118 STATEN IsLAND INSTITUTE oF ARTS AND SCIENCES 
wens © (8. (Ceo 770, 737, 70S). Comimmerory of tine theory of 
the dependence of the people of Staten Island upon irregular pas- 
toral ministry may also be quoted a passage from the journal 
of two Labadist travelers, Jasper Dankers and Peter Sluyter, who 
spent the days from Monday Oct. 9 to Friday Oct. 13, 1679, in 
walking through Staten Island. They say: “ They have neither 
church nor minister, and live rather far from each other and in- 
conveniently to meet together. The English are less disposed to 
religion, and inquire little about it; but in case there was a minis- 
ter, would contribute to his support. The French and Dutch are 
very desirous and eager for one, for they spoke of it wherever 
we went. The French are good Reformed Church-men, and some 
of them are Walloons.”” (Mem. L. 1. Mist. Soc. 1: 142). 
The population at this time was estimated by Dankers and 
Sluyter at 100 families (1. c. 142) and the congregation was stated 
by Van Zuuren to have 50 members. Instead of a minister they 
probably had a voorlezer, for Van Zuuren speaking of other locali- 
ties says (EK. C. 755) : “ Some congregations which cannot afford a 
minister are satisfied with a °voorsinger or voorlezer’”’? (Cor- 
win, p. 18).° 
In 1682 the English Government endeavored to supply the defi- 
ciency by the appointment of Rev. Morgan Jones as minister and 
the levying of a tax for his support (Col. Doc. 13:556). The 
French people of the island protested, however, against contrib- 
uting to his support “ by reason of his ill life and conversation ” 
(Col. Doc. 13:567). He was defended by the English Justice 
Stilwell, who said the real objection was his inability to preach 
in French and Dutch (Col. Doc. 13: 568), but it does not appear 
that his ministry was ever more than nominal. 
In 1683 the Rev. Petrus Tesschenmacker came to Staten Is- 
land and seems to have been the first resident minister as well as 
the first to be ordained in America. He was ordained by the three 
2 Voorlezer is defined by Wassenaar as “reader to the commonalty on 
Sundays of texts of Scripture with the creeds.” 
3 They had however no church in 1679, according to Dankers and Sluyter 
who walked from the east to the west end of the island and then to the 
north shore. 
