The salary of the Clerk of the Church in this town was formerly raised by a tax on the whole town. At a town meeting, held February 1, 1568, It was resolved, that the sum of £20 10s. should be raised, and paid into the hands of the “church masters” for “the widow of Hendrick Sleght, ffor 1 year and 8 months salary, and being Clarke off the churche.” The following singular proceeding may be amusing to some readers, and will serve to shew to what extremes, both the people and the magistrates carried themselves in former times. Hendrick Vechte, Esq. a Justice of the Peace, was presented at the Kings County Sessions, May 14, 1710, for coming into the Brooklyn Church, on Sunday, August 10, 1709, “with his pen and ink in his hand, taking of peoples names, and taking up one particular mans hat up, and in disturbance of the minister and people in the service of God, &c.” Vechte’s plea was that in obedience to an order of the Governor he did go into the church as alledged, “to take notice of the persons that were guilty of the forcible entry made into the Church, that by Abram Brower, and others, by breaking of said Church doore with force and arms, forcibly entering into said Church, notwithstanding the forewarning of Mr. Freeman the minister, and his people to the contrary.” The Court found that Justice Vechte was not guilty of a breach of the peace, and discharged him. It must be remembered that Justice Vechte was a member of the Court. There was a considerable difference of opinion and many disputes among the inhabitants of this town, and of the County, as to the right of the Rev. Mr. Freeman to preach; into the merits of which controversy, it is not to be expected that the Compiler can enter at this distant day. Excepting the above proceeding of the Court, the only document which the Compiler has been able to obtain relative to this controversy is a letter from Henry Ffilkin, Esq. to the Secretary at New-York, which will be found in the Appendix marked with the letter D. December 18, 1814, the Trustees of the Dutch Reformed Church of the town of Brooklyn were incorporated. At which time the following gentlemen were officers of the Church. Martinas Schoonmaker, } Ministers. Peter Lowe, } _Elders._ Fernandus Suydam, Jeremiah Johnson, Walter Berry, John Lefferts. _Deacons._ Jeremiah Brower, Abraham De Bevoise, Lambert Schenck, Abraham Remsen. The present officers of this Church are, Rev. S. S. Woodhull, D. D. Pastor. _Elders._ Leffert Lefferts, David Anderson, Tunis Joralemon, Nehemiah Denton. _Deacons._ Theodorus Polhemus, Adrian Hegeman, James De Bevoise, Adriance Van Brunt. September 18, 1785, an “Independent Meeting House,” was incorporated at this place. The officers of which were: John Matlock, Pastor, George Wall, Assistant, John Carpenter, Treasurer, George Powers, Secretary. _Trustees._