FRENCH PROTESTANT CHURCH, NEW-YORK. 1163

" for every particular Congregation, voluntarily and freely united " together, and entred into an Agreement with their Pastor and " Minister upon a certain special mutual Contract, which when " either Party failed in Performance of their part of that Con- " tract, the other was at liberty, and freed there-from on the " other part, and this no ways regarded by the Civil Government, " who took care only, &c.

This is what I absolutely deny, and what they cannot prove. There is not one word said of it in any of the Agreements or Contracts which have been made with me and Mr. Moulinars, nor in those of any of our Churches with their Ministers. If, however they pretend that such a Clause ought to be presupposed, I say, that this can't be, unless with such large Restrictions and Limitations as would be no ways of Service to them in the Affair between us. The Jirst of these Limitations is, That if such a Principle ought to be admitted in some sort, it must be supposed likewise, that there is a competent and unsuspected Judge, who may determine between the two Parties, which hath failed and neglected to perform their part of the Contract ; For if it is left to each Party to have a Right to decide who is in the Wrongs and so be both Judge and Party in their own Cause, this will bring Confusion and Disorder into tlie Cliurch, and abolish that Justice and Equity which ought to be the Rule of all Agreements.