Excerpt from History of Rochester Presbytery: From the Earliest Settlement of the Country, Embracing Original Records of Ontario Association, and the Presbyteries of Ontario, Rochester (Former), Genesee River, and Rochester City, to Which Are Appended Biographical Sketches of Deceased Ministers and B

S the present Presbytery of Rochester at the time of A, the reconstruction Of the Presbyteries in 1870, was formed, with a few exceptions, by the union of the former Presbyteries of Ontario, Rochester and Rochester City, together with about half of the ministers and churches which had belonged to the Presbytery Of Genesee River, its history will properly be introduced by sketches Of the aforesaid bodies, together with certain facts pertaining to the early religious history Of Western New York.

At the close Of the Revolutionary War the settlement of Western New York was retarded by conflicting land claims Of the states Of Connecticut and Massachusetts, superadded to the original title to the soil by the Indians, which Obstacles were not removed until about the year 1790. The county Of Ontario was formed in 1789, at which time it included all that part Of the state which was west of Seneca Lake. According to the United States census Of 1790 the number of inhabitants in this county was and the number Of families 205, which numbers very rapidly in creased during the subsequent decade and consisted mostly Of people from New England, with no inconsiderable num bers from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Europe.

Unlike their Puritan ancestors who had sought the shores Of New England for the sake of religious liberty, these pioneers in the wilderness were influenced mainly by motives Of gain, which resulted in increased negligence as to their former religious habits, and being thinly scattered over a vast area, the gathering of churches was, for a number Of years, a very discouraging work for the few who loved the house Of prayer and the fellowship Of the gospel. Added to this prevailing worldliness, was the fact that not a few had imbibed the French infidelity which was so prevalent throughout the country during the closing years Of the last century.

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