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974.602
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1773090
REYNOLDS H
Gir.NEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 01105 5586
CHRIST CHURCH PARISH— A Century of its History,
and a Look into the Future.
A ItBtflriral feprmnn
rS^AyPPP ffl
:IfiDRD
Co,
Sttniap ;fJlorniiig;, iFebrttarp 9, 1903.,
By the Rev. Hermann Liuenihal. m. a ...
JjC /-d a^/^C^ ^^r>^//^^^*^^
PRINTED BY REQUEST
The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company, Printers
1773090
HISTORICAL SERMON.
"Walk about Zion, and go round about her, and tell the
towers thereof; mark well her bulwarks, set up her houses,
that ye may tell them that come after." — Psalm xlviii: ii, 12.
In Dr. Hoadly's "Annals of the Episcopal
Church in Hartford " it is recorded that
"on the 12th of July, 1801, it was voted that
the Rev. Menzies Rayner of Elizabethtown,
N. J., be requested to take charge of the
church at a salary of $600 a year, to com-
mence from the 20th of August then next,
an invitation which was accepted ; and thus
after struggling for nearly forty years the
parish became completel}^ organized." The
" Episcopal Society " was now ecclesiastic-
ally as well as legally complete by having
a rector. The beginnings of Christ Church
parish date back to 1762, when the Rev.
Thomas Davies, a graduate of Yale, and a
missionary of the S. R G., was invited to
hold a service in Hartford. This he did
some time between January and April, and
in October of this same year certain adher-
ents of the Church of England associated
themselves together, and for ^80 bought a
piece of land on what is now the north-
east corner of Church street. Stones were
purchased, and a foundation was laid for
a church, but a period of depression set
in, and the few Episcopalians found them-
selves unable to raise money sufficient to
erect a church. Further, they had to con-
tend with the bitter prejudice of Congre-
gationalists and Presbyterians, who were
strongly opposed to what they deemed
"prelatical" churches, and hindered their
establishment by all means possible. To
add to the distress of this little band, one
of them illegally sold the lot that had been
bought, and the purchaser, relying on his
legal rights, entered the property, " broke up
the foundations of the church, and carried
away the stones, which he used for the foun-
dation of a house he was then building."
The land eventually was restored in 1785 to
the " professors of the Episcopal Church,"
but not until they had paid ^60 additional
for renewed possession.
Meanwhile, the Revolutionary War came
on, when the Episcopal Church and clergy
were viewed with a "jealous eye as danger-
ous to the civil and ecclesiastical liberties
of the country." During the trying years of
the war it is doubtful w^hether any services
of our church were maintained in Hartford.
But after the Revolution was successfully
ended, and peace once more prevailed, on
November 13, .1786, fifteen men came to-
gether, signed an article of association, and
formed an Episcopal society. Let me give
you the very words of the agreement, and
the names of the signers : —
Hartford, Nov"" 13"^ 1786.
We the underwritten do, by these Presents Associate
ourselves into a Religious Society, by the Style and Title
of The Episcopal Society of the City of Hartford, under
the Direction and Government of the Rt. Rev*^ Bis? Sea-
bury, & the Episcopal Clergy of the State of Connecticut
William Adams Stacy Stackhouse
Jno° Morgan Cotton Murray
John Thomas Isaac Tucker
Jacob Ogden W" Burr
Sam' Cutler Elisha Wadsworth
Thomas Hilldrup John Avery
Jn° Jeffery Aaron Bradley
George Burr
Thus was reorganized the initial effort of
1762, and these associates became the found-
ers of the present parish of Christ Church.
The article of association and names of these
fifteen men deserve to be commemorated by
a mural tablet set in the wall of the vesti-
bule of this church, where the worshipers
and visitors daily and weekly as they pass
in and out may for unnumbered generations
know who the men of faith and courage
were who laid the foundations of this
parish.
And here it may be observed that a parish
is often what it is because of the character
of its founders. A parish is an organism,
manifesting its own individual development,
characteristics, and spirit. It displays in its
history some dominant character or trait
impressed upon it by some of its strong and
leading original members; and so parishes
may manifest faith or lo3^alty, generosity or
gentleness, justice or integrity, vigor or im-
partiality; or, on the other hand, they may
manifest opposite characteristics of coldness,
unkindness, quarrelsomeness, restlessness,
inactivity, or penuriousness. It becomes,
therefore, a matter of vital importance in
the life, growth, and future of an}^ parish
that it should start right, be built upon the
eternal principles of loyalty to God and
charity to man, and not on the unstable
foundations of opinion, pride, or dissension.
Schisms produce chasms, and controversies
catastrophes.
These new associates of 1786 at once
bestirred themselves for the building of a
church on the recovered land, and by sub-
scriptions, mostly in building material and
labor, and even in spirits, the new church,
after many delays, was at length finished,
and in all probability opened for use in the
latter part of 1795, when Mr. Calvin Whi-
ting, a candidate for orders, was acting as
lay-reader. Thus the hope of many years
was at last realized, and though it was a
little band gathered together, it was a com-
pany in which were found indomitable cour-
age, generous self-sacrifice, large liberality,
and loyal faith. Could we but enter into
the experience and feelings of some of those
hearts, — that now at length in their own
house of worship they could praise God after
the manner of their fathers, and in accord-
ance with their deep convictions, — we might
find our own convictions deepened and our
devotion strengthened. The church stood
on the northeast corner of Church street,
was built of wood, and when completed was
considered the handsomest church in the
place. Mr. Whiting, who officiated in 1795,
died the same year, and the parish found
itself without any officiant. March 4, 1797,
the Rev. Ashbel Baldwin of Stratford was
invited to become rector of the parish at a
salary of $500 a year. But he declined the
call, deeming the salary insufficient. A few
years elapsed when on July 12, 1801, the Rev.
Menzies Rayner of New Jersey was elected
to and accepted the rectorship of the parish,
and entered upon his duties the same year.
Thus in 1801 the organization of this parish
was completed, the centennial anniversary
of which occurred last year, but passing un-
noticed then, I wish now to recall to your
mind, and note as briefly as possible, the
8
century of history of this parish since that
date. My effort is made eas}^ because of the
abundant material furnished by the "History
of Christ Church Parish," a book written
and compiled by a member of this parish,
honored and revered by you all, one whose
life has overlapped the lives of every one of
the rectors of this parish, and who has seen
and known nearly all of them, and whose
devotion and fidelity to this parish, whose
unselfish service and many benefactions and
gifts have given their crowning expression
in the preparation of a history such as no
one else living could so well do, because
of long and intimate experience of parish
affairs and personal intercourse with the
many departed worthies whom his pages
so nobly commemorate. That this history
might be permanently preserved in printed
form for reference for all time is due to the
well-known generosity of another member of
this parish. Those who would like to know
more details than I can attempt to tell 5^ou
this morning are referred to this " Histor}^
of Christ Church Parish."
To return, the Rev. Mr. Rayner, the first
rector, was settled in 1801, and his settle-
ment was marked by the consecration of the
church by Bishop Jarvis on November 11,
1801, "a very rainy day." The comment of
the Couraftt regarding the service was, "the
solemnity of the performance was highly
gratif3ang, manifested by a decent audience,
considering the inclemency of the day." It
must have been a great da}^ of rejoicing in
the parish, the members of which at this time
numbered but a faithful few. The attempt
to maintain their organization taxed to the
utmost these early churchmen. Rates were
occasionally laid on the taxable property of
the members of the society which could be
legally collected, but this taxing — obnoxious
even to members of the standing order and
most objectionable to those not of this order —
was early discontinued by the parish, which
then depended for its income chiefly on the
rent of pews and slips and voluntary offer-
ings of its members. When this resource
failed to meet the expenses a subscription
would be started to make up the deficit.
Hence, with a prescience worthy a better
outcome, the then senior warden, Mr. John
Morgan, in April, 1807, moved to secure an
endowment fund. He went to New York,
and with the approval and assistance of its
diocesan, Bishop Moore, raised among the
churchmen of that city the sum of $445. To
this was added a sum derived from the sale
of a piece of land, and a few other contribu-
tions, so that by December, 1807, the amount
was brought up to $800, and formed the
nucleus of the parish endowment known as
the " Episcopal Church Fund," the histor}^ of
which lias its dark as well as bright side.
Mr. Rayner ministered to the parish from
1 80 1 until October 14, 181 1, when he resigned.
He was a man good-natured and affable, and
of considerable controversial ability. But
towards the end of his stay his teachings
became less acceptable. In 181 1 he accepted
a call to another parish, but after some years
resigned from the ministry of our church to
join the Universalists, though in his letter of
resignation to the bishop he states, " I shall
still humbly claim to be considered as a
member of the church, entitled to all its com-
mon privileges." Bishop Brownell's words
referring to Mr. Rayner's suspension are full
of tender charity. Said he, " We may regret
the cause which has led to [this withdrawal].
We are not to be judges of other men's con-
sciences. To his own Master he standeth or
falleth." Mr. Rayner died in New York
November 22, 1850.
After Mr. Rayner resigned the parish, the
Rev. Philander Chase — later bishop success-
ively of Ohio and Illinois — was called to
the rectorship. Mr. Chase was a man of
unusual ability and of a masterful nature.
In his " Reminiscences," Bishop Chase thus
recalls his Hartford life: — "During this
period (his rectorship) the number of the
faithful greatly increased. I rejoiced to see
t.i
the blessed effects of the gospel of peace and
the many examples of a faithful and holy
life. In the bosom of an enlightened society,
softened by the hand of urbanity and gentle-
ness, my enjoyments crowned with abund-
ance of temporal blessings were as numerous
and refined as fall to the lot of man. Of the
time I spent in this lovely city I can never
speak in ordinary terms. It is to my remem-
brance as a dream of more than terrestrial
delight." Mr. Chase resigned the parish in
February, 1817. The reason for his leaving
was due entirely to diocesan and not paro-
chial causes. This is made evident in a
letter of his to the standing committee of the
diocese. He writes, " M}^ reasons for leaving
are couched in this one sentence — I am
persuaded that I can be more useful to the
Church of Christ, and more happy in my
own person, elsewhere than in the diocese of
Connecticut." Mr. Chase's removal to Ohio
was greatly regretted by the parish, which
had prospered under him. During his rec-
torship a bell, the third in the city, was
bought and hung in the church tower. A
parish library was started, a new organ was
bought and put in, and in the winter of 18 15
the church was for the first time warmed,
when chimneys were built and stoves set up
in the church.
But the parish could not indulge in re-
12
grets, and its attention was soon directed to
Mr. Jonathan Mayliew Wainwright, an in-
structor in rhetoric in Harvard, but as yet
unordained. Mr. Wainwright accepted the
call extended to him, was ordained deacon
in Rhode Island, and advanced to the priest-
hood in his own church, August i6, 1817,
after which he was settled as rector. His
recommendation was, " he is a young gentle-
man of respectability, of the most unexcep-
tionable character, ardent and sincere in the
performance of his duties, is much beloved
as a man, and reads to great satisfaction."
Mr. Wainwright remained only two years in
the parish when he was called to fill the
place vacated in Trinity parish, New York,
by Bishop Brownell, who had become bishop
of Connecticut. Years afterward Mr. Wain-
wright became the provisional bishop of
New York.
After Mr. Wainwright's removal. Bishop
Brownell — notnen et clarufn et venerabile —
long the revered bishop of Connecticut, and
the presiding bishop of the church, was
asked, December 16, 18 19, to become the
rector of the parish. He accepted on condi-
tion of being provided with an assistant.
But the bishop's duties to the church at
large and diocese made it inexpedient for
him to continue as rector of any parish, and
November 11, 1820, he resigned, when the
13
Rev. N. S. Wheaton, the assistant rector,
was elected to full charge. I may perhaps
here rather than later indicate the esteem in
which Dr. Wheaton was held by a vote
passed at the time of his resignation, Octo-
ber 13, 1 83 1. "When we look back for a
series of more than twelve years, when we
bring to mind how great has been the acces-
sion of parish members, how many have
been added to our communion, what har-
mony has prevailed and prosperity attended
our parish in all respects, by the blessing of
God through the unceasing labors and pious
administration of him who, during that pe-
riod, has served at our altar, mingled in our
affections, and secured our approbation and
esteem, his loss to us collectively and indi-
vidually can be duly appreciated only by a
just estimate of the blessings we have thus
enjoyed." This vote indicates the prosper-
ity which was attending the labors of Dr.
Wheaton.
The parish was still worshiping in the
wooden church on the corner opposite to us.
Changes in the arrangement of the church
were needed to accommodate the growing
congregation. The old square pews, includ-
ing the so-called governor's pew, which had
a canopy over it, were removed and slips
substituted, but even these changes were in-
sufficient to meet the need of increased sit-
tings. This demand, together " with that
pride in appearances which affects saints
as well as sinners," created a desire for a
"larger, more convenient, and ecclesiastical
structure." Hence in 1825 began an agita-
tion for a new church. Dr. Wheaton, while
abroad in 1824 on business for the college
which had been newly established in this
city, had paid much attention to church ar-
chitecture, and it is more than likely he
would favor a new church in which he
might embody some of his new architectu-
ral knowledge. How well he builded we
can today testify. After many meetings for
considering the subject, a lot for the new
church on Market street, between Temple
and Kinsley, was bought March 20, 1827. It
may seem strange that this site was selected,
" but in 1827 the population was more homo-
geneous than now, and lay east of Trumbull
street almost entirely." This location, how-
ever, did not give general satisfaction and
was sold, and the present site of the church
was bought. Ground was broken for the
new church in the summer of 1827, the cor-
ner-stone laid by Bishop Brownell, May 13,
1828, and the building operations pushed
with so much energy that the church — the
tower excepted — was finished and ready for
consecration December 23, 1829. In the ab-
sence of Bishop Brownell, Bishop Hobart of
15
New York officiated at the consecration.
One who was present on this occasion wrote
to a friend : " We had a noble consecration
Wednesday, as fine a one as could be wished
for, the weather was fine, and every nook
in the church was filled to overflowing.
Bishop Hobart, who does all his Episcopal
duties well, never performed a service more
admirably. I never witnessed a service
more impressive from beginning to end ; "
and so great was the demand for pews in
this new church that the same writer states :
" from present appearances I should think
the church will be filled to crowding in a
year or two." This was gratifying, but it is
yet to be asked : " How was the building
paid for ? " The cost up to this point for the
land, church without the tower, and organ
was in round numbers $43,700. The limit
the parish had first placed for this new pro-
ject was $28,000, but as generally happens the
cost went far in excess of this first proposed
sum. To raise this sum the parish proposed
to borrow by the issue of stock upon which
interest was paid. The first issue of stock
was for $28,000, of which $20,000 was sub-
scribed by individuals, but the other $8,000
had to be obtained somehow.
In its need the parish bethought itself of
the " Episcopal Church Fund," an endow-
ment which has been mentioned. The nu-
i6
cleus of this fund had been secured in 1807,
and the parish by vote then, and later in
1810 by a constitution determined "that no
part of the principal or interest arising from
same [fund] should be applied to any pur-
poses of this parish save only to establish a
fund until the income from same should
amount to $500 ; " and it was also ordained
that this vote should be irrevocable. So
careful was the parish in 18 10 to keep intact
this fund until it should have reached such
a sum as to produce an annual income of
$500, that it repeats in its constitution: "It
is ordained that this parish shall not ever
thereafter expend anything more than the
interest or income arising from this fund,
and that the principal shall not under any
pretense whatever ever be expended either
wholly or in part ; " and the parish explic-
itly declared its purpose was to " adopt all
prudent precautions to guard against the in-
judicious expenditure or misappropriation
of this fund, or any part of it, by any per-
sons who may hereafter in the vicissitudes
of human afifairs belong to this parish, and
be in a situation to direct or misemploy the
income of this fund." By such definite
terms did the parish endeavor to guard this
fund from being diverted or misappropri-
ated. Under Mr. Charles Sigourney's care-
ful nursing the $800 of 1807 had in 1830 in-
creased to $8,500, and was earning an income
of $500. The need of money to build the
new church caused the parish to turn to this
fund, and in order to gain possession of it a
vote was passed " that immediate measures
be taken to procure trustees of the Episcopal
Church Fund with a view to its more certain
preservation." The grim humor of this vote
must have been evident when later, by vote,
the amount of the fund, $8,500, was with-
drawn from the bank and invested in the
parish scrip issued for the building of the
present church. This proposed step of the
parish was vainly opposed by Mr. Charles
Sigourney, who resisted any diversion of the
fund from the original intent for which it was
established, and who foresaw — should such
diversion occur — what the event proved,
that the fund would vanish. Mr. Sigourney
had subscribed towards the new church but
on the condition that the Episcopal Church
Fund should not be invested in church scrip.
When his conditions were broken he would
not pay his subscription, thus publicly testi-
fying to his convictions as to the sacredness
of trust funds. The parish historian com-
ments on this diversion of the fund thus :
"To us at this day it seems rather queer,
and certainly it appears as if the original
intent of the fund had been diverted and
put to a use not originally contemplated."
i8
It is not asserted that this diversion was
strictly illegal, for legislative enactment had
been obtained for the purpose, but our histo-
rian well remarks : " If the example should
be generally followed, it would probably dis-
courage many gifts for the establishment of
specific funds, gifts made for a certain object
and with the expectation of a long continu-
ance." Thus the Episcopal Church Fund so
carefully nursed, the product of much sacri-
fice, the hopeful source of strength and bene-
fit to the parish for ages to come, was lost in
the walls of this church. I have dwelt at
length on this matter because of the import-
ance of the subject. For it must be remem-
bered that the parish today holds trust
funds the application and the preservation
of which, according to the donor's intent,
call for serious and sacred guardianship.
Some of these funds " are composed of the
last earthly gifts of men and women who
can no longer watch or control them ; the}^
become the pious offerings of hearts soft-
ened by a contemplation of death, or affected
by a desire to help the sick and the poor who
may live after them. All the funds of this
character should be placed be3^ond the line
of speculative investment or temptation of
extraordinary interest The watchful-
ness which is due to our moneyed corpora-
tions is equally due — 3^es, more due — to
19
the trusts of our religious societies," so
writes our historian. In our parish organi
zations in which the official generations
quickly change, it does seem as if the se-
cure guarantee of trust funds is possible
only when placed in the hands of some cor-
poration other than the parish itself. The
temptation in some emergency to help itself
to trust funds in its own possession is often
too strong for a parish to resist Thus par-
ishes have lost their endowments, or have
impaired them seriously, and have proved
unfaithful to the conditions under which
such trusts were accepted. It seems there-
fore far safer could the endowment of our
parishes be placed under the care of a char-
tered corporation such as that of the Trust-
ees of Donations and Bequests of our dio-
cese, or trust company, as is the case with
some of the trust funds of this parish.
But I must pass on from this most import-
ant aspect of parish integrity.
The completion of the new church in 1829
may be said to mark the close of the first
period of the history of this parish, extend-
ing from 1786 to 1829, when it was emerging
from the shadow of colonial and revolution-
ary experiences ; and to mark the beginning
of the second period of its history from 1829-
1879, when it manifested its larger life b}^
changing its local habitation. It may not be
20
inappropriate, therefore, to recall here once
for all some of the honored names of the
parish of both these periods, who by their
labors and benefactions have made this par-
ish what it was and is. In the words of the
Son of Sirach: "Let us now praise famous
men and our fathers that begat us. The
Lord hath wrought great glory by them.
Such as were leaders of the people by their
counsels, and by their knowledge of learning
meet for the people — men furnished with
ability living peaceabl}^ in their habitations.
These men were honored in their genera-
tions, and were the glory of their times.
There be of them that have left a name be-
hind them that their praises might be re-
ported. These were merciful men whose
righteousness hath not been forgotten." And
the name that stands out distinguished above
all others is that of Mr. John Morgan. He
was one of the associates of 1786 who re-
vived the Episcopal church in this commu-
nity after the Revolution, and from that
date until 1820 — a period of thirty-four
years — he faithfully served this parish as
junior warden for fourteen and senior war-
den for twenty years. Mr. Hoadly says, in
his " Annals," of Mr. John Morgan, " that to
his zealous labors and liberal contributions
the parish was indebted for its temporal
prosperity more than those of any other in-
21
dividual." One has only to read the history
of the parish of this first period to realize
the truth of this statement. There was
scaf-cely a parish subscription in those days
— and they were frequent, for the needs of
the young parish were many — which Mr.
John Morgan did not head with a generous
sum, generally the largest on the list It
was he who, with a foresight worthy a better
outcome, raised the first $445 for the parish
endowment. He was a native of Killingly
and a graduate of Yale. He came to this
city about 1781, became one of its leading
merchants, and was connected with many
undertakings. The old bridge across the
Connecticut was projected by him, and the
street leading to it was called by his name.
He was a foremost leader, capable and will-
ing. One who remembered him in his later
years after financial disaster befell him says
of Mr. Morgan: "As seen upon the streets,
tall and thin, supported by a long gold-
headed cane, he was sure to attract atten-
tion by his venerable appearance, dignified,
courteous, and sometimes brusque manner.
If he had any prejudices he did not attempt
to conceal them. He was bold and bluff,
but warm at heart. He was ardent as a sup-
porter, generous, dogmatic, well fitted to
command. Authority became him well, and
when irritated he never failed to assert it.
22
He was a churchman because he believed in
the church, and possibly also because he did
not believe in Congregationalism." He gave
to the church not only his money but also
what was more valuable, his time and loy-
alty. Perhaps we scarcely realize today the
value of such service and attachment to the
church when it was poor, despised, and re-
garded with suspicion, as our church was
after the Revolution. The value, therefore,
of a man's services and attachment — bold,
loyal, constant, and generous — in that day
is beyond estimation today. It is easy to
attach oneself to prosperous undertakings
and popular religious organizations. Most
people can shout for and desire to all}^ them-
selves with a successful cause; but it de-
mands character to side with the weak, the
despised, the poor, hence, attachment under
these latter circumstances is of far greater
value than attachment in prosperous and
successful times. I cannot but regard Mr.
John Morgan as the great dominant charac-
ter of this parish. The printed page which
records his deeds and words has made him a
real personage to me. I seem to know him,
and I say it with truth, I revere his memory.
He is a founder of whom any parish may be
proud. It was a fitting act of courtesy for
the parish, when financial difficulties had^
beset him, to vote unanimously its thanks to
23
him for his thirty-four years of long and
faithful services as a warden of the parish,
and later vote "that S. Tudor and C. Sigour-
ney call on John Morgan, Esq., request him
to designate where he would prefer to be
seated in the church, and that two seats be
reserved for him and Mrs. Morgan where he
may select." One thing is still lacking com-
pletely to mark the gratitude of the parish.
There should be some visible and lasting
memorial of him somewhere in this church.
And what shall I more say of other departed
worthies ? I would like to recall for you
some of the characteristics of other honored
names and benefactors of this parish, but
time would fail me, and your patience would
also fail. I can only mention some — all de-
parted — as they occur most readily to my
mind. There were the Sigourneys, the
Morgans, Elias, the brother of John, Nathan
and Denison, and later Junius S., James
Ward and Roswell Bartholomew, the 01-
cotts, Daniel and Michael, Cyprian Nichols
and Stedman, Jeremy Hoadley and Isaac
Perkins, the Beachs, father and sons, Sam-
uel Tudor and Isaac Toucey, the Imlays
and Goodwins, Dudley Buck and Zephaniah
Preston, the Tuttles and Huntingtons, Sam-
uel H., Hezekiah, and Francis J., Ebenezer
Flower and Chester Adams, the Beresfords
and Sumners, the Northams and Keneys,
24
and many others whose names I would
gladly record, and whom you would gladly
hear, but time forbids me to continue. But
they all — recorded and unrecorded — are
names that thrill us with emotion for all
their possessors did to make this parish
strong and honored in our community. It
could not help be so when " it was custom-
ary to find whole families in their pews ; the
father and mother with all their children
who were able to attend." Our historian
tells us that in Mr. Burgess's days " the
church was filled regularly Sundays on the
floor and in the galleries ; and from the
chancel to the eastern door there was a
crowd of men, women, and children." A
noble sight indeed.
The congregation had become so great
that the need of a new church buildings if
not separate parish, was strongly urged. As
a result of this pressure in 1841 the new par-,
ish of St. John's was formed. Many of the
parishioners thought the mother parish
would be weakened by this separation, but
before migration ceased two other parishes
were destined to be formed, viz., Trinity,
which was organized in 1859, ^^^ took from
Christ Church some of its oldest and most
valued members ; and St. Thomas, organized
in 1870, which withdrew many more from
the parent parish.
25
Whether it was due to the large congrega-
tions which used to assemble in the church,
or whether decorum in God's house was lax,
it is interesting to note that so late as No-
vember, 1836, the vestry appointed "a com-
mittee to see that tything men be appointed
b}^ the town for the ensuing year who will
perform their duties in the galleries." There
are also votes passed that the wardens and
vestry be a committee to preserve order in
the church, particularly on Christmas eve
when service used to be held. For in the
middle of the last century the churches other
than Episcopal did not observe Christmas
with religious services, and except in the
case of Episcopalians business went on as
usual, workmen followed their trades, and
merchants opened their stores.
One feature of interest in the history of
the parish would be to trace the develop-
ment of the music in our church service
from its beginnings. In 1801, the year in
which the first church was consecrated, an
organ was put in, the first in Hartford. It
was a small affair, not more than five or six
feet wide. For the use of this organ, and
for an organist to play on " each whole Sun-
day and on publick days," the vestry agreed
to pay $2 a week. From this small begin-
ning to the vested choir, which was perma-
nently established in 1886 under Mr. (now
26
Bishop) Nichols, meant many changes and
many differences of opinion. The first or-
gan owned by the church was purchased by
subscription in 1817, another was put in in
the new church in 1829, while the last one
purchased is that now in use, and was set up
so late as 1889. There were times when the
singing was far from satisfactory, and on
one occasion a very strong report on the
subject of the music was brought in by a
committee, of which Mr. Samuel Tudor was
chairman. He disliked innovation or florid
music, and urged that " the old familiar
tunes are to be preferred, both because they
are good and because we are generally ac-
quainted with them." Congregational sing-
ing was what he desired. He urged that
there was no more need of novelty and fre-
quent change in tunes than there was need
of change in our service — the prayers, the
litany, and the communion office. But there
was one long period of general satisfaction
and calm when Mr. Henry Wilson for
twenty-two years had charge of the music
and organ.
But music, the support of public worship,
and the outlay incident to the maintenance
of any parochial organization, involves con-
siderable expense, which it has been ob-
served is generally met by a comparative
few. So, too, in the case of debts, the bur-
27
den has fallen as a rule on the generous few.
Some system of equitable distribution of the
burdens and obligations of a parish is yet to
be discovered. " In the much abused sys-
tem of freedom in this country men often
resort to presumptions and evasions which
cannot be justified by any proper sense of
morals, or by their duty to support public re-
ligious worship, which is one of the safe-
guards of the state. Respectable persons
and pecuniarily prosperous have wished for
that kind of liberty which made them free,
free to come and free to go, free to remain
and enjoy, and free not to contribute."
When at length, after long years of debt,
this parish was at last free, it passed a vote
declaring against the creation of any future
debt, and affirming it a Christian duty so to
economize expenditures that they should not
exceed the annual income. Nothing is so
vital to the well-being and success of a par-
ish as living within its income, and no pains
should be spared by parochial authorities to
keep within such limits. The wreck of
numberless parishes is due to parochial ex-
travagance. Competition in attractions ex-
ists among parishes as among individuals.
And ruin is certainly in sight when expenses
are maintained without income sufficient to
meet these expenses.
The second period of this parish's life may
28
be said to extend from 1829 to 1879, when
the semi-centennial of the consecration of
this present church was celebrated. This
occasion marks the completion of the church
in its architectural features. The tower had
been added in 1839, ^^^ forty years later the
memorial recess chancel, as it now exists in
all its beauty, was completed. The celebra-
tion in 1879 is relatively so recent that I
need do nothing more than refer to it as be-
ing one of the most successful parish cele-
brations ever attempted.
No history would be complete were not
reference made to the many memorials and
gifts which beautify and adorn this noble
fane of worship. The chancel, chapel, and
parish buildings, the reredos and alms ba-
sins, the chancel window, the vases, the cre-
dence and part of the communion vessels,
the chancel rail and bishop's chair, the fonts
in both church and chapel, the stained glass
windows, the paintings on either side of the
chancel arch, the new organ, and the rectory,
all are memorials or gifts from devoted and
loyal members or friends of this parish.
Reference should also be made to the va-
rious funds for various purposes which have
been left to the parish. Some of these gifts
have been large, some small, but all alike
testify to the devotion of those who, now
worshiping no more in earthly courts of the
29
church militant, made provision so far as
they could that pra3^er and praise should
never cease in this beloved church below,
and that here the poor might find refresh-
ment, and the weary rest.
Of the rectors of the first period I have
already spoken. Of those since 1829 I can but
briefly recall their names, Smith and Burgess
and Chauncey. The first and last stayed each
but a year or two, but the name of Bishop
Burgess of sainted memory is still a benedic-
tion in some of the families of this city. Then
there was Dr. Clark, still alive and now the
venerable and revered presiding bishop of our
church, noted while here for his eloquence
and attractiveness. After him came Aber-
crombie and George Clark, brother to the
bishop, and Meech, the latter two still living.
Of the remaining rectors who still live in
what I venture to call the third period of this
parish, from 1879 ^-nd on, when begins what
[ may call the institutional phase of parish
work, and the era of organization made pos-
sible by the facilities offered by the parish
buildings, the memory of them is still so
fresh that I need only mention their names,
Nichols, Tomkins, Saltonstall. But during
the hundred years in which this parish has
been fully organized for the work of Christ
among men and for the preaching of the
gospel of redemption, it has been loyally
30
served by faithful priests, as rectors and
assistant ministers, some of them men of
exceptionable ability.
The worth of their service and teaching is
evident in the churchmanship of the parish,
which has adhered loyally to the " doctrine,
discipline, and worship " of this church, has
carefull}^ avoided extremes and eccentricities
in ceremony, and " has pursued its middle
way in peace and quietness," in the mainte-
nance of a service orderl3^ rubrical, and dig-
nified.
Such is in brief the history of the parish
during the last one hundred years as regards
its organization, its edifices, its worthies, its
rectors, its beneficences, its churchmanship,
and ere we close let us take a quick look into
the future to see what hope we may find for
it from this survey of the past.
Think first what changes this parish has
seen in our land since in 1786 those few
churchmen associated themselves to form
an Episcopal society in Hartford. In na-
tional life, these thirteen struggling colonies
have passed through two wars with England,
and become a nation which has survived a
civil strife that threatened its existence ; has
waged successful war with Spain, and now
stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
and from the lakes to the gulf, reaching still
further east to the islands of the Atlantic,
31
and west to the islands of the Pacific, the
parish has seen these thirteen colonies con-
solidated into a Union of forty-five States,
and admitted today one of the great powers
of the world.
In home affairs the parish since its origin
has seen the colony become a state marked
by the enterprise of its citizens, and noted
for the " steady habits " of its people ; a state
which has grown marvelously in wealth and
culture, which in 1818 made a resettlement
of its political and religious relations, and
which today once more in a constitutional
convention in our city is endeavoring to re-
adjust its political relations to its changed
conditions.
In civic affairs the parish has seen the
small settlement of Hartford expand into a
large city, until its limits have become co-
terminous with the former town limits ; its
population, which was homogeneous and
about 5,500 in numbers, confined mostly be-
tween Main street and the river, become a
heterogeneous population of over 80,000
souls, spreading for miles north, west, and
south of its former boundaries. It has seen
the small settlement become the sole capital
of the State, a city noted for its higher insti-
tutions of learning, its schools, hospitals,
charities, libraries, museums, and parks ; a
city noted for its insurance, industrial, and
32
commercial interests, and, relatively to its
population, one of the richest cities in the
United States ; a city distinguished for its
citizens who have achieved eminence in na-
tional and state administrations, for its men
and women renowned in literature and art,
in science and theology.
In its individual life the parish has had
a large development. The small wooden
church on. the northeast corner of our street
has been replaced on the present site by
this solid and noble structure in which
we worship toda3^ beautifully adorned and
equipped, rich in memorials in stone and
tile, in painted wall, and painted glass,
" Of storied windows richly dight,
Casting a dim religious light; "
fragrant with the memory of a long succes-
sion of noble men and women who during
these one hundred years made up the con-
gregation — some of them well known and
prominent in this community, others hum-
ble, perhaps little known or altogether un-
noticed, yet God-fearing and God-loving,
whose prayers have risen like holy incense
to the Divine throne, and whose lives have
been a benediction to the parish and their
fellow-men.
How changed seems the picture as we look
on things as they are today. The circum-
stances as they existed fifty years ago have
greatly altered. This church is now far
away from the residential center. Further,
the organization of other parishes has drawn
from this parish. But should these changed
conditions depress us, or should this not fill
us with determination and zeal to make the
future of this parish more glorious even than
its glorious past ? Have you not much more
than what your early predecessors possessed?
These walls seemingly built for centuries to
come should be the type of the parish itself,
— strong, unshaken, large, and inviting —
calling to the thousands that throng b}^ its
doors, enfolding them in its arms, and bring-
ing to them the consolations and hopes, the
strength and the joy of the Gospel ; a parish
preaching and testifying to the one gospel of
Christ for all men, for the poor as well as for
the rich, a gospel unchanged and unchang-
ing despite the vagaries of thought ; a parish
holding firmly and staunchly to evangelic
truth and apostolic order, holding fast to the
moorings of the ancient faith, while others
are perhaps swept away from the standards
of their faith and go drifting into the cheer-
less regions of vague speculation or uncer-
tainty. What we need if we are still to
minister to men is a gospel of certainty not
doubt, of affirmations not negations, a firm
faith, not inconstant opinion : we need a
34
certain grasp of the promises of God and
hope of life in His Son for the liopelessness
prevailing as to any future, for the disbelief
which sa^^s " There is no God."
Further, we must be hopeful and consider
that if in the fourth decade of the last
ceiitur}^ when the population of Hartford
ranged from 10,000 to 13,000, this church was
crowded, surely in the larger Hartford with
its 80,000 it should still be possible to fill this
church. To do this, however, hope and con-
fidence are needed in you, the members, to
say it can be done and will be done. This
calls for loyalty, zeal, constant attendance,
and constant labor. It calls for warm invita-
tions to your friends and acquaintances, and
your courtesy and hospitality to strangers
who may happen in your midst. Your
e3^es need to look for the light and the suc-
cesses before you, not on the victories behind
you, but with heart and will and strength
rejoicing in what you have, 3^ou may make
others appreciate and rejoice in what you
have to offer. This means that the services
must be made helpful and attractive, that
your methods must be adapted to your con-
ditions ; that opportunities to minister to the
needs of the people of this city must always
be accepted. Thus will 3^ou stimulate and
perpetuate the life of this parish.
To do all this we must not blind ourselves
35 1T7G090
to the need of larger endowment, in order
that the work may be carried on vigorously ;
and more insistent still is the need of a parish
house fully equipped and adapted to meet
the conditions of our present life, with its
temptations, hurr}^ thoughtlessness, crimes,
loneliness, and friendlessness; a house placed
in the very tide of the rushing life of our
city, which may and shall mould or correct
and control the careers and destinies of
men and women who would otherwise be
but the flotsam and jetsam of life, hurled
and dashed about by its swift tides and
left at last stranded and shattered. " With
its endowments and a faithful band of intel-
ligent and zealous members, the parish can
still be successfully sustained and enabled to
do its full share of duty."
But all this is conditioned on the absolute
need of anchoring the church just where it
is. It must adapt itself to its environment,
it should by no means move. In many places
the old churches have followed their congre-
gregations and sold the old building and site.
But all the past of this parish seems to me to
be a pledge that it will not be moved, as it
ought not to be. As Bishop Clark said of
this church here in 1879 • "Such a landmark
as this ought never to be removed. Let it
stand in the very midst of all the turmoil
of traffic, to remind men that their life con-
36
sisteth not in the abundance of the things
which they here possess. The very walls
of the building where we have so often
prayed together, where we have welcomed
the new-born immortal to the fold of
Jesus, at the baptismal font, where we
have knelt at the altar and taken the
eucharistic bread, and where we have sung
the funeral anthem over the cold remains
of our fathers, our brethren, and our
children, these very walls seem to press
upon us as though they would not let us
leave them. The graves of the dead
whisper to us, 'Abide in 3^our place till
you are called to join us here.'"
Ma}^ then this church, so richl}^ provided
with all the accessories for worship in the
beauty of holiness, continually find mani-
fested here the beaut}^ of holy worship, and
may it ever stand here on this corner in these
busy haunts of men as the unchanging S3^m-
bol of the divine presence and the divine
power in this erring, restless, and sorrowing
human life of ours, to endow and bless it
with comfort, strength, and peace. May it
one hundred years hence, when we all here
today shall be gathered to our fathers, be
found filled with its worshipers offering the
same prayers and singing the same hymns,
and may they hand down to generations
after them for their inspiration the same
Z7
words of the Psalmist we have here used
today : " Walk about Zion and go round
about her, and tell the towers thereof, mark
well her bulwarks, set up her houses, that
ye may tell them that come after."
599 i^-
