USA > New York > Ecclesiastical records, state of New York, Volume V > Part 45
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At the close of the Revolution Mr. Livingston's views became triumphant, and all legislation of an opposite character was repealed.
See Sedgewick's Life of Wm. Livingston; and Corwin's Manual of Reformed Church, 1879, Chap. iv; 1901, Chap. viii.
EXTRACT FROM THE PREFACE OF THE INDEPENDENT REFLECTOR.
On a College in New York, by Hon. Wm. Livingston, January 1754.
Extract.
"The affair of the College I considered as one of the most important matters that ever fell under the consideration of our Legislature. It will either prove one of the greatest blessings or an execrable source of the keenest and most complicated disasters. If it is constituted upon a foundation generous and catholic, there is nothing we can fall upon that will spread more real felicity through the Province. But should it, on the other hand, be made the tool of a faction and an instrument in the hands of one sect for the advancement of itself, and the oppression of the rest, what can we expect from the unbridled lust of bigotry and superstition, but either the deprivation or abridgement of our civil and religious liberties? Nor will our subjection and colony-relation to Great Britain be a sufficient security against such unrighteous invasions, such horrible and multiplied calamities. We have indeed the highest reason to believe, that oppressions of this kind, would, at home, be blasted and discountenanced. But thither to transmit proper representations is dif-
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ficult, tedious and expensive. Inhuman persecutions have been prosecuted in the plantations, and prosecuted to astonishing lengths, before the wished-for redress could be obtained. I appeal to the bloody slaughter of the pretended Witches ; and the cruel, the sanguinary severities against the Quakers in New England.
At present all Protestant denominations amongst us, are secure in the enjoyment of their religious opinions. But should the government of the College be surrendered to any tribe of bigots, God knows how long they will retain their rights and immunities. A corrupt tree, says the greatest authority, bringeth forth corrupt fruit. An academy in so small a province as ours, will diffuse its influence over its whole extent. Every post of honour and profit, will naturally be engrossed by persons who have had their education at the public Seminary ; so that nothing is more probable, than that the spirit of the College, will become the spirit of the Colony. Should therefore any particular sect be invested with the supreme rule in that seminary, what can hinder their indoctrinating its youth in the contracted principles of their own party ; and what could we expect from a Council and Assembly, under the influence of the same religious doctrine and persuasion, but a general establishment of themselves to the suppression of the rest; or, at least, where, in those circum- stances, will be the security of other denominations against those schocking and dreadful apprehensions ?
I have exhibited a Plan to render it safe and prosperous; and I challenge the warmest of my adversaries, or any man in the province to evince his having thought more upon that topic, or done more for the design.
I have been charged with the delay which has hitherto attended the erection of a college, with embarrassing the projectors and inflaming the minds of the people against such a seminary. Against a free College-against a College where the chil- dren of all Protestant persuasions shall be admitted to a perfect parity of privileges, against a College where superstition shall not make his gloomy abode, nor persecution unfurl his bloody standard-I have written not a word. Of the necessity of such a Society, I entertain the most exalted opinion ; nor does any man more ardently long for so excellent an establishment. An undertaking so glorious cannot be too vigor- ously prosecuted. If any adversaries mean by the charge, that I have prevented the execution of the before mentioned little, dirty, contracted party project, I am so far from inclining to exculpate myself, that I wish I had still stronger reasons to flatter myself with being the instrument of such extensive utility to my country. Those who were concerned in that ungenerous scheme began the calumny of my aversion to the founding an academy, and 'tis they who impute the delay of it to my papers, in order to raise against them the general odium, and weaken an influence repugnant to their iniquitous machinations. But at their door lies the slow prosecu- tion of this momentous affair. For had they not attempted to engross its govern; ment into their hands, there would have been no ground for the opposition I excited ; nor would the jealousies and bickerings now subsisting, have arisen amongst us. If a free constituted College is such a one, for which alone we should wish, such as will be a real blessing to the Province, such a one alone for which the people are to be loaded with a general Tax :- then, an opposition to a partial one was evi- dently requisite to expedite its progress ; and to them only, who flung this obstacle in the way, are to be ascribed the tardy procedures and present commotions. It was a certain information of this narrow-spirited and ignominious contrivance, that gave rise to my Reflections on our future seat of the Muses.
Among all the persons nominated for Trustees at a private convention, there were but three Gentlemen of the Dutch Church, and one of them residing so remote from New York, that he could not be expected to have any considerable agency, in the regulation and government of the matter. All the rest were members of the Church of England, and most of them, though otherwise men of unblemished fame, utterly devoid of every qualification, to recommend them for such a trust, save only their notorious, inflexible bigotry. Of such consisted the list. Their names I could men- tion, were it not highly improper under the disadvantageous character I have given them, and which I know they deserve. This hopeful Catalogue was presented to his late Excellency, Governor Clinton, with a request to incorporate them; but the spirit of party politics which has long been the bane, the curse and the infamy of the Province, proved in this case luckily suspicious, and rendered the project abortive. Unaw'd and unabashed to contrive it, and, since the public abhorrence, unwilling to confess it, the reality of this strategem has, with unexampled confidence, been made a question in full companies, even by some of its first projectors themselves. My
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information is from a member of the Assembly, and the open declaration of another Gentleman, who had the honour to be on the list. Private as this affair was con- ducted, and doubtful as the verity of the fact may be thought, yet that there were clandestine designs to obtain the Government of the College, is now apparent to the world.".
SECOND EXTRACT FROM PREFACE OF THE INDEPENDENT REFLECTOR.
The Reformed Dutch Church. Reasons for its Decline. By William Livingston, January 1754.
" The too long continued use of the Dutch Language.
The visible decay to which those churches, no less venerable for their purity of doctrine, discipline and worship, than their antiquity in this province, were sub- ject, raised the most commiserating sentiments in the breast of every lover of virtue and true religion. Their once crowded assemblies now scarcely existed, save in the sad remembrance of their primitive glory. Their youth, forgetting the religion of their ancestors, wandered in search of new persuasions ; and the most diligent labors of those who were set over them, proved ineffectual to attach them to the profession in which they were educated. These, indeed, were circumstances woeful and distress- ing !
Nor unknown was the cause of this melancholy declension. In all the British colonies, as the knowledge of the English tongue must necessarily endure, and instead of declining, will naturally become more perfect and improved ; so every foreign language, however generally practised and understood for a time, must, at length, be neglected and forgotten. Thus it is with the Dutch tongue, which, though once the common dialect of this province, is now scarcely understood, except by its more ancient inhabitants. It has also been observed that the churches have kept exact pace with the language in its retragrade state, so that there is no room to doubt (that) the decay of the former was caused by the disuse of the latter ; and that the one and the other will in process of time sink into perfect oblivion. To retain the use of the Dutch language, the greatest pains have not been wanting. They have had well-regulated free-schools, richly supported by their churches, and yet maugre their utmost efforts, parents have found it in a degree impossible to transmit it to their children. Whence it is generally feared that the very next generation will scarce furnish one person in this city, except their clergy, well acquainted with the tongue. To prevent, therefore, the ruin of the Dutch churches, common sense pointed out the absolute necessity of disuniting them from the language, by translating their public Acts of devotion and worship into English, or the speedy introduction of the present translations now used by several of their churches in Holland ; nothing being more certain than that the celebration of divine service in an unknown tongue, would, in a Protestant country, prove as disgustful as it would be unprofitable.
I should have imagined that nothing could be objected to the immediate execution of so necessary and obvious an expedient. No sooner however, was it proposed, than the sticklers for high-church raised a general cry upon the occasion. Mean and ungenerous were the arts used by them to discredit the proposal. Recourse was had to their old practice of reviling and calumniating the Presbyterians, who were charged with a design no less wicked than false and impossible, of seizing the Dutch churches and converting them and their congregations to their own use. Nay, so fashionable was the practice of falsifying for the church, that with an assurance unparallelled, the Dutch were told to their faces that they were not Presby- terians. The effrontery with which the assertion was repeated, pressed conviction on the ignorant. Whence it is common to hear the more illiterate members of the Dutch congregation disown themselves to be Presbyterians, and even insist on their being Episcopalians. These artifices were ingeniously detected by Philo Reflector, whose remarks on this subject compelled those high-flyers to play a different game.
Ashamed to persist any longer in obtruding so flagrant a falsehood, and bent upon supporting a wall of partition between the English and Dutch Presbyterians, they as confidently denied the former to be such, as they have for thirty years past
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imprudently abused then under that name. Not to dwell upon the shocking wicked- ness and absurdity of such conduct, who cannot see that the grand design was to prevent the introduction of the English tongue into the Dutch churches lest the dis- criminating badge with the vulgar, the difference of language, being removed, a coalition might ensue, and Presbyterianism by that means be strengthened and supported, while the augmentation of the English, by proselytes from the Dutch Church, would be in a great degree interrupted. How inconsistent this, with the Gospel dispensation ! How much estranged from the practice of Christian charity are those, who instead of promoting a harmony between sister churches, would endeavor to prevent it, even at the expense of the final destruction of one! Had they no sinister views, far would they be from endeavoring the ruin of a Christian Church, sound in the faith, edifying in its worship, and well policied in its govern- ment. But so determined are they on advancing the interest of their own party, that to accomplish the downfall of the Dutch congregation, it would to them be a trifling peccadille, could they by that means secure the grand object of their wishes.
From the extinction of those churches in this city they had also reason to expect a considerable addition to their own. Whatever is modish, captivates juvenile under- standings ; and the Church of England might, for that reason, expect a further accession of the Dutch youth. The sticklers for the hierarchy, do not value them- selves more upon their orthodoxy, than the fashionableness of their profession ; and setting themselves up for patterns of true taste in religion; they would doubtless glean all those among the Dutch, who are fond of being reckoned among the beau monde. But after all, what part of the Dutch congregations, to confide in the friendship of those who thus artfully endeavor to disperse and diminish them? What opinion can they entertain of the honesty of men, who to prevent their coalition with a sister Church, are pressing them on to unavoidable destruction ? Should the use of the Dutch language be continued, it would necessarily be productive of the latter, while the introduction of the English tongue would have no tendency to terminate in the former. If there is no affinity between the English and Dutch Presbyterians, this charge can never affect the so much apprehended union, but would rather give the Church of England the opportunity of increasing her numbers by putting in her claim of sisterhood to the Dutch churches. This affinity is a matter, that a certain gentleman in black has, without blushing, labored to persuade the female part of the Dutch congregation to believe, and doubtless with that view. But it is not easy to observe that a greater stress is laid upon the importance of continuing the use of the Dutch language than any language can possibly deserve? Would the profession of the Dutch Church be less orthodox, their worship less edifying, and their disciplin less sound, were their service performed in English? Or can the same thoughts which, delivered in one language, are acceptable to the Almighty, displease him when expressed in another. The truth is, those who oppose the introduction of the English tongue into one of the Dutch churches are convinced that the different lan- guages are the only criteria to distinguish them from each other ; and this is evident from their fear that the use of the same tongue will naturally produce an union. Yet surely it cannot be so destructive of the interests of the Dutch churches to coalesce with a sect with whom they perfectly agree in doctrine, worship and govern- ment, as to follow the advice of those who, by endeavoring to dissuade them from introducing the English language evidently maditate their dissolution.
What I have advanced on this topic may, perhaps, be considered as a design to in- duce a coalition between the English and Dutch Presbyterians. But so far am I from desiring such an event, that I am convinced nothing can tend so much to maintain our freedom and independency in religion as a division into a variety of sects. My sole aim is to make all Protestant denominations support a mutual harmony, and not prefer the certain ruin of one, to the fear of its union with another."
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CORRESPONDENCE FROM AMERICA.
The Classis of Amsterdam to the Coetus. Jan. 8, 1754. Vol. 31,
To the Coetus of New York, page . . . ; No. 23.
Rev. and Learned Gentlemen and Brethren :-
We had the honor of writing to you on Sept. 3rd, 1753, and to the things then said, we still adhere. We trust that Rev. [Thos.] Romeyn arrived among you with the blessing of the Gospel. We have received no letter from you since. Hence this serves only as a companion of the Acta Synodi of North Holland, held at Haarlem, 1753. We send these to you in order to keep up your interest in us, and encourage our mutual and useful correspondence. In conclusion we express the hope that the Zion of God may be built among you and ourselves. The God of love and peace be with your spirit, and make you useful in your offices, and crowning you with his precious blessing. We remain,
Rev. Gentlemen and Beloved Brethren,
Your obedient servants, The Members of the Classis of Amsterdam, In the Name of all, Jacob de Jonge, V. D. M. Amst. Depp. Cl. h. t. Praeses. John Albert van Muyden, Amst. Depp. Cl. h. t. Scriba.
Amsterdam
In our Classical Assembly,
Jan. 8, 1754.
CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM.
Acts of the Deputies, Jan. 10, 1754.
(Abstract.) No. 204.
Letter of the Consistory of Jamaica which was elected under Arondeus, but declared illegal by the Coetus. This protests against the Consistory declared legal by the Coetus, as well as against the call of (Thomas) Romeyn. This call is dated Nov. 5, 1753, and signed S. van Noortwyk, P. Ammerman, A. Schenk, D. Durie (Duryee). Letter received, Jan. 10, 1754, containing also several enclosures.
1. In the letter they stated that on the receipt of our letter of May 7, 1753, they went to the Coetus and presented their appeal. They would have been willing, according to our advice, to make peace, as Coetus was also inclined thereto; but they were not able to reach that end, because, under (John) Frielinghuysen's moderating of a call on Rev. Romeyn, Romeyn was called for the other part of Jamaica ; and also, because, having been slighted in
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this matter, they were not willing to have any minister forced on them. Therefore they protest and appeal to us :
(1) That they have been declared an illegal consistory.
(2) That, with Frielinghuysen as moderator they had been so recklessly passionate in calling Romeyn, even in opposition to the resolution of Coetus; inasmuch as Ritzema declares that the Con- sistory elected under his supervision, was only for a part of that congregation. This testimony of Ritzema they prove by a written testimony of Daniel Bodet and Abraham Chrissomo. (?) These also affirm that Ritzema had said in 1751, that parties had come before him with lies. This Paper is number 5.
Philip Nuys and John Lott testify, in Paper number 4, that Daniel Durie (Duryee) on July 23, 1753, requested Reitzema to summon the consistory elected under his supervision, before the Coetus, to confer with them. This Ritzema declined to do, as he did not wish to acknowledge or defend them as his consistory ; but he gave Durie the liberty of summoning them there. This they regarded as a proof that Ritzema was convinced that that affair had gone to pieces, (vermorst). They request our final decision on this, that they may know how to regulate themselves, and not be compelled to appeal to a higher Assembly.
They ask, that if anything further is produced by the Com- mittee of Coetus, in defense of the acts of Coetus, that we should remember that they (the anti-Romeyn party) have not seen it, and that they can not, therefore, reply to it; and that we should pay no heed to what their beaten enemies may say, but notice only what has passed through the hands of Coetus. They complain strongly about grievous hate and partisanship, self-interest and thirst for vengeance, whereby peace is utterly banished.
2. They send us also a copy of their memorial (opdracht) to Coetus, (marked No. 2), on September 1753. In this they pro- test that they are not recognized as the lawful Consistory at Jamaica, although they were elected according to the proposition and cut and dried plan. (cut-out-by-scissors-article,-uitgeknift artikel) which the Committee of Coetus had themselves prepared, and made known to them by our letter to Rev. (Gualterus) du Bois,
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(marked A and C,) dated October 24, 1748, whereof they sent a copy : namely to elect a consistory through all the elders and deacons who had ever been in office at Jamaica.
They say that they consented to this arrangement and prove this by the copy of their letter to du Bois, October 31, 1748, marked B. Whence they concluded that they were not unwilling to elect a consistory, and that they were falsely accused of declin- ing that proposal. Nevertheless the committee of ministers gave ear to his false accusation, and sent other articles to them, which they rejected. Therefore they invited a neighboring minister, Arondeus, to elect a consistory, and caused that Consistory to be installed. Upon this, the Committee of Coetus elected still another Consistory of their opponents, which latter the Coetus declared to be the lawful one. They complained to Coetus that they had been unjustly accused of unwillingness, and that their opponents are given power to make out a call, whereby a congre- gation is erected within a congregation. But all this was con- trary to the advice of Classis, which was to join hands and to make out a call unitedly. Accordingly they asked for redress, that Coetus should recognize them as a lawful consistory, so that they may not be compelled to appeal to Classis.
3. They also send a copy of their protest against the calling of Romeyn. This was handed to Coetus September 11, 1753, and is marked No. 3. They give as reasons :
(1) That this call is in conflict with the advice of Classis given at a previous time.
(2) That it is in conflict with the resolution of Coetus, which had nominated de Ronde as consulent, while the call was made out through Frielinghuysen who was neither Consulent nor Circle Brother.
(3) That the unity of the congregations, advised by Classis, was not promoted thereby, but a worse schism was made.
(4) Because, if now they also, for their own party, call a min- ister, and a congregation be erected within this congregation, this will cause confusion, for the church buildings belong to both parties.
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4. They send also a refutation of the reply of Coetus to their protest, marked D. dated Nov. 5, 1753.
(1) As to the election of this consistory, Coetus regards it as unlawful because it was not conducted according to resolution of Classis and because Arondeus was not qualified to do it.
They assert that Arondeus was qualified to do it.
a. For although he had already left for Raritan, he must never- theless be recognized as a lawful minister: He was not yet under censure at that time ; he was installed at Raritan by Rev. Fremond, (Fryenmoet ?) and was regarded there as lawful minister. Classis also recongized him as such in their letters.
b. It is true Arondeus had received no order from the Coetus, or its committee, to effect this election, but it was not necessary for him to receive orders for this from it, since he was one of the Committee on the case of Queens County, even after his return from Raritan, for which they appeal to our (Classical) letter of May 9, 1747.
N. B. This letter cannot be found, but that of May 5, 1749, to Arondeus and his consistory, is found. For Arondeus left for Raritan in May 1747, without any dismissal, and returned thence to Long Island in July 1748. Extracts, (?) 54, page 115.
To the second reason of the Coetus, namely, that the election occurred contrary to the wish of the congregation, because elder H. Lott protested against it: They answer,
(a) In all meetings the majority of votes counts. Hence that election could not depend upon elder H. Lott, unless he is to be recognized as a Pope.
(b) They deny that elder H. Lott protested against the election. He only asked them by what authority they did this. Thereupon, they answered :- In the name of the Classis. This they prove by a certificate from twelve persons, who testify to this in writing. If H. Lott has protested, in what did it consist? where has it been recorded ? Surely, nowhere. Therefore, it cannot be re- garded as a protest.
Regarding the call of Romeyn: They rely upon the reasons mentioned in the Protest itself. If it be asked why they pursue
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their Protest and Appeal, because, previously, they had agreed with Coetus to let the matter rest until further communications should have arrived from the Classis: They reply that they came to do so because they had heard that Coetus wanted to send its minutes on that affair to the Classis, and thus defend themselves (the Coetus) against their protest. If, now, they had kept still in the face of this, the Classis would again have been in the dark, hearing only from one side. They consider it as insincere in Coetus, that it should send its defense to Classis, and hold back the documents of its opponents. Therefore they have pursued this course, and wished to exhibit their own documents for our adjudication.
5. They also send us a copy of the resolution of Coetus of September 1753, L. E. signed by Ritsema. He, on November 6, 1753, acknowledged that he had received the Memorial and Pro- test, signed on September 11, 1753.
6. They send us also some other papers :
(1) One marked C. L. (?) wherein they give reasons why they. could not go to Coetus in 1748 and 1749 ; to wit, because Rev. du Bois had told them orally, that they could not join the Coetus until they had a lawful consistory. To this testify four persons, in writing :
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