Royal Consideration, have been pleased to approve thereof, and do accordingly hereby signify Our Will and Pleasure to you, That in cases where the Church is Immediately concerned, (as in the present Case), Liberty be given to the Clergy to appeale from the Inferiour Courts to Our Governor and the Council only without Limitation of any Summ; And Our further Will and Pleasure is That as well in this as in other the like Cases, Liberty be given to the Clergy to Appeale from Our Governor and Council of Our said Province to Us in Our Privy Council without Limitation of any Summ; any former Instruction to you or to any other Our Governor or Other Commander in Chief of Our said Province or any usage or Custom to the contrary hereof notwithstanding. For which this shall be as well unto you as unto all others whom it may concern a sufficient Warrant. And so Wee bid you farewell. Given at Our Court at St. James's the Sixth day of February 1712/13. In the Eleventh Year of Our Reigne. By Her Majesty's Command. Dartmouth. CLERGY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY TO THE REVEREND JACOB HENDERSON. Copy of a letter sent to the Rev. Mr. Jacob Henderson etc. New York, 5 March 1712/13. Reverend Brother. We are heartily sorry for the unhappy occasions of giving you the trouble of this, with the inclosed Memorial, and a letter from Coll. Morris, with our answer to it; and are deeply concerned that we are thereby laid under the ungrateful necessity, either of disapproving the Characters you are said to have given some of the gentlemen, to the Honorable the Board of Trade and Plantations or of doeing wrong to our own consciences, if, when so earnestly required to it, we should by our unmannerly silence, seem to justify what several of us know to be false and unjust. As a means of that strict union amongst ourselves injoyned us by our Patrons at home and of promoting the real interest of the Church, the true end of our mission, where, by His Excellency our Governour's approbation, appointed to keep our next meeting at Amboye, for the convenience of our brethren of Pennsylvania, if they please, for mutual advise and assistance, to give us a meeting. If in justification of yourself and of our satisfaction, you will please to give a return to this, with respect to what is laid to your charge, in calumniating some Churchmen that never shewed any inclinations to Presbitery or annarchy, which is an imputation on all our Order and brings us under this contemptible appellation of party tools, we desyre you would direct for the Reverend Mr. McKenzie, and we remaine, 1718 [These nine men were all ministers of the Church of England at this date.] 1 We're? Missionary at Elizabeth, N. J. Missionary at Amboy.- Col. Hist. N. Y. Vol. v. p. 54. * Rev. Jacob Henderson was born at Glenary Island; educated at Glasgow College: ordained by Bishop of London, 1710: settled at Dover, Pa., 1710-11, at Newcastle, 1712-13, resigned. Died in Maryland, Aug. 27, 1751. He bequeathed £1000 to Society for Propagating the Gospel. Digest, S. P. G. 1713 GOVERNOR HUNTER TO THE LORDS OF TRADE. Rev. Jacob Henderson. New York ye 14th March 1712/13. My Lords, This letter relates to the affairs in New Jersey, which remain still in ye same perplexity untill Her Majesty's pleasure be known touching the alteration of her Councill there, upon which intirely depends the quiet of that Province. There has been somehow handed over hither a copy of a Representation1 said to be given to your Lordships signed by Jacob Henderson Missionary for Dover Hundred in Pennsylvania, aspersing foully some gentlemen recommended by me for Counsellors; some of the gentlemen concerned being so basely attacked in their reputations, thought it necessary for their justification to appeal to the1 Convocation of the Clergy of both Provinces assembled at New York, who unanimously agreed upon the resolution of sending to Mr. Henderson a letter signed by them all, a copy of which is here enclosed, by which your Lordships will perceive how little credit is to be given to representations of that nature. Nothing but the appeal I have made to Her Majesty could have kept me from suspending some of these Gentlemen of the Council for their turbulent and undutiful behaviour; and I cannot doubt but that your Lordships will doe your endeavours to prevent Her Majesty from being trampled upon in the Person of her Governour, how inconsiderable soever that may be, while she is pleased to continue him in that office. Mr. Sonman still absconds and continues to disperse his libels; Mr. Pinhorne has never attended the Council since the first Assembly, and I believe resolves never more to doe so; Mr. Tounley, Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Quarey are dead; Mr. Cox talks still confidently of his goeing for England: So that I shall hardly be able to make a Quorum of Council for business, and even many of them disposed and resolved to obstruct all business. I formerly wrote to your Lordships about a Court of Chancery in that Province; the subject in this, finds ease and relelf from it, and there in the Jerseys beg and groan for it; but there is no hopes of opening such a Court with the advice of the Council as it is now constituted. I desire to be resolved by your Lordships whether ye custody of the Seal does not actually constitute such an Officer and Court, and if so, whether I may not by proclamation, without the Council's concurrence, declare such a Court to be opened. It is to no purpose to let the Assembly meet until Her Majesty's pleasure relateing to Her Council there be known. I am, with all imaginable honour and regard, My Lords, Your Lordships most humble and most obedient Servant, Ro. Hunter. 1 For this Document, see June 2, 1712.- Col. Hist. N. Y. Vol. v. p. 355. CHURCH OF NEW YORK. was, March 11, 1712-13. (1713.) The resolution of the Consistory, adopted March 19, 1705, after the invocation of God's name, taken into consideration, and approved anew, unanimously, with the following amendment, so that the whole now reads thus: Whereas the Consistory shall, by a unanimous vote, invite the former Elders and Deacons to attend their meetings, in order to counsel with them on matters of importance, and they appear, under such conditions, in the Meeting; each of them shall have a deciding vote, just the same as one of the ruling Elders or Deacons, in such matter or matters as the acting Consistory, shall, at such times, propose for their consideration. Lib. A. 229. March 11, 1712-13. (1713). In Consistory: Unanimously Resolved to present on another day, the following, to the former Elders and Deacons: Whether they will bind themselves, with the Ruling Consistory, for the salaries of both the ministers, by the voluntary contributions of the members. Then, Whether the members will bind themselves, by subscription, to the Ruling Consistory, for the payment of what they promise; and having subscribed, will hold the Ruling Consistory free of cost (liability) and harm for the arrears. Lib. B. 45. GOVERNOR HUNTER TO THE LORDS OF TRADE. (MARCH 14, 1713.) Dissolution of the Assembly.- Palatines. Rev. Wm. Andrews. To the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations. My Lords; .... I have however with the advice of the Council dissolved this Assembly, not out of any hopes we conceive from a New Election, but merely as a duty incumbent upon me after the disrespectful behaviour of the last, for when they have fixt the name of slavery upon the supporting the Government in the manner her Majesty has been pleased to direct, and that of liberty on their own rash resolutions and practices, and have taught the thoughtless people to speak after them, there remains but small hope of any change in the elections, but what may be for the worse as we have experimented in the elections when the dissolution was an act of their own. In the next place, My Lords, the palatines remain within the province, and for the most part within the lands where I planted them, subsisting as they can, and waiting her Majesty's resolution, could I find any more credit, I would set them to work this spring, to prepare a succession of trees, but that is long since exhausted, none of my bills of any kind being paid at home; and I myself reduced to very hard shifts for a bare subsistance, neither is it possible to oblige them to work in the woods without subsistance; though for the future, I believe the work may be carry'd on by barly subsisting the workers during the times they shall 1718 1713 be imploy'd with the addition of a small allowance of bread for their families; so that the yearly expence may be reduced to five thousand li. Ster., not including the expence of horses, waggons and magazines, with their proper officers. ..... I acquainted your Lordships in my former that the fort and Chappel in the Mohacks village was finished, the missionary at first had but an indifferent reception by the means of one Hendrick, who was one of those carry'd to England, who had possessed them with a notion that the minister was to claim a tenth of all their lands and goods, but being undeceived, they have received him kindly, and have expelled their community one of his opposers, for that & having poisoned another. Extract from a letter whereof the writers are the Consistories of Midwout, Breukelen and New Amersfoort, dated, Jan. 28th 1713. [Abstract, Ap? 1713.] After salutation to the Rev. Classis, they express the supposition that they are probably under obligation to answer; although the letter (of Classis), without any mention of them, is addressed only to the ministers, Rev. du Bois and Rev. Antonides; (under date of Sept. 30, 1711;) but perhaps because it mainly has reference to them. They have, say they, eagerly awaited, and still wait, (to learn) what may be the outcome of the effort with the Pensionary, [or Counselor]. Thereupon they pass on to the case of Rev. Freeman, so painful to them, and so injurious to the liberty of their churches; for, thereby, a precedent has been established, which may sooner or later, be followed by other similar acts to the detriment of the churches. It pains them most acutely, that the Rev. Classis writes, and does this even to Rev. Freeman, saying that it has not the power to serve them with any advice. They are of opinion that this confirms the position of Rev. Freeman. They think that Rev. Classis could have expressed their opinion and Rev. William Andrews. decision on such a proceeding; or at least have given some counsel and advice. They further deplore such expressions as our inability" on the part of Classis. This does great harm, and is very injurious to the general status of the churches. It also greatly belittles the formidable name of "The Rev. Classis ", and tends greatly to make estrangements, etc. The letter then indicates that the ministers, Du Bois and Antonides, according to the wish of Classis, had made every effort to restore peace; but that peace did not depend upon having more or less salary, etc. The reply of Rev. Classis to Rev. Freeman, was indeed, a good one, but an improper use had been made of it by him; He regarded it as if it were a surrender by them to the Classis. They thought that it was likely that Rev. Freeman had indeed spoken of peace, but especially when things went satisfactorily with him; but that he did not mean it, etc. They write further that Rev. Freeman had been counseled by a committee of the preceding Governor, as well as of the present one. When, however, his Excellency had labored for peace, and offered to send the case to some Classis or Synod, then Rev. Freeman, considering the Classis of Amsterdam as partial, chose the Classis of Leeuwarden; but when it came to the point of carrying this into effect, Rev. Freeman refused everything. He said that he would have nothing to do with any Classis or Synod, and that his people were not inclined thereto. In compliance with the letter of admonition to peace from the Classis of Amsterdam, Rev. Freeman then proposed to enter into negotiations for peace directly with them. The chief point in dispute, and which has continued uppermost, is, whether his call was regular; or whether the writers of it acted irregularly; or whether both (calls, that of Antonides and that of Freeman,) should be held of equal validity, and one should be made of the two. This they show by several reasons, that they cannot accept. They further show, that Rev. Freeman attaches to himself, not only the consistories of Bushwick, New Utrecht and Gravesend, which 1713 |