I have understood that there were religious reading meetings in the
Peenpack neighborhood before the Rev. Fryenmoet commenced his
ministerial services.
When measures were first taken by the inhabitants along the Neversink
and Delaware rivers, for a distance of about 45 or 50 miles down the
same, to procure a preacher for the people throughout that distance,
there was not a man in its vicinity qualified to preach the Gospel,
and, in consequence of this district then being sparsely inhabited, the
people united and formed four congregations, to procure the services
of one preacher, and agreed with John Casparus Fryenmoet, a young man
from Switzerland who had previously studied for the ministry, to furnish
him with money to go to Amsterdam in Holland, finish his education and
become ordained, after which he was to serve them as their preacher.
The sum they gave him for that purpose was 125 L. 12 s. 6 d., equal to
$314.06. He went, obtained his education and became authorized to preach
the gospel, returned and commenced to preach for the four congregations
in June 1741; but no agreement had yet been made in relation to his
salary and other matters which were necessary to be agreed on, and
before any agreement was made Fryenmoet received a call from Rochester.
It appears, however, that he declined that call, and an agreement was
entered into between him and the church officers of Minisink and
Mahackemeck congregations, the 7th of January, 1742, whereby it was
stipulated that each of those congregations should pay Fryenmoet 20 L.,
equal to $50. A like sum paid by each of the other congregations made
the amount of his salary $200; besides this he was to have 100 skipple
of oats for horse feed, of which each congregation was to furnish 25
skipple. In February, 1745, the four congregations agreed to pay each
17 L. 10 s. for the purpose of building a house for Fryenmoet.
It appears from the church records that John Casparus Fryenmoet, born
in Switzerland, with Eleanor Van Etten, born in Nytsfield, were married
with a license from Governor Morris, in New Jersey, by Justice Abraham
Van Camp, the 23d of July, 1742. The church records contain the rules
and regulations of the church made at different times, which, in some
respects, were different from those of the present time, among which
were the two following, to wit: Church Wardens before officiating had
to bind themselves in writing to remain subject to the Classis of
Amsterdam. Persons intending to be married had to make out a certificate
of their intended marriage and deliver it to the minister, who for
three successive Sundays, at the close of service, read the certificate
and at the same time gave notice that if any legal objections to the
marriage existed, they should be made in due time and place.
This last continued to be practiced during Van Benschoten's services.
These records are in the Holland Dutch tongue. It appears that
Fryenmoet's services ended in 1755 when his services became
impracticable in consequence of the French war, whereby this frontier
settlement became much exposed to Indian warfare, and he removed to
Kinderhook, N. Y., where he preached for 21 years and where he died in
1778. He was represented as a man of short stature, handsome and
eloquent.
One hundred and ten communicant members were received into the church
whilst Fryenmoet officiated, within the congregations of Minisink and
Mahackemeck, about 36 of whom resided in the present town of Deerpark.
Of the latter the following from time to time alternately served as
members of the Mahackemeck consistory:
Jacobus Swartwout, Anthony Van Etten,
Thomas Decker, Johannis Westbrook,
Johannis Decker, Solomon Koykendall,
Gerardus Van Inwegen, Josias Cole,
Peter Gumaer, Benjamin Depuy,
William Cole, Philip Swartwout,
Peter Kuykendall.
In the year 1760 the Rev. Thomas Romeyn commenced his ministerial
services for the congregations mentioned, and continued until the year
1772, during which time a general attendance was given to his preaching,
and reading meetings were had and attended also on those Sundays when
there was no preaching in this congregation. This practice continued
during the time of the successive ministers, until preaching was had
every Sunday in our church. (Mr. Romeyn on leaving here settled in
Canghnawaga, Montgomery County, N. Y., where after 21 years of
ministerial labor he died in 1794.)
Within the time of Romeyn's services a schism occurred in the Dutch
church, in consequence of the subordinate state of the church to the
Classis of Amsterdam, in Holland, in respect to ordaining ministers
there, &c., which having become burdensome to many who had to go there
to become authorized to preach the gospel, measures were taken to have
a Classis established in this country for that purpose. This created
two parties, one of which, termed Conferentie, was in favor of
continuing according to former practice, and the other, termed Coetus,
were advocates of a Classis formed in this country to examine and
ordain men to preach the gospel. Of the former, Romeyn was a moderate
adherent, probably in consequence of his ordination in Holland, yet
the people of his congregations generally attended to his preaching and
were not as violent partisans as many people were in some other parts
of our country; and it is probable his services would have continued,
if a few of the most influential ruling members of his church, who were
of the Coetus party, had not projected means to end his services in the
year mentioned.
From this time, a term of thirteen years elapsed in which these
congregations had no regular preacher, but probably had a few supplies
before the Revolutionary War commenced, during its continuance, and
after it ended.
In the year 1785 the Rev. Elias Van Benschoten entered on his
ministerial services for the three congregations of Mahackemeck,
Minisink and Walpack, in each of which he preached every third Sunday,
in both the Dutch and English languages and generally performed half
in each tongue; and required of the young people as their duty, to
commit to memory in the English tongue the Heidelberg catechism, in
such portions as he directed to be answered at each time of his
preaching in the congregation, either on the same Sunday or on one of
the days of the same week, at which time he gave explanations of that
portion of the catechism. He retired in 1795, [FN] and removed to a
farm or tract of land he had purchased, situated east of the Shawangunk
mountain, in the northerly part of New Jersey, on which he made great
improvements and granted it to Mr. Cooper, a nephew of his by marriage,
subject to payment by installments, and his money he bestowed for
educating youths for the ministry, &c. ($17,000 given to the General
Synod of Reformed Dutch Church for this purpose in 1814.)
* * * * *
[FN] Mr. V. B. moved to his farm in the Clove near Deckertown, N. J.,
in 1792, where he preached to the church organized under his ministry.
He likewise preached occasionally to the churches in this valley until
1799. He died at the Clove in 1815.
Van Benschoten was a man well calculated for the rudeness of the time
in which he officiated in those congregations.
After Van Benschoten's services were ended, a term of about four years
elapsed before another regular preacher served this congregation. In,
or about the winter of 1803 and 1804, the Rev. John Demarest commenced
his services for the congregations mentioned and performed one-half of
his preaching in the Dutch tongue, and the other half in English. He
continued until about the year 1806. [FN] After this a term of about
ten or eleven years elapsed in which no regular preacher officiated in
this congregation, but supplies were sometimes had.
* * * * *
[FN] Mr. Demarest died in New York city in 1837.
On the 25th of January, 1817, the Rev. Cornelius C. Elting was
installed pastor of the two congregations, Mahackemeck and Minisink,
and performed his services in the English language. He died the 24th
of October, 1843. [FN]
* * * * *
[FN] Mr. Elting is the only minister of this Church who has died during
the pastorate of the Church.
All religious services have since been performed in the English tongue
in our congregation. Within the term of his services a new church was
built in Port Jervis, after which the name of "Mahackemeck Church" was
altered by an act of the Legislature, in 1838, to that of "The Reformed
Dutch Church of Deerpark." The materials of the old church were removed
after the new one was finished, and the spot where the first and second
churches had stood during a term of about one century, from the time
the first was erected until the last was taken down, became vacant, and
the ancient and latter occupants who formerly repaired to it for the
worship of their Creator now generally sleep in their graves.
On the 29th of February, 1844, the Rev. George P. Van Wyck was ordained
and installed pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church of Deerpark,
unconnected with the congregation of Minisink, and his services were
generally had every Sunday in this church, which he continued until in
May, 1852. [FN-1] On February 22d, 1853, the Rev. Hiram Slauson was
installed pastor, and continued his services until in October
1857. [FN-2]
* * * * *
[FN-1] Mr. Van Wyck is now (1889) living at Washington, D. C.
[FN-2] Mr. Slauson is still (1889) living at Whitehall, N. Y.
In the year 1853 the church edifice at Cuddebackville was built at a
cost of $2,500, principally borne by the inhabitants of that place and
its vicinity. A church was organized March 12th, 1854, (by a committee
of the Classis of Orange) consisting of thirteen members, twelve of whom
were received from the Reformed Dutch Church of Deerpark, and one from
the Episcopal Church of Middletown. The Rev. Henry Morris was installed
as the first pastor of this church the third Tuesday of September,
1855. [FN]
* * * * *
[FN] Mr. Morris remained pastor of this Church until 1861 when he
removed to Port Jervis, and subsequently, in 1867, to Binghamton,
N. Y., where he died, in 1881, at 78 years of age.
On the first Sabbath in February, 1858, the Rev. Samuel W. Mills
commenced his pastoral services for the Dutch Reformed Church at Port
Jervis. [FN]
* * * * *
[FN] Mr. Mills continued pastor until Nov. 1871.
As we now generally have preaching every Sabbath, our reading meetings
have been discontinued. The exercises of those meetings were prayer by
one of the communicant members, and singing before and after reading a
sermon from a book of sermons.
The greatest supporters of those meetings were Benjamin Depuy, Esq.,
within his time of action, and afterwards Joel Whitlock. In the early
part of Depuy's life he, and sometimes Jacob K. Dewitt, performed the
reading in Dutch, but in the latter part of his life and afterwards it
was done in the English language and continued to be done in that
tongue.
Since the construction of the Delaware and Hudson canal and the New
York and Erie railroad this town has received an additional population,
who have built up the large and flourishing village of Port Jervis.
These are from different parts of our country and from different
countries in Europe and are of different religious denominations.
The greatest proportion of these are of English origin, and some of
them are the most opulent in it. This village, commenced about the year
1828, now contains six churches, all of which are generally occupied
every Sunday for religious worship, to wit: A Dutch Reformed as
mentioned, and a Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian and a
Roman Catholic, (and now in 1890 a German Lutheran). The different
opinions of men in religion and politics have always had a tendency to
create enmity; but as men have become enlightened, those causes have
gradually ceased to have such violent effects as in former times,
especially in religion. The members' of the different denominations in
our town now harmonize in their business transactions, and their
different opinions in religion do not effect their social intercourse
in other respects. But in politics we must always expect to have times
of great contention, if we continue to have the liberty of speaking our
respective sentiments, for people will always disagree, both honestly
and dishonestly in respect to certain matters which will, from time to
time be introduced for legislative action and determination; and our
inability to judge correctly in relation to all the numerous matters
which will continually occur for such decision, together with many
selfish views, will always cause strife in our political affairs, and
these will continue to have a great effect in opening the eyes of the
people in relation to our political matters.
In religion it is probable that the different denominations will
generally continue to become freed from that enmity which formerly
existed in consequence of their religious opinions, the folly of which
is now apparent to the best informed part of mankind. The use of force
and arms in former times to compel men to unite or keep united with
certain religious sects, had a tendency to produce hypocrisy, for self
preservation, but not to alter men's opinions. Convincing proofs are
the only means to alter erroneous opinions, but the great evil of
ancient times consisted in organizing men to answer selfish purposes
by religious and political subjugation; the most numerous and powerful
of each of these becoming united, created a power to tyrannize over
their opposers.
The acts of men which have emanated from the influence of serving God
have been directed in many different ways, some of which have been very
erroneous and contrary to the spirit of Christianity, although
transacted by its professors. Such have been all the instigators of
wars for selfish purposes, without a just cause, and all unjust
impositions for whatever objects.
Within the present century much has been done to enlighten mankind and
improve their condition, and we are under great obligations of gratitude
to all the scientific men of our country for the vast improvement and
discoveries they have made within my own time of life, most of which has
been done by descendants of English origin, whose ancestors generally
came into this country poor, to enjoy liberty in the wilds of the
Eastern states, where they had to suffer the hardships of procuring a
livelihood in a wilderness country, among the hazards of being
exterminated by the numerous Indians who inhabited it. Now,
notwithstanding their privations and all the hazards which attended
their situations, they persevered, improved the country wherever they
settled, defended themselves against Indian hostilities, and, as soon
as practicable, introduced religious worship, literature and the study
of the arts, and sciences, and became the most enlightened people in
our country.
Many of their descendants have emigrated into the different States of
the Union, and, wherever they have located, they have generally
introduced religion, literature, and the study of the arts and
sciences. They occupy the greatest part of the most important stations
of life in our country, and we are indebted to them for a vast amount
of improvements, and for many manufacturing establishments in different
parts of our country. In religion they do not all unite. Their spirit
of liberty generally dictates the individuals to join such Christian
denomination as they respectively prefer, in consequence of which they
have become divided generally among the different Christian
denominations in our country. These different opinions in religious
sentiments generally create no enmity between the most enlightened
professors, who so differ in opinion where no apprehensions of evil
consequences exist, but indications of these have not become wholly
extinguished, and may or may not prove an injury to the welfare of our
country.
* * * * *