750 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



port of the minister of the Church in the same proportion as the Congregational- 

 ists for the support of their minister. This tax is levied and collected by the 

 Congregationahsts, together with their own, and by them paid to such ministers 

 of the Church as are appointed over them by the Society. Now, Ridgefield and 

 Ridgebury being in Connecticut, the committee appointed for raising and paying 

 the minister's rate at Ridgebury have been in some doubt whether I am entitled 

 to the rates of the Church people there ; because it is certain they were formerly 

 under Mr. Learning's care, and had no written appointment or anything from 

 under the Society's hand to convince them that the Society had now included 

 them within this mission. Should the Venerable Society mention Ridgefield and 

 Ridgebury in an abstract as parts cf my mission, together with Salem ; or should 

 they, in a letter to the Church-wardens and Vestry of Ridgefield and Ridgebury, 

 or in some other method, give assurance that Ridgefield and Ridgebury belong 

 to my mission, it must be of advantage to me, as it would remove all doubt 

 whether I was by the laws of that Colony entitled to the Church people's rates in 

 those places."* 



In the year 1771, the Rev. Epenetus Townsend again addresses the 

 Society as follows : — 



MR. TOWNSEND TO THE SECRETARY. 



[Extract.] 

 Salem, Westchester Co., MAECH25th, 1771. 

 Rev. Sir : — This is a large county, full of people without any constant public 

 worship in any method ; and as they have not enjoyed the benefit of any regular 

 and constant administration of God's word and sacraments, since the first settle- 

 ment of the country, vice and immorality abound among them. The Sabbath is, 

 by great numbers, spent in riding, visiting, hunting, fishing and such like diver- 

 sions ; and by some, it is profaned by practices still worse. There are some 

 Church people, Presbyterians, Baptists and Quakers scattered among them, and 

 great numbers who don't belong to any particular denomination of Christians. 

 It has been proposed by some of them to build a church or Presbyterian meeting 

 house, but nothing is yet concluded. I believe the Church people would exert 

 themselves and immediately build a small church, were there ar.y hopes the mis- 

 sion might be divided so as they might be included, and enjoy some stated por- 

 tion of a minister's labors ; and, indeed, considering their destitute circumstances 

 and the prospect of advancing the interest of the Church and promoting piety 

 among them, or at least of stopping the growth of immorality— considering also 

 the increasing fatigue of this mission, in which are three churches at present, 

 and a fourth building — I would humbly request, with submission to the Society, 

 that such a division might be made ; and if Danbury also was included, which 

 is in great need of a minister of the Church, it might conveniently be divided 

 into two equal parts, each containing three churches ; and after some time, as the 

 people grow more able, another mission might be added to great advantage, each 

 of the three having the care of two churches."^ The Society's abstracts for 1772; 



a New York MSS. from .archives at Fulham, Vol. ii.,490, 491, 492, 493. (nawks.) 

 £New York, .MSS. from archives at Fulham, vol. ii. 549-50. (Hawks.) 



