THIS venerable looking and ornamental edifice was constructed at various periods of time. The western end, as we now see it, was raised in 1727, and having enlarged their means, they, in 1731, erected the eastern end. The steeple was elevated on or about the year 1753-4. Prior to the construction of the present brick pile Christ church was in the lowly form of a one story wooden chapel, built under the auspices of the Rev. Mr. Clayton in the year 1695. The facts concerning the premises, gleaned from a variety of sources, are to the following effect, to wit: The first church, of wood, built under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Clayton, in the year 1695, is specially referred to by Gabriel Thomas' publication of 1698, who says "the Church of England built a very fine church in this city in the year 1695." The most we should infer from his commendation of it is, that it was probably sufficiently sightly for its small size. We know it was his general manner to extol other buildings, which still remain to convince us that good buildings then are but ordinary in our present enlarged conceptions of beauty and greatness. Such as it was, it was enlarged in 1710. We know that the Rev. Mr. Clayton was first in charge of it, from the book of the Rev. Morgan Edwards, who has therein left us the record of his letter to the Baptists in Philadelphia of the year 1698, wherein he invites them to a public conference on the merits of their several religions, in hopes thereby to surpass them in argument, and win them over to his faith as proselytes; but they stood firmly to their defence, and the breach was widened. The original records were accidentally destroyed by fire; of course, what we can now know must be such as have been incidentally mentioned in connexion with other facts. Among the witnesses who had once seen the primitive church. and had been also cotemporary with our own times, was old black Alice, who died in 1802, at the advanced age of 116 years. She had been all her long life a zealous and hearty member of that church. At the age of 115 she came from Dunk's ferry, where she lived, to see once more her beloved Christ church. She then told my friend Samuel Coates, Esq. and others present, that she well remembered the original lowly structure. The ceiling of it, she said, she could touch with her lifted hands. The bell, to call the people, was hung in the crotch of a tree close by. She said, when it was superseded by a more stately structure of brick, they run up their walls so far outside of the first church, that the worship was continued unmolested until the other was roofed and so far finished as to be used in its stead. As early as the year 1698, the Rev. Evan Evans, who appears to have succeeded Mr. Clayton, is mentioned as the church pastor, in a public Friend's Journal of the time. He calls him "Church Missionary," and names him for the purpose of saying he had been out to visit the Welsh Friends at Gwyned, in hopes to convert them over to his fellowship. From his name and visit to Welsh people we should infer he was himself a Welshman. About this time the church was served by the Swedish minister, Mr. Rudman, for nearly two years. The Rev'd Mr. Keith, who visited Philadelphia in 1702, as church missionary,† speaks of having then found the Rev. Evan Evans in charge of Christ church as its first Rector, and said to have been sent out in 1700 by Bishop Comptin of London. That time was probably referred to, because, although he had been here at an earlier time, he may have been in London in 1700 also. Certainly he is mentioned as there by William Penn himself in his letter to James Logan, of 1709, to wit: "Governor Gookin has presented Parson Evans with two gaudy, costly prayer-books as any in the Queen's chapel, and intends as fine a communion table also; both which charms the Bishop of London as well as Parson Evans, whom I esteem." It was probably on some such occasion of the presence of the Rector in London that Queen Anne made her present of a service of church plate for the use of Christ church-the same which now bears the impress of her Arms, &c. We may be justified, we presume, in speaking of all the truth, to say a little of what was called "the Church Party," -a name expressive at the time of mutual dissatisfaction between the churchmen and the Friends; probably not so much from religious differences of opinion as from dissimilarity in views of civil government, to wit: In 1701, James Logan writes to William Penn, saying, "I can see no hopes of getting any material subscriptions from those of the church against the report of persecution, they having consulted together on that His diligence and zeal must have been great; for, besides Sunday service in Philadel phia, he held public prayers on Wednesdays and Fridays-preaching also at Chichester, Chester, Concord, Montgomery, Radnor, and Perkiomen, occasionally. + This George Keith had himself been a public Friend not long before, at Philadelphiaan unusual metamorphosis, from plain drab to the black gown. head, and, as I am informed, concluded that not allowing their clergy here what they of right claim in England, and not suffering them to be superior, may justly bear that name."* A letter from William Penn, of 1703, says: "The church party with a pack'd vestry, headed by his enemy, John Moore, [once Attorney General] complimented by an address, the Lord Cornbury, wherein they say, they hope they shall prevail with the Queen to extend the limits of his government over them, that so they may enjoy the same blessing as others under his authority." Penn calls this "a foul insubordination to him." The "Hot Church Party" as it was called, began its opposition to Friends' rule, about the year 1701-2; (much of it from civil causes) for instance, James Logan in writing to William Penn, in 1702, says: " Orders having come to the Governor to proclaim the war, he recommended to the people to put themselves into a posture of defence, and since has issued commissions for one company of militia, and intends to proceed all the government over. Those of the hot church party oppose it to their utmost, because they would have nothing done that may look with a countenance at home. They have done all they can to dissuade all from touching with it," &c.t When Lord Cornbury was again in Philadelphia, on his second visit in 1703, Colonel Quarry and the rest of the churchmen, congratulated him, and presented an address from the church vestry, requesting his patronage to the church, and closing with a prayer that he would beseech the Queen to extend his government over the province ! Colonel Quarry also said "they hoped they also should be partakers of the happiness Jersey enjoyed under his government.' William Penn, after hearing of this act to a mere visiter in his colony, treats it as overt act of anarchy-a treason against his supremacy! He therefore sends a copy of the address (called "Colonel Quarry's packed Vestry's Address,") to the Lords of Trade, to be by them punished as an "impudent" affair. "I offered the Lords, that they should either buy us out, or that we might buy out the turbulent churchmen." William Penn, jun. in writing to James Logan, in 1703, says, “I am told the church party are very desirous of my coming over, as not doubting but to make me their property, but they will find themselves mistaken. I should not encourage a people who are such enemies to my father and the province." The Rev. Mr. Evans' services to Christ church terminated in 1719; he was then succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Vicary-after whom, the succession continued downward thus, to wit: The Rev. Mr. Cummings was installed in 1726-next, by Rev. Robert Jenney, in 1742,-then by Rev. Richard Peters, in 1762, and by the present Bishop White, in 1772, as assistant to Mr. Peters. From the year 1747 to 1766, the Rev. William Sturgeon Curate, was minis *It was ascertained that Colonel Quarry, who was at the head of Penn's enemies, had taken over to England secret subscriptions on that subject, intending them there to injure Pean. The reason they assigned was, that they would not engage to defend and fight, while Friends could be exempted. Yet ye did, not long after, join the communion of the Church of England. " ter of Christ church and St. Peter's-at the same time he was in the service of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." Several other missionaries of that Society, were also here, to wit: the Rev. William Currie, missionary for Radnor, the Rev. N. Evans, for Gloucester, the Rev. E. Ross, for New Castle, also Rev. Mr. Barron there, the Rev. Mr. Barton, for Lancaster; another is also designated for Oxford, in 1758. The excitement of those former mentioned turbulent times may be still more illustrated in the feelings manifested for a season in favour of an unworthy son of the church, whose own character and conduct seems to have been so peculiar and strange, as to deserve a place as a curious item of our domestic history. The times are now too far gone by to give any unpleasant emotions, and the whole may be contemplated as a spectacle in which we have no other interest than as mere lookers-on. In the year 1714, the Rev. Francis Phillips, then incumbent of Christ church, fell into some reproach for immoral living; and as his conduct was so far secular as to infringe on the social privileges of "Peter Evans, gentleman," concerning certain ladies, &c. it provoked in turn an encroachment on "the benefit of clergy," by the said Mr. Evans, sending his adversary, Mr. Phillips, a challenge to duel! What a strange crisis, in what we should regard as the days of peaceful simplicity! Certainly the offence on both sides was deemed great, as the legal proceedings evince. The original challenge I have seen filed along with the presentment of the Grand Jury in the case. It reads thus, to wit: "To Mr. Francis Phillips, Philadelphia,-Sir, You have basely scandalized a gentlewoman that I have a profound respect for. And for my part shall give you a fair opportunity to defend yourself to-morrow morning on the west side of Joseph Carpenter's garden, betwixt seven and eight, where I shall expect to meet you gladio cinctus, in failure whereof, depend upon the usage you deserve from-Your ever PETER EVANS. Dated Pewter Platter Inn, Jan. 21, 1714.”* In the year 1715, the said Rev. Francis Phillips, clergyman, is presented, and a billa vera is found, for an attempt on the life of Elizabeth S-, by administering arsenic. He is also presented, but the bill is returned ignoramus," for forgetting his sacerdotal vow," and for having in an offensive manner held his acquaintance with one Margaret S. These public reproaches did of course move his indignation, so that he sent such a communication abroad as again called for another presentment, and on which a billa vera was found-for having sent a message to the Mayor and Alderman, saying, "they had done him injustice, and might as well have robbed him, as to have taken his servant Elizabeth S," the same first above named. I perceive by the letters of James Logan, [in the Logan MSS.] that * Such an affair with a gentleman of the holy office, is doubtless so far unique in this country. Even in this case the clergyman did not meet; but we have seen lately a more extreme case abroad. In 1828, the Rev. Heaton W. Crespigny, at Calais, challenges Mr. Long Wellesley to duel, and they exchange shots, concerning Mrs. Wellesley, a relative of the clergyman. "he was taxed with scandalous expressions, boasting of undue intimacy with some woman of reputation." "He was carried to gaol (says Logan) on Seventh-day night, so that they had none to preach to them on the next day, which greatly provoked that people against the Friends. They partly pulled down a house where one of the evidences against him lodged. The Governor, (Gookin, who was a churchman) gave out a nulle prosequis in his favour." In another place he says, "The better people of the church withdrew to the court house, and there, after debate, voted him to have acted scandalously; and, finally, he was condemned by all"—a termination which must exempt the church itself from blame,→→ since "tares will grow with the wheat," and Christ's church itself had "one that had a devil!" In the year 1727 was began the first attempt at constructing the present venerable Christ church of brick. The occasion was thus noticed in the Gazettes of the day, to wit: April 28th, 1727-" Yesterday the Hon. P. Gordon, our Governor, with the Mayor, Recorder, and the Rev. Mr. Cummings, our minister, and sundry gentlemen, laid the first stone of the additional building designed to be made to the church of this city." I regard this to have been the present western end, including the base of the tower-as will hereafter appear more obvious from subsequent facts to be told. The choice of making the western end first was, doubtless, to leave the little chapel the longer unmolested for the use of the worshippers. In the year 1729 Thomas Makin's Latin description of the city thus hints at its unfinished state then, to wit: "Of these appears one in a grander style For future bells to make a distant sound." The tower was probably not extended above the first or second story till the year 1753, when they began the present elegant steeple. In the mean time it may have been used for other purposes. From some incidental facts it appears, in the year 1729, to have been first furnished with an organ, and to have had there a Welsh preacher, of the name of Doctor Wayman-for the Gazette states, that the Welshmen in the city, having formed themselves into a fellowship, chose Doctor Wayman to preach them a sermon in the Welsh language, and to give them a Welsh psalm on the organ. This organ I presume to have been at Christ church, for a writer says, "I have subscribed 5£. towards carrying on the new church, and 50s. to the organ, and 20s. to the organist." As soon as they could bring the western end to a finish, by measures adapted to their limited means and resources, they set upon the building of the present front or eastern end, which I found more than once ascribed to the year 1731. For the impressive architectural style of Christ church (as well as of the State-house also,) we are indebted to the taste and direc |