6l6 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



be pleased to take into your pious consideration the condition of a poor company 

 of refugees, inhabitants of the town of New Rochelle, whose case hath been repre- 

 sented already several times by the Hon. Col. Heathcote, by whose assistance 

 and concurrence we were provided fourteen years ago with a worthy minister, 

 Mr. Daniel Bondet, ordained by the Lord Bishop of London ; who, by his con- 

 stancy and tender condescension hath shewed us how confidently and with good 

 conscience we may comply with the Church of England and further our edifica- 

 tion in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, for whose sake we have 

 left our native country and have been with great pity and charity relieved in 

 England. 



We have now happily brought that work to a fair and resolved conclusion. 

 The Hon. Col. Francis Nicholson, Colonel Heathcote and Colonel Morris, have 

 promised to use their interest with the Venerable Society to have some regard to 

 the just representation of our circumstances which are unable to support the 

 charges of a ministry, having been able to pay to Mr. Daniel Bondet but .=£20, 

 this country money, per annum — sometimes more, often less. Notwithstanding 

 which, he hath courageously continued to edify us by his doctrine and irreprovea- 

 ble conversation. 



The £30 per annum proposed to be paid him out of the revenue of this Prov- 

 ince, hath for several years been unpaid, as will appear by the joynt representa- 

 tion of the said Col. Heathcote and the Reverend Clergy, with an account of the 

 unpaid warrants. The revenue is now expired by its own limitation, and we 

 have no other hope ot support for the maintenance of our minister than in your 

 piety and charity, which we beg leave to implore in these our indigent circum- 

 stances, and that you will be pleased to send over a considerable number of com- 

 mon prayer books, in the French language. We are already above one hundred 

 communicants, and if we can enjoy the benefits of an English schoolmaster sent 

 amongst us, we hope we and our posterity daily to improve, under the happy 

 constitution of the English Church and Government. 



We conclude with our hearty prayers to God for the peace of the nation, the 

 enlargement and prosperity of the Church, and a blessing on your pious endeav- 

 ors for promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and are with profound respect, 

 Rt. Reverend, Rt. Honorable and Venerable, 



Your most obedient humble servants, 



ISAAO GtTIONS, 



Louis Guioxs Jejettne, 



ANTnONY LlSPENAR, 



Pierre Valleatj. 

 [With twenty-two others."* ] 



In this act of conformity to the Church of England, the Huguenots 

 followed the sentiments of their own Church — which from the beginning 

 of the Reformation to this time, had allowed it to be lawful to do so, 

 and condemned those who made any separation, but from the Church 

 of Rome. 



Beza, one of the most powerful advocates for the Huguenots, wrote 



a New York JISS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. i, pp. 107-8. (Hawk's). 



