1714 Protect him from ye false Calumnies and Barbarous Reproaches & Threatenings of such Irreligious & wicked persons, which we humbly conceive hinders the Word of God, & naturally tends to Infidelity & Athelsm. To the end therefore that these presumptuous Offenders against our Holy Church, may be Discovered and brought to Exemplary Punishment, that thereby a stop may be put to this Torrent of Lewdness Irreligion & Atheism, We humbly pray your Honors to Recommend to his Excellency the Issuing out a Proclamation with a Promise of Pardon to any one of the said Offenders, that shall discover the other so that they be thereof Convicted, & also to have all the Rewards therein mentioned and as an Incouragement for the said Discovery, We the Rector, Church Wardens & Vestry of Trinity Church aforesaid will willingly Contribute & pay to the Discovering, the sum of Thirty pounds, and shall always most gratefully acknowledge the Great Obligations we owe to this Honorable Board for their Zealous Care & Protection, of our Injured Church, and we are with the greatest Regards May it please your Majesty Since your Excellency's departure from this province wee have had nothing of moment to Impart to your Excellency untill now that we think ourselves obliged to trouble your Excellency with a matter relateing to Trinity Church being broke open & severall Outrages committed therein on Shrove Tuesday night last in ye manner Your Excellency will observe by a copy of Mr. Vesey's petition which wee send Your Excellency, Some days before that petition of Mr. Vesey's was presented to us wee had Information of that matter, & had sent for & examined severall persons concerning it, and since that petition have had severall meetings & examined severall persons at Mr. Vesey's Request as well concerning that ffact, as ye abuses alleadged in Mr. Vesey's Petition, but cannot yet make any Discovery of ye persons who committed that Impious ffact, We likewise acquaint Your Excellency that ye English Dutch & French Congregations here having severally addressed us to Recommend to Your Excellency to Issue a Proclamation in order to ye Discovery and apprehending ye malefactors, severally proposeing a Reward to ye persons makeing such discovery, wee likewise send Your Excellency Copyes of ye said addresses humbly Recommending ye same to your Excellency's Consideration and remaine, Your Excellency's most obedient humble Servants.— Doc. Hist. N. Y. Vol. iii. p. 275. A PROCLAMATION FOR THE DISCOVERY OF THOSE WHO DESE- By His Excellency Robert Hunter, Esq.; Captain General and Governor in Chief of the Provinces of New York, New Jersey, and all the Territories thereon depending in America, and Vice Admiral of the same, etc. 1714 A Proclamation. Whereas, it hath been represented to me by some of the Gentlemen of her Majesty's Council of the Province of New York, that in the night between the ninth and tenth days of February last, Trinity Church in that City was broke open, the books of divine service, and the vestments dedicated to that use carried out, tore to pieces, and grossly defiled. And whereas, such an impious outrage cannot be supposed to have been perpetrated by any but such as are avowed enemies of religion in general, or to the civil and religious constitution of England in particular, or such as for filthy lucre, or worse purposes, may have in appearance conformed to, or complied with either, but by their unchristian and lewd conversation, and their disloyal and seditious conduct, sufficiently manifest their aversion to both; to the end, therefore, that the actors, abettors, or contrivers of such an unexampled affront to religion and the Church of England may be detected, and the hellish devices of those who may have endeavored to load the innocent with their own guilt may be disappointed, I have thought fit by virtue of the powers and authorities granted to me by her Majesty's letters patent under the broad seal of Great Britain, to make, and order to be published, this Proclamation, promising a reward of fifty five pounds to any person or persons not guilty of the above recited atrocious crime, who shall make such discovery of the same as may be sufficient for the conviction of the authors or contrivers of that impiety in a due course of law, and if any person guilty of the same, shall make such discovery of his accomplices as is above said, such person is hereby entitled to and promised the reward above mentioned, besides indemnity and pardon for himself and one more, such as he shall name, if more than two were guilty of, or privy 1714 to the fact. Given under my hand and seal at Burlington, in New Jersey, the third day of March, in the 12th year of her Majesty's reign, Anno Domini, 1714. Ro. Hunter. Doc. Hist. N. Y. Vol. ill. p. 276. By his Excellency's command, Geo. Clark. REMARKS ON THE PRECEDING, ADDRESSED TO GENERAL NICHOLSON. Upon the villanous indignity offered lately to our church, the Council immediately assembled and used their utmost endeavours to find out the offenders; and wrote to the Governor who was then at Burlington on this occasion: upon which the enclosed proclamation was issued; and his Excellency acquainted the Council by letter, that they had not made proper steps to discover the crime, or to this effect; besides that it was the business of the Magistrates of the town to enquire into it, and that the chief points they had been upon were on Mr. Vesey's being calumniated, and some persons speaking amiss of him. Had not the Gentlemen of the Council been very active in this affair, they would certainly have been blamed, notwithstanding it is found convenient now to reprimand them for their zeal; and if they took notice among other things, of Mr. Vesey's barbarous usage, that the resentments of some extravagant people have come to pass as to threaten his life, which appeared very plain to the Council, can this in honor or justice draw down his Excellency's displeasure? As to the magistrates of the town they are indeed more at his Excellency's disposal. Mr. Vesey has been sent for by the Grand Jury, and will inform you how he has been handled. The Proclamation throws the guilt of this unpardonable outrage on the very persons who have complained of it, and who are sincerely in the interest of the Church, and reflects in such an unchristian manner on Mr. Vesey, by pretending that he conformed to the church for filthy lucre, that a good man would blush to read it. These places are marked in the Proclamation, and his Excellency, notwithstanding the unexampled affront to religion, has neither sent, writ, nor spoke, to Mr. Vesey, that I can learn on this affair; so that you'll be pleased to judge, Sir, what favor or protection he is to hope for of our Church, by the treatment of our minister. I have always looked on Mr. Vesey to be a religious, good man; valuable to his parishoners, and inoffensive in his conversation, and if a testimonial of this were required, his parishioners in general would be desirous to do him justice. Hawks' Church Rec.- Doc. Hist. New York, Vol. iii. p. 277. 1714 CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM. Acts of the Deputies and their Correspondence. The Classis of Amsterdam to the Consistory of the Rev. Antonides, Reverend and Much Beloved Brethren in Christ: Your letter of January 28th 1713, with the accompanying documents, we safely received in due time. We will not attempt to answer everything mentioned therein, but 1. As regards the liberty of your Church. Our preceding letters are witness how dear this is to our hearts, and what efforts we have made to promote it. It is grievous to us that the desired results have not followed. It is not our fault that the last request concerning it, made to the Lord Counsel Pensioner, was of no avail; nor must the failure be laid to the disposition of that lord, which was good, but to the general vicissitude of earthly affairs. Of this you yourselves can well judge, and have already anticipated. We trust that time will bring better opportunities, as well as a change of Governors. But much can be done towards the end desired by a cessation of all strife, and the mutual pacification of the divided churches. You appear to consider it strange that Classis has made no decision concerning the responsibility of the contention among you. But this should not be strange, for the Classis does not find herself in a condition to dispose of the matter by a final decision, partly on account of the distance, and other circumstances, she cannot take that cognizance which is necessary to a decisive judg ment; and especially because the reports from the two sides, on the subject, vary so greatly. But further: the Classis has not thought it expedient to give a decision, because she anticipated that by such means the desired end of quietness and peace would probably not be secured. Then again, how often does it happen in Ecclesiastical Assemblies, that, although they are possessed of 1714 sufficient information, yet they pursue a plan of seeking to effect an amicable adjustment and pacification, by mutual conference, rather than to impose a decision. In this the circumstances are such, that not only our love for peace, but our wisdom and prudence, lead us thus to act. You are especially grieved because Classis does not appear to be in a condition to adjust your differences by her counsel; and this you interpret, as if Classis withdrew herself from you, and let your churches drift, and even refused altogether to give counsel. The contents of the letter referred to, show the contrary. Therein, indeed, were some general counsels and exhortations to mutual peace and adjustment of differences; and also something special, which was proposed to your consideration as conducive to that end. It is true that the Classis was not in condition, on account of lack of full information concerning your churches and their difficulties, to make more particular propositions, such as they might suppose would be suitable for smoothing your differences. You complain because a copy of the letter written to Rev. Antonides was also sent to Rev. Freerman. This was done on the express order of Classis. As it has not been unpleasant for you to receive a copy of the letter written to Rev. Freerman, so also you should not consider it strange that a copy of the letter written to Rev. Antonides should be sent to Rev. Freerman. The Classis had no other aim therein than to show to both parties, by a mutual communication of their letters, how much she desires peace, and how earnestly she counsels it. If anything was said in that letter, which, according to your judgment, might have better remained uncommunicated, that circumstance was purely accidental, and was not done with any such design as you suppose. Especially did it have no special significance as to the moneys which Rev. Antonides was owing to the Classis, although, indeed, we had reason to commiserate ourselves in that business; for we have not only received no money from him, but upon our repeated writing, have received no answer from him. We shall, with your approba |