USA > New York > Ecclesiastical records, state of New York, Volume II > Part 65
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4. The charges following are more serious. And while inter- cepted and opened letters strengthen the suspicion regarding these charges against Rev. Dellius ; he has sent us copies of the same of which we also send copies to your Excellency - together with an elucidation and explanation which may tend to a better understand- ing and comprehension of their contents.
(1) Concerning the letter written by that French lady, Mr. Dellius answers as follows: " To comprehend the contents of this letter, one has, etc."; See answer, word for word, as it has been copied and transmitted to my lord Bellomont, in the defence of Rev. Dellius, page 7, as the words " such that this letter, etc."
Inasmuch then as your Excellency, at the time of writing to our Classical Assembly, had not yet seen this letter, it being in care of Rev. Nucella ; and as the explanations of Rev. Dellius with regard ·to it hang together so well; we believe that your Excellency will take satisfaction therein. Also that you will give opportunity, in case any should, through lack of information, cherish evil thoughts in this matter concerning Mr. Dellius, to them to obtain enlighten- ment thereon.
(2) In regard to the charge that Mr. Dellius was suspected by many of inclining to the religion of the Jesuits, and that the letter of the Jesuit L'Amberville strengthens this suspicion, Mr. Dellius writes: " That in this matter there is nothing which can be re- garded, with a shadow of reason, to his hurt." He proceeds: de L'Amberville condoled, etc." See further the answer, word for word, as it has been copied and transmitted to my lord Bellomont, in the defence of Rev. Dellius, page 9, as far as the words, " and what the greeting " etc. We leave this to the consideration of your Excellency.
In our opinion, the fact is also to be emphasized that this Jesuit, while referring to Mr. Dellius as pastor at Albany, says - not- withstanding this, he is their friend and a very honorable man. This clearly shows that however he may praise him as regards his honorable character, he nevertheless has an aversion to him, as a
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Reformed pastor. Furthermore, Mr. Dellius testifies that so far from having given any one ground for this suspicion : on the con- trary, he did, in the time of the late King James, when all con- troversial preaching against the papacy was forbidden, for more than four months, both Sabbaths and week days, preach thus con- troversially in the church of Albany. He also held special exer- cises for members and the growing youth, to arm the church against the seductions of the three English Jesuits, Smith, Gage and Henison, who could also speak both French and Dutch. These, having been sent from England by King James, were at that time, stopping in Albany.
(3) Finally, my lord, regarding the statement that certain ones would persuade your Excellency that possibly Mr. Dellius had written his own testimonials, and thus had misled us :- The sig- natures of the merchants of those regions, of which he must have made use, are too well known among the merchants here, who are in constant correspondence with them, for Mr. Dellius thus to de- ceive us, even if he so wished. It would only be necessary to com- pare these signatures with their signatures on other papers sent to us which had no reference to Mr. Dellius. And to what dangers would a pastor expose himself who should commit such an act of license, and which would be so easily discovered ?
We hope that your Excellency will be satisfied with this answer, and will endeavor, at every opportunity, to ward off such charges from the Gospel (ministry) by enlightening those who have no proper knowledge of the facts.
However, in case any should not be satisfied herewith, or if clearer proofs of wrong conduct should appear against Mr. Dellius, the complainants ought not to address themselves to our Classical Assembly, but to the Deputati of the Synod of South Holland; for Mr. Dellius was called, some time since, to the service of a church (Antwerp) under the supervision of the Synod of South Holland.
In conclusion, it gives us no small occasion for rejoicing that your Excellency in your letter, calls yourself a friend of our nation. We humbly request that your Excellency may persevere in such
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favor towards us. We doubt not they will always be zealous in such deeds as will make them to be counted worthy of the good will of your Excellency.
We shall always exercise special care and close circumspection in sending pastors for service in the Dutch churches in those re- gions. As far as in us lies we will be very careful that none others go over than such as are, like John the Baptist, burning and shin- ing lights - ministers burning with a zeal for the extension of Christ's Kingdom among the heathen, and shining in holiness of life in the midst of that crooked and perverse generation, to the glory of our Father in heaven.
Herewith we commend your Excellency to God and the Word of his grace. With sincere assurance that we will not neglect to pray to God for the welfare of your Excellency's person and illus- trious government, we remain,
My lord,
Your Excellency's most humble and obedient servants,
Lambertus Segers, V.D.M. Amstelod. et Deputatus ad res Maritimas.
Adrianus van Oostrum, Eccles. Nardensis, et
Deputatus ad res Maritimas.
Amsterdam,
Xbr. 29, 1700.
(Did Bellomont ever see this answer ? He died March 5, 1701, only about nine weeks after it was written.)
PETITION OF THE LUTHERANS FOR A PATENT.
To the Right Honorable Col. Thomas Dongan Lieutenant and Governor of and over ye Province of New Yorke etc. and to ye Honnourable Councill.
The humble Peticon of the Decons of the Lutrens yr. Church. Humbly Sheweth :- That your Peticoners was and had allowance and Priveledge to build and erect a Church for our publicke youse on Ground without ye Gate of this City and in order thereunto
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did erect and build thereon; and afterwards when Gour. Colue came was forst to Remove and Breake Down wtt. was erected and built on said Ground, and in Lew thereof, your peticoners was allotted and allowed je Peice of Ground within ye Gate where ye Erected Church* now stands and house adjacent and had a Patent thereon, but it happens to bee mislayed.
Your humble Peticoners most humbly Request a Letter or Patent of Confirmation for ye Premises and for ye Charge thereof shall willingly Compute and pay ye same.
And your Peticoners as in Duty bound shall ever pray, etc. Hendrick Williamson.
In behalfe of ye Whole Partys Conserned.
THE EARL OF BELLOMONT TO THE LORDS OF TRADE. New Yorke, Jan. 2, 1701.
As to the Act for vacating some of Col. Fletcher's extravagant grants of land, I doubt not but Mr. Champante has before now answered Mr. Mountague's tedious Ill digested arguments and objections to that Act, and therefore I will breifly observe only two or three of them, which he seems to fancy invincible. He affects to be thought witty in reflecting on Col. Heathcot's grant of part of the King's Garden, which says he is but fifty foot long, and yet is numbered among the extravagant lands. But by his favour a grant may be extravagant as well in it's nature and quality as in its extent and quantity. For instance, I fancy it would pass for an extravagant grant if the Crown granted away St. James's Park, no less than if New Forest or the Forest of Dean were granted away, and it was much more imprudent and unjust in Col. Fletcher to sell away that piece of the Garden to Heathcot (which was robbing all succeeding Governours of their necessary con- venience in a garden) than the granting Mr. Dellius near fourteen hundred thousand acres in one grant. I was offer'd a gardiner that would have repaired that garden and put it in good order and supplied my family with all garden stuffe gratis, if he might have had the overplus profits of the garden to himself and a lease from three years to three years, which was a great offer, but I could do nothing in it, till the .Vacating Act were approved by the King. The King's Farm too had been better applied to the use of the Governour (and more justly so because it was in- tended by the Crown for the Governour's demesne) than to the Church; for Col. Fletcher might have found out another and more valuable glebe for the Church if he would have denied himself the sale of other lands and consequently the pocket- ing the money he sold the lands for. As for the wrong which Mr. Mountague pretends would be done the Grantees (because of their charges for improvements) if the Act should be confirmed by the King, I will easily answer that argument. Upon the best information I can find, there is not a Christian inhabitant on either of Mr. Dellius's Grants, neither that whereof he was sole grantee, nor t'other wherein Col. Schuyler and others were partners with him viz. the Mohack's land .- Col. Docs. N. Y. iv. 822.
* The Church mentioned in the latter part of the above petition stood at corner of Broadway and Rector, a little South of Trinity, on the site of the late Grace Church. Greenleaf states (Hist. of the Churches of New York, 1846.) that it was erected in 1702, but this is evidently an error as appears by the above document.
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MEMORIAL OF COLONEL LEWIS MORRIS CONCERNING THE STATE OF RELIGION IN NEW JERSEY, 1700.
"The province of East Jersey has in it ten towns, viz .; Middletown, Freehold, Amboy, Piscataway and Woodbridge, Elizabeth Town, Newark, Aquechenonck and Bergen; and I judge in the whole province there may be about eight thousand souls. These towns are not like the towns in England, the houses built close together on a small spot of ground, but they include large portions of the country of from four, five, eight, ten, twelve, fifteen miles in length, and as much in
breadth These towns and the whole province was peopled mostly from the adjacent colonies of New York and New England, and generally by persons of very narrow fortunes, and such as could not well subsist in the places they left. And if such persons could bring any religion with them it was that of the country they came from." At Elizabeth Town and Newark there were " some few Church- men." Perth Amboy, " the capital city, was settled from Europe, and we have made a shift to patch up the old ruinous (court) house and make a Church of it, and when all the Churchmen of the province are got together we make up about twelve communicants."
In Freehold was a Keithian Congregation, "most [un?] endurable to the Church." In West Jersey the number of Quakers had " much decreased since Mr. Keith left them." In Pennsylvania which was " settled by people of all languages and religions of Europe," " the Church of England gains ground; " and " most of the Quakers that came out with Mr. Keith are come over to it." "The youth of that country are like those in the neighboring Provinces, very debaucht and ignorant."
The measures suggested by Colonel Morris " for bringing over to the Church the people in the countreys," were the appointment of no one " but a pious Church- man " as governor, and confining, if possible, the membership of the council and magistracy to churchmen; the granting of " some peculiar privilege above others " to churchmen by Act of Parliament; the adoption of measures "to get ministers to preach gratis in America for some time till there be sufficient number of con- verts to bear the charge; " and, finally, the restriction of the great benefices for a number of years to " such as shall oblige themselves to preach three years gratis in America," " By this means," concludes the Colonel, " we shall have the greatest and best men, and in human probability such men must, in a short time, make a wonderful progress in the conversion of those Countries, especially when it's per- ceived the good of souls is the only motive in the undertaking."- N. J. MSS. 1700, as quoted by Perry, Am. Epis. Ch. i. 165.
EARL OF BELLOMONT TO THE LORDS OF TRADE.
1701, Jan. 2.
There is a messenger newly come from Albany who brings word the Undertakers for masts were very forward with their work, that they had drawn several masts out of the woods to the side of the Mohack's River, ready to float down when the river is open, for at present 'tis froze up. I am certain the Undertakers have agreed with the Mohacks that the King shall have their woods, because I directed them to make a sure bargain for the King, before they offered to begin the work, for fear of giving the Indians the least disgust. I have no letter from them, for the messenger says they were felling the masts and drawing them out of the woods when he came away. If the Undertakers knew that the Vacating Act is still unapproved by the King, I am confident they would immediately leave off working in those woods, for fear Mr. Dellius and the other grantees of the
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Mohack's lands and woods should sue them for a tresspass and recover great damage against them .- Col. Docs. N. Y. iv. 825.
If the ship were not forced to sail because of the great quantity of ice that comes down the rivers I would entertain your Lordships with a further discovery of Collonel Fletcher's corrupt methods of getting money; insomuch as he is reckoned to have got thirty thousand pounds New York money in five years and a half that he was in this government; and I know his friends here compute that he made that sum while he was here. And I can make out most of it upon a probable estimate. He left no trick or fraud unpractised to get money, and all under the mask of pretended piety and a zeal for the Church of England even to martyrdom, if people would have believed him; but he was quickly found out, and the officers who first experienced his hypocrisy nick-named him the Pharisee. He was given to drinking, to corruption, and lying; but lying was his predominant vice, and some of his friends have owned so to me, in softer terms. They have told me that Collonel Fletcher was a man of parts, and 'twas a pity he gave himself too great liberty in discourse, and that he had not a guard on his tongue. In a word besides the many frauds he has put on the King he has left behind him such seeds of disaffection, sedition and immorality in the people here, as will require much time and pains to root out and extinguish.
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I remember I formerly returned Mr. Dellius's grant whereof he is sole grantee at about 900,000 acres, and that upon Mr. Graham's report of its being eighty six miles long and but sixteen miles broad, who made that report by guess, for he own'd he never had seen that land. But some of the Dutch that have travelled that way have since assured me they judge it to be twenty five miles broad, taking one part with another; and if so it contains 1,376,000 acres; which is a prodigious tract of country to grant away to a stranger that has not a child. that's not denizen'd, and in a word a man that has not any sort of vertue or merit .- Col. Docs. N. Y. iv. 826.
EARL OF BELLOMONT TO THE LORDS OF TRADE.
Jan. 16, 1701.
I send your Lordships a copy of Mr. Freerman's letter, (marked D.) He is the Dutch minister at Schenectady, and a very good sort of man, and is. one of them that witness the covenant of the Mohacks for their woods .- Doc. Hist. N. Y. iv. 833.
Reverend Mr. Freeman to the Earl of Bellomont.
Schenegtade the 6th Jan. 1700. (1701)
May it please your Excellency.
I have received your Excellency's letter of the 15th of November 1700. whereby I understand that your Excellency was satisfied with what I had done to promote the Gospell among the Indians. I shall also use my utmost to intreat them to be firm in their allegiance to His Majesty; and for as much as appears to me they are good subjects to His Majesty, whereof they desire me to give your Excellency an account.
Your Excellency may remember that there are not above one hundred Maquasse in number, thirty six whereof have embraced the Christian faith, ten whereof through the grace of God are brought over through my means, for I found but twenty six. I shall do my utmost with the rest.
So wishing your Excellency a happy new year and continuation of your health recommending myself to your favour. I remain,
Your Excellency's most obedient servant,
B. Freerman. - Col. Docs. N. Y. Jv. 835.
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ACTS OF THE CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM.
How it fared with Rev. Lydius and Rev. Freerman.
1701, Jan. 17th.
Revs. Deputati ad res Maritimas read a letter from New Al- bany, written by Rev. Lydius, stating that he, by virtue of the call of the Classis of Amsterdam, had been installed there as regu- lar Pastor and Teacher; also that Rev. Freerman preached at Synechtede (Schenectady). This was further confirmed by a let- ter from Rev. Nucella" and, in particular, that Rev. Freerman, after many disputes, had been called to the service of the church of Synechtede.
In connection therewith was also read a letter from the Con- sistory of New Albany, which declared that they had received Rev. Lydius with great pleasure as their minister, and they thanked this Assembly for their faithful services. Of similar purport was also a letter, signed by Revs. Selyns and du Bois. The Rev. Assembly rejoices that this affair has ended so well. This Classis deems it irregular that Rev. Freerman, whereof see acta of April 5, 1700, was examined in such a way, outside of these provinces, at Lingen, and made a minister there with the laying on of hands, in order to go to New Albany; but they hope that such a circumstance will not occur again. The call of Rev. Freerman will be legalized by this Classis, if the consistory of Synechtede requests it; and will not only approve the same, but will acquiesce in the entire business. Rev. Florentius Bomble will preside at the next ensuing Classis. viii. 342; xix. 262.
LORDS OF TRADE TO EARL OF BELLOMONT.
1701, February 11.
We have acquainted the Lord Bishop of London with your having suspended Mr. Smith the Chaplain to the Soldiers, and with the account you give us of his character.
We are very sensible of what you write about the advantages that might be made by having some ministers sent to live amongst our Indians, and we think it would much promote those advantages if such ministers had (besides other qualifica-
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tions) a little skill also in physick and chirurgery. The French Missionaries have insinuated themselves and strengthened their interest amongst the Indians by those means, and we ought not to neglect them. But the getting of a maintenance for such ministers is the difficulty. We are doing what we can here with the Corpora- tion for evangelizing Indians, and we wish your Lordship could find a way to make some use of what Sir William Ashurst has proposed to you from them, untill better can be obtained .- Col. Docs. N. Y. iv. 844.
EVENTS AFTER THE DEATH OF BELLOMONT, 1701, MARCH 5.
Upon the death of Bellomont (1701) things fell into confusion. The Lieutenant Governor, Nanfan, was absent at Barbadoes; the executive chair was claimed by Col. William Smith of Long Island, the oldest member of Bellomont's Council. The strife between the Leislerians and the anti-Lei terians was waged with fury. Leisler when at the height of his power, 1689-91, . ruck hard blows at the men whom he disliked and feared, as Bayard, Van Cortlandt and others. Bayard, the mayor of the City was imprisoned for fourteen months. Van Cortlandt escaped by flight. On the downfall of Leisler, (1691) these men returned to power. Gov. Sloughter made up his Council of opponents of Leisler; although, by appointing Abram De Peyster, a Leislerian sympathizer, for mayor, he preserved a measure of tranquillity. The City at that time, 1691, contained about five thousand people. The anti-Leislerians included the more educated classes generally, the old civil officials, all the Dutch and French ministers, Rev. Mr. Vesey, and the great body of the Episcopalians; but the masses of the people were Leislerians.
The anti-Leislerians came into power with the accession of Gov. Sloughter, and retained their position during the administration of Fletcher. (Among Fletcher's Council were Col. Caleb Heathcote, Frederick Philipse, Stephen Van Cortlandt, William Nicholls and Thos. Willett. His Supreme Court Judges were Thos. John- son, William Smith, Stephen Van Cortlandt, William Pinhorne. The Mayor was William Merritt. It was during this period that the ecclesiastical contest was begun, to establish the Church of England; but the law, as it was passed, (1693), proved abortive, and the Dutch Church obtained its Charter, 1696. Trinity then secured a Charter in 1697. Fletcher perverted the ministry Act of 1693 in favor of the Church of England, and contrary to its evident meaning. A change oc- curred, with the coming of Bellomont, who represented more fully the popular rights. Yet the personal element entered more or less into his administration. But he quickly perceived some of the flaws in the attempted legislation, and in the date of Trinity's Charter, claiming establishment by the Ministry Act, which Act, however, did not receive the Royal signature, until some days after the date of Trinity's Charter. Bellomont's appointment was also said to be due to efforts in England of persons desirous of procuring a reversal of the sentence of attainder on Leisler, and the restoration to his family of his confiscated property. Bayard, Philipse, Van Cortlandt and their friends were retired by Bellomont, and a new set of men took their place in the Council of the Province. Some of the Leislerian party tore down the Coat of Arms of Fletcher in the Chapel in the Fort .- See Am. Ch. Hist. Series, viii, 93.
The triumph of the Leislerians was further promoted by the interregnum ensuing on the death of Bellomont. Nanfan had done nothing, (says Dix) to restrain their excesses. He had the celebrated Bayard arrested, and put on trial for his life before Chief Justice Atwood. The son of Leisler was active in this business. The arrest took place on Jan. 21, 1702. The charge was high treason, and he was found guilty and condemned. Dunlap, in his history of New York, declares these pro- ceedings to have been unjustifiable. The sentence, horrible as it was, (See Note 1, in Dix, 130.) which was pronounced on traitors, was pronounced against Bayard on
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March 16, 1702. But a reprieve was granted to learn the King's pleasure. Mean- while Lord Cornbury arrived to supersede Nanfan. Chief Justice Atwood and Attorney General Weaver, knowing the position which Cornbury would take, fled. Dix gives all this, because, (says he) it bears upon the history of Trinity parish; that the Rector was the object of many vulgar and brutal assaults by Atwood, as was also Emmot, Bayard's legal defender.
CHARACTERIZATION OF BELLOMONT.
1701.
Bellomont was a democrat at heart. While not without great faults himself, he found many wrongs in New York. These he endeavored, in a way somewhat rough, to righten. He understood the fallacies of the pretended Church establishment; that the Ministry Act of 1693 did not establish the Church of England at all; that it was positively and purposely framed against such an establishment; and that the oft-repeated assertions in Trinity's Charter in reference to such an establishment were pure perversions of Fletcher. He also severely criticised the act of Fletcher in giving a Charter to the Dutch Church. He opposed the extravagant land-grants of Fletcher; and Fletcher's lease of the King's Farm for seven years after he knew of his recall, and only just before Bellomont's arrival; although said farm had always before been the perquisite of the Governor. This act of Fletcher was certainly exasperating. Upon the whole, we should say that Bellomont, while far from a saint, was a better man than his predecessor, Fletcher, or his successor, Cornbury. Their characters and conduct were very reprehensible. They stood by an English Church Establishment, not without great injustice to the other Churches. But Bellomont had more democratic tendencies. The principles of Fletcher and Cornbury, as exhibited in their relations to a Church Establishment, have perished, in America, long ago; while those of Bellomont will ever continue to develop and prosper .- Compare Dix's Hist. Trinity Ch. i. 126.
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