\f^- i}": ^rv jf^ j*-;. J?-:.
KKKHM--K K^^ *^ ^^^' W it^W^W^'^^t^^^^
^KJ^'tAAHfi'^ M ; • ' • ■ *' .^'^^ It ^ 1^.; !■:; ^.:.|.r-
^MM-S^iju^. M. Ill t *, w -m w y ^
,M.M i'i Ji iS- ji -m &■ II >^r: J^'
^%^kMKK^ > ■ -ft- fe * -i^^ fc ib; '^'^' '■^■^ ■ ^^^
...j».. II j^ ir M p *? tf 1^ m m m m |a . -
^:; - Vi 'i'^^ *i\ M 1% " "
'^r ^-i'gi ;^*^■ !.•
J<^ |I .i^' .,:.
^ M >lt.
-' -11 III! -'
•;^i^ av #7 U ;p -jll i/ ^i
■li^ . 'W> .^M .';Vf' •5;^i<: ll^ ;3.',5S*' .^<^^'
•|# ^v/ "p
i.V: .fc' .^::,
^^ M ;>.: .;;^^■ n;. , j.v:< 1^^ i.„ !;. ■
m ib'h 11-^ I;. K iri:; 4
P\ ,j:-: i^ivv ./;u If. -ji-r J^,:l iv
., . .... .„- Ji^ :f.^ #^' II #^^ If *^ li' ^
f '^ #^ to #^> i^: t?. #. .j*^^ 1 1 j:s #>, I : ¥ |/^^ # #• 'm I^^V :|>^-|v^ It ,*^ "|:--' '^' ^ -
FIRST REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH,
XEW-BRUXj^WICK, X. J.
DkMCATKD SiEPTEMBER 27, ls]2
4 *'« V
f t>
IP M
^fe-
TIISTORICAL D!
') DUTCH
-BRUNSWICK, N. J.
•ii]er>
•J
il» #al{
m §n m m i
- ^' > **;^ '^■'\ ^\ ^1. >^
^:^ #f fc ir f^n 1^, -f. .v\ ^ ■
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE
DELIVERED AT THE
CELEBRATION
m mmmxtu urn mmtib ^nmbtxmxn
FIRST REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH,
NEW-BRUNSWICK, N. J., OCTOBER 1, 1867.
EICHARD H. STEELE, D. D. ,
PASTOR OF THE CUUKCn.
New-Brunswick, N. J. : , IPXJSLISIiEir) BY THE COlSrSISXOR'i'.
1867.
h!4-4-
JOHN A. OKAY i 0FIE6N, PHINIERS, It ANB 18 JACOa STREET, NEW-VC
PREFACE.
The First Reformed Dutch Cliurcli of New-Brunswick, 'N. J., completed lier One Hundred and Fiftieth year, April 12th, 1867. The precise date of organization was not ascertained until quite recently. No written history of the church has ever been puhlished. The task would have been one of comparative ease fifty years ago. Then the children of the early settlers were still living ; records were in existence which have since perished with the disuse of the Dutch language ; and important documents which would have been of great value in forming our narrative have been lost or destroyed. The recovery of our early book of records, incomplete as it is, has been of incalculable benefit. But I have searched in vain for publications of Rev. Mr. Lej'dt, Jacobus Schureman, Hendrick Fisher, and pa^^ers relating to the controversies during the times of Rev. T. J. Frelinghuysen, which are known to Lave been in existence at the beginning of the century.
We have endeavored to produce a history during a long period when there were no records of consistory kept, and have gathered many of our facts from traditions which yet remain with some distinctness among the peo-
IV PREFACE.
pie. Our work is not complete, hut that we have given to it no small amount of labor will be understood by those who have undertaken similar productions. It will be found to present many facts extending beyond our par- ticular church, and embrace materials relating to the town of interest to all our citizens.
The pastor would express his particular acknowledg- ments to his own people who have kindly assisted him in his investigations, and have directed him to sources of im- portant information. He has found the volumes of Wil- liam A. Whitehead, Esq., and the Historical Discourse of Rev. Mr. Corwin, of great value in compiling the early part of his narrative. He is indebted to the publications of Dr. Messier and Rev. William Demarest, in writing his history of the life and ministry of Rev. Mr. Frelinghuy- sen. Dr. W. B. Sprague has kindly given him access to his unpublished volume of the biogra]3hies of ministers of the Reformed Dutch Cliurch, which we hope will soon be issued from the press. His thanks are due to Rev. Mr, Demarest, for translations from the Dutch of letters of Jufvrow Hardenbergh, and for extracts from her journal ; to Mrs. Hanson, for important information in reference to her father. Dr. Condict ; to Hon. Ralph Yoorhees, for pa- pers relating to his ancestor, Minne Van Voorhees, and for the draft prepared by himself and Mr. JN". W. Par- sells, from which was produced the accurate sketch, by Mr. Thomas N. Doughty, of the "Old Stone Church" erected in 1767, and which gave such interest to our An- niversary ; to Mr. John W. Warnshuise, for his assistance in translating our early Dutch records ; and to the surviv- ing pastors especially for their information and encou- ragement in preparing the history.
The Historical Discourse, which comprises the main body of this volume, owes its publication to the following
PEEFACE. V
action of Consistory, commnnicated tlirongli a committee appointed for tliat purpose :
"New-Brunswick, October 8, 18G7. " Rev. Richard II. Steele, DD. :
" Dear Sir : By the unanimous resolution of Consistory, we hereby thank you for the valuable and interesting Historical Discourse delivered October 1st, 1867, on the occasion of the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the founding of our church, and request you to furnish a copy for publi- cation, with suitable notes and appendices, together with the sermon preached on the succeeding Sabbath.
" Very sincerely j'ours,
Lewis Applegate, Johnson Letson."
The Anniversary was celebrated on the day mentioned in the above note, with suitable commemorative exercises. Invitations had been extended to former members of the congregation and their descendants, to unite with us in the services connected with this interesting occasion. On the morning of that day the following Discourse was in part delivered ; but as the material which had been gath- ered was deemed too important to be lost, it is now com- mitted to the press as it was originally prepared.
The account of the celebration, with the addresses de- livered on the occasion, forming the second j)art of this volume, was prepared under the direction of the commit- tee, and will be found a correct transcriiot of an Anniver- sary long to be remembered.
The pastor sends forth this volume among his people and the friends of the church, with the prayer that this humble effort to produce the history of one of the most important congregations of our denomination, may be the means of awakening within us a new sense of our respon- sibility to the Lord Jesus Christ, and serve to advance the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom.
Parsonage House, No. 100 George Street, ) New-Brunswick, N. J., December 1, 1867. \
OP THE
FIRST PiEFOllMED DUTCH CHUECH,
New-Brunswick, October 1, 1807.
The following was the Order of Exercises :
Znvocaiioii and Headinff the Scriptures . Rev. GABRIEL LUDLOW, D.D.
l^rayer. Rev. ISAAC FERRIS, D.D.
Singing. Celebration Hymn, Written by Rev. PETER STRYKER, D.D.
Jlisiorical Discourse. Rev. RICHARD H. STEELE, D.D.
Singing. Ode, Written by Prop. DAVID MURRAY.
Senediction . Rev. THOMAS De WITT, D.D.
AFTEEll^OOJSr.
c4.nthem . BY THE CHOIR.
c-lddresses. Rev. THOMAS DE WITT, D.D. Rev. S. M. WOODBRIDGE, D.D. Rev. CHARLES S. HAGEMAN, D.D. Rev. WILLIAM H. CAMPBELL, D.D. Rev. p. D. VAN CLEEF, D.D. Rev. DAVID D. DEMAREST, D.D.
S^oetn.
Prop. DAVID MURRAY.
Grayer.
Rev. p. D. OAKEY.
Doxology . Senediclion .
sheading Uie Scrij)hires and frayer.
Rev. Prof. JOSEPH F. BERG, D.D.
Singing.
The Third Jubilee, W^ritten by Rev. JOHN B. STEELE.
,^i.ddress.
By Senior Ex-Pastor Rev. ISAAC FERRIS, D.D.
Soxology. Senediciion.
Part First.
SUCCESSION OF PASTORS,
Historical Discourse,
BY
KICHAKD II. STEELE D.D.
SUCCESSION OF PASTORS
FIRST REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH,
NEW-BRUNSWICK.
1. THEODORUS JACOBUS FRELINGHUYSEN 3. JOHANNES LEYDT, ....
3. JACOB RUTSEN IIARDENBERGII, D.D.,
4. IRA CONDICT, D.D.,
5. JOHN SCHUREMAN, D.D., . G. JESSE FONDA, ....
7. JOHN LUDLOW, D.D., .
8. ISAAC FERRIS, D.D., .
9. JAMES B. IIARDENBERGH, D.D.,
10. JACOB J. JANEWAY, D.D., .
11. SAMUEL B. HOW, D.D., . 13. RICHARD H. STEELE, D.D.,
|
1730 to 1748 |
|
|
1748 ' |
' 1783 |
|
178G ' |
' 1790 |
|
1793 ' |
' 1811. |
|
1813 • |
' 1813. |
|
1813 ' |
' 1817 |
|
1817 ' |
' 1819 |
|
1831 ' |
' 1834 |
|
1825 ' |
' 1839 |
|
1830 ' |
' 1831 |
|
1833 ' |
' 1861 |
|
1863. |
STORICAL DISCOURS
The Scottisli Pilgrim, it is said, in a spirit of pious veneration, visited the graves of those who had died martyrs of religion. His purpose was to refresh his own mind, and revive in the hearts of his countrymen the record of their noble lives, their heroic endurances, and their triumphant deaths. With engraver's chisel,, he went from churcliyard to churchyard over that land of martyrs, and on the fading stone he reproduced the record of their names, their sufferings, and their renown. Our undertakino; this morninc; "will resemble that of " Old Mortality ;" for we are to recall the names and re- vive the record of a noble race of men, who, more than one hundred and fifty years ago, laid the foundation of our civil and religious institutions, and whose early sac- rifices and toils, and earnest piety and devotion, should be held by us in sacred remembrance.
I am to give you a sketch of the history of the origin, the progress, the struggles, and the triumphs of the Re- formed Protestant Dutch Church of New-Brunswick. This is the oldest religious organization in this city, re- liable authorities fixing its origin in the early part of the last century, and making it coeval Avith the first settlement of this locality. The period itself is remote and interesting. The most wonderful movements of Divine Providence in the civil and ecclesiastical his-
10 niSTORICAL DISCOUKSE.
tory of tlie world were centring around this period, giving an impulse to emigration, and marking out the distinctive character of the early settlers. In England, the nation had not yet subsided from that mighty civil commotion which had elevated William, Prince of Orange, to the throne, and reasserted the supremacy of those fundamental laws of the laud which had so long and tyrannically been disregarded l)y the reigning power. The revocation of the Edict of Nantes, under Louis XIV., had driven into exile more than five hun- dred thousand of the most industrious and learned citi- zens of France, who carried with them the higher type of civilization and religion in wdiich the Protestants greatly excelled, into those countries which they se- lected as their homes. The Dutch Republic, though shorn of its maritime strength, had obtained a supre- macy in literature and religion, as well as in its system of civil toleration, which rendered it the model govern- ment of the w^orld.
Matthew Henry had not yet completed his Expo- sition of the Bible. James Saurin had only recently commenced the labors of the ministry at the Hague. John -Wesley liad not yet been raised up to stem the prevailing tide of formalism. In Holland, her divines were justly celebrated for their extensive learning and deep piety, while her universities and schools attracted students from all parts of the world. The celebrated Marck, in his theological chair at Leyden, made this university one of the most renowned on the continent of Eurojoe. Vitringa, noted for his accurate interpreta- tions of the Bible and his eloquence as a preacher, gave celebrity to the institution at Francker. At Utrecht, some of the most brilliant lis^hts shone from the chairs of theology and literature. And in the pulpit we find
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 11
tlie names of sucli distinguished divines as Brakel, Van- derkemp, and Hellenbrook, wliose sound views of tnitli and deep learning still sliine consj^icuously in their voluminous theoloo-ical writino-s. The first Enirlish copy of the Bible had just been published in the Ameri- can Colonies. The third college had just been founded at New-Haven ; one newspaper, 2:»ublished on a half sheet of foolscap, ^vas regularly issued at Boston; the largest city was New- York, a hamlet of about six thousand inhabitants; and the total 2">opulation of the colonies had not yet reached five hundred thousand. There were a few towns located in the Province of New- Jersey, and only two ministers of our denomination in the State.-"^
In compiling the history of this church, I have labored under the difi&culty experienced in other quarters, of the imperfection of early Consistorial records and the loss of important dociunents. By diligent search I have re- covered possession of a volume in the Dutch language, which had been lost for upward of thirty years, con- taining much valuable information. Some important facts are stated in reference to the origin of this church, as also tliat of Six Mile Bun. It contains the names of the first Consistory, a complete list of the original mem- bers, a register of the additions to the church at each communion, and a full record of baptisms. The first entry in this volume bears the date of April 12th, 1717, and we are celebrating the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Reformed Dutch Church of New-Brunswick. It is to be reo-retted that the proceedings of Consistory were not more carefully
* Rev. Guilliam Bertholf was the minister of the church at Hackensack and Aquackononck from 1694 to 1724 ; and Rev. Joseph Morgan was set- tled at Freehold and Middletown from 1709 to 1731.
12 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
recorded and preserved, in tlie absence of wliich we sliall Lave to depend upon sucli facts as we can glean from tlie published minutes of ecclesiastical bodies, the historical incidents found in early records, and the tra- ditions of the 2:)eople.
Previous to commencing the history of the church, I will be expected to give a succinct sketch of the settle- ment and develoj^ment of the civil history of this city and country adjacent. My labor will consist in arrang- ing materials already in existence, and in bringing to lio-ht some facts which are concealed in civil and eccle-
o
siastical documents.
The earliest instrument fixing the boundary of the State of New-Jersey is a deed or conveyance granted by the Duke of York, June 23d, 1664, to two proprie- tors. Sir James Berkley and Sir George Carteret. In the following year, Philip Carteret, brother of Sir George, came over as governor of this province, and de- vised liberal plans for the encouragement of emigration. His plans were successful, and many families from New- England, enticed by the lil^eral constitution which he had framed, took up lands, and made this their home. These settlements were principally made in that j)ortion of the territory which was most convenient of access from New- York. The south side of the Raritan river was not settled until about twenty years after a lai'ge emigration from New-England had purchased lands and located in the towns of Bergen, Woodbridge, Piscata- way, and Elizabethto^vn. About this time a small colony located at Shrewsbury, and several families from Long Island settled at Middletown, in the county of Monmouth. These were the principal settlements up to this date in this section of the State.
On the death of Sir George Carteret, in 1679, the
HISTORICAL DISCOUESE. 13
whole of East-Jersey passed into the hands of his executors, who continued to cany forward the govern- ment for the benefit of his estate, until a sale of the property should be accomplished according to the pro- visions of his will. This sale was eifected in 1682, to a company of twelve j)roprietors, for the sum of £3400. In order to divide up their interests, and spread infor- mation respecting their possessions, twelve additional partners were I'eceived into the company, to which board as now constituted the Duke of York made a new grant, March 14th, 1G82. Previous to this new arrangement, and while East New-Jersey was still in the possession of the executors of Sir George Carteret, a portion of the territory on which the city of New- Brunswick now^ stands, and above us on the south side of the Raritan, w^as surveyed and laid out into lots. It is to the credit of the early proprietors of our State that the land was purchased of the Indians by honorable and voluntary transactions, and thus the settlers were saved from the jealousies and dangers which other j^ortions of the American Colonies experienced. Such a purchase Avas made in June, 1681, by John Inians & Co., for the benefit of Lady Elizabeth Carteret, " the j^tresent lady proprietrix of the province," of a tract of land embrac- ing about ten thousand acres, called by the Indians Ahanderhamock.'"* This tract of land is described in the Indian deed as lying on the south side of the Kari- tan river, and opposite the town of Piscataway, under-
*' The purchase was made of the Indians Quararaark, Sacaniaker, and Camacamo, representing; the Queraniacks and Camacoms. The amount paid was 200 lathonis of white wampum, 10 bLankcts, 20 DufHeld coats, 10 p:uns, 10 kettles— two of them eight gallons — 2G yards stroud waters C:*), 25 axes, 20 pairs of stockings, 20 shirts, 5 made coats, 4 pistols, GO bars of lead, ^ barrel powder, 25 pairs tobacco tongs, 2 ankers cf rum, 2 half- fatts of beer, ^ anker of molasses, 1 trarael, GO knives, 20 tobacco boxes, 25 shot, I- cwt. of bread.— See JRoconls of Proprietors^ Amho'j, vol. ii. lib. i, p. 152.
14: HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
stood to commence at what is now called Lawrence brook, and running along the river to near Boundbrook. A portion of this territory was shortly after surveyed and sold to different parties, and were subsequently known as the Earitan lots.
November 10th, 1681, John Inians,'"^' one of this com- pany, and a merchant of New- York, purchased a por- tion of this tract containing twelve hundred and eighty acres, bounded on the north-east by the Karitan river, on the west by Andrew Bowne, south-east and south- west by land not yet survey ed.f This was the first purchase of land in what is now the city of New- Brunswick, the line of which is still preserved in some of our ancient deeds. The starting-point was a white oak-tree standing at the foot of Albany street, opposite the Bell tavern ; thence up the river one mile to a point near the residence of J. Warren Scott, Esq. ; thence in a south-westerly direction for two miles, or near the pro- liertj known as the Bruuson tavern; thence one mile south-easterly to a point intersecting the Trenton turn, pike; thence two miles north-easterly, entering the city along Livingston avenue, to the starting-point at the foot of Albany street. The ten lots immediately north of Inians's patent contained each five hundred acres. J
* John Inians, of Raritan river, was appointed a member of Governor Hamilton's Council on September 14th, 1G92. (WhiteJieacrs Bad-Jersey, p. 134.) Nothing is known of his place of residence or his history; but that he was a very extensive purchaser of lands, and a man of great wealth for tlie times, is inferred from his hu'ge transactions found on the Records of Proprietors at Amboy, and volumes of deeds at Trenton.
t It is described as beginning at a white oak-tree, from thence running as the river runs eighty chains, thence running south-west one hundred and sixty chains, tlience south-east eighty chains, thence two miles to the tree from whence it first began. The land extending west of the Raritan lots, embracing nearly all the original territory of the Three Mile Run, New- Brunswick, and Six Mile Run congregations, was laid out into four large plots, for a description of which see Appendix I., furnished by Rev. Mr, Corwin.
I They were owned by Andrew Bowne, Richard Jones, George Foreman, Joseph Snelling, Andrew Gibb, Gcrshom Browne, Jeremiah Tothill, Joseph
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 15
South of the city, Thomas Lawrence owned three thou- sand acres, embracing the stream which since his pur- chase has been called La^\Tence brook. This tract of land subsequently came into the possession of Cornelius Longfield* and Governor Barclay, while that of Inians was purchased by Philip French,f under whose super- vision farms were surveyed, streets laid out, and build- ing-lots sold.
The government of the twenty-four proprietors was so liberal, and contrasted so favorably with the adjoin- ing province of New- York, that settlers began to pour in from every direction, and for the next twenty years the population increased with great rapidity. The landholders used every effort to induce emigration by the liberal terms they offered, the glowing accounts they sent abroad of the salubrity of the climate, the productiveness of the soil, and the peaceful character of the natives. The original settlers in our immediate vicinity were Dutch ;|; and French Protestants, or Hu-
Benbrigge, Thomas Mathew, and Edmoncl Gibbon. The map of Mr. Corwin, giving the Raritan lots, was compiled from Eeed's map, 1685, four years after the original purchase, and indicates the rapid changes which were now taking place, as they had nearly all passed into new hands.
* This land, constituting a part of the lower section of the city, Longfield purcliased June 6th, 1089, described as lying on the Raritan river, opposite a meadow or marsli belonging to Charles Gilman, about one chain and a half below where a small run of water or brook falls into said river, from thence running south to a brook called Lawrence brook, and by the Indians Piscopock, from thence running down said Lawrence brook to the Raritan river, and along the Raritan to the place of beginning. John Ryder bought one hundred and fifty-four acres of Longfield, March 11th, 17-il, wdiich farm is still owned bj' his descendants. — Parchment Deed of Eyder.
t lie owned a large tract opposite the city and in the vicinity. Instead of selling the property he ordinarily leased it, in some instances for two thousand years. Through j'everses during the Revolutionary War he became involved, and assigned his estate to James Parker, whose son, Hon. James Parker, Jr., of xVmboy, gave to the trustees of Queen's College the lot on which the present buildings stand.
\ In a letter to the proprietors, March, 1684, Gawen Lowrie represents the Dutch settlers as very numerous, and speaks of a number who are de- siring to take up land and settle in the province. — Whitehead's East-Jersey, p. 289.
Several Dutch fiunilies are known to have settled on the Raritan very
10 niSTOKICAL DISCOUESE.
guenots,'"^ and we can fix the elate of tlieir occui^ancy of this territoiy as early as 1684. The country hack of us, coverino; the rich farmino; lands of Three Mile Run, Middlehush, Six Mile Run, and onward to the MiU- stone, and both above and below us on the Raritan, was filled up when the central portion of our town was only known after the name of its proprietor as " Prig- more's Swamp." Early residents, in writing to their friends at home, represent the Dutch settlers along the Raritan as quite numerous and industrious. They were principally from Long Island and places adjacent. The prevailing cause of their emigration was the discontent that existed among them in consequence of the oppres- sive measures pursued by the civil authorities, in vex- ing them in reference to their religious preference and belief. These harsh measures drove out of Long Island and the vicinity of New- York a large population, who found in this teriitory, under the more judicious tolera- tion of the proprietors, perfect religious freedom, and room for their love of honest industry.
There were other inducements invitino- into our State the Hollanders from New- York. Their motive in emisfration from the fatherland was different from that which prevailed with the Puritans of New-England, and the Scotch and Irish Presbyterians who settled in other localities. The latter were driven out of their country by persecution, and sought in the New World freedom in religious worship. The former had enjoyed
early. Ilendrick Vroome, at the landing on the farm of the late Mr. Miindy ; George Anderson, on the property recently Dr. McClintock's ; the brothers Christopher and Jacob Probasco, on what is now the residence of Mr. Liv- ingston.
* In our early records we find the names of several French emigrants, among them many undoubtedly of the proscribed Huguenot race, who had Vicen expelled from the kingdom on account of their Protestant principles. De Pcyster, Piappleyea, Van Duyn, La Monies, Le Queer, La Montague, and others.
HI3T0EICAL DISCOURSE. 17
ample toleration in tlieir own little republic, and came across the water to "better tlieir condition " and "build up another university tliat should rival Leyden, and another city that should outshine Amsterdam."* Their youth had been spent in a land which had been rescued from the encroachments of the sea by artificial embank- ments, and they had learned the art of industry long before they had encountered the hardships of this new land. Coming over the water Avith such intentions, they naturally sought the best soil and climate, and situations where they could build up their institutions with less fear of molestation. All these advantages the Province of New- Jersey aftbrded, and its very loca- tion reminded them of their former Belgian homes, while the facilities afforded them for sending their pro- duce to the growing markets of Amboyf and New-York bv river communication, uro'ed a new motive for their emigration. Proverbially fond of water-courses, and of the iiat country which reminded them of their old homes in Holland, they bought farms running down to the Karitan as they had opj^ortunity, and showed their Dutch caution by not getting too far inland.
The earliest reference we have to tlie particular locality where Xew-Brunswick now stands is in the
* See "Oration on the Conquest of New-Nctherland,'' before the Xew- York Historical Society, by the historian, J. Romeyii Brodhead. He says wiih great force: "It was for the true interest of America tliat Xew-York was founded by the Batavian race. That founding; pioduced our own mag- nanimous and cosmopolitan State, the influence of which on our nation has always been so happy and so healthful."
t The design of the settlers was to make Amboy the first city of Xew- Jcrsey — the "London of America." A city charter was granted August 24th, 171S, by Governor Robert Hunter. Its fine harbor, eligible situation, and healthy locality would seem to indicate a rapid growth. But, as the historian Smith remarks in 1765, by a fatality it never became a place of extensive trade. Samuel Groom, the surveyor-general at its first settlement in 1683, with an eye to its future history, laments, " If no help comes, it will l)e long ere Amboy be built as London is." — WhiteJuad^s Amhoi/, pp. 2, G, 50, 54:.
2
IS niSTORICAL DISCOUESE.
account of a traveler by the name of William Ed- mundson,'"" a minister of the society of Friends in England, who passed through the State with an Indian guide in 1G77, on what was then an Indian path, after- ward erected into a public highway. After crossing the ford at this place at low water, and penetrating inland about ten miles, he lost his way in the Ayilder- ness, and was a whole day in retracing his path to the Earitan river. At night he elicamped in the woods, kindling a lire for protection from the wild animals. This Indian path was afterward erected into an im- portant road, passing through the State from Elizabeth- town Point to a spot on the Delaware river in the vicinity of Trenton. The travel on this route became a matter of so much importance that a grant was given to John Inians and his wife, December 2d, 1697, to ferry passengers across the I'iver, for which privilege he was to pay the annual rent of five shillings sterling.f The place was called " Inians's Ferry" or "The Eiver" for about eighteen years.
Probably about this date (1007) a few buildings be- gan to spring up around this centre, wharves were built at the foot of Albany street, and vessels from Amboy and New- York began to make their regular trips. Mechanics set up their places of business for the ac- commodation of theu' neighbors, and enterprising shop- keepers erected their stores and exposed their Avares to the fai'mers who came down to the river for barter or
* See WJiiteheaiVs East- Jersey, p. 95.
t The ferrj'^ at first provided only for pedestrians and horsemen. Even in 1716, in the rates allowed by "the Assembly, mention only is made of ''horse and man" and "single persons." The facilities for traveling did not develop very rapidly. In 1704, the Nevr-York paper complains that in the "pleasant month of May, the last storm put our Pennsylvania mail a ■ireeh hehind, aiid is not yet coDi'd i«." — Whitehead's Amboy, pp. 209, 273 ; East- Jersey, 102.
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 19
news. This was the beodnninsr of our town. The name of "Prigmore's Swamp" had been exchanged for that of "Inians's Ferry" about the year 1697, and now the accession of the House of Bruns^vick to the Biitish throne in 1714, induced the loyal Dutch inhabitants to dignify the \'illage with the name of the reigning family, New-Brunswick.
Bobert Hunter, the royal governor of the province, residing at Perth xVmboy from 1709 to 1719, frequently v-isited this place, and eleven years after his return to Europe wrote to his agent, ^Ir. Alexander, for informa- tion in respect to the value of property around Inians's Ferry, desiring to purchase five or six hundred acres, if in his judgment it would prove a profitable investment. Mr. Alexander was very enthusiastic in his description of the place, stating that, during his residence of fifteen years, Xew-Brunswick had grown veiy rapidly, for the reason that the country back of this had improved quite fast. The farmers principally raised wheat, and the facilities of the large mills in the vicinity rendered this an important floiu'ing mart. " As New-Bruns- ^vick," he adds, " is the nearest landing, it necessai'ily makes this the store-house for all the produce that ihey send to market, which has drawn a considerable num- ber of people to settle there, insomuch that a lot of ground is here grown to near as great a price a-s -so much ground in the heart of Kew- YorJc^^^'
About this time (1730) several families emigrated fr-om Albany, X. Y. ; and the tradition is, that they brou2:ht with them theii" buildinn; materials, accordins:
* WTiiteheafTs Amhoy, p. 155: "In a previous letter, dated in Janu- ary, Mr. Alexander says that ' plantations north of the Raritan had risen extravagantly high, even to three, four, and five pounds per acre, and for a tract of five hundred acres, unimproved land, belonging to Hunter, south, of the Raritan, he had refused twelve hundred pounds.' "'
20 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
to tlie Diitcli custom, and located along the public road, wbicli tliey called, after their former home, Albany street. Among these settlers we find the names of Dirclv Schuyler, Hendrich Van Deursen, Dirck Van Veghten, Abraham Schuyler, John Ten Brock, Nicholas Van Dyke, and Dirck Van Aleu. These were men of considerable property and enterprise, and their arrival gave a fresh impulse to trade. The city was now a p-rowing town of much activity. The principal streets were Burnet, Water, and Albany, Avith perhaps a few buildings on Church street. The inhabitants lived along the river as far south as Sonman's Hill, extending north for about one mile, or a short distance above the ferry. A few of the ancient buildings are still stand- ing, but these will soon give place to more modern structures, and every relic of the olden time will have passed away. The old house recently standing in Bur- net street, near Lyle's brook, known as the projierty of Dr. Lewis Dunham, was built by Hendrick Van Deur- sen, one of the Albany settlers, who owned several acres of land in the vicinity.^"' John Van Nuise, of Flatlancls, L. I.,f bought a farm of one hundred acres of Enoch Freland, April 28th, 1727, having its front on Neilson street, its northern line along Liberty street, its southern along New street, extending west as far as the Mile Run. For this property, in connection with five acres of " salt meadow at the mouth of South river,"
* He was oflfered about forty acres of land lying below Morris street, and having George street for its'western, and the rear of the lots on Burnet street for its eastern boundary, for $250. Judge Morris owned a large farm on both sides of Commercial avenue. Abeel and Hassert owned twenty or thirty acres above Van Deursen's.
t The ancestor of the Van Nuisc family in this country is Aucke Jansen Van Nuysc, M'ho, with his wife, Magdalen Pietersc, and children, emigrated from Holland in 1051, and settled" in New-York. His place of birth is supi)Osed to have been Nuise in Groningen, hence the surname Van Nuise. He was a carpenter by trade, and built the first church of Midwout, (novr Flatbush,) completed in IGGO. — Bergen Family, p. 157.
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 21
lie paid tlie sum of £800.'"' In tlie summer of that year lie erected a large farm-liouse on what is now Neilson street, between Schureman and Liberty, and surrounded it with suitable out-buildings. This house was used as the headquarters of the Hessian commander during the occupation of this town by the British army in the Revolutionary War, and is still remem- bered by nearly every middle-aged man. Some of our citizens will remember the Aj)pleby House, a stone edi- fice with gable roof and broad hall, on the corner of Church and Peace streets, now Van Pelt's drug-store ; the Gibbs House, an antique stone mansion built by Hendrick Voorhees, standinsj between Burnet street and the river, near Miller's brook, crossing the street below Town lane ; the French property in George street in front of the hotel near the depot ; and the large apple orchard on the hill, where now stand the buildings of Rutgers College. Perhaps a few may remember the old barracks standing in the rear of our j^resent par- sonage on George street, which were burned in the year I'TO^f
We shall have occasion to call up some reminiscences of the past, and will leave this rapid sketch of the city, while we j^roceed in our narrative of the church proper, to which we now turn our attention.
There was throuo:hout this section, as in all new settlements, great destitution of religious j^rivileges. The inhabitants, in writing back to their friends, urged
''■' He was bounded by lands owned by Gose Vandenbergh, Court Voor- hees, Roelef Voorhees, Laurence AVilliamses, Stephen Philips, and Siba, Mart and Cornelius Solems. — Deed in j'losscssion of Mrs. James Van Nuise.
t The well in Spring alley is still known as the Barrack Spring. After the destruction of the building, the stones were employed in the construc- tion of the " old jail " in Bayard street ; and the same stones now form a part of the foundation of the public school occupying the same ground. — Lr. Davidson's Historical Sketch.
22 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
tliem to encourage ministers to come and settle among tbem, holding out the inducement of a large field to occupy, and of the ability of the people to give them a competent supj)ort. The principal town in the county of Middlesex was Woodbridge, which obtained a char- ter June 1st, 1669, and deeds of land were gi^anted that and the following years to about forty families who had emigrated from New-England. They were mostly from the parish of Rev. John Woodbridge, of New- bery, Mass., after whom they named their town. Ef- forts were made immediately to settle a pastor, but without success until eleven years after, when Kev. John Allen settled among them to the great joy of the people. This was the first religious organization and first minister in our county. ''''
As ministers of our denomination were obtained only from Holland, our churches experienced even greater difficulties in procuring 2:)astors than other or- ganizations, and only succeeded after long delays and frequent correspondence with the Classis of Amsterdam. But our Dutch ancestors could not long remain without the privileges of the Church. And although a pastor was not obtained until many years afterward, yet these early settlers had their house of worship, in which they statedly met to hear the Scriptures read by the Voor- leezer^ and where the Lord's Supper was administered perhaps not oftener than once a year.
The first buildino; erected within the bounds of our congregation for religious purj)Oses, was about one mile and a half beyond the limits of the present corporation of New-Brunswick, on the lot at the east of the burying- ground, near the residence of Abraham J.Yoorhees. Our
* A small church building was erected in 1G74, the first in our county, thirty feet square. — Whitehead's Ainboy, p. 382.
IIISTOEICAL DISCOURSE. 23
knowledge of tliYt, organization is quite limited, and de- rived mostly from tlie traditions in the neigliborliood- Tliere are no records of Consistory known to be in exist- ence, and no 'allusions to it in ancient deeds and con- veyances. The remnants of its foundation were still remaining within the recollection* of a few who are yet living, and it is described as a building quite moderate in its dimensions, exceedingly plain in its construction, and never completed. The date of its organization is not known, nor has the name of the minister who officia- ted on the occasion been transmitted to us. There is in existence a subscrij^tion paper, recently discovered, bear- ing the date of 1703, on which the sum of £10 16s. Gd. is provided to defray the expenses of a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, to be procured from Holland.* This church may have existed some years before tliat j)eriod, and was probably the first religious organization along the Raritan ; for the great highway following the Indian path, as it is called in ancient deeds, from Inians's Ferry to the falls of the Delaware, was the first point occupied by the Dutch settlers in this section of the State. The families represented in this list resided on both banks of the Raritan, from near Boundbrook to New-Brunswick, and along the route of travel to Rocky Hill.
This congregation was known as the church of Three Mile Run. Its prominent elders seem to have been Frederick Van Liew and Hendrick Vroom. The build-
* The names of the following persons are attached to the subscription : DolUus Hageman, Tennis Quiclv, Ilend. Emens, Tlios. Cort, Jac. Probasco, Neclas AVyckofF, Mic. L. Moor, John Schedemeun, Nee. Van Dyke, John Van Houten, Wil. Bennet, Foikert Van Nostrand, Jac. Bennet, Hend. Fanger, Ab. Bennet, Cor. Peterson, Philip Folkerson, — avi. L. Draver, George Ander- son, Stobel Probasco, Isaac Le Prierc, Simon Van Wicklen, Cobas Benat, Garret Cotman, Lucas Covert, Brogun Covert, Wil. Van Duyn, Dennis Van Duyn, John Folkerson, Jost Banat. — Eon. Ealpli Voorhees, MUhUebush.
24 HISTORICAL DISCOUESE.
ing stood for upward of fifty years, and was used for neighborhood services long after the project of making it a separate congregation had been abandoned. This church never enjoyed the services of a settled pastor, although two efibrts are known to have been made to procure one from HoTland. The first attempt in 1703, already referred to; the second in 1729, when a more extensive plan was formed to revive the church and build up a second congregation within our bounds.
In the mean time, the town around Inians's Ferry had grown into considerable importance, and, as it was the centre of trafiic and commerce for all this region of country, it was soon felt that there was a demand for church accommodations in this place. Accordingly, instead of completing their building at Three Mile Run, with great prudence they removed to tliis locality, and erected an edifice of larger dimensions for the accommo- dation of this increasing population. This was the first religious organization in the town, and owes its existence to the enterprise and foresight of that portion of the original congregation residing at this j)oint, and occupy- ing farms along the Raritan river. The building was erected, according to an early map of the city, " previous to the year 1717, but how long before is not known." There are reasons for believino; that it was built as early as the year 1714, at which time the j^lace was be- ginning to assume some importance, and gave promise of considerable activity. It stood on the corner of Bur- net and Schureman, then called Dutch Church street, and at that date it was called the church of the " River and Lawrence Brook." The building fronted the river, and occupied the corner lot, subsequently and for many years in the possession of Dr. William Van Deursen. The structure was of "Ivood, and, like most of the early
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 25
churclies, its breadtli was greater than its depth. Its dimensions, according to a plan in tlie volume of records previously referred to, was fifty feet broad and forty feet deep. Tliere were seven pews on eacli side of the pul- pit, and eight along the middle aisle. The total number of pews in the building was fifty, and the church accom- modations was three hundred. It was not completed until several years afterward, and stood upward of fifty years, giving place in 1767 to our second church edifice, erected on the site of the one Ave now occupy.
The project of forming a church in this town did not proceed without some opposition. The old congrega- tion at Three Mile Run were reluctant to part with any of their numbers, and those families living still further back in Franklin township urged the impor- tance of all continuing in one organization. Several meetings of the church seem to have been held, and the matter discussed; and on the 12th day of April, 1717, " in order to 2;)revent disturbance and contention, and thereby to establish peace in the church," the following plan was harmoniously adopted: "That the church built near Abraham Bennet shall be considered as belonging to the church of Lawrence Brook and on the River; and that the members of the congregation residino; in the nei<2;hborhood of Six and Ten Mile Run shall also build a church for themselves at either of these places, or at some point intervening, as they may agree." It was also determined that the church at this place and at Three Mile Run should each have a con- sistory, who should cooj)erate with each other; and, '' notwithstanding these two places of worship, the two congregations shall form one church; and in matters of great importance the two consistories shall meet as one body, and transact such business as may come
26 HISTORICAL DISCOUESE.
"before tliem for tlie establisliment of the Christian church." The arrangement was not intended to be permanent, and seems to have been entered into out of respect to the older members of the church, who could not but feel an attachment to the first house of worship and the original organization. In a very short time this relation probably ceased, and all the services were held in the church of New-Brunswick.
In the old book of records, from which the above facts are taken, there is a decision that Koelef Seebring be the elder for the new congregation, and Hendrick Bries and Roelef Lucas the deacons. This number was soon after increased to three elders and three deacons, and the names of the following persons are recorded as constituting the first full Board of Con- sistory: Aart Aartsen, Izack Van Dyk, Roelef See- bring, elders ; Johannes Folkersen, Hendrick Bries, and Roelef Lucas, (Van Voorhees,) deacons. Thus was organized the Reformed Dutch Church of New-Bruns- wick, one hundred and fifty years ago."''* There is also a decision in the same minutes that Pieter Kinner be appointed elder, and Elbert Stoothof, deacon, for that part of the congregation at Six Mile Run. We have a complete list of the original membership) of the church, numbering seventy-three j^ersons, and it is pleasant to notice how many of their descendants are still found amono; our conOTesation.
Our register of baptisms begins on the 14th of Au- gust, when three children were baptized : Elizabeth,
* As this church is a continuation of the Three Mile Run congregation, which had an existence as early as 1703, there is a propriety in the state- ments made in public documents, that we trace our origin as a religious society to near the commencement of the last century, although we did not have a distinct organization until April 12th, 1717. The Consistory was sometimes ordained at Three Mile Run ; at least, this is known to have been the case in one or two instances.
HISTOEICAL DISCOURSE. 27
dangliter of Jolmnnes Stoothof; Cornelius, son of Mar- tin Salem; and Jan, son of Jacobus Ouke. During the tliree years of vacancy twenty-nine baptisms are re- corded, but who occupied the pulpit during this period we have no information.
We know that Rev. Bernardus Freeman, of Long Island, took a deep interest in this church, and through him early efforts were made to obtain a minister from Holland, in connection with three other churches al- ready organized, namely, Karitan,'"^ Six Mile Kun, and North-Branch, now Readington.
As the result of this combined movement, there came to this country, commissioned by the Classis of Am- sterdam as the first pastor of this church, January 1st, 1720,
EEV. THEODOEUS JACOBUS FEELINGHUTSEN.
His ■ name is one of the most honorable in the State of New-Jersey, and the influence that he exerted among the early churches has given to this whole re- gion the name of the " Garden of the Dutch Church." The field of his pastoral charge was very extensive, embracing all the churches in Somerset and Middlesex counties. Very little information in reference to this pioneer of the gospel ministry in this section has been transmitted to us, which is the more surprising from the fact that his descendtints have always lived in this vicinity, and have exerted a great influence in the poli- tical and educational interests of the State. Short biographical sketches have been published at different times, giving the few items of history which have been
'•^ The church of Raritan was organized March 9th, 1699. Their first house of vA'orship was not erected until about the year 1730. The Read- ington church (then called North-Branch) was organized in 1719.
28 HISTOEICAL DISCOUESE.
gathered from tlie personal allusions in the sermons whicli lie printed during Ills ministry, and from the traditional knowledo-e of the inhabitants coverino^ his extensive pastoral charge. To Dr. Abraham Messeler and Rev. William Demarest tlie church is indebted for the valuable information which has been preserved of this most remarkable man.
The residence of Dominie Frelinghuysen was within the bounds of this congregation, his grave is with us to this day, and as this was the centre of his cliarge, his history properly belongs to the sketch we are giving.
He was born in the year 1691, at Lingen, in East- Friesland, now a province in the kingdom of Hanover, and was educated at his native place under the instruc- tion of Rev. Otto Verbrugge, Professor of Theology and Oriental Literature. He was ordained to the min- istry by Rev. Johannes Brunius at the age of twenty- six, and for about two years was the pastor of a church at Embden in his native country. While thus engaged he received the call from the churches in New-Jersey to labor in this destitute field. The circumstance of his selection by the Ciassis of Amsterdam for this im- portant mission, as related by Dr. Thomas De Witt, in- dicates the hand of God in the gift of the first minister of this church. A pious elder entertained a young traveler, on his way through the town to Embden to assume the charge of an academy in that place. Dur- ing the evening he was so well j^leased with the spirit- uality of his conversation, and his eminent gifts, especially in prayer during family devotions, that he immediately informed his pastor, Sicco Tjadde, that he had " found a man to go to America." In answer to this call he made liis arrano-ements to emio-rate to this
HISTORICAL DISCOUESE. 29
country, and arrived in tlie city of New- York about the 1st of January, 1720, and on tlie 17tli of that month he occupied the pulpit of Dominie Boel, immediately after which he came to New-Brunswick and commenced his pastoral work.
He brought with him from Holland, according to the custom of the church, a school-master, holding also the position of chorister and " Voorleeser," Jacobus Schureraan by name, the ancestor of this family in our State. He was a well-educated gentleman, and noted for his piety. He had the gift of poetr}^, and wrote seve- ral pieces which are said to have displayed considerable genius as well as literary taste and cultivation. They were spoken of about fifty years ago as doing "honor to his memoiy." None of them are known to have been translated into the English language, and with the disuse of the Dutch they have jDrobably long since perished. There is a tradition that he used this gift in a very effectual way against the enemies of Mr. Fre- linghuysen, w^ho commenced very early working their mischievous arts, in consequence of which he incurred their great displeasure. He was a warm friend of the Dominie, supporting him in all his plans ; in conse- quence of wliich there sprang up between them an inti- macy which awakened some opposition on the j^art of the people, who complained of the influence wliich he exert- ed over the minister. They were both unmarried, and resided in the family of Hendrik Reyniersz, in the neigh- borhood' of Three Mile Run. He had been promised in his call five acres of land, which was increased to fifty acres on his arrival, with the use of a parsonage. Quite early in his ministry he was married to Eva Ter- liune, of Long Island, after which he resided at or near the residence of the late John Brunson. About the
80 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
same time Scliureman became Lis brother-in-law by marrying tlie sister of his wife, Autje Terhune, and re- sided near the farm which is known as the Schureman proi^erty.
At the time when Mr. Frelinghuysen commenced his ministry, the churches under his care were in a most dej^lorable state. They had been entirely destitute of the stated ministry of the Gospel since the first settle- ment of the country ; and although church organiza- tions existed and houses of worship had been erected, yet, aatihe natural result of the absence of pastoral su- pervision, there must have been a great departure from serious and vital piety. Indeed, this was the charac- teristic of the times, and was the j)revailing mark among all the churches. When we consider that, fdr a period of at least thirty years, the early settlers in this section of the State had only enjoyed such services as could be rendered by neighboring ministers, we are surprised that there should be such a respect for the ordinances of God's house, as we have indicated by the regular administration of the sacraments, and the in- crease of membership to the church.
The physical aspect of the country very much resem- bled the morals of the peoj)le. It was wild and uncul- tivated. Dense forests surrounded New-Brunswick ; the streams were unbriclged; the settlements Avere widely scattered ; the roads, with the excejDtion of the main thoroughfare from New- York to Philadelphia, were little more than paths through the wilderness ; and it had all the appearance of a new country.
This was the state of things when Dominie Freling- huysen came here in 1720. But he was a man equal to the times, of great energy of character, of large attainments in knowledge and grace, and with a certain
HISTORICAL DISCOUESE. 31
fearlessness of spirit that enabled liim to go immedi- ately at the hearts of the people. From the sermons which have been j)i'eserved, we gather that he was a warm, earnest preacher, dwelling principally upon the necessity of the new birth, and having a dreadful an- tij)athy to all manner of formalism. He j^reached the doctrines of grace with so much spirituality and direct- ness that the people, who had never had their ho]3es questioned, began almost immediately to raise against him a loud opposition. He was charged by his enemies with j)reachiug doctrines contrary to the standards of the Church, and subversive to the whole spirit of the Gospel. When he insisted on the necessity of experi- mental evidences as a qualification for the Lord's Supper, he is represented as introducing customs con- trary to the principles of the Reformed Church. A very elaborate pamphlet was published by his enemies in the year 1723, setting forth their grievances, and making an appeal to public opinion against the course he was pursuing. The complaint is issued under the sanction of Simon Wyckoff, a deacon of the church of Six Mile Kun, Peter Dumont, an elder at Raritan, and Hendrick Vroom, a former deacon at Three Mile Run. In addition to these names, the signatures of sixty-four heads of families are appended, from all the congrega- tions to which he ministered, with the exception of New- Brunswick. The controversy seems to have been quite bitter, and was continued several years. Indeed, it seems to have disturbed the peace of the church in some portions of his field during his entire ministry. Mr. Frelinghuysen states in one of his sermons, that the violence of the opposition to him had been so great that on one occasion the door of the church was shut a2:ainst him, and he was not permitted to administer the ordi-
32 HISTOEICAL DISCOURSE.
nances. As late as tlie year 1729, a party existed of sufficient strength to make an attempt to bring over from Holland a pastor more after tlieir own mincl. A paper"' was accordingly circulated with an idea of gathering together all the malcontentsf in the old church at Three Mile Run, which is represented to be in a somewhat dilapidated condition, and, if the enter- prise succeeded, they were to repair the old edifice or build a new one in the vicinity of John Pittenger. But the plan failed, and the scheme was abandoned. The church at New-Brunswick did not join in this contro- versy with their pastor, but, so far as documentary and traditional evidence goes, zealously su23ported him, and the result was witnessed in the great prosperity which this church enjoyed.
Dominie Frelinghuysen met all this opposition in the spirit of a true gospel minister. He continued at his post, preaching, visiting, and catechising, laboring for the conversion of souls and the edification of the church. "I had rather die a thousand deaths," he says in one of his sermons, ''than not preach the Gospel." And his ministry was eminently successful. Sound in his doctrinal views, searching in his reproofs, and fervent
* The subscribers ^yere : A. Boorani, Simon Wj'ckoff, Dennis Van Duyn, Leonard Smock, Cor. Peterson, George Anderson, William Van Duyn, Jac. Boise, Hen. Smock, Chris. Probasco, William Kouenhoven, Jac. Ben- net, Pet. Bodine, Gid. Marlat, William Bennet, Paul Le Boyton, Francis IlaiTison, Ab. Bennet, Isaac La Queer, Jac. Bennet, Nic. Dailey, Ad. Ilardenbrook, Luke Covert, and Jac. Probasco. The committee to procure a minister was Hendrik Vroom and Frederick Van Liew. This subscrip- tion paper, as also that of 1703, were found at Mr. Abraham J. Voorhees, at Three Mile Run, and are now in the possession of Hon. Balph Voorhees ; they had been preserved in the Van Liew family, and are all that we have of the old church.
t Rev. Vicentius Antonides, from Long Island, encouraged the disaf- fected party, and as late as May 9th, 1734, he ordained a Consistory for the Three Mile Run church, composed of Simon Wyckoff and Hendrick Vroom, elders; Simon Van Wicklen and Dennis Van Duyn, deacons ; also for North-Branch, Daniel Sebring and Peter Kinney, elders ; and William Rosse and Francis AValdron, deacons. — Records Harlingen Consistory.
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 33
in his appeals, lie won many souls to Christ, and laid foundations which have not yet passed away. Through- out his whole field of labor, he enjoyed as the fruit of his ministry several revivals of religion. At Raritan, he was eminently successful in the ingathering of the people and the establishment of the church. Our own records are incomplete, but the evidence of our history is, that he was instrumental in s-atherino; toQ-ether a large congregation.
About six years after Mr. Frelinghuysen's settlement in Ne^\--Brimswick, namely, in 1*726, Rev. Gilbert Ten- nent arrived in this place, and was installed the first pas- tor of the Presbyterian church. He remained in this city about seventeen years, and was regarded as a man of very eminent abilities, es^^ecially distinguished for his pulpit talents. The first church edifice of this denomi- nation was erected in lYSY, and stood on the same street with the Dutch church below Lyle's brook, on the ground novv^ occupied by houses No. 142 and 144 Burnet street. Mr. Tennent's residence was at No. 168 of the same street, since taken down, in which his brother William had the remarkable trance, on his recovery from which it ^vas found that he liad lost all recollection of previous events, and even had forgotten the name of the Bible.
These two ]Srew-Bruns\7ick pastors lived on terms of great friendship, and indeed of intimacy. They found in each other congenial dispositions ; and, judging from their published discourses, they were men of similar characteristics. They were both earnest and forcible in delivery, and pungent in their application of the truth. In a* letter of Mr. Tennent to Rev. Mr, Prince, a histo- rian of Boston, in 1744, one year after he had left this city, he gives this testimony : " The labors of Rev. Mr.
3
34: HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
Frelingliuysen, a Dutch Calvinist minister, were mucli blessed to tlie people of New-Brunswick and places adjacent, especially about the time of his coming among them, which was about twenty-four years ago. When I came there, which was about seven years after, I had the pleasure of seeing much of the fruits of his minis- try; divers of his hearers with whom I had the oj^por- tunity of conversing appeared to be converted persons, by their soundness in principle, Christian experience, and pious practice ; and these persons declared that the ministrations of the aforesaid gentleman were the means thereof This, together with a kind letter which he sent me, resj)ecting the dividing the word aright, and giving to every man his portion in due season, through the divine blessing excited me to greater earnestness in ministerial labors."
The eminent evangelist, George Whitefield, paid fre- quent visits to this city, and preached to large congre- gations gathered from this whole section of country. He frequently speaks of New-Brunswick, in his journal, and of the pleasure he enjoyed in the society of Mr. Frelinghuysen. He is very earnest in his praise, and represents him as a sound, fearless, and highly success- ful minister. Mr. Whitefield, under date of November 20th, 1739, writes in his journal: "Preached about noon, for near two hours, in Mr. Tennent's meeting- house, to a large assembly gathered from all parts." On the 26th of April, 1740, he again passed through New- Brunswick, reaching the town about four in the after- noon, " and preached to about two thousand," he writes, " in the evening." " The next day," he adds, " preached morning and evening to near seven or eight thousand people ; and God's power was so much amongst us in the afternoon service, that, had I proceeded, the cries
HISTORICAL DISCOUESE. 35
and groans of the people, I believe, would have drowned my voice." It was upon this occasion, according to the statement of Eev. Dr. Cannon, received from persons who were present, that Mr. Whiteiield preached in front of tlie Dutch church, in Burnet street, standing on a v/agon, and the immense audience were spread over a meadow sloping down to the river, listening to the sermon.
Dominie Frelinghuysen was a member of the conven- tion which met in the city of New- York in April, 1738, with the elder from this church, Hendrick Fisher, who formed a plan to establish an ecclesiastical judicatory, with more enlarged powers than had been enjoyed by the Reformed Dutch Church in this countiy, out of which grew the great conflict in reference to the sepa- L'ation from the Classis of Amsterdam. Althoug-h he :lid not live to take a very active part in this contro- versy, yet, as he was one of the originators of the move- ment, and as it continued to asritate the church for ibout thirty years, even threatening its very existence, 1 brief sketch of the two principles in conflict will here be necessary as a link in the chain of history.
Our church, in this country, was not an independent Drganization, but merely a branch of the Reformed Church of Holland, and subject to its jurisdiction. Cases of disci j)line had to be referred for decision to the old country. Candidates who desired to preacli the Gospel were obliged to cross the ocean in order to obtain ordination ; and only such ministers as had been examined and commissioned by the Classis of Amster- lam were permitted to preach in our pulpits. The result was long and vexatious delays in procuring pas- tors, great inconvenience in obtaining the decision of the supreme judicatory, and an outlay of time and ex-
36 niSTOPJCAL DISCOUESE.
pense wliicli greatly retarded the growth of our cluircL. In this year (1738) a plan was matured to form a " C;oetus," or an assembly of ministers and elders, who should exercise jurisdiction over the churches in this country, subject to the supervision of the Synod of North-Holland.
This was the entering- wedge of separation, and in a short time grew into a demand for an independent Classis, with all the j^owers belonging to the highest ecclesiastical court. But this innovation was most strenuously resisted. The church in Europe opposed the measure as subversive of authority, and some of the older ministers, with their elders, formed an assembly opposed to the Coetus, to which they gave the name of " Conferentie." This w\as the commencement of a strife which has hardly been surpassed in the history of eccle- siastical disputes, and was not finally adjusted until Dr. John 11. Livingston matured a plan of union in 1772, which met the cordial approbation of all who sought the peace of Zion.
Mr. Frelinghuysen exerted a great influence in con- nection with this most important measure. Indeed, he was a thorough representative of the Coetus party, while the early controversies through which he had passed prepared him to be a leader on the side of re- form. He was evangelical in his sentiments and pro- gressive in his spirit, and he saw that the interests of the church demanded an independent organization, with all the facilities of school, college, and seminary to pro- vide a well-educated ministry. Although he did not live to see this result, yet he is justly honored as one of the originators of a system which at first greatly agitated but finally prevailed to the establishment and enlargement of the church. There were a few in this
HISTOEICAL DISCOUESE. 87
congregation who sympathized with the Conferentie party, but they never attained any considerable strength, though in other parts of the old charge of Mr. Frelinghuysen the strife was carried on with a violence which it is almost impossible for us to understand.'^^'
The Dutch population in the town of New-Bruns- wick received quite an accession between the years 1730 and 1734, by the emigration of several families from Albany, previously referred to in our narrative. Their ancestors had removed to that place immediately from Holland, and their names are found on the regis- ter of church-members as early as 1683. They are uni- formly represented to have been an intelligent and pious class of people, who added very greatly to the streno'th of the church. Families also continued to arrive from Long Island, and settled on the farms along the Kai'itan, both above and below New-Brunswick, and on both sides of the river. From these causes and the increasing prosperity of the congregation, the comple- tion and enlaro-ement of the church edifice was de- manded, and in 1735 we find that the object was ac- complished under the direction of a committee of which Dirck Schuyler was chairman. The amount expended in reseating the church was about £200.
* Ilarlingen especially seems to have been an important point in the Coetus and Conferentie difficulties. The original house of worship at the cemetery and the church records fell into the hands of the Conferentie. The Coetus paity, therefore, who could not be limited and restrained by the formalities of the other, erected a new church in 1749 near the present site, and kept a distinct record of their own. Botii records have come down to the present time. On ]\Iay 9th, 1734, Dominie Antonides met some Conferentie friends at the house of RynerVeghte, and ordained a new Con- sistoiy, in opposition to Frelinghuyscn's Consistory, namelj'^, Koert Voorhees and l)aniel Polhemus, elders. This new Consistory secured possession of the chm-cli-books, and hence Frelinghuysen was obliged to begin a new book of I'ccords in 1737. In this is noted the arrival of his son John in 1750, wlio preached his first sermon in that locality, August 19th of that year, in the house of Simon Van Arsdalcn. Ilis first sermon was preached In the church December 2d. — Eev. E. T. Corwin.
38 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE,
At this date tlie pews were sold under an article of agreement to which the signatures of the heads of families are affixed. We have a jDlan of the building thus remodeled, a complete list of the families in the congregation," and the original disposition of the pews.
Among the names I find recorded that of James Hude,f one of the prominent citizens of New-Brunswick, and held in very high esteem. His father was a Scotch Presbyterian, and fled from the religious oppressions of the Old World to enjoy the freedom promised in the New. Mr. Hude filled all the civil offices in the city, and spent most of his life in the service of the govern- ment. He was one of the judges of the pleas for eleven years, a member of assembly in 1738, one of the council of Governor Morris, and for several terms mayor of the city. He was a man of great benevo- lence, and on his death, November 1st, 1762, the New- York Mercury^ in an obituary notice, speaks of him as a "gentleman of great probity, justice, affability, moral and. j)olitical virtues." His residence was in Albany street, in the house known as the Bell tavern, the origi- nal part of which is one of the oldest buildings in the town. Thouo;h he does not seem to have been a com- municant in the church, yet I find his name on the list of families in the con2:ref>;ation, and his children were all baptized by Mr. Frelinghuysen, and appear on our register.
On the same list I find also the name of Philip French, who came into possession of Inians's patent, and was a man of great liberality and distinction. One of the streets of our city still bears his name.
* For a list of the heads of families at this date, see Appendix II.
t WkitehecuVs Amhoi/, p. 374. His daughter Catherine married Corne- lius Lowe, and a daughter of theirs married a son of Rev. Mr. Hardenbergh, the lion. J. R. Hardenbergh.
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 89
Tlie name of Jacob Ouke is found on tlie catalogue, one of the orio-inal members of the con2:re2:ation, a prominent elder in the church ; at several times a mayor of the city, and holding an office which had been created by Mr. Frelinghuysen to meet the grow- ing demands of his large charge. In addition to these [lames, there were others who shone with equal emi- nence, the Schuylers, the Van Deursens, the Van Der- belts, the Van Voorhees, the Schencks, and the Van Elarlingens. The list embraces the names of about one hundred heads of families, showing that at this date (1735) there was here a large congregation built up Luider the ministry of Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Perhaps no name is more prominent in our early records than that of the distinguished Elder Minne Van Voorhees, one of the ancestors of the large family 3f this name in this section of the State. He came to bins vicinity from Long Island about the year 1715, ind two years after, on the organization of this church, we find his name on our list of communicants. He re- dded at first on the property now known as the Col- lege farm, and was the proprietor of a large tract of [and in that vicinity, including the mills below the 'Atj ; subsequently he removed to New-Brunswick, and resided here until his death, which must have occurred ibout the year 1734. He was a man of great prorai- tience in the church, elected to the office of elder when quite a young man, and a ruling spirit in the congrega- tion. In the controversies which Mr. Frelinghuysen sustained in the early part of his ministry, he found in Minne Van Voorhees a staunch and intelligent sup- porter. From the fact of his cooperation with his pas- tor, the inference is natural that he was of a kindred spirit. Tradition reports him to have been very gifted
40 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
in prayer and exhortation. His memory was so reten- tive that he was able to rej)eat nearly the entire ser- mon after hearing it preached. When Mr. Frelinghuy- sen was exhausted with his excessive labors, he ^vould frequently call upon Minne to take the evening lecture in one of the neighborhoods, and he would conduct the services with great edification. His name was very precious in the church for several generations, and he has left behind him even unto this day a savor of great piety. His descendants were connected with some of the most distinguished families of the city, the Pools, Neil sons, Abeels, Bennets, Schuylers, Van Deursens, and Hasserts.'^'
In order to meet the growing wants of his extensive charge, Mr. Frelinghuysen resorted to various expedi- ents. The 2:>lan of a colleague was discussed at a joint meeting of the four Consistories, held at Raritan in 1737, and finally adopted. An address is sent to that Reverend Father in God Schuyhenburg and Jan Stock- ers to send over from Holland a young man, who should act as an assistant to the minister. The call is prepared by Mr. Frelinghuysen, and in his characteristic way he asks for a man of good health, who will be able to endure a large amount of labor, and a willing worker ; but above all, for one who shall be filled with the love of Christ and God's kingdom. He is to j^reach under
'■' The ancestor of the family of Voorhees in this section of country is Steven Coerte, or Koers, who emigrated from Holland in 1660, on the ship Bontekoe, (Spotted Cow,) and settled in Flatlands, Long Island. Having no surname, they subscribed themselves " Van Voorhees," or "from before Hees." Stephen Coerte married Wiilempie Roelefse, and died about 1684. His son, Lucas Stevense, married on Long Island, and six of his children emigrated to New-Brunswick and vicinity, and were members of this church at its organization. Hans (Jan) Lucas married Neeltije Nevius; Catryntjc Lucas married Roelof Nevius ; Roelof Lucas married Helena Stoothof; Minne Lucas married Antje Wyckoff ; Wilmetje Lucas married Martin Ne- vius ; Albert Lucas married Catryntje Cornell. — See Genealogy of Bergen Fcmiily, p. 61.
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 41
tbe direction of the senior pastor, catecliise tlie children and youth, and 2:)erform j^'^istoral visitation. He is promised a parsonage with fifty acres of land, a horse with necessary accompaniments, and j£80 a year, one half of which shall be paid as soon as he shall be installed. This excellent arranojement did not succeed, the right kind of a man not being found ready to emi- grate to America.
On the failure of this effort to secure an assistant. Dominie Frelinghuysen resorted to the expedient of appointing "helj^ers," after the plan of the apostles. (1 Cor. 12: 28.) Men who were gifted in exhortation and prayer, and who had commended themselves by their godly lives to the people, were selected under the sanction of the Consistory, to hold neighborhood ser- vices, to visit the sick, to direct the inquiring, and to be generally useful in the congregation. Indeed, this plan was matured previous to sending the call to Hol- land; for we find m our minutes that, in 1736, a joint meeting of the four Consistories was convened for the purpose of consulting upon the subject, and that appointments were actually made of such extraordinary ofiicers in the church. At this meetina; the followinsi: selection was made: For JSTorth-Branch, Symon Van Arsdalen; for Raritan, Hendrick Bries and Tennis Post; for Six MileEun, Elbert Stoothof; and for New- Brunswick, Hendrick Fisher, Roelef Nevius, and Abra- ham Ouke. The tradition is, that these men were emi- nently useful ; and while the measure was a novelty in the Dutch Church, and, so far as we have learned, was confined only to the pastoral charge of Mr. Frelinghuy- sen, yet it was eminently successful, and tended greatly to the prosperity of the church. These men held the
42 HISTOEICAL DISCOURSE.
office during life, and one of them, as we shall pre- sently see, became a lay preacher and catecliist.
On examining the records of our church, I find that there Avas received into its membership, during Mr. Frelinghuysen's ministjy, about sixty persons. Many names are undoubtedly omitted from the list, as some are not found on the catalogue who are known to have been in communion with the church. The largest number received in any one year was in 1741, when there was the addition of twenty-two persons, a most cheering evidence of the divine favor, and a great encourao-ement to that noble minister who had now triumphed over all opposition, and whose work was thus crowned with God's approbation. Although the whole number does not seem to be large, yet it is a fair representation of growth, considering the sparseness of the population, the agitations of the times, and the fact that he received into the communion only those who gave the clearest evidence of conversion.
Concerning the events that transpired during the latter part of Mr. Frelinghuysen's life, no record has been preserved, nor is the time of his death or the place of his burial definitely known. In the summer of 1744, he bought of Daniel Plendrickson, of this city, a farm of 200 acres, for which he paid J6550. This property is located at Three Mile Run,* and is a part of the land occupied by the late John Brunson. Here he built a spacious house, a part of the foundation of which was
* It is described as being bounded on the south-east by the land of Daniel Hendrickson, north-east by the "pretended line of the heirs or assigns of Peter Sonmans," north-west by David Sequire, south-west and north-west by Cornelius Bennet. — Trenton Deeds.
He lived at one time in Burnet street, as I find a reference to his " resi- dence" in an old deed in my possession, but the precise location I have not ascertained. He spent his whole ministerial life within the bounds of this congregation, and his family made this church their religious home.
HISTOEICAL DISCOURSE. 43
used in the construction of the edifice now standing. At this place lie probably resided at the time of his death, Avliich must have occurred about the commence- ment of the year 1748, when he had not yet reached his fifty-seventh year. He is buried, according to all the evidence we can gather, in the old yard of the Six Mile Kun church, and a spot is still pointed out as his last resting-place."* His monument should stand in the ground adjoining our church, and his name should be preserved among the greatest lights of our Zion. The character of his mind is sufficiently indicated by his 23ublished sermons ; his fidelity, by the fearlessness with which he preached the Gospel in its purity and pungency; his success, by the ingatherings which he enjoyed, the foundations which he laid, and the seed Avhich he planted; and his piety, by the savor which yet breathes from his memory.
When he came to this field, he found it spiritually destitute and uncultivated. A church had here grown up in this new settlement without a pastor, and, bearing in mind the type of the religion of that age, we are not surprised that there Avas so much of the formal element in the churches. When he was called away, he left behind him a strong body of Christians, who had been brought into the church under a searching Gospel, and who gave every evidence of real godliness. That he was blessed by God in his work is the unqualified
* The first house of worship of the Six Mile Run church was built in this yard, and remains of th _• foundation were visible until quite recently. The second building was erected before 1766, for in the survey of the county line, made at that date, it was called the "new church." The tra- dition is, that Mr. Frelinghuysen's grave was under a tree near the centre of the grdund. The aged remember that their parents pointed to the spot as the resting-place of a "great man." Is it not a striking fact that the minister who first broke ground for the Gospel in this new teiritory lies in an unknown grave? Let us cherish his memory, and show him honor by loving, as he did, the pure doctrine of the Gospel.
4A: HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
testimony of our history; and when such eminent men as Gilbert Tennent, George Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards speak of him as one of the great lights of the American church, we freely accord to him the distin- guished position which he occupies. To their testi- mony I may add that of Dr. A. Alexander, of Prince- ton, who says: "If you wish to find a community cha- racterized by an intelligent piety, a love of order, and all that tends to make society what it should be, seek it among the people of Somerset and Middlesex. And their present character," he adds, " is owing very much, under God, to the faithful preaching of the Gospel under old Dominie Frelinghuysen."
The name of his wife has been recently recovered, but no traditions are preserved in respect to her char- acter. But the piety of the household is clearly indi- cated by the character of her children. All of her sons entered the ministry, and her two daughters became the wives of pastors in our church. We attribute this fact mainly to the piety and religious instruction of the mothei', Eva Terhune. They were baptized in this church, and their names appeal* upon our register. Theodore was settled in Albany, from 1745 to 1759. He is rei")resented to have been frank and popular in his manners, earnest and eloquent in the pulpit, and blameless in his life. He sailed for Holland in the year 1759, with the expectation of returning to his field of labor. The date and circumstances of his death are not known.* His memory was very precious in the church of Albany, meriting the tribute 23aid to him of " the apostolic and much beloved Frelinghuysen." His
* "A letter has been found, written at New-York on the 10th of October, 1759, which establishes the fact that he sailed on that day, and that gossip and predictions of a fatal voyage were rife, which led to the tradition of his
niSTOEICAL DISCOURSE. 45
second son, John, succeeded liis father at Raritan in Angust, 1750, and died very suddenly while on a visit to Long Island, attending a meeting of the Coetus, in 1754. The third and fourth sons, Jacobus and Fer- dinand, died OR their return passage from Holland, of the small-pox, in 1753, and were buried at sea. They were promising young men, and had both received calls, the one at Marbletown, the other at Kinder- hook, N. Y. The iifth son, Hendricus, pursued his studies in this country, and was licensed by the Coetus, and in 1756 settled over the church of Wawarsing;, in Ulster county, N. Y. ; but in a short time he also died from an attack of small-pox, and was buried at Napa- nock. Thus rapidly did these young ministers close their work, just at a time when the whole church was needing the labors of such devoted and godly men. One of his daughters, Anna, was married to Rev. Wil- liam Jackson, who for thirty years was the pastor of the church in Bergen ; she died at the age of seventy- two, in May, 1810. And Margaret became the wife of Rev. Thomas Romeyn, whose only son, Theodore Fre- linghuysen Romeyn, was the pastor of Raritan in the same charo-e of his sfrandfather and uncle, whose short and promising ministry of only eighteen months was brought to a close by his sudden death at an early age, amid the lamentations of a bereaved j^eople.
On the death of Mr. Frelinghuysen, the churches under his charo-e had so far increased in strenirth that they immediately resolved to settle two pastors. Rari- tan, North-Branch, and Millstone, now Harlingen, settled Rev. John Frelinghuysen, whose short uiinistry of only
loss at sea, and which is nowhere authenticated except by the gan-ulous Mrs. Grant. The tradition seems to have gi'own out of the ominous break- ing down of the bench in the pulpit of a new church in whicli he preached on the Sabbath previous to his departure." — MunseV s Annals of Albany.
46 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
four years was eminently successful. While lie was possessed of much of his father's bold, evangelical spirit, he seems to have been of a more pleasing disposition, although he did not have to encounter difficulties which disturbed the early ministry of his honored parent. He was much interested in the education of young men for the ministry ; and there is still standing in Somerville a house built by him of bricks brought from Holland, where Hardenbergh, Jackson, and others pursued their theological studies. Although party spirit raged very high in his charge, yet his ministry was remarkably blessed by the outj^ouring of the Spirit, and at his death there was great lamentation. The churches of New-Brunswick and Six Mile Hun, very conveniently located, and both of considerable strength, formed an ecclesiastical connection for the settlement of a minister who should devote himself entirely to this field. The choice of the people immediately fell with great una- nimity upon a young man who had just completed his 'studies, and in September, 1748, there was called, as the second pastor of this church,
KeV. JoiIAl^JSTES LeYDT.
Our knowledge of Mr. Leydt is quite limited, though he labored in this field for thirty-five years. In respect to his early history, I have only been able to learn that he was a Hollander by birth, and was educated at one of her universities — which one is not certain — and that he came to this country with an elder brother, settling at first in Dutchess county, in the neighborhood of Fishkill. He was born in the year 1718. The time of his emigration to America is not known. The first notice we have of Mr. Leydt is in the minutes of the
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 47
Coetus held in New- York on the 28tli of April, 1748, in these words : " The student Leydt, according to ap- pointment, delivered a proposition upon 2 Corinthians 3 : 6-8, and gave such satisfaction that he was likewise received with Van Der Linde to be examined in the morning, after reading the church cei-tificate, from which it appeared that they had been communicants for some years." The Elder Hendrick Fisher vfas a member of this assembly, and presented a letter from the Consis- tory of New-Brunswick, "urging the speedy examination of the student, in order that their congregation, which was vacant, might emj^loy him as a candidate, and, if satisfied, might call him."
As permission had been previously obtained from the Classis of Amsterdam, the examination was accordingly proceeded with, and, proving satisfactory, these two young men were sent forth to preach the Gospel. Sep- tember 27th, 1748, a formal call was laid before the Coetus by the Elder Hendrick Fisher; and, having passed his final examination, Mr. Leydt was set apart to the work of the ministry, and constituted the pastor of the churches of New-Brunswick and Six Mile Run. There was great joy among the people in having so soon obtained a successor to the excellent Dominie Frelinghuysen, and who, according to all accounts, was influenced by a similar spirit of entire consecration to the xainistry. I have not been able to ascertain the place of his church relations, nor the circumstances of his introduction into the ministry. It is said that he was a student of Mr. Frelinghuysen, and was well known in the city.
The first act of the Consistories was to provide him a home ; accordingly, they purchased a parsonage with fifty acres of land. This property was located at Three
48 HISTORICAL DISCOUESE.
Mile Kun, and is known as tlie Skillman farm, now in tlie possession of Isaac W. Puinyea. The old house is still standing, a short distance from the road, in which Mr. Leydt lived during his entire ministry of thirty-five years.
Great changes had taken place in this town and the surrounding country since the organization of this church. The land had been cleared up and cultivated, more substantial buildings erected, farms increased in value, and the morals and intelligence of the community greatly improved. In 1717, the Dutch church was the onl}' organization in the town; but in 1748 there was a Presbyterian church, of which Rev. Thomas Arthur was the minister ; and the Episcopalian church, erected in 1743, on a lot given by Philip French, of which Rev. Mr. Wood was the missionary ; and all of these congre- gations are represented, to have lived in a spirit of great harmony and Christian cooperation.
A very interesting description of our town at this date, 1748, the year in which Mr. Leydt commenced his ministry, is given in the account of a traveler by the name of Peter Kalm, a professor in the University of Abo in Swedish Finland, who visited North- America as a naturalist, under the auspices of the Swedish Royal Academy of Science. " About noon," he writes, " we arrived in New-Brunswick, a pretty little town in a valley on the west side of the river Raritan; on ac- count of its low situation it can not be seen coming from Pennsylvania, before coming to tlie toji of the hill which is close up to it. The town extends north and south along the river. The town-house makes a pretty good appearance. The town has only one street lengthwise, and at its northern extremity there is a. street across ; both of these are of considerable length.
niSTORICAL DISCOURSE. 49
3ne of tlie streets is almost entirely inhabited by Dutchmen who came hither from Albany, and for that •eason they call it All^any street. On the road from Frenton to New-Brunswick, I never saw any place in America, the towns excepted, so well peopled."'''"
Very shortly after his settlement, Mr. Leydt interested limself in procuring a charter from the royal governor br the churches originally embraced in the charge of Mr. Frelinghuysen. This instrument was obtained un- ler the administration of Jonathan Belcher, Esq., Gov- irnor-in-Chief of the Province of New- Jersey, and was executed on the 7th day of June, and the twenty- dxtli year of the reign of King Greorge II. (1758.) riie trustees under the charter were the two ministers, Rev. Johannes Leydt and Kev. John Frelinghu3''sen, vith the several members of the Consistories of the five churches. The first meeting of the new corporation tvas held at Raritan, October 31st, 1753, when Hen- Irick Fisher, one of the elders of this church, was chosen president of the board, and arrangements made :o carry out the provisions of the charter.f
The increase of population in the town, and the popularity of the minister, soon called for more en- ^aro-ed church accommodations. The old buildino; in Burnet street was full, and as early as 1754 the j^lan was ag:itated for the erection of a new and more com- cQodious church edifice in a more central location. An
* In some of his statements Mr. Kalm is not accurate. In reference to his "two German churches, one of stone, the other of wood," it is certainly a mistake. The Dutch congregation had hut one building, a structure of wood, in Burnet street. His error is equally apparent in the remark that " the Presbj'terians were building a church of stone." They never had a stone edifice, and there was no church building going on in the town at this date. Tlie statements of travelers in reference to local matters, unac- quainted with the language of the people, and merely passing through a place, are to be taken with some degree of allowance.
t See Appendix III.
4
60 ■ HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
article of ao;reement was entered into at tliis time for tlie i^urcliase of a lot on wliicli to erect a new building. But the subject was postponed from time to time, in consequence of a difference of opinion in the congrega- tion as to the proj^er location. One party insisted on remaining in Burnet street and enlarging the old edi- fice, and the other desired a removal into that part of the city which had the prospect of growth. The mat- ter was finally adjusted by the gift of the plot of ground on which our present building is erected, by Philip French, Esq., one of the members of the congre- gation. The deed of conveyance is dated September 12th, 1765. The Consistory was then composed of Hendriclv Fisher, Ferdinand Schureman, and Derick Van Veghten, elders ; Cornelius Seebring, Ernestus Van Harlingen, and Jacobus Van Nuise, deacons. A building committee was immediately aj^pointed, of which John Schureman, son of the school-master, was the chairman, and arrangements made for the erection of the second church edifice of our denomination in the town.
The new building was completed and occupied by the congregation in the autumn of 1767, one hundred years ago, when the old church in Burnet street was taken down, and the lot sold to John Schureman. The ground plan of this building is given in our records, the sale of pews, and a complete list of the congrega- tion at this date. The building was of stone, nearly square, and wonld seat comfortably four hundred per- sons. The cost of construction was £1097 13s. 7d. It had a front entrance on Queen, now Neilson street, and a side-door on Prince, now Bayard street. At the south side was a long pew for the accommodation of the public ofiicers of the city, and on the north similar
historical" DISCOUESE. 51
ews running parallel with the walls, whicli, it is said, ^ere much sought after, " as one eye could be directed )ward the minister, and the other to any thing that light require attention in the other part of the house." ar off and up in a circular pulpit, supported hj a edestal, was the minister, beneath the old time-honored )unding-board. Two pillars support the roof from le centre, which went up on four sides, ending in a nail steeple. A belP* was put up about the year 775, and the sexton, in ringing, stood in the middle isle, winding the rope during service around one of le pillars. The church was never desecrated with. :oves, but in the midst of winter the good Dutchmen ept up what heat they could by an occasional stamp
I the Hoor, and tradition says the Dominie would keep ^arm by an extra amount of gesture.
The city presented a far different aj^pearance from its resent aspect. The streets were unpaved ; a swamp <:tended from. Church to New street, affording a fine vating-pond for the boys in winter ; there were a few uildings to the right of the edifice, and only an occa- onal house between this and Albany street. On the ill occupying the ground in the rear of our parsonage- :ood the stone barracks, a commodious building one undred feet in length and sixty in depth, erected in the ear 1758; and the farm of Jacobus Van Nuise covered
II that ground now occuj^ied by Schureman, Liberty, ud New streets, extending west as far as the residence f Richard McDonald. This building stood for about )rty-five years ; and, unornamented as it was, it had athered around it rmusual interest. Here your fathers
* I have been informed that the bell was taken down at some period dur- ig the war, and buried in the orchard where now stands liutgcrs College,, nd restored to its place after the enemy left the city.
52 HISTOEICAL DISCOURSE.
worshiped ; and from the old pulj^it was preached the true Gospel of Christ. A few are left who remember the edifice well ; but fifty-six years have passed since this venerable structure was taken down, and soon all recollection of it will have passed away.
We can picture to our minds the Sabbath morning, one hundred years ago, when the church was completed, and the building was set apart for the worship of God. In the absence of the precise date, we can imagine that this most beautiful season of the year, and this very month of October, was selected for the service. The day opens with a bright sunshine, and the patriarchal head of the house unclasps the huge, old-fashioned Bible, and reads a chapter for the family devotions, comment- ino; on the verses with an abilitv which shows his knowledge of the Sciiptures, and his strong belief in the theology of the Reformation. The day is to be an important one in the church of New-Brunswick, and ' earlier than usual the whole surrounding population are on their wav to the house of God. All the roads leading into the city are Hned with travelers, some on horseback, many on foot, and a few enjoying the luxury of a wao-on-ride over the rouajh and windino; roads.
There is no service that day at Six Mile Kun, and the whole congregation are present. Every family in the surrounding country is represented in the throng. The men are attired in their best Sunday garments, low- crowned liats with very broad brims, coats of large dimensions, with plated buttons, polished brightly for the occasion, ruffled bosoms and wristbands, with silver sleeve-buttons, and the more aged in small clothes, with knee-buckles, and a linen neck-tie of 2:)erfect whiteness. The women were modestly and appropriately attired ; the dress was of homespun material of fine texture, ex-
HISTOEICAL DISCOURSE. 53
iremely sliort-waistecl, but not entirely devoid of orna- neiit; their bonnets were large and expansive, witli ;rowns of sufficient size to inclose the most aspiring lead-dress; a neat linen collar, with knit gloves of their )wn manufacture, and a stout pair of shoes completed ;he toilet.
Thus attired, the people gather into the sanctuary, rhe building is 2:)lain, and for the times ample in its 3roportions. It is of rough stone, brought all the way Tom Hurl-Gate in sloops, up the Raritan, and they are •itill preserved in the walls of this edifice. The j^ews lave been sold the preceding week ; and, since there is 10 bell in the tower, the signal of a horn announces the lour of worship, while the services are regulated by an aour-glass. The voorlezer takes his seat in front of the pulpit, and, according to the custom of the day, com- nences the exercises by reading the ten commandments md selections from the Scriptures, after which the psalm is read, and for the first time those walls resound ^vith the praise of God. During the singing the min- ister enters the church, bowino; to the ris^ht and left as lie passes up the crowded aisle, pausing for a few mo- Qients with covered face in silent devotion before enter- ing the sacred desk. He is now in his full j^i'ime, having served the congregation for about nineteen years. The hour-glass stands at the right of the minister, by the side of the Bible. While the sermon is in progress, the sand has run out; it is then turned, and the congrega- tion know that a half hour of the discourse is yet to come. But the people listen with grave attention, and are full of reverence. We have the names of all the heads of families. We may suppose that John Schure- man, the patriot and scholar, was present that day, and had a glad time in seeing the building for which he had
54 HISTORICAL DISCOUESE.
toiled completed ; as also Philip French, who gave the lot, and Christian Van Doreu, Hendrick Fisher, Derick Van Veghten, Abraham Oakey, and Jeremiah Van Der- bilt, former elders of the church, Hendrick Van Deur- sen, with his son William, were in the assembly; so also were Jacobus and James Van Nuise, both young men. Then there were John and Matthew Sleio-ht, and a long list of Voorhees, Roelef, Albert, Lucas, John, James, Garret, Martinus, Matthew, and Abraham ; there were Edward Van Harlingen, John Kyder, Charles Bor- ram, Peter Vredenberg, Matthew Egerton. Abraham Schuyler was also there, giving promise of the useful man which he afterward became. So also the Van Liews, Dennice, John, Hendrick, and Frederick; the Stoothoffs, Whilhelmus, Johannes, John, and Cornelius; the Suydams, Charles and Cornelius; the Outgelts, Fredrick and Johannes ; the Waldrons, Leffert and John. And, while we have the familiar names of Nevius, Spader, Garretson, Van Sickle, Provost, Thomp- son, De Hart, Wyckoff, Van Pelt, and Cortleyou, all represented among us to-day, we have also some which are no longer known in our city, as Hyse, E[ortwick, Standley, Wilton, Probasco, Hance, Kin, and Hassert. All these, with others, listened to the word of God that day. The morning service was followed by an inter- mission of half an hour, and then they all returned to hear another sermon. Thus the Sabbath day passed, closing with the family recitation in the catechism, and evening worship.
The services in this church were held on each alter- nate Sabbath, and there is the evidence of great punc- tuality in the administration of the ordinances. Mr. Leydt was a very laborious minister ; and while he does not seem to have left any distinct impressions of his
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 55
pulpit talents, lie is represented to have been very faithful as a pastor. He took a very active part in all the public enterprises of the day. In connection with the organization of new churches, the calling and in- stallation of 2^astors, and the healing of difficulties in congregations, we will find the name of Dominie Leydt. He was a regular member of the Coetus, a constant at- tendant on their meetings, and, from the frequent refer- ences to his name, he seems to have been a prominent and influential member. He took a ^varm interest in this long controversy, and is placed among the number of those who v/ere chiefly instrumental in procuring the independence of the church in this country. He wrote several very excellent pamphlets on the subject, which were answered by the opponents of the measure, and are referred to in the minutes of that body. The Classis of Amsterdam, in their correspondence with the churches in this country, speak of his writings as excel- lent in spirit and argument.'"" At one time he repre- sented the Coetus to the Conferentie party, and was chairman of the committee. In the minutes of the latter body he is represented as being very pointed in his remarks, and as saying some things so piercing that they could hardly keej") silent. On the erection of the General Synod, he was associated with Dr. Livingston in conducting the princij^al part of their business, and at their annual meeting at New-Paltz, in 1778, he was chosen president.f
* I have this fact from Dr. Thomas De Witt, but have not seen the minute itself Tills valuable correspondence would have been of service, no doubt, in compilinj:; this history. There is an admirable paper in the collection by ])r. Hardenbcr<:,h, which presents the points of controversy in a strong light. I regiet very much that I could not obtain access to the book of minutes copied from the original under the direction of Synod. We are pleased to learn that all the documents are soon to be given to the public.
t See Minutes of Si/ nod, Vol. I. — Giin's Life of Lklngaton, p. 143.
HISTOEICAL DISCOURSE.
Mr. Leydt was one of the prominent movers in the estaljlishment of Queen's, now Kutgers College. This was the favorite object of the Coetus, or progressive and evangelical party in the church. With them an educated ministry was the great want of our American Zion ; as Mr. Leydt expresses it in a letter to Dr. Liv- ingston, " I humbly conceive that, without a regular course of collegiate studies, we shall never make any respectable figure in church or state." The Charter of this institution was procured of Governor Franklin, March 20th, 17T0. In the following year the long con- troversy in which the church had been engaged was finally adjusted by adopting a plan of union, drawn up by Dr. Livingston, which received the approval of the church in Holland, and which dated our separate eccle- siastical organization. The consent was based upon a condition that the Dutch Church in America should make provision in her constitution to provide herself with an educated ministry. The founding of our col- lege was an event that gave great joy to our church. Mr. Leydt was one of the signers of the petition to Governor Franklin for the charter, and was named as a trustee ; as such he attended a meeting of the board at Hackensack, when the location of the college was defi- nitely fixed at New-Brunswick. In the letter to Dr. Livingston, from which I have quoted a sentence, he re- joices over the event in this language : " The great and glorious promise consequent uj)on the noble confession of Nathanael, ' Tliou slialt see greater things than these^ frequently exercising my mind upon fiivorable turns in Divine Providence, with acknowledgment and expecta- tions, hath with some energy of late reverted to my mind with respect to our present situation ; as a door seems to ,be opening, not only for a desirable union
HISTORICAL DISCOUESE. 5V
and fixed order, but also increase of knowledge and ef- fusion of the Holy Spirit." In the same letter lie ap- prises Dr. Livingston of a motion in tlie board of trustees to elect Lim president of the college, and of certain otlier plans to render the institution pros2:)erous and efficient.'"^
We are brou2:ht in the course of our narrative to the commencement of the Kevolutionaiy war, a most inte- resting period in the history of our country and our church. During all these exciting years of conflict Mr. Leydt was the ^^astor of this church, and there are in- dications of great interruption in the growth of the congregation. There had been a steady increase in the number of membership up to the year 1773, but dur- ing the next six years there are no records of additions to the church. The minds of the people were agitated with the din of preparation, the city during a portion of this time was in the possession of the enemy, and for more than a year the services in the church build- ing Avere entirely suspended.
Mr. Leydt was a firm patriot, and took a warm inte- rest in the conflict. He preached upon the topics of the day in such a manner as to rouse the patriotism of the people into a j^itch of enthusiasm ; he prayed for the success of the American cause, and counseled the young men to join the army of freedom.
New-Brunswick suffered during the war to an extent to which few towns were subjected. It lay in the path of the two armies crossing and recrossing the State, and in the varying fortunes of war was at one time in the hands of the enemy, and at another under the protec-
*Mr. Leydt was a member of the Board of Trustees of Princeton Col- lege, and served in that position for six years, under the presidency of Dr. Samuel Finlej^
58 HISTORICAL DISCOUESE.
tion of friends. During the winter of 1776-77, the city was in the possession of the British army, who oc- cupied it by a very large force. Lord Howe, the Com- mander-in-Chief, had his head-quarters in the Neilson house in Burnet street; the Hessian commander in the Van Nuise house in Queen street. Fortifications were thrown up on the hill beyond our Theological Semi- nary, and two important out-posts were erected — one at Baritan Landing,on an eminence overlooking the river; the other on Bennet's Island, two miles below the city. Many of the officers were quartered upon the inhabit- ants ; and on the property of William Van Deursen, below New street, there was an encampment with a redoubt thrown up for their protection.
Many of the citizens Avere compelled to abandon their residences ; all business was suspended ; public worship broken up, and the whole town under the control of the enemy. The British army immediately appropriated to their own use all the public buildings of the city. The pews were taken out of our church, and it was converted first into a hospital, and after- ward into a stable. The Presbyterian church was burned under the followino; circumstances : On the re- treat of the American army from New-Brunswick, Captain Adam Hyler, with a small force, was the last to leave the to^^m. Hotly j)ursued through the streets by the enemy, he defended himself for a short time behind the walls of the building ; when, overcome by a supe- rior force, he was compelled to abandon his position, and the British fired the edifice, which, being constructed of wood, was partially consumed. Colonel Taylor was in this engagement, and for about an hour was retained as a^ prisoner in the hands of the enemy; but by a bold
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 59
cliarge, lie was rescued from the guard, and returned to liis own party."'
The British remained in j)ossession of the city for about six months, and during this period they sent out frecpient foraging expeditions into the country. During the months of January, February, and March, they were shut uj^ in the town, l:)eing cut oft from their base of supplies at Amboy. The army Avas short of pro- visions, and a fleet "was sent up the Raritan to replen- ish their exhausted stores. Lord Cornwallis, who was the military commander of the post, was apprised of this expected relief, and watched eagerly for the ap- proaching boats. Just as they rounded the point below the city, a battery of six cannon, which had been put into position during the preceding night, opened upon them, when five of the boats were immediately dis- abled and sunk, and the remainder returned in a crip- pled condition to Amboy. It v/as at this time that General Howe in person made an attempt to open com- munication by land ; but the expedition failed, and he came near falling into the hands of the Americans.f
The farmers throughout this whole section of country were compelled to deliver over their stores into the
* The records of their church are supposed at this time to have been destroyed. They were in the hands of an elder, Dr. Moses Scott, who was compelled to take a sudden fliglit, leaving his property in tlieir hands, and barely escaped capture. He was just sitting down to dinner when the ene- my entered the town, who made a feast at the doctor's expense. He was Surgeon-General of the Army of New-Jersej^, and procured a valuable supi)ly of medicines from France, stored away in boxes, all of which fell into the enemy's hands. But they were of no advantage, for a neighbor told them that ihe doctor had poisoned the medicines on purpose to destroy the British, who at once emptied his boxes into the streets. — Dr. David- soil's Historical Sketch, pp. 17, 31, which see, as also for other facts connect- ed wiih the Presbyterian church.
t See WkitehcacVs Aml)oy,]i. Ml. Also for other incidents of the Revo- lution in this country. Local traditions are still abundant and distinct. The city which suffered so greatly has an unwritten history which should be preserved. Would it not be well to gather together these items before they perish beyond recovery ?
60 HISTORICAL DISCOUESE.
Lands of the Britisli.'^- At Three Mile Pain the build- ings were all plundered, and frequently fired. Barns were torn down to supply timber for the construction of a temporary bridge over the Raritan, and some of the most wanton cruelties were inflicted.
But they were not allowed to remain in the undis- turbed possession of the town. Colonels Neilson and Taylor gave them constant trouble ; Captain Guest was on the watch for a favorable opportunity to pounce upon the Hessians ; James Schureman, who had learned something of war at the battle of Long Island, gave them no rest ; while Captain Hyler, whose adventures with his whale-boats around Staten Island seem almost romantic, and who could fight on land as well as on water, kept them in constant apprehension. These ofiicers watched every movement of the enemy, drove back their foraging parties into the city, and often skirmished with their outposts.
Deeds of personal valor were of frequent occurrence, and traditions are preserved in the families of the town of heroism unsurpassed in the whole history of the conflict. Colonel Neilson organized a secret expedition
* The following schedule of property taken from Mr. John Van Liew, of Three Mile Run, will illustrate the ruthless spirit of the enemy, and the hardships encountered by the inhabitants of this region during the war. The list is valuable as exhibiting the price of different articles at the com- mencement of the Revolution, a pound representing $2.50 of our currency. I only enumerate the more important articles taken by " the Regulars :"
£. s. £. s.
1 span horses 36 00 38 Albany boards 4 15
1 colt, two years old 12 00 TOO thin Albany boards 2 09
50 bushels corn 12 10 1 house burned 80 00
28 bushels wheat 10 GO 15 bushels potatoes 1 17
Riding chair and harness. . . 15 00 300 cwt. flour 2 14
30 tons of hay 105 00 100 fowls 3 15
9 cows 51 15 8 turkeys 1 00
25 head of sheep 17 10 50 pounds of pork, 5d. per pound.
Floors of house and barn taken up. 1 negro, 23 years old, smart and active, £105.
HISTORICAL DISCOUESE. 61
against the outpost of tlie Britisli on Beunet's Island, now known as Island Farm. With a picked command, numbering two hundred men, he stealthily approached the ^vo^ks on the morning of February 18th, some time before daybreak. It was a clear, cold night, and a fresh fall of snow rendered the undertaking extremely hazardous. But they reached the works without being discovered, and Colonel Neilson was the first man to leap the stockade. Captain Farmer saved the life of his commander at this moment by aiming a well- directed blow at the sentinel, who Avas in the act of discharging his musket into his breast. The short engagement lasted only a few minutes, when the works were surrendered by Major Stockton, who was the acting commander of the post in the absence of Colonel Skinner. One captain, several subordinate officers, and fifty-five privates were taken prisoners, and a quantity of munitions of war were captured. The British knew nothing of the event, as only a few guns were fired, until some time during the morning, when the Ameri- cans with their prisoners and booty were far on their way toward Princeton, where General Putnam was stationed, into whose hands they delivered their spoils. Colonel Neilson and his men received from General Washington a very high compliment for the wisdom with which he had planned, and the secrecy with which he had executed, this most successful expedition.
On the 28th of May, Washington, who had spent the previous winter at Morristown, marched his army of 7500 to the heights of Middlebrook. Here he lay for two weeks watching the movements of the enemy at Brunswick, from a joosition which has since been called "Washington's Rock." In the meanwhile the route to Amboy had been opened, both by land and water, and
62 niSTOEICAL DISCO UESE.
troops had been pushed forward to this point in large numbers, until by the 12th of June an army of 17,000 British and Hessians was assembled, under those veteran commanders. Generals Howe, Cornwallis, and De Heister. Both the English and German com- manders were agreed that they had never seen a more splendid army, or one so well disciplined and equipped, and in better spirits.* On the 14th, they marched out of the city in the direction of Mid- dlebush, with the design of drawing on an engage- ment with Washington if they could induce him to leave the strong position which he occupied. Re- mains of the fortifications which they hastily threw up are still visible on the farm of Mr. John Wilson. Here the enemy remained until the 19th, when, failing in their design, they returned to Brunswick and made immediate pre2:)aration to evacuate the State. They were pursued by the iimericans, and so greatly har- assed on their retreat that it was not until the 1st of July that they were able to cross over from Amboy to the place of their destination on Staten Island.
After their evacuation of the city, the inhabitants returned to their homes and found every thing in a most desolate condition. The work of destruction had been carried on indiscriminately and ruthlessly. The devotion of the inhabitants to the cause of their country had exposed them to the special wrath of their enemies. We have the authority of Governor Livingston for the statement that there were very few whose sjanpathies
^■' " For its numbers, that army had not its equal in the world. Every soldier was eager for a battle." — Bancroft, vol. 9, p. 351. The time was eventful and critical. About the time when these two armies confronted each other, namely, June 14th, Congress adopted the flag of our country. The historian remarks: "The immovable fortitude of Washington in his camp at Middlebrook was the salvation of that beautiful flag." P. 352.
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 63
were witli tlie royal cause. In a letter to Governor Bowdoin, of Massachusetts, on behalf of the Presby- terian church, who solicited aid from abroad to rebuild their church edifice, he writes: "With respect to the political principles of the inhabitants of New-Bruns- wick, it may be proper to do them the justice of add- ing that they have, through the whole course of the war, approved themselves firm and distinguished Whigs, and inflexibly persevered in their attachment to the cause of America in the most gloomy and peril- ous times of her conflict with Great Britain."
This, as we may well suppose, was a gloomy summer in the town, as well as a dark day for the country. But nothing could discourage the hearts of patriots, and they immediately addressed themselves to the work of rebuilding. Our church edifice underwent a temporary repair, and for some time was occiq^ied on alternate Sabbaths by the Presbyterian congregation, the blackened walls of whose buildino* were left stand- ing below Lyle's brook.'"" Mr. Leydt was immediately at his post, and preached for his peoj)le two Sabbaths in the month of July, the first service which he had been able to hold in the city since the beginning of December. This long interruption had a very sad effect upon all the interests of the church, and the troubles of the times prevented the growth of the con- gregation.
Indeed, during the whole subsequent part of his ministry, which was brought to a close in 1783, the town was kept in a constant state of alarm. Captain
* The building was not entirely destroyed, but, as the congregation con- templated removing to another part of the city, instead of repairing the old edifice it was sold to Mr. Ilasscrt, who removed it to New street and con- verted it into a dwelling-house. This building is still standing, and is now No. 21.
64 IIISTOEICAL DISCOUESE.
Hyler, to whose romantic exploits I liave referred, made this place his rendezvous. He had under his command one gun-boat, the Defiance, and several large whale- boats, with which he would proceed down the Raritan and annoy the trading vessels, transports, and j)lunder- ing parties of tlie enemy around Staten and Long Islands, and in the neighborhood of Sandy Hook. He selected only the bravest men, so expert in the use of the oar that, when rowing at the rate of twelve miles an hour, they could be heard only at ashort distance. He had the faculty of infusing into his men his own spirit of adventure and daring. On one of his excur- sions he captured five vessels, two of them armed, in about fifteen minutes, within pistol-shot of the guard- ship at Sandy Hook. In anotlier enterprise he cap- tured an eighteen-gun cutter, which he was forced to blow up, after removing a quantity of stores and ammu- nition. His plan was to sally out of his berth near the uj^per lock, pass rapidly down the river, make his cap- tures, and dash back again often pursued by the enemy, who made slow progress with their heavier vessels, and dared not to follow him alonar the tortuous channel of
o
the Raritan.
The annoyance was so great that an expedition ot three hundred men, in several boats, was fitted out to proceed to Brunswick, and destroy his whale-boats and recapture some of the ammunition. The plan was car- ried into eftect January 4th, 17S2. The river was clear- of ice, and, proceeding cautiously up the Raritan, they had nearly reached the town, when at midnight Mr. Peter Wyckoff was awakened by the barking of a watch-dog; and, holding his ear to the ground, he heard the measured stroke of muffled oars, and at once con- cluded that an attack was to be made upon the city.
HISTOEICAL DISCOURSE. 65
Rloimtiug a fleet horse, lie gave the alarm to Captain aiiest, and spread the word from house to house, warn- .ng the inhabitants of danger. A scene of great excite- nent nov/ ensued. Lights flashed through tlie town, md in a short space of time all the able-bodied men iVere under arms. But the enemy had reached the ,vhale-boats and set them on fire, when our men came ip, and, driving them ofi", prevented them from accom- plishing their purpose They now found that their )nly safety consisted in a hasty retreat. The night was lark, and a running fight took place in the streets, rhe British endeavored to reach their boats by passing lown Queen street to their rendezvous at the foot of Pown lane. But the}^ were intercepted at the Dutch ;hurch, from behind the walls of which a volley was h'ed as they pressed on, eager only to escaj^e. The )rincipal skirmish took place near Mr. Agnew's ; but hey succeeded in reaching the river, and made their vay back to Staten Island. The enemy's loss in this ncounter was four men killed and several wounded. )n the side of the Americans there was the loss of six )ersons wounded, none proving fatal, and five or six )risoners. A ball was shot through the body of John- ^afey in this skirmish, but the prompt attention of Colonel Taylor saved his life. The enemy completely ailed in the object of their expedition, and Captain lyler was on the water in a few weeks, more daring han ever. He died in this city in 1782; but, strange o relate, no one knows the j)lace of his burial.
Some of the members of our congregation took a very ,ctive part in this contest, and their names are honor- ,bly mentioned in the history of the State. Of this Lumber the Elder Hendrick Fisher was most devotedly nterested in the cause of his country. Perhaps ther&
Q6 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
was uo man whose influence was greater, or counsel more sought after, during the whole progress of the war. He had been lono; at the head of the affairs of the church, and was the acknowledged leader in the congregation. He was born in the year 1G97, emi- grated to this country when quite a young man, and was received into the membership of this church in 1721, shortly after the settlement of Mr. Frelinghuysen. His election to the office of deacon was resisted by the party opposed to the minister; but their objections were overruled, and he was accordingly ordained. He was a mechanic by occupation, but a man of great in- telligence, who deservedly commanded the respect and confidence of his fellow-citizens, and occupied a very prominent place in public estimation. In his private character he was irreproachable, and for nearly sixty years he was a consistent, useful, and active member of the church. The confidence which was reposed in him is indicated by his reelection to the ofiice of elder on several occasions, and his appointment to re- present the church in all ecclesiastical courts. He was a zealous supporter of the Coetus party, a member of the first convention in 1738, and an attendant at each one of their subsequent meetings. On the adop- tion of the Plan of Union, in 1771, his name appears among the delegates ; and, as a member of one of the important committees, he was instrumental in the in- auguration of that new era of reconciliation and har- mony in the church. With all his other attainments, he Avas thoroughly versed in the science of theology, and became a lay preacher and catechist. Some of his sermons were published and circulated among the people, and are said to have been rich in their doc- trinal statements and pungent in their application of the truth.
niSTORICAL DISCOUESE. 67
In civil life he took a very honorable and important stand. He was elected a member of the Assembly of this State, and was serving in that capacity at the com- mencement of the Revolutionary war. Although he was at this time quite advanced in life, yet he entered into the contest with great warmth and decision, and is justly reputed to have contributed largely to the suc- cess of our struggle for Independence. Pie was a dele- gate to the Provincial Congress of New- Jersey, which met at Trenton in May, 1775, of which important body he was elected president, and in an opening address set forth in a forcible manner the grievances of the Ameri- can Colonies. He was chairman of the Committee of Safety, exercising legislative authority during the re- cesses of Congress, and held other offices of honor and trust. In his public life, as in his private character, he was without a blot, and evinced in all his acts the spirit of a Christian patriot. While he made himself obnoxious to his tory neighbors on account of his un- compromising loyalty to the cause of his country, and had to go constantly armed in his journeys, yet he was a man of great courage, as well as of integrity. The scattered materials of his history should be gathered together, and his name preserved among the honorable men of our State. The residence of Hendrick Fisher was about five miles above the city, on the road to Boundbrook, and the farm which he occupied is now in the possession of Isaac Brokaw. In an obscure burial-ground, overgrown with a dense thicket, stands a plain brown slab, with the simple inscription, " In memory of Hendrick Fisher, who departed this life August 16th, 1779, in the eighty-second year of his age."
Hon. James Schureman was at this time a young man,
68 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
and was in active service during tlie Avar, He iiad gradu- ated at Queen's College about the year 1773, and v^as an accurate scholar. Chiefly by means of his example and eloquence in pleading at public meetings, a company was formed in the town, who enlisted in the army, and served with great credit at the battle of Long Island. He had a command as captain in tlie early part of the war, and was offered a high position in the regular army. But he preferred to serve as a volunteer, and held himself ready to go out at a moment's warning against the enemy. In the daring expedition of Lieu- tenant-Colonel Simcoe, at the head of the Queen's Rangers, from Amboy to Somerville, and thence to Millstone — one of the most brilliant exploits of the war — October 25th, 1779, Captain Guest intercepted him on his return about two miles beyond Brunswick, and attached the party. One man was killed and several wounded ; Simcoe's horse received three balls, and, fall- ing on him, v/ounded him severely, when a militia-man was on the point of piercing him with his bayonet, when Schureman knocked up his musket and took him prisoner. Among the pursuers of the party was a CajD- tain Peter G. Voorhees, a grandson of the Elder Minne, and a brother-in-law of Colonel Neilson, who, in his zeal, got in advance of his men, and was assaulted by the enemy. In his effort to leap a fence at the inter- section of George's road and 'Town lane, his horse be- came entangled, and the British, on coming up, with great cruelty wounded him with their swords, although he was a prisoner in their hands, and left him senseless in the road. He was brought into the city, and sur- vived only a few hours. He was a young man very highly esteemed, a brave officer in the regular army, and the rage of the inhabitants at the brutal murder
EISTOEICAL DISCOUESE, 69
was so great that, during tlie night, the town was searched for Simcoe, threatening revenge on his person. He was concealed in the old stone house on the corner of Neilson and Albany streets, from whence he was re- moved to Burlington, where he remained a 23risoner until honorably exchanged.
Mr. Schureman was taken prisoner during the war near the Mills on Lawrence Brook, and, after being confined for a few days in the guard-house near the Neilson mansion, he was removed to the notorious sugar-house, in the rear of the Middle Dutch Church, New- York, from whence he made his escape to the American army at Morristown. After the war was closed, he was elected a member of Congress, in 1789, after which he was chosen to the United States Senate for a full term, and again returned to the House of Rep- resentatives in 1812, as colleague with Richard Stock- ton. He served several terms as Mayor of the city, and as a citizen was held in high esteem. He was a grandson of the school-master, Jacobus Schureman, and an infl.uential member of the church. He died January 22d, 1824, in the sixty-eighth year of his age. The confidence in which he was held by the connnunity is attested by the offices of trust to which he was ap- pointed, both in church and state, and, to perpetuate his name, one of the streets of the city w^as called after him, Schureman street.
The ministry of Mr. Leydt was brought to a close by his sudden death, June 2d, 1783, in the sixty-fifth year of his age, and thirty -fifth of his pastorate. He preached on Sabbath morning, the day preceding, and was smit- ten down by paralysis about noon. His funeral was attended from his residence, and he was buried in the
70 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
yard at Three Mile Run."^" He was . the pastor of this church for thirty-five years. He left two sons, both of whom graduated from Queen's College, and subse- quently entered the ministry. Matthew was pastor of a church in Bucks county, Pa., and died November 24th, 17S3.f Peter was settled at Ramapo, and died at that jAace June 12th, 1796. J None of the descend- ants of Mr. Leydt are now living.
He is described as a short, stout man, of dark fea- tures, very quick in his movements, and in his dispo- sition kind and affable. As a j^astor he is said to have been highly esteemed, and to have had a j^eculiar fac- ulty of drawing around him the young people of his charge. His dress was the clerical costume of the tintes, and in his manners he was a gentleman of the old school and made himself agreeable to all classes. His preaching was in the Dutch language, during the early part of his ministry, exclusively ; in his latter years he preached in English one half the time. His sermons were instructive, and always delivered with a full voice and an earnestness of manner that held the attention of his hearers. He was a good man and uni- versally beloved, and his death was a public loss. The
* The graveyard had no connection with the old church at this spot, as it was not used as a place of burial until some years after the building was removed. Mr. Leydt's tombstone stands immediately in front of the gate, with an inscription stating the day of his death and age. His wife, Treyntje Sleight, died December 2d, 1763, aged thirty-six, and is buried by his side. Two other stones mark the graves of his children — Elizabeth, died October 27th, 1760, aged twelve; and Anna, died June 10th, aged seven months.
t He is buried in the old ground, at a place familiarly known as " The Buck," near which stood the first church building of the congregation of North-Hampton, Pa. His tombstone bears the inscription, " In memory of the Rev. Matthew Light, who died the 24th of November, 1783, aged twenty-nine years."
J In the family burying-ground of Andrew Hopper, on the margin of the river Ramapo, is a plain stone, with the inscription, " In memory of Rev. Peter Light, who was born the 6th of November, 1763, and departed this life the 12th of June, 1796."
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 71
total number of additions to tlie membership of tlie cliurcli diirino; liis ministry was one hundred and twenty-four. The names of several are omitted from the record, and we have no means of ascertaining the actual number of communicants. The times were un- favorable for religious growth, and the War of Inde- pendence effectually checked the prosperity of the con- s-reo-ation. But durino; all these years he had around him a strong body of active and praying men, and a goodly company of helping women. That there were no revivals in his ministry is not a matter of suiprise ; that the church continued in existence during all these troublous times is owing to the grace and power of her Head.
While his time was very much occupied witli the public affairs of the church and the nation, in his par- ticular charge he was always diligent. He has left be- hind liim the reputation of being a great peace-maker. The fact that he carried the two congregations through the perilous time of church-building in a spirit of har- mony— one previous to 1766 at Six Mile Run, the other at New-Brunswick completed in 1767, in both instances selecting new sites at a considerable distance from the former localities — would go far to confirm the record.
During the period under review the property known as the old burying-ground came into the possession of the church. The southern portion, including and lying below Liberty street, which was opened through it in 1810, was deeded to the congregation about 1729 by Mr. Jan Van Nuise, and was the first public cemetery of the church. On August 1st, 1773, the lot was en- larged by the gift of about two acres from Mr. Dennis Van Liew, deeded to the trustees under the old char- ter, for the benefit of the Reformed Dutch Church. A
73 HISTOEICAL DISCOURSE.
clause in the deed states that " the greatest part of tlie said i^iece of ground was anciently given as a burial- place for the dead, and always has been used for that purpose."
During the vacancy that followed on the death of Mr. Leydt, tlie pulpit was supplied by neighboring ministers. On one of these Sabbaths the services were conducted by Rev. William Jackson, the son-in-law of Mr. Frelinghuysen. An anecdote is related of him, which, at this stage of our discourse, will seem quite appropriate. He was a great orator, according to all accounts, but addicted to the unfortunate habit of preaching long sermons. The days were sliort, and in the morning service he had given them a discourse of near two hours in leno^th, and the afternoon seemed to promise quite as long. Darkness was coming on, and there were no arrano-ements for lio-htino^ the buildino; ; when James Schureman gave to the minister a sis^n that it would be ao-reeable to the consfreo-ation if he would bring his sermon to a close. "With great vehe- mence of gesticulation Mr. Jackson cried out in a sten- torian voice, in the Dutch language, " ZU neer^ Jacobus Schureman^ ih zeg zit neer / Paulus jyredikte tot den midder-nacJit P — " Sit down, James Schureman, I say sit down ; Paul preached until midnight."
Sixty-six years had now elapsed since the organiza- tion of the church, and from 1720, the year of Dominie Frelinghuysen's settlement, they had enjoyed without interruption the stated administration of the ordinances. But in the summer of 1783 the situation of the church was most perplexing, and some were greatly discour- aged. The excellent pastor, Mr. Leydt, had died, uni- versally lamented, just at the close of the Revolution- ary war. The church building, which had been almost
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 73
destroyed by the enemy, thougli temporarily repaired on the evacuation of the town by the British army, still showed signs of the depi'edations to which it had been exposed. The people were exhausted with the long struggle thi'ough which they had passed, while the business of the city had been entirely suspended. Many of the families had removed into the country to escape the troubles of the times, and had not yet re- turned. The Presbyterian church experienced similar troubles. After the loss of their edifice by fire, instead of rebuilding on the old site in Burnet street, they re- moved to their present eligible situation, purchasing four lots at a public vendue held by the sherift' of the count}^, Abraham Schuyler, Esq., for the sura of £148. But the labor of building the new church did not commence until the following year, when that congre- gation was forced to seek aid from abroad, under a recommendation from Governor Livingston, who repre- sents them as " greatly reduced in number, and injured in property, by the havoc of war."
This was the situation of afl'airs in the city on the death of Mr. Leydt. But ]3ublic worship was main- tained with considerable regularity, as appears from the register of baptisms, and the entries made in the almoner's book of collections for the poor. But there was a work yet for this church to do .imder God, who had in store for them a rich gift in their next pastor.
On the death of Mr. Leydt, Six Mile Run united with Millstone in the settlement of Bev. John M. Van Harlingen ; while New-Brunswick undertook the sup- port of a minister alone. Bev. Simon Van Arsda- len, of Beadington, was called in 1784, but he could not be induced to accept the invitation, and it was not
74 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
until tlie fall of the following year that they secured the services of the third pastor of this church.
EEV. JACOB EUTSEI7 HAEDEISTBEEGII, D.D.
The call was sent to him in October, 1785, but he did not commence his ministry until the next spring, at the same time he assumed the Presidency of Queen's College. His father, Colonel Johannes Hardenbergh, emigrated from Prussia in the latter part of the seven- teenth century, and, by purchase, became the proprietor of a tract of land in Ulster county, N. Y., known as the Hardenbergh Patent. Jacob was born at Rosen dale, in 1738. His literary education was not so extensive as might be desired, enjoying only the advantages of the Academy of Kingston. His theological studies he pursued under the direction of Rev. John Freling- huysen, of Raritan. He was licensed to preach by the Coetus, in 1757, when only twenty years of age. His preceptor dying suddenly, he was immediately called to succeed him in his pastoral charge, and in the month of May, 1758, he commenced liis labors in the five united congregations of Raritan, North-Branch, Mill- stone, Beclminster, and New-Shannock. Of t^vo of these conm-eo-ations he was relieved in 1761, In this extensive field he labored with great fidelity during a period of twenty-five years. While at Raritan he en- countered numerous difficulties. At the commencement of his ministry, the church was distracted with the long controversy, which was carried on witli great warmth in his own charge, and his latter years were spent amid the din of the Revolution.*
* During the latter part of his ministry the congregation was destitute of a house of worship. Their church edifice was destroyed by fire in 1779, by the British forces under Colonel Simco, and was not rebuilt until
HISTORICAL DISCOUESE, 75
He remained at Somerville until the year 1781, when he retired to his native place and served the church at Kochester until his removal to this city in the month of April, 1786. Almost immediately on the death of Mr. Leydt, this church looked to him as his successor, and at the same time the trustees of the college desired his services as its President, electing as his associate John Taylor, the patriot of the Kevolu- tion, Professor of Natural Philosophy and Mathematics. With this two-fold charge he labored with intense zeal and devotion, and drew around him a strons; cons-reo-a- tion. Early in the year 1787, the church edifice, which had been temporarily repaired after the destruction of the war, was thoroughly remodeled. The building was reseated and painted, a fence for the first time erected around the inclosure, and burials in the ground com- menced.
This was the beginning of a marked period in the history of the church. Dr. Hardenbergh had endeared himself to the people by the influence he had exerted during the struggle for Independence. He had shown a willingness to serve his country by any sacrifice or labor that he could render in her cause. He was the personal friend of Washington, whose headquarters during several months were within the bounds of his congregation at Paritan, and who uniformly attended his church, taking his seat at the head of the elders' pew. On two dififeren'c occasions he was selected by our citizens to deliver the oration at the Anniversary of Independence, and among all classes he was eminently popular.
1788, seven years after Mr. Ilardenbergh's resignation. The sufferings of that community were so great tliai it is not a matter of surprise that they were so long destitute of a sanctuary.
76 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
He was a man of slender frame, and gave early indi- cations of pulmonary disease. His failing health inter- fered Vv^itli liis ministerial work, and he was only sus- tained by great firmness of purpose and a spirit of ele- vated devotion. Admonished by his failing health that his ministry might be sliort, he embraced every oppor- tunity to make the Gospel message tell upon the hearts of his hearers. I have a letter written by him to Dr. Livingston, a short time preceding his death, breathing a beautiful spirit of Christian trust and resignation, and exhibiting the character of a true ambassador of the Lord Jesus.
His increasing indisposition led him " to take fre- quent reviews of a life so far spent," and he exclaims : " Oh ! what abundant reasons of humiliation before God has such a poor creature as I am. Blessed be God ! a Jesus is given, is living, is interceding for poor, indi- gent, sinful worms. I am sure, if tliere was not such a plan of salvation provided and irresistibly executed, my hope for a world of happiness would sink into gloomy despair. But on a review of many experiences of pardoning and supporting grace — free, infinitely free grace — my hope for a future happy world receives wings;* and, on renewed views of such a suitable and glorious plan of redemption — views of my dearest Je- sus— I try to mount on high, and now think I would venture with satisfaction into the world of spirits."
But in the midst of great feebleness he labored in- cessantly in the cause of his Master and for the up- building of this church. On the 30th of March, 1790, he procured for this church an act of incorporation under the general law of the State of New-Jersey, passed at Perth Amboy, November 25th, 1789, assum- ing the name of " the Ministers, Elders, and Deacons of
niSTOEICAL DISCOUESE. 77
tlie Congregation of JSFew-BrunsAvick." The seal of the corporation adopted at a subsequent meeting of Con- sistory has the appropriate device of a burning lamp in the centre, and the words "Dutch Church of New- Brunswick" in the circumference, wdiich was henceforth to be affixed to all legal documents. This is the pres- ent title which we hold in law, and according to which we transact all the temporal concerns of the congrega- tion.
But his useful and laborious life was drawing: to a close. In hopes that traveling and a change of climate would administer relief, he spent a few weeks in the months of April and May, 1790, in his native town; but he returned worse than when he left the city, "and was almost determined to relinquish business, and to retire to his farm during the summer season." But he could not abandon the work of the ministry, nor leave his jDost as the President of the college. Again he sought relief in a change of objects, and in rest at Perth Amboy, in attendance upon the Legislature then iu ses- sion. And now he returns so much invio-orated that he is able to preach the preparation sermon on Satur- day, and administer the communion and preach twice on the Lord's Day with comparative ease. " I enter- tain some ho|)es," he writes, " that the God of all grace did not leave himself without some witness." It was his last communion season, and he enjoyed in an un- usual degree the presence and suppoi't of his precious Saviour. " Oh ! how sweet, how comforting the promise," is his language to Dr. Livingston, " tliat he will not for- sake his people. Let us believe, trust, and pray for grace, to be made faithful to our God unto death." And that event for which he was so fully prepared was not far off. His work was now done, and the Master
78 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
was waiting to receive liini. He resigned tlie presi- dency of the college in tlie summer, and died quite unexpectedly on the 20tli of October, 1790, in the fifty- third year of his ao^e. His tomb stands at the east of the pulpit, and the inscription, prej^ared, as we un- derstand by Dr. Livingston, though nearly erased by the action of the elements, gives a most admirable exhibition of his character.*
His call to the presidency of the college shows the estimation in which he was held as a scholar and disci- plinarian, as Avell as a divine. His analyses of sermons speak for both the vigor of his intellect and the thor- ouo-hness of his theolooical education. He was a man of strong mind and extensive reading, and in his day was justly regarded as one of. the pillars of the Re- formed Dutch Church. On four different occasions he was chosen President of General Synod, and he was long regarded as second only to Dr. Livingston, with whom he constantly cooperated in all the interests of the church and the colleire. He labored for the estab- lishment of this institution, and by personal applications from door to door, along with Dominie Leyclt, procured the orio'inal funds for its endowment. Several memo- rials to the General Synod urging the claims of the college, written by him, are still preserved, and bear witness to the zeal with which he advocated the claims,
* Here lies the body of J. R. Hardenbergh, D.D., late pastor of this church, who departed this life the 30th day of October, 1790, aged fifty- two years, months, and days. He was a zealous preacher of the
Gospel, and his life and conversation afforded, from his earliest days, to all who knew him, a bright example of real piety. He was a steady patriot, and in his public and private conduct he manifested himself to be the ene- my of tyranny and oppression, the lover of freedom, and the friend of his country. He has gone to his Lord and Redeemer, in whose atonement he confidently trusted. He has gone to receive the fruits of his fiiithful labors, and the reward of a well-spent life. Reader, while you lament the loss to society and his friends, go walk in his virtuous footsteps ; and when you have finished the work assigned you, you shall rest with him in eternal peace.
HISTOEICAL DISCOUKSE. 79
md the aifectlon Avlncli he felt for an institution to tvhich he had devoted his best energies. His last public act was a plea before the Synod, at their meet- ing in New- York, October 5th, 1790, that they would provide means to sustain the college and furnish the 3arly succor so greatly needed. As its first President, be labored under the disadvantages of a small endow- ment, few assistants in giving instruction, and the want 3f proper facilities in the way of library, buildings, and apparatus. But he sent out several able scholars, and laid foundations which have made this cherished seat of learning one of the prominent institutions of our land.
As the pastor of this church he had a very successful ministry. On two different occasions there was the un- usual manifestation of God's Spirit in the conversion of souls. The whole number received into the church during the four years of his pastorate M^as sixty-nine. At his first communion he admitted fifteen on profes- sion of their faith, and in the year 1788 twenty -seven were added to the church. Indeed, his whole ministry seems to have been a continual revival, a most blessed close to a most useful and laborious life. He was re- membered by a few of the aged inhabitants when I first settled here, and it would seem that they were not able to speak sufficiently in his praise. He was elo- quent in the pulpit, and impressed every one with his tone of devotional feeling — a minister eminently be- loved by all who knew him.
Dr. Hardenbergh was the last minister ot this church who preached in the Dutch language. His plan was to use the Dutch at the morning service and the Eng- lish in the afternoon. From this date all the records of the church are kept wholly in English, and the Dutch passed away forever.
80 HISTORICAL DISCOUESE.
On liis settlement at Raritan Le married the widow of his preceptor, Rev. John Frelinghuysen, to whose influence he was indebted, in no small degree, for his eminent usefulness. The character which she has left behind her, under the familiar name of the Jufvrow Hardenbergh, distinguishes her as one of the most re- markable women of her day. Dinah Van Berg was born in the city of Amsterdam, February 10th, 1725. Pier father was a wealthy merchant, extensively en- gaged in the East India trade, who reared his family in the midst of all the fashion and reiinement of the me- troplis, but w^ithout any instruction in religion. She became the subject of divine grace in early youth, and was remarkable for her rapid attainments in godliness and unusual exercises of faith. Her naturally strong intellect was developed by her early education, and the vigor of her mind was seen even down to the period of old age. While still residing in her father's house, her attainments in the I'eligious life were so marked and decided as to arrest attention from all who knew her. It is related that on the occasion of her prostration by sickness, though the prospect of her recovery was re- garded as hopeless by the most skillful physician, yet she had such faith in God that he would raise her up, and give her a woi'k to do in the church, that she fixed upon the very day when the progress of the disease would be arrested and her health comj)letely restored. And almost at the hour indicated she started in a course of rapid improvement, and it was always be- lieved by her that God had spared her life in answer to special prayer.
She became acquainted with Mr. John Frelinghuysen, then pursuing his theological studies, during this very sickness ; and shortly after, though at first strongly op-
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 81
posed by lier parents, she was united with liini in mar- riage, and embarked for her home in America. The death of her husband, in the twenty -fifth year of his a2:e, brouirht her to the decision of returnino; immedi- ately to her native country. She was upon the point of embarking with her two chikb-en on the voyage to Iloband, vv'hen Mr. Ilardenbergh, who had not yet completed his studies, made her an offer of marriage. Her surprise was indicated l^y the answer, " My child, what are you thinking about ?" Yielding to the soli- citation, she consented to a second marriage, with this young man, who became, as we have seen, a distin- guished scholar and divine, and was, no doubt, a most efficient co-worker with him in the important services he rendered to his country and the church.
She was a woman of great intelligence as well as of piety, an extensive reader and correspondent, and her influence w\as felt throughout the whole denomination. For a considerable period she kept an elaborate jour- nal, still preserved, which is said to be superior for its tone of spirituality and of great intellectual vigor. Thus she commences: "It was the beginning of the year 1747; midnight had arrived and passed, and I continued in earnest su2')plication l^efore the Lord, yielding myself anew to walk in his ways, to be en- gaged in his service, and to cleave to his people. My heart went forth in earnest desires after larger measures of the renewing grace of the Holy Ghost. Oh ! that old things might be made more fally to pass away, the power of depravity be brought into subjection, and the blessed image of the Lord Jesus be more ftdly trans- ferred to me, and all things become new. My soul arose in petitions to God for the dear people of the Lord, both at my own place at Amsterdam and else*
6
82 HISTOEICAL DISCOURSE.
where, that God would grant them a renewal of his loviuQ-'kindness and laro;er measures of faith. Oh ! that the Lord would bi'ing many of the people out of their distresses ; that a formal Christianity might pass away, and the power of godliness be made again to appear. For God's ministering servants I also found in my heart to supplicate much assistance in their weighty work, that they might be more and more faithful, and firm in their attachment to the cause, truth, and people of God, and be enabled by a con- sistent and godly walk to be examples to the flock."
The following devout exercises on her birthday are recorded in her journal : " Friday, February 10th, 1747, I was twenty-two years old. I awoke with these words upon my mouth, ' I was cast upon Thee.' My thoughts became fixed in intent coutemj^lation upon the wonder- ful dealino-s of God with me even from the first mo- ments of my existence, and I was led to sa}^, ' Many are thy wonderful works towards me.' I was led in de- vout meditation upon the preserving care of God over me, and the wonderful deliverance I had experienced ; upon his bounty to me as to the things of this world ; bnt especially upon the dealings of his grace that i7i my youth he was j)leased to draw me out of the midst of the evil world. I now earnestly desire more en- tirely to consecrate myself unto God, and to yield to him the best of my time and strength." The whole journal is pervaded with a similar spirit, and exhibits a mind in direct and habitual communion with God.
Mrs. Hardenbergh has left at her first home in Rari- tan, as well as in New-Brunswick, a name which j^laces her in the highest rank of female Christians. In this city she was a most efiicient aid to her husband in the discharge of his various duties. She visited the sick,
HISTORICAL DISCOUKSE. 83
attended to the necessities of the poor, and was a com- forter in homes of affliction. The two services on the Sabbath were held with an intermission of one hour, during which time the country members of the congre- gation would remain until the afternoon sermon. Juf- vrow Hardenbergh employed the interval in j^ious con- versation with the people, and, gathering around her a group of hearers, would frequently enter into an elabo- rate exposition of some point in Christian doctrine or passage of Scripture. She was a warm friend of the college, and on the death of her husband was anxious that a successor should be immediately appointed, and the institution fostered and built up. There is in ex- istence a letter written to Dr. Livingston, July 2d, 1791, in which she pleads earnestly with him to accept the position of president, to which he had been elected, and remove to New-Brunswick. New-York could spare him in view of this more pressing call. She writes : " There are more hopes that that breach would be healed than the one amono; us. Where is there a man for us ? Our Dutch ministers are young men of little experience, and have no publicity in the church, however much otherwise esteemed and loved by us. My dear sir, I have heard you say to my now departed liusband that you regarded the college as the fountain Df the cluu'ch ; why, then, be engaged with the streams, and let the fountain dry up? The Lord enable you to discern what is His holy will ; and, if you can do nothing more, oh ! i:»ray for us, and by your counsel and cooperation be to us instead of eyes." She had just been permitted to partake of the Lord's Supper in this church, and she assures Dr. Livingston that the Saviour never seemed to her more precious. " This pre- cious Lord Jesus will be our joy in heaven. Oh ! the
84: HISTORICAL DISCOUKSE.
hlessedness of being ^^^rinitted to cast our crowns for- ever before him."
This remarkable woman survived her husband seven- teen years, and died at the residence of her son, Hon. J. R. Hardenbergh, No. 14 Water street, March 26th, 1807. She had attained the venerable age of eighty- two years, and her death was a scene of triumph. She rests by the side of her husband, " of high attainments here in grace, now resting in glory." The following verse, of great poetic beauty, very appropriately testi- fies to her exalted attainments, and is engraved upon her tomb-stone :
" Tell how she climbed the everlasting hills, Surveying all the realms above ; Borne ou a strong-winged fiiith, and on The fiery wheels of an immortal love."
The children of her first marria2:e were a dau2:hter, Eva, ^vho became the wife of Mr. Casper Van Nostrand, of Ulster county, N. Y., where several of her descend- ants are still living ; and Frederick, the father of the late Hon. Theodore Frelinghuysen. All who bear this honored name in our section of country are the de- scendants of Frederick, the only son of Rev. John Fre- linghuysen, of Raritan.
At the close of Mr. Hardenbergh's ministry, the •church was in a settled, j)rosperous, and harmonious <3ondition. They had enjoyed only for a short time the labors of this devoted man, but they had been years of growth and improvement in every department of church, life. His ripest views of truth he had here preached, his fervent appeals and instructions had been blessed by encouraging ingatherings, and the tenderness of his spirit, disciplined by affliction, had left its imj^ress on all hearts. It is said that the day of his funeral was
IlISTOEICAL DISCOUr,SE. 85
one of great solemnity. He liacl been a man of distinc- tion in civil life, as well as in ecclesiastical and educa- tional interests. An active member of the convention that framed the first constitution of New-Jersey, a j)atriot whose life, often threatened by his tory neigh- bors, had compelled him to sleep with a loaded musket at his bed-side, caused the whole community to recog- nize in his death the loss of one of their most distin- guished citizens, as well as a great divine.
As soon as the church could recover from the pain of their loss, they sought for a suitable successor, but were subjected to repeated disappointments. It was again proposed that the Consistory of the church should call as their pastor, and the trustees of the college should elect as their president, one who should discharge the duties of botli offices. Under this arrangement Dr. Livingston was elected, but declined ; so also did Dr. Theodoric Romeyn. In the mean while the college con- tinued to languish, until the year 1795, when its doors were closed, not to be opened until its revival under the efficient management of the succeeding 2:)astor of this church, in 1S07. Two years were consumed in these negotiations, and now the churcli enters upon the work alone, and in earnest.
An effort was made to settle Rev. John Bassett in October, 1792, then pastor of the church of Albany, l3ut without success. So ur2:ent was the conQ-rescation that the effort ^vas renewed, witli the promise of a large ad- dition to the salary, but witk a similar result. The pulpit remained vacant until quite late in the year 1793. In the early part of the summer of that year, a man in the prime of life preached in the Presbyterian church, ^vitli whom oiu- people were so well pleased that they invited him to remain and suj)ply their i3ulpit
86 HISTORICAL DISCOUESE.
the following Sabbatb. The result was a unanimous call, August 24th, 1793, to the fourth pastor,
EEV. IRA CONDICT, D.D.
He was born at Orange, Essex county, Februaiy 21st, 1764. He received his academic instruction under Dr. McWhorter, of Newark, and became a student of Princeton College. He became a subject of grace while a member of college, and immediately devoted himself to the gospel ministry. It is said that he cherished a desire for the ministry from his youth, and w^as accus- tomed to view every Providence as j^ointing toward the sacred office. While a member of college, he took a very high stand as a scholar, and was particularly distinguished for his accuracy in the classics. He gra- duated from that institution in the year 1784, under the presidency of the celebrated Dr. John Witherspoon. His theological studies he pursued under the direction of Dr. Woodhull, of Monmouth, and was licensed by the Presbytery of New-Brunswick in 1786. April 20tb, 1787, he was called to the united congregations of Newtown and Hardwick, in Sussex county, and imme- diately entered uj^on the field of his labors. Here he found a wide and destitute region, demanding great energy of character and powers of endurance. Within the compass of his old pastoral charge now exist several flourishing Presbyterian churches, as also of other de- nominations. His ministry continued at this place for six years, and he left there the impress of his noble character. He was aided and encouraged by a most excellent wife, whom many of you will remember as " highly gifted in intellectual and s^Diritual graces," and whose mind retained all of its vigor in the midst of protracted sufferings.
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 8<
In Dr. Condicfc's call it is stipulated that tlie services are to be conducted in the English language, and that he should preach two sermons in summer and one during the winter months. He was also to hold regu- lar services " on the instituted feast-days of Christmas, New- Year, Easter, Whitsunday, and Ascension day, ac- cording to the custom of the church." The salary pro- mised was £180, and a comfortable dwelling-house. The names of the followino: officers are attached to the call : John Schureman, John Van Neste, William Van Deursen, Garret Voorhees, elders; Fredrick Outcalt, John Thompson, Denice Vanliew, and John Bice, dea- cons. The original subscription-paper is still preserved, headed by the name of John Schureman, the son of the school-master. On the list we find, in a large bold hand, the signature of Dinah Hardenbergh, a ruling power in the church, as we have seen ; as also that of John Neilson, a Presbyterian, -whose wife, Catharine Voorhees, always retained her connection with the Dutch Church.
Dr. Condict did not commence his regular duties as the pastor of the church until the first of November. The extent of the congregation at the commencement of his ministry Avill give some idea of the amount of labor that he performed. In addition to the town charge, the families extended north to Boundbrook, and on the opposite side of the Baritan to New-Market, south alono;; Geortre's road five miles, and down to South river, and west two miles beyond the present site of the Middlebush church.
The first act of the Consistory was to j)rocure a suit- able residence for the minister. For a few months Mr. Condict lived in Neil son street, now number eight, in a house rented of William Lawson, at the rate of £37
SS IIISTOEICAL DISCOUKSE.
lOs.'per annum. When the churches of New-Bruns- wick and Six Mile Eun were in connection, they owned a parsonage at Three Mile Run. On the deatli of Mr. Leydt, this property was sold to Mr. Jacolo Skillman, and the portion that fell to the share of this church, £195 8s. 4d., was appropriated to tlie purchase of seven- teen acres of land on George's road, now in possession of Mr. Edwin Allen, at a cost of <£200, and also a house and lot in Church street, now number sixty-two, of John Bray. The building was in an unfinished state, and cost, with the repairs, made under the direction of the Consistory, £475 lis. Gd. Here Dr. Coudict resided until his removal, in 1798, to a farm of one hundred and thirteen acres, near Milltown, now the proj^erty of Mr. Henry H. Booram, but which is still known as the Condict farm.'"" The situation was distant and incon- venient; but that the chiu'ch did not suffer in conse- quence of his residence so far from the centre is evident from its steady growth, demanding additional church accommodations, which was accomplished in 1803 by the erection of commodious galleries, and by the ad- vance of his salary from £180 to £280, in connection with a commodious parsonage.
While there does not seem to have been any remark- able season of revival under his ministry, yet there was a gradual increase to the membership of the church,
'" Dr. Condict purchased a property in Church street, number seventy- four, to which he removed in the spring of 1794, and resided there until the parsonage was completed. This house was sold by his widow a few years after his death. The parsonage remained in the liands of the Consistory until 1801), when it was sold to Mr. Ilenr}'^ Van Arsdalen. The seventeen acres in George's road were sold about the same time, and a property of four or five acres purchased on Somerset and Hamilton streets, known in subsequent transactions of Consistory as "the parsonage lot." In the speculation in city lots which prevailed in this town in the year 1814, a part of this ground was surveyed, laid out into squares, and sold at high prices ; but parties who purchased failed, and very little was ever realized for a property which is now of great value.
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 89
and it is a gratifying' record that no communion season passed without the addition of some new members.* Among this number there were three young men who subsequently entered the gospel ministry, and occupied distinguished positions in the church, John Schureman, John S. Vredenbergh, and Kobert Bronk.
Dr. Condict was one of the most efficient pastors whom this church has enjoyed. While he was practical and earnest as a preacher, and always came into the pulpit with a well-prepared discourse, among the fami- lies of his charge he excelled. In catechising, pastoral visitation, and labors among the poor he had not his superior. He was remarkably punctual in all his en- gagements, and in his most distant preaching places he was found at the hour ready to commence the services. "While he has left behind him a character for remarka- ble gravity in his deportment, and was subject to occa- sional moods of desjoondency, yet he was gifted with fine conversational powers, and frequently, in social intercourse with his people, he would throw off all re- serve and exhibit a mind full of vivacity. As a mem- ber of church judicatories he vras active, and always took a prominent part in debate. The General Synod of our church elected him their President at their meet- ing in Albany, in June, 1800. It is said that his assist- ance was greatly sought after by congregations who were vacant, and his judicious counsels often led to the amicable adjustment of difficulties which were be- ginning to assume formidable proportions.
He gained a very just popularity for his learning, and while he was laborious as a pastor he did not neglect his study. The minute of Classis, referred to by Mr.
*For a list of church members made at the commencement of his minis- try, see Appendix IV.
90 HISTORICAL DISCOUESE.
Corwin, in reference to the necessary suspension of the strict examination of students on the removal of Dr. Condict by death, while " not very complimentary to the survivors," at the same time exhibits the estimation in which he was held as a scholar.
Intimately connected with the history of our church, at the period now under review, are connected the re- moval of the Theological Seminary to this city and the reoro-anization of the Collesre. In addition to his labors as the pastor of the church. Dr. Condict took a deep interest in these institutions, and, as a trustee of Queen's College, by his personal exertions was mainly instru- mental in its partial revival in 1807. An endowment of twenty thousand dollars was secured, and when it again went into operation, after having been suspended for twelve years, he was chosen Vice-President and Professor of Moral Philosophy. The building in which the exercises were held stood near the site of the Sec- ond Presbyterian Church, afterward removed to Schure- raan street, and is now known as the Lancasterian School. The college owned two acres of land lying west of our old burying-ground, which property was afterward sold and the funds invested in the erection of the present edifice, the foundation of which was laid in 1809, Dr. Condict had removed about the year 1805 from Milltown, and resided during^ the remainder of his pastorate at No. 32 Water street. The number of students Avas very encouraging, and for the measure of success which this institution then enjoyed it is in- debted largely to the personal labor and sacrifice of the pastor of this church. When the history of this insti- tution shall be written, it will be found that to him more than to any other man is she indebted for this noble building, standing in its beautiful location as an
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 91
ornament to our city. He was mainly instrumental in securing from Mr. James Parker, by gift, the lot on wliicli it stands. The first subscrii^tion j^aper for the edifice was drawn up by his own hand, and by great perseverance lie overcame all the obstacles thrown ii'x his way, and some time before his death he had the satisfaction of seeing the building rise in its fine pro- portions, and his efl:brts crowned with complete success. The first commencement, under this new impulse, y/as held in October, 1809, in the old stone church; and in the class of five graduates three were young men of this congregation — Cornelius L. Hardenbergh, the grand- son of the former pastor, J. M. Van Harlingen, and the valedictorian of the day. Dr. William Van Deursen, who is present with us on this occasion with a memory reaching back to the college scenes of fifty-eight years ago.
Connected with the revival of the College, and as a part of the plan, was the removal of the Theological Seminary to this city, in the year 1810, at which time that distinguished professor, Dr. John H. Livingston, took up his residence here, assuming at the same time the Presidency of the College. It is to the honor of our denomination that she ors^anized the first Theolos^i- cal Institution in our land. Dr. Livingston receiving his appointment as early as 1784. But it was not until the year 1810 that the Seminary, on its j^ermanent es- tablishment in this city, started on a career of prosper- ity Avhich has made it a fountain of life for the church and the world. The institution prospered greatly lui- der the labors of that venerable man, whom the church delighted to honor. One hundred and twenty young men enjoyed the benefit of his instructions in their pre- paration for the ministry. And it would hardly be
93 IIISTOrJCAL DISCOURSE.
possible to set boundaries to the sphere of liis influence. The Seminary in his day had its discouragements and trials ; but it has passed through them all, and with the advance of years it is more than ever imbedded in the affections of the whole church.
Dr. Condict was greatly favored during the whole period of his ministry in the character of those Vv^ho labored with him in the Gospel, both in the city and surrounding country. In the Presbyterian church he w'as associated with Dr. Joseph Clark, (I7d1 to 1813,) a man of eminent ability, remarkably dignified in his appearance, and greatly esteemed by the peoj^le. His sudden death created a great sensation through the town. The text for his Sabbath mornino; discourse was, "The time is short," and on the following Tues- day, retiring to rest with ordinary health, he Avas ar- rested by the hand of death some time before the dawn of morning. In the Episcopal church we find tlie Rev. John Croes, (1801 to 1832,) afterward the Bishop of New-Jersey, characterized as " the watchful pastor, the instructive preacher, the thoughtful writer, the sound, well-read divine." Of the ministers of our own denom- ination, in the churches surrounding New-Brunswick, we have, at Six Mile Run and Hillsborough, (179G to 1807,) a young man of great promise, and afterward of great distinction. Rev. James S. Cannon. At the old church of Mr. Frelinghuysen, at North-Branch, Rev. Dr. Peter Studiford (1787 to 1826) labored with all his strength imtil God called him home. At Raritan we have Rev. John S. Vredenbergh, (1800 to 1821,) one of the gifted young men of our own church, the son of a prominent elder, whom Dr. Condict had him- self received into her communion, and whom he re- joiced over as his spiritual offspring. And Rev. William
IIISTOEICAL DISCOURSE. 93
R Smith, (1794 to 1817,) with his colleague, Eev. Henry Polhenius, at Neshanic and Harlingen, fills up the catalogue of those who labored with him in the Gospel throughout this region.
Under the efficient labors of Dr. Condict the church steadily increased in strength, and with the growth of the population enlarged accommodations were again demanded. For two years the question was agitated of enlarging the old building, or of constructing a new edifice. After discussing various plans, the project of a new building was finally adopted with great harmon}-. An efficient building committee was appointed March 11th, 1811, consisting of Matthew Egerton, Staats Van Deursen, John Clark, John D. Van Liew, and Michael Garrish. The arrangements Avere all completed, con- tracts were entered into with builders, and the work was going forward in a spirit of harmony which sel- dom marks such undertakins-s, when a sudden cloud rested upon the whole enterprise in the unexpected death of the beloved Condict.
The old stone church in which your fathers vror- shiped for nearly fifty years, and Avhich, though un- adorned, had connected with it so many precious associa- tions, was to be occupied for the last time on Sabbath, May 20th. On the following morning the work of demolition was to commence preparatory to rebuilding. In the Providence of God this was also to be the last sermon whick Dr. Condict was to preach previous to his departure. As if in anticipation of what was to take place, he took for his text this striking j^assage of Scrip- ture from Dent. 4: 22, 23: "But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan : but ye shall go over, and possess that good land. Take heed unto your- selves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your
94: mSTORlCAL DISCOURSE.
God, wliicli lie made witli yoii, and make you a graven image, or tlie likeness of any tiling, wliieli the Lord tliy God liatli forbidden tliee." He dwelt ^vitll particular emphasis upon keeping God's covenant, and the touch ing allusions -which he made to the old sanctuary made the house a scene of weeping.
On Monday the workmen commenced ; the bell was taken down from the tower and the pews removed, when on Friday the word was circulated that Dr. Con- diet was confined to his house by sickness. The Sab- bath came, and he was unable to meet his people. During the early part of the Aveek there were hopes of his recovery, but all expectation was removed as early as Wednesday, when the announcement was made that he would not probably recover. Dr. Thomas De Witt, who was residing in his family pursuing his studies in the Seminary, has left us in manuscript a record of the closina: scene.
The disease wliicli terminated in his deatli was very violent from its commencement, and Dr. Condict him- self thought that it would prove fatal. While he mani- fested the o-reatest resiirnation durino; the wliole of his sickness, toward the close his faith, amounted to rapture. Dr. Livingston visited him daily, and these two godly men, the one on the bed of death, tlie other in the rijDO experience of age, held sucli conversation as we may suppose that the saints in glory enjoy. In the early stages of the disease, lie was exposed, to great spiritual conflicts and distress. To tke venerable professor he remarked : " I have been mucli harassed and disturbed ; still I hope." When the reply was made that it was a precious exercise of faith simply to wait ujoon the Lord and leave tlie event witli him, he answered : "It is so, but Jesus must give the grace." And that grace the
■"^Ss^"^
REFOKMED DUTril CHURCH, NEW-BRUNSWICK, N. J. Krfctf.d 1TC7. Takrn down- isll.
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 95
Saviour did bestow. On "Wednesday, (lie died on Saturday after suffering great bodily pain,) lie said: " How o'ood is tlie Lord to rae in the midst of affliction. I can say, I have waited for thy salvatiou, O Lord ; it is a precious salvation."
On Thursday evening, as if in profound meditation, he used this language : " I know Christ died for, I know he can keep, and will keep what I have com- mitted to him. It is done, it is all sealed^ Observing some one at his bed-side, he added : " Ah ! I am talk- in o;."
During the whole of Friday night his death was an- ticipated at any moment. At one o'clock he arose in his bed and spoke in these words : " The main question with us all is, whether we are willing and ready to die. It is now ascertained to a certainty that I must die. I trust that I am sincerely Avilling to die. Heavenly Father ! into thy hands I commit my spirit, and I pray for that grace for vvhicli I have often prayed to supj^ort me in the trials and agonies which now await me." After a few minutes of rest, he called around him his family for the farewell blessing. The scene was like that of Jacob parting with his children. To his son Harrison, a young man of great 23romise who soon fol- lowed his father, he said : "My son, I must leave yon. Hitherto I have been your teacher, at best an imperfect one. You shall no more have my instructions; but there is the word of God, which has an abundance of know- ledge and grace. The Lord has given to you reason, and the capacity for knowing and loving him. Let that word be your instructor, and you will experience riches of grace." " Fear not," he said to his wife ; " you have special promises. As for our children, you know I have often committed them to God." To one of the
96 HISTOIIICAL DISCOURSE.
elders of the cliiirch lie spoke words of counsel and en- couragement, and sent to Lis flock a message of great tenderness, pointing them to the heavenly Shepherd now as they were to be left destitute. He is now at the closing moment ; his work is done, and he is wait- ing for the Lord to call him.
Just before his departure occurred a most remarka- ble scene, equaling any thing in the exjoerience of God's peoj)le. Dr. Thomas De Witt has given us this record : " When to all appearance he was near his end, to our wonder and satisfaction he arose in his bed, observed the great necessity of prayer, and that finding the house of death a solemn one, requested those who were present to join with him. He then made a most pow- erful, solemn, and connected prayer of about four min- utes. What appeared surprising was that in his fee- ble condition he was enabled to speak so long without interruption. It appeared as if the Lord had given him special strength."
He died on Saturday, June 1st, 1811, at eleven o'clock. Thus departed, in the triumph of faith, the beloved Con- diet. The next Sabbath was a gloomy one in the city. Many of the people from the country came, expecting to hear him preach, and were startled with the intelli- jxence of his death. His funeral was attended from his residence in Water street. Dr. Livingston making the address, and the clergy of the city acting as pall-bear- ers. The bell of the Episcopal church was tolled during the services, and all the places of business in the city were closed. When arrived at the grave, it seemed as if the whole population of New-Brunswick and surrounding country was crowded into the inclo- sure. A few w^ords were again spoken by the venera- ble Professor to the weeping people, and beneath the
.^.^
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 97
walls of the old cliurch in wliicli lie Lad preached for seventeen years, now in process of demolition, lie was buried. To the left of the j)ulpit, not far from the grave of his predecessor. Dr. Jacob E. Hardenbergh, will be seen the monument erected by the congregation to the memory of one of their most devoted ministers.
He is represented to have been a tall, muscular man, with black hair, of prominent features, very grave in his deportment, and a man of undoubted piety. It is not probable that in the whole list of pastors there was one more affectionately regarded than the man whom every one esteemed as the " beloved Condict." He seemed to walk these streets as a stranger, and any one who saw him would be impressed with his striking countenance and demeanor. Some of you will remem- ber his sedateness of appearance, and not one who ever heard him in prayer Avill forget the unction and spiritu- ality of his devotions. In social intercourse he was affable, cheerful, and gave to every one the impression that he had a warm and affectionate heart. He was honored and welcomed beyond the limits of his o^vn extensive charge. Other societies recognized in him a true-hearted minister of Christ, and among the people in city and country he had hosts of friends. With Dr. Clark he was on terms of particular intimacy, frequently exchanging pulpits and visits, and forming united plans for systematic labor. In his arrangements he was exact, and had for every de23artment of labor a fixed time and method. No man could have accomplished more than he did, and the secret of his efficiency lay in the wisdom of his plans. Public institutions honored themselves by placing his name on their catalogues. The corpora- tion of Princeton College elected him a member of their Y
98 HISTOEICAL DISCOURSE.
board iu 1804, Laving previously bestowed upon him the title of Doctor of Divinity.
As a preacher he was always excellent, dwelling with particular emphasis upon God's covenant. In- deed, this was liis life-work, for he felt that God had set him apart in order that he might preach the Gospel. Althouo-h the hand of death has removed almost the entire number of those who sat under his ministry, yet I am happy to have rescued sufficient facts to recall, in part at least, a just portrait of the man. He wore in the pulpit the gown and cassock, and his very appear- ance was dignified and solemn ; not a solemnity that repelled, but which was becoming in a minister of the Gospel. He distrusted very much his own abilities, and was occasionally depressed in mind to such a degree that he felt scarcely fitted to enter the pulpit. He would often stop, on his way up the aisle of the churcli, at the pew of Jufvrow Hardenbergh, for a word of com- fort or encouragement, which she was always sure to have ready for him. It would not be correct to affirm of him that he was gifted with the power of oratory, for this he did not possess ; nor with any singular original- ity of thought or forms of expression, for this he did not cultivate or covet ; nor with any brilliancy of imagina- tion and vivid paintings of truth, for he was too intent upon the single j)"urpose of preaching Christ to be led away by any outward display. His strength lay rather in his powerful conviction of the truth which he preached; in his intense earnestness of soul, driving him on as if he liad a great work to do for his Master; in his deep sympathy with his hearers, which wrought within all souls the conviction that he sought their good ; in a life so consistent that he had not to over- come any unfavorable prejudice, for they felt that he
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 99
was speaking out of an honest heart ; and in a single- ness of aim which held him in close contact with the cross. The death of a lovely daughter, Ruth, in the opening flower of her beauty, struck all hearts with great surprise and sorrow, affected him very deeply, and it is said that he went into the pulpit on the fol- lowing Sabbath and delivered a most tender, earnest, and jiowerfid message from God to the young, and ever afterward his soul more than ever seemed to be given to the cause of Christ.
He had a great aversion to appear in print, and although he Avas frequently recpiested to give his ser- mons to the Consistory for publication, yet he uni- formly declined so doing. The only production of his pen that I have seen is a sermon preached before our citizens on the occasion of the death of George Wash- ington, by the invitation of the Mayor and Common Council, and published under their direction. If this is a specimen of his j^ulpit abilities, we can readily account for his extensive popularity. I am pleased to add a few sentences from the short obituary notice ^vhich appeared in the Guardian, or New-Brimswick Advertiser, the week succeeding his death : '' He was learned and pious, Avith a discriminating mind and sound judgment. He believed the doctrines of grace, and preached them with precision and zeal. Amiable in his temper, humble, prudent, and without guile in his conversation, he gained the love and possessed the confidence of all who knew him. His time and talents were devoted to the cause of the Divine Redeemer, and his exertions in preaching, visiting, and catechising, througliout his extensive parochial districts, were ar- duous and unremitted. Dr. Condict was also Vice- President of Queen's College, and had, besides other
100 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
academical duties, tlie principal charge of the senior class. The labors attached to this station, in addition to his ministerial cares, proved too severe ; they gradu- ally exhausted his strength, and a severe attack of pneumonia terminated in the death of one of the iii'st characters in the church." He died in the forty-eighth year of his age, and in the twenty-fifth of his ministry, seventeen of which had been given to this congregation. His son, Daniel Harrison, whom he addressed so affec- tionately on his death-bed, soon followed his father, dying August 28 th, and was buried by the side of his honored parent. His beloved wife, after surviving her husband many years, a woman of sweet and amiable temper, and of an intelligent piety, was l)rought from the residence of her daughter in Newark, and " laid in the sepulchre in the full exercise of a holy faith that she would rise again."
The churcli had now been in existence ninety-four years, and Dr. Condict was the fourth pastor. They had all died while ministers of this church, and their graves are with us unto this day, a beautiful exhibition of the permanence of the pastoral relation, and of the affection existing between minister and people.
The church at this date Avas very much disheartened ; with the loss of their pastor in the midst of rebuilding their church edifice, they felt that all was gone. But Dr. Livingston, by his counsel and encouragement, gave them new strength. He visited the sick, occupied the pulpit of the Presbyterian church at the service of this congregation in the afternoon, and stood in the place of a pastor for nearly two years. In the mean time the work of building went on, the princi]3al amount of the labor falling upon two members of the committee, John Clark and Staats Van Deursen. The corner-stone was
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 101
laid with appropriate ceremonies July 6th, 1811. The building was completed and occujDied for the first time September 27th, 1812. The dedication sermon was preached by Dr. Livingston, from Ezekiel 43:12: " This is the law of the house : Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house." The pews were sold on the fifth of the following January. So satisfac- tory was the whole arrangement, and with such care were the funds managed, that, on the final report of the committee to Consistory, they gave over the building into their hands free of debt, and, out of compliment, were presented with one of the square pews. The cost of the building was $16,415. The edifice was at that tinae one of the largest in the State, and is now the most commodious house of worship in the city. Its dimensions are ninety-four feet in length, including the tower, which projects four feet, and sixty-six feet in breadth, and will comfortably seat eleven hundred wor- shipers. This building will always attract attention, on account of its noble proportions and commanding situation, as well as from the interesting associations which it awakens. Since its erection, all the Presidents of our College have here been inaugurated, and the Professors of our Seminary, with only a single excep- tion, have here been inducted into ofiice. Until re- cently all the commencement exercises have been Jield in this edifice, and hundreds of young men have looked upon it as the scene of their collegiate honors. It has stood for more than half a century in its massive pro portions, testifj^ing to the integrity of the builders and the watchfulness of the committee. It has been t^dce remodeled — in 1847, by lowering the galleries, and erect- ing a new pulpit, and in 1862 by reseating and furnish ing the entire edifice.
102 HISTOEICAL DISCOURSE.
But, while the work of building was going on, the Consistory was not negligent of the great want of thie church — a pastor. Negotiations were carried on witli the trustees for two years to settle two ministers, who should hold the joint pastorate of the church and pro- fessorships in the College. But the plan was finally abandoned, and on May 25th, 1812, an urgent call was extended to the fifth pastor,
EEV. JOKN" SCHUEEMAN, D.D.
This was a happy selection, and very pleasing to tlie whole congregation. He was one of their own sons, a great favorite, and universally esteemed. His ancestors had been active members of this church for more than ninety years, and were distinguished for their piety and influence. His father was Hon. James Schureman, the patriot of the Revolution, and at this time was a prominent member of the congregation ; and his mother was a descendant of the Schuyler family, who came to this town from Albany at its early settlement. His grandfather was Hon. John Schureman, after whom he was named, a merchant of this city, and frequently representing this district in the State Legislature — who was the son of Jacobus Schureman, the schoolmaster, who came from Holland with Mr. Frelinghuysen in XT' 20, with whom he diligently cooperated in the good work of building up the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom in this favored section of the church.
Dr. Schureman was born October 19th, 1778, near New-Brunswick, to which place his parents had resort- ed during the occupation of the city by the British army during the Revolutionary war. His religious exercises commenced in very early life, and when a
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 108
mere youtli lie was often observed in the devout study of tlie Scriptures and prayer. In consequence of the absence of his father in the public service of the coun- try, his education devolved principally upon his aged grandfather, to whom he was much indebted for a sound religious training. Young Schureraan displayed quite early those traits of character which shone so brightly through his whole life. He was cheerful and amiable in his disposition, affectionate and dutiful to his superiors, kind in his intercourse with his compa- nions, and beloved by all who knew him. He was received into the membership of this church on profes- sion of his faith, under the ministry of Dr. Conclict, at the communion in April, 1797. That he was apt to learn may be inferred from the fact of his completing his literary course before he had finished his seven- teenth year, graduating from Queen's College Septem- ber 30th, 1795. After studying theology with Dr. Liv- ingston he was licensed in 1800. His first sermon was preached in the old church for Dr. Condict, and he at once gave promise of the solid, judicious minister which his subsequent life confirmed. His successive fields of labor were at Bedminster for six years, at Millstone for two and a half years, and in the Collegiate Church of New- York for two years. In the latter charge his health soon failed, and he came to New-Brunswick, suc- ceeding Dr. Condict as Vice-President of the College. But this institution was in a very depressed condition, and, in consequence of the exhausted state of its funds and other unfixvorable circumstances, with all his dili- gence and ardor he was not able to restore it to its former honorable position. His love for the pulpit, and his recovered health, secured by rest from public speaking, induced him to listen to an urgent call from
104: HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
this cliurcli, and lie was installed early in January, 1813. But tlie flattering prospects of usefulness which now opened before him were speedily disappointed ; he soon found that his cherished wish to preach the Gospel was to be denied him, and in June of the same year he resigned his charge, and, in consequence of frequent hemorrhages of the lungs, he very seldom after this entered the puli:)it.
The disappointment of the people was very great. Pie was a finished scholar and a Christian gentleman. That this church was attached to him may be seen in the fact that he had been unanimously called as a col- league with Dr. Condict in 1809, that he might devote more of his attention to the college, which call he de- clined in order to accept the invitation from New- York ; and, while the actual pastor of this church, they not onlj^ relieved him of much of the burden of the ministry, but importuned him to remain in his official connection with the congregation, in hopes that a return of health would enable him to assume the full duties of a pastor. And they had reason to love him, for he w^as truly one of the excellent of the earth. In his subsequent intercourse with the people he was a most judicious and kind counselor, and his influence went far towai'd healing the unhappy division which arose during the ministry of his successor. Few men understood human nature better than he did, and no man could have been possessed of a heart more affectionate. As a preacher, he was sound in the faith, clear in his method of ar- rangement, simple and concise in his style, earnest and impressive in his delivery, tender in the very tones of his voice, not frequent but appropriate in his gesticula- tion, and would leave upon the minds of his hearers the impression that he had in his own soul a deep con-
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 105
viction of tlie trutli that lie uttered, and was pervaded by an earnest desire that they should receive profit under his ministrations. That he did not arrest the attention by any bold and striking figures, or move his hearers by pathetic appeals to the passions, was un- doubtedly true ; but he won his way to the heart by preaching Christ in a method so distinct, and with a manner so fervid, that it is no wonder that he became one of the most useful and popular ministers of his day. One of our ministers* writes : " He was my heau ideal of a man, a minister, and a preacher. Well do I re- member how he charmed my heart by his solemnity and suavity." Another,f who knew him well, remarks : " I may be thought to exaggerate his merits, but it is difficult to hold the pencil steadily when portraying a man so uncommonly amiable. You loved him even upon a first interview, and you could not withhold your love after it was besto'wed. It seems but as yesterday," he adds, " w^hen the venerable Dr. Livingston, in an address at the funeral of the deceased junior professor, turning to the theological students, said, ' My children, you will not, you can notfoi^get your dear Schureman.^ " After his resignation of the pastorate of this church he was elected, October, 1815, a Professor of Ecclesias- tical History and Pastoral Theology in the Seminary, and died in that office May 15th, 1818. His grave is in the yard near that of Dr. Condict, the fifth of your deceased pastors, beneath a monument erected by Gen- eral Synod. At a meeting of that body, a short time after his death, the sentiments of the whole church w^ere expressed in the following action: "The death of the late professor. Dr. John Schureman, is an event
* Dr. I. N. W^yckoff. f Dr. Gabriel Ludlow.
106 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
wbicli, however it may have been his incalculable gain, is deeply to be deplored by us. So amiable were his manners, so undoubted his piety, so acceptable his ser- vices, and so flattering were his pros2:)ects as to his use- fulness in the church, that we can not but mourn that such a man is removed from our institution." It was also provided tha,t a plain tombstone be erected over his grave, with a suitable inscription declaring the im- portant station he occupied in the church, and the esteem which this body will long cherish for one whose praise was in all the churches.
The resignation of Dr. Schureman was followed by a short vacancy. October 2d, 1813, the church, with great unanimity, called, as the sixth pastor,
EEV. JESSE FOISTDA.
He was born in the town of Watervliet, Albany county, N. Y., April 2'rth, 1786. He made a profes- sion of his faith in the Reformed Dutch Church of the Boght, and graduated from Union College, in 1806, in the same class with Dr. C. C. Cuyler and the Hon. John C. Spencer. His theological studies were pursued un- der the direction of ministers of our church, and he was licensed by the North Consociation of Hartford County. His first settlement was at Nassau, N. Y., where he labored with all the enthusiasm of a young pastor, and in which place his ministry is still remem- bered as one of great prosperity and usefulness. He removed to this city and commenced his labors in the month of November.
This church had suffered much for the want of pastoral supervision, Dr. Schureman's feeble health having pre- vented him from doing much active work in the congre-
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 107
gation. Mr. Fonda found a large amouut of labor upon his hands, and, blessed with a vigorous constitution and great energy of character, he gave himself fully to this ministry. He was systematic in his labors and intense- ly active. About this time an unha2:)py controversy commenced in the church in reference to tlie hour for holding the afternoon service on the Sabbath, which continued to disturb the peace of the church for a num- ber of years, and was the ultimate ground of his remo- val. The pastor and city portion of the charge desired a change to three o'clock, but the more distant members of the congregation were in favor of the plan whicli had been the established usage of the church. At one time the difficulty had grown to sucb proportions that the plan of a new organization v^as proposed. The matter in controversy w^as carried before Classis, wbo recommended, tlirough. a committee, the formation of two new churches, one to be located at Three Mile Run, the second at Milltown or on Geors-e's road. It would, no doubt, have been to the interest of the denomina- tion had this plan been carried out, and these churches organized in a spirit of harmony and with a desire to extend the Kedeemer's kingdom.
But the existence of this controversy was not so absorbing as to divert the attention from sj)iritual in- terests. During the ministry of Mr. Fonda there was a healthy growth of the church, and at one communion twenty-eight ])ersons made a public j)rofession of their faith. The total number of communicants received into the church was one hundred and seven.
Mr. Fonda was dismissed from this congregation July 3d, 1817, in order that he might accept a call from the Reformed Dutch Church, of Montgomery — at that time, as at present, one of the most intelligent and flourisli-
108 HISTORICAL DISCOUKSE.
iug congregations in our body. He preaclied liis last sermon on tlie 28tli of the niontli from the text, " Cast- ing all your care upon him, for he careth for you." By request of his numerous friends the sermon was pub- lished, and it exhibits, with great tenderness, the doc- trine of " confidence in God in the day of trouble." It is inscribed to his personal friends Drs. Livingston and Schureman, and to the reverend clergy of New-Bruns- wick, " brethren who dwell together in unity."
Mr. Fonda continued at Montgomery in the faithful discharge of his duties until his death in 1827. Few ministers excelled him as a preacher. He had a full, sonorous voice, well modulated, and would draw atten- tion by the pleasantness of his countenance. He pre- pared his sermons with great care, writing them out in full and then j)reaching from memory. He never paused for a word, but carried his hearers along in a train of rapid argument or pungent appeal to the close of his discourse. Dr. Livingston regarded him as one of our most finished ministers. It is said that he greatly excelled on extraordinary occasions. His min- istry occupied the important period of our last war with England. The public mind in this section of the country was intensely agitated, and seizing hold of these important national occurrences he enforced with great power the lessons of religion as taught by " the signs of the times." His sermon, preached April 13th, 1815, on the occasion of the close of the conflict, enti- tled " Thanksgiving for Peace," jDroduced a wonderful sensation. This large building was crowded to its ut- most capacity, while he discoursed with great eloquence upon the passage, " Sing, O daughter of Zion ; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 109
daiigliter of Jerusalem. The Lord Lath taken away thy judgments." (Zephaniah 3:14, 15.)
In 1814, Mr. Fonda was chosen a member of the Board of Trustees of Queen's College ; and at the an- nual meeting of General Synod in Albany, June, 1823, he was chosen the President of that body. He has left, in his work on the Sacraments, a very fair reputation for authorship, which deserves to be re2:)roduced from the press and given a wide circulation.
Mr. Fonda left here in the summer of 181Y. In the graduating class of that year there was a young mac a member of this church, of fine abilities and of great promise, to whom all eyes were immediately directed. It was not necessary for him to preach as a candidate, for every one knew him, and so urgent was the Consis- tory that, even before he received his license, a commit- tee waited upon him with an informal presentation of a call. This student, who became the next pastor of the church of New-Brunsvv^ick, was
EEV. JOHK LUDLOW, D.D.
His calls bears the date of September 17th, 1817, fifty years ago. The first invitation he declined, but on its renewal he accepted the charge with the under- standing that he was not expected to preach but once on the Sabbath duriug the first year, and be released from all pastoral labor. It is said that he broke through these conditions almost immediately, for he was a faith- ful pastor, and in the pulpit a Boanerges. Some of you remember him as he appeared when he first came among you, and the interest that was awakened in the church by having for their pastor a young man fresh
110 HISTORICAL DISCOUESE.
from our Theological Seminaiy. His ministry, however, was short. Only two years after his settlement he re- ceived an api^ointment to a professorship in the Theo- logical Seminary, which lie felt constrained to accept, and was accordingly released from his 23astoral charge.
His character and history are well understood in this community, where the last years of Ms life were spent in tlie education of young men for the ministry. After spending four years as j)rofessor under his first appoint- ment by General Synod, he returned to the pulpit, for which he had special cpialifications, and was for eleven years the j)astor of the North Church of Albany, at that time, as at present, the first in position and influ- ence in the Synod of Albany. In 1834, he accepted the position of Provost in the University of the City of Phil- adelphia, which ofiice he held for eighteen years ; and only resigned that he might obey the will of the Gen- eral Synod in his election to the Professorship of Eccle- siastical History, Pastoral Theology, and Church His- tory in our Seminary, succeeding the venerable Pro- fessor Cannon, wdiich position he filled with great ability until his death, September 8th, 1857. His grave is among the group of pastors and professors in the yard at the left of the pulpit.
Dr. Ludlow, as a man, a minister, and a Christian, was universally esteemed. The confidence which was reposed in him by the church is sufficiently indicated by his election at five different periods to professorships in our institutions. In the JSTorthern Synod no minister exerted so wide an influence. If a church building was to be dedicated, or a corner-stone laid, or an in- stallation sermon preached, the services of Dr. Ludlow were solicited. In his early ministry in this church he developed rapidly, and soon exhibited all those traits of
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. Ill
character wliich clistinguislied him in after-life. Says one of his early students : " We loved him as a preacher. He elucidated liis texts fairly, strongly, with dignity, and as one ever under a sense of God's requirements. His subjects were rich and diversified. He loved what he used to call a good fat text, one full of Gospel truth and bearing on men's hearts and conscience." His brother remarks that " his strength as a preacher lay very much in his manner / in the fire of his eye ; in the expression of his countenance — an expression very varied and corresponding very fully with his varied emotions ; in the stentorian tones of his voice — a voice that easily filled the largest buildings ; in his strong and well-placed emphasis; in his forcible gesticulation; in his positive, authoritative, confident manner." A most admirable analysis of his character was given by Dr. Bethune, who knew him well. Based on the thought that his leading quality was strength, he presents Dr. Ludlow as a man, " strong in person, strong in voice, strong in intellect, strong in will, strong in affections."
His activity in carrying forward all the great mea- sures of our church is deserving of high praise. And the nol^le result of his last labors for the church he loved — the Theological Hall — stands before us to-day as a monument to his memory. All those traits of cha- racter which distinguished him in afterlife he displayed at the commencement of his ministry, and while he was yet the pastor of this church. And it is not surpris- ing that they yielded to the will of General Synod with extreme reluctance, and " a general murmur arose through the congregation not easily or soon hushed."
The resignation of Dr. Ludlow left this church va- cant for the third time in the short space of six years. Rev. Gabriel Ludlow, the brother of the late pastor,
112 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
was now called, but declined the invitation. The pul- pit was supplied by the professors in the Seminary for about one year, during which period the attention of the Consistory was directed to another young student, who graduated from the institution in the first class under the instruction of their former minister ; and on January 21st, 1821, there was called, as the eighth pastor of this church,
EEV. ISAAC FEEEIS, D.D.
Dr. Ferris was installed pastor of the church on the third Thursday in April, 1821. Early in May, Eev. Samuel B. How, D.D., commenced his labors in the Presbyterian church, of which he was installed the pas- tor the 13th of June.* April 13th, Rev. G. S. Webb, D.D., became the minister of the Baptist church. It is a striking coincident that these three New-Brunswick pastors, all in early manhood, entered upon their work in this city the same spring, and it is not necessary to remark that the intimate relation then formed has con- tinued unbroken until the present. It is a pleasing feature of our anniversary that these servants of the Lord are all still living, with memories reaching back to their labors in this city. Two have their homes with us, spending the close of life among the people to whom they ministered for near a generation, and the other is in the discharge of active duties. As the
* The following have been pastors of the First Presbyterian Church : Rev. Gilbert Tennent, (1726-'43 ;) Rev. Thomas Arthur, (?) (1746-'51 ;) Rev, Israel Reed, (1768-'86;) Rev. Walter Monteith, (lY86-'94;) Rev. Joseph Clark, U.D., (1797-1813;) Rev. Levi J. T. Huntington, 1815-20; Rev. Samuel B. How, D.D., (1821-'23;) Rev. Joseph H. Jones, D.D., (1825-'38;) Rev. Robert Birch, (1839-'42;) Rev. Robert Davidson, D.D., (1843-'59;) Rev. Howard Crosby, D.D., (1861-'62 ;) Rev. William T. Beatty, (1863-67,) and at present without a pastor.
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 113
senior ex-pastor of this cliurcli, witli great propriety the committee have solicited from him the favor, and the congregation will enjoy the pleasure, of listening to the closing address of our anniversary from one who, forty- six years ago, was set apart to the work of the ministry wdthin these walls by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery.
November 10th, 1821, there was received into the membership of the church, on profession of his fliith, a young man, in the seventeenth year of his age, who subsequently became one of the most devoted of our foreign missionaries — David Abeel. His father was a man of great moral integrity and of remarkable energy of character; while his mother, Jane Hassert, was a woman of imcommon amiability of temper and of de- voted piety. There were beautifully blended in the character of young Abeel great firmness of purpose, a quick intellect, and an unusual development of gentle- ness and affection. He was one of those men who dre^v toward him the warmest esteem and admiration ; and, when grace gave him a new heart, he Avas of all otiiers the one whose soul would overflow ^vith commiseration for the perishing heathen, and who Avas ready to conse- crate himself to a work Avhich demanded the most he- roic sacrifices, and which he continued to prosecute wdth untirino; devotion to the close of his life. The interest wdth which he was regarded by all those who knew him, as well as indicating one element of his strength, is sufficiently attested by the uniform name which he bore of " the beloved Abeel." His early death, at the age of forty-two, filled the whole Church with mourn- ing ; for well she knew that such men are rare — men of similar faith and ardor, and of entire consecration to the cause of God and man. It is an honor to have 8
11-i IJISTOKICAL DISCOUESE.
upon our cliurcli-rolls tlie name of such a man, and to have sent forth into the Gospel ministry and into the heathen world David Abeel.
In addition to Dr. Abeel, there were six young men from this conoTeo-ation who consecrated themselves to
a o
God in the work of the ministry, and who united with the church by profession during the ministry of Dr. Ferris. The whole number of additions to the church during the period under review w^as seventy-eight by profession and twenty-seven by certificate, and of the whole number, one hundred and five, only seven are now in communion with us.
The pastoral relation between Dr. Ferris and this congregation was dissolved in October, 1824, when he removed to Albany and was installed over the Second Keformed Dutch Church of that city, succeeding Dr. John De Witt, who had recently assumed the Profes- sorship of Biblical Criticism, Ecclesiastical History, and Pastoral Theology in our Seminary. The successive fields of labor occupied by Dr. Ferris were, in x\lbany twelve years; in the Market Street Church, of New- York, twelve years; and, since 1852, as the Chancellor of the University of New-York, in w^hich honorable position may he long be S23ared to serve the cause of education and advance the interests of the Redeemer's kino-dom.
Forty-three years ago, when the ministry of Dr. Fer- ris terminated, New-Brunswick was an ancient town. Those who were then familiar with the city would now recognize only a few things which have not passed through changes, and the inhabitants with whom he was then familiar would no longer be seen in our streets. The population, numbering about four thou- sand five hundred, lived between New street at the south,
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE. 115
Somerset street at the north, and George street at the Avest, with a few families on the outskirts of the town. This building, without a steeple, had stood for twelve years, and at the time of its erection it was thought that it would be too far distant from the centre of pop- ulation, as at that time only a few families were living further west. About one half of the congregation were from the country, and of the city charge about fifty families resided in Burnet street, thirty in Church, in Water and Albany streets there were forty, and the balance were living in JSTeilson, New, Peace, and Hiram