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As Ave have seen, this building was dedicated to the
worship of God in the year of our Lord 1811. It has
four 1-oavs of peAvs, numbering seventeen deep, with tAVo
aisles three feet Avide each, and will seat on the lower
floor, very comfortably, 370 persons. It also has a gallery
on each side and one on the end; these can accommodate
280 persons Avithout discommoding each other. The
ceiling is very high, which gives the audience-room a
light and airy appearance. After the Church was
finished and dedicated, the elders, trustees, and people,
petitioned Presbytery to be taken under their care and
inspection, to be considered in full standing as a Pres¬
byterian congregation—"Whereupon, the Presbytery of
Philadelphia did, on the 16th day of October, 1811, and
sitting in Norristown, Pa., Dr. Janeway Moderator, and
Dr. Green Clerk, receive under their care, according to
their request, the African Church."
I will take this occasion to remark, noAV that the
Church was received by the Presbytery, that Mr.
Gloucester's relation with the Committee on Missions
during his life, Avas never broken by his receiving a call
from the congregation of the African Church, and con¬
sequently was never installed over them as its pastor,
although he Avas all to them that a pastor could be, and
was regarded by the people as a pastor beloved until the
day of his death, and lives in the memory now of those
who were children and youth at that time, with consider¬
able veneration. His not being installed over the
Church perhaps arose from the inability of the infant
Church to provide for him as they could possibly desire,
and to insure him such support as they desired to be¬
stow if they could; hence to leave him in the hands of
the Committee on Missions, and to assist the Committee
as far as they were able of their ability, appears to be
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