A Semi-centenary Discourse delivered in the First African Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, on the fourth Sabbath of May, 1857

Front matter

A

SEMI-CENTENARY DISCOURSE,

delivered in

Notice

NOTICE.

On motion of Rev. Dr. Boardman, it was

Resolved, "That the Presbytery have learned, with satisfaction, that the Rev. Wm. T. Catto has prepared for publication an account of the First African Presbyterian Church, and cordially recommend his historical sketch to the patronage of all who feel interested in the religious welfare of the colored population of our country."

A true extract from the Minutes of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, at their session in "West Spruce Street Church, Philadelphia, July 6, 1857.

Attest: DANIEL GASTON,

Stated Clerk.

Discourse

DISCOURSE.

Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.—Ex. xiv. 15.

I have chosen this subject for the occasion on account of its scope. What to the children of Abraham under their peculiar situation, may to the people of God, in this clay, be as important.

Go forward, as a command from the mouth of God, is worthy of our deepest consideration, and should be regarded as worthy of all acceptation by a nation, a community, a sect, or a church, and should by the individual man, in his life, practice, example, faith, grace, knowledge, wisdom, truth, and holiness.

What I purpose upon this occasion is—

I. To notice the circumstance that gave rise to the text—that briefly.

II. The command as it affects the individual.

III. The command as it touches a church, and the history of this church.

I. It is known to you all that the children of Israel were in captivity in Egypt, and remained in that condition upwards of 220 years. The sequel of their bondage shows that their condition was one of affliction and distress their repeated cries and supplications to God make this assertion as clear as a sunbeam. To such an extent did their oppressors torment them by exacting the severest labor and most cruel demands, that their cries ascended to God, and he determined to deliver them.

To this end Moses was raised up as a leader and deliverer of this people. Now the circumstance of Moses being raised up is as singular as it is interesting: a brief sketch of it in this discourse may not be out of place, as there seemingly are some points of it analogous to the life of Mr. Gloucester, the founder of this church.

Moses was of a family of the oppressed, and as far as human estimate considers it, was of humble origin: still he was chosen by the Almighty as the future instrument to bring about a deliverance for these bondmen. The miraculous manner of his preservation from the cruel and heartless order of Pharaoh is a peculiarity worthy of notice: his being placed in an ark of bulrushes—a very fragile vessel—and then set upon the margin of the river among the flags, and there found by Pharaoh's daughter. His preservation and education by the princess is also worthy of thought, and will show that God chooses instruments, ways and means to bring about his purposes which to human speculation is the most improbable: yet is it true, simple and improbable as it may appear; but they are sure in their results, and fail not.

So it appears in the case under consideration. Israel was to be delivered from bondage; a leader was wanting; that leader was, and must be a man possessing peculiar traits of character—a peculiar man, necessary and fitted for the work—every feature of character was to stamp him as the man for the occasion and the business.

And how well did God produce in Moses these peculiar traits; how completely did he regulate, direct, and control every event in order to accomplish the end;—brought up in Pharaoh's house, under the parental watchings of his own mother, wittingly introduced as a nurse, his education perfected, through the king's daughter, and that education a liberal and finished one, are surely very remarkable. Then consider his meekness, the softness of manners, the inflexible integrity of his heart, his great firmness, his courage and boldness, his deep love for his people, and his faith in God, are so many proofs by which we conclude the man was fitted for the work. It does not require much insight into human affairs to determine that the above traits of character must exist in a man who would lead in a measure of importance. The rise of empires, kingdoms, and republics are proofs in point. It requires a stout heart, strong arms, and much firmness to grasp the helm of affairs and steer forward amid dangers and liabilities until success shall crown the effort.

Arrived at the age of manhood, God informs Moses that he is chosen as a leader of his people. The subsequent message to King Pharaoh; the wonderful things done by God to bring the king to his senses in order to restore the people their liberty, to undo their heavy burdens, &c, you are informed of, and how faithfully their leader performed his duty. You have knowledge of their final departure from Egypt to a land of freedom, the land of Canaan, where they could worship God under their own vine and fig-tree, none to molest or make them afraid, and we can well imagine what their hopes and anticipations were when they found their journey toward the promised land really begun, as in their tribes and families they take up the line of march.

During their journey Moses, at the command of God, caused the people to turn in before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, &c., and there encamp themselves. It was during this encampment that Pharaoh regretted having liberated the Israelites, and he determined to pursue them and drive them back to Egypt, winch he accordingly attempted: his horsemen and chariots and his army were soon gathered, and he went in pursuit of the Israelites. Seeing the Egyptians pursuing, they began to murmur and complain against Moses; they became very uneasy at the sight of their enemies, and regretted having left Egypt.

Now it is true God commanded them to encamp, and it was during that very time that the enemy appeared hence it may be inferred that their dilemma was not brought about by any act of theirs; so that they being found resting when they should have been journeying was not their fault. To this, in view of the text, we find no objection; the only exception is their mistrust of God, and want of confidence in their leader, by complaining and reproaching Moses for the danger in which they were placed. Moses too, though not mistrustful of God, sought in the first place to allay their fears, and so check their murmurs and reproaches—an evident delay that might have been better employed, for it is plain that it was a time for action, a time that should have been employed in fleeing from the pursuer, and extricating themselves from their trouble. This will appear still more evident by tracing further the course taken by Moses, and the order he received from God. After first trying to quiet the fears of the people, he next addresses himself to God. Whereupon the Lord said unto him, "Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward." As though it were said, Lose no time, improve every moment, cry as you go forward, the enemy is behind you, your course is before you, though it be through the sea go forward and lose no time, and look to me for deliverance and success. The sequel of this incident in the history of this people you all know they did go forward, their difficulties were removed, for the sea was- made to part at the lifting up of Moses' rod over it, and the people went through safely; which their pursuers essaying to do, were overwhelmed and destroyed.

II. I call your attention to these words as they affect the individual man. I adopt this course as you can plainly see that a community or an army, a nation or a church, are comprised of individuals, each man making up the aggregate, and therefore upon the life, conduct, and action of each man depend, in a greater or lesser degree, the power and influence of the whole, whether it be a nation, an army, or a church.

Now as it regards individuals, we assume that no man in the great world of life and action can be idle and indifferent to the callings and claims of government; regarding men as citizens, members of society, heads of families, or in the relation of friends, it cannot with any show of truth be said upon him there are no claims. Every man, more or less, has some part to perform in the drama of life; there can be no stand, no rest, no indifference on this active, busy, working stage; the world is ever moving, and everything around shows life, activity, energy, commotion; the world goes forward in numerous almost countless operations; its motto is forward. As individuals we must go forward upon the broad bosom of this ocean life and contribute our something towards the press of interests that impels forward: who moves not will be pushed aside, or irresistibly borne forward, uncared for and unhonored: we all must struggle in this race of active life, and add our quota to the universal use. The command is a good one, Go forward, and wise is the man who obeys it. Observation with its keen eye, attentive ear, comprehensive intellect, and sound judgment, attests the fact that in order to accomplish any purpose or attain any end, the individual man must go forward to insure success and grasp his desire. No aim in life can be successful without it. If in quest of wealth or position, science, literature, or anything else, earnest perseverance as well as strong, resolution, activity and energy, are necessary forces, and must be brought out for the struggle. Is the aim intellectual greatness, the command Go forward holds good; attention, assiduity, application, are elements necessary to crown the effort. In the life of each man the command is good; to him it is as essential as any law of his being. Old habits, if they are injurious in their tendency by corrupting the heart in any way, must be broken off, and a sound morality, virtuous and upright deportment, must mark the general character.

Particularly is this command good in the Christian man's life. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Every professing Christian must grow in grace and in knowledge—knowledge of himself, of his God, of his obligations to the world around him, and as to matters of faith grow therein. Paul says—"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Viewing the principle plainly taught in this text as it bears upon the individual man, we must admit its importance and necessity, as it enters into every arrangement introduced for his government by Jehovah himself. He writes it in fairest lines drawn upon every effort to benefit the moral or the Christian world—progress, progression, is the seal of God itself, whereby is stamped the likeness and image of that Being who gave to Moses the command Go forward. It does seem that God, through every progress made, whether in the arts or sciences, whether in the church or state, only reiterates what he said to Moses whilst they were resting before Baal Zephon. And from amid this world of life, where all are in commotion, and each one agitated upon its troubled bosom, pushing his way through the laboring multitudes, shall we single out the Christian man and say to him as the representative of a class of that busy world, you are an exception, whilst others should go forward you may stand still: this can never be; the Christian man can no more stand idle amid the conflicts of life than the earth on which he dwells can cease its revolutions and exist. Every one of us has work to do, around us as well as within us. We begin in childhood to act our part upon the stage of life: as we grow in age, in size, in strength, so grows our labor; as we develop our physical and mental man, so must we produce qualifications necessary for the employments and engagements of life, every man for his calling, as Paul records it. "But the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withal: for to one is given, by the spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge, by the same spirit; to another faith, by the same spirit; to another the gifts of healing, by the same spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." There is therefore an obligation upon every Christian professor, a necessity of going forward in every calling, whether of faith or practice; to make progress—plain, unmistakable progress, such as will be seen, felt, and acknowledged by all. These should be so plain as to mark the Christian in his life and efforts to advance the interest of humanity and the glory of his God. This is, in fact, the chief end of man.

III. The command in its scope touches governments and communities as well as individuals, they too must go forward in the march of life. It is as necessary in all that concerns their interests as the individual. They should go forward from a state of barbarism to enlightened civilization, from heathen superstition to a knowledge of the Christian graces these steps mark the greatness of a nation, and the ever growing, enlightening, civilizing, and Christianizing progress are plainly seen by their greatness and their power.

What is true in these instances is true in relation to a church, which brings us to our third consideration. The church is comprised of any number of individuals for the service and worship of God; it may be regarded as a community or government—a kingdom if you please—Christ, however, is its head. The church is commanded to go forward; it must not, cannot tarry on the plain of human progress. The church has its aim and its end; it is an intelligent intellectual body; it has something in common with other intelligent agencies to do; whatever it is must be done; to accomplish which it must go forward. Is the church itself small and diminutive, it must swell and increase until its huge form can be seen like a great mountain away in the distance. The handful of corn planted must produce the wavy field, rich for the harvest. The stone cut out of the mountain must roll on and roll on until it fills the earth. The church of Christ has an interesting work to perform, and in that work there must be progress. Righteousness through it must be established, truth maintained, justice advocated, mercy pleaded; love, free, full, universal love to all, among all, contended for, with a zeal and fervor and sincerity that should know no abatement; to this end every available means must be used, every effort made; hearts and heads and hands of men must be enlisted to work out the redemption of the world; sin of every kind, cast, or color must be destroyed; against them all the church must fight, though it be against principalities and powers or spiritual wickedness in high places; every instrumentality must be seized upon to carry forward the interesting work of Christianity, civilization, redemption, reformation—revolution if need be; sin must be slain. The church must do its part, and do it well; discouragements and opposition should be no barriers, we must go forward, it is God's command. A body of godly working Christians is a sight which angels can contemplate with delight, and which God himself approves. The church must move on; from what we see it must move on, there is no encamping here, amid this battle-field of life. Men and nations and communities are heeding the command and moving forward: science is holding up its magic lamp, and by its light athwart the pathway of men and nations does she throw a broad glare to guide them in their onward course, and along its brilliant pointings is the world moving forward. The church must not lag behind lest she be pushed aside, to be passed by unnoticed and unhonored; it must go forward towards perfection in every good work; it must increase in efficiency, to benefit the world; it must be diligent and active in the pursuit of every enterprise which claims its attention and care; its efforts abroad, like its efforts at home, must be attended to; its great heart should throb for the world's salvation, and its broad arms should encircle all mankind—that is its business, its duty, and should, must be its aim; to this end the church must go forward in might and in power, put on strength and grow in grace, in knowledge, wisdom, purity, and holiness; for the church there lies the life struggle, the aim of the church. Let us of this church see to it that we move forward, that we make progress onward and upward. Our fathers went forward in their day, nobly forward; they did their duty, and they did it well; so that we now looking back upon those early times, though fifty years have rolled away and balled up all the doings of those long, long years, still can we of this later day, in view of what we now know and see, truthfully exclaim, "Well done, good and faithful servants."

What was commanded the people by the mouth of Moses was commanded by a greater than Moses to our fathers; they did go forward; they have finished their work, crossed over Jordan, and are now in Canaan and at rest. The same God, by the mouth of his son, calls upon every man and woman in this church to arise and go forward. The labors and example of our fathers show we are resting, positively snugly encamped before some Baal Zephon. My brethren, I call upon you arise; God commands you to go forward; why stop to complain, why to lament and say O Lord, look upon us in our low estate; oh, pity our condition; help us in our leanness? Moses did this very thing. God said to him Why cryest thou to me? command the people that they go forward. And now if you would succeed, work—work while you pray; for God will help no man, nor any church that will not help themselves.

If we would insure success we must first be diligent in what our hands find to do; we must make progress if we desire the church to prosper, and to travel in the greatness of her strength; you, my brethren, elders of this church, must walk around Zion, view her bulwarks and her towers, examine her walls, and see that all is in order, like those fathers who once occupied the position you now fill. you must repair every breach, guard every pass, secure every gate, and keep a watchful eye all around you: you are the officers of this army of our King; lead on the people; say to them Go forward, we are in an enemy's country, and our foes are pressing hard upon us; we must be up and doing; there must be less complaining and more laboring; less resting and more action; more of the vital and practical workings of Christianity than its desirings; more of the spirit's working power among us than forms and conventional formulas; in short, we must go forward in every good word and work.

And what is true of us as office bearers is true of the individual member—for we are after all members, one of another, all one in Christ, all journeying along the same pathway in life; we have the same hopes and fears, the same common enemy to fight, the same conflicts within us and without, the same aim and end in view, the same heaven in prospect, the same God to serve, and withal the same road to travel to reach our journey's end. Each member of this Zion, then, is called upon to go forward, to throw aside every weight and every burden, and the sin that doth so easily beset them, and run with patience the race that is set before them, looking at the same time to Jesus, who is the author and the finisher of our faith. The membership of a church must have a mind to work if they would see the salvation of God, in many souls being delivered from the power of sin and Satan and ushered into the marvellous light and liberty of God's children. May I call upon each one to-day to dedicate himself afresh for this desirable, nay necessary end? But how are we to do this? Can it be done alone by praying? Often this proves a delusion. Prayer of course must be used, by all means; yet are there other essentials necessary in this work; there must be an earnest, serious, and manifest interest evidenced in us all for the glory of our God, the conversion of souls, the prosperity of this church. And what evidences this? Why, the temper and spirit in which we enter and labor in it; the sacrifices we are making of our time, our means, and of our ability to do, in any way or manner, what the cause of our Redeemer demands of us. We must let our light shine before men; not our words, our professions, or our formality, but our Christian principles, Christlike to do good, and to communicate—forget not. We must be the salt of the earth; our example in life and practice must show to men that we have been with Christ and have been taught of him: this we must evidence by our daily life, daily conversation, in our intercourse with our fellow men, whether in the house or by the wayside, in the workshop, or anywhere else. We must be willing to do the will of our heavenly Father, by doing whatever our hands find to do; Ave must go forward; in God's work there can be no resting point. In our travels to the promised land we must go forward; God commands, it is ours to obey

History of the Church

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

Our Saviour upon one occasion gave this command to his disciples: "Gather up the fragments that remain, let nothing be lost." Taking this command, then, in its strictest meaning, we can easily conceive that in matters of public interest it should be religiously observed.

Waiving every other subject that has a bearing upon this precious and necessary command of our Lord, we take up the church as one of the most interesting and important institutions of public concern. The Church in all of its branches, considered in their individual organizations, however widespread it may be, in whatever part of the habitable globe located, is one harmonious whole, forming a unit, a oneness, with Christ as its head. I do not think that I will be charged with any far stretched idea in making the above assertion; whoever reads the constitution which Christ has caused to be published for the government of his church on earth, must necessarily conclude with me, that his church, his visible or universal church, is one: this follows from that constitution, which is the Bible—one in its aim, one in its end, and one in its use. To gather up the history of each individual church, then, should be the aim of each disciple of the Lord Jesus, in order that its existence may be known.

If the church on earth is one, Christ being its head, there is, therefore, a common interest binding them together as a common brotherhood. As one of our poets beautifully expresses it—

"Our heavenly Father calls, Christ and His members one; We the young children of his love, And He the first born son. We are but several parts Of the same broken bread; One body hath its several limbs, But Jesus is the head."

That the history of every church should be known seems equally clear from the relation they sustain to each other. That was a significant remark made by Paul to his brethren when he said: "Ye are members one of another;" how forcible and expressive is this remark—members one of another. There must be somewhat of a family tie existing between the churches. If it be so, and Ave cannot show why it should not, then is it clear that, as in every well-ordered family, a knowledge of each of its members is desirable and necessary, so is there reason for a knowledge of each church by every member of Christ's mystical body, the church; and however humble and weak it may be, whatever peculiar circumstance surrounds it, so much the greater reason for a knowledge of it. Upon the same principle that our sympathies are moved rather toward the weakest and most unfortunate member of a family, in like manner our interest in and anxiety for these weaker and smaller members of the Christian family should cluster around to watch over and be mindful of, simply on account of what has been already stated.

There may be many other reasons given why the knowledge of no single church of our Redeemer should be lost to the great family of Christians for the want of a history. But they are too numerous to mention in connection with the present matter we have in hand. I intend in this publication, briefly, though I trust to the satisfaction and comprehension of all who will favor me by perusing these pages, to give a history of the first African Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, and in fact, the first established, and consequently the oldest in the United States.

In giving the history of this church, permit me, kind reader, to say, that not only the above reasons stated influenced me to write out the history of this branch of Christ's Church, but another reason induced me to undertake it. I will state it.

When Luke was about to write his Gospel, he prefaced it with these words to Theophilus: "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning were eye-witnesses and ministers of the Word; it seemed good to me, also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee, in order that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed."

Herein, the Evangelist was more fortunate than myself, for others had taken in hand a declaration of those things necessary to be known. In the case of the first African Church, no one had undertaken even a brief sketch of the rise of this member of the Christian family: my readers will at once see the reason why I have undertaken to write its history—that it may not be lost. Taking the command of my Saviour, then, "Gather up the fragments, let nothing be lost," I throw myself upon your indulgence, and pray my Heavenly Father to repay you amply for the time you may appropriate in the perusal of these few pages, which shall be condensed as much as possible, without destroying the information necessary to be obtained, and of monopolizing too much of your time, which, for aught I know, may be more profitably engaged in this age of reading.

About the beginning of the present century, it be- came a subject of considerable conversation among the few colored people in Philadelphia whose preferences were Presbyterian, of raising a Presbyterian Church. This idea seemed to be general among them; but how to proceed was a matter of no small difficulty, for at the time there were very few Presbyterians in Philadelphia. There was one thing, however, that was in their favor, and it was their firmness and determination not to permit their smallness of number to prevent their making the effort; they were Christians from principle, and their hearts were in the work; their zeal and energy gave springs to their determination : with them there was no such thing as fail. The only question was, Who shall lead in the movement? Here was the true difficulty. There were true and faithful men ready to give their countenance and influence to the work, but who would sacrifice his business, his temporal prospects in life, his time, his means, his all of self] Here was the difficulty to grapple with and overcome; one that not only every new enterprise of like character, but one that the Church has ever had to contend with. Of the justness of the assertion Christians can judge; of its correctness I am sure. There were men of acknowledged ability, and other prerequisites,but it required a man who would be willing to make every sacrifice of his own time and worldly interest, to lead in the movement. For such a man they must wait patiently. It is not in the course of this brief history, to discuss the question whether it was necessary to form a separate Church for the use of colored worshippers; that is a question I take as not forming any part of a Church history proper, unless there arose some circumstance by which a separation would be forced upon the receding party. Let it suffice the reader for me to say, there was no cause of ill-treatment upon the part of existing organizations or Churches, to drive the colored membership to seek a separation; they could have remained in connection, no doubt, with the churches, and been respected as members of it. Presbyterians are remarkable for their regard to each other, without respect to distinctions—it is a characteristic of God's people. In the case, then, of raising a colored church, the prevailing opinion seemed to be, an organization of colored people where church government could be committed to, and governed by them, and that without separating from Presbyterian bodies, or alienating themselves from their fellow Christians. A church was accordingly formed, and measures adopted to supply it with preaching, which will be stated in its proper place. There seems to be a providence in these movements sometimes very remarkable, and it proved so in this case. God often "works in a mysterious way His wonders to perform"—for at this particular and interesting time, Dr. Gideon Blackburn, a Presbyterian clergyman, arrived in Philadelphia, bringing with him a body servant or slave called John Gloucester, and about whom much will be said during our notice of the history of the Church. This man was of deep piety, and well instructed in the doctrines of the Presbyterian faith. Seeing that his servant was a man of no ordinary character, that he possessed gifts and graces that evidently qualified him for the ministry, Dr. Blackburn, it will be seen in the course of this history, concluded to seek a place where Mr. Gloucester could exercise his gifts and graces in preaching the Gospel, for which he was so eminently qualified. To this end Dr. Blackburn left Tennessee, where he resided, and visited Philadelphia. What a providence is here seen; not merely a coincidence, as some would say, but a special providence. How does this visit, at this time, remind us of the question of Isaac to his Father, on Mount Moriah, "My Father, here is the altar and the wood, but where is the sacrifice?" and in keeping with our present subject is equally significant the words of Abraham, "My son, God will provide a sacrifice." In our case it was truly a special providence, and it seems clear, for God surely does watch over the interests of Zion, and are we not told "that no good thing will be withheld from them that walk uprightly." So we may safely argue that the visit of Dr. Blackburn, at this juncture, was providentially ordered, and no good reason can be adduced to the contrary. However, it was regarded as a favorable indication that God was leading in the matter, and by his own mysterious operation was producing the materials for establishing a church in Philadelphia. In order, therefore, to show more fully the leadings of the Most High toward this end, I will direct attention more particularly to the history of Mr. Gloucester.