Tho' the Congregation there is large yet a great part of it is composed of those who have had no religious impressions made on them by their Parents in their younger years : They come to church rather from habit than a sense of Duty & love of Religion Their continuance to come to Church will therefore depend in a great measure upon the good opinion they have of their minister and the principal opportunity he will have of doing them good will be by cultivating their good opinion & gaining an Influence

PAPERS RELATING TO CHURCHES IN QUEENS COUNTY. 329

upon the rising generation. For these reasons the more considerate & religious people among them, have been very anxious to get a Minister among tljem, that the Congregation were pleased with and for these reasons they are now solicitous to obtain M' •Cuttings removal among them

It is evident to the most superficial observer that where there have been the greatest number of Quakers among the first settlers in this Country, there Infidelity & a disregard to all religion have taken the deepest root and if they have not entirely corrupted tlie religious principles of the other inhabitants they have at least very mucli weakened them and made them look upon Religion with indifference -- This seems to me the reason why it is so hard to bring the people of that parish or this, to comply with the Sacraments of the Christian Church, or to tliink themselves under any obhgations of Duty to attend the pubhc Worship of God -- This also seems to be the reason why the people of Hempsted tho' able to do considerably towards the support of their Minister are so very backward. They have learned from the Quakers to consider it as a mark of an avaricious & venal spirit for a minister to receive any thing of his people by way of support & while they continue in these sentiments (& it wiU be hard to bring them to a better way of thinking because their temporal interest is against it) I fear little can be done wilh tliem in that particular