whenever the owners remove; and 3d. Concerning interments in the church. These provisions are all wise and prudent, but some of them appear at the present day somewhat curious. We shall only extract from this document, the articles concerning "interments in the church." They are as follows:—

"1. Those who are inclined to be interred within the church, are required to pay for an adult corps of sixteen years and upwards, £4; for a corps under sixteen years, to six years of age, £3; and for a child of six years and under, £2; and this shall be paid to the Church Masters, for the profit of the church.

2. Those who are inclined to be permitted to be interred in the church, are required to pay the expense of every person: for a corps of sixteen years and upwards, the sum of 27 guilder-for one under sixteen years to six years, 22 guilders: for a child of six years and under, 19 guilders, for the profit of the schoolmaster, for the time being, who shall be required to see that the graves are to be dug so deep that two coffins can be placed therein, one above the other, and that the grave for the under coffin is seven feet deep, and that he shall remove all dirt out of the church."

  From this time, the practice of burying under the body of the church, became quite general. All the ministers who died after this date, (1701.) during the standing of that church, were interred under the building; and this indeed was the case with all whose friends could afford to pay the extra expense connected with this privilege; and this accounts for the fact that the grave yard now contains so few tomb stones of ancient date. Vast numbers of human bones were dug up when the earth was removed for the foundation of the steeple to the present church. These were all carefully preserved, and subsequently again buried. In front of the church, and under it have been interred the bodies of nearly three or four generations.

At the time of the building of this church, the Rev. W. Lupardus, was pastor. After his death, which occurred towards the close of the year 1701, or in the commencement of the year 1702, the congregations of the county made an effort to call the Rev. Bernardus Freeman, then pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church of Schenectady. Three men were chosen in each of the four towns, of Flatbush, Brooklyn, Flatlands and New-Utrecht, for the purpose of prosecuting this call, in accordance with the provisions of the government, which then exercised control over the church. An application was made to Lord Cornbury, the then, Governor of the Colony, for permission to call Mr. Freeman. This request was, on the 23d of October, 1702, denied by the Governor; and the four congregations were directed to send to Holland for a minister, in conformity with their previous custom. It would appear that another effort was made to obtain the Rev. Mr. Freeman, in the year 1703. On the 27th of April, in that year, Lord Cornbury, issued a warrant granting full liberty to call Mr. Freeman. The congregation of Schenectady, however, remonstrated against the proceeding, and sent a petition to Governor Cornbury, requesting that the calling of Mr. Freeman should be interdicted. But this petition was denied by Lord Cornbury in an order issued by him bearing date June 24th, 1703. A call was accordingly presented to the Rev. Mr. Freeman, who in a letter dated August 2d, 1703, consents to accept the same, provided certain conditions which he names are complied with. On the 19th of August, 1703, these con-

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