Wc, the church-wardens and vestry of Salem, and parts contiguous in the Province of New York in America, beg leave in behalf of ourselves and poor brethren, professors of the Church of England, to lay before you our unhappy circumstances ; for want of proper religious instruction and constant administration of God's word and sacraments, according to our religious profession, there being no minister of our Holy Church in the Province nearer than Rye, between thirty and forty miles distant to Salein, and upon Cortlandt's manor and Pliilipse's patent. Many of us already have a high esteem for the doctrines, worship and government of the Church of England ; some of us embrace every opportunity we have of communicating with the same, and a number of others are well disposed to the Church, many of whom are not under the care of a minister of any denomination. Through the goodness and compassion of the Rev. Mr. Dil>- blee, the nearest missionary (about twenty-five miles distant), who for many years hath annually visited, preached and administered divine ordinances to us and our children, as often as he judges consistent with the duties of his extensive cure, our numbers, and zeal to the Church establishment have increased. To prepare the way for the settled administration of religion, we have erected a decent church with galleries, on the borders of Cortlandt's manor, a convenient spot of ground for the church and burying yard, being given us for that purpose by the good Mr. Stephen De Lancey, present proprietor. We have covered, closed and glazed the house, and have met in it for some time. As the laws of this Government have made no provision for the establishment and support of religion in general, and the Lord's Day is too little regarded ; in tender regard to ourselves and families, and to prevent our children falling a prey to one or more of the numerous sects, which abound among us-- such as Quakers, New Light Independents, Baptists, Antinomians, &c, whose principles, both civil and religious, we think destructive of all religion, peace and good order -- wc formerly united with our brethren of the Church at Ridgeneld and Ridgebury, on the borders of Cona Richard Clarke- was the fifth son of Samuel Clarke, of West Haven, Conn., where he was born A.D. 1T3T.