the 5th day of August, 1805, when they unanimously made choice of the reverend Doctor Philip Milledoler, then pastor of the Third Presbyterian church, in the city of Philadelphia, to be one of their collegiate pastors; with a view, however, to his taking the church in Rutgersstreet, under his more particular care, and being considered, if a separation of the churches should ever take place, as its sole pastor. The call for Dr. Milledoler was regularly prosecuted before the Presbytery of Philadelphia; and he having accepted it, was installed in the church in Rutgers-street, on the 19th of November following.

This measure proved most auspicious to the spiritual interests of that part of the city. Few instances have occurred of a more useful ministry than that of Doctor Milledoler in this church. The work of the Lord prospered abundantly in his hands. The number, both of stated worshippers, and of communicants, rapidly increased. And from being small and feeble when he entered on the pastoral charge, it became, in less than seven years, the largest Presbyterian church in the United States*.

In speaking of the church in Rutgers-street, as, at present, the largest in the Presbyterian body in the United

In the spring of the year 1807, a number of gentlemen, worshipping in the Wall-street and Brick churches; together with others, who had not been able to obtain pews in either, associated for the purpose of erecting a new Presbyterian church in the city. They purchased a lot in Cedar-street, between Nassau and William streets; on which Doctor Rodgers had the pleasure of laying the corner-stone of a fourth church, in the month of May of that year. This edifice was completed in about eighteen months from the time of its commencement, and was opened for public worship on the 6th day of November, 1808, by Doctor Rodgers, who delivered the same sermon on this occasion, which he had delivered at the opening of the church in Rutgers-street; and which was soon afterwards printed.

States, there is a reference to the number of communicants, which is between five and six hundred. The church in New-Ark, under the pastoral care of the Reverend Mr. Richards, was, it is believed, quite as large, previous to the erection of the second church in that town, under the care of the Reverend Mr. Cumming. At present, it is not known to the writer that any Presbyterian church in our country embraces so large a number of communicating members as that of Dr. Milledoler.

the

The persons composing the Cedar-street congregation, convened, in the month of August, of year last mentioned, for the purpose of choosing a pastor. At this meeting Dr. Rodgers presided. They unanimously made choice of the reverend John B. Romeyn, then pastor of the church in Albany, to be their minister. Doctor Romeyn having accepted the call, removed to the city, and was installed their pastor, on the 9th of November, ensuing.

Hitherto the three churches in Wall-street, Beekman-street, and Rutgers-street, were united. There was one board of Trustees, and one bench of Elders, over the whole. So that, though worshipping in three houses, they were, properly speaking, but one church. And each of the ministers, (excepting Doctor Milledoler, the pecu liarity of whose call placed him in different circumstances from his colleagues,) was equally connected with all the congregations. The inconveniences attending this arrangement, both to the ministers and the people, were many and serious. These inconveniences had been long seen and deplored. But the difficulty of removing the cause of them, seemed almost insurmountable. A large number of the people were so much at

tached to the union of the congregations, to which they had been long accustomed, that there appeared little hope of being able to overcome their prejudices on this subject. The formation of the Cedar-street church, in the autumn of 1808, as a separate pastoral charge; the calling of their minister; and the entire and most happy success which attended their undertaking, drew the attention of numbers to the subject, who had never thought of it seriously before. The result was, that the opinions of many in favour of a union of churches, were altered; and that measures were taken, in the winter and spring of the year 1809, for dividing the united churches into three separate pastoral charges. These measures issued in the attainment of the object, in the month of April, of that year; when a majority of the congregations, at meetings both jointly and separately held, voted for the proposed separation, which the Presbytery sanctioned and ratified, at a meeting in Elizabeth-Town, on the 26th day of that month. In the arrangements which attended this separation, Dr. Rodgers continued his pastoral relation both to the Wall-street and Brick churches; Doctor McKnight, with the leave of the Presbytery, resigned his charge, and removed in a few months

afterwards, to Pennsylvania; and the writer of these memoirs was liberated from his pastoral relation to the Brick church, and became collegiate pastor of the church in Wall-street only. The arrangement which had been stipulated in Doctor Milledoler's call, took place, of course, with respect to him.

Though this separation was not effected without considerable opposition and difficulty, it was attended, on the whole, with much less of both than might have been expected. The agitations which it produced have gradually subsided: and now, the experience of four years, it is believed, has so far disclosed the advantages of separate pastoral charges, as to leave few persons under the influence of hostility, or even of doubt, toward the measure adopted. No man, unquestionably, who witnessed the scene, would ever again lift his hand in favour of associating several congregations under the same pastors!

In the beginning of the winter of 1809, and 1810, the congregation worshipping in Wallstreet, determined to take down their house of worship, which had become too old and tottering to be any longer occupied with safety, and