The Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow
The following is taken from "First Record Book of the 'Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow' Organized in 1697 and now The First Reformed Church of Tarrytown, N. Y.," An original translation of its brief historical matter, and a coy, faithful to the letter, of every personal and local name, of its four registers of members, consistorymen, baptisms, and marriages, from its organization to 1791, by Rev. David Cole, D.D., Yonkers, N. Y., Published by The Yonkers Historical and Library Association, 1901.
STATEMENT AS TO THE FIRST BOOK
It contains the payments and dates, from year to year, when the Reverend Minister preached the Holy Word of God and administered the Holy Sacraments here in this our Christian Church. They will appear upon this First Book, beginning with and being carried forward from Folio I.
The First Book of Church Minutes.
Having learned from the memoranda of Mr. Abraham De Revier that the learned and pious Domine Guiliam Bertholf, in the year of our Lord 1697, was willing, upon an invitation from the first residents and special congregation of Philipsburgh, to come here three or four times a year to preach God's Holy Word and to give instruction and administer the Holy Sacraments, that this arrangement, by God's special grace, has laudably continued to the present date, Nov. 2, 1715, and that the aforesaid minister has received his stipulated salary to his full satisfaction, and that the same has been the case with Theunis Van Houten, who on each of the miniser's trips from Hackensack, has brought him over and taken him back, we hope and wish that our Almighty and Merciful God will permit this arrangement to continue yet for a long time.
Subsequent Minute of the Year 1716
On the 18th and 19th days of April, the above mentioned Domine Bertholf was brought here again for a service of God in the Christian Church and received his compensation to his satisfaction. The same was the case also with THeunis Van HOuten who brought him over and took him back. And for this we place on record our sense of obligaion and our thanks for the usual beneficence of the Honorable, far seeing Lady Madame Catharina Philipse, &c.
END OF THE FIRST BOOK
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