pastor of the church in this town, were,-"Three hundred Pounds New York Currency pr Annum, a dwelling House [to be rented by the Trustees] and the use of the parsonage [land]." He became a member of the Presbytery of New York, May 2, 1786, being "received with pleasure." He was installed on Wednesday, June 14; the sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. McWhorter, of Newark, from Acts xx: 24; the Rev. Dr. Johnes, of Morris-Town, presided, and the Rev. Dr. Rodgers, of N. York, gave the charge. Mr. Linn's ministry gave promise of great usefulness, and was highly valued by his people. But his reputation as an excellent preacher soon spread, and drew to him the regards of the Collegiate R. D. Church of New York, who were desirous to obtain a colleague for the Rev. Dr. Livingston. They extended him a call within four months of his settlement here, and, without much hesitation or delay, it was accepted, greatly to the grief, and not a little to the indignation, of both the people and the Presbytery. Mr. Linn having been dismissed, supplies for the next six months were appointed for the E. Town Church. Honored the following year, by the College of New York, with the honorary degree of D. D., Dr. Linn commanded in an eminent manner the respect and admiration of the city of New York, where he continued to labor in the ministry, until, compelled by declining health, he resigned his charge, in January 1805, and removed to the city of Albany, where he died in January, 1808, aged 55. His only publications were several occasional discourses, and a volume of sermons.* Very soon after Mr. Linn began to preach here, the grant of a Lottery was obtained from the Legislature "towards finishing a building erected by the Presbyterian congregation in Elizabeth Town." The scheme was advertised at length, in the New York Gazetteer, June 16, 1786. Isaac Woodruff, Jonathan Dayton, and Aaron Lane were appointed Managers. Trustees' Book. Records of the Presb. of N. Y., II. 127-180. Sprague's Annals, IV. 210. Allen's Am. Biog. Dict. Murray's Notes, p. 113. Memoir of Rev. Dr. Livingston, pp. 293. 870-8. Records of Presb. Chh., pp. 462, 472. At the settlement of their accounts, in 1789, each Manager was allowed $200 for his services, and $1,365 were paid into the Treasury of the church.* Having failed in an effort to secure the Rev. Mr. Snodgrass, [father of Rev. Dr. Snodgrass] in the spring of 1787, the church applied to the Presbytery in October, and obtained supplies for their pulpit for the next six months. At the meeting of the Presbytery, at Elizabeth Town, May 7, 1788, A Committee from the congregation of Elizabeth Town informed the Presbytery that Mr. David Austin a Candidate for the ministry belonging to the association of New Haven had been preaching among them much to their satisfaction and that they requested leave of the presbytery to draw up and present a call for him. The presbytery having taken their request into consideration; and being fully satisfied with the certificates which Mr. Austin produced of his licensure, unanimously agreed to grant the request of the committee. (The same day,) a call was brought into presbytery from the congregation of Elizabeth Town for Mr. David Austin in order to be delivered to him for his acceptance, which call the presbytery put into the hands of Mr. Austin for his consideration.t REV. DAVID AUSTIN. He was a native of New Haven, Ct., and a descendant of John Austin, who married, Nov. 5, 1667, Mercy, daughter of Joshua Atwater, and died in 1690. He was born, 1760, and was the eldest son of David Austin, a merchant, highly respectable, and prosperous in business, holding, for a time, the position of Collector of the Customs. The youngest daughter, Mary, who resided with her brother in this town, and was here converted, became the wife of the Rev. Prof. Andrew Yates, D. D., of Schenectady, N. Y., and died at East Hartford, Ct., Oct. 31, 1806. Born of pious parents, he was trained in the nurture of the Lord from his childhood. He graduated at Yale College in 1779, having been associated in study with such men as Joel Barlow, Josiah Meigs, Zephaniah Swift, Noah Webster, Oliver *N. Y. Gazetteer, II. 56. Trustees' Book. † Records of the Presb. of N. Y., II. 159–160. Savage's Biog. Dict. Assembly's Mag., III. 193-200. Wolcott, Elizur Goodrich and Roger Griswold. His theological studies were pursued under the direction of the Rev. Dr. Joseph Bellamy, at Bethlem, Ct. He was licensed at North Guilford, in May, 1780, by the New Haven East Association. Young as he was, he preached to great acceptance, and was earnestly solicited to settle in the ministry. But he declined these proposals, and went abroad, at the close of the war. Having spent some time in foreign countries, he returned to America, and, for a while, supplied the pulpit of the Chelsea [Second] Congregational church, Norwich, Ct., where he became acquainted with the family of Dr. Joshua Lathrop, whose daughter, Lydia, he married shortly after.* The N. J. Journal of Wednesday, Sept. 10th, 1788, says,— Yesterday, in a crowded and solemn assembly, the Rev. David Austin was ordained Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in this town. The Rev. Mr. Roe preached the sermon [from Gal. I. 10], Dr. Rogers, who presided, gave the charge to the minister, and Dr. McWhorter to the people. The exercises were conducted with much solemnity and decorum.t The house, in which these services were performed, was in a very unfinished condition--scarcely more than a mere shell. The beautiful spire, so conspicuous a landmark for more than seventy years, had not yet been erected. At a meeting of the Trustees of the Congregation, Feb. 23, 1789, it was voted, That the Church should be Plaistered as soon in the Spring as might be convenient, and that Ezekiel Woodruff, Jun' do Immediately go about procuring wood & shells for the Purpose of Burning Lime for the Use of sd Church, and be allowed a reasonable sum for his Service for Collecting Materials for the Plaistering of sd Church. The work was now prosecuted to completion. Mr. Austin took hold of it with great energy, secured the erection of its graceful spire, and obtained subscriptions for the purchase of a bell. He took a deep interest, also, in the cause of education, and in the promotion of every thing connected with * Contrib. to the Ecc. His. of Ct., p. 325. Miss Caulkins' Norwich, p. 485. |