CHAPTER XIV.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS: THEIR FOUNDATION AND FIRST CELEBRATIONS—
(Continued).
SYNOPSIS: —Arrival of Rev. Mr. Wakefield. —Foundation of Collins Street Chapel. —First Place of Worship Erected. —Visit of Mr. Hopkins. —The First Trustees. —The Rev. Mr. Docker's Present. —Rev. Alexander Morison. —Fancy Fair in 1847. —First Ordination, 1848. —Church Population. THE BAPTISTS —Arrival of Messrs. Crook and Reeves. —First Church Services under Canvas. —Mr. Peter Virtue. —The First Baptisms. —Their Modus Operandi. —The Sacramental "Dip." —Mrs. Crook the First Postulant. —John Joseph Mouritz, First Minister. —Cows and Theology. —Doctored Milk. —Untamed Milchers. —Arrival of Rev. John Ham. —Death of Rev. Mr. Mouritz. —The First Ordained Minister. —Population of the First Baptist Chapel. —Visit of the Rev. Dr. Lang. —Rev. Mr. Ham's Mission for Aboriginal Children. —Second Baptist Congregation. —The Rev. Mr. Scott's Arrival. —Baptist Statistics. —THE JEWS —First Arrivals. —The First Baby Jew and Jewess. —Mr. and Mrs. Henry Isaacs. —The First Medical Attendant. —Dr. Arthur O'Mullane. —Mr. Edward Hart his First Patient. —Miss Davis First Jewess Deceased. —A Cemetery with One Corpse. —Arrival of Rev. Mr. Rintel. — First Circumcision. —"Kosher Meat" at a Premium. —Importation of Passover Cake. —The First Jew Town Councillor. —The "Rowsh-Harshono" of 1840. —The First Full Minyon. —Mr. Asher Hymen Hart. —Yom-Kipur Services. —First Synagogue Site. —Address to the Chief Rabbi Dr. Adler. —Founding the First Synagogue. —The Rev. Moses Rintel First Melbourne Rabbi. —Establishment of the Mickva Yisrael. PRIMITIVE METHODISTS —Mr. J. M. Bryant, Pastor. —Chapels at Melbourne and Brighton. CHURCH OF THE TABERNACLE —Rev.John Allen. —Fitzroy Chapel. —First Services. —John Wroe and the "Beardies." —The Future of Melbourne Prophesied. WESLEYAN METHODIST ASSOCIATION —Arrival of Rev. Joseph Townend. —First Services. GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH —Influx of German Immigrants. —Arrival of the Rev. Mr. Rupprecht. —First Services. —Mrs. Zahn Supports a Proposition. —Chairman's Prohibition of the Lady's Speech. —Chairman's Ruling Defied. —Mr. Rupprecht's Explanation. —First Baptisms. —Failure of Attempt to Establish German Church. —Erection of First German Church.
The Independents.
THE Bull and Mouth Hotel is one of the best-known localities in Bourke Street, but before either "the Bull" or his " Mouth" was known in Melbourne, there was erected within a fewr yards of the present hostelry, a wooden mansion, in which Mr. John Gardiner (an ancient more than once referred to in these pages), resided. Here, upon its master, there called on the 22nd May, 1838, the Rev. Mr. Waterfield, an Independent minister, and he was made welcome. He had not been long out from England, and visited Hobartown en route to Australia. In this house Mr. Waterfield sojourned for some time, commenced the services of his church there, and a respectable congregation was soon found. "Johnny Fawkner," a sturdy Independent in religion, as in other things, was then busily engaged in having a temple of Bacchus erected at the corner of Collins and Market Streets, soon had it finished,and being desirous of providing for the spiritual, as well as spirituous comforts of his co-religionists, placed the large room of the "Public" at the use of Mr. Waterfield and his followers. It was accepted, and on every Sabbath afternoon about one hundred Independents assembled there for public worship. In the course of the year, efforts were made to provide a permanent chapel, and at a public meeting a Building Committee was nominated, consisting of the Rev. Mr. Waterfield, Messrs. J. P. Fawkner, E. M. Sayers, Henry Kettle, and John Aberline. It was announced that £181 had been collected in Melbourne, £115 in Hobartown, and £130 in Sydney. A temporary chapel was erected in July, and on 3rd September, 1839, the foundation of the permanent edifice was laid by Mr. Henry Hopkins, of Hobartown, on the very suitable site in Collins Street, east of the present commodious and costly Independent Chapel. It was opened for Divine service on the 1st January,
