1704 not to faile Given under my hand at ffort Anne in New York this twenty fourth day of August 1704. To the Justices of the Peace of Queens County and the Vestrymen of the Church of Jamaica in the said County. -Doc. Hist. N. Y. Vol. iii. p. 129. An Order to the Justices and Church Wardens of Jamaica. By his Excellency Edward Viscount Cornbury Captain General and Governour in You are hereby Required to pay ye money made of ye Corn Collected for the maintenance of a Minister for the Town of Jamaica in Queens County and which Remains in your hands to the Reverend Mr. William Urquhart and for soe doing this shall be your sufficient Warrant. Given under my hand att ffort Anne in New Yorke this twenty eighth day of August 1704. Cornbury. To the Justices of the Peace for Queens County & to the Vestrymen and Church Doc. Hist. N. Y. Vol. iii. p. 129. Secretary Clarke to the Gentlemen at Esopus. (1704.) Gentlemen, New York August ye 30th 1701. (1704?) Mr. Haburne, [Hepburn] who is a Minister of ye Establisht Church of England, and sent by his Excellency to administer ye Gospell to you, in this vicinity, ought I think att Least, to be provided for as well as a dessenting Minister to that Church; who is only tolerated to exercise ye unestablisht religion he professes, but it seems you have not been of that Opinion, or if you have, you have not paid that Obedience to his Excellency's Commands, and that regard to this gentleman's Character, as was due, and this appears plainly by ye mean accommodacons you provided before, I am therefore by his Excellency's Command to let you know that you are immediately without delays in misconstruing any part of this to provide a good and Convenient house in your town of Kingstown with necessarys thereto belonging (suitable to the Character of Mr. Heburn) for him, and if there be no other house to be Gotten you are immediately to put him in possession of ye house Late of Boudy Windewitt which was some time since Escheated for her Matie and make a speedy returne of what you shall have done herein. I am Gentlemen Your very humble servant, [The above is dated, Aug. 30, 1701, in Doc. History, but this must be an error for 1704. See Corwin's Manual, 4th edition, 1902, page 26, and note 15, p. 100.] 1704 ACTS OF THE CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM. Beys's Certificates. 1704, Sept. 1st. The certificates of Rev. Beys, which were mentioned in previous acta, were handed in and approved. ix. 83. Anthonides Called to Brooklyn, etc., and Beys to Esopus. 1704, Oct. 6th. The Rev. Assembly, received applications from the combined churches of Breucklen and Midwout, as well as from that of Esopus. Each of these requested that a minister should be sent to them. Thereupon the Classis has called to Breuckelen and Midwout, Rev. Vincentius Anthonides, minister at Bergen, (Bergum,) under the Classis of Leeuwarden. He has accepted this call in the fear of the Lord. To Esopus was called the Rev. (Henricus) Beys, who has likewise accepted the call. The more definite arrangements belonging to each case will be made later. ix. 85. xix. 274. Letter from Albany. 1704, Oct. 6th. Rev. President read a letter from the Consistory of Albany, in which they request that as speedily as possible, there may be granted to them a minister in the stead of Rev. Nucella, called to the chapel of her Brittanic Majesty at London. ix. 84. xix. 274. CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM. Acts of the Deputies and their Correspondence. The Classis of Amsterdam to Rev. Gualterus Du Bois, October 6, 1704. xxviii. 48. Reverend Sir and Dearly Beloved Brother in Christ Jesus: We have learned with much joy of your health, and are well pleased that you are so esteemed and beloved in those regions, as well as that your ministrations in the churches are so abun 1704 dantly fruitful. Nor are we less gratified and delighted, that through your good offices, the correspondence of the Rev. Consistories in the Province of New York has been so amicably and judiciously maintained with the Rev. Classis of Amsterdam. We assure you we are under very great obligations to you, and that your mode of procedure is the right one to prevent alienations, to promote peace, and to render real service to the churches of the Great Shepherd. We request you not to flag in this line of conduct; while we will not neglect to do everything which tends to the continuance of this praiseworthy correspondence. Rev. Henricus de Beys, S. S. M. C. has been called by the Classis to go to Kingston. He is a man of excellent principles and of great promise. Rev. Vincentius Antonides has been called to Breuckelen and Midwout. He is, at present, pastor at Bergen in Vriesland. He is a man well tested in doctrine and morals and prudence. May God bless their labors in their respective churches. Among us there have died the Revs. Saplanke, Reland and Ojers. In their places have been called Revs. Hoseas Hollebeck, Johannes Van Strooren and Johannes van der Hagen-pastors, respectively at Haerlem, Alkmaer and Leyden. The Rev. Professor Roel of Franquer (Franeker) has been called to Utrecht, and makes great progress, but not a little excitement, among men of other views. The churches of the Fatherland are in the enjoyment of blessings. The Fatherland itself is being crowned with great victories in war. May God continue to humble the pride of France, and hasten the time, through his favor, of a. lasting peace. It is the desire of our souls that God may prosper you in all your undertakings, and in his own good time, bring you to his presence with glory and joy. Thus done in our Classical Assembly, October 6, 1704. Hugo van der Helst. 1704 CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM. Acts of the Deputies. The Classis of Amsterdam to the churches of Brooklyn, Flat- To the Rev. Consistory at Breukelen, Midwout and Amersfoort. We received your pleasant letter of Dec. 10th, 1703 (O. S.) on January 2nd, 1704, and have learned therefrom the dealings of Divine Providence among you. Through the ministrations of the Gospel, purified (from error), God has been pleased to establish and prosper in those far distant regions of America, under the dominion of her Royal Majesty of England, and especially on the island of Nassau, many churches. These agree in Confession of Faith with those of the Netherlands, and exist for the diffusion of his truth, the glory of his name, and the salvation of his elect. For all this we have reason to give glory to God, while we cherish the hope that through such means the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in. We are honored by your communication, and obliged for your acknowledgments, that our interest in sending you ministers, who are in no wise men to be ashamed of, has been acceptable to you. We bind ourselves to seek, by all possible means, your prosperity, whenever circumstances put it in our power. The painful death of Rev. Wilhelmus Lupardus, blessed in his life, but not blessed to your church in his death, has grieved our soul. May the Lord prevent similar losses, and heal this breach. As regards the feeling of Rev. Bernardus Freerman, pastor at Schenectady: He has been called by you on certain conditions, 1704 but which he has declined, because in case of difficulty, he would rather not conduct himself according to the decisions of the Classis of Amsterdam. His conduct appears very strange to us. It grieves us that he should be governed by such a spirit. We desire indeed, to avert all estrangement and to promote peace, and wish that he could be brought to a different mind. Finally, as regards your request and authorization (to send you a minister.) Your authorization was submitted to us, with the consent of the Hon., the Lord-Governor, that we should again call a person to the service of your church, one furnished with all the requisite qualifications to make himself, by his doctrine and life, by his fidelity and virtue, according to the circumstances of your church, acceptable to the minds of all. We have, therefore, according to your order, counseled in love with the Reverend, godly and highly learned Rev. Casparus van Zuren, pastor at Gouderak, who was much interested in the proposition, but he did not suggest to us any particular person. We have, however, with the approval of his Reverence, and according to your request, called, in the fear of the Lord, the Reverend, godly and highly learned Vincentius Antonides, at present at Bergom, in Vriesland, a man who, under the blessing of God, as an irreproachable minister, already tried in the service of the Lord, will satisfy your expectations in all respects. He has accepted the call on the conditions proposed by you, and will undertake the journey at the first opportunity. We trust that his passage may be pleasant, and that his coming among you may be in the fulness of the blessings of the Gospel, to the winning of many souls, and the upbuilding of the kingdom of Christ. We received the money for Classical expenses through a bill of exchange. The state of the Church in our Fatherland, through God's favor, continues in the enjoyment of blessings. The very destructive war, however, in which God has undeservedly crowned our efforts with very great victories, to the discomfiture of our |