That tlie said Church is unhappyly divided by the fatal

consequences of a certain Instrument or writing made and

agreed vpon the 20th of September last by the present Consistory

thereof wlio vpon groundless assertions therein set forth haue

Vol. III. 30

466 PAPERS RELATING TO THE CITY OF NEW- YORK.

discharged our worthy Minister Mr Louis Rou from the Exercise of his Ministerial function in the said Church and deprived him of all the benefits he should reap thereby --

That your Pet'^ and several others of their Brethren never consented to such their Proceedings tho some few were led into it by surprise being told by the said Consistory that the Act they offer'd them to sign was for the Peace of the said Church, and indeed they know no otherwise the contents thereof not Being Read to them, but on the reverse we look vpon all the steps they haue taken against the said M^ Rou to b^ without the least Colour of Justice whatsoever and contrary to the Rules and Discipline of the said Church of which your Pefs dont doubt but to make appear to your Excellency when the same shall haue the happyness To fall vnder your Excellencys consideration

That 3^our Pet-^ are too sencebly touch^ with the disadvantages they lye under from the Misfortunes of their want of his Pastoral care ouer them whose Exemplary Piety and Instruction for upwards of fourteen years haue rendred him exceedingly estimable to all wlio knows him and which cant but be acknowledged even by those who are now the occasion of your Pefs giving Your Excellency this Trouble and, who side with his assistant M^" Moulinar, from whom both as a Brother and a Christian better offices might haue been expected then to haue found him the Pen man of such Instrument which are the Present motive of all our troubles that your Pef^ begg leiuve to [say] to your Excellency that (if occasion should require) they can make appear to your Excellency that the first right to the ministry of the said Church, and euen to the Church itself is wholy lodged in the said M^" Rou as well as from the call of the said Consistory by the Act of General Assembly as by the Majority of the members of the said Church as appears by the Acts of opposition and protestation made in that behalf whereof a Copy is hereunto annexed.