therewith to that extent, that Rev. D'ailly was consecrated (ordained) by the Examiner, with the laying on of hands, as minister of the church at the Cape; and studiosus de Graaff was accepted as proponent, (licentiate,) but only after previously taking the Oath of Purification and signing the formulæ of Concord. ix. 145. 1707 Letter from New York. 1707, Jan. 11th. There was placed upon the table a letter from New York, written June 10th, 1706, telling of the state of the church there. After discussion on the subject, the Rev. Assembly resolved to leave the matter in statu, until fuller information shall have come before the Classis. ix. 145. ACTS OF THE CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM. New York. Antonides complains of Freeman. 1707, April 4th. The Deputati ad Maritimas exhibited and read to the Classis, a letter from Rev. Antonides, minister on Long Island, in New York. This was also signed by some elders and deacons, as well as by Rev. du Bois. In it complaint was made of the conduct of Rev. Freerman in disturbing the church in that section of the country, (Long Island.) But since the matter as yet presents itself very obscurely to the Rev. Classis the Rev. Deputies are directed to investigate most carefully the state and situation of those churches, and to bring in a report thereon at the next meeting. Then according to the circumstances, letters shall be written to the Rev. Antonides, to the Rev. Freerman, as well as to the consistory on the said Island, in order to exhort them all to peace, and the advancement of the wellfare of the churches. ix. 147. New York. 1707, May 9th. In regard to the case of New York, see previous acta. Inasmuch as some letters have come in later, and 1707 also a gentleman came over from those regions about two months ago, who is said to possess a knowledge of the situation (amenities) of this church, the Rev. Classis directs the regular Committee ad extras. to examine these letters and to confer with the said gentlemen, and to bring in, as speedily as possible, a minute report. ix. 149. New York. Gravamina.* 1707, May 16th. The case of New York remains in statu. The churches of this Classis declare that this year they have no gravamina. Proxima Classis will be held July 6th, and ad Synodum shall proceed the Rev. Nuilman. ix. 151. ous acta. report. New York. 1707, June 6th. Concerning the case of New York, see previThe Rev. Deputati ad Maritima (-as?) made a full The business was further recommended to their care, after an expression of thanks to them for the endeavors which they had put forth. They were requested particularly, to confer with the Hon. Pensionary Buys, for political (civil) matters are involved therein. ix. 152. COLONEL ROBERT QUARY TO THE LORDS OF Trade. [About the Demands of Quakers.] 1707. June 28. To the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners for Trade & Plantations. Right Honorable: But now I must lay the scheme in Mr. Penn's own Province, and then the war is as hot and I fear of a worse consequence, then between the two Governments, for here is the Assembly against Mr. Penn and his Deputy and they against them, the Deputy Governor hath strangely incensed and disobliged all sorts of people on the other hand, the Assembly do carry their resentments against him, and the proprietor to that height, that they are resolved to have all the Government * Gravamina, bezwaar, zwarigheid, mean difficulties, grievances, objections, which need to be discussed, that advice may be given to the parties presenting them. The word Gravamina was yet used in the Minutes of the Dutch Church in America during the first quarter of the 19th century. and powers into their own hands, they insist to have the sole regulation of all Courts, and the nomination of all officers, to sett when and as often and as long as they please on their own adjournments, they have filled a volume with Votes and Resolves, and what they call their Rights and Privileges So that they have banished all Prerogative & Government but what is lodged in the Assembly. I should quite tyre your Lordships, should I pretend to tell you the tenth of their folly & extravagancy, which may sufficiently convince all men, that the Quakers principles is not consistant with Government, I ought not to call it principles, but rather Temper and humour, which will oppose all government and submit to none but what is lodged in their own hands I did not think fitt to trouble your Lordships with a long history of these confusions, by reason I have dayly expected to have heard that Mr. Penn hath already surrendered up the Government to the Queen, or at least that it is done by some other persons for when ever the Government is in the Crown, all these confusions will be at an end, provided the Quakers are excluded from having the Administration of the Government in their hands, and now that this great truth may more plainly appear to your Lordships I beg leave to show of how pernicious a consequence the infectious humour, temper and evil principles of the Quakers are of, in relation to Government give me leave to remind your Lordships of that daring insolent Act past by the Assembly of Pennsylvania which directly struck at the Queen's Prerogative by disowning her orders and Instructions, and passing an Act in Opposition to it, this matter hath been laid before your Lordships with an address from her Majesty's good Subjects, who are members of the Church of England setting forth the very great injuries and hardships which they labour under by that unjust Act, all which hath been fully considered by your Lordships, and as I am informed, the proper resolutions taken thereon and therefore will not take up more of your Lordships time in making any further remarks or comments on it, but proceed to shew the evill effects and consequences of the Quakers insolent opposition and affronting the Queens authority, and this will appear to your Lordships by the severall steps taken by the same sect of People, the Quakers of her Majestys Province of New Jersey, his Excellency my Lord Cornbury having issued out writts for calling an Assembly the first step taken By Samuel Jennings the head of them, was his declareing that he would no longer serve the Queen as one of her Councill his pretence was, that he could not bear the charge of it, but the true reason was, that It was not in his power in that station to doe so much mischief to the Queens Interest, as he might do in the Assembly into which he was sure to be chosen and in order to the having himself and others of his principles brought into the house of Burgesses, there was effectuall care taken to possess the whole Country, that all their libertys and propertys lay at stake, & depended on their choice of the Assembly they had prepared a list of such as they thought fitt for that purpose and assured the people, that if they would choose of them that then there should be no money raised for the support of Government, Nor any Militia Act past, this was too powerful a baite and produced the desired effect, those very men were chosen in the Western Division and the same methods taken by Colonel Morris and his faction in the Eastern Division but for the more effectuall carrying on this design the heads of the faction in both Divisions agreed on a most scandalous libell, of which they got a vast number printed, and took care to disperse them through the whole Province, perhaps there was never a more scandalous libell published, a copy of which with the severall steps taken by his Excellency to discover the authors & publishers, I must refer to my Lord who I presume sends it by this opportunity And now after all these indirect means used It is not strange, that they gained their end on an Assembly for their purpose who att the day appointed mett, and then to shew that they were resolved to answer the end for which they were chosen, they satt above a month, in all which time they did not make the least stepps towards the preparing any act for the support or defence of the Government, but their whole time was taken up in matters that did not concern them. 1707 You have seen that the Government of Pennsylvania have thrown off all respect & regard for any of the Queens orders or Instructions, which appears to your 1707 Lordships, by making an Act of Assembly directly opposite and contrary to them were this evil confined to that Government; only, I should not give your Lordships any trouble about it, but the infection of this grand evil is spread over all the Queen's Governments, and that it hath taken deep rooting in that of the Jerseys will appear to your Lordships, by my acquainting you that I was present in Council when his Excellency having occasion to summon Coll. Morris, Samuell Jennings & severall others of the heads of that Faction his Lordship was pleased in order to the giving them satisfaction about some matters which they clamoured against, to procure her Majesty's instructions to them, out of which he ordered some particular clauses to be read, thinking (as I suppose) that they would be concluded by them, but it had quite a contrary effect for Collonel Morris at the mouth of them all told his Lordship, that the Queens order & instructions did not concern or affect them, nor should it conclude them any further than they were warranted by Law, this bold assertion occasioned some debate, but after all they were firm in this their pernitious principles, and now your Lordships may plainly see, what these men do aim at, & what the consequence must quickly be, if not prevented, for having thrown off all respect and obedience to the Queens orders and instructions; by what must they be Governed for the Laws of England they will not allow of but when it suits their interest or to serve a turn; when it is contrary to their wild notions then it shall not oblige them unless the Queen will allow them to send their representatives to sitt in the Parliment of Great Brittain, so that there is but one way more to govern those men, which must be by laws of their own making but in this they are safe enough since they resolve to make no laws, but such as shall lessen and impower (impair?) the Queens prerogative and Authority and suit with there own humours if her Majesty's Governours will not consent to such laws, then they will give no money to support either Governor or Government but all shall sink, this is the game which they now resolve to play in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York the first of these had not given the last tax, but as a bribe to have the Act passed for affronting and destroying the Queens orders, the Assembly of the Jerseys resolve to give no money unless they can be freed from a Militia, and have an Act to ruin half the people of the Province, and should they gain all this, yet they will not give enough to support the Government, REPRESENTATION TO THE QUEEN IN REGARD TO SEVERAL ACTS OF (Favorable to Rev. Dellius.) July 29, 1707. To the Queen's most Excellent Majesty. May it please your Majesty. Having under our consideration such laws passed in New York as have not yet been confirmed or repealed, We beg leave for the present to lay before your Majesty two of the said Acts, which in our opinion ought in the first place to Receive Your Royal Pleasure, Viz. An Act for Vacating, breaking and annulling several Extravagant Grants of Land made by Col. Benjamin Fletcher, late Governor of this Province, under his Majesty; past at an Assembly held there the 2nd of March 1698/9. And another Act intituled An Act for the Repealing several Acts of Assembly, and Declaring other Ordinances published as Acts of Assembly to be Void: Past at an Assembly held there the 27th November, 1702. Upon which we humbly Represent to your Majesty, that upon the Earl of Bellomont's arrival in that Province, he met with great difficulties by reason of several undue practices introduced there by the said preceding Governor, and particularly in relation to Extravagant Grants of land, whereof the Earl of Bellomont was informed by a memorial from the then Attorney General of New York, a Copy of which Memorial is hereunto annexed: But in Order to the setting this matter in a full light, We humbly take leave to refer to the Annexed Extract of a Representation made by the then Commissioners for Trade & Plantations to the Lords Justices, the 19th of October 1698, and the papers relating thereto. Upon which and for the reasons therein mentioned the said Lords Justices did on the 10th of November 1698 write to the Earl of Bellomont to the Effect following. "Whereas many exorbitant grants of vast tracts of land have been made of late Years (and particularly in some of the Mohacq's Country) without any Reservation of competent Quit Rents to His Majesty, or any Obligation upon the Respective Grantees, to cultivate and improve the same, as Reason requires; By means whereof the Frontiers of that Province are in danger of being weakened by Desertion of the Mohacqs and other neighbouring Indians; and the improvement and peopling of the whole Province must of necessity be in great measure obstructed; together with many Inconveniences evidently attending the same; We do therefore hereby direct and require you to put in practice all methods whatsoever allowed by law, for the breaking and annulling of the said exhorbitant, Irregular and unconditioned Grants, And in case of any difficulty therein, that you represent unto his Majesty, by one of His Principal Secretaries of State, and to His Majesty's forementioned Commissioners for Trade & Plantations, whatever you judge may be further conductive of the effecting of so necessary a Work; And further for the prevention of all such like Inconveniences hereafter, We also hereby direct and Order, That for the future You pass no Grants of Land within His Majesty's said Province of New York unto any Person whatsoever, under a less Reservation of Quit Rent than two Shillings and sixpence for every hundred acres, nor without an Obligation upon the Grantees to Plant, settle and effectually cultivate the same, within the space of three years at the furthest under the Penalty of the Forfeiture." Upon the Receipt of those Orders the Earl of Bellomont called an Assembly which met the 2nd of March 1698/9 and passed the first mentioned Act for Vacating several of Col. Fletchers Exhorbitant Grants. viz. A Grant to Godfrey Dellius and others for a tract of Land, lying on the Mohacqs River, containing about fifty Miles in length and four Miles in breadth. A Grant to the said Godfrey Dellius for a Tract of Land lying on the East side of Hudson's River, containing twelve Miles in breadth, and about seventy Miles in length. A Grant to Col. Bayard for a Tract of Land lying upon a creek which runs Into the Mohacqs River, containing twenty four or thirty Miles in length; Which land is also claimed by the Mohacqs. A Grant to Captain Evans for a Tract of Land lying on the West side of Hudsons River containing twenty Miles in breadth and forty Miles in length. A Grant to the said Captain Evans of another Tract of Land Adjacent to the King's farm, on the Island Manhattan, the contents not known, but described by bounds. A Grant of the fore mentioned Farm to the Church Wardens & Vestry Men of Trinity Church by Lease, for the term of Seven Years from 19th August 1697, The Rent fifty Bushels of Wheat per Annum. 1707 |