land. I have been forced to support them by my credit here though I have not any directions about that matter neither from your Lordships nor the Lords Commissioners of Trade, yet I hope your Lordships will please to order the payment of such bills which I must draw upon my agent Mr. Gough to answer the charge of their support. PROPOSALS ON THE PART OF DO. FREEMAN'S FRIENDS FOR PEACE. Offered by Cornelius Seabring, Ingelbert Lot, and Cornelius Van Brunt in behalf of themselves and others, Members of ye Dutch Churches of Flatbush, Brookland, and New Utrecht in Kings County on the Island of Nassaw (who have hitherto adhered to the Interest of Domine Bernardus Freeman, their Minister) pursuant to a due authority to them the said Seabring, Lot, & Van Brunt for that purpose given; for the more perfect and effectuall accommodation of the difference between ye said Churches who have hitherto adhered to the Interest of Domine Vincentius Antonides in the articles following: 1. First, that all differences and Animosities between the said Members which have hitherto hapned, be on either side no further talked of, but entirely buryed in Oblivion. 2dly. That Domine Bernardus Freeman from the time the agreement intended shall take effect may in all things relating to the three Dutch Churches of Flatbush, Brookland, and New Utrecht, or any other Neighboring Churches, be admitted and put into equal State and Condition with Domine Vincentius Antonides (to wit) in Service, in Sallary, in House & Land & all other Proffits. 3. That in order to put an end to ye Dispute concerning the present Consistory of Flatbush & Brookland; those persons which Mr. Freeman now deems to be a Consistory, & those persons which Mr. Antonides now Deems to be a Consistory Do severally Elect two Elders & Deacons of each part, in the presence & with the concurance of one or both Ministers if they both please to attend, and that those. Eight Elders & Deacons so to be elected, shall from thence forth be and remain Elders and Deacons for the said two Churches of flat Bush & Brookland for the first ensuing year & that at the end of ye said year to comence from the said election, half of them shall be removed & four others chosen in their stead, and at the end of two years after said first election, the other half shall be removed, & other four shall be chosen in their stead, & so successively every year according to ye usuall custom, the said Elections to be made by the votes of both the said Ministers & the Consistory for the time being: and that whenever the said Ministers shall meet upon any such or other Publick Service, the one shall preside one time, and ye other the next time & so alternately. 4. That to the time of ye Election of ye said New Consistory, so to be made by both parties as aforesaid, each party shall, of their own parts respectively bear pay & discharge the Sallary, Perquisites, & other things due to ye respective Ministers, vizt. Those who have hitherto sided with Mr. Freerman shall clear all arrears to him: & those who have hitherto sided with Mr. Antonides, all arrears to him. Cornelis Seberingh, Engelbardt Lotte, Cornelis Van Brunt. Doc. Hist. N. Y. Vol. iii. pp. 96, 97. 1709 1722 1709 ECCLESIASTICAL RECORDS PROPOSALS ON THE PART OF REV. ANTONIDES FRIENDS FOR PEACE. [March] 1708. [1709.] ARTICLES. Exhibited by the Elders & Deacons of the Dutch Reformed Protestant Church of the towns of Brookland, flatbush, and flatlands on the Island of Nassau, for the Reconciling the differences which have of late been amongst the Dutch Churches on the said Island. 1st That all parties do consent that Mr. Antonides according to the rules of the said Church is the duly called Minister of Brookland, flatbush & flatlands, and that the Elders & Deacons which were lately chosen by Mr. Antonides with the assistance and consent of those Elders & Deacons which he formed there at his arrivall are yet still the true Elders & Deacons, and that what ever has been acted to the contrary by Mr. Freeman & others was always null & void & is so still; That therefore the collections gathered in the Churches of Brookland & Flatbush by the friends of Mr. Freeman be delivered to the Consistory of Mr. Antonides to be disposed of according to the rules of the Church. 2dly That all parties do consent that the Call made for Mr. Freerman by those of New Utrecht does limit him to the Congregation of that Town only. 3dly That all parties do consent, that no such lycence, or the other order which the Lord Cornbury has granted to Mr. Freeman whereby the Effects of the said Churches at his pleasure were to be delivered up to Mr. Freeman, never were nor yet are of any force or validity in the Dutch Churches of this Province, but Tended to the ruin of the liberty of the said Churches in this Country; That they do allso reject this Position, That all the Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiccon of the Dutch Churches in this Province is wholly in the Power of the Governor according to his will & pleasure. That yet nevertheless all parties do firmly own that the Dutch Churches in this Province are accountable to the Government for their peacable & good behaviour in their Doctrine, Discipline and Church Government; that is to say, as farr as it does consist with the Rules & Constitucons of their own nationall Church alwayes enjoyed at New York, As well as they have the right and Priviledge to be protected by the Civil Government in the free exercise of their Religion according to their own Constitution. 4thly That all parties consent to subscribe the Church Order of the Classis of Amsterdam, & those practised on the Island of Nassaw not being contradictory thereto, & that in case any matter in difference cannot be decided amongst themselves the same be referred to the other Dutch Churches of this Province & if not by them decided the same to be submitted to the Classis of Amsterdam, whose decision is to be binding. 5thly That all parties reject the expression made by Mr. Freeman at a certain time, viz. that when the Church Order were for his advantage he observed them, but if they were against him he went round about the same & could tread them under his feet. 6thly That then Mr. Freeman shall be in a condicon to be called to those congregacons on the said Island where he is not yet called according to the rules of the Church, and shall be called accordingly, Provided Mr. Freeman's friends do first find out sufficient means thereto and a dwelling house and do perswade the Congregacons aforesaid to desire the Consistory to call him in an Ecclesiasticall manner. 7thly To the end there may be a perfect peace in all the Dutch Churches on the said Island all parties, together with the friends of Mr. Freerman at Jamaica are to consent that the Elders & Deacons that were there when Mr. Du Bois preached there the last time are yet the true Elders and Deacons & that then both Ministers may be called there. 8thly That all parties consent that these articles being interchangeably signed be read to the respective Congregations from the Pulpit & authentiq copies thereof sent to the other Dutch Churches in this Province to be by them kept & that notice hereof be given to the Classis of Amsterdam with the request of both parties for their approbation. Lastly. If Mr. Freeman and his friends should not be pleased to consent to the above articles that then Capt. Joannes De Peyster be desired to produce the resolucon of the Classis of Amsterdam, whereby peace is said to be recommended according to the order of the said Classis, as Mr. Freerman intimates in his letter without date to Mr. Antonides that Capt. De Peyster aforesaid had shewn the same to him, together with the means to attain such a Peace. By Order of the said Elders and Deacons, Endorsed, "Proposals on the part of Mr. Antonides's Abrah. Gouverneur, friends. 1708." [1709.] - Doc. Hist. N. Y. Vol. iii. pp. 97, 98. CHURCH OF NEW YORK. March 30, 1709, One P. M. At the opening, Do. Du Bois related that he with Mr. Rosevelt, on Saturday afternoon, met at the Vlakte Kenyerend John van der Huil and Capt. John De Peyster; and that among other things, Capt. De Peyster said to him, that he had received from Marte Schenck two open letters which had come from the Classis of Amsterdam; one of these was for Do. Freeman; the other for Do. Du Bois and Do. Antonides; but that he had closed them up in cover in a proper shelf and had sealed them with a new seal; and that his intention was to bring both the ministers together, and in the presence of them all, to break open and deliver the letters. But Do. Du Bois had to-day heard from Do. Antonides that he was informed that Capt. de Peyster had given the letters to the Mayor of the City, where they have been openly read in the presence of several others. Whereupon, he had called the Consistory together to get their advice in the matter. It was decided that Mr. Boele and Mr. Imburg should go to Capt. de Peyster, to say that they were sent by the Consistory, and to ask, in their name, if he had received letters for Do. Du Bois or the Consistory, from the Classis of Amsterdam. He 1709 17091711 answered, Yes, agreeing in substance with what Do. Du Bois had said; but that he had given them to the Mayor, from whom we could get them. On this report, Capt. Cornelius de Peyster and Mr. Cruger went to the Mayor, who handed over to them, the letter. This having been read in the Consistory, the meeting broke up, Do. Du Bois taking the letter with him to give to Do. Antonides. Lib. B. 39, 41. EXTRACTS FROM THE JOURNAL OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS CON- Extract from the Journal of the House of Commons. (1708) Feb. 5. Vol. xvi. p. 93. 1709 Ordered that leave be given to bring in a bill for the naturalizing foreign Protestants and that Mr. Wortley, Mr. Gale, Lord Wm. Powlett, Mr. Nevill, Sir Joseph Jekyll, Sir Peter King, Mr. Lowndes, Mr. Attorney General and Mr. Solici tor General do prepare and bring in the bill. And a motion being made and the question being put. That it be an instruction to the Committee of the whole House to whom the bill for naturalizing foreign Protestants is committed that they do continue the same provision was made by the said statute. Then the House resolved itself into the said Committee of the whole House. Mr. Wortley took the chair of the Committee. Mr. Speaker resumed the chair. Mr. Wortley reported from the Committee that they had gone through the Bill and made several amendments thereunto which they had directed him to report, when the house will please to receive the same. Ordered that the report be received upon Wednesday morning next. March 2. p. 131. Then the order for receiving the report from the Committee of the whole House to whom the bill for naturalizing foreign Protestants was committed being read Mr. Wortley reported from the said Committee that they had made some amendments to the bill, which they had directed him to report to the House; and he read the same in his place and afterward delivered them at the Clerks table, where the same was once read throughout, and then a second time, one by one, and upon the question generally put thereupon, agreed unto by the House. A clause Ordered that the bill with the amendments be engrossed. 1709 A Journal of the House of Commons. (1710) Monday Jan. 15. Vol. xvi. p. 456. 1711 A Petition of the Ministers and Church Wardens, and Inhabitants of the parish of St. Olave, in Southwark, in the county of Surry, together with the principal inhabitants of the adjacent parishes was presented to the house and read, setting forth that about 18 months ago above 500 Palatines were brought into the said parish and continued together in one place several months, dangerous disturbers being amongst them. That in October last about 200 of them are come again (supposed from Ireland) into the said parish, inhabiting in our house: That the petitioners are extremely fearful, some contagious distempers may happen thereby; and that they having not where with all to subsist, are likely to become chargeable to the utter ruin of the said parish; and praying such relief, as shall be thought fit for the said parish. Ordered, that the said petition be referred to the consideration of a committee, and that they do examine the matters thereof and report the same with their opinion thereupon to the house. And it is referred to Mr. Finch etc. 71 persons, and they are to meet this afternoon at five o'clock in the speakers chamber and have leave to sit in a morning and power to send for persons, papers and records. Ordered, that it be an instruction to the said Committee that they do inquire upon what invitation or encouragement the Palatines came over and what moneys were expended in bringing them here and by whom paid. Ordered, that leave be given to bring in a bill to repeal the act, made in the seventh year of her Majesty's reign entitled: An act for naturalizing foreign Protestants and that Mr. Compion, Mr. Finch and Mr. Lowndes do prepare and bring in the bill. June 16. p. 458. Mr. Finch reported from the Committee who are to inquire, upon what Invitation or encouragement, the Palatines came over and what moneys were expended in bringing them into Britain, and for maintaining them here and by whom paid; that they directed him to move the House, That an humble address be presented to her Majesty, that the Commission constituting Trustees for the Distribution of the charity, collected for the Palatines, and also all orders and other Papers, relating to the bringing over and subsisting the said Palatines may be laid before this house. Resolved that an humble address be presented to her Majesty, that she will please to give direction, that the Commission constituting Trustees for distribution of the charity collected for the Palatines, and all orders and other papers relating to the bringing over and subsisting the said Palatines may be laid before this House. Ordered that the said address be presented to her Majesty, by such members of this House as are of her Majesty's most honorable Privy Council. Jan. 22. p. 464. Mr. Compion presented to the House (according to order) a bill to repeal the late act for a general naturalization, and the same was received and read, the first time. Resolved, that the bill be read a second time. The House being informed that Mr. Southwell (one of the Clerks of the Council) attended, he was called in, and at the Bar presented to the House copies of several orders of council relating to the Palatines and then he withdrew. And the titles of the said copies were read. Ordered that the said copies be referred to the consideration of the Committee who are appointed to inquire, upon what invitation etc. And the said copies of orders of Council are bound up with the other papers of this session. 1711 |