States by Grahame, Hildreth, and Bancroft, Historical Collections of the different States, made by individuals, Societies, or State authority in the form of "Documentary History," and numerous State histories, like Trumbull's Connecticut, Simms's South Carolina, Ramsay's Tennessee, &c., Dr. Green's History of Presbyterian Missions, Humphrey's Revival Sketches, and the well-known works of Hodge and Webster. The list of historical and obituary discourses which I have been able to collect, or at least to consult, has exceeded my anticipations. I have had peculiarly favorable opportunities in this respect, and have thus been enabled to add not a little to that minuteness of detail which is often necessary to clothe and give life to the statistics,-the skeleton of history. A list of these it is not necessary here to insert, as probably they are not sufficiently accessible in any public collection to enable the reader to make reference to them. Beside these, historical pamphlets, like that of the tour of Mills and Schermerhorn to the Southwest, and that narrating the scenes of revival in the Carolinas of 1802, or controversial pamphlets, like those of Dr. Ely, Messrs. Patterson, McCalla, &c., of Philadelphia, of Drs. Rice, Peters, Wilson, Beecher, and others, have fallen in my way and been sifted for facts. Another class of works has not been overlooked, and has been, indeed, indispensable. To this belong Barnes's Trial, Barnes's Defence, Reports of the Presbyterian Church Case before the Civil Courts, Judd's History of the Division of the Presbyterian Church, Crocker's Catastrophe of the Presbyterian Church, Wood's Old and New Theology, with others which it is needless to mention. Some reference has been already made to manuscript and oral communications. But the manuscript History of the Secession of the Associated Presbyteries (1799-1818), by Dr. N. S. Prime, is worthy of special mention; and the files of the old Albany Presbytery-unexplored, perhaps, for half a century-afforded not only some of the original histories of churches ordered to be prepared by the General Assembly, but much other information of value. In the private library of the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly I obtained access to many works which I have met with nowhere else, and from friends in both branches of the Presbyterian Church I have received assistance and information to which I have been greatly indebted. No one can be more sensible than myself of the imperfections of the work. Some of them, indeed, from the lack of materials, were inevitable. There are still gaps here and there, which remain, and in all probability will long remain, to be filled, while the assigned limits of the work' have precluded the insertion of much matter that had been already prepared. Such an undertaking as this gives us-and, after all corrections and additions, must still give us-only an approximation to a complete history. Yet, by sending the work forth, even in its present 1 In repeated instances, instead of giving the full name of the ministers in the text, I have endeavored to save space by using only the surname. By a reference, however, to the Index, the full name may readily be found in nearly every instance. form, a great want which our churches have long felt will, I trust, be supplied, and many facts, important in the history of the Church, which might otherwise have soon passed into oblivion, will be preserved. No one can thoughtfully peruse the story of the perils and hardships, the toils and achievements, of the fathers and pioneers of the Church, or linger over even the controversies and dissensions by which at times it has been rent, or, especially, regard the great work which it has nobly achieved, without deriving therefrom lessons of truth, wisdom, and love. HARLEM, NEW YORK CITY, April 11, 1864. E. H. GILLETT. VOL. I.-b CONTENTS. American Presbyterianism-Francis Makemie-Labors in Maryland -Intolerance-Virginia and Dissenters-Act of 1618-Ministers from Boston-Their Labors-Driven out-Disabilities by Act of 1662-The Church at Jamaica, L.I.-John Hubbard-Injustice of Lord Cornbury-Arrest of Makemie and Hampton-Conference with Cornbury-Illegal Imprisonment-Application to the Chief- Justice-Verdict of Acquittal-Second Prosecution apprehended— THE FIRST PRESBYTERY, 1706-1715. The First Presbytery-Its Seven Members-Their Location-Andrews at Philadelphia-New England "Emissaries"-Keith and Tal- bot Episcopacy-"Independents" in New Jersey-Applications for Ministers-Correspondence of Presbytery-London-Dublin -Synod of Glasgow-Response from London-Accessions to the Presbytery-Congregations in New Jersey and Long Island- The Presbytery to be divided-Ten Years' Growth-Liberal Spirit Long Island Presbytery-The Churches on the Island-Presbyteries of Philadelphia, Newcastle, and Snow Hill-Necessities of the Field XV |