PETITION of the LUTHERANS OF WILLEMSTADT FOR LEAVE TO BURY THEIR DEAD. [Translated.] 1674. To the Rt Honble Myn Heer ANTHONY COLVE Govern General of N. Netherland. Those of the Augsburgh Confession represent with due respect that your Petitioners are ordered in cases of the burial of their dead, to pay the Sexton (Aanspreecker1) of the Reformed Church notwithstanding they employ their own Sexton, as lately happened, one of theirs having seized goods by execution and sold the same at public auction: And the Petitioners remark that they fully pay all taxes assessments, excise and all others whatever they may be called; Yea they endeavour to pay also their own poor: They are therefore, as they consider, not in the least subject to such charges but on the contrary ought to enjoy their (religious) exercises and Divine Service free and unconstrained, for which they have a written grant from the late Honble Governour Lovelace copy of which is hereunto annexed. It is also well known to all that Mr Roosenboom hath addressed a petition on that subject to the Honble Heer General abovenamed, to be favored therein; which petition had no result, but the Heer Laval being come up, said in full Court in date the 7th November 1672 he had authority as to Roosenboom's Petition-Let the Dead bury their Dead; for with what free conscience can your Precentor go and act for the Lutherans, for they have more ceremonies than the Reformed. Whereupon at that time he had no more to say, and it was as well. WHEREFORE your Petitioners for aforesaid reasons approach your Honour requesting most humbly that they may enjoy what they have been granted, and as Your Petitioners Brethren at N. Orange enjoy the same, that they further may bury their dead without notifying Mr Roosenboom, but employ their own Sexton and no one else. Whereupon they expect a favorable answer Your Honors Affectionate Subjects BERNHARDUS ANTHONY V. D. M. HANS HENDRICKSEN. DOMINE BERNARDUS ARENSIUS HIS PASSE. [N. Y. General Entries, IV.] 1 Permitt and Suffer the Bearer hereof, Domine Bernardus Arensius, to Passe from hence to Albany with his Necessaryes in the Sloope whereof Claes Tysen is Master, and to Officiate there as Pastor of the Augustine or Lutheran Congregation, as formerly under the English Government, without any manner of Lett, hindrance or molestacon whatsoever GIVEN under my hand and Seale in New Yorke, the 6th day of November 1674. E. ANDROSS. 1 Literally, "The person sent around with invitations to a funeral"; a custom still in practice in some of the older settlements of this State. We render the word, "Sexton,” being the nearest approach we can find to the original. DIFFICULTIES IN THE DUTCH CHURCH AT ALBANY. At a Council Septr 25th 1675. Present. The Governor The Secretary, Capt Brockholes, Mr J Laurence, Capt Dyre, Mr Fred: Philips. The matter under Consideracon was ye Complaint of Do Nicholas van Renslaer against Do Newenhuysen, upon Acct of his sending to him by some of ye Elders on Sunday last, to forbid him to baptize any children that should be brought in the afternoon to be baptized, Upon wch he forbeare coming to ye Church that time, but said he went to speake with Do Newenhuysen, to know his reason for what he had done. To whome ye said Do replyde aloude in ye street, yt it was because he did not looke upon him to be a Lawful Minister, nor his admittance at Albany to be lawfull, whereupon ye said D Renslaer desired to speake to him in ye house, & to shew him what Testimonialls he had, which he admitted, yet afterwards would scarcely looke on them but exclaimed agst him in like manner as before; That afterwards at Mr Ebbings one of ye Elders, they saw all his Papers, but yo Do still said, yt one ordeyned in England, had nothing to do with their Church, without a Certificate from their Classis. Do Newenhuysen did not deny at all that was alleaged agst him, but on ye contrary did in a manner maintaine, That no one yt only had orders from ye Church of England had sufficient Authority to be admitted a Minister here, to administer ye Sacraments without, as before, &c Resolved, That Do Newenhuysen shall have time of two, three or four dayes to sett in writing w his opinion or Judgmt is in this Case, particularly whether a Minister ordained in England by a Bishop, coming here and having Certificate thereof, bee not sufficient ordination to preach & Administer ye Sacraments in ye Dutch here or no. Hee offers to bring it in on Thursday next. A Copie of Do Newenhuysens Ordrs & Instructions from ye Classis at Amsterdam, to be taken & ye Originalls given him againe Do Renslaers papers of Certificate & Testimonialls were, viz. The Ordinacon by Dr Earle Bishop of Sarum, to be a Deacon. His Maties allowance of him under his Signett to be a Minister, & to preach to ye Dutch Congrega'con at Westminister. A Certificate from severall persons of Quality of his being an allowed Chaplaine to ye Embassador extraordinary ye Heer Goph, from ye States of Holland. A Certificate from ye Minister & officers of a Church in London, of his having officiated as a Lecturer there. The Duke of Yorkes recomendacon of him to the present Governor here. Upon wch ye following Order was made, vizt Upon the Complaint of D° Nicholas Van Renslaer Minister of Albany, That Do Wilhelmus Newenhuysen, Minister of this Towne had openly and with words of Contempt said that Do Renselaer was no Minister, & his ordinacon not good, both Parties appearing this day at the Councell, Mr Renslaer having produced his severall Ordinacon of Deacon & Presbiter by the Bishop of Salisbury, also attestacons of his having been Minister to Myn heer Van [Goph], Embasadr from ye States Gen1l residing at London, & since Minister of ye Dutch Church at Westminster, and Lecturer at St Margaretts Loathbury in London, & of his good Comport in sa Churches, together with his Maties Signett for Westminster, & his Royall Highnesse letter of Recomendacon to this place or Albany if vacant and made appeare his being chosen, admitted & officiateing in ye Church at Albany according to their usuall manner & Constitucon of ye reformed Church, wth ye approbacon & Confirmacon of ye Magistrates and Govern all wch being found to be authenticke. Upon a full hearing of all partys it appearing yt Do Newenhuysen had spoken ye words declaring Do Renslaer to be no Minister &c. ye above testimonys being produced in Councell to ye said Newenhuysen and he owned to have been made acquainted therewith still insisted ye said Do Renslaers Ordinacon nor Call did not fitly qualify him to administer ye Sacraments, for which giving not ye least sufficient reason, but implied according to his owne fancy. Being Withdrawne, after mature deliberacon It being of great weight & Consequence, It is Resolved that ye said Do Newenhuysen shall have some time to give in his Answer to ye above in writing, which he desireing no longer then till Thursday, Ordered, That on Thursday ye 30th instant, ye said Do Newenhuysen shall by 2 aclock in the afternoone appeare & bring in ye same, particularly whether the Ordination of ye Church of England be not sufficient qualification for a Minister comporting himselfe accordingly, to be admitted, officiate & administer ye Sacraments, according to ye Constitucons of ye reformed Churches of Holland: At which time ye Elders, & all other Officers of ye Dutch Church are likewise required to appeare and be present. By Order of ye Govern' in Councell This order of Councell was sent. At a Councell Sept 30. 1675. M. N. Secr. Present. The Governor The Secreatary. Mr Laurence. Capt. Dyre. Mr Philips. This day being appointed at two a clock for Do Newenhuysen to bring in his answer, & make his appearance, wth ye Eldrs & Deacons of the Church. Hee brings a paper rather in the Justification of himselfe in his answer then otherwise, and denyes what is alleaged against him by Do Renslaer therein. After long debate, ye Do and ye rest of ye Elders and Deacons, seeme to allow in words, what is denyde in writing, vizt That a Minister Ordayned in England by the Bishops is every way Capable &c. Time is given them to Consider againe well amongst themselves, and give a finall Resolution in answ to the Order of Councell, to morrow. There were before the Councell. Do Newenhuysen Minister, Mr Jeronimus Ebbing, Mr Peter Stoutenberg Elders; Mr Jacob Teunisse Kay. Mr Reyneer Willemse. Mr Gerritt Van Tright. Mr Isaack Van Vleck Deacons The next day they brought in their paper amended, with all Submission. At a Councell Septr 8th 1676. Present. The Governor Capt. Brockholes. The Secretary. Capt. Dyre. Upon Informacon that Do Renslaer (one of the Ministers att Albany) is confined by the Magistrates there, upon matter of some dubious words spoken by the said Do in his Sermon or Doctrine. It is Ordered, That the said Do bee releast from his Imprisonment, and any matter concerning the same is to bee heard here. At a Meeting of the Governor in Councell, and Ministers of ye City of New Yorke, Sept 15th 1676. The occasion was the returne of the appeale in the Case between Do N. Renslaer and Mr Jacob Leysler, and Mr Jacob Milburne, had before ye Court & Consistory at Albany. Ordered, That as Do Renslaer hath putt in Security of fifteene hundred Guild's hollands money for to prosecute, so ye said Leysler and Milburne are to putt in ye like Security to make good their Charge Ordered, That Mr Leysler do besides himselfe, put in one or two others as Security for five thousand pound by to morrow before noone. Sept the 16th. The Ensuing Warrt was sent up to Albany Whereas Mr Jacob Millburne hath accused Do Nicholas Renslaer for words spoken by him in a Sermon at Albany on the 13th Last past, the which having made a great disturbance, and been before the Church Officers and Court there, and at last remitted here in order to a determination; In case the same be nott already taken up and Composed before this comes to your hands, These are in his Maties name to require yon, to cause ye said Milburne to give in sufficient Security to the value of one thousand pound for his appearance to prosecute and answer the matters relateing thereunto according to Law; which if hee shall refuse to do, that he be committed to safe Custody into ye Sheriffs hands, of the which you are not to faile, and to make a speedy returne hereof; Given under my hand in New Yorke, Septem" ye 16th 1676. E ANDROSS. Το ye Commander and Magistrates at Albany. Sept the 18th Mr Leysler not obeying the Order of the Governor in Councell of the 15th Instant, was by the Governors speciall Warrant committed into the Custody of the Sheriff: The Warrt was as followeth. vizt BY THE GOVERNOR Whereas Mr Jacob Leysler of this City hath accused Do Nicholas Renslaer for words spoken by him in a Sermon at Albany, on the 13th last past, the which having made a great disturbance and been before the Church Officers and Court there, and at last remitted here in Order to a determination, but ye said Leysler not having given Security according to Law and Order; These are in his Maties name to require you forthwith to take ye person of the said Jacob Leysler into your Custody, and him safely to keep in Order to a determinacon according to Law; for the which this shall be your sufficient Warrant: Given under my hand in New Yorke this 18th day of September. 1676. E. ANDROSS. To ye Sheriff of New Yorke, or his Deputy. At a Councell. Septr 23th 1676. Present. The Governor & Councell. The Mayor & Aldermen The Ministers of ye City. Upon reading all Evidences & papers relating to the difference betweene Do Nich: Renslaer and Mr Jacob Leysler & Mr Jacob Millburne, but ye said Millburne not being present, nor any Authorized from him Resolved, That if all parties are willing to stand to the friendly and amicable determinacon made by the Church Officers or Kerken Raat at Albany, and referr ye matter of Charges, (which was ye only obstruction then) to ye Governor and Councell and persons above, That then they will proceed to a finall Determinacon therein; But if not then a short day shall be appointed for hearing all parties, & taking such further Resolves and order therein as ye Case shall require; All parties to have Coppies, and bring in their Answers by ye first returne from Albany. |