appeal to every member and friend of the parish to give liberally as the LORD hath blessed them. "EUGENE AUG'S HOFFMAN, Rector. "EDWARD B. GRUBB, Treasurer. "Burlington, N. J., 2 Jan., 1864. 66 COMMITTEE TO COLLECT SUBSCRIPTIONS. "EDWARD B. GRUBB, "SAMUEL ROGERS, "FRANKLIN GAUNTT, M. D., "J. HOWARD PUGH, M. D." A GREAT WEIGHT REMOVED. "Burlington, N. J., 6 Feb'y, 1864. "MY DEAR SIR-The Vestry of St. Mary's Church, have intrusted us with the pleasing duty of acknowledging through you, to their unknown benefactor, the very liberal donation of $5000 towards removing the heavy indebtedness with which the Parish has so long been burdened. While we thank God, that he has put it into the heart of one to whom He has given the means of doing so much good, we desire to express to the donor our own acknowledgments for the munificent gift, which has removed a great weight from the minds of the Vestry, and lifted the dark cloud which hung over the future history of the Parish. We are happy to say, that the liberal manner in which the parishioners generally have responded to our appeal to raise the balance required, has not only placed the entire amount at our disposal, and secured, as we believe, the speedy liquidation of the balance of the debt, but given a new life and impulse to the Parish in every way. In the earnest hope that this may prove the beginning of a long course of usefulness for our ancient Parish, and with the fervent prayer that God will remember our benefactor, for this 'good deed' done to the house of our God, and for the offices thereof,' "We remain, very respectfully, "Your grateful and obedient servants, "Rector of St. Mary's Church. "EDWARD B. GRUBB, "J. HOWARD PUGH, "SAMUEL ROGERS, "FRANKLIN GAUNTT, "James H. Castle, Esq., Philadelphia." Committee on Subscriptions. NATION RESIGNATION OF THE REV. MR. HOFFMAN. "Burlington, N. J., 29 February, 1864. "Messrs. J. W. Odenheimer, and F. Gauntt, M. D., Wardens, &c. "GENTLEMEN-I find myself most unexpectedly called upon to request you to announce to the Vestry of St. Mary's parish that I have felt it my duty to accept a call to the Rectorship of Grace Church, Brooklyn Heights, New York. Apart from the trial involved in the separation of pastor and people, you will I am sure, appreciate, that a decision, which takes me from a parish to which from past as well as present associations my heart is very closely tied, and removes me from the only diocese in which I had expected to labor until called to give an account. of my stewardship, could only be arrived at after the most careful consideration and under a conscientious sense of the duty which I owe to the Church and myself. The circumstances, however, of this call, coming as it has at a time when St. Mary's Church, through the liberality of the parishioners, is on the eve of being freed from the pecuniary embarrassments which have so long crippled its energies, and placed in an independent position, seemed to leave me but little choice in the matter. I am, therefore, constrained to ask the Wardens and Vestry to accept this my resignation of the Rectorship of St. Mary's parish, to take effect from the first day of April next, when I propose, God willing, to enter on my duties in the new field to which Providence seems to have called me. "Thanking yourselves and the Vestry for your personal kindness and co-operation in all that I have proposed for the efficiency of the Church during our official connection, and praying that God's blessing may ever rest upon yourselves and the parish you represent, I am, "With the highest respect and esteem, "Your obedient servant, "EUGENE AUG'S HOFFMAN." ACTION OF THE VESTRY ON THE RESIGNATION OF THE RECTOR. Resolved, That the resignation of the Rev. E. A. Hoffman, Rector of St. Mary's Church, be and is hereby accepted, according to the tenor of his letter to the Vestry. Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to prepare a suitable answer to the letter of resignation. "REV. AND DEAR SIR-We, the undersigned, a committee appointed under the above resolutions, desire, on behalf of the Wardens and Vestry of St. Mary's Parish, to express to you the deep regret, the heartfelt sorrow experienced by ourselves and the whole congregation, at parting from you. Although you have been but a short time amongst us, yet your gentlemanly demeanor, your courtesy and kindness, your faithfulness and efficiency in all the duties that belong to the Christian Minister, have drawn towards you all our hearts with a rare and hearty unanimity, so that we had indulged in the hope that your stay with us might be prolonged and permanent. "By the generosity of an unknown benefactor, the liberality of the parishioners, and last, not least, the tireless energy and enthusiasm which you threw into the work, and infused into others, we have been enabled to relieve the parish, in great measure, from the heavy burden of debt that has been oppressing it for years, so that it will be no fault of yours, if the work of the parish be not henceforth efficient and prosperous. "We thank you for the kindliness and earnestness with which you entered upon your work amongst us. We are grateful to you, under God, for the success that has crowned your labors. We accept the Providence that has called you to another and a wider field. We bespeak for you therein, that co-operation and sympathy and love, always and everywhere needed to sustain the hands and encourage the heart of the Christian Minister. And more than all, and above all, we invoke upon your labor and life the blessing of Almighty God. "J. HOWARD PUGH, "FRANKLIN GAUNTT, "EDWARD B. GRUBB, Committee.” REPORT ON SUBSCRIPTIONS. St. Mary's Vestry Room, March 26th, 1864.-An adjourned meeting of the Vestry was held this evening. The committee to which was referred the collection of subscriptions for the liquidation of the debts of St. Mary's Church, beg leave to make the following report: They have collected and paid into the hands of the Treasurer of the Church the following sums. [Here follows a list of one hundred and ten names, with amounts set opposite to each, varying from $6500-the Misses McIlvaine's subscription-to $1, and making a total of $11,291.76.] A CHIME OF BELLS OFFERED. "Burlington, N. J., 28 March, 1864. "MY DEAR SIR-I stated yesterday to the congregation of St. Mary's, that if they would pay off the balance of the debt, $1600, a chime of bells would be given to the Church and something for an endowment for the ringers. There seems a disposition now to raise the money, but it is a large sum after what has been done, and the debt can only be settled with cash. Will you do me the favor to find out whether I can have $500 more, provided the balance is raised, and let me know by telegraph during to-day? If this will be allowed, I think the balance can be raised, and would advise it to be done. "Very sincerely yours, "James H. Castle, Esq., Philadelphia." "E. A. HOFFMAN. MRS. CLEVELAND RELINQUISHES HER CLAIM. St. Mary's Vestry Room, June 13th, 1864.-A stated meeting of the Vestry was held this evening, J. W. Odenheimer, Senior Warden, in the chair. A letter was received from Mrs. Sarah P. Cleveland, and the following extract from it ordered placed on the minutes, viz.: "Rome, Casa Zuccari, April 2d, 1864. "REV. AND DEAR SIR-Through your letter of 15th February, which was somewhat delayed on its way, I learn with sincere thanfulness of the hope you have to relieve St. Mary's from debt; I trust indeed that your efforts will be crowned with success; to secure which, I am most happy to relinquish my small claim of $679.25, which is the remainder of an advance I made as a loan, and for which I have no security but an acknowledgment from Mr. Thomas Milnor. This I have left in America, but my now writing will cancel that, should I not live to return. * * "SARAH P. CLEVELAND." On motion of Dr. Pugh, the Wardens and Treasurer were directed to write a suitable acknowledgment to the letter of Mrs. Cleveland. LETTER TO MRS. CLEVELAND. St. Mary's Vestry Room, June 20th, 1864.-An adjourned meeting of the Vestry was held this evening, J. W. Odenheimer, Senior Warden, in the chair. The Committee appointed to write a letter to Mrs. Sarah P. Cleveland, presented the following, which was approved, viz.: Burlington, June 26th, 1864. "DEAR MADAM-We beg leave to address you as a Committee of the Vestry of St. Mary's Church, Burlington, in discharge of the duty assigned to us, of acknowledging your generous action in relinquishing your claim of $679.25, as conveyed to us by your letter to the late Rector, the Rev. E. A. Hoffman, dated Rome, April 2d, 1864. We feel the highest satisfaction in having been selected by the Vestry to convey to you an expression of their grateful acknowledgment of your liberality. This sentiment of gratitude is shared in by the entire congregation of St. Mary's Parish, which is so greatly indebted to you for repeated manifestations of your munificence. For the interest which, by word and deed, you have taken in the prosperity of the schools, and the poor of St. Mary's Church, as well as in your generous contributions to relieve the parish from debt, you have the lasting gratitude of the Vestry and Congregation. Together with our thanks, we add the prayer that the benedic |
