evening of his life, and that he may have the happiness of finding at the conclusion of his labors that what he has done meets with approval and acceptance in the presence of Him whose love was the inspiration of it all.

EDWARD B. HODGE,

A. H. DASHIELL,

B. S. EVERITT,

GEORGE SWAIN,

FRANK R. SYMMES,

Committee.

The Presbytery adopted the above unanimously and ordered the Stated Clerk to enter it on the records, send a copy to Rev. A. H. Brown, and one to the Presbytery of West Jersey.

A true copy,

Attest:

BENJ. S. EVERITT,

Stated Clerk.

HISTORICAL LETTER FROM REV. ALLEN H. BROWN.

The following reply to an inquiry from Judge Allen B. Endicott is worthy of a place in this volume.

Hon. Allen Brown Endicott.

MY DEAR SIR:-You ask, How many churches have I established? It is difficult to give a direct answer, for two reasons: First, because the word "church" is often used in a double sense, sometimes for the house of worship and sometimes for the ecclesiastical organization of living members.

Again, it is difficult to answer because it is impossible in any important undertaking for any one person alone to do all the work. One person may plan the campaign and lead the forces, but he must have associates and coworkers to execute his plans and share with him the honor. An Admiral may gain a naval victory and he receives honor from his countrymen. He honors himself when he gives a share of the praise of victory to the men behind the guns.

To obviate these difficulties, we must discriminate and divide the churches into classes, viz., the Pioneer Class, the Co-worker, and the Assistant.

I. In the first class, I include new localities, where there was no Presbyterian Church, and where I have been the PIONEER, striving not to build upon another man's foundation. I now mention these names in geographical, rather than in chronological, order. Initial services were held in the open air, in private dwellings, in school houses, stores, lodge rooms, hotel parlors or dining rooms, or a court house. The names are printed in italics where only a building was erected, without a church organization.

The Pioneer Class includes the Log School House north of May's Landing; Cape Island, now Cape May; Holly

Beach, Tuckahoe, Cape May Court House,* Stephens' Creek, or Estelville, and Oceanville, Leeds Point, and a separate schoolhouse; Absecon, Somers Point (in which a young ladies' school was taught) is now removed to Pleasantville, Atlantic City,§ Brainerd Church, at Elwood; Hammonton, Elmer, Woodstown, Swedesboro, Woodland, now Calvary Chapel, in South Camden; Westville (sold to the Protestant Methodists), Bass River, now New Gretna; Tuckerton, Barnegat Village, Barnegat City, Shamong, now Chatsworth; and Whitings.

II. In the second class, I have been a Co-worker in localities where some other person opened the way for the church, and I followed on to remove an overwhelming debt, or a legal barrier, or to erect a building, or to bridge over a chasm which appeared to be impassable, or securing a pastor.

Here belong: May's Landing, Billingsport, Green Creek (where Rev. A. P. Johnson was the leader), Avalon, Ocean City, Waterford, Atco, Berlin, Third Church of Camden (where Rev. William Boyd was the pioneer), Forked River (with Rev. James M. Denton), Toms River,||

* Organized December 1st, 1856, and dissolved October 7th, 1863. Most of its members lived at Green Creek. Its book of sessional records was given to the First Presbyterian Church of Atlantic City.

†These two buildings having rendered good service for a generation, both for public worship and for school purposes, were destroyed by forest fires and were not rebuilt.

? In Atlantic City are now five Presbyterian Church organizations and three church edifices.

¶ The labors of Rev. Samuel Miller, D. D., and Dr. C. Van Rensselaer's legacy of $1000 are here to be held in grateful remembrance. A school for young ladies prepared the way and was continued in this church of Tuckerton.

|| At Toms River, Elder William Torrey began the work. When the building had stood unused for two years I co-operated with Revs. T. L. Janeway, D. D., and Charles Worrall, D. D., in the completion of the house, and later with Revs. James M. Macdonald, D. D., and George Hale, D. D., in its dedication and the organization of a church of five members.