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was formally approved. A copy of it was at once forwarded to Holland, for the approbation of the Classis; — and though perfectly inoffensive in all its features, — not intended to weaken, in the least, the authority of the Classis in its operation, but merely to afford the brethren opportunities of giving and receiving advice, in cases of difficulty, and of cultivating a good understanding with each other, — it seems to have been received with some little presentiment of its future important results.— Whether such was the case or not, no answer was returned to the communication for the space of eight or nine years. — When the answer came, however, it was a gratifying one to the friends of the plan; — and accordingly, in the fall of 1747, the Coetus was constituted.

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blessed to the people of New Brunswick, and places adjacent, especially about the time of his coming among them. Then I came there, which was about seven years after, I had the pleasure of seeing much of the fruits of his ministry: divers of his hearers, with whom I had opportunity of conversing, appeared to be converted persons, by their soundness in principle, Christian experience, and pious practice: and these persons declared that his ministrations were the means thereof. This, together with a kind letter which he sent me, respecting the necessity of dividing the word aright, and giving to every man his portion in due season, through the divine blessing, excited me to greater earnestness in ministerial labours." — Prince's Chris. Hist.

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The body now formed, it will be recollected, had no power of ordination. Ordination was indeed sometimes performed here, but not independently of the Classis of Amsterdam, — their permission to perform it, in any case, must first be obtained. The Coetus was not competent to proceed, upon its own motion, to an act of the kind; and for it to have done so, would have been considered a usurpation of power, or high rebellion against the authority of the Mother Church. The Coetus, in fact, possessed none of the rights or powers which essentially belong to a Classis; and it was not long, therefore, before many who looked with the deepest solicitude at the wants of the Church, and faithfully consulted her best interests, became convinced of the necessity of having a more efficient judicatory. This conviction grew stronger daily, and, in the end, induced a proposition to form a regular Classis. The proposition was first made in Coetus, in 1753. It gave rise naturally to considerable discussion, but was approved; and the next year, due measures were taken to ascertain the sense of the different Churches upon the subject.

The historian, whose words have been more than once cited, who wrote about the time of these occurrences, and upon the spot, speaking of the Low Dutch congregations, says,-— "With respect