1703 ize the Rev. Classis of Amsterdam, as by these presents we do so request and authorize you, to call for our said congregations a person, either married or unmarried, we prefer unmarried, of whose learning and piety and other praiseworthy virtues you have sufficient assurance, to preach the Word of the Lord purely, plainly and forcefully; to instruct those thirsting for knowledge, in fundamental truths, by general catechizing; faithfully to administer the Holy Sacraments according to the institution of Christ; prudently to administer church discipline, and to govern; and furthermore with a peaceable and Christian demeanor, to do all that belongs to the office of a faithful minister of Jesus Christ, according to the Word of God and the good Order of the Church. In particular: to preach twice on each Lord's day, when in health, the one Sunday in one village, and the next Sunday in the next, in turns, regularly going the rounds of the four villages; and to do the same on all other preaching days, according to the custom in use among us, and observed by the late Rev. Lupardus. And inasmuch as, in our congregations, the remembrance of the satisfactory and edifying services, and the faithful labors of the Rev., Pious and Highly Learned Domine, Casparus Van Zuuren, our former pastor and teacher, now minister at Gouderack, is still fresh and lively; and for which reasons, they consider themselves bound always to manifest, so far as possible, the evidences of their dutiful love and respect to him, although absent: Therefore the Rev. Classis, without diminishing the foregoing authority conferred, is kindly requested to take into proper consideration any recommendation of a capable person by the said Rev. Van Zuuren, if such can be conveniently done, and if he is still living; to let the eye fall upon such a one would be a circumstance peculiarly agreeable to our people. To encourage the acceptance of this call, the party called is honestly promised: 1. A salary of one hundred pounds, New York money, which amounts, according to the reckoning in this country, to eight hundred Dutch guilders. This annual salary will begin with his first sermon before his congregations. [One hundred pounds is equal to two hundred and fifty dollars; but eight hundred guilders is equal to three hundred and twenty dollars.] 2. In addition to this, a good and suitable dwelling, free of rent, located centrally, at Midwout; with the barn, and land as far as the road, and a garden; all this to be delivered in good condition, and to be kept up. 3. Also, to provide him, yearly, with sufficient fire wood for his house-keeping. 4. He shall also receive, immediately on the delivery of his first sermon here, a half year's salary, as an honorarium. 5. He shall also receive upon his landing here, in payment for his transportation and other expenses on the voyage, thirty three pounds, New York money, if he be a single man; but if he be married, he shall receive forty three pounds. This sum, experience teaches, is sufficient. It is deemed advisable, therefore, to specify it beforehand, so as to leave freedom to the party called, as to his manner of coming over, and to avoid all disputes. 6. When he preaches at Breukelen, which is not above an hour's ride; or at Amersfoort, which is not above a half hour's ride from his home, he shall be taken thither and brought back, without cost to himself. 7. To these promises, We, the undersigned, Elders and Deacons, stand pledged, in such a way that we bind ourselves, qualitate qua, and our successors in the same capacity, to see to it, and to use all diligence, that each half year, the full half of the whole salary shall be paid. On these fair terms and well-intentioned promises, we earnestly request and authorize the Classis of Amsterdam, to call, as soon as possible, a capable person, endowed with the requisite qualifications. To this end, in payment of Classical expenses, one hundred guilders are transmitted, to be paid by him who is mentioned in the accompanying note. We request you to per 1703 1703 suade the party called, after his complete acceptance of said call, to start on his journey hither as quickly as possible. And we pray the Lord, that under his favorable guidance, he may arrive safely. We also promise to hold him in such respect, affection and honor, as is due to an upright and pious pastor. Finally, we pray the Great Shepherd of the sheep abundantly to pour out His divine blessing, with the gifts of his Spirit, upon your Reverend Assembly, upon your persons and respective ministries, to the magnifying of His Name, the upbuilding of the Church of God, and the ingathering and salvation of many souls. Done at our meeting of Consistory at Breukelen, December 11, 1703, O. S. Reverend, Pious and Highly Learned Sirs and Brethren in Your obedient Servants and Brethren in Christ Jesus, The Eld ers and Deacons of Breukelen, (Brooklyn), Midwout (Flatbush), and Amersfoort, (Flatlands.) MR. ROBERT LIVINGSTON TO THE LORDS OF TRADE. Mohawk Missions. 1703 1703, Dec. 18. To the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations. Sheweth. That pursuant to Your Lordships commands, he addressed himself The Right Honorable Society have found out two good men for that purpose; that one hundred pounds sterling per annum will be allowed to each of them, and twenty pounds a piece towards buying utensils for them; but he is directed by His Grace, the Archbishop, and the rest of the Society to acquaint your Lordships, that though they think it absolutely necessary for their better accommodation, that there should be small houses built for them among the Indians, and that they should each of them have a servant to attend them; yet the Society, which has already made such large efforts with an income so small, entirely precarious and voluntary, do beg your Lordships to lay the matter before Her Majesty; since this affair is partly civil, and regards the State, so far at least as the said Missionaries may contribute to secure those wavering people to the interest of the Crown of England, and keep them from falling off to the neighboring French of Canada. Your Lordships are therefore humbly prayed that you will be pleased to represent It so to Her Majesty, who no doubt, when she is well informed, will contribute the remainder and whatever else will be needful for the accomplishing so good a work. All which is nevertheless most humbly submitted by Whitehall, 18th December 1703. Robert Livingston. PETITION OF THE REV. MR. LYDIUS. To his Excellency Edward Lord Viscount Cornbury her Majesty's Capt. Generall and Governour in Chiefe of ye Province of New Yorke, and of New Jersey, and of all the tracts and territories of land depending thereon in America, and Vice Admiral of ye same etc. and to ye Honourable Council of ye said Province of New York. The humble Petition of Johannis Lydius Minister att Albany. Humbly sheweth: How that your petitioner in obedience to your Excellency's directions hath to the out most of his endeavours made itt his practice to instruct Indians of ye Five Nations in the Christian faith, for which service your Excellency and Councill hath been pleased to allow your humble petitioner a sallary at sixty pounds per annum. 1703 Your humble petitioner doth therefore most humbly pray your Excellency and Council will be pleased to grant him a warrant on ye Collector or Receiver Generall for one year's sallary in ye service as a fore said, which is expired the first of November 1703, and your humble petitioner as in duty bound shall ever pray etc. Johannes Lydius. Albany the 30 of December 1703. *** In council Min. ix. 48. June 13, 1702, is an entry in which Mr. Lydius is styled "Minister of the Dutch Reformed Church at Schonectady." The statement that he came to this country in 1703, which some persons have made, is therefore incorrect. His son, John Henry Lydius, who was a prominent Indian trader in the Colony of New York, died in Kensington, near London, in 1791, aged 98, having retired to England in 1776. There is a Biographical notice of him in the Gent. Mag. vol. 61. p. 383. which we refer to here only for the purpose of putting the Historical Student on his guard against some parts of it, which contain rather more poetry than truth.- Doc. Hist. N. Y. Vol. ill. p. 538. TRINITY CHURCH. REV. GEORGE KEITH. 1703. Rev. Keith again preached in Trinity Church, New York, on November 7, and November 28. The first sermon was on Acts 2: 42, "And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers". The second sermon was on 1 Cor. 12: 13, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, etc." These sermons were printed. Mr. Keith says: "By the Blessing of God, both these printed sermons have been serviceable to many in these American parts, and to some also in England, to reclaim them from their erroneous Opinions about the two Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper ". The voluntary contributions in Trinity Church from December 12, 1703 to April 19, 1704, amounted to fifty one pounds, fourteen shillings and one and a half pence. Records i. 47. Col. Wenham was desired to write to Mr. Thrale to procure the plate and furniture given by her Majesty to Trinity Church. Records 1. 47.- Dix, 155. MADAM KNIGHT, A UNIQUE CHARACTER FROM BOSTON, KEPT A "Mr. Burroughs went with me to Vendue where I bought about one hundred Rheem of paper which was retaken in a fly-boat from Holland and sold very reasonably here some ten, some eight shillings per Rheem by the Lott, which was ten Rheem in a Lott. And at the Vendue I made a great many acquaintances amongst the good women of the town, who courteously invited me to their houses and generously entertained me. The Cittie of New Yorke is a pleasant, well compacted place, situated on a Commodious River which is a fine harbour for shipping. The buildings, brick generally, very stately and high, though not altogether like ours in Boston. The bricks in some of the houses are of divers coullers and laid in checkers, being glazed, look very agreeable. The Inside of them are neat to admiration, the wooden work, for only the walls are plastered, and the Sumers and Gist are plained and kept very white scower'd as so is all the partitions if made of Bords. The fire-places have no Jambs (as ours have) But the Backs run flush with the walls, and the Hearth is of Tyles and is as farr out into the room at the ends as before the fire, which is Generally Five foot in the Lower rooms, and the peice over where the mantle tree should be is made as ours with joyners work, and as I suppose is fasten'd with iron rodds inside. The House where the Vendue was, |