terwards, September 9th, 1788, he was here ordained and installed Pastor.

From the time of his settlement he continued his labors here, greatly beloved and extensively useful, until the close of 1795. The effect of a natural eccentricity, connected with the most enlarged benevolence, which his private fortune enabled him to exercise, was only to increase the number of his ardent friends. In that year he had a violent attack of scarlet fever, from which he but slowly recovered, and which very seriously affected his mind. During his recovery he commenced the study of the prophecies, and the effect was soon obvious in a mental derangement from which he never wholly recovered. When he resumed his labors, he commenced preaching on the 60th chapter of Isaiah, from which he taught the doctrine of the personal reign of Christ, and that his second coming was to take place on the fourth Sabbath of May, 1796. The attention of the people now became wonderfully excited, and such was the rush from neighboring towns, that multitudes on the Sabbath could not get room to stand in the church.

At length the appointed day drew near. On the previous evening a meeting was held for prayer and preparation in the Methodist church, and the house was crowded. He dwelt on the history of the Ninevites who repented at the preaching of Jonah, and exhorted to imitate their example. Weeping and mourning were heard in all parts of the assembly. The next day the sun rose with more than its usual

splendor, and a vast multitude of people crowded the house and surrounded it. But the day passed away without any unusual occurrence; and many of his followers were only now convinced that he was under a delusion, and that he deluded them. His friends hoped that disappointment would dissipate his delusion, and the session remonstrated with him; but his ingenuity soon found excuses for his Lord's delay, and his enthusiasm was only inflamed. He charged his Session, and the members of the church that opposed him, with the sin and guilt of Uzzah, and stated that it was because of the mere mercy of God that they did not suffer his punishment. At this time he took the vow of a Nazarite, and preached incessantly, sometimes three sermons a day, through this part of the country. Wherever he went crowds followed him, and God overruled the excitement he produced to the conversion of many souls. His great theme was the near approach of the personal reign of Christ upon earth; and that as Joshua led the Jews into the promised land, as John Baptist was the forerunner of the Saviour, so he was appointed of God to bring in the glorious millenial reign of righteous

ness.

Finding the congregation seriously agitated by his proceedings, and having declared that he was about to establish a new church upon earth, a public meeting was called and a committee of eleven appointed to wait upon him. They stated their grievances, asked some questions as to his future proceedings, and re

quested in reply a written answer. The following is his answer:

"TO JONATHAN DAYTON, of the committee of eleven appointed by the Congregation of Elizabeth-Town to wait on Mr. AUSTIN, their Pastor, in respect to the present course and object of his Ministry, and of the concerns of the Congregation in general:

"In conformity to the request of the Committee, that the answer to their application might be given in writing, it may be said—

"In respect to that part of the paper read, which hinted at and complained of an avowed design of the Pastor to institute a new Church, and to set up a new order of things in ecclesiastical concerns, "independent of Presbytery, of the Synod, or of the General Assembly;" it may be openly answered, that such is my fixed and unalterable determination! For a warrant thus to proceed, reference may be had to the third and sixth chapters of the prophecy of Zechariah, and to many other passages of scripture, which foretell of these things and of these days.

"On the testimony of the scriptures, and on the inward teachings of the Holy Spirit of God, and on the present aspect of Providence, and on uncommon and extraordinary revelations of the mind and will of God to this point, dependence is had in proof of a special and designating call to proceed in this solemn and interesting work.

"Be it known, then, to the Committee and to the

Congregation, and to the Presbyterian Church, and to the world at large, that such extraordinary call I do profess to have received, and that it is my glory openly to avow, and solemnly to profess my determination to maintain and to discharge the duties of it, through the faith of that power and constant grace which hath called and accompanied me in this concern thus far!

"Under such impressions, standing collected and firm, I again announce to the Committee, to the Congregation, and to all concerned, that implicit obedience to the voice of Heaven is my fixed determination !

"Let this declaration be productive of what consequences it may, be it remembered, that the anticipations of Divine support are so ready and abundant, that the instrument of the Divine designs feels himself ready, and professes himself willing, to meet all obstacles and to brave all dangers, in the prosecution of the noble object which Infinite Wisdom hath placed before him.

"The baptism of the cloud, and of the sea, opened the journey of God's ancient Israel towards the goodly land, and answeringly to the former example, the present course of spiritual journeying is now to be taken up; and if the scenes of the ancient warfare are again to be repeated, faith in God pronounces his eternal arm to be mightily sufficient to secure the victory in every conflict in which his own shall be engaged! and it may be well for opposition to the pre

destinated purposes of God to remember, that the disasters of those whose carcases fell through unbelief, and the utter extirpation of those who stood in the way of the advancing forward of the host of Israel in search of the goodly land, are but a lively figure of what those are to expect who are found imitating their faithless and wicked example in these later days.

Submitting the whole concern to the unqualified sovereignty of God, and to the decisions of those to whom these presents may come, subscribe to the congregation, an affectionate Pastor, and to the people of God in every place, an unfeigned friend, and servant of God in Christ Jesus. DAVID AUSTIN. "Eliz.Town, Friday, April 7th, A. D. 1797."

Twelve days after the receipt of the above answer, the following petition was sent to the Presbytery of New-York, with which the Church was then connected :

"At a meeting of the Elders, Deacons, Trustees and members of the First Presbyterian congregation in Elizabeth-Town, at their Meeting House, on Wednesday, the 19th day of April, 1797, at two o'clock in the afternoon of that day, agreeable to adjournment, Mr. ELIAS DAYTON was chosen Moderator, Mr. AARON OGDEN, Clerk. Resolved, unanimously, that the following petition be presented to the Presbytery of NewYork, at their next session:

"The Elders, Deacons, Trustees, and members of the First Presbyterian Congregation in Elizabeth