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 ERECTED IN 1765. 
 
 A HISTORICAL DISCOURSE ! 
 
 DELIVERED NOVEMBER 15th, 1874, 
 
 BY REV. WM. JOHNS. 
 

A HISTORICAL DISCOURSE 
 
 OF FORT HERKIMER REFORMED CHURCH, 
 
 PREACHED BY REV. WM. JOHNS, KOV. ISth, 1874. 
 
 "I am a stranger -with tliee and a sojourner, 
 as all my fathers were."— Psalm 39, 12. 
 
 The ancient Israelites dwelt in tents. 
 They were not unlike the emigrant mov- 
 ing 'west, laying no claims to the land 
 through which they sojourned, simply 
 using the grasses and other available ar- 
 ticles for their present necessities. So 
 Israel lived in the days of the patriarchs, 
 and moved along with their families, 
 tlieir flocks and herds from "Dan to 
 Beersheba,-' in tine, throughout all tlie 
 land Canaan. 
 
 lu the days of David a change had tak- 
 en place. The land had been divided, 
 and the tribes had settled down in their 
 own inheritance, and were no longer 
 "strangers and pilgrims"' as their fathers 
 — they claimed the soil, were at home 
 and at rest. The royal psalmist, in his 
 contemplations, thinks of the fathers, 
 how they lived and died, and of the fact 
 that they "confessed themselves to be 
 pilgrims and strangers," he finds in their 
 history a lesson of instruction; their 
 statements were correct; all the scenes 
 in their lives were dissolving views 
 which i)assed before the vision, beautiful 
 for the time being, but they were dis- 
 solving. So is life ; it is short and tran- 
 scient. 
 
 A tent is an apt illustration, to-day it 
 is here— to-morrow it is taken down, 
 laid away or pitched on some other place. 
 And thus it is with the traveler, he does 
 not intend to be a rover, always to dwell 
 in a tent— the emigrant wagon is not to 
 be his permanent home. When he 
 reaches his dfstination he intends to 
 build and to surround himself with his 
 family, his flocks and the fruits of his la- 
 bors. So the Christian— now indeed he 
 is a pilgrim and a stranger, exposed to 
 dangers on the right and on the left, to 
 trials and temptations — many times doth 
 his prayers ascend to God mid^t tears of 
 inward sorrow, but he lives in anticipa- 
 tion of that rest which is prepared for the 
 geople of God— like Moses on Mount Nebo 
 e looks across the river and sees the 
 goodly land— he is cheered with the pros- 
 
 pective future of a more endearing and 
 enduring habitation, "a house not made 
 with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2d 
 Cor. 5 :1 
 
 We have thought that as the psalmist 
 contemplated the lives of the fathers, his 
 ancestors, and drew practical lessons 
 therefrom, so we might on this occasion, 
 find instruction by treading in his 
 footsteps, and take a retrospective glance 
 of this ancient parish, the oldest in the 
 valley this side of Albany— ot the fathers 
 who built it and worshiped therein — and 
 of the ministers who instructed and led 
 them in their devotions. 
 
 This Church has long been known as 
 "the Fort Herkimer Reformed Church." 
 Its corporate name is "Tlie Reformed 
 Protestant Dutch Church of German 
 Flatts." Such is the inscription of its 
 Corporate Seal which was adopted in 1796 
 and never has been changed. 
 
 This church, like the broad acres which 
 extend above and below, took its name 
 from the early settlers. The "Flatts" 
 and the "Germans," two simple words 
 affixed together by the force of circum- 
 stances — the Germans settling on^ the 
 flatts. At first ' spoken of as a settle- 
 ment, and subsequently as the town of 
 German Flatts; so the church was called 
 to conform to the settlement and subse- 
 quently the town. 
 
 The history of this clftrch, and of 
 these flatts, the early settlers, ia 
 thrilling, full of interest, and a wonder- 
 ful subject for thought and reflection. 
 How many practical lessons may be 
 tound therein I IToav difiierent are our 
 circumstances and our emotions to-day 
 from theirs! There is no war-whoop nor 
 war-trump to molest us; there is no 
 danger of our friends being scalped or 
 our infant being pierced through with 
 the bayonet and their brains dashed out 
 by a white savage. Our property will 
 not be destroyed ; our families will not 
 be molested. No announcement will be 
 made at the door that the wary Indian 
 is lurking back of yonder mound, ready 
 to pounce upon us when we shall 
 
 l^t^iCl^ 
 
separate from the doors of the sanctuary. 
 No alarm gun will he fired to-day. — 
 None of our friends will be massacred 
 in our presence, and we ourselves unable 
 to render them assistance. Kothing; 
 of this kind will transpire. They wit- 
 nessed those scenes. Our lots are cast 
 in pleasant places, and we can worship 
 according to the dictates of our con- 
 sciences. 
 
 Yes, the history of these flatts and of 
 this Church is an extraordinary one; 
 they received the baptism of blood ; 
 many lost their lives by the Indian's toma- 
 hawk and the Frenchman's bayonet at 
 an early day; then the contest in the rev- 
 olution was one which tried men's hearts ; 
 their blood ran freelj'^, and many of their 
 remains found repose around these an- 
 cient walls. This house also was an 
 asylum, a place of refuge for the inhabit- 
 ants in case. of sudden incursion from the 
 enemy. Many a helpless one has been 
 sheltered herein; these walls have wit- 
 nessed many scenes. A helpless mother 
 ^ave birth to her child herein, and how 
 many died and were carried out and laid 
 silently in their graves, none C£n tell. 
 The minister, as well as the people, has 
 found protection and repose here, antl 
 no doubt enjoyed the consolations of re- 
 ligion. How unlike tlie praj'ers ot the 
 sainted fathers aie ours to-day. Ah, those 
 were the days which tried men's hearts, 
 but they found protection here. 
 
 It is said tliat the lirst settlement on 
 German Flatts was made by a Colony of 
 Germans from the Palalibes on the Hud- 
 son. Possibly they wanted more lands 
 than that section afforded, or were in- 
 duced to come here from the favorable 
 reports concernins the land. They came 
 in the year 1722— one hundred and tifiy- 
 two j'ears ago. 
 
 Among tiie names of the early settlers, 
 we find Erghamer Ilarkimer, Barter, 
 Fox, Woiver, Starring, Editch, Bellin- 
 ger, Hans Dedrick Stelly and others, 
 names which are still familiar here, but 
 modified to conform to English pronun- 
 ciation. 
 
 It is said that the first church building 
 erected was of logs, in the year 1725, and 
 from references it is supposed that tne 
 first minister was an older bi'Other ol 
 Rev. Abraham Rosencrantz.as the biogra- 
 pher of Rev. Abraham Rosencrantz said 
 that he succeeded his brother i n the year 
 17G7— the year when the builder's stone 
 with the initial-s J. H. E. «:q: 1SG7, was 
 placed over the old door which faced the 
 north. Rev. A. Rosencrantz, V. D., la- 
 bored here from 17G7 till 1794:. In 179S a 
 call was made on Rev. Mr. Pick, of Stone 
 Arabia. Rev- Fitch Romden, of Oneida, 
 had preached occasionally before Mr. 
 Pick was called. In 1S02 Rev. John P. 
 Spinner was called, and his pastorate 
 
 continued till 184S, nearlj' forty-six years. 
 A singular incident occurred in the Syn- 
 odical minutes — the next year after his 
 death, German Flatts is left out, and 
 does not appear again — four years after- 
 wards the church has a new minister and 
 a new name, "Fort Herkimer," and so it 
 stands on the classical and Synod ical 
 minutes to-day. 
 
 Rev. J.Stark preached five years, then he 
 retired to Mohawk ; then there was a va- 
 cancy of four j^ears. He returned in 1862. 
 In 1863 he died, and was the last settled 
 pastor the church had. Rev. J. Petrie 
 supplied the pulpit one year in 1864. In 
 1867 Rev. J. J. Quick supplied one year. 
 After that they received occasional sup- 
 plies. Rev. Mr. Consaul preached for 
 awliile on Sabbath afternoons. In the 
 Summer of 1873 Mr. Todd, from the sem- 
 inary, preached four wionths, and in 1874 
 Mr. 'Hoffman, from the seminary, four 
 months, which ended on the first day of 
 September last. 
 
 In the early history of the church there 
 were no statistical reports required by 
 the Synod — probably like many other re- 
 ports, they were given verbally. But in 
 the Synod of 1812, it was ordered that an 
 annual report should be made from each 
 church of the number of families and 
 communicants. In 1814 Rev. J. P. 
 Spinner for the church ofGerman Flatts, 
 reported 184 families, 2o0 in full com- 
 munion. Here is the first statistical 
 record which we have. Rev. A. Ros- 
 encrantz's records have been mislaid, 
 lost or destroyed. In 1815 Rev. J. 
 P. Spinner reported 156 families— con- 
 gregation, 1000. Communicants, 237.— 
 In 1818, 346 in communion, 32 added on 
 confirmation, 35 infants baptized. For 
 the next ten years the church was in a 
 fiourishing condition— the number of 
 families and of communicants were kept 
 up and reported to Synod. 
 
 In 1833 they were reduced to 140 com- 
 municants; the church began to wane- 
 other organizations were springing up— 
 the churches in Frankfort and Warren 
 had been organized, which doubtless 
 took as many as a hundred members- 
 there were internal difficulties principal- 
 ly about their land— death had taken sev- 
 eral of their number, and some had been 
 suspended, so that in 1845 the last report 
 made by Rev. .T. P. Spinner was 150 fam- 
 ilies, 113 in communion. "The German 
 schoolmaster had been compelled to give 
 up his dei^k to the English teacher, and 
 the younger part of the congregation 
 were in a rapid state of transition.'" — 
 Other inlluences were brought to bear — 
 the doctiines of repentance and regener- 
 ation were presented in a different man- 
 ner in those new congregations; and 
 deemed to be of more importance than 
 Baptism and Confirmation or even the 
 
reception of the Holy Communion. Mr. 
 Spinner bad also been rpjiresented as be- 
 inii: a high ehurclinian. placinur too much 
 stress upon forms aiid ordinances — as 
 carinij more for tiie letter than the spirit, 
 all of winch had its effect, so tliat in 1855, 
 ton years after Mr. Spinner's death, Eev. 
 J. Starks reported only 70 fan)ilies. con- 
 trregation 350, S. Scliooi GO. in communion 
 35, showinj^ a loss of SO families and 78 
 members from the communion. In 185S, 
 50faniilies, 30 S. S., and 30 communicants 
 were reported. In lSG-4 Rev. J. Petrie 
 reported 40 families. 25 S. Scholars- 
 communicants — but there were about 20 
 members left then. Conofregational pur- 
 poses $100, which probably was the 
 amount he received for his services. — 
 Such is the record in tiie Synod's minutes. 
 To-daj' it is a missionary iield. 
 
 Tiie founders of the church were inter- 
 ested in tlie support of the Gospel. On 
 tne 24ih of September. 1730, Mr. Niclio- 
 las Wolever deeded lot 30of Burnetstield 
 patent for "church and school purposes." 
 On the 2Uth day of April, 17;!3, Hans De- 
 drich Stelly and others, deeded in trust 
 to Peter Eemsen, lots 45, 4G and 47 on 
 German Flatts, for the support of the 
 minister in Lonjj Candle, orliurnetsHeld, 
 in Albany county, Tliese lands were in 
 trust and could not be sold— they were 
 therefore disposed of by issuino^ perpetu- 
 al L'^ases at an annual rentage ot one 
 York shlUins per acre. 
 
 Tlie amount of land in each lot is not 
 specitied. At least there musthave been 
 a thousand acres in each, as the revenue 
 amounted to three or four hundred dol- 
 lars annually. Xothinsr is known about 
 Rev. Mr. Roseucrantz's salary. When 
 Mr. Pick officiated at the installation of 
 the Elders and Deacons on the 2'Jth of 
 January, 179G, he received the sum of 
 £4 IGs for his services, and six shillings 
 for recording their ordination and in- 
 stallation in the Book of Minutes, which 
 certainly was a liberal sura for that day. 
 The next visit he (Mr. Pick) made they 
 paid him £2. Rev. Mr. J. P. Spinner 
 received a salary of seven hundred dol- 
 lars. But the congregation, in addition 
 to the annual rentage of the lands, 
 raised funds by subscription. 
 
 In the Court of Chancery, at Utica, it 
 was shown "that they raised more mon- 
 ey by subscription than was paid from 
 the lands." Subsequently they gave up 
 their subscriptions— they' lost their in- 
 terest, the congregation dwindled down, 
 difficulties began to niultiplj', the spirit 
 of the Master was found in only a few 
 hearts — while the massesgave their souls 
 and strength to the acquisition of wealth. 
 And the word of the Gospel became like 
 the seed which fell among thorns, 
 "choked through the deceitfuluess of 
 riches." 
 
 Fort Herkimer Reformed Church is 
 in the tullest sense of the term, an Old 
 lia' dniark. Erected on the German 
 Flatts on the south side of the Mohawk 
 river, nearly opposite the entrance of 
 the West Creek into the Mohawk— v/ithin 
 the stockaded work with a ditch and a 
 p^'-apet pallisaded, thrown up by Sir 
 William Johnson, in the year 1756. — 
 The present building was commenced 
 under a permit granted in 1746, but on 
 account of Indian troubles was delayed. 
 In 1751 a new permit was granted and 
 the work went forward slowly, and com- 
 pleted one story high in 1767. Its di- 
 mensions were 48 by 58 and 17 feet in 
 height, of stone, supported with heavy 
 angular abutments at each corner; the 
 door was near the center of the north 
 side; nothing is known of the internal 
 arrangement. In 1812 there was an 
 addition of seven or eight feet added to 
 the height of the building. The north 
 door was closed and a new one made in 
 the west end. Galleries were erected on 
 tJiree sides, and the pulpit with its high 
 sounding-board at the east. This work 
 was done during the ministry of Rey. 
 John P. Spinner. A noble old building! 
 i^ntique but impressive, it stands to-day 
 as when erected. It has recently been 
 repaired internally by its old friends; 
 its walls are firm, and" will stand a hun- 
 dred years longer if not destroj'ed by 
 accident or the hands of wicked men 
 who have no regard for the sacred mem- 
 ories of past giMieratio'is. This church 
 is always spoken of as the Fort, because 
 it was the principal building within the 
 fort as seen in the "plan and profile of 
 Retrenched work around Herkimer's 
 house at German Flatts, 1756." Every 
 remaining vestige of the fort is gone 
 excepting this house— even the well 
 which afforded them water is filled up 
 or lost in the Erie canal. It is well that 
 the church stands as a monument of the 
 past. Many events besides those we 
 have already alluded to, took place with- 
 in this fort. In 1756 all the inhabi- 
 tants who could, resorted hither for 
 protection when the land was laid 
 waste by Canadians, French and a party 
 of Indiaiis. Then agaui during the 
 revolution, in July, 1782, this house was 
 a place of refuge, when Indians and 
 Tories murdered so many of the inhabi- 
 tants, six hundred Indians were dis- 
 covered by Peter Wolver and Augustus 
 Hess. They and their families and 
 others fled to the fort and were saved, 
 but Hess lost his life. Valentine Staring 
 was taken prisoner, and tortured first, 
 then tomahawked and scalped. All the 
 buildings in the hamlet were burned ex- 
 cept George Herkimer's house whicn 
 was within the fort; the valley was 
 black with smoke and red with 'fire.— 
 
,4 
 
 Sixty-three dwelling?, 57 barns, 2 grist- 
 mills, and 2 saw-mills were consumed; 
 235 horses, 229 horned cattle, 265 sheep, 
 and 93 oxen were taken and driven 
 away. 
 
 As the death of Mrs. Eysaman, relict 
 of Joseph Eysaman, has so recently 
 taken place among you, we are remind- 
 ed of the cold-blooded murder of tliat 
 aged couple, her husband's grandparents, 
 John Eysaman, and his wife; and also 
 the ttrst wife of Stephen, his father. She 
 had a babe at that time; some one of 
 the assailants wrenched the infant from 
 her arms and holding it by the feet, 
 dashed its head against a tree, and its 
 little limbs quivered in the agonies of 
 death. Afterward it was rudely and 
 barbarously thrown upon tlie ground 
 then was driven a short distance from 
 the spot and struck down with a war club, 
 and scalped. The mother saw all this. 
 Such were the horrors of the revolution. 
 and the trials of those who aided in 
 building this sanctnarv. Surely we 
 might say again, it has been baptized in 
 blood! There are other interesting facts 
 connected with Fort Herkimer. A 
 Council was held in this fort by Torbot 
 Francis and others, .Tune 2Sih. 177^. 
 with the Indians, when tlie Oneidas and 
 Tuscaroras agreed to be neutral. June 
 28, 1785, a treatj'- was made here, when 
 the Oneidas and Tuscaroras ceded to the 
 State that i)flrt of their territory lymg 
 between the Unadilla and the Chenango 
 rivers. 
 
 In 1783, Col. Willetfs forces were 
 concentrated in this fort to c;j.ptui"e 
 British forces, but in consequence of the 
 small number of troops the expedition 
 failed. The first libertj'-pole erected in 
 this valley was raised at Fort Herkimer, 
 in 1775, and was cut down by Sheriff 
 White, of Tryon county He came from 
 Johnstown with a body of militia for 
 that specific purpose. 
 
 But we must pass to notice wliat lias 
 been said of its minis^ters, and other 
 events mentioned in tlie history of tliis 
 church and congregation. Of the first 
 minister nothing is known, as it is only 
 said, "The Rev. A. llosencrantz suc- 
 ceeded his brother."' He was a German, 
 and probably came with the colonj% as 
 they were about G.OOO when they left 
 Germany, but many perished on the way. 
 Rev. A. Eosencrantz was here as early 
 as 1754. We have not seen his 
 record of births, baptisms, confirmations, 
 marria?,es and deaths, but those who 
 have seen it affirm that it commenced in 
 1 762. His field of labor was co-extensive 
 with the German settlement, along the 
 wholii length and breadth of the Mohawk 
 valley, from Little Fulls to Frankfort. 
 He was a graduate of one of the German 
 upivexsities, and a scholar in all the 
 
 branches of learning that relate to the 
 ministerial oflice. By marriage he was 
 connected with the Herkimer family, 
 and the donations of land were given for 
 his support. His family connection and 
 his position as a spiritual adviser of a 
 people i^roverbial for their strong at- 
 tachment and great respect for the min- 
 isterial oftice, gave him a great influence 
 over his people. Tt-e Indians also re- 
 spected him. On one occasion, when 
 the people would not believe them when 
 they told them that the French and 
 hostile Indians were at hand, thej'- vir- 
 tually forced him across the river to the 
 fort;' others, seeing what was done, fol- 
 lowed and were saved. Eev. A. Rosen- 
 ciantz discharged his ministerial labors 
 during the war of the revolution un- 
 molested. In the year 1796, he died at 
 his residence on Fall Hill, and was 
 buried within the Avails of this church 
 near the pulpit. One hundred and twen- 
 ty double sleighs filled with his late 
 parishioners, followed him to the grave. 
 
 Rev. Charles A. Pick, V. D., followed 
 liim. His ministry was of short dura- 
 tion, and nothing is said of him except 
 that he ordained the Consistory which 
 formed the first board of ofticeis in the 
 Corporation. 
 
 Rev. John F. Spinner's ministry com- 
 menced in the year 1802. He also v,'as 
 a German by birth; was born in War- 
 back, .January IS, 1786, and was dedicat- 
 ed by his parents in early life to the 
 ministr}^; commenced his classical stud- 
 ies at the age of 11; spent the regular 
 course at the university and in the 
 Romish Clerical Seminary; at the age 
 of 21 received Clerical orders in the 
 Roman Catholic Church; officinted as 
 priest and confessor 11 years. In the 
 year 1800 he abandoned the Romish 
 Church; married and came to this coun- 
 try the following year; landed at New 
 York, and soon alter received an invi- 
 tation to take charge of this church ; 
 commenced his labors, September, 1801. 
 At that time the church was connected 
 with the Classis, of Albany. It is evi- 
 dent from his "Liber Pafochiles Ec- 
 clecia\*' or parish book, that he compre- 
 hended what was before him— a large 
 book in the form of a ledgei', which he 
 filled with reeords of births, baptisms, 
 confirmations, marriages and deaths, in 
 ten years. He had the same territory or 
 bounds as his predecessor had. It is 
 astonishing to note how many days in 
 the month he was engaged either in 
 baptizing, marrying, or burying some 
 one in the jjarish. During lifs ministry 
 he used three larare books for paioehial 
 records, all independent of the Consis- 
 torial records. Herkimer Church was 
 associated with German Flatts. He did 
 not confine his labors to these two 
 
churches exclusively, but preached 
 wherever he could get a congregation — 
 in Columbia, Warren, Indian Castle, 
 Esquawk, Manheim, Schuyler, Deerfield, 
 Manlius f>nd other places. In 1S15, he 
 offered bis services to the Synod as a 
 missionary to go to Canada, but the 
 committee declined acceptance because 
 he could not preach English fluently.— 
 He was certainly an active and a zealous 
 man in the discharge of parochial duties, 
 and in sympathy with his people. As 
 it would appear In 1836, this church owed 
 him $1,324.10; and his proposition, made 
 the 4th of May that year, was to give 
 them one-half the amount provided they 
 would secure him the other half. He 
 was regarded as a good sermouizer, his 
 productions able and eloquently deliver- 
 ed. He exerted a happy influence over 
 this charge. By those who remember 
 hira his memory is cherished with re- 
 spect. He died at his residence in 
 Herkimer, May 27, 1848, aged 80 years, 4 
 months and 9 days. His death produced 
 a change in the congregation, as those 
 who lived near Frankfort, Warren, and 
 the Central, now known as Ilion, identi- 
 tied themselves with those churches. 
 
 Rev. Jared Starks was iiis successor. 
 He was an aged man when he commenced 
 his ministry here. Besides, tradition 
 says, there were difficulties here then 
 growing out of lawsuits which he could 
 not overcome. The number of families 
 and of communicants seemed to diminish 
 annually; besides his salary was simply 
 the annual revenue of what lands were 
 left — less, probably, than one-third the 
 revenue received by Rev. A. Rosencrantz 
 and John P. Spinner, during the first 
 ten years of his ministry. He was a good 
 man, and generous; for out of the small 
 amount he received he is said to have 
 donated half of it back to the consistory 
 to put a new roof on this house. He 
 died at his residence in Moliawk, in the 
 year 1SG3. The names of the Supplies 
 have already been given ; as they passed 
 along they preached the AYord ; but it 
 is doubtful whether any other ordinance 
 has been observed since the fathers fell 
 asleep— whether an infant has been bap- 
 tized, or a single soul commemorated 
 the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 We have already mentioned the tact, 
 that at an early day Nicholas Wolver, 
 Hans Dedrick Stelly and others, deeded 
 lands in trust to Peter Remsen; the 
 rents, issues, etc., were for the support 
 of the gospel. Accordingly, the rents 
 were paid to Peter Remsen. He was 
 the drst treasurer; but he died about the 
 same time as did Rev. A. Rosencrantz, 
 and meanwhile no one had been ap- 
 pointed in his place. His heirs and as- 
 signs either neglected their duty, or if 
 
 they collected the money it was not paid 
 over, to the great grief of the church. 
 Mr. Fredrick Frank was therefore ap- 
 pointed to attend the meeting of the 
 Classis at Albany, to consult about what 
 they should do, as their income on the 
 death of Peter Remsen was apparently 
 lost. Doubtless the Classis advised what 
 course they should pursue, for we find 
 that in the beginning of the next year, 
 1797, they were organized into a corpo- 
 rate body, and through tlie efforts of 
 John Frank and Rudolph States an act 
 of the legislature was passed, March 31, 
 1767, requiriHg the heirs and assigns of 
 Peter Remsen to transfer the rents, 
 accounts and all things on the church 
 lands to the consistory. Thus they were 
 cheered again. But after awhile another 
 difficulty sprung up about the boundary 
 lines, and to settle this difficulty the con- 
 sistory purchased eighty-six acres of 
 land, at the rate of seven dollars and 
 fifty cents per acre, and executed a bond 
 for the payment of $645 with interest, 
 five years after date. The consistory 
 failed to meet the payment at the speci- 
 fied time, which would have been in 
 1820; but from 1821 to 1833 they paid the 
 sura of $848.20, which was nearly $100 
 more than the principal and interest 
 would have been had it been paid at 
 maturity. But there was an accrued in- 
 terest of $520 which the holder of the 
 bond claimed. The consistory being 
 embarrassed, proposed to deed to the 
 holder of the bond seventy-five acres of 
 land, which by a lease he then held in 
 possession ; but it does not appear that 
 the proposition was accepted, for he sued 
 the consistory and got a judgment, 
 which, including probably, the cost, and 
 the bond amounted to tne round sum of 
 $1,843. To pay this, the consistory pre- 
 sented their petition to the Court of 
 Chancery, asking the privilege to sell 
 tiieir lands to pay their debts. February 
 25, 1855, an order was granted authoriz- 
 ing them to sell lands to the amount of 
 $2,000. Thus two-thirds of their lands 
 were swept away. If, however, the 
 Vice-Chancellor had known that the 
 lands which they represented there as 
 being their own were held in trust, no 
 such order would haye been granted, as 
 they had no right to alienate those lands 
 from the purpose for which they were 
 donated. 
 
 Of the justice of the matter, we will 
 not pronounce an opinion, but you may 
 judge — as the consistory offered them 
 nearly as much land as they had sold 
 them to settle the difficulty. 
 
 The next difficulty which the consisto- 
 ry had to meet, was that of certain per- 
 sons refusing to pay their annual rent, 
 because in the grant of Hans Dedrick 
 Stelly it is said that ''the minister oi the 
 
Gospel officiating there for the time be- 
 ing (after the death of Kosenerantz) to 
 be chosen by the majority of the free- 
 holders actuallj' residing on the lands 
 last deeded." They claimed that they 
 had not been consulted when John P. 
 Spinner was called. A suit was com- 
 menced in the lower Courts, and carried 
 into Chancer}', where tiie A^ice Chancel- 
 or decided that "the freeholders, to avail 
 themselves of the privilege they claimed, 
 must become members of the congrega- 
 tion, as tlie minister is called according 
 to the practice of tne ciiurch without ref- 
 erence to the question, whether the con- 
 gregation were freeholders of Burnets' 
 patent or not." 
 
 And from the fact that they had acqui- 
 esced for severiil years to the action of the 
 consistory, ''John P. Spinner was enti- 
 tled to be considered their pastor, and to 
 enjoy the income of the lauds. The 
 bill was dismissed with costs, so that 
 question was settled." 
 
 This seems to be the last suit which in- 
 volved expense and produced bad feel- 
 ings in the congregation. The only re- 
 maining matter to be mentioned in rela- 
 tion to these lands, is that in 1851 an act 
 of the legislature was passed, authorizing 
 the consistory to sell certain lands upon 
 an order issued by the County Court of 
 Herkimer. Several sales were made under 
 this act, and the money invested, the in- 
 terest to be used for the same purpose 
 as the annual incomes of leases. Several 
 sales were eflected under this act. In 
 1870 an act was passed enabling the con- 
 •sistory to record all leases, title papers, 
 (fee, belonging to the church, which was 
 done. 
 
 The question has already been asked, 
 how many practical lessons do we tind 
 therein ? Our answer is, more ihan we 
 can enumerate just now — but the tirst we 
 shall mention is the debt of gratitude we 
 owe to God this day, that we are spared 
 from passing through the tiery ordeals 
 through which the ifathers, passed— that 
 this house is no more needed as a fort, 
 but used for the purpose for which it 
 was erected and set apart. We may not 
 think of this, or agitate the qutestion 
 "what are we" — in what respect are we 
 deserving of these high privileges more 
 than they were? We certainly cannot 
 say that we are more faithful than they 
 were, or even as much so, considering 
 our circumstances. Tney would have 
 the Gospel preached and the ordinances 
 administered regularlj' — we care but lit- 
 tle about them — not that they are less 
 needed by us or better understood, but 
 like the ancient church of Laodicea. we 
 are "neither hot nor cold" — conforming 
 more to the world then to the command- 
 ments of the Lord Jesus. Over this mat- 
 ter our tears should flow, when we re^ 
 
 member how little for the past twenty 
 years has been done for the liedeemer's 
 cause in this community. Temporal 
 prosperity has api^aiently sent leanness 
 into your souls. 
 
 Another fact may be meritioned, name- 
 ly, that a church without a pastor is in 
 an impoverished condition. Ever since 
 the death of Rev. J. P. Spinner the 
 church has been wasting away. True, 
 the supplies have preached the (S^ospel as 
 faithfully as the pastors did, but preaching 
 is one thing, and taking the oversight of a 
 congregation is another. Ascending the 
 pulpit on the Sabbath is necessary — so is 
 going from house to house during the 
 week. Supplies seldom administer the or- 
 dinances. Now if a church neglects its 
 ordinances it has a damaging effect. — 
 Christ instituted the supper because He 
 knew that we are prone to forget Him — 
 He would have us keep Him fresh in our 
 remembrance. Yes, it is a loss for the 
 christian to live without the ordinances — 
 it is a loss to the community and espe- 
 cially to the youth and rising generation 
 — it has a tendency to lower the standard 
 of Christianitv% and to make light of the 
 Christian ministry. 
 
 Another thought is that church litiga- 
 tions are great calamities, especially 
 when apparently, men are grasping that 
 which does not justly belong to them. — 
 How blighting and withering is the in- 
 fluence? What a legacy of enmity and 
 bitterness? It is not confined to a sin- 
 gle generation, but somehow or other 
 transmits itself unto the children and 
 lives in spite of all elTorts to remove its 
 eftects. 
 
 But we must not overlook the interest 
 taken in this congregation by Nicholas 
 Wolver, Hans DedrickStelly, and others, 
 who, at that early day, deeded in trust 
 "for the svipport of the Gospel here" no 
 less than 3,000 acres of land. This should 
 certainly make an impression upon our 
 minds. We have no means to ascertain 
 their wealth, whether great or not. All 
 must concede that for that day, it was as 
 munificent as the gift of seventy-five or 
 one hundred thousand dollars to-day. 
 And from it we may learn that they had 
 correct views of their moral obligations, 
 of the higher law of love, and of their 
 just debts to God and man. Most men 
 have been taught to think that they have 
 an absolute right to their money, that it 
 is their privilege to use all according to 
 their own pleasure, and no man has any 
 reason to complain. Such are the thoughts 
 ©f the masses, because it is so in the eye of 
 the civil law. So when they do anything, 
 or give anything away, they take the 
 credit to themselves, not considering that 
 thehigher law ©f love to God and man 
 has any claims on them. The law of 
 unity requires that we should care for 
 
others as we would for ourselves. The 
 Lord Jesus illustrated this thought in 
 the parable of the Good Samaritan7 If a 
 man has fallen among thieves, we should 
 help the man and not the thieves. Too 
 often men do otherwise, they take what 
 the thief has left. As in the history of 
 this church when one man had taken 
 eighteen hundred and forty-three dollars, 
 others attempted to take the rest, and 1 
 was told that there are men on the 
 Burnetsfield uatent.or near it, who would 
 gladly, if they could, take the little rem- 
 nant which is left. Property is a sacred 
 trHSt. Not merely in the Banker's hand, 
 burin our hands. No man should use 
 his monej^ exclusively for his own grati- 
 flcatio 1 — he owes a debt to God and 
 man — it is a just debt and ought to be 
 paid. Some are beginning to see it, and 
 are canceling their debts, they are com- 
 ing up to the help of the Lord against the 
 mighty, and are advocating the right use 
 of property. As the temperance men af- 
 firm that no man has a right to make 
 or sell intoxicating liquors, because 
 it is demoralizing and debasing men's 
 moral character. 
 
 But to return, Nicholas Wolver and 
 Hans Dedrick Stelly left us a noble ex- 
 ample, they showed us how much they 
 apprtciated the Gospel, enough to give 
 for its support and to give liberally. And 
 if we should do our duty, we would fol- 
 low their examples so far aa God hath 
 prospered us,and made us stewards in his 
 
 heritage. This church would have a pas- 
 tor and would support him; you would 
 not presume to live on the mere remnant 
 of so noble a gift; you would contribute 
 liberally of your own ; yes, you would 
 support a minister, as the fathers did, on 
 a liberal scale; you would scorn the idea 
 of only four months preaching in the 
 summer; you would not go from year to 
 year without a communion season or a 
 prayer meeting; you would take a deep 
 interest iu the conversion of yQur chil- 
 dren, and of your friends; you would 
 soon awake to righteousness and delight 
 in the law of the Lord, your God. AH 
 difticulties would vanish, a kinder spirit 
 would soon make place for a gi'acious 
 awakening, and a precious ingathering of 
 soids, bought with the blood of Jesus. It 
 is well that you liave done whaty®u have 
 towards the repai)'ing of this ancient 
 sanctuary. May this be a beginning of 
 better days. May the spirit of God 
 cleanse and beautify your hearts. May 
 the Saviour's love be shed abroad. Oh 
 how mucli it is needed — the fathers, 
 where are they? they are gone "the way 
 whence no man returns." We are fol- 
 lowinsr hard after them. Are we pre- 
 pared ? Are our sins pardoned, and 
 our names written in the book of life? 
 May these reflections awaken within us a 
 just view of the truth, of duty, of love to 
 God and man, and of the blessed privilege 
 of being with his people here, and with 
 the redeemed in glory. 
 
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