His general Character. adapted to promote the spiritual benefit of those around him. The transient visitor ; the momenta- ry interview in the street; the hasty call of business ^ the ride of pleasure; the inquiry respecting the health of his friends ; the answer to inquiries res- pecting his own health; the mode of telling and of hearing news ; the valedictory benediction, — could all bear witness to the habitual devotion and spirituality of his mind, and his constant desire to be active in his Master^s service. In all the domestic relations of life, piety pervaded and regulated his conduct; controllmg a temper na- turally hasty and irascible, and prompting to the affectionate courtesies of christian benevolence. He seemed never, for a moment, to forget that he was a servant of Jtsus Christ; a minister of Him who went about doing good to the souls and bodies of men ; and whose meat and drink it was to do the will of his Father, andjinish his work. The writer well remembers a circumstance, which, though small in itself, was considered, by an im- partial observer, as not a little significant. A youjig clergyman, who had paid a short visit to the city, and who had enjoyed two or three plea- sant interviews with Doctor Rodgers, a few years before his death, at the close of the last inter- view, rose and offered him his hand for the pur- His general Character, 309 pose of bidding- him farewell. The Doctor took it, and squeezing it affectionately, with a very few simple words, expressive of pious hope, and tender benediction, dismissed him. The clerg-yman, on retiring, inquired, whether what he had just witnessed was the Doctor's common manner of taking leave of his friends ? adding', that he had seldom seen any thing so much like the pious and primitive style of an apostle be- fore. There have been better days of the church, when such things were not rare. Would to God they were less so now ! It scarcely need be added, because every one acquainted with the nature of vital piety will take for granted, that the Doctor was ha- bitually attentive to those means which God is wont to bless for maintaining the power of re- ligion in the soul. He had a deep impression of the efficacy oi prayer ; and he abounded in this duty, as well as in the other duties of the closet. Besides the stated and ordinary exer- cises of devotion, he set apart, in every year, a number of days of fasting and special prayer. On these occasions, as was observed in a preced- ing chiipier, he was accustomed, as a means of moie deeply impressing his own mind, to com- 310 His general Character, jnit to writing" some of his reflections and prayers, and afterwards to review them, as a record of his former exercises, and as a pledge of his subse- quent fidelity. II. Another quality in Doctor Rodgers, which, next to his piety, contributed to his high reputa- tion, was his PRUDENCE. By prudence here is meant, not that spirit of cold and carnal calcula- tion, which the world is apt to call by this re- spectable name, but which the apostle styles conferring with flesh and blood, and which, per- haps, can be expressed by no single word more appropriate than that of cunning. Prudence, in the scriptural sense of the term, means practi- cal WISDOM. The prudent man, in the esti- mation of Solomon, is one who looketh well to his goings; who openeth his mouth with rvisdom; who foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself. The wise in heart shall be called prudent*. Without this qualification, piety, talents, learning, eloquence, may be, and have not unfrequently been found to be, worse than useless. It is so important to a good minister, that our blessed Lord made a pointed reference to it a part of the very brief * Proverbs xiv. 15. xvi. 21. xxii. 3. His genera I Character, 311 exhortation which he addressed to the first mi- nisters whom He sent forth*. And perhaps a venerable clergyman in a neighbouring State, did not go too far, when he said, " I would make a deficiency in Prudence, the ground of quite as serious and insurmountable objection against laying hands on a candidate for the ministry, as I would a deficiency in piety or know- ledge.'^ u u te (6 Doctor Hodgers was, remarkably, and charac- teristically, a prudent man. Few men were more careful to look well to their goings than he. Few men were more wary in foreseeing circumstan- ces likely to produce embarrassment or difificulty, and in avoidinef them. Few men were more cautious of giving unnecessary offence, that the ministry might not he blamed ; or more watchful with respect to all those modes of exhibiting truth, or of perfonning duty, which are calcula- ted to conciliate the differently constituted minds of men. His prudence was daily seen, — in denying himself, and the members of his family, those things which, though innocent in them- selves, might have made an unfavourable im- * Matt, X. 2€. 312 His general Character, pression, even on a single mind ; in the regular and economical management of his temporal of- fairs ; in avoiding those conne^vions and associa- tions, by which his time might have been injurious- ly consumed, or his attentions painfully entangled; in parrying, with a mixture of dignity and gentle- ness, every attack, in mixed companies, which might have led to controversy/, especially rel(/iOus controversy, which he thought seldom failed of proving both unpleasant and mischievous; in dealing gently with the prepidices and the pas- sions of men ; in being sivift to hear, and slow to speak; in treating character with delicacy, es- pecially the character of the absent ; in taking care to hold in awe, and to prevent, rather than be under the necessity of rej^roving, impertinence, profaneness, and noisy mirth ; in turning to the best account the amount of knowledofe that he possessed, and forbearing to talk on subjects "with which he was imperfectly or but little acquaint- ed ; in guarding against that propensity to incessant jesting, in promiscuous company, which lowers the character of so many respectable clergymen ; in careful attention to the character of the anec- dotes which he related in social circles ; in keep- ing at a distance, without offending, the over-cu- rious, the indelicate, and the intruding ; in al- His general Character* 310 ways preferring", where there could not be una™ nimity of opinion, that course which tended to peace and accommodation ; in taking care to se- lect favourable seasons and methods of adminis- tering reproof; and, in short, in constantly en- deavouring to avoid as much evil, and accom- plish as nmch good, with as little offence to those around him, and as much to their acceptance, as possible. Hence he was able to do a thousand things without exciting the least resentment, which many others could not have accomphshed without encountering the most determined oppo^ sition and animosity. And hence he rarely found himself in those perplexing and painful situations, to which the indiscreet and unwary are so fre- quently reduced, to the interruption of their own peace, and to the discredit of religion. Some of the friends of Doctor Rodgers, in- deed, sometimes supposed that he carried his prudence to an extreme ; that his caution some- times degenerated into timidity ; and that his fear of giving offence, not unfrequently led him to fall in with the opinions and the mea- sures of others, where his own would have been evidently preferable. To assert that he was perfectly free from this fault ; or that any 40 314 His general Character. man remarkable for his prudence, was ever per- fectly free from it, would be venturing, perhaps, too far. But scarcely any two individuals would, probably, in all cases, agree as to the proper place and limits of the exercise of prudence. In the estimation of some ardent spirits, all caution is timidity ; all accommodation, trimming ; and every thing called prudence, mere cold and calculating servility. This was not the opin- ion of Doctor Rodger s. Next to the gene- ral principle of vital piety, prudence was his favourite grace : and it must be acknowledged, that he exercised it with no ordinary success. III. A third quality for which this venerable man was remarkable, and which, no doubt, con- tributed largely to his high reputation, was, the UNIFORM, PERSEVERING, AND INDEFATIGA- BLE CHARACTER OF HIS MINISTERIAL. LA- BOURS. Some men are not capable of steady and long continued application to the same pursuits. They grow weary of the regular progress of things in their ordinary course; and can only be interest- ed by new plans and undertakings, with which they become dissatisfied in their turn, and exchange them for others. Few things are more apt to inter- fere with the attainment of great excellence, in any His general Character, 315 profession, and especially in the clerical profes- sion, than this weakness. It frequently places real genius and fervent piety in a much lower station, in public opinion, and especially in pub- lic usefulness, than is held by decidedly inferior gifts, with a capacity for patient and steady ex- ertion. In fact, this capacity, though, like com- mon sense, it is too apt to be considered as an hum- ble qualification, and to be denied an honoura- ble name ; is one of the most important ta- lents that can well be mentioned, in a character destined to enjoy a high and solid reputation, and to be extensively useful to mankind. Doctor Rodgers possessed and exercised this talent in a remarkable degree. In preaching, in catechising, in attending on the sick and dy- ing, in all the arduous labours of discipline and government, and in visiting from house to house, he went on with unceasing constancy, year after year, from the beginning to the end of his minis- try. He not only abounded in ministerial labours; but he laboured systematically, uniformly, and with unwearied patience. Difficulties did not usually appal him. Delays did not discourage him. If he were totally disappointed in the result of his ex- ertions in one case, he did not hastily conclude, 316 His yeneral Characler, that all subsequent endeavours in similar cases would be useless. Nay, if he failed of attaining his wishes, ninety and nine times, he did not shrink from the hundredth attempt. Those who found him busily engaged in pursuing a certain regular and judicious course, at one period ; would be sure to find him, after a series of years, pursuing, with steady and undeviating steps, the same course. In short, as his learned and ex- cellent friend. Doctor Livingston^ observes, he was, literally, " for ever the samu." Or we may say of him, in nearly the same language which an admirable evangelical biographer, now living, applies to his pious and laborious hero. " Here was a man, for seventy years, unchangea- " ble in all the varieties of life ; by the grace of ^' God, holding on his way, without drawing back, " or turning aside, or standing still, or seeming ^* to come short ; what the Scripture calls a per- '^ feci and an upright man, one that feareth God, ^* and escheweth evil*.'' No wonder that a man of this character, enjoyed in a very high degree the confidence and esteem of all who knew him. No wonder that the churches beheld him, through his long and 2^ctive life, with growing reverence ; and * Jay's Life pf JFinter, p. 231. His general Character. 317 that his brethren regarded hina as a kind of cleri- cal pattern. Such characters may be less talked about than some others 3 they may not see the painter*s or the sculptor's art employed to per- petuate the record of their particular achieve- ments ; but they have been, in all ages, the chief benefactors of mankind. They have been the means of performing, in all nations, the great- er part of the solid good that has been done. And, while prodigies of genius have soared and fallen ; while intellectual and moral comets have astonished and disappeared; fAe?/ have held on their steady course, from day to day, and from year to year, enlightening, warming, and blessing the world. lY. K fourth particular which contributed to the high station of Doctor Rodgers, in public opinion, and especially in the confidence of the pi- ous part of the community, was the character OF HIS PREACHING. The two qualities most re- markable in his preaching, were piety and ani- mation. His sermons were always rich in evan- gelical truth ', and they were generally delivered with a solemnity and earnestness, which indicat- ed a deep impression on his own heart of the importance of what he uttered. And hence. 318 His general Charactei\ though he was never remarkable for that variety ^ either in the choice, or the illustration of his sub- jects, which some would have preferred , and thouofh he never g^ave himself the trouble to at- tain that polish and elegance of style, to which many bend a large share of their attention ; still, in the days of his vigour, he was one of the most popular as well as useful preachers in the Ame- rican Church. It was said that his sermons were rich in evangelical truth. The subjects which he al- ways treated in the pulpit, were those peculiar and precious doctrines of the gospel, which uni- versal experience proves to be most acceptable and edifying to the pious, and most impressive on the mass of hearei-s. Whoever went to hear him, at any time, would be sure to find him dwelling chiefly on one or another of the follow- ing themes — The federal character of Adam, as the covenant head of his seed — the imputation of his sin, when he fell, to all his posterity — the lost and ruined state of man by nature — the doc- trine of total depravity — the doctrine of sovereign election to eternal life, through sanctijication of the Spirit, unto obedience — the true and proper Divinity of Jesus Christ — the Divine existence in His general Character* 319 a Trinity of Persons — the vicarious sacrifice and atonement of the Saviour — the doctrine of Justi- fication by his imputed righteousness alone — the nature and necessity of regeneration, by the Holy Spirit — the necessity of a vital union to Jesus Christ, by faith, in order to our partaking of the benefits of his redemption — the distinguishing character of those who stand in this relation to the Saviour, together with their privileges and duties — the efficacy of prayer — the nature and properties of faith, repentance, hope, and charity — the perseverance and final glorification of the saints — and the endless punishment of those who die impenitent. — On these great and fundamental doctrines of scripture, he not only dwelt much, but almost exclusively. He seldom travelled out of this plain track; not because he was unable; but because early and constant habit had render- ed it most familiar to him; because he verily thought it the most profitable course of public in- struction ; and because his practice of memoriter speaking, rendered it more easy for him to pre- pare discourses on these systematical topics, than on those of a different kind. To which may be added, that his unwearied devotedness to the active duties of his profession, during the greater part of his life, left him but little time for study ; 320 His general Character. and, of course, but little leisure for attempts to entertain his hearers with originality, with pro- found criticism, with novelty, or with elegance of composition. And as the Doctor seldom preached on other subjects than those which have been mentioned : so he adopted that method of handling them, which is most common in the writings of the Puritan divines of the seventeenth century. Owen, Charnock, Flavel, Howe, Bates, Bax- ter, and Henry, were among his favourite wri- ters. He was fond, not only of their modes of thinking, but also of speaking ; and, accordingly, abounded much in what may be called the tech- nical language of doctrinal and practical reli- gion in use in their day. It was his opinion, that evangelical doctrines ought not only to be preach- ed, and preached incessantly ; but that they ought also to be expressed in those terms and phrases to which the church has been long used, and which are derived either from the scriptures them- selves, or from the earliest, soundest, and best known, human authorities. This opinion regu- lated his own practice. No one ever found him affecting novelty, in the representations which he gave of divine truth, either with respect to their His general Character, 321 substance or their modes of expression, because he considered the old as better ; and in the old track he was found for ever walking. These circumstances, in their combined influ- ence, gave to his preaching pecuhar weight and popularity. He selected precisely that plan of sermonizing which was best adapted to his own talents, and best calculated, at once, to suit the mass of hearers, and to answer the great end of preaching. A greater variety in the choice of subjects, and more attention to polish of style, would no doubt have pleased, perhaps edified, a small number of those who attended on his minis- trations. But had he attempted this, he would pro- bably have lost a portion of that simple, affection- ate, apostolical manner, which so remarkably cha- racterized his pulpit addresses, and which so evi- dently inspired the confidence, and impressed the hearts of those classes oi hearers, whose support al- ways affords the most durable basis of ministerial reputation, as well as usefulness. No man ever enjoyed a very extensive or enviable ciegree of popularity, as a Gospel Minister, whose sermons were exclusively ada|)ted to the literary and po- lished part of his hearers. The wonderful im- 41 322 His general Character. pression of WhiteJielcTs preaching may be ascrib- ed to the plainness and evangelical simplicity of his matter, which was equally suited to all classes, taken in connexion with the unrivalled force and magic of his delivery. V. This venerable servant of Jesus Christ was also distinguished and honoured for his GREAT DISINTERESTEDNESS OF CHARACTER, Of him it might be said with eminent propriety, that he sought, not his owriy but the things which ctre Jesus Christ's. Few men have ever been more free from private and selfish aims, in acting their part in the affairs of the church, than he. His plans, his calculations, his conduct, were ever those of a man whose grand object was the advancement, not of himself, or of a party, but of the Redeem- er's kingdom. Of ecclesiastical policy, other than that which sought to promote the peace, the order, the purity, the extension, and the happi- ness of the church, by the most fair, direct, and honourable means, he evidently knew nothing. In petty schemes for diminishing the influence of his brethren, that he might increase his own ; or in the aUs of intrigue, to play off contending par- ties, or individuals, as engines for promoting his personal elevation, he was never suspected of en- His general Character. 523 gagfing". He was ever ready, where an imperious sense of duty did not forbid it, to sacrifice his own feelings and wishes to the union and harmony of the church. He was always a peace-maker; never a divider. His plans were invariably those of chris^ tian benevolence. " No banner was ever raised " in his camp, but that of the cross." From envy and jealousy he was remarkably free. He re- joiced in the honour and success of his brethren. And when, toward the close of life, some of the young men, whom he had been instrumental in introducing into the ministry, enjoyed a degree of popularity which might be said, in a degree, to eclipse his own; his most intimate friends never saw him manifest on this account the small- est uneasiness. On the contrary, he appeared to take unfeigned pleasure in witnessing the ac- ceptance of their labours, and in contributmg to raise, rather than depress their reputation. He seemed ever ready, with the spirit, to adopt the language, of that faithful Servant of God, who said, of a Greater than himself,— //e must increase^ hut I must decrease. While this temper carried with it its own re- ward, in the personal comfort which it produced 3 it could not fail to promote the honour, and ex- 324 TTis general Character, tend the influence, of its possessor. No man ever exhibited, in a remarkable degree, the qualities of disinterestedness and magnanimity, without being followed by the public eye with confidence and affection. Every one who is conscious that his own views are pure, hails such a man as a brother: every one who wishes well to Zion, rejoices in his peace, his prosperity, and his ele- vation. VI. It would be injustice, both to the cause of religion, and to the memory of this excellent man, to omit calling the attention of the reader parti- culailv to THE SPOTLESS PURITY OF HIS MORAL CHARACTER. It might seem, at first view, scarcely necessary, or even proper, to men- tion this apart from the fervour and uniformity of his piety, before noticed. But when we recol- lect that some who have professed a warm friend- ship for vital piety, and who claimed to possess it, have manifested a disposition, in theory as well as in practice, to depreciate morality j and when we call to mind how often ministers and others, in the main hopefully pious, have had the lustre of their reputation obscured, and the extent of their usetuhiess abridged, by real or supposed deviations from moral correctness ^ it would be His general Character. 325 improper to pass without distinct, and very ho- nourable notice, the peculiar excellence in this respect of the character which we are now con- templating. The writer presumes that none, who were acquainted with Doctor Rodgers, will charge him with extravagance, when he expresses an opinion, that no man ever passed through a life of eighty-four years with a more immaculate moral character than he. In no one instance was it ever impeached. It pleased his Divine Master, as Doctor Livingston justly observes, in his letter before quoted, to " shield him even from slander.'* Considering the unusual activi- ty, as well as length of his life ; his constant intercourse with all classes of persons; and the diversified and trying situations in which he was frequently placed, — that the lustre of his reputation should never have been, at any period, sullied, even by the breath of suspicion, is truly an extraordinarv case, and worthv of beinsT contem- plated with grateful pleasure by every friend to the honour of the Redeemer's kingdom. The influence of this fact, in securing to hnn an un- common share of public conlidence, need not be 326 His general Char acter. mentioned. In truth, it could not fail of giving* to Iiis character that kind of colossal tirmness, as well as elevation, which all those who were accustomed to hear his name mentioned in com- pany, perceived it to have acquired. VII. Doctor Rodgers was further distinguished by a PUNCTUAL attendance on the ju- dicatories OF THE CHURCH. Perhaps no minister in the United States was ever more re- markable than he for a regular and strict regard to this part of his duty. He made it a point never to be absent from the meetings of his brethren, unless sickness, or some other equally imperious dispensation of Providence, rendered his attendance impossible. And when pre- sent, in the several ecclesiastical courts, he gave his serious and undivided attention to the business which came before them ; and was al- ways ready to take his full share, and more than his share, of the labour connected with that bu- siness. In short, the same zeal for the welfare of the church ; the same desire to spend and be spent in his Master's service, which animated hun in every other department of labour, guided and governed him here. The consequence was, that he became personally known to almost all His general Character, 827 his brethren in the ministry, of his own denomi- nation, in the United States; that he enjoyed their friendship and confidence; that he kept up a connected and thorough acquaintance with the affairs of the church ; that he contributed to strengthen the hands of those with whom he act- ed ; and that, thus, the sphere, both of his honour and his usefulness, was greatly extended. The aggregate value of advantage, which all these cir- cumstances gave him, in the course of a ministry of between sixty and seventy years, may be more easily imagined than ascertained. He was accustomed often to lament the negligence of this duty which he observed in many of his brethren ; and to remark, that he was persuaded they did not appreciate as they ought the importance, both to themselves and the church, of a regular attendance on judi- catories. He more than once declared, that he never knew any minister attain to a large share of influence or weight among his brethren, who was habitually negligent of such attendance. Nay, he thought it, from the very nature of the case, impossible that any one ever should. And there are, probably, few points concerning which 328 His general Character, all the experience of ecclesiastical men more deci- sively concm's, than in supporting this opinion*. YIIL The orreat liberality of sentiment which Dr. Rodgers habitually discovered, en- deared him to thousands, and contributed not a little to the extension of his influence. Though he w^as a firm Presbyterian, and a decided Cal- vinist, he was far, very far, from being a bigot. While he abhorred latitudinarian indifference, and was ever ready to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints ; he was quite as ready, at the same time, to take by the hand, * The writer cannot forbear introducing a similar de- claration made by a Divine now living, whose opportuni- ties to make observations on this subject, have been of the best kind, and whose character, with all who know him, -will add weight to his opinions. " No minister in our con- " nexion has been known by me, who was either very use- " ful or very respectable, that did not give his presence at " Presbytery, Synod, or Assembly, whenever that duty be- <' came incumbent. The reason of this sceins to be, that " a neglect in this particular cannot take place without in- " dicating in him who is chargeable with it, a criminal " want of zeal for the general interests of the church ; and " at the same time, it necessarily deprives him of all gene- " ral influence, confidence, esteem, and affection among his « brethren." Dr. Green's Charg-ej at the Ordinatioii of Mr. J. B. Linn, and others, 1799. His general Character. 329 as christian brethren, all who appeared to possess the Spirit of Christ, by whatever name they were called, or however they might differ from him with respect to minor articles of belief. He sel- dom mentioned the opinions of others in the pul- pit ; but contented himself with declaring, illus- trating, and endeavouring to recommend, what he believed to be the doctrines of scripture. And, on one occasion, when he was urged by some of the officers of his church to preach against the errors of a particular sect, and to warn his people against them, by name, he utter- ly refused, sayiug, — ** Brethren, you must excuse " me. I cannot reconcile it with my sense either " of policy or duty to oppose these people from " the pttlpit, otherwise than by preaching the " truth plainly and faithfully. I believe them to " be in eiTor ; but let us out-preach them, out- " pray them, and out-live them, and we need not *' fear." It might have been supposed, that toward one denomination, from which, as will be seen from the foregoing pages, he had received, at different times, treatment of which he had reason to com- plain, he would have been apt to cherish senti- ments of fixed animosity. But it was not so. 42 330 His general Character, He often spoke of his Episcopal brethren in terms of the most exemplary christian benevolence ; and appeared cordially to rejoice, when he heard that the work of the Lord prospered among them, in any part of the world. He had many affec- tionate friends of the Episcopal church. He was in the constant habit of visiting a number of fa- milies belonging to that church. And when he met with an Episcopalian who appeared to love the truth as it is in Jesiis, he seemed to forget all distinction of names, and to feel as if he had found a brother, with whom he took as sweet counsel as if he had belonged to his own com- munion. In this, as well as in other graces, he evident- ly grew, as he advanced in life. And toward the close of it, he seemed to take unfeigned and ardent pleasure in the belief, that every person, with whom he fell in company, who spoke seriously, and with apparent emotion on the subject of re- ligion, was a real christian. It was pleasing, even when there was reason to fear that he carried his favourable estimate too far, to see with what eager delight he recognized every thing which resembled piety, in the numerous individuals with whom he conversed ; and how ready he was to embrace in the His general Character. 331 arms of christian affection, all persons, of all sects, who manifested any thing like sincere love to the Lord Jesus. IX. In tracing the remarkable features in the character of this man of God, it would be im- proper to pass without notice, his temper and habits WITH respect to worldly proper- ty. It was supposed by some, that an undue love of money, as well as an irascible temper, was among his natural infirmities. If this were so, it is certain that, by the grace of God, he had gained the victory over both, in a remarkable de- gree. Few men, in his circumstances, have con- trived to give away so much in charity, espe- cially to the sick poor, whom he constantly visit- ed. He seldom went into the house of such a person, without closing the religious exercises which attended the interview, by a donation from his purse. Though he passed through a period, during his residence in New-York, in which speculation in stock, lands, &c. was carried on with a spirit, and to an extent, altogether unpre- cedented in this country, and scarcely equalled in any other: yet he was enabled wholly to re- sist the fascination of the day, and to keep him- self free from an entanglement so unworthy of a 332 His general Character. gospel minister. It is observable also, that, when in company, he scarcely ever allowed himself to converse on a subject so common in a commer- cial community. In the society of his most con- fidential friends, he appeared always to feel as if he had something infinitely more important to talk of, than the price of stocks, or the most eligible methods of investing money. And, in corres- pondence with these facts, it is certain, that, with all the regularity and vigilance of his econ- omy, and without meeting with any particular loss sufficiently large to account for such a result, he left, at his decease, less property than, forty-six years before, he had brought to the city. The writer feels the more ready to mention this trait in the character of Dr. Rodgers^ because it has attracted the notice of others, as well as of himself. A distinguished Layman, at a distance, who intimately knew, and higlily honoured him, in a private letter, addressed to the writer, re- marks, " I hope you will not forget to dilate " freely upon his voluntary and meritorious com- " parative poverty, at a time when even Clergy^ <* men have been infected with the dollar-mania ^f of our country." His general Character. 383 It is notorious that the sin of avarice, where it has been allowed to take a firm and governing hold of the mind, is one of those which are pecu- liarly apt to grow stronger with age, and to reign with a melancholy force in the decline of life. It was directly the reverse with the subject of these memoirs. Toward the close of life he was raised above a secular spirit more than ever. And during the two or three last years that he lived, it is a fact, that he seemed to have lost all sense of the value of money, excepting as a means of relieving the distress and promoting the happi- nens of those around him. During that period he distributed the contents of his purse, with a profusion altogether extravagant; insomuch that, if the members of his family had not prevented him, he would have given away every farthing that came into his possession. X. Another feature deserving of notice, in the character of this excellent Minister, is, that he WAS NO POLITICIAN. It is true, that during the revolutionary war, he did not attempt to stand on neutral ground ; but took part openly and de- cisively in favour of his country. And there can be no doubt that, in a similar exigency, at any period, he would have thought himself perfectly 334 Mis general Character* justifiable in acting" a similar part. Yet it is certain, that for a number of years prior to that contest, and from the establishment of the inde- pendence of his country, till the day of his death, he never allowed himself to appear as a party-po- litician, or to connect his name, or his influence, with either side, in the successive struggles which divided his friends and acquaintance. From the time of his settlement in New-York, he never voted at a political election ; he never appeared at a poll ; nor did he ever attempt, on any occa- sion, to interfere, for the accomplishment of any political object. He had his opinions, indeed, he could not but have them, of the men and the measures which, at different times, solicited the public patronage. But he seldom made these opinions the subject of conversation, even in pri- vate companies, especially in mixed companies ; he never carried them into the pulpit ; and, above all, he never attempted by his exertions to help forward any political scheme or party. Attempts were more than once made, bv friends whom he greatly respected and loved, to seduce him from this course. But he steadfastly resisted their so- licitations, and kept himself aloof from their col- lisions and animosities to the last. It was in vain they urged, that clergymen have the same civil His general Character. 335 rights, and the same deep interest in the prospe- rity of their country, with other men. He ad- mitted their premises, but denied their conelusion; and answered, though not in the words, yet in the spirit of Nehemiah of old, 1 am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you"^ ? It will not be supposed, indeed, that as a minister of the Gospel, he considered him- self as precluded from explaining and incul- cating those great principles of social order and duty, which are found in Scripture, and on which eveiy teacher in the house of God is bound to in- sist, in their proper place and proportion, in his public ministrations. This duty he performed, and it is believed as faithfully as most ministers. But he carefully avoided intermeddling, either in speech or in action, with the party conflicts around him 5 nor could any one ever learn either from his prayers or his preaching, what were his feelings relative to those questions which filled the ga- zettes, and agitated the town-meetings of the day. And by avoiding the latter, it is certain that he * yehcmzah vi. 5. 336 His general Character. was enabled with the more freedom, and without suspicion or offence, to accomplish the former. By rigidly and steadily pursuing this course, he avoided much personal inconvenience and pain. He conciliated friendship, and main- tained his influence with all parties. He pre- vented his time and attention from being ab- sorbed by trivial objects, to the neglect of infinitely greater concerns. He avoided those collisions and alienations of social feeling, for which the zealous politician must always be pre- pared. He declined putting either his per- sonal or official character in the power of every political ruffian, or news-paper scribbler. And, above all, he avoided what might have proved, and could scarcely have failed of proving, an ob- stacle both to the acceptance and usefulness of his ministry. He had a firm persuasion, that it was not only desirable, but highly important, to all clergymen, to take this course of retirement and self-de- nial, with respect to party politics. He thought that, by adopting a different plan of conduct, their services to their country, whatever they might imagine to the contrary, were really little His general Characler. 33 7 or nothing'; while their injuries to the church were deep and lasting. He considered it as de- grading the dignity of their office, as well as striking a deadly blow at their professional in- fluence, to permit themselves to be, even in opinion, itlentijied with those noisy declaimers, and un- principled intriguers, who, with the language of patriotism in their mouths, know no other guide than selfishness, no other God than ambition. And it was a matter of unfeigned regret with him^ when he perceived that any of his brethren viewed the subject in a different light. But even with re- gard to those who totally differed from him, both in opinion and practice, on this subject, it never interfered with the most cordial aliection and in- tercourse. Nay, it may with confidence be as- serted, that, from the time of his leaving St. George s, until his death, he never, on account of party politics, either lost or soured a friend. XI. But though Doctor Rodgers was no po- litician, he did not consider himself by any means as exempted from the duties which belong to a good citizen. On the contrary, he was always prompt in obeying the calls of humanity and BENEVOLENCE. Besides attending to his duty in several religious societies, of all which he W8» 4a 338 His general Character, President; he found time to be one of the most active and useful members of the " Society for " the rehef of distressed Prisoners," and of the " Board of Trustees of the City Dispensary," in both of which, for a number of years, he presid- ed. He was also a member of the " Manumis- " sion Society" of New-li orh, and manifested a deep interest in the abolition of slavery, that long-patronized disgrace of Christendom, and in the success of plans for meliorating the con- dition of slaves. Nor did he, as is too often done, content himself with being a mere nominal member of those Associations. He gave his time and labour, as well as pecuniary contribu- tions for their support ; and was always ready to ofo foremost in exertions to lessen the miseries, and promote the welfare of the children of afflic- tion. As long as he retained his vigour of body and mind, few persons in the community took a more active part than he, in promoting and ex- ecuting plans of enlightened and diftusive bene- volence. XII. Both the reputation and usefulness of Doctor liodgers were doubtless promoted, and probably in no small degree, by the peculiar AND UNIFORM DIGNITY OF HIS MANNERS. His general Character. 339 This part of his character was not only remark- able, but pre-eminent. If his manners had some- times a degree of formality in them which excit- ed the smile of the frivolous, they always mani- fested the polish of a well-bred gentleman, as well as the benevolence of a christian -, and nev er failed to command respect. He was grave without be- ing starched, and dignified without reserve. He was habitually cheerful, and often facetious and sportive ; but his sportiveness was always as re- markable for its taste and dignity, as it was for the perfect inoffensiveness of its character. He was probably never known, in a single case, to let himself down in company, by undue familiari- ty, by levity, by coarse or unseasonable anec- dotes, or by any rude invasion of the feelings of others. There was a uniformity, an urbanitv, and a vigilance in his dignity, which plainly showed that it was not the result of temporary effort, but the spontaneous product of a polished, benevolent, and elevated mind. There can be no doubt that this happy style of deportment, was of great service to him in every part of his life. By his dignified manners, he made a favourable impression on perfect stran- gers, and always inspired respect, wherever he 340 His general Char acler, went. By his manners he was enabled to keep at a distance the impertinent and the trouble- some, without offending them ; and thus to avoid much expense of time and comfort. By his manners he conciliated the contidence and vene- ration of all classes with whom he was called to have intercourse ; for they were adapted to make an impression in his favour equally on the rich and the poor, the polished and the rude, the learned and the ignorant. And, more especially, by his manners, he, as it were, cast around him an influence, which repressed frivolity, impiety, and profaneness, and made his presence a pledge of decency and order. " There is something " defective,'' says the eloquent Dr. Jay, " espe- ^' cially in a minister, unless his character pro- " duces an atmosphere around him, which is felt " as soon as entered. It is not enough for him " to have courage to reprove certain things \ he ** should have dignity enough to prevent them ; >^ and he will, if the christian be commensurate ^^ with the preacher, and if he walk worthy of <^ God, who hath called us into his kingdom and ^^ glory*/' This moral atmosphere surrounded J)QCtor Rodgsrs. And it was produced, not by moroseness or austerity ; but by a peculiar, apos- ♦ Life of Winter^ p. 299. His general Character. 341 tolical dignity, which every one instantly perceiv- ed, and which nothing but the most hardened and brutal profligacy was able to withstand. XIII. Finally ; let it not be thought beneath the dignity of biography to state, that Doctor Modgers was always attentive to his dress. Like his manners and his morals, it was invaria- bly neat, elegant, and spotless. He appeared to have an innate abhorrence of every thing like Slovenliness or disorder about his person. And while there was nothing that indicated an exces- sive or finical attention to the materials or the ad- justment of his clothing; it was ever such as manifested the taste of a gentleman. In this re- spect he resembled his friend and spiritual father, Mr. Whitefield, whose sayings and example on the subject he not unfrequently quoted. The dress of our persons, like that of our thoughts, is undoubtedly important. No man ever neglected either, without impairing both his respectability and his usefulness. A clerical fop is, indeed, contemptible ; but a clerical sloven, deserves no slight reprehension. It has been said, and probably with truth, that the person who has a remarkably pure and well-ordered 342 His general Character. mind, will seldom fail to be neat and tasteful in his dress. It is certain that such a dress has a tendency to inspire respect, even among the most enlightened and reflecting classes of soci- ety ; that it gives additional dignity to the pre- sence, and additional force to the instructions, of him who wears it ; and that almost all persons instinctively connect with it something of a cor- responding character in his intellectual and moral endowments. If this be, in any degree, the case, it seems to follow, of course, that a well-regulat- ed and moderate, but habitual attention to this object, is incumbent on every christian, but espe- cially on every christian who fills a public station. As an AUTHOK. Doctor Rodgers never held an eminent place. His forte was in action^ not in ivritingy which he undertook with reluctance, and as seldom as possible. His publications were few. The following, it is believed, is a complete list. I. Holiness the Nature and Design of the Gospel of Christ : A sermon preached at Stock- bridge, June 24, 1779, before the Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, of Berkshire county. His general Character. 843 State of Massachusetts : and published at their request. II. The Divine Goodness displayed in the American Revolution : a Sermon preached in New- York, December 11th, 1783; appointed by Congress, as a day of public Thanksgiving throughout the United States. III. Three Sermons in the American Preacher. IV. The Faithful Servant Rewarded : a Ser- mon, delivered at Princeton, before the Trustees of the College of New- Jersey, May 6th, 1795, occasioned by the death of the Reverend John WitJierspoon, President of said College. Y. A Charge delivered to the Reverend Jo- seph Bidlen, at his designation to the office of Missionary to the Chickasaw Indians. YI. The Presence of Christ the Glory of a Church : a Sermon delivered November 6th, 1808, at the opening of the Presbyterian church in Cedw-street, ISeiv-York. These publications are all respectable in their 844 His general Character. kind. They furnish internal evidence that their author was a pious, enlightened, and judicious Divine. But they all discover, what has been more than once hinted in the foregoing pages, that he had been too busy in the great and prac- tical departments of his professional duty, to in- dulge himself in the luxuries of polite literature, or to attain the elegancies of fine writing ; and that he had the pious magnanimity to prefer the former to the latter. Such was Doctor John Rodgers! He was not without his infirmities ; but they were spots in a luminary of full-orbed excelle ce ; and no one was more ready than himself to acknowledge, that he was a miserable sinner, and that his pro- per place was at the footstool of Divine mercy. " Take him for all in all," the American church has not often seen his like; and will not, it is probable, speedily or often " look " upon his like again." In vigorous and ori- ginal powers of mind, a number have exceed- ed him. In profound and various learning, he had many superiors. In those brilliant qualities, which excite the admiration of men, and which are much better fitted to adorn than to enrich, pre-eminence is not claimed for him. But in His general Character. 345 that happy assemblage of practical qualities, both of the head and the heart, which go to form the respectable man ; the correct and polished gen- tleman ; the firm friend ; the benevolent citizen ; the spotless and exemplary christian ; the pious, dignified, and venerable ambassador of Christ; the faithful pastor; the active, zealous, persever- ing, unwearied labourer in the vineyard of his Lord ; it is no disparagement to eminent worth to say, that he was scarcely equalled, and cer- tainly never exceeded, by any of his contem- poraries. The history of this excellent Man is an instruc- tive one. Among a number of important lessons, it teaches us — Th?^. personal character has an immediate and essential influence on official standing : — That ardent piety, exemplary deportment, habitual prudence, and unwearied diligence, are those qualities in a Gospel Minister, on which, under God, the greatest reliance is to be placed: — That the impression made by the exhibition 44 345 His general Character, of constant, uniform, and consistent Christian excellence, never fails to be deep, benign, and lasting That the more exclusively a Minister of the Gospel is dpvoted to his pRPiiliar vvork^ the great-* er will, ordinarily, be his comfort and his use- fulness : — That the ^attainment of the best and noblest kind of eminence, in the sacred, as well as every other, profession, is, humanly speaking, within the reach of many more than is commonly imagined : — That the most solid and lasting popularity is founded less on splendid pulpit eloquence, than on faithful and persevering pastoral labours > — That " them that honour the Lord Jesus Christ, " He will honour :" — Of course, That that minister is in the fairest way to true honour, and the most desirable success, who lives most by faith on the Divine Redeemer, and who forgets his own glory, in the multitude of his de- His general Character, 347 sires and endeavours to advance the glory of Him that sent him : — And, That He who sits as "King* upon the holy hill *^ of Zion," does continue to fulfil the promise long since made to his ministers — " Lo, I am " with you always, even unto the end of the '' wwld." " To Him he glory in the Church, throughout •^ all ages, world without end ! Amen /" END OF THE IVIEMOIRS. 4 # SERMON OCCASIONED BY THE DEATH OF DOCTOR RODGERS. •«,'•■ » SERMON, PREACHED IN THE CITY OF NEW-YORS, MAY 12th, 1811, OCCASIONED BY THE DEATH OF THE REV. JOHN KODGERS, D. D. LATE SENIOR PASTOR OF THE WALL-STREET AND BRICK CHtRCHES, NEW-YORK. * BY SAMUEL MILLER, D. D. StTEVIVISG PASTOR OV THE CHITRCH IN WAI.l-STREET. |m :U A SERMON, -Sc. 2 Kings ii. 12. — My Father i my Father ! the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof \ Death is daily making* conquests in our apos* tate world ; but rarely, very rarely, does he make such a conquest, as that which, in the course of the last week, has clothed this Church in mourning". He has entered the sanctuary of God, and directed his arrow ag-ainst a Father in Israel The death of any man, is a solemn ai»d instructive event : but when the eminent, the use- ful, and the honoured die ; when the Ambassa- dor of Jesus Christ, venerable in piety and in services, as well as in age, is taken away, we ought to be deeply and peculiarly affected. We may then, every one of us, exclaim, in the lan- guage of pious friendship befoj-e us — My Father, my Father ! the chariot of Israel, and the horse=' men thereof I 45 354 Funeral Sermon, In this tender and impassioned lang-uage, did the young prophet Elisha lament the departure of Elijah, his father, guide, and friend. Elijah had long and faithfully served God and his ge- neration. He was the most illustrious advocate of the cause of truth and righteousness then on earth : nay, almost the only one, who dared to appear openly and unreservedly in support of that cause, at a period of awful degeneracy and corruption. With signal valour and intrepidity, he had fought the battles of Jehovah against his enemies; and Jehovah had given him the victo- ry. The time had now come when he Avas to be released from the labours and the sorrows of earth, and raised to his reward on high. And as his life and ministry had been attended with many extraordinary circumstances, so the man- ner of his conveyance to his eternal home was no less extraordinary. Like Enoch, he did not die, but was translated. The account of his translation, though short and simple, is most interesting. The only earthly witness of the scene was Elisha, who was honour- ed with the last conversation, and the last sight of the ascending prophet. Elisha was warmly attached to Elijah, as an affectionate son to a Funeral Sermon, 356 tender parent. He had received from his hand, the sacred anointing- to the prophetic office. For ten years and niore they had been united in la- bours, as well as in love. But the time of their separation had arrived. The time had come in which Elisha must be left to serve alone. An- ticipating* the e\ent, the young prophet resist- ed every proposal to leave his venerable col- league, steadfastly replying to every importu- nity of this nature. As the Lord livetli, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. Accord- ingly, from Gilgal to Bethel, from Bethel to Je- richo, and from Jericho to Jordan, they went to-* gether. And it came to pass, as they still ivent on and talked, that, behold, there appeared a cJia- riot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder ; and Elijah went up by a whirbvind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he died, My Father, my Father ! the chariot of Israel^ and the horsemen thereof! And he saw him no more. This abrupt and vehement exclamation, in which Elisha gave vent to his feelings, we have chosen as more particularly the subject of our present consideration. The language of the ex- clamation is metaphorical. It is a metaphor 356 Funeral Sermon. taken from the apparatus of war. Chariots and horsemen are expressive of that kind of mihtary force which was then most in vogue. They weve the strength and the defence of ancient na- tions. To this fact the Psahnist referred when he said, Some trust in chariots, and some in horses ; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God*. Considering Elisha, therefore, as, in these words, addressing his ascending colleague, it is as if he had said — O my Father ! art THOU leaving us when we so much need thee ? Alas ! the strength, the defence, and the GLORY of Israel is taken away ! The doctrine of our text, then, is this — great AND GOOD MEN ARE THE STRENGTH AND GLORY OF A NATION : and, of course, when THEY ARE TAKEN AWAY, WE HAVE REASON TO BEWAIL THEIR LOSS. I. Great and good men are the STRENGTH AND GLORY OF A NATION. By great and good men, I mean, not those whom the world calls great and good. Alas ! * Psalm XX. 7, Funeral Sermon* 357 these epithets are often bestowed on the vilest and most unworthy ; on men who are the dis- grace of their species, and the scourge of their generation. But I mean those who are really so, in the sight of God, and according to the language and spirit of his Word. Men of wise and understanding hearts; men of unfeigned piety, and devoted, upon evangelical principles, to the service of God and their fellow-men; men of an enlarged, noble, disinterested spirit, who have no greater joy than to go about doing good, and glorifying iheir Father in heaven. Such was Enoch, who walked with God, and had this best of all testimonies, that he pleased God*, Such was jSoah, a just man and perfect in his generations, who also walked with God^. Such was Abraham, the father of the faithful, and the friend of God. Such was Moses, the leader of the armies of Israel, and the benefactor of mil- lions. Such was David, the man after GocVs own heart, who consecrated his great talents, his royal power, and his inexhaustible treasures, to the noblest of all purposes. Such was the apos- tle Paul, who, in the space of thirty years, pro- bably did more to enlighten, reform, and bless * Heb, xi. 5. f Gen, vi. 'J. 358 Funeral Sermon. mankind, and to biiiid up the church of God, than any individual that ever lived, before or since his time. And, finally, such was Barnabas, whose character is thus concisely and strongly drawn by an inspired penman — He was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost, and of faith, and much people ivas added to the Lord*. These were great and good men. Some of them had very great intellectual powers; but their most prominent excellence was of the moral kind. It was this, at which their God especially looked. It was this, which, more than any thing else, ren- dered them, at once, an honour and a blessing to the world. *^ And this kind of excellence, brethren, when weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, nay, when weighed in the balance of enlightened reason, will ever be found the most precious and important. It is not denied, indeed, that great talents, learning, and wealth, are highly important in their place ; and that eminent piety, when joined with them, is more likely to attract attention, to command respect, and to extend its beneficial influence to a wider sphere, than when alone. Still it is certain, that they * Jets xi. 24. Funeral Sermon. 359 Lave been by no means the most useful men, who have made the most noise, or enjoyed the most splendid reputation in the world ; neither are those actions most deserving of praise, which have been most extensively celebrated by the voice of fame. But that piety, purity, benevo- lence, temperance, humility, and prayerfulness, which are little noticed, and speedily forgotten by the world ; are not only held in everlasting re* memhrance before God ; but are also the grand ornament and safeguard of that very world, which despises and forgets them. We may say, then, of faithful and exemplary christians, in ge- neral, and especially of faithful christian Mi- nisters, that they are a blessing to any peo- ple. They are the light of the world; they pre- vent moral darkness from descending, and covering the nations. They are the salt of the earth ; they preserve the social mass from cor- ruption. They are the pillars of society; they keep the fabric from falling into total ruin. They are emphatically the strength and OLORY of a nation. 1. Great and ^rood men contribute to the streno;th and olory of a nation bv their instruc- tioxs. The importance of correct opinions in 360 Funeral Sermon, morals and relig'ion, is incalculable. Action is the result of principle ; and principle can never be rig^ht, where opinions essentially wrong are admit- ted and cherished. On the contrary, where cor- rect opinions prevail, and in proportion to the de- gree in which they prevail, they form one of the strongest barriers against total moral waste. They never fail to exert a secret, but most powerful influence, in favour of right practice. They restrain, where they do not sanctify. They tend to promote social order, and temporal hap- piness, even where they fall short of saving effi- cacy. Hence the man who contributes any thing, however small, toward the dissemination and re- ception of correct sentiments among a people, is a public benefactor. He renders a more essen- tial service to his country than if he presented her with countless millions of silver and gold. He does more to promote the national defence, than the collector and supporter of fleets and armies. Which, I ask, were the greater benefactors of their respective nations, and of mankind, — Im- tJieVy Calvin, and Cranmer, who were employed by a gracious Providence to tear away the veil of ignorance and error which covered the world ', or their great contemporaries in civil achieve- ments, Charles, Henry, and Francis, who spent Funeral Sermon, 361 all their days in sanguinary struggles for territory or power ? Can we doubt, for a moment, what is the proper answer ? The history of the latter is written in deeds of gloomy horror, or of " dis- astrous lustre ;" in the destruction of individual happiness, or the corruption of public virtue: while that of the former is recorded in all the correctness of theological sentiment, in all the purity of private morals, and in all the richness of national blessing, which flowed, directly or indirectly, from the glorious reformation. 2. Great and good men are the strength and glory of a nation, by means of the lustre and ef- ficacy of their example. This is a mode of contributing to the public welfare, in which all men may take a part. It has grown into a pro- verb, that example is a more powerful mean of making an impression on the minds of men, than precept. It is a method of addressing mankind which has this peculiar advantage, that it " is known and read of all men." Every man, however small his possessions, or however weak liis talents, may set a bright example of holy liv- ing, and of heavenly mindedness. Every man may, by his very deportment, every hour, frown on vice and impiety, and encourage virtue and 46 'd&Z Funeral Sermon* godliness. And in proportion as lie does this, he contributes to the public defence and honour. Often, very often, has the example even of servants, been made a rich blessing to those \v\\o employed them, and become the means of permanent bene- fit to families, and even to distant generations. But when a holy and edifying example is set by the eminent and exalted ; by those, who, in consequence of their talents, or their station, possess an extensive and powerful influence in society; it is, in a corresponding degree, a public blessing. It is seen by a larger portion of the community ; it is contemplated with greater res- pect; and it makes a deeper and more lasting impression. Such examples " raise the standard ** of morals ; they arrest the progress of degene- " racy ; they diffuse a lustre over the path of life ; " while their commemoration by the pens of his- ^* torians and poets, awakens in distant bosoms ^< the sparks of kindred excellence*." 3. The great and good contribute to the sti'ength and glory of a nation by their prayers. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man, iiays the apostle James, availeth much. Not only * Hall*s Sermon on Modern Ivjiddity. 12. Funeral Sermon, 363 much to himself; but also much, as the reason- ing of the apostle implies, to those around him. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are^ and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain ; and it rained not on the earth by the sjjace of three years and six months. And he prayed acjain, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her Jruit^, Thus the fervent sup- plications of " righteous Lof^ obtained deliver- ance for Zoar, when the Lord visited Sodom, and the rest of the " cities of the plain," with a dread- ful overthrowf . Thus Moses, a man mighty in prayer, often prevailed with God for the salva- tion of Israel, For God said, that he would have destroyed them, had not Moses, his chosen, stood he/ore him in the breach, to turn away his wrathy lest he should destroy themp Thus, at the prayer of Samuel, the people of Israel were protected from the rage of their haughty and powerful enemies, the Philistines, For Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel ; and the Lord heard him ; and as Samuel was offering up the burnt offer-- ing, the Philistines drew near to battle against Is- rael : but the Lord thundered with a great thun- der, on that day, upon the Philistines , and dis~ » James v. 16, 17, t Gen. xix. 20—23. \ Paalm cvi. 23. 364 Funeral Sermon, comfited them, and they were smitten before Is- 7'aeL And the hand of the Lord 7vas against the Philistines all the days of Samuel^. When the Jews were in captivity, and tlie walls of Jerusa'- lem broken down, Nehemiah wept, and fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven, that He would grant him favour before the king of Persia, and incline him to smile upon the good design of building the city and house of God. In answer to this prayer the Lord so inclined the king's heart, that Nehemiah has left it on record — The king granted me according to the good hand of my God upon me'\. Again, when Sennacherib invaded Judah, and breathed out threatenings against her, and blasphemies against her God, and when he thought confidently to overwhelm her fenced cities ; Hezekiah, the king, and Isaiah, the prophet, wept and prayed before the Lord in behalf of their beloved country 3 and the Lord hearkened and heard them, and, in a most won- derful manner, saved Jerusalem from the power of the haughty Assyrian f. And, linally, it was when the disciples were all with one accord, in 2)rayer and supplication, in the city of Jerusalem, that the Holy Spirit, on the day of Pentecost, was * 1 Samuel YU, 5—14. f JVeh€?n,iL S*— 9. | Isa. xxxvii. Funeral Sermon. 365 sent down with power and great glory, on the church in that city, imparting a rich blessing, not only to what was then the household of faith, but ultimately to the surrounding nations*. These instances may suffice to show that the saints of God have a strong interest in the court of heaven ; that, by their prayers, they often pre- vail to avert, to mitigate, or to remove, judgments from a people 5 and sometimes to obtain a re- prieve even for those who are ripe for ruin, and devoted to destruction. For we cannot suppose, either that the character of the Most High is changed, or that prayer has lost its efficacy, since the date of the occurrences which have been re- cited. We cannot suppose that the arm of Je- hovah is shortened, that it cannot save, or that his ear is heavy that it cannot hear, or that ihe fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth less than for- merly. No, my brethren, God is still a God who hears, and answers prayer, and grants the re- quests of his people. The prayers of believers, when they fervently and unitedly besiege the throne of grace, are still mighty : mighty to avert judgments ; mighty to draw down bless- ♦ jicfs i, ii. 366 Funeral Sermon. ings. In the strong and bold language of the Holy Spirit himself, they have strength ivith God, and prevail^. It was said by Mary, Q,ueen of Scots, that infatuated victim of folly and crime, that she was more afraid of John Knox's prayers, than of an army of ten thousand men. She had more reason to be afraid of them. They were far more formidable to her unrighteous cause. And I have no doubt, that it is as great and precious a truth, at this day, as it ever was, that a praying people are, under God, the greatest security of a nation. I have no doubt that many an humble christian, in circumstances far less conspicuous than those of that great and good Reformer, per- haps altogether unnoticed by the world, has been enabled, b^ his prayers, silently, but most effica- ciously, to draw down blessings on his family, on his neighbourhood, and on his nation. 4. Once more; the very presence of the wise. and the good, in a city or nation, forms a defence, the value of which no human powers can esti- mate. Our Lord long ago taught us, that the tares are often spared, for the sake of the wheat growing beside them. In like manner, * Gen, xxxii. 28. Funeral Sermon* 367 for the sake of the righteous, the world is pre- served. And, for their sakes, blessings daily descend, to enlighten and cheer the abodes of men. Had there been ten righteous persons in Sodom, that depraved city had been spared for their sake. And though Lot himself appears to have been the only person there of this charac- ter ; yet Jehovah declared that He could not do any thing against the city, till his servant Lot had made his escape from the unhallowed territory, and taken refuge in Zom\ It is readily granted, that there are degrees of corruption and profligacy which, when a people have reached, they must and will be destroyed. With respect to a nation which has come to this awful moral crisis, it is said, by the Pro- phet, Though these three men^ Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness^* Still it is manifest, . from the whole tenour of his word, that God is slow to inflict heavy judgments upon a nation in which many of his people dwell ; that he often spares it, spreads over it the protection of his Providence, and finally delivers it, for their sake; * Ezekid xiv. 1 4i 368 Funeral Sermon^ and, of course, that the presence of his beloved children, speaking after the manner of men, is a better defence than charHots and horsemen : — a better defence than all the plans of mere poUti- cians ; than all the skill, courage, and activity of 7nere warriors. In all the ways which have been mentioned, and in many more, the great and good are the strength and glory of a nation. Hence we find in a number of instances in the sacred history, that when persons of this character were taken away, the most deplorable consequences ensued. Thus, after the death of Joshua^ and of the elders who outlived him, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, which he did for Israel, the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Balaam, and forsook the Lord God of their fathers, and followed other gods, and howed themselves down unto them; so that the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies^. So it was with the j^ood kings, Hezekiah and Josiah, While they * Judges ii. 6— 1-5. Funeral Sermwu 369 lived, their people were comparatively pure and happy; but, when they \^ere taken away, error and corruption lifted their heads, and soon gain- ed a most awful and destructive prevalence. Hence God said concerning Judah^ in the days of the prophet Ezehiel ; I sovyhtjor a man among them that should make vp the hedc/e^ and stand in the (jap before me, for the land, that 1 should not destroy it ; but I found none. There- fore have I poured out mine indignation upon them J 1 have consuyned them with the fire of my wrath ; their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God*. Nor were facts of this kind by any means confined to ancient times. Very often, as the discerning have seen, in later periods, when great champions of truth and righteousness have been removed from the midst of a people, error, corruption, and misery, have bro- ken in upon that people, and made it manifest that their defence, under God, was gone. And is not such a result as reasonable in prin- ciple, as it is familiar and unquestionable in fact? If " the safety of nations is not to be sought in " arts or in arms ;" if the prevalence of industry, temperance, chastity, frugality, and patriotism;, * Ezekiel xxii. 30, 31 . 47 370 Funeral Sermon. he of incalculable moment in promoting the or- der, the union, and the strength of a people; if religion be the great tamer of the passions, the great softener of human obduracy and bru- tahty, the grand source of all those virtues which bind society together ; and if a faithful God will never withdraw his covenant blessing from his children, wherever they dwell; then it is evident, that whenever any leading, exemplary, and influ- ential servant of God is taken away from a people, so much of the safety and glory of that people is departed. But if the foregoing facts and reasonings apply with force to civil society, and show the import- ance of great and good men to a people, in their national capacity ; they apply with much greater force to the church, " the Israel of God." Here purity of principle, and holiness of practice, are not only important as means of good ', but they form the essence of all real prosperity. A church is always strong in direct proportion to the number of sincere friends of truth and piety which she embraces in her bosom. When the number of these is diminished, her strength and glory are always in precisely the same proportion diminished. And when they are all removed, her true beauty and honour are no more. Funeral Sermon. 371 Thus it api^ears that the great and the good are the strength and glory of any community. It follows, II. That when they are taken away, WE HAVE REASON TO BEWAIL, THEIR LOSS. We have reason to bewail their loss, not on their own account ; but on the account of our- selves, the church, and the world. We have reason to mourn, not that they are liberated from the weakness and the pain, the sin and the suf- fering, of this apostate world, and gone to heaven. Wot that their days of trial are ended, and that they have reached their eternal home, where there is no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying^ neither any more pain ; but fulness of joy, and pleasures for evermore^. In all these things, we have rather reason to rejoice. The departing samt may, with propriety, say to every mourning survivor, If ye love me, ye will rejoice, because £ go to my Father. Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children^. But m all such cases we have reason to mourn that we • J?ei;,xx, 4. Pse. xvJ. 11. t /o/^7ixiv.28. Luke^yXuZ9. 37'2 Funeral Sermon. have lost their presence, their instructions, their example, and their prayers. We have reason to lament, that a part of what formed the defence and the glory of the nation is taken away. Though Aaron lived to a great age, and, beyond all doubt, made a happy exchange at his death ; yet, when all the coru/regation saw that Aaron 7vas deady they mourned for him thirty daysy even all the house of Israel^, The life of Moses was prolonged to one hundred and twenty years, and no believer in Israel doubted, for a moment, that his departure was a translation to a more holy and a more happy world. Yet the children of Israel wept for Moses, in the plains of Moah, thirty days'f. In like manner, Stephen, the first martyr, though he died in holy triumph, seeing, before his departure, the heavens opened, and Je- sus standing on the right hand of GodX ; and though his brethren had the highest possible evi- dence that he had departed to he with Christ, whch was far better than a residence on earth; yet devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him^. In all these cases, the mourning was not over the destiny of ♦ JMumb. XX. 29. f DeiU, xxxiv. 8. \ Acts vii. 55 — 60. ^ Acts viii. 2. Funeral Sermon. 373 the departed saint; for that was glorious and happy ; but it was OTer the public bereavement and loss. It was the same consideration which led the Psalmist to cry out, under similar circum- stances, Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth ; for the foitJif'ul foil from among the children of men*. We are not, however, so to mourn, for the de- parture of the great and the good, as to admit any feelings of despair for the cause of Christ. No, brethren ; we may tremble for ourselves ; but we may not tremble for the ark of God. It can never be lost; it can never be destroyed. We may, and ought to mourn, as over a public calamity, when the king of Zion appears to frown upon our nation, or upon any nation, by remov- ing those distinguished men, who have formed an important part of its human defence. We may, and ought to mourn, when the stability or the purity of any particular portion of the church is threatened, by the death of those who have been its best ornaments, and its most worthy champions. Every Jew, who wished well to his nation, had reason to mourn, when the word of * Psa, xii. It 374 Puneral Sermon, the Lord came by the Prophet, saying, Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take arvay from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff; the TV hole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water ; the mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, the prudent and the an- cient, the honourable man and the counsellor; and I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them*. But we may not mourn, as those who are afraid that the cause of God will fail. This is unbelief. The greatest and the best of men may be taken away ; but the Lord liveth, and blessed be our Mock ! Those who appear to be the props of society, may sink under the hand of time ; but Jesus Christ, who has the government on his shoulder, is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever'\. Yes, my breth- ren, if those venerable lips, which are now sealed in death, were able to address you, it would be to say, " Fear not; Zion is safe! Her King is in " the midst of her ; she shall not be moved; He " shall help her, and that right early %. Elijah " and Elisha have left their stations, and gone to " heaven. Paul, and Apollos, and Cephas are " no more. But the Church lives and grows. • Isa, Ui. 1 — 5. t ^cb, xiii. 8. i Psalm xlvi. 5. # Funeral Sermon. B75 *^ Pastors and their flocks are passing away in '^ quick succession ; but the cause of the Re- " deemer will endure for ever. It must and will " triumph, to the glory of the eternal Godhead. " Sorrow not, there/ore, as those which have no " hope* Be not afraid; only believe^ J^ From the doctrine of our text, thus illustrated, we may infer — 1. That every individual, without exception, may, if he be so disposed, minister to the welfare and happiness of his country, and thus become a public blessing. All men, indeed, have not the same talents. To some are given ten ; to others live ; to others two ; to every man accord- ing to the sovereign will of God. But to all, without exception, there are given talents enough to be a public blessing, if there be an heart for the purpose. All men, it is granted, cannot be employed in the great affairs of state ; in organ- izing governments; in frammg laws; or in conducting negociations. All cannot be em- ployed in preaching the Gospel ; in turning men from darkness to light, and from the kingdom of * 1 ThesAy. 13. Mark \, ^6, 376 Funeral Sermon. satan to God; and in publicly and extensively building up the Redeemer's kingdom. But all may instruct, by their conversation ; all may edi- fy, by their example ; all may confer a social be- nefit, by their prayers : and all may promote the happiness of those around them, by exercising the various virtues and ofraces which belons: to their several relations in life. JEvery man who walks in this course, is a public blessing. He forms a part of the defence and the glory of the community to which he belongs. Why, then, O why, are we not all more zealous to bear this high character ? Why are we so willing to crawl in the dust of indolence, and of selfishness, rather than aspire to the honour of being public bene- factors ? Let no man say, that he cannot aspire to such an honour. It is the disgrace and the sin of any man, whatever may be his talents, or whatever his circumstances, if the world is not the better and the happier for his having lived. 2. From the doctrine of our text we may in- fer, that the daily actions of our lives are of more importance than we are ready to imagine. The greater portion of mankind appear to think that the community have no interest in any other part of their conduct, than in some of Funeral Serinon. 377 the more public and formal acts of their lives. When a mag-istrate discharges any official func- tion; when a minister is called to any public duty ; or when a common citizen attempts to ex- ercise a civil right; — it is universally granted, that these acts have a bearing on society, as well as on the actors themselves; and therefore, that they ought to be performed with deliberation and care. But with respect to all the acts of in- dividual and private duty, it seems to be sup- posed that no one but the agent himself is the better or the worse for them. This is not only a mistake, but a dangerous one. It is not ex- travagant to pronounce, that all we say, and all we do, has more or less influence on so- ciety, as well as on ourselves. Our fidelity, or the reverse, with regard to the most private and retu'ed duty, carries with it a blessing, or a curse, as the case may be, and makes us the one or the other to the community in the bosom of which we live. How deliberate, how conscientious, and how prayerful, ought we then to be, not only in our public walks, but also in our most private ways; remembering, that in both we are actiiig for ourselves, for our country, and for the church of Christ ! 48 378 Funeral Sermon. 3. From the representation given of this sub- ject we may also infer, that when the wise and the good are taken away, it is incumbent upon us to honour them in their death, and affection- atel}^ to cherish their memory. It is granted that we cannot by any thing of this kind profit them. They are exalted to a world, where the honours and the praises of earth avail them nothing. But we owe it to ourselves. It is cal- culated to promote our own profit ; to keep alive our gratitude o God, for raising up and form- ing such instruments; to impress more deeply upon our minds, the important declaration made by the Holy Spirit, that righteousness exalteth a 7iation; and to render us more diligent in follow- ing the example of those who have trode before us the path of usefulness and honour. Remem- ber, says the apostle. Remember those which have had the ride over you, rvho have spoken unto you the word of God; whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation*. To this duty, God, in his adorable providence, now calls us. The departure of that aged and venerable servant or Christ, who, in the course of the last week, lias been translated from the Church * Heb, xiii. 7. Funeral Sermdn, 379 on earth to the Church in heaven, is an event which must not be suffered to pass unnoticed, or unimproved. It is an event, brethren, which forms an epoch highly interesting- to you and to me. Let us reflect on his character. Let us in- quire how he served his generation. And while we adore the grace and the providence of God, who made him what he was -, who gave him to us; and who continued him so long a public blessing, let us strive to follow^ him, as he follow- ed Christ. You will not expect me, at present, to enter into a detail of the life and character of your late excellent Pastor. Besides that it would be impossible to do justice to such an undertaking in the bounds of a single discourse, it is my purpose, with the leave of providence, to at- tempt this hereafter, in another and more ex- tended form. In the mean time, let it suffice to give such a hasty and general outline of his history, talents, and services, as may prepare the way for some practical reflections on the termi- nation of his labours*. * Here followed a brief abstract of the history contained in the preceding part of his volume ; vhich, for obvioitfi reasons, it istnou^ht propei to emit here. 380 Funeral Sermon, With respect to the character and the success of his labours as your Pastor, I need not say much. Many present have known them much longer, and much better, than the speaker; and all, 1 trust, have so deep an impression of their value, as to render detail and the language of panegyric equally unnecessary. Suffice it to say, that, for near forty-six years, he laboured among you in the gospel ; and that, from the period of his arrival, our church has been, al- most uniformly, in a course of progressive en- largement. He laboured, not in that sparing, niggardly manner, which indicated an aim mere- ly to maintain a respectable standing, and to sa- tisfy public expectation ; but with that earnest, persevering, unwearied diligence, in season and out of season, which evinced a heart glowing With love to his Master and his work; and which showed, that his object was to gain, not yours, hvXyou : — not to attract your admiration ; not to be called of men. Rabbi, Rabbi ; but to promote, by every mean in his power, your tem- poral and eternal happiness. Yes, brethren, for you he studied and preach- ed. For YOU he watched and prayed. In deep Funeral Sermmu 381 anxiety for your welfare, he passed many a toil- some day, and many a sleepless night. To YOUR benefit he affectionatelv devoted all the vigour of his powers for near half a century : and the last audible prayer that he addressed to the throne of grace, the evening before his departure, was chiefly employed m imploring a blessing upon YOU. If ever a people were indebted to a faith- ful minister, you, my brethren, owe a large debt of gratitude to that apostolic man ! He has been, under God, your father, your guide, the healer of your divisions, your builder up, in the most dark and trying times. Nor is it less an honour to yourselves, than to the venerable deceased, that you have manifested a deep and grateful sense of his eminent services, by cherishing his declining years ; by granting him, w ithout any deduction, his usual temporal support, when he was no longer able to labour for you; and by affectionately honourmg his memory. In every station which he filled, and in every relation which he bore in lite, he wasexemj)lary, beloved, honoured, and uselul. As a husband, a father, a master, a friend, and a member of civil society, seiuom, very seiiiom, has any man 382 Funeml Sermon. left a character more universally excellent and respectable. In every work of benevolence he was forward and active. Of almost all the as- sociations for pious and charitable purposes in our city, he was a leading and zealous member. With all denominations of Christians, he delight- ed to cultivate a spirit of harmony and affection. And that he was, in return, pre-eminently res- pected by all denominations, we had a most pleasing testimony on that solemn day, on which we consigned his remains to the house appointed for all living. But time would fail me to speak in detail, of the multiplied services which he performed ; of the many important stations wiiich he filled with honour ; and of the uniformity, the dignity, the urbanity, and the prudence which he displayed in them all. In whatever point of light we con- template his character, we behold something to. admire, to venerate, and to love. In every walk of life we behold him acting: under the influence of that apostolic maxim. For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself; for whether we live^ we live unto the Lord, or whether we die, Funeral Sermon* 388 we die unto the Lord ; whether we live, thereforey or die, we are the Lord '5*. But the ministry of the Gospel was his beloved employment ; and to discharge the duties of this sacred office with fidelity, zeal, and success, was his highest ambition. To this great work, all the powers of his mind, and all the stores of his information, were conscientiously devoted. Even when travelling abroad, amidst the convulsions of war, and when bound by no pastoral ties, he never omitted an opportunity of appearing in his ministerial character, and of preaching Christ crucified to all who were willing to hear. He went through the towns and villages of our coun- try with apostolic zeal, proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom, and striving to win souls to Christ. His preaching was always of that evan- gelical, fervent, practical kind, which is best adapted, by the Divine blessing, to impress and to profit the souls of men. He was, emphatical- ly, a champion of the cross ; a burning and a shining light. His labours every where com- manded the respect and the affections of the pi- ous. From JSeiV' Hampshire to Georgia, the af- * Rom, xiv. 7, 8. 384 Funeral Sermon^ fectionate remembrance, and the liappy fruits of his ministrations are, in many places, still to be found. Nor were his labours, as a minister of the gos- pel, confined to the pulpit. He taught yiom house to house. He was unwearied in instructing the ignorant, in comforting the afflicted, in praying with the sick and dying, and in promoting peace among all to whom his influence extended. Many of you, my brethren, can tell, from your own experience, with what tenderness he inter- ested himself in your joys and sorrows; with what affection he hastened to your dwellings, when sickness or bereavement made them houses of mourning ; and how remarkably he was the pastor as well as the preacher, to all under his care. One of the maxims upon which he acted, was, never to go into any company, and never to make even the shortest social visit, without leaving some testimony for God; without drop- ping something to extend the knowledge, and to recommend the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. In these diversified and important labours, he persevered with extraordinary veal and diligence, as long as he had strength to perform them. And Funeral Sermon. 385 when he beoan to sink under the infirmities of age, his chief regret alwajs appeared to be, not of a selfish kind ; but that he no longer had strength, as formerly, to labour for his beloved Master. This he expressed so often and so strongly, that it was impossible not to believe it to be the sentiment of his inmost soul. It was his daily prayer that he might not outlive his use- fulness. And who will venture to say that his prayer was not heard and granted ? For although he outlived that strength which enabled him to take a part in the public ministiations of the sanctuary -, yet he did not outlive his holy exam- ple. He did not outlive the most affectionate concern y and the most fervent prayers, for the welfare of his beloved people, and the prosperity of the Redeemer's kingdom. The closing scene was such as might have been expected after such a life. It was serene and unclouded. Even when the powers of his mind failed him on every other subject, he mani- fested the most distinct apprehension, and the most unwavering firmness, of christian hope. The glory of Christ, the fulness and freeness of his salvation, and the blessedness of his eternal kingdom, — were his favourite topics of 19 386 Funeral Sermon, discourse, as long* as he was able to speak at all. And in speaking of them, he appeared to be elevated, at once, above bodily pain, and all worldly anxieties and fears. Blessed Religion ! the solace of life ! the sweetener of labour ! the consolation of the afflicted ! the antepast of hea- ven ! Thrice blessed Religion ! why, O why is it not more eagerly sought, and more largely and habitually enjoyed? At length, worn out with age, and loaded with the best of all honours, the honour of having served his generation hy the will of God*, in the 63d year of his ministry, and in the 84th of his age, he expired, in the arms of an affectionate family and people ; and was translated, as we trust, according to the gracious promise, to shine as a star in the firmament of glory for ever and ever. With respect to the obligations which I per- sonally owe to the memory of our departed Father, this is not the place to recount or to acknowledge them in detail. Bound by the ties of early friendship, and of ministerial intercourse^ * Jets xiii. 36. Funeral Sermon, 387 with my honoured father* according to the flesh, he kindly and tenderly took his son by the hand, and bestowed on him a degree of affection and confidence, truly parental, to the end of life. Yes, my brethren, in his death, I have lost a father, as well as yourselves ! When I cast an eye backward for a few years, a thousand ten- der recollections crowd into my mind. The ju- dicious counsels, and faithful support, with which he honoured me, when I came to you, an inex- perienced youth ; together with all the countless official, as w ell as personal benefits which I have received from him, in the course of seventeen years, can never be forgotten, while I have a heart to feel — But I forbear — To have been to- tally silent on this subject, would have been un- grateful. — To pursue it further, would be an un- seasonable obtrusion of private feeling, on public duty. * The distairce between the residence of Doctor Rodgcrs-, and that of the writer's Father, both in the state oi Delaware^ was about 26 miles. And, though they belonged to dif- ferent Presbyteries, and differed in opinion on some points of ecclesiastical order, they were united in aflfectionate friendship, and had much official intercourse, especially on. sacramental occasions. 38 S Fmieral Sermon, With the family and friends of the deceased, we affectionately sympathize. Under the cir- cumstances in which his happy translation oc- curred, they have more reason to rejoice than to weep. Their consolations are as many and great as can attend the departure of an heir of glory. May the bright example, and the many prayers which he has left them as a legacy, be made a rich blessing to them, in time and eternity ! And may they all be prepared, at length, to follow him to those mansions, in which he now rests from his labours I But, while we cherish the memory of this ex- cellent Man, there are various duties resulting from his departure, which it becomes survivors, and especially all of us, who were so closely united with him, to recollect, and to ponder in our hearts. To every class of those who were placed, by the providence of God, under his pastoral charge, this event speaks in language of the most impressive kind. To such of you, my brethren, as remain unre- conciled to God, and of course, strangers to the faith and the hope of his people, the death of Funeral Sermon. 389 your ag'ed pastor, is an event of the most solemn nature, and ought deeply to affect your hearts. He has gone to give in an account of his minis- try; and in a little while you will follow him te the same bar, to give an account of the manner in which you have received his ministrations in the Lord. Yes, brethren, he has done with his earthly labours ; but be assured you have not done with them. The solemn account between God and you, for having enjoyed them, is yet to be settled. O brethren ! if you remain strangers to the grace of the gospel, how will you bear to meet him before the judgment seat of Christ P How will you bear to behold his venerable form there standing as a witness against you ? How will you bear to recollect his entreaties, his warn- ings, his exhortations, his prayers, in that great day of the Lord ? Better, infinitely better for you, that you had never been born, than meet him in your present condition ! Brethren ! let the death of your pastor sink deep mto your hearts ! Let this solemn event be found the means of making that saving impression upon you, which his life and his labours failed of effecting. It is the last of those things concerning him for which you must give an account. God grant that you may give it 7vith joy, and not with grief! God grant 390 Funeral Sermon, that you may have grace given you to take re- fuge in the Saviour; and then you will meet Him, as well as his Servant, at last, with joy un- speakable and full of glory / My AGED FRIENDS, who have not yet come to Christ, that ye might have life, what shall I say to you, on this solemn occasion ? When I re- collect how many years you have set under the droppings of the sanctuary -, and how many warn- ings, as well as intreaties, you have received from the lips of that man of God, whose mortal re- mains you lately followed to the grave; and that all these have been hitherto in vain ; I am almost ready to sink under discouragement, and to say, What benefit can be expected from any address or ministration of mine, when such means have failed ? And, truly, were human strength the ground of hope, I might sit down in despair. But when I remember that it is God who giveth the increase ; and that the feeblest means, by the power and grace of the King of Zion, may be rendered effectual ; I am encouraged still to speak in his name, and to look up to Him for a blessing on what shall be said. Let me ask, then, my aged friends, how do you feel, now that he whom you have so long venerated iis your Friend Funeral Sermon, 391 and Minister is gone ? How do you feel, when you remember that his long and faithful labours are finally closed ; and that you must, according to the course of nature, very soon follow him to the eternal world, there to answer for the im- provement you have made of them? Let me in- treat you to consider your ways. The day is far spent : the shadows of the evening admonish you that there is but little time remaining. What you have to do must be done quickly, or it will be for ever too late! For what are you waiting? Alas ! delay in the great concerns of eternity is, in any case, dangerous ; but in YOU it is infatua- tion ; it is death. Trifle not, 1 beseech you, a moment longer. Accept without delay that Saviour, whom your late pastor so often and so affectionately offered to you. And then, your set- ting sun, like his, will be serene and full of glory ! My YOUNG FRIENDS of this Congregation ! The departure of your aged Father addresses itself in very solemn language to you. He loved your parents. Over the dying pillows of many of them he wept and prayed ; and their precious remains he followed to the silent grave*. He * When Dr. Rodger s died, there was only one person remaining, who was a member in full communion with the church in JSTcw-Yorky when he took charge of it, in 1 765. 392 Funeral Sermon, baptised and he loved you : and deep and pa- ternal was the solicitude which he manifested for your eternal welfare. Often he prayed for you in secret ; and often, very often, have I heard him, in the solemn assembly, warning you Xojieefrom the wrath to come; entreating you to lai/ hold on eternal life ; and appealing to your consciences, and your hearts, whether you could bear to be separated from your parents; and, while they lived and reigned with Chiistfor ever, to be ban- ished eternally from their society and their God? O, my beloved young friends! shall not these warnings and appeals now rise before you, and make an impression which they have never yet done ? By and by you must all meet that venera- ble Ambassador, in an assembly infinitely more solemn than the present ; infinitely more solemn than any that you can witness here below, I be- seech, I conjure, I charge you, not to meet him without having first become reconciled to his God and Saviour; without having first secured an interest in that inheritance, of which he now knows more than ever the unspeakable value. To the SINCERE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST in this congregation, the occasion and the subject speak the most tender language. My brethren Funeral Sermon, 393 in the Lord ! many of yon, under God, owe your awakening, and your introduction to the king- dom of Christ, to the beloved minister who has just left us; and many more have reason to bless his memory to all eternity for that instruction, comfort, and edification which he was made the means of imparting to your hearts. He is gone ; gone to his Father, and our Father, to his God, and our God, But he has left you much to remember with the liveliest gratitude and joy. Cherish the memory of his virtues and graces, as well as of his labours ; and strive to be followers of him, as he followed Christ. Though dead, he yet speaketh. Though his cold lips have ceased to proclaim the messages of grace, and his withered hand to point out the road to life ; yet his example, his instructions, and his prayers, remain on record. Let us all study to profit by them while we live ; and to let our pro- fiting appear unto all. Let us remember how we have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. My BRETHREN IN OFFICE in this church ! the death of our aged pastor devolves upon us new duties, and new obligations. Let us lay them to heart with much seriousness ; and en- 50 394 Funeral Sermon. de^vour, from this time forth, with greater zeal and fidelity than ever, to discharge them. Is our Head taken away ? and are we, now, to be considered as the chariots and the horsemen of this our Israel? How mighty our trust! how awfully responsible our station ! how much prayer, watchfulness, and labour will be required of us ! what care in feeding the sheep and the lambs of Christ ! what prudence and firmness in g-overnment! what holy circumspection in our daily example! — I am left, with all my weak- ness, to serve alone. — Alone, I mean, as to any human partner in my pastoral labours. But the God of all grace will not, I trust, leave me alone> as to his Divine presence and aid, in the new and trying' circumstances in which I am hence- forth to be placed. Nor can I admit, for a mo- ment, the apprehension, that you will withhold from me that kind indulgence, and those fervent prayers, which I shall so much and so constantly need. And, Oh, if the smallest portion of the mantle of the ascended prophet might fall on his feeble successor, how much reason should we have to rejoice, and anticipate a blessing ! For these purposes, let us all be unceasingly engaged at the throne of grace. The same God, Funeral Sermon, 395 I trust, who has hitherto blessed and led us on, will continue to bless and guide us still. And, O ye children of God ! look forward with joy to that world, where the followers of the Lamb shall be united in one body, under their glorious Head : where Elijah and Elisha shall sit down together : where Prophets and Apostles, Pastors and their redeemed people, shall meet, and never again separate. There may we all be prepared to meet our departed father, and to rejoice with him for ever! Amen ! 3b ADDITIONAL NOTES. -J. ADDITIONAL NOTES. No. I. Page. 31. A few leaves of tJiis inestimahle work fell into the hands of a ivealthy planter^ ^c. Facts of this kind, and they are by no means few, serve to place in a very strong light the utility and importance of religious tract societies. Among the various means used for disseminating Divine truth, scarcely any seem better adapted to promote this great and good work, than the judicious and extensive dispersion of religious TRACTS. Many may be induced to read a tract of a few leaves, who could scarcely be prevailed upon to peruse a volume. And the same sum that would purchase a volume, of ordinary size, to place in a single hand, would purchase a sufficient number of excellent tracts, to place in, at least, one hundred hands. The good which may, under God, be done in this way, is in*- calculable. A small fragment of a book, or a tract of ten or a dozen pages, and which may- be procured, by the quantity, for a single cent, IN 400 Additional Notes. may be made the means, as we have seen in the case above stated, of awakening and conversion, in the first instance, to one or more individuals ; of soon exciting" a thirst for religious knowledge in a neighbourhood ; and ultimately of introdu- cing the Gospel into a large district of country ; and thus of imparting to thousands everlasting blessedness ! The following facts will speak to the pious and feeling mind with more force, than any rea- soning which the writer can employ on the sub- ject. They are communications from persons who have paid particular attention to this sub- ject, and have been honoured as the instruments of doing much good by the distribution of tracts. A volume might be tilled with similar aocounts; but these must suffice. ^* In a late short journey, I was pleased with ** the manner in which some small publications " I took with me, were received by persons in *• many places. In some of them I stopped, and introduced the delivery with a short address, which I found often had a good effect. I now ** and then saw a tear start in the eye, and grati- " tude beam in the countenance. In most cases. Additional Notes. 461 " I exhorted the person to whom I presented a " tract, to read it with attention, and pray to God " for a blessing. Once in my way to , I " passed a poor man employed in mending the " road. I stopped my horse, and addressed him " affectionately respecting the great concerns of " his soul and eternity. I gave him a small " tract, and begged him to read it, and pray over *< it, which he promised to do. Li a few days I " returned the same way, and providentially met " with the same poor man. I inquired whether ** he had read the little book I gave him. He " began to weep, and humbly replied, * I have^ " Sir, and thank you for it. I have learned " what I did not know before, and what I hope t -' shall never forget.' " " About twelve months since a person tlius ad- ** dressed me — * Sir, do you remember, about ^' two years ago, giving some little books about *^ religion to persons on the road to — ?' I " replied, that 1 perfectly well recollected dis- " tributing some hundreds in that neighbourhood, ** about that time. * Yes, Sir,' said he, < and " you called a poor man from a field, where he *"* was working, and asked him if he could read; ^1 40^ Additional Notes. ^* he said, No. You inquired if his children ** could read ', he replied in the affirmative. You **" gave him some Tracts ; he took them home ; " his children read them to him — the Lord bless- " ed them to his soul. His eyes were enlighten- " ed, his heart aft'ected, and his mind filled with " sorrow. He sought retirement, poured out " his soul before God, and became a new crea- ^* ture in Christ Jesus; has joined a church, and " now, with his wife and children, appears to be " following the Lamb.' I was deeply impress- " ed with this account, and intimated a wish to " see him. He was soon informed of it, and " sent to request that I would preach in tlie " neighbourhood. I rode out accordingly, and " preached at a farmer's house, where an aged " woman had been for many years a cripple, " and incapable of hearing the Gospel out of her " own house. I continue to preach there to this " day ; and have every reason to believe, that the " old woman, aged eighty years, her son, the " farmer, and one of their neighbours, are truly " converted to God through Jesus Christ our " liOrd. Such has been the blessed result of a " few Tracts casually dispersed in the most bar- *' ren parts of — '^ Additional Notes, 40S ^* A pious and benevolent lady, who had been ** intrusted by the committee of a Tract Society " with a large number of their publications, " writes thus — * It will be gratifying to the " Committee to learn that the liberality with " which they have permitted me to disperse their " Tracts in this place has not been in vain. Aa " evident blessing has accompanied their distri- " bution. Through the medium of one of them, " a soldier in one of the regiments stationed here, " marked among those who knew him as a most profane and wicked man, has been stopped in his career of iniquity, led to forsake the broad " road in which he was walking, and enabled, it ** is hoped, to seek and find the narrow path " which leads to everlasting life. His former " wicked companions have in vain solicited him " to return to their society ; while those few of ** his comrades who ar€ themselves religious, be- " holding the greatness of his change, exclaim, " < What hath God wrought! it is his work, and ,«V wonderful in our eyes !' Another soldier, it is " hoped, has been truly awakened to a sense of ** his sinfulness, by reading in a Tract entitled, ^* 'Short Sermons,' the address on the text— - " * Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.' '* It was put into his hands when Hck in the ho?* 404 Additional Notes. " pital, and by it he was convinced that he was, ♦' both by nature and practice, destitute of all ho- " liiiess, and consequently without hope towards ** God. In considerable distress of mind he be- " gan to read his Bible, and there became ac- " qainted with the g-racious method of salvation ** it reveals. I have seen those who have con- " versed with him, and they have expressed them- ^* selves much pleased with his deep humility of *' mind, his earnest desire to walk worthy of his ^* new and holy profession, as well as with the " accounts they have heard of his general de- (( portment."- A Minister at • • writes thus — " Some <* time since a friend of mine gave to a woman <* who attends our church, a few Tracts to take ^' home for her husband, who was about 70 years " of age, and had grown grey in the service of <* sin ; having not only neglected religion him- " self, but violently persecuted his wife for her *' attention to its important duties. He read the ^* Tracts, and the happy result of their perusal ** was a deep conviction of sin, and concern for " salvation. He lived just long enough to lay ^' hold on eternal life, and to afford a pleasing ^ testimony to the sincerity of his faith. After ii a « Additional Notes. 405 " about six months' illness, he died in full de- pendance upon tlie sacrifice of Christ for the justification of his soul in the sight of God ; acknowledging, with almost his last breath, " that he should have to bless God for ever for ^^ those who had been instrumental in the salva- " tion of his immortal soul." — Another says — " Among other persons to whom " I gave your Tracts was a young woman in " the village, who was very careless about the " best things. She read it, and it was useful to ** her. A few days afterwards, she came to me " in concern, saying, she had laid the book in " her window, and the casement being op^, ♦* she supposed it had been blown by the w^ind *^ into the road, and wished to have another, which I gave her. A short time after this, it ap- peared that her conjecture was true. The wind ♦* had blown the Tract into the road, where it was " picked up by a young woman that was passing ^* by, at the time ; and she had reason to hope " the book had been very useful to her, by bring- " ing her to attend regularly upon the means of ** grace, as well as producing a great change in " her conduct." 40*0 Additional NoUs, The following" extract from a late Report made by the Religious Tract Society of London^ is worthy of being preserved and recollected. ** In every district the Tracts have been grate- " fully received, and eagerly read. The piou» " distributors have been met M'ith smiles, or fol-- " lowed with benedictions. They have often ** been casually accosted and recognized by in- " dividuals they had long forgotten, and have " been reverenced as the bearers of a message '* from God, which, through his grace, they had " not delivered in vain. This cannot appear " surprising to any one, who considers what a " Tract really is. To the eye, it consists but of " a few printed pages, without any pretensions " to typograpliical beauty. To the understand- " ing, it is something infinitely more grand and " venerable, than the most splendid of merely " human compositions. It contains * the words " of eternal life.' It is the Gospel in miniature. " It concentrates the very essence of revelation-, " and presents, in a form the most simple, pre- " cise, and striking, the radical truths and pre- ** cepts of Christianity. It is an admonition of " human depravity, a proclamation of divine *4 Additional Notes. 407 ^^ mercy, a summons to faith, repentance, and *' prayer, a remonstrance against sin, an exhor- " tation to duty. Of such a nature are the pub- ** lications which the Society would wish to dis- " seminate over the earth : in the morning sow- ing the seed, and in the evening withholding not their hand, as they know not which shall prosper, or whether both may not prosper " alike. Such are the arrows, which are shot *^ indeed * at a venture,* but which they would " scatter through the air in such thick and uni- " versal profusion, that they should not fail to fix ** in the hearts of all the King's enemies." Can any Christian, after reading such re pre-* sentations as these, withhold his countenance, or his contributions, when he has it in his power to afford either, to Religious Tract Societies P He who is not animated to exertion by the bare possi" hility of such facts being realized in his own ex- perience, is little to be envied, either for his hu- manity, or his christian spirit. No. II. « Page 82. The Old-Side were tvrong in contend- iny against w^mminatiQikS on personal piety ^ ^r. 408 Additienal JSotea. As this subject is of great importance, in ad- ministering the affairs of the church of Christ, the writer deems it his duty to express an opin- ion respecting it, more at large than was proper or practicable in the page referred to above. When candidates for the Gospel ministry come before a Judicatory of the Church, to put them- selves on trial for admission to the holy office, every one agrees in opinion, that the Judicatory ought to obtain satisfaction with respect to their natural talents ; t\ie\rmoral character j iheir lite^ rary acquirements ; and their theological infor^^ mation: and that unless they appear well, with respect to all these points, they ought not to be licensed or ordained, as the case may be. But, amidst these various inquiries, would it not be strange, if no examination were had concerning the most important question of all, viz. Whether the candidate appeared to have a heart so im- pressed, or practically imbued with evangelical truth, as to give evidence that he was a real christian — a converted man? One would ima- gine that on such a question, there could be but one opinion among those who believe that there is a distinction, and a very essential one, between nominal and real christians ; and who believe Additional Notes. 409 iti the reality and importance of that great moral change which the scriptures denominate reyene- ration. Yet respectable professing* christians, and even ministers, have strongly objected to ex- aminations touching this point. " It is impossible,'' some have said, " to search " the heart." Granted. No Judicatory pretends, or ever did pretend, to do this. We are wholly unable. But we can, by inquiry, ascertain whe- ther candidates profess to believe in vital, expe- rimental religion ; we can judge whether they appear to understand the subject ; we can hear whether they talk like persons, who had felt the jjower of godliness, as well as assumed its form ; and we can form a distinct opinion whether they appear to have such a practical acquaintance Avith the subject, as will enable them wisely to instruct, and ably to counsel, the awakened, the inquiring, the doubting, and the tempted. All this mav, undoubtedlv* be ascertained, in half an hour, or an hour, by asking a few leading ques- tions; by placing the principal parts of christian exercise in various points of light; and by listen- ins; with attention and with candour to the manner in which the candidate expresses him- self on a subject so replete with indications of 52 410 Additional Notes. christian character. The precise mode in which the inquiry is conducted, is of little importance, provided it be such an one as leads to an unre- served and full disclosure of the candidate's views and exercises on the subject. But some of those," it is further objected, who have given the most satisfactory relation " of christian experience, have turned out to be "utter deceivers; thus proving" that examina- " tions of this kind are by no means decisive.'* Be it so ; and what t])en ? Because a plan of pro- ceeding is not absolutely infallible, is it, there- fore, worth nothing? We do not judge thus in other concerns. Let us see how far this princi- ple would carry us, in a case closely allied to that of which we are speaking. In the same manner candidates for the sacred office, who ap- peared, at the time of their admission, to be strictly moral, have been afterwards found to be deceivers in this respect also ; nay, to have been secretly immoral at the very time when they ap- peared otherwise to the judicatory by which they were admitted. But because this sometimes oc- curs, shall no inquiry be made into the moral character of those who are candidates for the sacred profession ? we need only ask the ques- Additional Notes, 411 lion, to show the utter futility of the principle on which the objection proceeds. " But searching after the personal experiences " of candidates/' say some, " is intruduig- into " a province which does not belong to us. Real " piety is a thing between God a..d the indivi- " dual's own soul. Others have no concern with ^' it. As long, therefore, as a minister maintains " a correct moral deportment, and preaches the " truth faithfully and ably, no one has a riglit to " inquire further." However this reasoning may apply to one who is already introduced into the ministry, and who certainly ouglit not to be de- posed from the sacred office, unless convicted of either heresy or immorality ; it cannot, with pro- priety, be applied to those who are on trial, as candidates for that office. Can it be supposed that a man who has only a speculative acquaint- ance with the doctrines and duties of our holy re- ligion, can exhibit them, even in the pulpit, as plainly, faithfully, and affectionately, as he who has an experimental and heartfelt knowledge of them? Can the man, who has never passed through any of the distinguishing exercises of a real christian himself, act the part of a skilful counsellor and guide to those who are " setting 412 Additional Notes. " their faces Zion ward ?'' Or can we, ordinarily, expect a blessing- on the labours of such a man ? If not; then, every judicatory of the church is bound to use all diligence to close the door of admission into the gospel ministry against such characters, wherever they are known, or, on good ground, suspected ; knowing that a man who is destitute of piety, however able in all other res- pects, cannot be ** a faithful man, who shall be able to teach others also." 2 Tim. ii 2. A ju- dicatory is not only not going beyond its province, in making strict inquiry on this subject; but it is attending to the most radical and essential quali- fication of an able miiiistr?/. On the whole, though it is impossible to search the heart ; and though cases have, doubtless, oc- curred in which examinations on experimental religion, the most satisfactory at the time, have proved altogether deceptive ; yet I am persuad- ed, that such examinations ought ever to be con- sidered as a most important and essential part of trials for the Gospel ministry ; and that where they are either wholly omitted, or but cur- sorily and slightly made, it augurs extremely ill for the interests of vital religion. And it is a consideration worthy of being borne in Additional Notes. 413 mind, that the danofer arising* from negfligfence on this subject, always increases in a direct pro- portion to the increase of a church in wealth, in outward respectabihty, and in extent. As long as a church is poor and small, and makes but an humble fig-ure in the eyes of the world, the temp- tation to take a part in her ministry, can hardly be supposed sufficiently great to induce those who have no piety to seek it. But in proportion as she becomes more powerful, and presents more alluring" settlements, the danger becomes greater that the ambitious, the worldly minded, and the insincere, will be attracted by those set- tlements, and seek an introduction into her mi- nistry. If the writer does not mistake, the Pres- byterian church in the United States has reach- ed that stage in her growth in which more than ordinary vigilance with respect to this point is demanded. And, if ever the period should ar- rive in which our Presbyteries become negligent or comparatively lax, in regard to this part of trials for the holy ministry, it requires no spirit of prophecy to predict that our evangelical cha- racter will be, from that time, speedily and irre- trievably prostrated. 414 Additional Notes, No. III. Page 146. Mr. Cumming accepted the call, and was installed collegiate pastor of their church, 8$c. There is a mistake in this page concerning the Reverend Mr. Cumming. He had never been ordained previous to his accepting the call to New-York. He had spent some time in New- Brunswick ; but it was as a stated supply. His ordination to the work of the Gospel ministry, and his instalment as pastor of the church in New-Yorii, took place on the same day. No. IV. Page 166. Captain Owen having been long intimate with Mr, William Ludlow, appointed him his executor, ^c. There are two mistakes here. Captain Owen, in his last will and testa- ment, named as executors, Peter Van Brugh Livingston, William Eagles, and Joris Johnson. These gentlemen, however, for reasons now un- known, declined acting: on which Letters of Administration, with the will annexed, were granted to Rebecca Shourt, and Gabriel Ludlow, of whom the latter was the acting administrator. Additional Notes. 415 It was not William then, but Gabriel LudlorVf who was the chief agent in this business; and he was not an executor, but an administrator. Though these mistakes do not, in the least de- gree, affect the substance of the narrative, in which they occur ; yet the writer feels unwilling to leave the smallest fact knowingly mis-stated. No. V. Page 195. Is cJiargeable in a greater degree on the Colleges of America than on any otJiers, ^c. These remarks on the depreciation in the value of collegiate honours, especially so far as they apply to America f the writer is inclined to think, on reflection, are not sufficiently guarded. With respect to his general position, that these honours have greatly depreciated within half a century, he is perfectly persuaded of its correctness. But when he looks into such a work as that by Dr. Vicesimus Knox, on Liberal Education^ section 49th, and finds that respectable writer, more than thirty years ago, lamenting over the same evil, as existing then, in a number of Euro- pean universities, and as reflecting disgrace on them ; he is inclined to retract a portion of the censure which he has passed on American uni- 416 Additional Notes, versities and colleges, as peailiarly applicable to them. He still thinks that there is a prevailing and grievous fault on this subject, with which al- most all the colleges in the United States are chargeable. But he is rather persuaded, if this fact will afford them any consolation, that they are not a whit more faulty, in this respect, than some similar institutions in Great Britain, He could wish, however, that the better example of '^few of the British universities, might still pre- vail, and might be the means of rendering the guardians of literature in this country, more cau- tious and vigilant in time to come. It cannot be, for a moment, questioned, that a dignified course of discrimination and reserve in bestowing literary degrees would, if uniformly persisted in, essen- tially promote the reputation, and enhance the va- lue of the honours, of any seminary of learning. No, YI. Page 525. His arm, before his death, literally rotted from his body, S^c. This anecdote was communicated to the writer, not by Dr. Rodyers himself, whom he never heard speak of it ; but by Thomas Tucker, Esquire, a gentleman of un- doubted reputation, now residing in Danbury, Additional Notes. 417 He speaks of the general fact as notorious, and as having been witnessed by a number of persoiiS still living. No ordinary or questio able autho- rity would have been deemed sutficient to justify the recording of such a statement. No. YII. Page 252. The Reverend Doctors Hohert Smith, Robert Cooper, James Latta, 8(c» On re- viewing the page in which the names and cha- racters of this group of worthies are recorded, together with several other pages of a simdar kind, in the same chapter, as well as in other chapters ; it has occurred to the writer that some will consider him as having dealt, with a hand somewhat too liberal, the language of eulogium. He is by no means confident that he has been either sufficiently guarded, or sufficiently dis- criminating, in the delineation of characters. But after the most serious and deliberate review of the subject which he has been able to take, he cannot discern a course which would have been less exceptionable than that which he has pur- sued. He was desirous that his work should contain some notice of a number of men whe 63 418 Additional Notes, were useful and honoured in the church, in their day, and some of whose names are not to be found in any other volume. It is obvious, from the very nature of the case, that it was not possible for him to devote more than a few lines to each in- dividual. With the greater part of them he, of course, had no personal acquaintance ; and, there- fore, could only undertake to speak of them in the general terms in which he had been accus- tomed to hear them spoken of, by his deceased Colleague, or by other fathers of the church. Had he been minutely acquainted with the defi- ciencies, and the faults of all of them, which he is not, it would have been, as he apprehends, al- together unsuitable for him to have attempted to hint at them in such a hasty sketch. Under these circumstances, the only course which ap- peared left for him, was that which he pursued. To have professed or aimed to give the character of each with minute discrimination, would not only have required much more room than he was able to spare, and a much more intimate ac- quamtance with their respective talents, acquire- ments, and history, than he possessed j but would also have been, after all, a delicate and difficult task. Additional Notes. 419 No. VIII. Pag-e 273. The formation of the Cedar-street churchy as a separate pastoral charge, ^c. The writer deems this event so important in the histo- ry of the Presbyterian chmxh in New-York, as to demand a number of remarks, which he could not have introduced in the place above mention- ed, without too much interrupting the course of the narrative. The erection of the building and the formation of the church in (7ec?«r-street, in the First place, were the means of giving" a spring, if the expression may be allowed, to ecclesiastical exertion in the City, which had been in a great measure unknown for many years before. The ground was purchased, and the edifice erected, at an expense of between forty and fifty thousand dollars ; which sum, by the sale of the pews, was raised, in a few hours, so as completely to relieve the establishment from debt. Though in- stances of a similar kind had occurred in other places, none such had ever before occurred in New-York. It showed what could be done, where there was a willing mind ; and its influ- ence, in several subsequent cases, has been mani- 420 Additional JSolcb. fest, and by no means unimportant. If no other effect had been produced, this would have been an interesting one to the whole city. May it be long before its happy influence is expended! But, in the Second place, it was, doubtless, one of the principal means employed by Providence for breaking up the system of collegiate-charges y so long established, and so highly mischievous, in the Presbyterian church oi New-York, Though this system, wherever it exists, is injurious to the body of the churches so united, and perplexing and discouraging to the ministers : though it is the parent of endless jealousies, bickerings, and animosities : and though it gives rise to nume- rous difficulties, which none but those who have been called to the pastoral office in such churches can fully understand or feel ; yet where it has been in operation for forty or fifty years, and where its disruption must invade the feelings and the prejudices of many individuals, none can ex- pect to accomplish such a measure without much agtation and trouble. The establishment of the Cec/ar-street church, toward the close of 1808; the unusual degree of success which attended the whole undertaking; the numerous advanta- Additional Notes. 421 ges which soon began to disclose themselves, as resulting from a separate pastoral charge; and the impression which these advantages made, si- lently, bat deeply, on the public mind — all tend- ed at once to hasten, and to facilitate the attempt, to separate the old collegiate churches. Before the undertaking was commenced, an " armed doctrine" had gone forth among the people, which prepared them for all that followed; or rather, which no opposition to the scheme could, humanly speaking, withstand. So that when the plan of separation was announced and understood, though opposed by some very respectable indi- viduals, it was carried through with less trouble, and at a less sacrifice, than might reasonably have been expected. The writer is by no means unfriendly to the introduction of more ministers than one into the same church, where delicate health, or the infir- mities of age, prevent one from being adequate to the necessary labour. Though, even in this case, he is persuaded much caution and discreet management are necessary, in order to afford a reasonable prospect of comfort to all parties. But the connexion of two or more large churches, under the equal pastoral care of two or more 422 Additional Notes. ministers he has long* viewed as one of the most ingenious devices of satan to sow discord among" brethren ; to clog and weaken minis- terial exertion ; and to retard, in all respects, the growth of the church. And according- ly he cannot help considering every instance of the dissolution of such a connexion, as a matter of rejoicing, and every event which may have contributed to it as a public blessing. — It may be added, in the Third place, that the success of Dr. Homeyns ministry proved highly auspicious to the evangeli- cal interests of the city. The collegiate system had been the means of producing and continuing a general languor, which extended itself in a de- gree to the spiritual welfare of the old churches. It pleased God to connect the introduction of a different system, as He had before done in Doc- tor Blilledolers case*, with an evident blessing. * Though the church in Rutgers -sir eci, when Dr. Milledoler became its pastor, was legally under the same Corporation with the JFa// street and Brick churches, and also, ecclesiastically, under the same Eldership ; yet such arrangements were made, from the beginning, as placed that church exclusively under his pastoral care, and com- pletely delivered him and his people from all the evils of the collegiate system. Additional Notes, 423 The able and faithful ministry of Doctor Homeyn was attended with more than ordinary success ; and the union, zeal, liberality, and attachment to their pastor, manifested by the people of his charge, have been productive of good, even be- yond their immediate pale, and are worthy of imitation. Since the separation also, a similar blessing" has, in a degree, attended most of the other churches, especially that under the care of Mr. Spring. The writer is persuaded, that he is chargeable with no exaggeration, when he asserts, that, all the churches which were once united, have become more flourishing since they were separated; and that, in the period of four years since that event occurred, nearly double the num- ber of members has been added to the aggregate Presbyterian body in Nejv-York, that was ever added to it in a similar period before. FINIS. / BRRATji. Page 1C7. L 3. for about the year 1754 — read, in the year 1758. Page 179.no?e, for Peter McDou^all, read Alexander McDoxt^ail Page 227. 1. 3. for 1780, read 1783. CONTEXTS. CHAPTER I. J^rom his Birth) to his Licensure to fir each the Gosfiel. Page Introductory remarks, • - - . - 9—12 His birth, parentage, &c. , - - . 12 His early education, teachers, and promising charac- ter, 13 — 17 Hears Mr. r^'Afr^e/c? with profit — Anecdotes, - 14 Goes to the Rev. Mr. Roan's Academy — conduct there, ------- 16 Goes to the Rev. Mr. Blair's do. — account of Mr. Blair, 17- Studies with the Rev. President Davies — -account of the latter, 18 Concludes his studies under the direction of the Rev. Gilbert Tennent — account of Mr. Tennent, - 22 Enters on trials for Licensure — Licensed, - - 23 CHAPTER n. From his Licensure till his settlement at St. George's. Soon after his licensure travels into Virginia with Mr. Davies, ------ 24 Remarkable circumstance attending that jouniey, - 25 The rise and progress of Presbyterianism in Vir- ginia, 27 John Organ, a pious school-master, - - - 29 Boston's Fourfold State, and Luther on Galatians, useful, 32 All the early Reformers Calvinistical, - - 32 Mr. Samuel Morris, hopefully converted, and useful, 32 Reverend William Robinson travels into Virginia-'^ Anecdotes concerning him, - - - 37 Mr. Morris' account of the state of Relieion, - 40 54 426 CONTENTS. Mr. Rodgers arrives at Williamsburghy - » 48 R.'spectfuUy treated by the Governor, - - 49 Refused a license to preach in the colony, - 50 Anecdote of Sir W. Gooch, and acco;Lint of Reverend Jamea Blair ^ ..---- 54 Mr. Rodgers leaves Virginia, and visits Somerset county, in Maryhndy - - - - 56 Lodges at Capt. ITenaA/e's— -anecdotes of Mr. Win,' der, -.----- 58 Meets with an unpleasant and threatening occur- rence, ,------ 63 Leaves Maryland^ and returns to Pennsylvania, - 64 Has four calls put into his hands, - - - 64 Accepts that from Sl George* s^ , .. - 65 CHAPTER HI. From his settlement in St. George's, till his removal to J^enU'York. His ordination and instalment, at St. George's, - 66 His ordination sermon preached by Dr. Finley — ac- count of the latter, ----- 67 Enters on his pastoral labours, • - - 68 His solemn dedication to God, - - - - 69 His attention to the Rev. Dr. Macivhorter — account of the latter, 71 Divisions in the Presbyterian church, - - 73 Sources and occasions of these divisions, - - 74 Old-Side, and JVetv-Side, ^i) Divisions healed, and parties happily united, - 83 Benefits resulting from the controversy, - - 83 Mr. Rodgers a JSfeiu-Side man, _ - , 84 Account of Mr. Rodgers* ministry, at St. George's, by the Rv v Mr. Latta, - - - - 86 Mr. Rodgers marries Miss Bayard, - - 93 Takes a second journey into Virginia, - - 94 Declines an invitation to visit .A^ew- TorA-, - - 96 Curious anecdotes respecting the Rev. H. Knox, 97 Rev President Burr, - - - - - lOP Mr. Rodgers preaches with success in Maryland^ 104 CoNTfiNTS." 427 Page Singular letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury^ 105 Mr. Rodders* concern with that letter, - - 107 Mr. Rodger s declines a mission to Eurofie^ - 108 Reverend Charles Heatty^ - - - - 109 Life of Mr. Rodger s remarkably preserved, - 1 10 Loses his wife, and marries a second time, - 112 Bis opinion respecting; wives for clergymen, - 113 Chosen a Trustee of A''tw- Jersey College, - 114 His zeal and diligence as a Pastor, - - - 115 Preaches to an assembly which Mr. Whitejield had disappointed, - - - - - - 117 Receives a call from TV'ijw-ForA', - - - 119 Accepts the call, ------ 121 Removes his family to AVw-For^, - - • 121 CHAPTER IV. History of the Church in JVca-York. First account of Presbyterians there, - - 122 All the Reformers Presbyterians^ except the En* glishy - « 123 The Rev. Messrs. M^Kemie and Hamjiton, visit New-York^ 125 Their extraordinary treatment there, - - 127 Account of Mr. iVf'A'em/c, - - - - 126 Lord Corn^ wry 'fi meanness and bigotry, - - 127 Account of Mr. M'Xd-mae'* trial, - - - 129 Presbyterians in .'VIr. Rodger s arrives in Neto-York^^ndi is installed, 174 ^ Page Sets Up a weekly liecture, - • - - 176 His ministry attended with a blessing, - - 177 Takes measures to secure Capt. Owen*s legacy, - 179 Abolishes some exceptionable customs in the church in J^eiV'York, ---.-- 179 It becomes necessary to erect a new church, - 181 The Brick church opened, - - - - 182 A fourth unsuccessful effort to obtain a charter, - 183 Amidst all difficulties the church flourishes, - 184 Controversy respeciing an American Efiiscofiate^ - 1 85 Mr. Rodger s engaged in that controversy, - - 188 The objects of the Anti-episcopal Convention, - 189 Mr. jRorf^er* associated with Rev. Di\ Laidliej &c, 192 Character of Doctor Laidlie, - - - - 192 Mr. i?orf5'er« receives a Doctor's degree, - - 195 Depreciation of Academic honours, - - - 195 Doctor Withersfioon ^irriyes in A?nerica, - - 197 Doctor Rodger s particularly friendly to him, - 197 They visit Boston together, - - - - 197 Character of Doctor Withers/toon, - - - 198 Dr. Rodgers goes on a mission to Vermont, - 200 Success of his preaching, and adventures there, - 200 One more unsuccessful effort to obtain a charter, 204 Doctor Rodgers an early and decided Whig, - 206 Removes his family from AVw-ForA-, - - 208 Interview with General Washington^ - - 208 Removes his family to Grc-ew^e/c?, - - - 209 His Father's death, - - - - - 2iO His European correspondence, - - - 211 Anecdote respecting it, - - - - - 211 CHAPTER VI. The fieriod of his Exile from A^ew-York^ during the Revo- lutionary War, He is appointed a Chaplain in the army, - - 213 Takes a journey into the State of Georgia^ - 214 The Rev. Doctor Zubly^s character, - - 214 Dr. Rodgers returns to his family at Greenfield^ - 216 430 CONTENTS- Pago Appointed chaplain to the Convention at Esofiua^ 216 Removes from JSso^Wfi, - - • - - 217 His moveable property remarkably preserved, - 217 He removes to "S/tarow in Connecticut^ - - 218 Letter concerning his residence at Sharon^ and af- terwards at ^mema, - - - - 219 He fennoves to Uanbury, - . - - 222 His zeal and diligence there, - - - - 223 He removes to Lamington, - - - - 226 Letter concerning his ministry there, - - 227 Treaty of Peace signed, ----- 230 Doctor Rodgers attempts to supply the soldiers of the American army with Bibles, - - 230 General Washington's letter to him on that subject, 232 The destruction of the Presbyterian houses of wor- ship, Sec. in JVew-York^ during the war, - 234 Doctor Rodgers returns to J\reW'York^ - - 237 Retrospect of his conduct and character during the war, - - -- - - - - 237 The testimony of Gouverneur Morris^ Esq. in his favour, 338 CHAPTER Vn. From the Revolutionary War-, till his last Illness. The ruinous condition of the Churches in J^ewYork, at the close of the war, - - - - 243 Dr. Rodgers preaches in St. George*s^ and St. PauVs churches, in .A^ew-ForX:, - - - - 244 Preaches a Thanksgiving Sermon, which was pub- lished, 244 Brick church first repaired, and opened, - - 245 Wall-street church repaired and opened, - - 249 Church in JWw- York incorporated under a general Act of the Legislature, - - - - 248 First Trustees, - - - - - - 248 The Rev. Mr. Wilson settled as a colleague with Doctor Rodgersy ----- 250 CONTENTS. 43J Page Doctor Rodgera chosen Vice-chancellor of the Uni- versity, ------- 251 Revisal of the Standards of the Presbyterian Church commenced, ------ 251 The various steps taken in this business, - 251—258 Rev. Doctor Robert Smith, - - - * 252 ■'. ' Robert Coofier, ... - 252 ■ James JLattOy - - - - 252 George Duffield, - - - - 253 . Patrick Allison, - - - - 254 James Sfiroat, - - _ - 255 ■ John Eiving, - - - - 255 . Matthew Wilson, - - - - 258 Rev. Mr. John Miller, ----- 26Q Doctor Rodger s moderator of the ^r«^ General As- sembly, 260 The Rev. Mr. Wilson leaves J^eto-York, - - 261 Controversy respecting Doctor Muir and Doctor Morse, 262 The Rev. Dr. M^Knight accepts a call to J^ew- York, 264 His instalment there, ----- 264 The church in JN'ew- York establishes a charity -school^ 265 The Rev. S. Miller accepts a call to J^evi-York, - 266 Ordained and installed there, - - - - 266 Doctor Rodgers goes on a delegation to Connec- ticut, ------- 266 Doctor Rodgers preaches at the funeral of Doctor Withers/ioon, ----- 267 Presbytf rian church erected in Rutgers-stveet, - 268 Opened for public worship by Doctor Rodgers, - 268 Doctor Rodgers relinquishes his Thursday Lec- ture, 269 Doctor Milledoler called to the Rutgers-sw^et church, ------- 270 Church in C«?c?ar-street erected and opened, - 271 The Rev. Doctor Romeyn called to J\''ew-York, - 272 Installed pastor of the CVc/ar-street church, - 272 Separation of the United churches, - - - 272 JFc/Z-street church rebuilt, - - - - 275 Church in Sfiring-street erected, - - - 276 'i he Rev. Mr. Spring called to JVeiv-^York, - 277 His instalment as Pastor of the Brick church, - 277 432j CONTENTS. CHAPTER VIIL His last Illness and Death. Pa^e Doctor Bodgers begins to preach but once on the sabbath, - - - - - • 278 Both his bodily and mental powers decline, - 279 Begins to use notes in the Pulpit, - - - 279 Delivers his last sermon, .... - 280 Engages in his last public service, - - - 281 Failure of his memory on every subject excepting that of Religion, ----- 282 His last social prayer, - - - - - 285 His Death, 287 His Funeral, ------- 288 CHAPTER IX. Ilia General Character, Doctor Rushes letter on his general character, - 291 Rev. Doctor Livingstones do. - - 298 Rev. Mr. Forrest* s do. - - - • 301 Dr. Rodgers' ardent and uniform Piety^ - - 304 His Prudence^ - - - - - - 310 His uniform and indefatigable ZadoMrff, - - 314 The character of his PreacAzV?^, - - - 317 His great disinterestedness of character, - - 322 The spotless purity of his Moral Character^ - 324 His punctual attendance on the Judicatories of the Churchy 326 His liberality of sentiment, - - - - 32s His conduct with respect to Worldly Pro/ierty, - 331 He was no Politician^ ----- 333 His Humanity and Benevolence^ - - - 337 The peculiar Dignity of his Manner Sy - - 338 His attention to iJrc«5, - - - - - 341 List of his Publications-, ----- 342 Lessons taught by his history, - - - - 345 ^ COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY This book is due o:a tlio date indicated below, or at the expiration of a definite period after the date of borrowing, -as provided by the rules of the Library or by special ar- rangement with the Librarian in charge. DATE EORROVVED DATE DUE DATE EORi^OWED DATE DUE JUN7 '41 AUGi 3?nnt JV X inwi. ^v j*.^ • '■ ■■> ol'^^ ^ \ ^^^- " , C28(239)M100 7^ 7lliS«lllllXS,'l,^rY LIBRARIES 0038042053 '>4 \i-\. m 1 m M J 'It ■^ ■ ♦• ^MV) ^;i V jitll «■ 1 X'l l*«r ,i«'' <^itr W h. f'-' U 1 '■■'■,■ -'j Mi Mk M i i^-na ^^u^ »'-/i.i m ■ t. !lv <(inH. «T*! !/^* vr.i-r pn hi ft *ln« m ii > ■'. ?'■ f',''n . 7 , : • ! [Ul'i^