On the death of Rev. Mr. Antonides, the Rev. Ulpianus Van Sinderen was called. He came from Holland, and entered upon his duties, in 1746, and continued to serve the congregation in connection with the Rev. Mr. Arondeus until the year 1754, when Mr. Arondeus was called to his final account.

Mr. Van Sinderen was the bearer of the letter from the Classis of Amsterdam, containing their approbation of the plan of the Cætus which had been agreed upon in the meeting, held in New-York, in the year 1738. Shortly after his arrival in this country, a meeting was called to receive this letter. This meeting was held in the city of New-York, in the month of May, 1747. The Rev. Mr. Van Sinderen, is named first among the six ministers who attended this meeting. Little more was done at this time than receive the letter of concurrence in the plan from the Classis of Amsterdam, and appoint the second Tuesday of the following September, for the meeting of the first Cætus, to be held in the city of New-York, under this new plan. On that day, the representatives of the churches met in Cætus, and organized the first judicatory (if it can be so called) higher than a consistory, that was established in the Dutch Church in America. The Rev. Mr. Van Sinderen attended as a member of this body. The plan was however opposed by several ministers, and churches, and eventually gave rise to very serious troubles, which it would be inappropriate here to narrate in detail.

Mr. Van Sinderen, though a man of talents, was quite eccentric in his manners. He was short in stature, but very active.

Though endowed with learning, he appears to have been deficient in sound judgment. He was too much in the habit of introducing the occurrences of the week previous in his sermons, on the Sabbath, and often would allude to very trifling circumstances. Some amusing anecdotes, are told of him, relating to this practice. On one occasion, a good old Elder, who had borne with the Dominie in this particular, till his patience was exhausted, very injudiciously, under the excitement of his feelings, rose in his seat, during divine service, and interrupted Mr. Van Sinderen, by saying, they had called him to preach the gospel, and not to detail to them such matters. The Dominie, indignant at being stopped in his discourse, leaned over the pulpit, and replied, "You, Philip Nagle, if you can preach the gospel better than I can, come up here and try."

After the death of the Rev. Mr. Arondeus, the Rev. Anthony Curtenius was called. He commenced his ministry in this place in the year 1755. But in the succeeding year, on the 19th, of October, he died, being in his 58th, year.

About this time, or probably, a little while before, this church was greatly agitated, in common with the whole Reformed Dutch denomination, with what was called the Cætus and Conferentie differences. This was a contest which excited great warmth. It related principally to the question of the right of ordination, and the exercise of church authority. The Cætus party contended that in consequence of the inconvenience of sending to Holland for ministers, and he increase of the churches in this country, it should he exercised by the ministers of the church, already in America, and that for this purpose, there should be a regular organization of the churches into