Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-11-05

considerable period that we "a
again take up the thread of the his
tory of st. Peters. In 1882, DR..
Abraham Beach resumed services in
what was left of st. Peters, and re-
organized the Parish; he had sup
Elementary work in New Brunswick.
Now we come to the time when st.
Peters entered into a more or less
close association with Trinity Par
ish, New York; for DIR. Beach, after
working successfully in Perth AM
boy, was elected assistant minister of
Trinity Parish and afterwards, assis-
tant Rector. DR.. Beach was a man
of prominence in the American Epis-
copal Church. He was president of
the first Diocesan Convention of
New Jersey, which met in New
Brunswick in 1885; and also, in 1856,
when it met in st. Peters, Perth
Amboy. In 1901, 1904 and 1903, he
was president of the House of Cleri-
cal and Lay Deputies of the General
Convention.
After the Revolution, our Church
vas not slow to organize and begin
its period of rapid growth and devel-
opment. The newly consecrated Bis
hops were confirming and ~ordaining;
and in 1888. the first ordination ever
held in New Jersey was held in this
church when Bishop Provost, just
returned from England, ordained a
young man, George e. Spieren, to
the deaconate. MIR. Spieren was or
dained to the priesthood in st. Paul's
Chapel shortly afterwards, and be-
came rector of st. Peters. This
church maintained its position of
prominence in the Church in New
Jersey, and in it were held the Con-
ventions of the Diocese. Between
1886 and 1916, nine conventions
were entertained by this %congrega-
ton. Trinity Parish gave st. Peters
one of its own clergy in the person
of James Chapman, who was rector
in 1909. He was ordained in Trinity
Church, and raj an assistant there
for a time. He had studied for
Holy Orders under that great Bishop
of our American Church, John
Henry Hobart, who was at this time
rector of Trinity Parish; and the as
sociations between st. Peters and
Trinity were close, for the two men
were very dear friends.
1t is surprising to find that al
though we had Bishops since 1888,
no confirmation service was held in
st. Peters of which there is record
until 1872, when Bishop Hobart
came here and confirmed the first
class ever presented. Fifty persons
members of the Church all their
were confirmed; many who had been
lives, saw for the first time a con-
firmation service. The Wardens and
Vestrymen of st. Peters headed the
list of confirmation candidates.
The record of the salaries paid in
these times is Illuminating. The
Rector received about $500 in cash,
a new rectory which cost the church
$4,000; and the house which had
been used for the rectory for some
time was rented at $50 a year, with
an allowance of $40 a year for re-
pairs. 1t is evidence sufficient that
the dollar was worth a great deal
more than it is today.
Since these times, st. Peters has
been through times of trial as we'll
as times of comparative prosperity
as has every other Parish. The old
church, built in 1918, SCARED and
battered by misuse during the
Revolution, was finally condemned
and demolished; and this present
building was erected in 1852. There
was much opposition to the removal
of the old colonial landmark; but
there was great Impotence in the
fifties with anything that was old, as
it was a time of madness for the
new-a time of enormous expansion
and growth in the United States.
Through the difficult times of the
Civil War as we'll as through the
hardships of the World War, this
Parish continued to do its work, and
to do it loyalty and devotedly. Its
record during the trying years OF
1917 and 1918 was distinguished.
Sixty-five of the young men of the
Parish were in active service with
the armed forces of the United
States, and three men died in that
service.
AS l have looked over the record
of the long years since the founding
of this parish. it seems to me one of
which every member of it should be
very proud; for it has done good
work and done it loyally-it has
served the community In which it is
placed, its ministers have spread the
light of the truth not only in the
community but also in the neighbor-
hood, and this congregation has
taken its place in the life of the
whole Church. And now it faces the
future-a future full of difficulties
and problems. For the present is
not like the past. The population
has changed in character and race;
conditions of living have changed.
What contribution can our Church
with its An~glo-Saxon traditions
make to a population composed so
largely of races of entirely different
tradition and blood? 1t is the same
problem which is facing us in all the
cities of this country today. There
are a few principles of which we
feel just as sure will guide us in the
future as they have guided us in the
past-and n is, that while the
Church must adapt her service and
practice to the changes and the
needs of the day, yet she must ever
remain loyal to the truth which has
been committed to her. There are
always the things both new and old
which she must take from her treas
ury-never loving the old so much
that it will blind her to the claims
of the new, and never becoming so
absorbed in things new hat she for
gets the claims of that which has
been from the beginning.
sw1aFn HHEnI p EAI