FROM THE LIBRARY OF 
 REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON, D. D. 
 
 BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO 
 
 THE LIBRARY OF 
 
 PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 
 Division 
 Section 
 
 il'1i 
 

v MAR 23 1932 * 
 
 HISTORICAL DISCOURSE, 
 
 DELIVERED IN THE 
 
 $ irst gtformeb Jroitstani §utt\ Cjjnrtjj 
 
 TARRYTOWN, K Y. 
 
 BY { 
 
 REV. ABEL T. STEWART. 
 
 HVE^IT 13, 186S. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH 
 
 No. 770 BROADWAY, 
 Corner of 9th Street. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 Princeton Theological Seminary Library 
 
 http://archive.org/details/discouOOstew 
 
Tarrytown, May 14, 18G6. 
 Rev. A. T. Stewart: 
 
 Dear Sir, — We were greatly interested in the Historical Discourse 
 preached yesterday by you. 
 
 This history of our church, prepared, as it must have been, with great 
 labor, and much of which, we are sure, it would be impossible to reproduce, 
 if this be lost, we feel should be preserved in more permanent form, and we 
 will feel greatly obliged if you will furnish us a copy for publication. 
 
 We cannot neglect this opportunity to say how much we regret that the 
 providence of God has seemed to your mind to order you to another field 
 of labor, and that the harmonious relations that have existed between you 
 and this people for nearly fourteen years are to be severed. 
 
 Be assured that you leave behind you pleasant memories of a most useful 
 service here, in the cause of Christ, and carry with you the universally kind 
 wishes of this people for your happiness, and their fervent prayers that 
 your future labors may be greatly blessed. 
 
 We are, dear sir, 
 
 Faithfully yours, 
 Wm. H. Platt, Ab'm D. Stephens, 
 
 E. R. Bogardus, Wm. See, 
 Wm. B. Landrine, Jno. A. Van Tassel, 
 John P. Landrine, 
 P. Augustus See, 
 
 John R. Bacon, 
 Jas. M. Swift, 
 H. G. Gilbert, 
 Francis Brown, 
 John R. Stephens, 
 
 Ab'm D. Stephens, Jr., Jas. S. See, 
 Chas. G. Stephens, William Hawes, 
 John Mildeberger, L. J. Mabie, 
 
 Isaac R. Mead, 
 John F. Powell, 
 W. F. Minnerly, 
 Hiram Bird, 
 Ab'm D. Tompkins, 
 
 James See, 
 
 Edw'd T. Tounier, W. F. Van Wart. 
 
Somerville, May 24th, 1866. 
 
 Dear Brethren : I am much pleased witli the desire you express for 
 the preservation of the history of your church and its branches, contained 
 in my last morning sermon. 
 
 Many of its facts and incidents were learned from a generation passed 
 away, and, as you believe, could not be reproduced if now lost. 
 
 The sermon is therefore placed at your disposal, in the hope that it may 
 be a memento of the happy relation so long existing between us, and serve 
 through coming years, as you recur to its pages, to deepen your sympathies, 
 and hold you together in Christian love and labors, 
 
 With great respect and affection, 
 
 I remain, 
 
 Your former Pastor, 
 
 Abel T. Stewart. 
 
SERMON 
 
 " Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpeh and Slien, and 
 called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." 
 — 1 Saml t el, vii, 12. 
 
 It is becoming in us, as well as important, to ac- 
 knowledge our mercies. We are indebted for tnem to 
 God, and can make to Him but the simple return of 
 our gratitude. He is also pleased with our apprecia- 
 tion of His goodness, and has encouraged us to record 
 His loving-kindness. The patriarch Jacob, about to 
 ask of God deliverance from the hand of his mur- 
 derous brother, cried, " I am not worthy of the least 
 of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou 
 hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I 
 passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two 
 bands." In the same spirit, Samuel, the tried friend 
 and prophet of Israel, prayed for her when in trouble, 
 and upon her deliverance, acknowledged the help of 
 the Lord. On one occasion, he prayed earnestly for 
 her success over the hosts of the Philistines ; and the 
 Lord in gracious answer, "thundered with a great 
 thunder on that day " upon them, and so discomfited 
 and subdued them that " they came no more into the 
 coasts of Israel.' 7 Then Samuel, in grateful remem- 
 brance of this and former mercies, took a stone and set 
 it up on the place of victory, as a monument of God's 
 
6 
 
 goodness, "and called the name of it Eben-ezer, 
 saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." In the 
 light of this sacred event, it seems well for us, as a 
 church, to look back over our history, to note our mer- 
 cies, and raise an Eben-ezer in all our hearts, in 
 grateful acknowledgment of Him, who has been our 
 helper. 
 
 In the year of our Lord 1715, this church, called 
 the Church of Philipsburgh, saw that no minutes had 
 been kept of their ecclesiastical affairs, and determined 
 to record them as far as they could be " discovered 
 according to the real truth." They chose for this im- 
 portant undertaking, Abraham De Reviere. He pre- 
 faced his work by " laying before the gracious reader" 
 the historical fact that it had " pleased his Royal 
 Majesty of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, 
 Defender of the Faith, etc., about the year of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ 1680, to grant by prerogative, con- 
 sent and license, to the Honorable Fredryck Flypse, to 
 freely buy to or in a sale of estate, in the county of 
 Westchester, in America, beginning at the place of 
 Spuyten Duyvel's Kill and running north along the 
 river to and on the kill of Kitch-awong (now called 
 Croton river) &c, &c, as in the license and patent is 
 contained, which is called Philipsburgh, and that Lord 
 
 Philips had contracted with • to let any one settle 
 
 on said land free, for certain stipulated years, in order 
 that it should, as soon as possible, be cultivated and 
 settled." He then shows " in what manner these first 
 Christian inhabitants, in this heathenism and with and 
 
among the heathen " (meaning the American Indians) 
 "endeavored to live as true Christians. First, they 
 thought it very necessary to meet together at a conve- 
 nient place on the Lord's day, to pray to God with the 
 whole heart, and praise and bless Him with psalms 
 and hymns. Secondly, they thought it necessary to 
 find a Reformed minister of the gospel, and to per- 
 suade him to come three or four times a year to preach 
 and to administer the holy sacraments, that thus 
 the church of God might he the better partakers of 
 the grace of Jesus, and the covenants of the holy 
 sacraments, according to the true Christian Reformed 
 religion/' Further on he records the acceptance of 
 their invitation, "given 1697 to the very learned and 
 pious Rev. Guilliaume Bartholf, minister in Hakinsack 
 and Hagquackenon, to preach for them, and admin- 
 ister the sacraments three or four times in a year ; and 
 the continuance of these ordinances until the 2d of 
 November, 1715; also the payment of the minister 
 for these services, and of Mr. Van Houten, who carried 
 him on these long journeys from and to his home in 
 Hakinsack." 
 
 On the 18th and 19th of April, 171G, Mr. Guil- 
 liaume again performed religious services in this 
 church. He was brought and returned as before by 
 Tunis Yan Houten, and a special record of thanks 
 was made on the occasion " for the usual liberality of 
 the very Provident Lady Madame Catharina Philips." 
 About this time, a record of thanks was made to Lord 
 Adolphus Philips, in the following words : " Resolved, 
 
8 
 
 that we take in hand and complete, in as far as pos- 
 sible, our resolution to show the duty of thanks which 
 we owe for the many mercies done to your servants, 
 our parents of blessed memory, but especially to us, 
 your present servants and women servants from time 
 to time, by your Hon. Eight honorable Lord and 
 Father of blessed memory, as also from your Honored 
 Mother of blessed memory Lady Margarita, as also by 
 your Lord Father's last weded wife Lady Catharina, 
 as also by your Hon. Right Hon. and noble, very wise 
 and provident, our Lordship, the Lord Adolphus 
 Philips, viz. : for the many benefits done to us your 
 faithful servants and women servants through various 
 favorable means and good instruction, we therefore 
 pray with all revereDce that your Hon. Lordship will 
 receive and accept these our small thanks according to 
 our small desert, and we your honored and obedient 
 servants will remain obligated and will ever be your 
 honorable very obedient humble servants." 
 
 The old records consist of eight books in Dutch, 
 and reach down to the times of peace succeeding the 
 American Revolution. 
 
 The 1st contains the date of "the observance of 
 the Word of God and the holy sacraments and the 
 compensation every time." 
 
 The 2d contains " the names of all the respective 
 persons, who after Christian examination and exhorta- 
 tion have united themselves and have been received as 
 members of Jesus Christ to appear at the table of 
 the holy sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Firstly 
 
and before all the Eight Hon. Pious, very wise and 
 provident Lady Catharina Philips, widow of Lord 
 Frederick Philips who did here very praiseworthily 
 advance the cause of religion. Furthermore of the 
 church at Philipsburgh, 
 Abraham De Reviere. 
 Isaac Sie sien. and Esther his wife. 
 Isaac Sie Jun. 
 
 Joachim Van Wert and Christyantye his wife. 
 
 Syboret Kranckkeyt and Maritie " 
 
 Ryck Abramsse and Tryntje " 
 
 Jan Ecker and Magdalentje " 
 Wolffert Ecker and Marytie 
 
 Jan Fouseer and Eva " 
 
 An dries Van Dyck and Gresje ; ' 
 
 Isaac Van Dyck and Barber il 
 
 Abraham De Reviere Jr. and Weyntje " 
 
 Gerridit Van Weert and Cathalyna " 
 Jan Hart from Switzerland. 
 
 David Storm and Esther " 
 
 Barent Duytsen and Maritje " 
 
 Lodewyck Ackerman and Hillegonda " 
 Rachel the wife of Thomas Heyert. 
 
 Dirck Storm and Maria " 
 
 Jacob Van Texel and Aeltje u 
 
 Sebastiaen Michgielye and Galante " 
 
 Gregoris Storm and Engeltje u 
 
 Poulus Rut an and Angelica " 
 
 Peter Sie and Pironella " 
 Jacobus Sie and Catharina 
 
10 
 
 Jan Louwrenye and Marytje his wife. 
 
 Jan Van Texel and Catharina " 
 
 Abram De Vanw and Meeno " 
 
 Geertje, wife of Pieter Buys. 
 
 Antje Banckert, wife of Hendrick Krankheyt. 
 
 Beellitje, wife of Jacob Van Weert. 
 
 Lonwrons Matbyse Banekert and Niesje De Groot 
 bis wife. 
 
 Margritje, wife of Josepb Escoth. 
 
 Willern Aertyen, daughter of tbe above. 
 
 Abram Van Dyck and Elizabetb bis wife. 
 
 Antje Van Lent, wife of Caret Davidyen. 
 
 Peter Storm and Margrietje bis wife. 
 
 Antje Van Weert, wife of Samuel Cauckle. 
 
 Herman Jurckye and Maria his wife. 
 
 Antje Sybout, wife of Jan Beesly. 
 
 Antje, wife of Hendrick Cronkbeyt. 
 
 Cornelius Van Texel and Antje bis wife. 
 
 Antje Keninck, wife of Louies Boule." 
 
 Tbis record doubtless sbows tbe entire number who 
 had been connected with the church, without giving 
 the date of their connection, from 1697 to 1715. 
 From this last date the record is continued with regu- 
 larity, showing the year and tbe day in which addi- 
 tions were made until 1775 and 1776. Then a dark 
 and distressing period arose, in which all hearts were 
 enlisted in the strife for liberty. The tea, about to be 
 forced upon the people, had been thrown into the 
 Boston harbor. The House of Burgesses in Virginia 
 had protested against the act of Parliament closing 
 the Boston port, and been dissolved for its action. 
 
11 
 
 The Virginia Legislature, and the Massachusetts As- 
 sembly, had alike recommended a general Congress. 
 It had assembled in Philadelphia, in a meeting de- 
 scribed as " awfully solemn." Conventions had been 
 held in some States, town meetings in others ; and the 
 eloquent tongues of such men as Patrick Henry, and 
 Rutledge, John Adams, and Josiah Quincy, had been 
 loosed in discussion of public rights and measures. 
 Eight patriot men had been shot down in Lexington, 
 and the cry of blood was running through the land. 
 Then for nearly ten years, including the period of the 
 Revolution, and reaching to February, 1785, no one 
 draws a pen in these ancient records. Children were 
 born but not baptized. Sinners repented, we would 
 hope, but were not united by profession with the church 
 of Christ. There was no open house to publish three 
 times the names of those who, in the si^ht of God and 
 His church, would be joined in holy wedlock ; no 
 pleasant assembly, to whom the Scriptures might be 
 expounded ; no church in Zion's court, to celebrate the 
 holy supper. But when independence had been 
 gained, and peace had spread her holy and sweet 
 influences again, men returned to their house of God, 
 entered in and kept holy day. From 1785 to 1817, 
 the record of membership continued in a second 
 volume is also full ; but from this last date to 1837, a 
 period of twenty years, closing the ministry of the 
 Rev. Mr. Smith, we have no mention whatever of per- 
 sons received into the communion of this church. The 
 space allowed for such entries is filled up, and the 
 record breaks off, leaving the impression that it was 
 
12 
 
 transferred to some other book, which has not as yet 
 been found. 
 
 From 1837 to 1852, it is much obscured by marks 
 and interlineations connected with the dismissions of 
 members to form the South Church. From 1852, 
 when a new record was made out, it is complete to the 
 present time. 
 
 The third Book carefully notes the officers of the 
 consistory in the order of their installation, from the 
 beginning of the church to the year 1790. In this 
 period of nearly one hundred years great accuracy is 
 visible. It shows that in 1697, Abraham De Re- 
 viere was elected elder, and Jan Ecker, deacon ; that 
 the next year, Ryck Abramsse and Wolffert Ecker 
 (the original owner and occupant of the house lately re- 
 sided in, and rendered famous by Irving as Wolffert's 
 Roorst) were added ; that two elders and two deacons 
 continued to form the consistory until the year 1736, 
 when their number was doubled, making, as at pre- 
 sent, eight officers. In Book fourth is a record of Bap- 
 tisms, giving the names of the parents, children and 
 witnesses, with the periods of birth and the adminis- 
 tration of the rite, complete from 1697. Even the 
 children born between the years 1775 and 1785 were 
 in many instances baptized, and their baptism recorded, 
 at the close of that period. 
 
 The fifth is a record of Marriages, and like that of 
 members and baptisms, is continued from 1785 or '90, 
 in a second and even third volume in English. 
 
 The sixth and seventh record the receipts and ex- 
 
13 
 
 penses of the deacons — and the eighth is simply an 
 index to the preceding books. They are all bonnd 
 in one volume in parchment. It is sadly injured and 
 some of its pages are nearly obliterated by the many 
 and careless hands through which it has been suffered 
 to pass. It has on one of its covers, the writing — 
 
 " Een draght rnackt makt 
 Maar twist verquist." 
 
 This motto is one that we will do well to remember 
 and practice. Our fathers borrowed the first part of 
 it from the United Netherlands, who, more than a cen- 
 tury before had inscribed it on their banners, and risen 
 by their adherence to it, into an independent and 
 mighty republic. 
 
 The emigrants from Holland brought it, with all its 
 deep meaning and principle, in their hearts to this 
 country and infused it into the American mind, where 
 it gave birth in time to " our own much more exten- 
 sive and powerful Union." So long as its sacred hold 
 upon the affections was nowhere impaired, we con- 
 tinued one mighty, and prosperous, and happy nation. 
 God in mercy grant that we may become thoroughly 
 united again in territory and in heart, and never forget 
 in any part of the land, that 
 
 Unity makes might, 
 But discord squanders. 
 
 I am able to-day to present you with an exact and 
 faithful translation of these records, by one of our 
 Theological students, Mr. Louis H. Bahler, formerly 
 
14 
 
 of the Holland Academy ; and we are happy to record 
 the names of Wm. Hawes and Augustus F. Weeks, 
 who have kindly offered the necessary means to secure 
 the binding of the same, and also of the original writ- 
 ing. 
 
 The above facts drawn from the records show the 
 existence here, of a church sonnd in the faith and wor- 
 ship of God, and favored with the ordinances of grace, 
 as early as 1697. Two years later we find this people 
 in possession of a stone church edifice. Above the 
 doorway is inserted a tablet bearing the inscription : 
 " Erected and built by Frederick Philipse and Cathar- 
 ine Van Cortlant his wife, in 1699." The tablet was 
 inserted many years after the building of the house, 
 and probably bears the date of the building's comple- 
 tion. There is a tradition concerning the erection of 
 this house which may show that it was begun as 
 early, at least, as 1694, when the church was organized. 
 As related by one of the most excellent of our now 
 departed members it is, that Mr. Philipse, aided es- 
 pecially by his wife Catharine, began to build the 
 church edifice two or three years before he finished it ; 
 that he laid the foundation, and then began to repair 
 the dam at the mill ; that when the dam was built a 
 freshet came one night and washed it away ; that he 
 then erected a new and better dam, and the waters 
 washed it all away again ; that while he and family 
 were in great distress about their loss, his old slave 
 Harry had a dream, and for several nights the dream 
 was repeated, to the following purport — that God was 
 
15 
 
 displeased because Master Philipse had stopped build- 
 ing the church to build his dam, and that it would 
 never stand until the church was built ; that he must 
 now go on and build the church, and then the dam, 
 and it would stand. Harry told this dream to his master 
 and mistress, and they were both so much impressed 
 by it that they built the church and then the dam, 
 and it stood. The edifice, however small and unpre- 
 tending in architecture, was built with great care, and 
 exceeded in some of its materials the ability of the 
 country at the time of its erection. The small yellow 
 brick, a few of which are still retained in the sides of 
 the present entrance, were brought from Holland, and 
 gracefully set above the original door in the South 
 side, and around the windows. The windows that 
 were originally Gothic have been enlarged and made 
 square. The panes of glass that were of very small 
 size have been changed for larger ones ; and the heavy 
 cross-bars of iron that precluded entrance, even when 
 the sashes were raised, have been removed. The door 
 has been transferred to the west end facing the street. 
 The pulpit Avas in form a. regular octagon, and the 
 sounding board a regular hexagon. Both were small, 
 for the most part of mahogany, and brought also from 
 the fatherland. They have been taken away and scat- 
 tered, so that scarcely a vestige of them can be found. 
 The ancient gallery on the north side, and where the 
 fine choir of Mr. Purdy once stood and led the praise 
 of the assembly, is taken down, and that on the wesl 
 is widened and extended from side to side. Originally, 
 
16 
 
 the seats were benches, with the exception of a long 
 and elevated one on either side of the pulpit, covered 
 with a rich curtain for the special use of the Philipse 
 family. It is said that Lord Philipse occupied the one 
 and his wife Catharine the other. 
 
 At the close of the revolution the minds of the peo- 
 ple had undergone a great change, and in repairing the 
 edifice they rudely tore down the rich awning, pulled 
 out the iron supporters from the wall, and made the 
 thrones, as they were called, convenient pews for the 
 worthy elders and deacons. They also changed the 
 naked benches into pews for the congregation, and said 
 they would have no lords and kings, but all the wor- 
 shipers should be on a level. The characters ^F 
 cut upon the vane mounted on the east end of the 
 building are the initials of the founder, Vredryck 
 Flypse. The bell that still rings out so shrill was cast 
 according to order in Holland in 1685, and bears be- 
 sides its date the inscription, " Si deus pro nobis, quis 
 contra nos." If God he for us who can be against us f 
 Beautiful expression, and worthy of being sounded out 
 under the whole heaven for the encouragement of the 
 Christian heart. Somewhat developed, it cries tri- 
 umphantly in every believer : " If as our Judge God 
 is satisfied ; if as our Father He loves us ; if as the 
 Controller of all events He will make all things to 
 work together for our good ; if, in a word, all He is, 
 and has, and does, is for us, His people, — who can be 
 against us ? who rationally against us ? who success- 
 fully against us? who of all the conquered enemies of 
 
17 
 
 the cross can safely be against ns in our progress to 
 ward Heaven? 7 ' The communion table and service 
 were ordered at the same time. The table when drawn 
 out, as it was in ancient times, for the guests who came 
 up in small companies and sat around it, filled all the 
 open space in front of the pulpit. It is massive oak 
 inlaid with ebony. Some years since, when the pulpit 
 and sounding board were taken down, it was removed 
 and placed with them in the rear of the house. It was 
 there purchased of consistory by Judge Constant for 
 the sum of $25. Subsequently, when the workmen 
 had finished, the church had need of their ancient ar- 
 ticle of furniture, and no little dissatisfaction being ex- 
 pressed at their loss, James Paulding generously 
 purchased it at the price paid for it by Judge Constant, 
 restored it to its original beauty at an additional 
 expense of fifteen dollars, and returned it, where it has 
 ever since been held in higher and more general appre- 
 ciation. 
 
 The service, consisting of one plate, two beakers and 
 baptismal bowl, are of silver, and of the finest make 
 and character. The plate is unusually large and heavy 
 The beakers, or cups, are about seven inches high, and 
 richly engraved. The one bears the name of Fredryck 
 Flypse, and the other of Catharina Van Cortlant. The 
 bowl is eight inches and a half in diameter, and is also 
 inscribed with the name of Fredryck Flypse. It was 
 at first oval on the bottom, and was placed in a socket 
 extended from the pulpit. When the South Church 
 was built no socket was provided, and because the 
 2 
 
18 
 
 bowl did not stand firmly alone, but rocked from any 
 slight motion, a rim was placed upon it. If this were 
 removed it would be restored to its original character. 
 This bowl, with one of the beakers bearing her name, 
 the communion table, and damask cloth of specified 
 dimensions, were given by will of Mrs. Phil ipse, in 
 1730, to her son-in-law, Adolph Philipse, "in trust to 
 and for the congregation of the Dutch Church, erected 
 at Philipsburgh by her husband, deceased, according 
 to the Synod of Dort." 
 
 The frequent and honorable mention made of Mrs. 
 Catharina Philipse in your history shows that she was 
 no ordinary disciple of Christ. She relieved her hus- 
 band of the care and labor of building the church edi- 
 fice, riding, it is said, on horseback from New York, 
 where he was engaged in business, to superintend the 
 work. The probability, however, is, that she rode only 
 from Yonkers, where Mr. Philipse resided before re- 
 moving to Tarrytown. She also used her means to 
 send for and to defray the expenses of bringing the 
 minister from, and returning him to his home in, Hack- 
 ingsack, several times in a year, for a period of nearly 
 twenty years. When she had filled up her day in use- 
 fulness, and ripened for Heaven, she fell asleep in Jesus, 
 and was buried in a vault under the floor of the edifice 
 she had so nobly erected. Some years since, when the 
 floor was torn up for repairs, two antiquarians ap- 
 peared in the neighborhoood, and were exceedingly 
 anxious to go in and see the final resting place of this 
 excellent woman. It was suspected, however, that they 
 
19 
 
 were more anxious to see the silver plate believed to 
 be on her coffin. Before night set in the leading 
 workmen had arranged that the whole weight of the 
 floor, and as mnch as possible of the building itself, 
 should forever rest on the entrance to her tomb. Mrs. 
 Philipse and the silver plate are still there. 
 
 The farther history of this church will impress you 
 that God has dwelt in it in an eminent degree. From 
 1697 to 1775 there were received into its communion, 
 on confession of their faith, 330 persons. From 1785 
 to 1817 there were added 307 persons ; and from 1837 
 to the present date, 336, making in all 973 souls. 
 The ministry of Mr. Smith was very successful, and 
 the probability is, that if the last twenty years of his 
 harvesting were registered, they would increase the 
 number to twelve or thirteen hundred persons who 
 have gathered here for the first time at the table of 
 our Lord. Of this number two have entered the min- 
 istry, Jacob C. Dutcher, late pastor of the Reformed 
 Protestant Dutch Church in Market street, and George 
 Rockwell, our excellent and self-denying missionary in 
 the Church of the Thousand Isles. We may here add 
 that Alexander Watson, first a deacon, and then 
 an elder, in this church, was licensed to preach the 
 Gospel by the Classis of Westchester, in 1857, and 
 Herman Schnellendreussler, at first a successful mis- 
 sionary to the Germans in Albany, and afterwards a 
 faithful chaplain in the army, was carried through 
 his theological course at New Brunswick by funds 
 raised for the most part among you. The blessing of 
 
20 
 
 God has rested very greatly upon the efforts of your 
 ministers to build up Zion. This will appear as we 
 proceed to trace your further history as a church 
 under their care. The first of the nine, Rev. Guil- 
 liaume Bartholf, who ministered here from 1697 to at 
 least April 18th, 1716, gathered many souls into the 
 kingdom. He was bom in this country, but went to 
 Holland to be educated. He was, in all his labors 
 here, as well as at Hackensack, where he lived, held in 
 very high esteem. His immediate successor is not 
 known. The records show that the church enjoyed 
 the services of a minister, and that additions were 
 made to it, especially in the spring and fall of almost 
 every year. 
 
 Next we hear of the Rev. Johannes Ritzema. He 
 was educated in Holland, and labored much of the 
 time in New York city, from 1744 to 1784, when he 
 was declared Emeritus. His name appears frequently 
 on the minutes of the Coetus, the Conferentia?, the 
 Convention, and the General Synod ; and he seems to 
 have been honored more than any of his contempora- 
 ries in the Church with offices of position and trust. 
 When this learned and excellent man became your 
 pastor, we have not been able to learn. From a state- 
 ment of his own, we know that he was the minister 
 at Philipsburgh, as well as at Harlem, the Manor of 
 Fordham, and the Manor of Cortlant, in 1755; and 
 from other sources of information we gather that he 
 continued to minister to this church until the com- 
 mencement of the Revolution. 
 
21 
 
 The Church of Cortlant, before mentioned, and now 
 called Cortlandtown, was early formed from this 
 church of Philipsburgh. In 1717 the respective in- 
 habitants of the Manor of Cortlant and Philips united, 
 " as had been resolved by common consent, to support 
 religious services in the Church of Philipsburgh." Tt 
 was agreed that the " former should pay one fourth, 
 and the latter the three other parts of the salary, and 
 that they should henceforth be together as one church, 
 and be noted together in the book of church minutes." 
 Your pastor accordingly entered upon your record at 
 that time the names of twenty-six persons, as " mem- 
 bers living on the Manor of Cortlant, and patent 
 of Capt. De Pay and Byck Abramsen. 
 
 "Firstly — Seybout Herrickson and Maritje his 
 wife ; Jan Herri ckse Kranckheyt and Grietje his 
 wife ; Brackey De Punmathys Brouwer and Maritje 
 his wife ; Nathan Beeley and Esther his wife ; Catha- 
 rina Van Texel, wife of Hendrick Lent ; Grietje 
 Brouwer, wife of Samuel Brouwer; Hendrick Lent 
 and Cornelia his wife ; William Van Texel and Weyntje 
 his wife ; Antje Sybout, wife of Jan Beesly ; Maria 
 Pun, wife of Abraham Lent ; Aeltje Brouwer, wife 
 of Jenriaen "Woll; Thunis Kranckheyt and Sophia 
 his wife; Willem Teller and Maritje his wife ; Jeremy 
 Ceuniff and Antje his wife ; Maritje, wife of Corne- 
 lius Michgielyen." 
 
 There are also to be seen noted here the names of 
 persons united in the marriage relation in Cortland- 
 town, from 170G to 1756, after which the residence of 
 
22 
 
 the parties was for a few years only partially given, 
 and then entirely omitted. There is in the possession 
 of the clerk of that consistory, a manuscript volume 
 entitled " A Church Register for the MaDor of Yan 
 Cortlandt," in which is recorded the names of infants 
 baptized, with those of the parents and witnesses, 
 from 1741 to 1747, and again from 1774 to the present 
 time. Mr. Bolton, in his history of Westchester 
 county, says of this register, which he saw some 
 nineteen years ago : " The first entry occurs June 3d, 
 1729 ; 'baptized Teunis, the son of Hendrick Brower 
 and Jannetje Crankheit.' " He also gives the following 
 minute, which we once saw : " The 28th day of June, 
 1760, ordained as consistory, Hermanus Gardinier, 
 Abraham Van Tessel, as elders, and Abraham Lent as 
 deacon." These facts render it j^robable that the 
 church on Cortlant manor was organized but a few 
 years later than this at Philipsburgh, but that having 
 no house of worship and no pastor, it depended very 
 much upon this for the public means of grace ; was 
 intimately associated with it for many years, and con- 
 tributed its part to sustain the service. They render 
 it also probable that at different periods, beginning 
 with 1729, some one of their consistory would attempt 
 a recoi'd of what was done of an ecclesiastical character 
 among them. 
 
 At an early period they had given to them by the 
 Yan Cortlants, 150 acres on what is commonly known 
 as Montross Point. Just over the northern boundary 
 of this, and on the bank of the river, they built a 
 
23 
 
 church edifice. We may suppose it was there when 
 Mr. Ritzema was the minister in 1755. It was burned 
 by the British in the Resolution, and the resting- 
 places of the dead around it falling into the hands of 
 private claimants, have long since been undermined 
 by the brick-maker, and carried away. Without 
 house or pastor, this church fast declined. The Rev. 
 Mr. Jackson was appointed in April, 1792, to visit 
 them and report their state to classis. He did so, 
 reporting in the fall of the same year, that they il had 
 lost their church, diminished in numbers and greatly 
 dispersed." In the spring of the next year, the Rev- 
 Gr. A. Kuypers and Peter Stiyker, each with an elder, 
 were appointed to visit them, " in order to organize a 
 consistory, and to do everything in their power to the 
 edification of the congregation. " Almost all the clas- 
 sis and all the candidates under the care of classis, 
 visited the church in its low state from 1792-1798. 
 The Rev. Mr. Jackson preached for them on several 
 occasions, and contributed very greatly by his labors 
 to its re- establishment. Their minutes show -their or- 
 ganization in the election of three elder3 and three 
 deacons, on October 22d, 1793, and their ordination 
 on April 21st of the next year. On December 30th, 
 1794, they were incorporated, and the following year 
 Mr. William Cockroft deeded to them " one acre, two 
 quarters and three rods of land for six shillings lawful 
 money paid." In this connection, the books show a 
 reservation made of sittings for ten persons of his 
 family. On the above beautiful eminence touching 
 
24 
 
 the west side of the Albany and New York post road, 
 three miles from Peekskill, and a mile, at least, south- 
 east of Montross Point, they erected their present 
 house of worship. While they were without an edifice 
 
 they worshipped in barns. In one of these they gath- 
 ered soon after the close of the war' and celebrated the 
 Lord's Supper. On that occasion, the officer to whom 
 had been committed for safe-keeping the collections, 
 and the grand tankard and beaker, and communion 
 cloth, brought them all out from their hiding-place, 
 and laid them, the bag of cents among them, on the 
 table. " It was/' said the relator, " a most precious 
 season to us all." The classis continued to supply the 
 church until the spring of 1800, since which time the 
 following persons have ministered to it as pastors : 
 William Manley,' from May 8th, 1800, to 1806 ; Abra- 
 ham Hoffman, from March 27th, 1810, to 1830 ; Robert 
 Rickwood, from October 21st, 1831, to 1836; Corne- 
 lius D. Westbrook, from July, 1836, to 1850; Samuel 
 Lock wood, from November 14th, 1850, to December 
 18th, 1852 ; John B. Steele, from 1853, to 1858; Mr. 
 St. John, supply, November, 1858, to the winter of 
 1864 and '65 ; and Mr. Wm. H. Anderson as pastor 
 elect, from May, 1865, until April, 1866. 
 
 The Rev. Mr. Hoffman resided on the original 
 church farm ; a property which to-day, without its im- 
 provements, would bring from one hundred to one 
 hundred and fifty thousand dollars. It was all sold 
 under the ministry of Rev. Dr. Westbrook, for $2,750. 
 Part of this sum went to pay the salary ; a little of it 
 
25 
 
 was given to the church in Peekskill, erected in 1837 ; 
 and the balance, about $1,500, was wisely laid out in 
 the purchase of ten or twelve acres of land, and the erec- 
 tion of a neat parsonage near their church edifice. The 
 encumbrance on this is about $1,400. The whole 
 property over the indebtedness is safely valued at 
 $5,000. This church is established in a delightful 
 country region, and forms an inviting field of labor to 
 a prudent and earnest minister of Jesus. It was placed 
 by the Particular Synod of 1863 under the care of the 
 Classis of Westchester. They gave to it as it needed 
 their immediate attention. They will doubtless con- 
 tinue to look after it, and seek to have it, by the bless- 
 ing of God upon the use of the proper means, enter 
 on a course of prosperity. The Church of Peekskill 
 mentioned above, was originally Congregational. In 
 1831, being without a pastor and much in debt, it 
 made overtures to the Reformed Dutch Church at Cort- 
 landtown, under the care of Rev. Robert Rickwood. # 
 These as accepted were, that the pastor of the latter 
 should preach part of the time at Peekskill and 
 administer the sacraments, and that his church at Cort- 
 landtown should hold all the members, and assume 
 all the debts and property of the church at Peekskill. 
 The Rev. Dr. Westbrook succeeded the Rev. Mr. 
 Rickwood in 1830, and for fourteen years seems to 
 have occupied the same position as pastor of the church 
 at Cortlandtown, and preached a part of the time at 
 Peekskill. 
 
 In 1839 the consistory of the church at Cortland- 
 
26 
 
 town built a chapel in Peekskill, and on September 1, 
 1850, a committee, by order of the South Classis of 
 New York, organized the First R. D. Church, of that 
 place with seven members, two of whom were chosen 
 for its elders. In the spring of 1851 God- sent to 
 this feeble church as her first pastor, the Rev. Charles 
 D. Buck. Under his able ministry and sacrificing 
 devotion to his work, responded to, more and more, by 
 his people in each succeeding year, she now, in May, 
 1866, " comes up from the wilderness " of doubts and 
 trials "leaning upon her beloved Saviour," possessed 
 of a beautiful property worth twenty-five thousand 
 dollars, free of debt, and "rejoicing as a strong man 
 to run a race." 
 
 A call of your church upon the Rev. Stephen Van 
 Voorhees, of Rhinebeck, was approved of by the 
 Synod, May 17, 1785. On the 25th of September, he, 
 as pastor, baptized Lovine, daughter of Solomon 
 r Hauws and Lovine Hammon, in English, and his ad- 
 ministration of the ordinance in that form gave great 
 offence to the congregation. He kept all his records 
 in English. Besides ministering to this people, he 
 preached also, " by unanimous agreement of Consistory 
 on every fourth, and sometimes on every third Sab- 
 bath, at Sing Sing" — that is, as we know from reliable 
 sources, in the house of worship then standing in the 
 burying ground near the post road, and about a mile 
 south of the present corporate limits of Sing Sing. 
 He was the first candidate examined and licensed by 
 the Independent American Synod, meeting in October, 
 
 
27 
 
 1772. He ministered here about three years, and we 
 are happy to know that one of the most intelligent, as 
 well as one of the ripest of the departed Christians of 
 our place, Mr. William Requaw, of the Methodist 
 church, spoke of him as being a very excellent 
 preacher and very worthy man. 
 
 He resided on the corner of the post road and the 
 north side of Main street. " Young Requaw," as he 
 was then called, was thrown into his society every 
 day, and was aided in his search for knowledge with 
 books and personal instruction, and when he became 
 the venerable " Uncle Billy Requaw," and was going 
 down to the grave full of honors from his church and 
 county, he often gratefully referred to his early friend 
 and instructor. But what a change in religious feel- 
 ings does one feature of this history call to mind ! 
 Eighty years ago a gifted and holy minister of Jesus 
 baptized a child in English in yonder old house of 
 God, and almost all the good people of the community 
 were off ended at the innovation. 
 
 Oh, that our Dutch Fathers had not clung so obsti- 
 nately to their language in religious services ! God 
 grant that their descendants, seeing this former weight 
 to our progress as a denomination recorded on the 
 page of history, may take warning from it, and never, 
 in all our future, be so short-sighted in any of our 
 important ecclesiastical matters. 
 
 Rev. John F. Jackson, spoken of in our remarks 
 concerning the Church of Cortlandtown, began his 
 ministry here and at Harlem in the fall of 1791. 
 
28 
 
 These churches formed his first and united charge, 
 and he continued in it until the spring of 1806. He 
 was called to Fordham in 1819, where he died as 
 pastor in 1835. 
 
 He was succeeded by Kev. Thomas G. Smith, 
 January 26, 1808. He was a noble specimen of a 
 sound mind in a sound body. Able to endure, both 
 mentally and physically, far more than most men, he 
 preached extensively, and for many years with great 
 success. With his labors in Greenburgh Church, from 
 1812 to 1820, many of you are familiar. It is now 
 acknowledged on all sides, that there he was greatly 
 persecuted. In the trial to which he was subjected 
 his enemies met with a perfect defeat at the hands of 
 his counsel, the late Minott Mitchell, of White Plains. 
 When he preached his last sermon he uttered the 
 words, " Your house shall be left unto you desolate." 
 They were received by the community as a true 
 prophecy, although at that time, and for years previous 
 under his ministry, the house had overflowed with 
 people in earnest attendance, and they were considered 
 by some as actually fulfilled a few years afterwards, 
 when the Presbytery refused to spend any more money 
 upon the church, and the house was closed. Your 
 present pastor, by special invitation, preached the 
 first sermon of a nearly two years' ministry in it on a 
 beautiful afternoon in June, 1848, to fifteen persons, 
 one third of whom were children. But we do not 
 attribute the decline of this church so much to the 
 curse pronounced on it by Mr. Smith, as we do to the 
 
29 
 
 frequent ecclesiastical relations through which, as we 
 shall show hereafter, it was made to pass, and the drink- 
 ing habits of those days, that had much to do, in some 
 parts of Westchester county, with Zion's reproach and 
 desolations. Driven from Greenburgh, Mr. Smith en- 
 tered immediately, and more fully than he had before 
 done, as a preacher at Unionville. There he organ- 
 ized the Dutch Church, by direction of the Classis 
 of New York, in 1820; and in a house of worship, 
 erected the same year, he continued to preach until 
 near the close of his ministry. Following him, the 
 Rev. John Moule labored as pastor of the church for 
 about two years ; and the Rev. John Robb, as supply, 
 a few months. No one of these men left any church 
 records. Fortunately, however, for its history, the 
 Rev. Win. S. Moore, a graduate of our theological semi- 
 nary, was called in 1839 to be its pastor. He made a 
 record of the names of such as seemed entitled to 
 church membership, as the Rev. Mr. Dubois had done 
 a year or two previously of the church at Tarry town, 
 and from that day its progress, by its minutes kept 
 by its three pastors — Wm. S. Moore, settled in 1839 ; 
 J. L. See, in 1850 ; Wm. S. Moore, in 1856 ; and Wm. 
 E. Bogardus, in 1865 — can be easily traced. 
 
 In 1821 and 1822 Mr. Smith preached on every 
 second and third Sabbath in the village of White 
 Plains. His labors there were of a missionary charac- 
 ter. The Presbyterian Church edifice had been burnt 
 in the Revolutionary war. The congregation had de- 
 clined, and enjoyed only occasional preaching from 
 
30 
 
 some traveling minister. Mr. Smith preached in the 
 Court-house. His audiences were large. A new house 
 for worship, and a reorganization of the church were 
 contemplated. Mr. Smith left, and in 181,4, after the 
 slight labors of two or three ministers, the church was 
 reorganized with six members, and the next year the 
 contemplated house was dedicated. Both the re- 
 organization and dedication v were by the Presbyterian 
 denomination. The church owes, however, more for 
 its existence to Thomas G. Smith, at that time the 
 pastor of the Dutch churches of Tarry town and 
 Unionville, than to any other human instrumentality. 
 When Mr. Smith closed his labors in White 
 Plains he began them especially in Dobbs Ferry. For 
 years he had, on week days, and sometimes on the Sab- 
 bath, been the chief preacher in all that vicinity. 
 Crowds attended on his preaching. Among other 
 places, he often preached at the house of a Mr. Odell, 
 whom he would distinguish from others of that name, 
 when giving out his notice in the Church at Tarry- 
 town, as Mr. Odell, the father of all the Odells. While 
 he was thus engaged in a field that seemed entirely his 
 own, a Presbyterian church was organized, and soon 
 after a house of public worship for the same was erected 
 and dedicated. It is possible that Mr. Smith was pleased 
 with this result, as he was himself of Presbyterian 
 training and association, and no earnest efforts at ex- 
 tension were being put forth at that time by the Dutch 
 Church. Through all these fields of his labor, and 
 with all the opportunities which his popularity as a 
 
31 
 
 preacher gave him, he organized but one church of our 
 denomination. On the whole subject of church exten- 
 sion no man was ever like Whit en* eld to preach, and, 
 unlike Wesley, to gather and hold the fruits of his 
 preaching. In dress and manners he was careless and 
 even slovenly. In company, however, he was genial 
 and much sought. In love of Christ he was earnest, 
 and in labors most abundant. He sleeps at the rear 
 of the church edifice in which, for more than a quarter 
 of a century, he ministered so well. 
 
 He was succeeded, in 1838, by Rev. George Dubois. 
 This excellent man had nearly worn himself out with 
 the labors of writing and committing to memory two 
 sermons a week for the period of eighteen years, while 
 pastor of the Dutch Church in Franklin street. In 
 this state he sought a change from the city to the 
 country, and was in God's kind providence called to 
 Tarrytown. At the first meeting of consistory, over 
 which he presided, it was resolved according to an un- 
 derstanding had with him before accepting your call, 
 to build a new church edifice in Tarrytown, and a com- 
 mittee was appointed to accomplish the object of the 
 resolution. In the meantime, the necessity for church 
 accommodation in the village became so apparent, that 
 the consistory hired the old Methodist Church edifice 
 with the special purpose of holding evening service 
 through the winter. Two thousand and thirty-two 
 dollars and eighty-six cents, as will be seen by the re- 
 port of John R. Stephens, were paid in January, 1838, 
 for repairs on the old church, and between six and 
 
32 
 
 seven thousand dollars laid out in the "building of the 
 South Church and parsonage, exclusive of the lecture- 
 room and of the entire ground, which was a gift by 
 deed from Abraham Storms. Of the $2,032.86, Mr. 
 William Landrine raised by subscription, and paid, 
 $761.75. The balance, $1,271.11, was carried for- 
 ward to the debt of the new buildings, making in 
 all, with interest and incidental expenses, nearly 
 $8,000 ; of this sum, $3,000 and upwards were realized 
 from the sale of lands, and $4,500 were raised by sub- 
 scription by John Mildeberger, Abraham D. Stephens 
 and the pastor. Besides these large outlays, the 
 church, at this point in its history, increased its salary 
 three-fold, raising it from $300 to $700 and a house, 
 and it continued to pay the salary of its pastor prompt- 
 ly year after year. In the morning he preached in the 
 North, and in the afternoon in the South Church, as 
 these houses of worship were called. His previous ex- 
 perience and preparation, together with his undoubted 
 piety and solemn manner, as of one who always seemed, 
 in his feeble health, to be preaching his last sermon, 
 gave him great success. He visited but little in his con- 
 gregation, but attended to all his pulpit duties and spe- 
 cial appointments with great fidelity. Soon after his 
 settlement, several of his former parishioners in the city, 
 but now living in Greenburgh and at Tuckahoe, and 
 coming occasionally to sit under his ministry, invited 
 him to visit their community, to preach and give his 
 opinion concerning the propriety of their uniting to 
 form a church. He did so, preaching at the house of 
 
33 
 
 Monmouth Hart, about half a mile west of the present 
 Moringville station on the New York and Harlem rail- 
 road. Here he met John and Charles and Richard 
 Dusenberry, Ichabod Smith and Benjamin Carpenter, 
 all of whom were anxious to secure to their families and 
 neighborhood an increase of church privileges. The 
 region in which many of them lived was next to hea- 
 then. It lay about midway between the two great 
 contending armies in the revolutionary war, and was 
 a portion of what was known as u neutral ground.'' 
 Tt had been overrun repeatedly by thieving bands 
 stealing from defenceless citizens, and especially from 
 one opposing party to sell to the other, till piety, mo- 
 rality and patriotism were well-nigh driven without 
 its limits. Among its characters was a noted Tory, 
 named Nathaniel Underhill, who, among his many 
 cruel deeds, murdered, in the most brutal manner, the 
 earnest patriot Isaac Martling. For this, he was es- 
 pecially despised by his kindred, and by all others 
 who supported the American cause. They erected a 
 stone in your burying ground, which still stands a little 
 to the north-east of the church building, bearing the 
 inscription — 
 
 In Memory of 
 
 Mr. Isaac Martling, 
 
 who was inhumanly slain by 
 
 Nathaniel Underhill, May 26th, A. D., 1779, 
 
 In the 39th year of his age. 
 
 In this region, so overrun and blighted by Toryism, 
 and naturally slow in regaining its former excellence, 
 Mr. Dubois encouraged his friends to unite, to labor 
 3 
 
34 
 
 and form a church of Christ. At his request, all the 
 large Classis of New York came and preached, each in 
 his turn once or twice during the year in aid of the 
 undertaking. The first preacher was the Rev. Dr. 
 Samuel A. Van Vranken, and the place of meeting, 
 the tavern of Mr. Gilbert Underbill. There bur dear 
 brother and teacher lifted up his powerful voice, and 
 poured forth from his warm heart, Gospel truth and 
 supplication for the building up of Zion. The gener- 
 ous landlord, that he niiorht give no offence to anv of 
 
 o 
 
 any 
 
 his guests either on that or the following occasions, 
 regularly suspended a blanket in front of the bar be- 
 fore the hour of service, and took it down again at the 
 close. He afterwards gave ground for a church edifice 
 and burying ground, and in later years could be seen 
 in company with his wife and many others, in that now 
 moral and Christian community, celebrating the love 
 of Jesus at his holy supper. Adjoining the church- 
 grounds stands a pleasant parsonage presented to the 
 church a few years since, by its life-long friend and 
 supporter, Charles Dusenberry. In the infancy of 
 this enterprise a conversation held by Rev. Mr. Dubois 
 with a citizen of Yonkers, while he was on his w r ay to 
 the meeting of classis, led him to ask and to obtain 
 the consent of the brethren to preach in that place, and 
 at Greenville on the same Sabbath. The result of his 
 efforts now appears in the self-sustaining, growing 
 churches of Greenville and Yonkers. The Rev. Mr. 
 Hulbert was the first and very successful pastor of 
 these churches. The latter made a most determined 
 
35 
 
 effort to leave our denomination in 1852. A full re- 
 port of the transaction is contained on the minutes of 
 the Classis of Westchester, and in one of the numbers 
 of the Christian Intelligencer of that year. Had the 
 seceding party in the church of Schenectady, or still 
 later in that of Philadelphia, read the report of the se- 
 ceders in Yonkers, neither of them would have ever at- 
 tempted their stupendous blunder. 
 
 In the summer of 1865 Mr. Hulbert was called to 
 build up a new church at White Plains. From 
 the time of his settlement he has earnestly devoted 
 himself to his work, and is already surrounded by a 
 congregation of numbers and strength. The Rev. 
 Professor Cole, of Rutger's College, succeeded him at 
 Yonkers ; and we are happy to learn that he also is 
 meeting with encouragement. In the fall of 1846 
 the Church of Greenville, consisting of seventeen mem- 
 bers, and able, by great effort, to contribute $250 to- 
 wards the salary, called me to be its pastor. I never 
 knew why I chose that field of labor, unless it was 
 through a somewhat singular ambition excited in me 
 to carry out the suggestion contained in a shrewd re- 
 mark of the elder, under whose roof I lodged, that 
 "the best way for a young minister to obtain a 
 good settlement was to take the poorest place he could 
 find, and make it the best place. 11 The first part of 
 this temptation I certainly entered fully upon. In the 
 second or third year of my pastorate, the afternoon 
 service was brought forward to the morning, and the 
 seats were rented. These were considered violent 
 
36 
 
 changes, and for a time threatened the destruction of 
 the church. But it lived, and really began a sound 
 growth from that day. In the month of June, 1848, 
 I was invited to preach in the afternoon in the Pres- 
 byterian Church of Greenburgh, at the junction of 
 the Saw-mill river and Tarrytown and White Plains 
 road. The attendance gradually increased, and a few 
 months later the church, by unanimous resolve, made 
 a change of its relations from the Bedford Presbytery, 
 who declined to aid it any more, to the Classis of New 
 York. The public records show that this church has 
 had several incorporations. First, as a Presbyterian 
 or Congregational, in 1790, under the Westchester As- 
 sociation, an irregular Presbyterian judicatory, long 
 since extinct ; second, as Congregational ; third, as 
 Presbyterian, incorporated several times, and fourth, as 
 a "Reformed Protestant Dutch Church. Its experience 
 has been much like that of the church at Sing Sing. 
 Both were afflicted, at different times in their history, 
 by the Westchester County Association ; and, after 
 years of trouble and change, the latter found rest in 
 uniting with the Presbyterian, and the forme? in 
 entering the Dutch denomination. 
 
 Before going to Greenburgh I had entered into an 
 agreement with a few friends at Bronxville, some five 
 miles southeast of Greenville, to preach there in the 
 afternoon, provided a church edifice could there be 
 erected. In the spring of 1850 the building was 
 actually built and a church organized. The persons, 
 with their families, prominent in this work, were 
 
37 
 
 either members or attendants of the church at Green- 
 ville — Mr. Jas. P. Swain, Mrs. Alexander Masterton. 
 Mrs. Peter Perney, and James W. Prescott. Green- 
 burgh church was now fortunately connected with a 
 new enterprise at Hastings, and placed under the effi- 
 cient pastorship of the Rev. Philip Phelps ; while 
 Bronxville, in the place of Greenburgh, was united 
 with Greenville, and grew up under my care. This 
 last union enabled me to take the Church of Greenville 
 off of the Board of Missions, an event to which I 
 have ever looked back with pleasure. In all these 
 changes I was installed over no church but Greenville, 
 and simply labored in these other stations as a volun- 
 tary missionary. In Hastings I did not preach, for 
 want of a house. The poorest accommodations even 
 could not be obtained. The Rev. Philip Phelps, Jr., 
 was the first preacher there. After two years he re- 
 signed his charge of the Church of Greenburgh, and 
 devoted his whole time to the one at Hastings. It 
 grew rapidly and became self-sustaining, with but $400 
 in all, of missionary aid. Under his ministry their 
 present house of worship was erected and subsequently 
 enlarged. 
 
 This church was mainly founded by Mr. Albert 
 Chrystie, of the Collegiate Church, New York. He 
 was, at its organization in 1850, joined in the elder- 
 ship, and ever after supported in all his efforts, by Mr. 
 Wm. Henry Saunders, from the Independent Church 
 of England. They magnified their office, and were 
 faithful unto death. Two truer and nobler men have 
 
38 
 
 seldom upheld the hands of a pastor, or guided a 
 church through the years of its infancy. Mr. Phelps 
 removed to Holland, Michigan, June, 1859, and was 
 immediately succeeded by the Rev. D. McL. Quacken- 
 bush. His ministry was able and profitable during 
 the two years of its continuance. He was succeeded 
 for about three years by the Rev. Wm. Henry Johr- 
 son. The present pastor, Rev. T. R. G. Peck, entered 
 upon his duties May 1st, 1865, and is meeting with 
 encouragement. The house in which he ministers is 
 being extended for present accommodation, while a 
 parsonage and a stone lecture-room will be built this 
 summer. The Rev. Joseph A. Collier succeeded me 
 at Greenville and Bronxville, becoming pastor of 
 both churches October 3d, 1852. In 1855 these 
 churches were separated, and he continued for a few 
 weeks pastor, simply of the latter. He was succeeded 
 at Greenville by the Rev. Aaron A. Marcellus. After 
 several years of service he was followed in the pastoral 
 office, for about eleven months, by 0. R. V. Romondt, 
 and he from December, 1861, to the present time, by 
 the Rev. John Pitcher. At Bronxville he was suc- 
 ceeded, in October, 1857, by the present pastor, Rev. 
 Washington Roosevelt. The latter never cost our de- 
 nomination a hundred and fifty dollars, either for 
 preaching or an edifice. It was a clear gain through- 
 out, being composed of persons from other churches, 
 who brought with them the ability and spirit to sup- 
 port themselves. It was organized like that at Hast- 
 ings, and on the same day, with but twelve members. 
 
39 
 
 It lias been well sustained from the first day by a few 
 liberal and energetic spirits, and is in some respects an 
 able church. The influences brought to bear in that 
 region, and in our growing classis, were such as 
 seconded, in an incidental way, the noble and suc- 
 cessful efforts of the Rev. Dr. Van Neste, of New 
 York, to establish a church at Mount Veruon. Through 
 his substantial aid and counsel, a faithful vine was 
 planted there in 1853. Its first minister, Benjamin F. 
 Snyder, was greatly supported by missionary aid ; 
 but his successor, Rev. Isaac M. See, has been privi- 
 leged to see it become almost self-supporting. Thus, 
 as the ripples from a stone cast into the water widen 
 and repeat themselves, the waves of church extension 
 spread out over this now beautiful heritage, from the 
 calling of the Rev. Mr. Dubois to be your pastor. He 
 died on the 20th of April, 1844, after a most suc- 
 cessful ministry of nearly seven years, and was laid to 
 rest, like his predecessor, in the burial-ground of the 
 Old Dutch Church. 
 
 The Rev. Joseph Wilson was settled over this 
 charge in 1845, and he was succeeded by the Rev. 
 John Mason Ferris, in 1849. With this young and 
 energetic pastor came great changes. He observed 
 that the attendance in the South Church building was 
 much larger than in the North, which stood in the coun- 
 try ; and in three or four months after his settlement 
 he declined to preach in the latter house, as had Long 
 been the habit of your ministers on a part of the day, 
 and confined his services to the former. An arrange- 
 
40 
 
 ment, to which lie gave his consent — and $100 of his 
 salary, was then made, with the Rev. John W. Schenck, 
 to perforin all the duties of a pastor for that section of 
 the congregation who preferred to worship in the 
 North Church, and in this way both houses were kept 
 open for two services on the Sabbath. In about one 
 year after this arrangement was entered into, Mr. 
 Schenck resigned his position, when the consistory 
 were led to consider the expediency of securing for the 
 North part of the congregation the labors of a separate 
 pastor. This seemed, on further reflection, to call for a 
 division of the property. In a few weeks a division 
 was agreed upon, by which it was determined that be- 
 sides the North Church retaining the name, corporate 
 seal, records and silver plate, the South Church should 
 assume a debt of about $1,000 (for the payment of 
 which a sufficient sum was afterwards realized by the 
 sale of a house and lot given in deed some years be- 
 fore), and give to the North $2,000, together with the 
 North Church building and burial ground. And the 
 North should release to the South all church property, 
 including the church building and parsonage situated 
 in the village of Tarrytown. For the disproportion- 
 ate character of this division, I have never been able 
 to account. It would seem not to have occurred to 
 your rninds until some time afterwards, that if you at- 
 tempted to confine yourselves to your old church edi- 
 fice you must utterly die out, and that if you left it 
 it would be worse than nothing to you in value, nor 
 that the money you had received was not more than 
 half enough to obtain for you even a 'parsonage. 
 
41 
 
 Of the 126 families and 230 members reported, 66 
 families and 90 members with the pastor, passed to the 
 South Church, and 60 families and 150 members remain- 
 ed with the North. Of the 150 left on the record as mem- 
 bers of the latter church, full 40 were either such as could 
 not be found, or such as we have sought for good rea- 
 sons through many years, and not without some suc- 
 cess at last, to be relieved of. Oh, those old records 
 of members, so much valued in the separation, were 
 almost enough to have driven away any minister you 
 might have called ! At a meeting of the congregation 
 called by the Consistory to consider and approve 
 of the above agreement, it was resolved to call the 
 Rev. William Brush to be your pastor. He came, saw 
 the state of things, and in three months resigned with- 
 out being installed. This was in March, 1852. The 
 North division of this congregation was now distin- 
 guished in her corporate name as the First, and the 
 South, as the Second Reformed Protestant Dutch 
 Church of Tarrytown. The latter was organized No- 
 vember 24th, 1851, and the Rev. John Mason Ferris 
 was installed over it on the evening of January 11th, 
 1852. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Abel 
 T. Stewart of Greenville ; the charge to the pastor was 
 delivered by the Rev. John L. See of Union ville, and 
 the charge to the congregation was given by the Rev. 
 Abraham D. Wyckoff, of Greenburgh. After a few 
 months they enlarged their house of worship and 
 grew steadily under the care of their pastor, until in 
 the fall of 1854, w T hen he removed to Chicago. It con- 
 
42 
 
 tinued to grow under his successor, the Rev. John A. 
 Todd, who was installed in the early part of the fol- 
 lowing spring. During the last eleven years, covering 
 his entire ministry down to the 21st of April last, it 
 has received into its communion 160 persons on con- 
 fession of their faith, and contributed $17,832 for be- 
 nevolent purposes. The years 1857 and '59- 7 64 and 
 1865 were especially fruitful in conversions. 
 
 In July, 1852, I accepted a most unexpected call of 
 your Consistory, and on the last Sabbath of that month 
 entered on my duties as your pastor-elect. Your call, 
 on being tendered the second time, and made as invit- 
 ing as was possible in your ability, offered me for my 
 temporal support $650 ; and this, with the exception of 
 a small donation, was all I received for some time after 
 my settlement. In October a committee of the Consis- 
 tory was appointed to find and report a site for a new 
 church edifice. Nothing particularly followed this 
 action, but in December it was resolved to invite the 
 congregation to consider this subject. The notice was 
 given from the pulpit, and the congregation assembled 
 and resolved, that William See, William F. Van Wart, 
 Alexander Watson, Abraham D. Stephens and William 
 Hawes should be a committee to look for suitable 
 grounds for a new church edifice, and ascertain what 
 funds could be secured in the congregation for the ob- 
 ject. They reported two lots; one opposite the North 
 Church, and the other, the one afterwards selected. 
 Each person was invited to express his views in the 
 fullest manner, after which it was unanimously decided 
 
43 
 
 to purchase the lot on which this, our present house of 
 worship, is erected. 
 
 The parsonage which you had nearly completed was 
 sold, and it was subsequently determined to erect one 
 nearer to the church edifice. An acre and a half of 
 land was obtained for both buildings, and on this 
 beautiful spot they were erected in the same year. 
 
 And now we turn from the " Old Church" beauti- 
 fully standing in all its associations of religion, scenery, 
 romance, and the sleeping dead. Many hearts have 
 communed with Christ within its walls, part of whom 
 " have crossed the flood, and part are crossing now." 
 
 Its bell on certain occasions shall yet ring out its 
 silvery notes to the margin of the Hudson. 
 
 " Pocantico still rolls his stream 
 Beneath the bridge of Irving's dream, 
 As when he heard the tramp and scream 
 Of Ichabod, that fearful night 
 When Brown Bones gave him such a fright." 
 
 " The rivals sleep, and with them he whose wand 
 Hath made their names so famous in the land ; 
 
 By the old church they sleep, ' 
 Beyond death's stream, 
 
 No more to laugh and weep, 
 No more to dream. 
 
 With thousands in God's acre they repose, 
 Where the hushed wind in gentlest whisper blows," 
 
 and where the arch-angel's trump will yet be heard 
 joyfully waking up thousands of infant children, and 
 adult believers to meet their blessed Lord. 
 
 Sunny side and the grave of its illustrious occupant 
 will be protected. Andre brook will ripple on over 
 its short bed to the river, and the monument erected 
 
44 
 
 to his captors will stand, and surely the Old Church 
 that antidates them all in history will be preserved. 
 
 Here, in this house, dedicated to the worship of our 
 God on the 24th day of May, 1854 (our thoughts all 
 recur to the lamented Beithune, who performed the 
 service, and in our hearts we could wish him back to 
 earth, did we not believe him to be in Heaven), we 
 have with great comfort for twelve years, preached the 
 everlasting Gospel. Here we have besought men in 
 Christ's stead to be reconciled to God. Here we have 
 prayed for the conversion of sinners, and the growth 
 of believers. Here, in obedience to the terms of your 
 " call " and my public promise, we have imparted cate- 
 chetical instruction to the youth, and regularly ex- 
 plained the Heidelberg catechism on the Lord's day, 
 and here we have never failed to make supplication 
 u for all that were in authority." On no Sabbath dur- 
 ing our late dreadful civil war did I, when leading 
 your devotions, fail to pray for the President of our 
 country, the maintenance of our government, and the 
 restoration of the Union. When our interest was 
 heavy we were kindly presented with $200 a year for 
 five years, by the Consistory of the Collegiate Church. 
 That gift I have always considered one of the turning 
 points in our success. Our shed was roofed at an 
 expense of several hundred dollars by our friend An- 
 son G. Phelps, Jr. Our excellent bell was presented 
 by another friend, Wilson G. Hunt. The furniture of 
 the house, and many of its fixtures, were obtained in 
 a great degree by the persevering efforts of the ladies. 
 
45 
 
 Our organ was the result of persevering efforts on the 
 part of a committee, and shows what a congregation 
 can do when they feel an interest in a work. We be- 
 gan, to raise money for an Organum Harmonicum, and 
 caring: but little for it, failed. We undertook for an 
 organ, and caring much for it, succeeded. It is an ex- 
 cellent instrument, worth more than double its cost, 
 and only needs the accompaniment of the new " Book 
 of Praise " in every pew, and its use by every worship- 
 per to prove a decided help in an important part of 
 the service. v/^'y' 
 
 On the 14th of June^you were invited at the close 
 of the service to meet on the following Tuesday even- 
 ing, and devise means for liquidating a part or the 
 whole of our church debt. Nine persons responded 
 to the call ; God was present at the meeting. An earn- 
 est sermon followed on the next Sabbath morning, 
 founded on 9th verse of the 29th chapter of the 1st 
 Book of Chronicles. " Then the people rejoiced, for 
 that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart 
 they offered willingly to the Lord ; and David the 
 king also rejoiced with great joy," wherein we sat be- 
 fore you in the solemn crisis of our church affairs, a 
 connected scriptural argument with most weighty con- 
 siderations for your immediate action for relief. You 
 met again and accepted the proposition of Mr. Wil- 
 liam Wallace to raise $500 outside the congregation, 
 on condition that the whole sum of your indebtedness 
 should be paid in thirty days. You met again, 
 and then once again, and reported the entire needed 
 
46 
 
 sum of $7,762, secured. The committee consisting 0*' 
 William See, John R. Bacon, William B. Landrine, 
 Edwin R. Bogardus and William Hawes, at once col- 
 lected the subscriptions and paid our entire debt. For 
 this success we were indebted for substantial aid to 
 some friends not included in the congregation. They 
 never gave to a more worthy cause, and we shall ever 
 have reason to respect and love them for their kind- 
 ness ; but as a people including now those worshipping 
 with us during a part or the whole of the year, you 
 did nobly. Many of you gave to the extent of your 
 ability and with the best of spirit. I think of no 
 words adequate to the occasion, but those of King 
 David when addressing all Israel and expressing the 
 emotions to God after their large contributions to 
 build the temple, " Now therefore our God, we thank 
 thee and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, 
 and what is my people, that we should be able to of- 
 fer so willingly after this sort ? for all things come of 
 thee, and of thine own have we given thee." Oh, it 
 was a blessed consummation of labor, of hope, and of 
 prayer. We could only obtain in subscription some 
 twenty-eight hundred dollars in all the land to build 
 with, and forty-eight hundred were all we had from 
 all sources to purchase and begin to build all you now 
 see of our present church and parsonage property, valu- 
 ed as it stands to-day at thirty-five thousand dollars. 
 Again and again you contributed to reduce the princi- 
 pal, but your last sweeping effort was the noblest 
 thing in your long and noble history. It was like 
 
47 
 
 Mary's princely anointing of her blessed Lord, when 
 she poured the pound of ointment of spikenard, very 
 costly, upon his head and feet, and in many places and 
 through many years it " shall be spoken of for a me- 
 morial of" you. 
 
 During the past, nearly fourteen years of hope and 
 fear, labor and change, we have received into our com- 
 munion, on confession of their faith, a hundred and 
 thirty persons. Our present number of members, free 
 from many who were weights to our progress, and all 
 whose residence is unknown, is a hundred and ninety- 
 four. With those whom we have gained from the world, 
 we think of those whom we have given up to heaven. 
 In memory they crowd upon me, from the first one to 
 the last ; and I think of John Sherwood ; Mrs. Eliza- 
 beth See ; Abraham D. Moore ; Mrs. Catharine Devoe ; 
 Mrs. Mary Yates ; James P. See ; Mrs. Albert Minnerly ; 
 William Brown ; Mrs. Mary Sherwood ; James S. Yan 
 Wart ; Margaret Ann and Sophia Louisa See ; William 
 Dearman; Mrs. Martha Jane Martin; Mrs. Isabella 
 Gearhardt ; Mrs. Sarah A. Knapp ; Mrs. Elizabeth 
 Kenyon ; Mrs. Phebe Landrine, and Julia De Revere, 
 her daughter ; Mrs. Mary Snowden ; Leah See ; Paul 
 H. Powles ; John Devoe ; Teressa W. Tallman ; Mrs. 
 Mary Brown ; Mrs. Mary Vail ; Levi S. Carl ; Mrs. 
 Sophia Devoe ; Jonathan Bayles, and Mrs. Catharine 
 Guthrie, who, down to the latest hour of her long life, 
 and months after she had become a child on every 
 other subject, could be aroused at any time by the 
 mention of the name of Jesus, to the most beautiful 
 
48 
 
 and Christian expressions concerning his precious 
 character and grace ; Mrs. Anna F. Yerks, Isaac 
 Tompkins, and Catharine his wife, Joei Knapp, 
 Peter See, Mrs. Sarah Shindler, Mrs. Catharine 
 Weis, William Couch, Mrs. Elizabeth Tracy, Mrs. 
 Nancy Bayles, Mrs. Jane Devoe. These happy 
 spirits now compass us about as a great cloud of 
 witnesses, and urge us to lay aside every weight, 
 and 4 ' run with patience the race that is set before us, 
 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our 
 faith." 
 
 Taking into consideration the favorable circum- 
 stances under which we meet this day as a church of 
 Christ ; the room and conveniences we possess over and 
 above our old house of worship ; the great advance- 
 ment of the cause of our Redeemer in the growth of 
 other churches that have sprung from this ; the pre- 
 sent harmony, strength and prospects of this the mo- 
 ther church ; and the rich blessings of God which have 
 rested upon it for one hundred and sixty-nine years, 
 visible especially in the number of conversions and 
 numbers ripened for heaven, and departed in the 
 faith, we have highest reason to raise our " Eben- 
 ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." 
 
 And now it is asked why I leave a church and a 
 county with which I have been so long identified, and 
 in which my labors have been so manifestly blessed. 
 Is it to find easier work ? Surely not, when so much 
 of the hard and discouraging work here is done. Is it 
 to find stronger and truer friends ? They cannot be 
 
49 
 
 found in this world. Is it to find a more pleasant 
 home ? In this, too, I would fail ; for the parsonage, 
 I have thought, is located more beautifully than any 
 other one on the enchanting road that connects Sing 
 Sing with Yonkers, on the bank of the Hudson, on 
 which it has been truthfully said by one of the ablest 
 and oldest pastors of New York city, " is gathered 
 more intelligence, religion and wealth, with natural and 
 artistic beauty, than on any other stretch of the same 
 number of miles in this country." I go from you, then, 
 who are now in good position to be left, that I may 
 help those noble men who are laboring for the exten- 
 sion of our church in the West ; that I may aid in 
 laying foundations on which other men shall largely 
 build for Christ ; that I may mould the minds and char- 
 acters of the children who may come under my care, and 
 exert some influence on the young men who, for the 
 most part, must become our Western ministers. Sure- 
 ly my call is great. For two years I have struggled 
 against it, but it has fought its way in upon my judg- 
 ment and heart, until now I am ready to respond to it 
 at the necessary sacrifice. God has been my helper 
 since first I began my struggles for a liberal education, 
 and my dear friends, now pray that He who has been 
 my strength in the past, may stand by me in the fu- 
 ture of my course, and help me even more. 
 
 4