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prudence, of sincere and ardent piety; and he thus
became allied to other families among the most
respectable in the colony.
[The eldest daughter of Philip married the late Stephen Van
Renssalaer, Esq., of Albany, and was the mother of the gentleman now living, of the same name and place, whose patriotic
services, amiable deportment, and princely liberality, in the promotion of science and religion, are well known. The second married
Dr. Thomas Jones, a learned and respectable physician of
New-York, and was the mother of Mrs. Clinton, the widow of
the late much lamented Governor of the state of New-Vork.]
Dr. Livingston was himself a sincere and decided friend to the American cause. — It was the
earnest wish of his heart that the war begun,
might result in the estabhshment of his country's
independence, and, like a number of patriotic and
pious ministers of the city, offered his fervent
prayers to God for its ultimate success; but
[The Rev. Dr. Miller, in his Memoirs of the late venerable Dr.
Rodgers,says — "For a considerable time before this crisis arrived,
Dr. Rodgers and several other clergymen of the city, among whom
were Dr. Mason and Dr. Laidlie, had been in the habit of holding weekly meetings, for cultivating friendship with each other,
and for mutual instruction. Toward the close of 1775, the gentlemen concerned, agreed to suspend their usual exercises at
these meetings, and to employ the time, when they came together,
in special prayer for a blessing upon the country, in the struggle
on which it was entering. This meeting, thus conducted, was
kept up, until the ministers composing it, and the great mass of
the people under their pastoral care retired from the city, previous
to the arrival of the British forces."
Dr. Livingston was, no doubt, one of this clerical association;
and it is probable, that as often as he was in the city, after his
marriage, when they convened, he united with them in supplications to Heaven for a happy prosecution and termination of the
conflict.]
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neither political nor religious principle made it his
duty to remain in New-York, when that would be
only an unnecessary exposure of his life, and the
greater part of the people of his charge had fled
into different parts of the country, to places of
more safety. He, therefore, resided in the excellent family with which he had recently become connected,
and visited the city for the performance of
ministerial duty, as often as it was practicable, and
as long as it was considered proper to continue
service there. Until, in fact, the British forces took
possession of New-York, in Sep. 1776, he and Dr.
Laidlie, who had also removed to Red Hook, alternately came down, unless providentially prevented,
and preached to the remnant of their flock; and in the
month of June preceding, he administered the Lord's
Supper in the Middle Church, which ordinance was
not dispensed again in any of the Dutch Churches
in the city, during the continuance of the war.
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