remained a most earnest and devoted Christian. When, the next Spring, his health began to return, he had lost his predilection for the law, and his mind was irresistibly turned to the study of divinity. He determined to go abroad, and take advantage of the theological instruction of Holland. To this idea his father, who was a man of considerable means, gave his hearty assent, and young Livingston set sail for the Old World on the 12th of May, 1766, arriving in Amsterdam thirty-nine days after.

He was very warmly received by several families to whom he had introductions, and after making the necessary inquiries determined upon taking up his studies at Utrecht, where a most distinguished professor, Mr. G. Bonnet, was lecturing on theology. He labored under considerable disadvantages at first, for although descended from the Dutch on one side he could not speak the language, which it was necessary that he should acquire, not only for the preaching which he must do some day in the future, but for his daily comfort in everyday life in Holland. The lectures of the professors were entirely in Latin, and that, too, he was obliged to learn more thoroughly, as it was not then the practice in either Yale or Harvard to give great importance to the classical course. Before he left the University, says his biographer, he could speak Latin almost as readily as his native tongue, and Dutch equally or more so; and, to quote his own words, he "thought and wrote, and even prayed in secret, undesignedly, sometimes in Latin and sometimes in Dutch."

His studies having been finished, Mr. Livingston appeared before the Classis of Amsterdam on the 5th of June, 1769, for a license. The examination proving satisfactory, he was admitted to preach as a candidate, and his services were called into requisition several times that season. He also became a candidate for the degree of doctor of divinity from the University of Utrecht. To do this successfully, it was requisite that he should prepare two discourses, in Latin, which he must defend against the assaults of the professors, the whole disputation being carried on in this. language. Another discourse was then to be prepared and published, also in Latin. For some time his heart failed him, but he finally accomplished the task, and received his diploma triumphantly, on the 16th of May, 1770. He then sailed for this coun

try, stopping by the way in England, and reached New York on the 3d of September, 1770. He had previously received a call from the Reformed Dutch Church in this city, which was desirous of finding a colleague for the Rev. Dr. Laidlie. The North Church was completed at about this time, and it was evident that preaching must generally be in English. The Rev. Lambertus De Ronde and the Rev. Johannes Ritzema had become old, and could be expected to do no additional work. In this juncture Mr. Livingston was hailed as one who possessed qualifications which could hardly be met with elsewhere.

The church to which Mr. Livingston was thus called to minister was the oldest and most highly respectable in the city, with a very large membership. It dates back to the Summer of 1628, although for a time before that religious services had been held. The original chapel was in a loft over a horse mill. In 1626 François Molemaker was employed in building this horse mill, "with a spacious room above, to serve for a congregation; and a tower was to be added, in which the Spanish bells captured at Porto Rico the year before by the West India Company's fleet were intended to be hung." In 1633 the loft was given up, and the congregation worshipped in a plain wooden building in Broad street, between Bridge and Pearl streets. In 1642 a church was erected in the Fort, which was occupied till after the British capture of the city. Then the English held services there at other hours of the day from the Dutch until 1693, when the latter opened the Garden Street Church. Garden street is now known as Exchange place, and the church was a little east of Broad street, on the north side. Part of its site is at present occupied by the Mills building.

The city of New York was, however, continually growing, and the Garden Street Church became inadequate. Other churches must be built in order to accommodate the population. One was accordingly erected in Nassau street in 1729, known to us lately as the building in which the Post Office was kept, and another in 1769 on the corner of William and Fulton streets. The former was remodeled in 1764. These three churches were the ones in which Dr. Livingston labored, all three being shown in our engravings. The Garden Street Church was rebuilt in 1807, and was

destroyed in the great fire of 1835; the Nassau Street Church was rented to the General Government in 1844 as a Post Office, and was occupied by them thirty years; then being torn down to make room for the building of the Mutual Life Insurance ComThe North Church, that on William street, was demolished in 1875.

pany.

Long disputes had raged at the time of Dr. Livingston's settlement between two rival parties in the Dutch Church-those in favor of having an ecclesiastical organization here with authority, and those opposed to it. We shall not go into the details of this controversy, nor into that about the introduction of English into churches. In the year 1750 the English and Dutch languages were about equally used here for all familiar purposes, although

the law and foreign commerce used English. But, with the passage of years, New York city in particular grew more English. There was no immigration to speak of from Holland, and perhaps two-thirds of the inhabitants of the city when Dr. Livingston came here talked English more easily than Dutch. The sensibility of the latter was great, and extreme care must be taken to avoid the appearance of slighting them. Dr. Livingston acted the part of a peacemaker. The Dutch, of whom he was one by descent, he treated with deference, as did Dr. Laidlie, and little by little the preponderance of the English tongue was established. The war completed its victory, as many old families went away and many new ones came in. They knew no Dutch. Dr. Livingston was also enabled before the Revolution to reconcile the two parties in church government above referred to, the Cœtus and Conferentie. His church had taken no part in the dispute; he had been educated abroad, and desired only the good of the conflicting parties. This was soon recognized, as well as his eminent abilities. The bitter spirit had subsided. He therefore suggested to his consistory that a general convention should be held to see what would be for the welfare of the church. They coincided with him. The minister and one elder from each congregation in America were invited to attend a meeting in this city on the 15th of October, 1771. It was well attended, Dr. Livingston being chairman, and a year after met again, when a plan of agreement was submitted to it, involving no important concession on either side, but saving the pride of each. It was unanimously adopted, and thenceforth the denomination was at peace with itself, if its churches were soon to be scattered by war.

The convention which met at Kingston in October, 1773, at his solicitation attempted to induce the newly established college at New Brunswick to found a theological professorship. Considerable correspondence took place on this subject, and it had finally been informally agreed to, with Dr. Livingston as the professor, when the war began.

At its outbreak, and until the British took possession of the city, services were held alternately by him and Dr. Laidlie, which were attended by the remnant of the flock. Most of them had left town on account of the danger of capture. In October, 1775,.