USA > New York > Ecclesiastical records, state of New York, Volume V > Part 80
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The good Domine, however, had those who shared his sorrows and resentments; the elder and wiser heads of families, indeed a great majority of the primitive inhabitants, were stedfast against innovation. The colonel of the regiment, who was a man of fashion and family, and possessed talents for both good and evil pur- poses, was young and gay; and being lodged in the house of a very wealthy citizen, who had before, in some degree, affected the newer modes of living, so captivated him with his good breeding and affability, that he was ready to humour any scheme of diversion which the colonel and his associates proposed. Under the auspices of this gallant commander, balls began to be concerted, and a degree of flutter and frivolity to take place, which was as far from elegance as it was from the honest, artless cheerfulness of the meetings usual among them. The good domine more and more alarmed, not content with preaching, now began to prophesy: But like Cas- sandra, or to speak as justly, though less poetically, like his whole fraternity, was doomed always to deliver true predictions to those who never heeded them.
Now the very ultimatum of degeneracy, in the opinion of these simple good people, was approaching; for now the officers, encouraged by the success of all their former projects for amusements resolved to new fashion and enlighten those amiable novices whom their former schemes had attracted within the sphere of their influ- ence; and for this purpose, a private theatre was fitted up, and preparations made for acting a play; except the Schuylers and their adopted family, there was not perhaps one of the natives who understood what was meant by a play. And by this time, the town, once so closely united by intermarriages and numberless other ties, which could not exist in any other state of society, were divided into two factions; one consisting almost entirely of such of the younger class, as having a smattering of New York education, and a little more of dress and vivacity, or perhaps levity, than the rest, were eager to mingle in the society, and adopt the manner of those strangers.
It is but just, however, to add, that only a few of the more estimable were included in this number; these, however, they might have been captivated with novelty and plausibility, were too much attached to their older relations to give them pain, by an intimacy with people to whom an impious neglect of duties the most sacred was generally imputed, and whose manner of treating their inferiors, at that distance from the control of higher powers, was often such as to justify the imputation of cruelty, which the severity of military punishments had given rise to. The play, however, was acted in a barn, and pretty well attended, notwith- standing the good domine's earnest charges to the contrary. It was the Beaux ‘ Stratagem; no favorable specimen of the delicacy or morality of the British theatre; and as for the wit it contains, very little of that was level to the comprehension of
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the novices who were there first initiated into a knowledge of the magic of the scene, yet they "laughed consumedly," as Scrub says, and actually did so, "because they were talking of him." They laughed at Scrub's gestures and appearance, and they laughed very heartily at seeing the gay young ensigns, whom they had been used to dance with, flirting fans, displaying great hoops, and with painted cheeks and colored eye-brows, sailing about in female habiliments. This was a jest pal- pable and level to every understanding; and it was not only an excellent good one, but lasted a long while; for every time they looked at them when restored to their Own habits, they laughed anew at the recollection of their late masquerade.
The fame of these exhibitions went abroad, and opinions were formed of them no way favorable to the actors or to the audience. In this region of reality, where rigid truth was always undisguised, they had not learned to distinguish between fiction and falsehood. It was said that the officers familiar with every vice and every disguise, had not only spent a whole night in telling lies in a counterfeited place, the reality of which had never existed, but that they were themselves a lie, and had degraded manhood, and broke through an express prohibition in scripture, by assuming female habits; that they had not only told lies, but cursed and swore the whole night, and assumed the character of knaves, fools, and robbers, which every good and wise man held in detestation, and no one would put on unless they felt themselves easy in them. Painting their faces, of all other things, seemed most to violate the Albanian ideas of decorum, and was looked upon as the most flagrant abomination. Great and loud was the outcry produced by it.
Little skilled in sophistry, and strangers to all the arts "that make the worse appear the better reason," the young auditors could only say " that indeed it was very amusing; made them laugh heartily, and did harm to nobody." So harmless, indeed, and agreeable did this entertainment appear to the new converts of fashion, that the Recruiting Officer was given out for another night, to the great annoyance of Mr. Frelinghuysen, who invoked heaven and earth to witness and avenge this contempt, not only of his authority, but, as he expressed it, of the source from whence it was derived. Such has been the sancity of this good man's life, and the laborious diligence and awful earnestness with which he inculcated the doctrines he taught, that they had produced a correspondent effect, for the most part, on the lives of his hearers, and led them to regard him as the next thing to an evangelist; accustomed to success in all his undertakings, and to "honor, love, obedience, troops of friends," and all that gratitude and veneration can offer to its most dis- tinguished object, this rebellion against his authority and contempt of his opinion, (once the standard by which every one's judgement was regulated), wounded him very deeply.
The abhorrence with which he inspired the parents of the transgressors, among whom were many young men of spirit and intelligence, was the occasion of some family disagreements, a thing formerly scarcely known. Those young people, accus- tomed to regard their parents with implicit reverence, were unwilling to impute to them unqualified harshness, and therefore removed the blame of a conduct so unusual to their spiritual guide; "and while he thought, good easy man, full surely his greatness was a ripening, nipt his root." Early one Monday morning, after the domine had, on the preceding day, been peculiarly eloquent on the subject of the- atrical amusements, and pernicious innovations, some unknown person left within his door a club, a pair of old shoes, a crust of black bread, and a dollar. The worthy pastor was puzzled to think what this could mean; but had it too soon explained to him. It was an emblematic message, to signify the desire entertained of his departure. The stick was to push him away, the shoes to wear on the road, and the bread and money a provision for his journey ..... .Too conscious, and too fond of popularity, the pastor languished under a sense of imaginary degradation, grew jealous, and thought every one alienated from him, because a few giddy young people were stimulated by momentary resentments to express disapprobation in this
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vague and dubious manner. Thus insensibly, do vanity and self-opinion mingle with our highest duties. Had the domine, satisfied with the testimony of a good conscience, gone on in the exercise of his duty, and been above allowing little per- sonal resentments to mingle with his zeal for what he thought right, he might have felt himself far above an insult of this kind; but he found to his cost, that "a habi- tation giddy and unsure hath he that buildeth on the fickle heart" of the unsteady, wavering multitude.
Madame now returned to town with the Colonel; and finding this general discord and division of sentiments with regard to the pastor, as well as to the adoption of new modes, endeavored, with her usual good sense, to moderate and heal. She was always of opinion that the increase of wealth should be accompanied with a propor- tionate progress in refinement and intelligence, but she had a particular dislike to people's forsaking a respectable plainness of dress and manners for mere imperfect imitation and inelegant finery ....... Liberal and judicious in her views, she did not altogether approve the austerity of the domine's opinions, nor the vehemence of his language; and as a Christian, she still less approved his dejection and concern at the neglect or rudeness of a few thoughtless young persons. In vain the Colonel and Madame soothed and cheered him with counsel and kindness; night and day he mused on the imagined insult; nor could the joint efforts of the most respectable inhabitants prevent his heart from being corroded with the sence of imagined unkindness. At length he took the resolution of leaving those people so dear to him, to visit his friends in Holland, promising to return in a short time, whenever his health was restored, and his spirits more composed. A Dutch ship happened about this time to touch at New York, on board of which the domine embarked; but as the vessel belonging to Holland was not expected to return, and he did not, as he had promised, either write or return in an English ship, his congregation remained for a great while unsupplied, while his silence gave room for the most anxious and painful conjectures; these were not soon removed, for the intercourse with Holland was not frequent or direct. At length, however, the sad reality was but too well ascertained. This victim of lost popularity had appeared silent and melancholy to his shipmates, and walked constantly on deck. At length he suddenly disappeared, leaving it doubtful whether he had fallen overboard by accident, or was prompted by despair to plunge into eternity.
If this latter was the case, it must have been the consequence of a temporary fit of insanity; for no man had led a more spotless life, and no man was more beloved by all that were intimately known to him. He was, indeed, before the fatal affront, which made such an undue impression on him, considered as a blessing to the place; and his memory was so beloved, and his fate so regretted, that this, in addition to some other occurrences falling out about the same time, entirely turned the tide of opinion, and rendered the thinking as well as the violent party, more averse to innovations than ever ....... Had the Albanians been Catholics, they would probably have canonized Mr. Frelinghuysen, whom they considered as a martyr to levity and innovation. He prophesied a great deal; such prophecy as ardent and comprehen- sive minds have delivered, without any other inspiration but that of the sound, strong intellect, which augurs the future from the comparison with the past, and a rational deduction of probable consequences. The affection that was entertained for his memory, induced people to listen to the most romantic stories of his being landed on an island, and becoming a hermit; taken up into a ship when floating on the sea, into which he had accidentally fallen, and carried to some remote country, from which he was expected to return, fraught with experience and faith. I remem- ber some of my earliest reveries to have been occupied by the mysterious dis- appearance of this hard-fated pastor.
A rumor, not well authenticated, was common among the people, that he embarked, on his return, in the same vessel with the person appointed to supersede him, and when made acquainted with the fact, very soon disappeared, and was supposed to have thrown himself into the sea.
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See Mrs. Grant's (Anne McVicar's) Memoirs of an American Lady, with Sketches of Manners and Scenery in America before the Revolution. Pages 152-162. New York, 1846. An edition had been published previously in London.
[See Action of July 29, 1760, about Frelinghuysen's request to the Synod. Mrs. Grant had not the slightest knowledge of his great efforts to secure the inde- pendence of the Church in America, which were the matters which weighed chiefly on his mind.]
CORRESPONDENCE FROM AMERICA.
The Coetus of New York, per Rev. John Leydt, President, to the Classis of Amsterdam, Oct. 8, 1759.
Portfolio, "New York", Vol. ii. Also in Vol. 33, p. 14. No. 292.
To the Very Rev. Classis of Amsterdam,
Very Rev. Sirs and Brethren :-
We, the undersigned, have been charged to write to your Revs., in the name and by the authority of the Rev. Coetus of New York and New Jersey. It is our desire to enjoy and to keep up the usual correspondence in all respects, conformably to the Constitution of our Confession, and the liberty and profit of our churches. And we hereby hope to discharge our duty.
As our Coetus-Assembly is still in session, and whose acts are not without good results, we have now to inform you, that the candidate, Jacobus Van Nest, appointed last year, and mentioned in our letter written at that time, has now, upon receiving a call from Poughkeepsie and Fishkill, been finally examined and is about to be ordained there. May the Lord be with him to the welfare of the churches !
It is with gratitude that we acknowledge the receipt of the Acts of the Synod of North Holland, dated Aug. 4, 1757 ; also a letter from your Revs., dated March 14, 1758. But we cannot learn therefrom whether or not our writing of Oct. 7th, sent in the year 1756, reached its destination. We then wrote to the Classis and the Synod in full, as we had decided not to send a person to appear as our delegate before the Classis and the Synod, on the subject formerly mentioned.
We find in the recorded Acts of the Synod two letters, both of which refer to the same subject, which is this: that the Synod would transmit to the ministers of New York authority to examine and promote Adrianus Van der Swan, Visitor of the Sick at New York. The first letter is dated Nov. 20, 1756, written by the elders and deacons in the Woods, at Saugerties (in 't Bosch, 't Sagertyes)-they having called him to be their minister. The second letter is from Rev. John Ritzema, minister at New York, under date of Dec. 6, 1756, and is meant to strengthen the said request. Several reasons are given to that end. This matter is referred back to the Rev. Classis of Amsterdam, to act thereon according to circumstances. According to your Revs. letter, the matter is set aside, for fear of the consequences.
On this we have to observe as follows : First, that heretofore the said Van der Swan addressed himself to our Coetus, to obtain promotion by our authority, if we were willing to give it to him. For certain reasons, his request was refused. Sec- ondly, as his request was never encouraged by our Coetus, so the matter of calling him never came to our table, not even when promotion was asked for; and we objected because no church had desired him, etc.
At this point we feel ourselves bound also to mention that the above named elders and deacons declare that they do not know Van der Swan, much less have they had it in mind to call him. He, too, declares that he does not know that place, etc .; nor does he know of such a call, nor make request for promotion in relation to them.
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Rev. John Ritzema also declares that he does not remember ever to have written such a letter, urging such a request. It is plain, therefore, that there lurks deceit somewhere. We leave it to your Revs. to communicate this to the Very Rev. Synod. It is clearly necessary to do this, in order to follow strictly the action taken by the Rev. Classis, namely, to accept nothing save what has come before the Rev. Coetus.
For the rest, we rejoice at your offer of rendering our churches every possible ser- vice ; and we wish your Revs., Heaven's precious blessings of light and grace.
We sign ourselves, very Rev. Sirs and Brethren,
Your Revs. obedient servants and brethren.
In the name and by authority of the Rev. Coetus of New York.
Deputati ad hanc causam :
John Leydt, V. D. M. President. Jacob R. Hardenberg, V. D. M. Raritan. Hendrik Visscher, Elder.
Raritan, Oct. 8, 1759.
REV. SAMUEL SEABURY TO THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL. Jamaica, October 10th, 1759. Reverend Sir :
I heartily wish it was in my power to give the honoured Society an account of my success in this Mission answerable to their pious care & expense, I have indeed baptized within the last half year One White & One Negro Adult fifteen White & three Negro Infants but have gained no new Communicants-Preaching once in three weeks at a place I find by experience will do little more than keep up the present languid sense of religion and was it not for the steady tho' slow increase of the Congregation at Newtown I should be almost discouraged.
Flushing in the last generation the ground seat of Quakerism is in this the seat of Infidelity ; a transition how natural.
Bred up in an entire neglect of all religious principles in hatred to the Clergy & in contempt of the Sacraments how hard is their conversion, especially as they disavow even the necessity of any redemption.
At Jamaica open infidelity has not made so great a progress, a general remissness in attending divine Service however prevails, tho' I know not from what particular cause.
I beg leave to assure the Society that my best endeavours shall not be wanting to answer their truly pious intention the advancement of pure religion & virtue- Especially in striving earnestly to correct the present erroneous sentiments concern- ing religion that prevail in the Parish. I am etc. etc.
Samuel Seabury. -Doc. Hist. N. Y. Vol. iii, pp. 195, 196.
REV. DR. JOHNSON TO ARCHBISHOP SECKER.
New York, October 20, 1759. May it please Your Grace,
I most thankfully received Your Grace's very kind letter of July 19th and am exceeding glad if any letters of mine can be of any use to you. The sequel of that of March 20th was prepared in July, but unfortunately missed of an opportunity till lately: I hope it will soon reach your hand, and meet with a favorable reception.
I humbly thank Your Grace for your kind compliment relating to what I men- tioned with regard to a successor. I thank God, I seem to have a very firm health ; but my condition here is very precarious, chiefly by reason of the smallpox, being obliged now, (already a second time) to retire on account of it-this especially (together with my advanced years) makes me thoughtful how my college may be provided for. On which account I am glad Mr. Apthrope is so near, who I believe would be immediately pitched upon : his youth would be the only objection.
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As I am obliged to retire I am entered on a journey to Stratford, where I propose to reside for a few months with my Son, and shall there be under advantage to procure a copy of Mr. Hobart's first address, which I will send to Your Grace if it can be had. I intended to have sent those papers of the Reflector if I could find them, which I cannot yet : however you will see the full force of them in Hobart and Smith's History so far as the Church is concerned.
As to the Affair of Mr. Beach, I never saw a copy of what was done at that meeting of the Clergy ; only Mr. Wetmore told me he had given them good satisfac- tion, and they had transmitted what they had done to the Society ; so that I con- cluded the Society were also well satisfied. They were to blame if they did not send Duplicates. It is commonly received that Mr. Beach then retracted what he had published, and nothing since has ever been said about it.
As to Mr. Barclay's Remarks ; Dr. Smith of Philadelphia undertook to enlarge them and transmit them to Your Grace with a fuller vindication, and I have sent him some materials .- As to Your Grace's appointing a proxy to represent you at your Board, it is what the Governors of the College are very desirous of: and as to myself, I am very humbly obliged to Your Grace for the great Honor you do me, in proposing to nominate me, and shall submit to whatever Your Grace shall think proper to do in the Affair.
The bearer hereof is one Mr. Miliner, a young Candidate of this City, who hath been educated and graduated at the College of New Jersey, & appears a Youth of good hopes. He wants about 8 months of age for full orders, & proposes to pursue his studies at Oxford in that Interim, & then to offer himself to the Society's Service for which I hope he will be well qualified, & I beg leave to recommend him to Your Grace's notice. I wonder Mr. Greaton is not here from Boston to go for West Chester. If he should go in my absence, I beg the same for him .- I am, may it please Your Grace,
Your Grace's Most obliged and dutiful Son, and most humble Servant, (signed) Samuel Johnson. -Col. Docs. N. Y. Vol. vii, pp. 404, 405.
CERTIFICATE, AS TO THE REQUEST (1753) OF THE CHURCHES OF MARBLETOWN, ETC., THAT HENRY FRELINGHUYSEN SHOULD BE ORDAINED IN AMERICA. Nov. 3, 1759.
(Portfolio, "New York "; Vol. ii.)
We, the subscribing elders and deacons, representing the Consistories of the three united congregations of Marmerton, (Marbletown), Rochester and Wawarsing, hereby certify that the general and hearty desire and very earnest wish of our congregations, was, that the student Henricus Frelinghuysen, should be ordained by the Coetus of New York as a minister of God's Holy Word the following spring.
Pieter Canteyn
Solomon Van Wagenen
Frederich Schoonmaker
Egbert De Witt
Wessel Brodhead
Johannes Bevier, Jr.
Louis Bevier
John Schoonmaker
Stephen Nottingham
Moses Depui
Isaac Van Kampen
Thomas Sammen Hendricus Jansen
Gideon Louw.
Nov. 3, 1759.
The above is a true copy of an original writing by the Consistory of the congrega- tions subscribed on the same day that the call of the student Henricus Frelinghuysen was signed. I had used all motives which could be thought of, to lead him to go to
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Holland to receive ordination, only he was to go at his own expense. However they (the above Consistories) would not call him on any other conditions than that he should be ordained in this country for the same service.
To this I testify, Theodore Frelinghuysen. (See Nov. 3, 1753; Oct. 22, 1755 ; Oct. 4, 1757.)
CHURCH OF NEW YORK.
New York, November - 1759.
Consistory held. § 1. Mr. Abel Hardenbrock resigned his su- perintendency of the Manor and Harpending grounds. In his place John de Peyster was appointed, on the same footing.
§ 2. John Vermillie, Jr. requested to have the Vly belonging to his farm for the same price per acre as the land bought by him. This was granted, in view of the service lately rendered by him to the church.
§ 3. That he should lease the remaining Vly for eight shillings per lot, or take the whole himself at three pounds, yearly.
§ 4. That Mr. Hardenbrock, with the deacons, Adrian Bancker and John Lansing, and the Church Masters, Petrus Louw and John de Peyster, should inquire into the leases of the Harpending grounds; how it was expressed therein concerning the falling of the same to the church; and whether there was not one (place) that could be made a suitable dwelling for Mr. Adrianus Van der Swan.
Thus done in Consistory. Signed etc., J. Ritzema, p. t. President.
ACTS OF THE CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM.
The Classis of Amsterdam to the Consistory of New York,
Dec. 12, 1759. Vol. 31, page 144. No. 99. To the Consistory of New York.
Rev. Sirs and Beloved Brethren :--
We hope you received the former Acts (those of 1758) of the Christian Synod. Herewith we send you those for the year 1759. We trust they may be passed around the other ministers according. to the desire of the Rev. Classis. We hope that love and friend-
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ship will soon be completely re-established among all the congre- gations in America, and flourish gloriously.
That the Lord may bless you personally and in your holy office, as well as the ministers in the other churches, is our genuine desire. With affection, we remain, Rev. Sirs, Much-beloved Brethren, In the Name of the Classis of Amsterdam,
Petrus Noordbeek, Dep. Cl. h. t. Praeses. R. Perizonius, Depp. Cl. h. t. Scriba.
Amsterdam, Dec. 12, 1759.
[Rev. Theodore Frelinghuysen (in Holland) to the Consistory of New York; Dec. 14, 1759 .- Letter not found. See July 14, 1760.]
[1759. Mrs. Catherine De Wint bequeaths the valuable estate of Catharinaburg to the Reformed Dutch Church in the isle of St. Thomas, West Indies. See Cole's Tappan, 4. Corwin's Man- ual, 4th ed. 1902, pages 1040-42.]
CHURCH OF NEW YORK. New York, Jan. 3, 1760.
Consistory held after calling on God's name.
§ 1. The assessed cost of the lawyers in the suit against Lewis Morris and others, amounting, on strict calculation to £324:19:5, was presented and ordered to be paid by Mr. Abram Van Wyck, after he should have endeavored to get as much taken off as possible for the benefit of the church.
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