286 THE FRENCH BLOOD IN AMERICA 



one deacon, to assist the minister in guiding the members of the church 

 that meets in New Paltz ; who were subsequently confirmed in the 

 said charge of elder and deacon. This minute has been made to put 

 in order the matters which pertain to the said church. 



For ten years Daille acted as pastor to his countrymen 

 in New Paltz. His principal field of labour was in New 

 York, but he never failed to visit New Paltz for a time 

 in the spring, and then again in the fall. The difficulties 

 and hardships of the long journeys he was thus forced to 

 make cannot easily be overestimated ; they are a splendid 

 testimony to the unflagging zeal and loyal devotion to 

 duty which marked the man. The same must be said of 

 his successor, the Rev. David Bonrepos, who, from 1696 

 to 1700, journeyed from his pastorate at Staten Island to 

 New Paltz twice a year. After Bonrepos ceased to visit 

 them it is probable that for the next thirty years they 

 had no regular pastor ; for they had not, as yet, united 

 with the Dutch Church, and those few French ministers 

 who had come to this country were by this time dead, or 

 chufch^ ^ ®^^^ settled in other pastoi-ates. But although there was 

 thus every temptation to leave neglected the duties of 

 their religion, such was neither the spirit nor intent of 

 our refugees. They kept up their informal worship in 

 the log cabin until it became too small for their rapidly 

 increasing numbers, and then they set about building a 

 more suitable house of worship. This edifice, which was 

 constructed of stone, was completed in 1717, and wjus in 

 use until 1773, when a larger church was built. When 

 the church was finally completed, the following entry was 

 made in the record book : 



Blessed be God, who has put it into our hearts to build a house 



Dedication where He may be adored and served, and that by His grace we have 



^^'^ finished it in the year 1717 ; and God grant that His gospel may be 



preached here from one age to another till the day of eternity. Amen. 



Our Huguenots were no bigots or petty sectarians, for 

 during the thirty year interval when they were without 



