did in order not to be disobedient to the voice of the Lord. By a unanimous vote, I was then called. The president was authorized, in the name of the consistory, to present me the Call, and to write it out formally for signature the next day. But before that was done, the elder Van Wyk, with the Church-Master, Clopper, came to show me an extract touching the Coetus. They wanted to force me to Join this Body, by my signature, only having a clause put into the Call to that effect. They threatened me, that if I were not willing to sign, the Call would not be allowed to stand. To which I replied that I would have nothing to do with the intrigues of Backer and Du Bois, even if the latter, who is ever appealing to his great age, were as old as Mathuselah. This was judged to be a sufficlent reason for dropping the Call, although Rev. Du Bois had said more than once in full consistory, that such a thing ought not to prevent a Call. Nevertheless, the consistory declared it void for reasons which they dared not give me; for the names of subscribers had been scratched out, and there was not enough money to pay me.

Therefore I send to your Rev. these two quaeriturs, with the earnest request that you yourself will please to hand them to the Classis and urge it to a decision, so that I may know how I am to regulate myself. After a prayer for a blessing upon you, and the offer of my service, I have the honor to sign myself, with all fraternal regard,

Very Rev. and Learned Sir, Your Revs. obedient servant and brother in Christ,
Eggo Tonkens V. Hoevenberg.

New York, Nov. 1, 1749.

P. S. It should be noticed that, after the Call had been destroyed in consistory, a committee of two presented me twenty five pounds, in New York money.

THE TWO QUERITURS OF REV. EGGO TONKENS VAN HOEVENBERG,
Nov. 7, 1749.

Portfolio, "New York", Vol. i.

Very Rev. and Learned Sir, Mr. B. Brouwer, faithful and highly respected minister of Jesus Christ and his Church at Amsterdam:

QUAERITUR.

Delivered by Eggo Toukens Van Hoevenberg, minister at Paramaribo, in the province of Suriname. To the very Rev. Classis of Amsterdam held in the year, (1750.)

I. The minister Van Hoevenberg asks the very Rev. Classis of Amsterdam how he is to conduct himself in this matter pertaining to Suriname.

1. How he is to obtain satisfaction for the ill treatment received from the Governor and his adjutant, Henschel.

2. Whether pay is not due him, seeing that, without church censure, he was violently driven away, permission first having been granted him to remain or to go as he might choose.

II. Whether in the matter of New York,

1. He is to be considered as a legally called minister.

Was

2. Whether the consistory has power, when it has legally made out a Call, to nullify the same, when no reasons for deposing a minister can be adduced. signed by

E. Tonkens V. Hoevenberg.

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PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIFTH COETUS, BEGUN IN NEW YORK, Nov. 7, 1749.

[Vol. xxiii. 194 seq.]

Forenoon Session

The Extraordinary Coetus assembled, and was opened by Domine Erickson with an impressive prayer.

Domine Ritzema was chosen President, and Domine Du Bois Clerk, in conse quence of the absence of Domine Van Santvoord. The Minutes, and the letter of the previous Coetus to the Classis, were read and approved, as also were the proceedings of the Extraordinary Clerk in the name of the Coetus. Then the letter of the Rev. Classis was read.

1. Arondeus.- Domine Arondeus having gone to Raritan, a letter was written to him, of which the following is a copy:

New York, 7th November, 1749.

Dom. Joannes Arondeus:

Dear Sir:

The Coetus has considered your letter of the 4th of October last, but found no satisfaction at all in it. Yet according to the tenor of the letter of the Rev. Classis to the Coetus, the Coetus is fully empowered to cite you before it, as it hereby does; but your journey to the Raritan now delays it. The Coetus, considering the consequences resulting from the journey and service, warn you of the consequences which must follow therefrom, by reason of your neglect of this And the Coetus expects you to appear before their Assembly next Thursday afternoon. The purport of this has also been sent to your Consistory, that they may appear at the same time before the Coetus.

With the usual greetings, I remain.

A similar letter was written to his Consistory.

Afternoon Session.

1. Dom. Fryenmoet's Letter. The meeting, according to custom, was opened with prayer. Domine Du Bois delivered a letter from Domine Fryenmoet, the substance of which was, that he was willing to join the Coetus. The Extraor dinary Clerk was directed to send to him the Fundamental Articles and Rules of the Coetus.

2. The Paltz. The Coetus has thought proper to write word to the Consistory of the Paltz, whenever the Coetus shall sit, since, according to information of Domine Goetschius, that Consistory is inclined to join us.

8. Jamaica. The committee on the case of the congregation of Jamaica reported that Domine Ritzema had preached there, and had chosen and ordained a Consistory; wherein the Coetus rests content.

4. Queens County.- (1.) Justus Duryee and Albert Hoogland, elders from Jamaica, came in, and declared that they had received the letter, and would have given it to the parties concerned, but they would not read nor receive it, saying that they had a minister and a Consistory, and had nothing to do with the Coetus.

(2) Newtown.- The elders from Newtown, John Colvert, had given the letter, through his brother, to the party addressed, who had read it over, and desired a copy. But they considered that there was no need of a copy, and that is all.

(3.) Success.- Andrew Onderdonk, from Success, reported that he had given the letter to the party addressed, and they answered that they approved of it, and hoped that it would result well.

(4.) Oyster Bay. For the one party, Jacob Montford, Cornelius Hoogland, and Samuel Losey, promise to submit themselves to the Coetus, and to bring about the same with their friends. The reasons why they have not submitted to the decision of the last Coetus were, the non-payment of Domine Goetschius's salary, and some calumnies against him as heterodox.

On the other side, John Cousjon and Peter Luyster, as a committee of Oyster Bay, promise that an earnest effort shall be made to bring up the arrears of Domine Goetschius's salary, and a caution given against accusing him of heterodoxy.

November 8- Forenoon.

1. Dom. Arondeus. The letters to Domine Arondeus and his Consistory were not dispatched, because William Wood, on further reflection, declined to convey them; and William Hopper, who then undertook it, met with an accident.

2. New Letters.- Resolved, That a letter be sent to Domine Arondeus and his Consistory, in which they shall be cited to appear before the Coetus on Monday morning, at nine o'clock, in order, according to the request of the Classis, to state their charge against Domine Van Sinderen, while his letter to the Coetus is refuted. And Arondeus is required to bring with him the letter of the Rev. Classis to himself, and deliver it to the Coetus, that it may be seen whether he has liberty to address himself directly to the Classis, without laying his matter before the Coetus.

8. Dr. Du Bois having undertaken to write the letters of citation to Domine Arondeus and his party, Domine Haagoort is, in the meanwhile, put in his place as Clerk.

(1.) Dom. Muzelius.- Domine Muzelius being called in, appeared according to the Classical Letter, and promised to submit to the decision which the Coetus should make concerning him.

(2.) Tappan.- The Consistory of Tappan being called in, made a representation touching the deportment of Domine Muzelius after his censure, and their proceedings concerning him and his party.

(3.) Meanwhile, the elder, Albert Zabriskie, from Paramus, obtained liberty to return home on account of sickness.

(4.) Reference. The case of Tappan was referred to this afternoon, and the examination of Verbryck until to-morrow morning.

Afternoon Session.

The Assembly was opened in the usual manner.

1. Sentence of Muzellus. It was concluded that he should still continue three months under his censure, under the direction of the congregation. This was made known to him, and he submitted to it.

2. The letter of citation to Arondeus and his Consistory, which the Clerk was directed to prepare, being handed in, were approved, and ordered to be sent.

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November 9 - Forenoon.

The Assembly was opened in the usual manner.

1. Letter of L. Haf.-A letter was read from Laurens Hof, of Oyster Bay, not a member of the Low Dutch Reformed Church, which contained the most frightful slanders upon Domine Du Bois, Domine Ritzema, and the Coetus. The Rev. Assembly declared that they listened to it with the utmost abhorrence, and they decreed that if he should ever wish to connect himself with any Reformed Church belonging to the Coetus, he should not be allowed, until he repented of his slander upon the Coetus. It was ordered that this should be noted in the Church Book of Oyster Bay, and that a letter should be written to the minister of the Presbyterian congregation, to prevent them from receiving him until he had made satisfaction to the Coetus.

2. Examination. The student, Samuel Verbryck, was examined, and his examination being finished with credit, he was declared a candidate for the ministry.

Afternoon Session,

The Assembly was opened in the usual way.

1. Payment of Salaries. The question of devising means in order to secure the payment of the salaries of ministers was taken into consideration, in accordance with the express direction of the Classical Letter.

2. Poughkeepsie. The gentlemen from Poughkeepsie handed in a communication, which was read.

Friday, November 10- Forenoon.

The Assembly was opened in the usual way.

1. Aquackononck and Second River. The report of the committee, consisting of the New Jersey Circle, upon Aquackononck and Second River, was taken up. The Assembly acquiesces in the action of their committee. It appears from the report that the people of Aquackononck are not inclined to a union with Second River.

2. Poughkeepsie. The written complaints of the Poughkeepsie friends, Loys Du Bols and Peter Outwater, were read, and they, together with the Consistory of Domine Meinema, were called in, both representing the others who were con cerned in the matter.

Afternoon Session.

The Assembly was opened in the usual way.

1. The Poughkeepsie Difficulties. The communications before mentioned were read again and considered. Whereupon the Coetus resolved,

(1.) That the proceedings of the Consistory at Fishkill, in relation to Mr. Matthew Du Bois, were lawful, and are deemed by no means to be to the detriment of the late Mr. Du Bols, but rather a Christian reconcillation: nor ought they to be opened anew to the prejudice of the Consistory.

(2.) That those persons who refused to pay moneys for the salary to the Consistory, did wrong.

(3.) That the Consistory failed in their duty when they immediately called before a civil magistrate those who refused money for salary.

The final decision was, that they should become reconciled with each other; that is, Domine Meinema with his Consistory on the one side, and Mr. Du Bois and Peter Outwater with their friends on the other; which was done to the satisfaction of both parties, in the presence of the Coetus.

2. Validity of Dom. Goetschius's Baptisms. The question was asked by Dom. ine Meinema, in the name of his Consistory, whether the children who had been baptized by Domine Goetschius (before he was lawfully ordained) should be bap tized over again. The reply of the Coetus was, that it was best to acquiesce in the matter as it now is.

Then the Coetus adjourned unt!! Monday, the 13th.

Monday, November 13th - Forenoon.

The Assembly was opened, according to custom, with prayer.

1. Final Action concerning Domine Muzelius.-The question, what should be done at Tappan, in the case of Domine Muzelius, when the three months' censure had expired, was taken up. Resolved, That the three nearest ministers at Hackensack and Paramus, with their elders, shall repair thither, to whom the Consistory of Tappan shall state how Domine Muzelius has conducted himself during the three months. If he has conducted properly, Domine Curtenius shall preach; and the next day Domine Curtenius shall preach in the morning, reminding Domine Muzelius of his misdeeds; and in the afternoon Domine Muzelius shall preach his penitential sermons, (boed predikatie.) Thereupon the three ministers shall, in the name of the Coetus, declare him emeritus. To this conclusion the Coetus is constrained by the weakness of his eyesight, and the other circumstances which have come before us.

2. Dom. Van Sinderen and Dom. Arondeus. The case of Kings County in relation to Domine Van Sinderen and Domine Arondeus, with their respective friends, was taken up.

(1.) Domine Van Sinderen and his elder, Abraham Lott, were heard. The authority to call given by the Classis of Amsterdam, and the call itself upon Domine Van Sinderen, through the Classis, were both read and approved, and a formal call upon him was produced and accepted.

(2.) The friends of Arondeus came in, and promised to urge Arondeus, as much as they could, to appear with them in the morning before the Coetus with their charges.

3. Payment of Salaries.- Domine Haaghoort presented for consideration the sketch of a plan for securing the payment of ministers.

4. Approval of Calls. It was determined that in future no calls, whether upon ministers in this country or upon those in Holland or elsewhere, shall be deemed to be in order, unless they have first been brought before the Coetus or the Circle, and approved by them.

1. Letter to the Paltz.-The draft of a letter to the Paltz was read and approved, and they were told to address themselves to Domine Du Bois.

2. Reasons of Dom. Frelinghuysen.- Resolved, That the Classis be requested to send to us the reasons assigned by Domine Frelinghuysen why he dreads evi! consequences if ever any one hereafter be examined by the Coetus.

3. Dom. Frelinghuysen's Book. Resolved, That the Rev. Classis be informed that the book of Domine Frelinghuysen is approved by us in the name of the Classis, some expressions having been omitted by the author.

4. Van Sinderen and Arondeus. The case of Domine Van Sinderen was again taken up, and the letter to the Rev. Classis, dated December 12, 1748, (in which the matter was laid open,) having been read, Domine Van Sinderen was asked whether he had anything further to add on his side.

He said that on Sunday, October 12, 1748, the lock of the church door in Flatbush was broken off by violence, contrary to the brotherly advice of the Coetus to make no more disturbances in the congregation, and thus possession of the church was obtained. On the 21st of Jan., 1749, the lock of the church door at New Amersfort was broken off, and one elder and two deacons, in opposition to Domine Van Sinderen's Consistory, brought Domine Arondeus into the pulpit there. On the 19th of March, 1749, Domine Arondeus, at Brooklyn, announced some as new members, one of whom he had chosen for deacon, when he had never partaken of the Lord's Supper. On the 19th of April, Justus Nagel paid his salary in arrears, whereupon he suspended him until tidings should be received from the

1749