terians now constitute one of the largest and most flourishing
denominations of the city. Owing to the intolerance of the Established
Church and the Civil Government, they had considerable difficulty in
introducing their faith here. They at first met in private houses. In
1707, one of their ministers was heavily fined, and condemned to pay the
costs of the suit for preaching and baptizing a child in a private house.
In 1716 they organized their first society, and connected it with the
Philadelphia Presbytery. The city authorities now granted them
toleration, and allowed them to worship in the City Hall until 1719. In
the latter year they opened their first church in Wall street, near
Broadway. The Presbyterian churches and mission chapels of New York are
now as follows: Presbyterian proper, 70; United Presbyterian, 8; Reformed
Presbyterian, 7; Congregationalists, 9; making a total of 94. The
denomination is extremely wealthy, and many of its churches are noted for
their beauty and magnificence. The Presbyterians also support a number
of noble benevolent and charitable enterprises.

The Baptists, like the Presbyterians, had considerable difficulty in
establishing themselves here. In 1709, a Baptist minister was sentenced
to three months' imprisonment for preaching in New York without the
permission of the city authorities. For some time the Baptists were
subjected to considerable hostility, and were often obliged to immerse
their proselytes by night to avoid interruption. Their first church was
erected on Golden Hill, now known as Gold street, about 1725. The
various branches of this denomination have now about fifty churches and
chapels in the city. The First and the Fifth Avenue Churches are among
the wealthiest corporations in the city, and their sacred edifices are
noted for their beauty and elegance.

The Methodists appeared here soon after their church had become strong in
Great Britain. In 1766, Philip Embury, an Irishman, and a local preacher
in the Wesleyan Church, began to hold religious services in his own
house, in Barrack Row, now Park Place, to a congregation of half a dozen
persons. The church growing greatly in numbers, a large room was rented
for public worship on what is now William street, between Fulton and John
streets, and was used by them until the completion of their first church
in John street, in 1768. The Methodists now have sixty churches and
chapels in the city. They claim a