The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-03-28 00:00:00, page 3

The following piece would have been inserted as soon as
desired, if affairs of general concern at these important
times had not prevented, which reason the printer hopes
will be a fufficient apology for its being so long delayed.
IN the Evening Post of the twenty-fourth ult. and in the
Packet of the Monday following, is inferred a judgment
of the Supreme Court in a cause wherein a Corporation,
called by the name of the Committee of the First and Third
United Prelbyterian Churches in this city, were plaintiffs,
and Robert Knox, Alexander Alexander, and others, were
defendants, in behalf of the Third Prelbyterian Congrega
tion in this city.
The relation there given appears intended to make persons,
unacquainted with the matter, believe that the persons nam
ed, and their associates, had forcibly invaded a House of
Worship occupied by others, and to which they had no right;
and had, in contempt of all law and good order,, taken and
maintained a violent possession thereof. In justice therefore
to their character, it becomes necessary (though at a time
when private debates ought rather to be buried in silence
than made the lubjetl of a newspaper) to recite the few fol
lowing fads relative to the affair.
The lot whereon the Third Prelbyterian Church is builfy
was a Proprietary gift, granted by a warrant, October 19/
1764, in the following terms : “ Whereas on the petition of
" William Allen, Esq; and others, members of the eongre
" gation belonging to the Old Prelbyterian Meeting House,
“ situate on the south fide of High (or Market) street, and
" near the Court-House, in the city of Philadelphia, repre
" fenting, That the said cong? egation is now grown so nume
-66 rous, that the said house is not fufficient to accommodate
" all those of that society, who are desirous to attend divine
" service there ; and that the burial-ground there is much
" too finall for them, We have, therefore, condescended
" and agreed to give andgrant unto the said Society of Prefby
" tertans, a certain lot, &c.—in order to accommodate those of
" the said society who live to the southward of High-street afore
u said, with a site for a church, or meeting-house, there to
" be ereded; and a burial yard within the limits of the said
"4ot, &c.
That the house to be built on the laid lot was intended
not for the use of Market-street congregation in particular,
but to accommodate futh of the Prelbyterian denomination
in general, as resided in those parts of the city and suburbs,
and might choose to worship there, is molt explicitly de
clared in a letter from Market-street Congregation to the
Arch-street (or Second Prelbyterian) Congregation in this
city, bearing date July 1, 1765, in which is the following
paragraph : " And as it would be a breach of that charity
" and brotherly kindness which ought to subsist between our
66 congregations, for us to begin to build a new church in
" this city, which as much concerns your society as our own,
" without communicating our designs and intentions to you
66 for your approbation and concurrence ; we have appointed
“ some of our members to wait on you with the inclofed
66 proposals, which fully explain our plan." And in these
proposals it is expressly declared, “ That the Third Congre
" gation shall be allowed and confeffed to have the fame un
" alienable right with other Prelbyterian churches in the
" Synod, of choosing and fettling their own pastor, accord
" ing to the Prelbyterian plan of church government — and
" be governed like the other two, by a session and Commit
" tee chosen out of the members of said congregation."
Nor was this suspended on any conditional proviso, but ex
pressed In absolute terms.
159
The money expended in building the house, was collected
from the public; part by subscription, and the residue,
about eleven hundred pounds, by a lottery, granted for that
purpose, amongst others, by the Assembly of the Province.
Ihd money raised by subscription, was expressly for ac
commodating such of the Prelbyterian denomination in the
city and suburbs, as could not so conveniently be elsewhere
accommodated with a house for public worship, as is evi
dent by the preamble to the said subscription, which bears
date July 1765, and is as follows, “ Whereas the number
of Presbyterians in and near this city has so greatly in
creased of late years, that they cannot be accommodated so as
" to attend on public worship with fatisfa<ftion, without a
'' third church; and whereas the Honorable Proprietaries
" have, for that ^r^fgeneroiilly given a lot of ground,
situate, &c. we, whose names are hereunto subscribed,
" do promise to contribute and pay to Melfrs. &c. the seve
ral and refpedive sums annexed to our names, for the
" purpose of eroding a Prelbyterian Church on the lot given
as aforefaid, &c." And this subscription paper was ac
companied with a declaration in writing, that the Third
Congregation should enjoy all the rights and privileges be
longing to other Prelbyterian Congregations. And in this
contribution the people, who afterwards formed the Congre
gation at Pine-street, exerted themselves to their utmost, ac
cording to their ability.
The Ad of Assembly, dated February nineteenth, 1769,
granting the lottery, points out the people for whose use the
money was designed, and the reason of the grant, in the
following terms: “ That the people, who, from their resi
dence in the dijiria and southern parts of the city, form
the congregation which worship in that church, being in
general poor, are altogether unable either to finifh the
fame, or to pay oft the large debt already contrasted."
When the house was so far finiflied as to admit public wor
ship bein g performed in it, on the z2d of Feb. 1768.. the pews
were let; and in* the fame manner as is usual in other Prelby
terian Churches (no mention being made that Pine-street was
to be considered as a part of Market-street congregation) and
were at that time taken by the people who now worship there ;
many, if not the greatest part, of whom had formerly wor
shipped at Market-street, but now gave up their pews there.
And being thus regularly possessed of their house of worship,
enjoyed it without molestation; held three leveral eledions
for choosing a minister, before that wherein the Reverned
Mr. Duffield was chosen ; had a minister of their own choos
ing, and supported by themselves; with their own church
officers : and were, in all refpeds, a diflin& congregation,
tranfading their own affairs, and as such repeatedly ac
knowledged by Market-street, without any objection made
thereto.
On the fifth of August 1771, Mr. Duffield was chosen;
and afterwards called as pastor to that church; and this was
done in the fame regular manner they had formerly proceed
ed, and as is usual in other Prelbyterian Churches. The Rev:
Do&or Allison, one of the ministers of Market-street con
gregation, being invited by Pine-street, presided in the
choice, declared it a fair election, and gave his assistance in
drawing up a call.—And when an opposition to their prose
cuting their call afterwards rose from Market-street, the
whole affair was regularly laid before the Synod in May,
L 7 72 ; both parties fully heard ; and the matter determined,
that the Pine-Ereet Congregation had a right to prosecute
their calk
In the June following, the Committee of Market-street
privately applied for, and obtained, a charter cf incorpora-