USA > New York > Ecclesiastical records, state of New York, Volume VI > Part 78
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Herewith, we have the honor to remain with true brotherly love and due regard, Highly Esteemed Gentlemen,
Your obedient and well-wishing Brethren,
O. N.
J. H. Livingston, Ecclesiastes Neo Eboraco, et Synodi Deputatus. New York, Oct. 8, 1784
See, however, the answer to this letter, dated Jan. 10, 1786, in which the Classis of Amsterdam still addresses the American Synod as an "Ecclesiastical Assembly," and not as a "Synod." This produced some sensitiveness, but the mode of address was subsequently changed.
ORDINATION OF JOHN MCDONALD. Nov. 8, 1784.
The presbytery of New York ordained John McDonald a minister of the gospel, and he was at the same time installed pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Al- bany. He was the third pastor of that church, and it was during his ministry that the edifice was erected for that congregation on the corner of South Pearl and Beaver streets, now occupied by a society of Congregationalists .- Albany Gazette, Nov. 8, 1784. Munsell's Annals of Albany, Vol. ii. p. 202.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH AFTER THE REVOLUTION.
In 1784 an Episcopal Conference was held at New Brunswick, N. J. at which delegates from many of the surviving churches of the Middle States, met, to reorganize the "Society for the Relief of the Widows and Orphans of Clergymen." The question of an American Episcopate naturally came up, when they learned that Dr. Samuel Seabury of Connecticut, had been elected Bishop in 1783, and had sailed for England for consecration. A larger Conference was soon held, in which seven States were represented, and it was recommended that a GENERAL CONVENTION be called, to meet in Philadelphia, Sept. 27, 1785. In preparation for this, a (Diocesan) Convention for the State of New York was held on June 22, 1785. At this there were present five clergy- men, Rev. Samuel Provoost, rector of Trinity, with his two as- sistants, Rev. Abram Beach and Rev. Benjamin Moore; Rev. Joshua Bloomer from the United Parishes of Jamaica, Newtown and Flushing, Long Island; and Rev. John H. Rowland of Staten Island. There were also present eleven laymen. This meeting did nothing but to elect delegates to the General Convention.
The second Diocesan Convention was held in St. Paul's Chapel, New York City, in May 1786. A report was made of the Gen-
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eral Convention at Philadelphia in 1785, and a copy of a revised " Book of Common Prayer " was laid before the House. An ad- journed session was held in June, when, out of respect to the English Bishops, the consideration of the revision of the "Book of Common Prayer " was postponed.
At the General Convention, 1785, Rev. Samuel Provoost was recommended as first Bishop of New York. He was endorsed, as such, by the New York Diocesan Convention of 1786. This Convention closed its labors by instructing its delegates to the next General Convention, not to consent to any act that may imply the validity of Dr. Seabury's ordinations. This requires some ex- planation. Bishop Seabury had been consecrated at Aberdeen, Scotland, on Nov. 14, 1784, by three Scottish Bishops and had re- turned to Connecticut in June, 1785, about the time of that New York Convention. He had played an active pro-British part dur- ing the war, which had made him very obnoxious to his country- men. He was still drawing half pay as a retired British Chap- lain. This made him very unacceptable to the Bishop elect of New York. For years Bishop Provoost refused to recognize Bishop Seabury. The vote not to recognize his official acts was probably passed by the aid of the laity, for the most of the clergy sympathized with Seabury. It was not until 1787 that Seabury took his seat in the General Convention, and not until 1792 that Seabury and Provoost were brought together, just before the con- secration of Bishop Claggett. Then Bishop Seabury consented to pay, and Bishop Provoost to receive the visit, which etiquette en- joined upon the former to the latter.
The difficulties in the way of consecration of American Bishops by Bishops of the Church of England having been removed, Drs. White and Provoost sailed for England and were consecrated in Lambeth Chapel, Feb. 4, 1787. The next day they started for home, and arrived on Easter Sunday, 1787, ninety years after the Charter granted to Trinity Church. Large accessions to the Episcopal churches, by confirmation, were soon made. In 1791, fourteen clergy were on the rolls of the diocese of New York.
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But the clouds again descended and settled down darker than ever. The prophecy was often made that the Episcopal Church in America could not survive more than a generation. Continued disputes with England revived feelings of hostility against this branch of the Church. Bishop Provoost also was more of a scholar than an ecclesiastic. He was not even present at the im- portant Convention of 1789. He resigned his position as Rector of Trinity in 1800, and his office as Bishop in 1801.
QUEENS COLLEGE.
Nomination of Rev. Dr. J. H. Livingston as Professor of Theology also in Queens College, May 10, 1785.
Extracts from the Proceedings of the Board of Trustees of Queens College in New Jersey, convened at New Brunswick, May 10th, 1785.
Extracts from the Proceedings of the Rev. Synod of the Dutch Reformed Churches in the States of New York and New Jersey, holden in the years 1773 and 1784, were read, containing the 9th, 13th and 16th articles expressing the sense of the Rev. Synod on the Professorship in this Institution, on the impracticability of removing it from its present establishment in New Brunswick, recommending to the trustees a diligent attention to its interests, and promising their aid in pro- curing an augmentation of its funds. Whereupon the Board entered into the fol- lowing determinations :
1. That an immediate increase of the funds of this College ought to be attempted by every possible exertion, as on that principally its continuing in existence depends.
2. That upon the union of the Dutch Churches for the support of this Institution, and their agreeing to promote subscriptions among themselves for the increase of its funds, it will be highly proper for this Board, with the concurrence of the Rev. Synod to call immediately some well-qualified person to be Professor of Divinity and the President of this College.
3. That this Board are ready and willing to comply with the several requisitions of the Rev. Synod, holden in the year 1773, respecting the Professorship of Divinity in this Institution, and the binding themselves to refund the money re- ceived from the State of New York, in case it shall be employed for the support of any other Professor of Divinity than those of the Dutch Reformed Church.
4. That the Rev. Johannes M. Van Harlingen, the Rev. Simon Van Artsdalen and Mr. John Schureman be a Committee to recommend the interests of this Seminary to the Rev. Synod at their next meeting; that they assure them of the earnest wishes of this Board to promote an Institution so happily calculated for the benefit of the Dutch Reformed Church in America in particular, and the good of society in the general, and that the said Committee be authorized to agree with the Rev. Synod upon a plan best adapted to secure the necessary augmentation of the funds, to nominate persons approved by the Synod, to set on foot and promote subscriptions in the several Dutch congregations, or elsewhere in America, and that upon; the Rev. Synod's concurrence and adoption of any effectual plan for raising money for the use of this Institution to inform them that this Board have, upon mature deliberation, resolved to nominate the Rev. Johannes H. Livingston, D. D., as Professor of Divinity and President of Queens College, and that upon this nomination receiving the approbation of the Rev. Synod, and upon such measures being adopted for the increase of its funds, as will probably be attended with success, they will proceed to call him to those stations in the Institution.
James Schureman, Clerk of the Board.
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SYNOD OF REFORMED DUTCH CHURCHES IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, MAY 17-20, 1785.
Extracts.
FRATERNAL CORRESPONDENCE.
The President reported, that by reason of certain occurrences, the gentlemen composing the committee had been unable to do anything on the subject, but that he had had some personal conversation with members of both Synods, the sub- stance of which he communicated to the Rev. Synod; whereupon the Rev. Body, after mature deliberation upon that important subject, passed the following reso- lutions, which must be regarded as the foundation of all further negotiations in relation to it, viz :
1. That there shall be no intermixing or confounding of the two distinct ecclesiastical communities, but that, on the contrary, each ecclesiastical communion shall continue to retain its distinct Ecclesiastical Assemblies of Consistories, Classes and Synods.
2. That the standards as solumnly subscribed among us, as also our Funda- mental Articles, shall be preserved untouched, and in no respect exposed to the danger of being violated or at all varied from.
3. That in said negotiations, these our standards, without ecclesiastical obligation to the same, be frankly made known to the brethren of the other church com- munions, and at the same time, the members of our committee endeavor to procure from these brethren mentioned the grounds or criteria of their distinct ecclesiastical organization, in order to arrange the mode and measure of the intended corre- spondence and fraternal neighborship according to those grounds respectively.
4. That upon the supposition that each ecclesiastical communion retain its peculiar policy, this Rev. Body have nothing further in view in the aforesaid correspondence, than a closer union, in order to the promotion of the general interest of the Protestant Churches in this country, mutual incitement to the preservation of the purity of the Reformed faith and holiness of life, and the warding off and preventing of divisions, schisms, and other irregularities.
5. That the Rev. Body regard the solumn subscription of the standards in the respective churches as exceedingly profitable and highly necessary for the preser- vation of purity and doctrine, and in order to excite and cherish mutual confidence between brethren of the same neighboring churches, and are therefore desirous to perceive the same in the principles of the forementioned brethren.
Further, the same gentlemen, appointed a committee on this subject at the last meeting, are continued, with this change-that the Rev. Mr. Eilardus Westerlo, Minister at Albany, and Mr. Jno. Schuurman, Elder from Brunswick quarter, be added to them, and that the ministerial brethren each bring an Elder from his quarter to be associated with them.
FUNDS.
There were presented to the Body by the Rev. Mr. Simon Van Arsdalen, as appointed with Mr. Jno. Schurman, by the honorable Trustees of Queens College, to advance the interests of that university in the Rev. Synod, extracts from the minutes of the honorable Trustees of Queens College, containing resolutions respecting the state of that Seminary, and provisional means for its preserva- tion and promotion; showing especially that the detriment experienced by its funds in the course of the war demands immediate endeavors to restore them, in order that the institution may be kept in operation; as well as their readiness to unite with this Rev. Ecclesiastical Body, in accordance with the stipulations of the years 1773 and 1774, in relation to the residence and Presidency of the Professor of Sacred Theology, provided this Rev. Body could afford them the prospect of sufficient means to support the same. After mature
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deliberation, this Rev. Body reply in relation to the residence of the Professor, that in accordance with their resolutions upon the subject, the extreme necessities of the case have compelled them to deviate somewhat from their plan, in relation to the residence of said Professor, framed in connection with the honorable gentlemen the Trustees, as ordained in said Acts; and that it appears to them at present impracticable so to enlarge said funds that the proceeds of the same can support their professors in a manner suitable to their station; but that this Rev. Body would fain see said funds at present so increased, that the College might not only be maintained, but advanced to a higher state of prosperity, which would probably contribute greatly to the securing of a more general collection. And although the present state of our churches renders it critical for ministers to dwell much in their respective congregations upon money matters, the brethren shall seek, as far as prudence with respect to parochial relations permit, to secure such contributions from particular wealthy friends, as the honorable Trustees may see fit to attempt ; and the Deputati of this Rev. Body are directed at the first opportunity to furnish to the honorable gentlemen, the Trustees, a copy of this resolution.
As regards the General Funds, the Rev. Body further defer the consideration of that subject.
PROFESSORSHIP.
The Rev. President reported that, in the city of Schenectady, some disasters relative to the school to be established at that place had prevented the scheme from being carried into effect; wherefore the matter of a Seminary at that place is further intrusted to the gentlemen appointed on the committee.
In relation to the Professorship of Sacred Theology, the Rev. Body have had the satisfaction of beholding the Rev. Professor, J. H. Livingston, publicly assume that office, with a learned and elegant dissertation in the old Dutch Church in New York.
DAY OF FASTING AND PRAYER.
The Rev. Body contemplating with intense grief both the pressing necessities of the Church, which is not only marked by a profound decline, by reason of a great lack of knowledge, faith, and decided holiness of life, associated with marked un- fruitfulness of the Word of God in producing genuine conversion, but, in addition, is still called to mourn over the scarcity of pastors and teachers, with an accom- panying dearth of means of grace, and also the sad condition of our land, in which, besides ordinary sins and iniquities, the prevailing transgression of the Lord's holy commandments, free-thinking and even absolute denial of the existence of God, together with numerous horrible errors and corrupt forms of religion obtain, accom- panied with Divine judgments and visitations, which, in some places, rest upon the increase of the earth, and other evils which afflict the land, regard it in the highest degree necessary solumnly to set apart a day for fasting and prayer, to be observed in our respective congregations on Thursday, the sixteenth day of June approaching, to humble ourselves upon the same before the tremendous majesty of God, and with hearty confession of our sins and guilt, to pour out our souls before the Most High God, with ardent and persevering prayers and supplications that it may please him, in the riches of his grace, to wash away the sins of the land and the church, by the blood of the great Mediator of the Covenant, Jesus Christ, to sanctify and remove his judgments, to pour out his Spirit for the fructifying of the word and the conversion of many sinners, and deliver his beloved Church from her need, and grant to her many pastors and teachers after his own heart, who shall feed the flock of God with knowledge and understanding, and thus raise the Church from her deep decline to a desirable and blessed state of spiritual beauty and fruitfulness, in order that she may again be enabled to praise his holy name; that he show himself a God who, upon the united prayers of his servants and children, does good to Zion, and builds the fallen walls of the spiritual Jerusalem.
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ECCLESIASTICAL RECORDS
ACTS OF THE CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM.
New York and New Jersey.
1785, July 18th. Art. 11. Letters have been received from New York containing news of the churches (kerkstdaat), and expressing the desire to continue in correspondence with the Clas- sis of Amsterdam. xv. 332.
Synodalia. Art. 49 ad 49. Inseratur the information from our Committee ad res Exteras concerning New York and New Jersey. xv. 341.
SYNOD OF NORTH HOLLAND, HELD AT HOORN, JULY 26-AUG. 4, 1785.
ARTICLE 50 .- NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY.
Their Hon. Mightinesses, the corresponding delegates, the Deputies, and the Classis, rejoice with thanksgiving over the report which the Classis of Amsterdam has brought in regarding those churches, and which is of the following import :
The Rev. Classis of Amsterdam has received from New York a letter, signed, Oct. 8, 1784, by John H. Livingston, minister at New York, and Deputy of the Synod, together with the Acts of the Convention held there in Oct. 1783, May 1784 and Oct. 1784. A list is given of the organized churches, as also of the ministers, within the jurisdiction of that Rev. Assembly. From this Register it appears that there are nearly one hundred organized churches, fifty-three of which are provided with the ministry of the Holy Gospel. Many of the vacant churches are large, in num- bers, and in good circumstances, and in all there is manifest a yearning desire for the Word of the Living God. From age and other causes, several of the ministers will probably not be able to engage in the work of the Lord much longer. Because of the recent sad war, the number of accessions (of ministers) is very small, and consequently the lack of ministers has rather increased. There are not more than two candidates to supply the existing need. For the first two years no new acces- sions of candidates for the sacred ministry are to be expected, while those suffering churches find their danger and distress daily becoming greater, partly through the lack of prophesyings, and partly by the mighty influx of errors-liberalism and all sorts of irreligion, which are breaking forth everything in that country. The new solonizations, which, in the different States of that country, are already taking place, and are daily on the increase, are offering the most desirable opportunities for the extension of the Church and the spread of the pure doctrine of grace, especially as a considerable number of families and persons in those movements belong originally to the Reformed Church, and are heartily loyal to it; so that, with the blessing of God, the number of churches might, possibly, within a short time, be doubled. This would certainly be the case, if there were ministers whom the Assembly could employ among them as missionaries, and supply with sufficient means of support.
The Assembly at New York, having received a letter from the Rev. Classis of Amsterdam, dated July 21, 1783, and the Acts of the Rev. Synod of North Holland, expresses its thanks therefor, and lives in the hope that, in this time of peace, by God's gracious blessing, the correspondence, which has by the long continued war been for a long time interrupted, may be resumed and continued without interrup- tion.
They mention, moreover that the Rev. John H. Livingston, Doctor of Sacred Theology, and minister at New York, has by the Assembly been appointed Professor
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of Sacred Theology at New York, and Rev. Hermanus Meyer, Minister at Pompton and Totowa, is to instruct the students in the Sacred Languages.
And, inasmuch as the Rev. Assembly finds it necessary, for maintaining the in- struction of the youth, that certain funds will have to be provided, beyond what little there is on hand, either at home or abroad; and since it could not well undertake to attend to that matter at this meeting, the consideration of the matter was postponed to another Meeting. But there is reason to hope that the Fatherland also will offer a helping hand in this, and his Excellency, the United States Am- bassador from Holland, has expressed himself not unfavorably concerning it, the Rev. Assembly has agreed to ask the Rev. Mr. Livingston, on some suitable occasion, to communicate to his Excellency the state of the churches and the schools; if, perchance, this might open a door for obtaining from the Fatherland a support, for the more efficient prosecution of the work undertaken for the building up the churches and the schools there.
SYNOD OF REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, OCT. 4-7, 1785.
Extracts.
PROFESSORSHIP.
The committee relative to the Seminary at Schenectady are continued.
FUNDS.
This matter, so far as it has reference to Queens College, is left in the state mentioned in Article VIII. of the last Synod; but as regards the remainder of that article, relative to collections abroad, this Rev. Body conclude to make, at present, no determination.
FUNDAMENTAL ARTICLES.
The Rev. Particular Bodies have, in accordance with the ordinance of the General Body of the 5th October, 1784, unanimously adopted the name of Classis, for reasons mentioned and under accompanying restrictions, and fully approved of that of Synod as given to the General Body.
ECCLESIASTICAL INCORPORATION.
Since it has become further apparent to the Rev. Body that there are highly objectionable features in the Act of Ecclesiastical Incorporation, passed by the Legislature of the State of New York, the Rev. Body determine to appoint a com- mittee both for the congregations in the State of New York and those in New Jersey, to solicit of the Supreme Magistrates of the respective States the right and privilege, by means of an Act, or change of Act or Acts already passed, to incorporate the Ecclesiastical Societies of the same according to the State and Constitution of the Reformed Dutch Churches, and agreeably to the manner and mode in which some of the same, as those of New York and Albany, Hackensack, New Millstone and others, have already been long actually incorporated. As the committee are appointed, Dr. Eilardus Westerlo, Doct. and Prof. J. H. Livingston, Dr. Is. Blauvelt, Dr. D. Romeyn, and Dr. J. R. Hardenbergh, for the State of New York; Drs. Hermanus Meyer, Solomon Frolich and Simon Van Arsdalen for New Jersey. The Rev. Committee are directed to avail themselves of all such means for obtaining the end as they shall judge serviceable thereto.
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FRATERNAL CORRESPONDENCE.
The commissioners report that they met the committee of the other two men- tioned Synods, and, with them, formed certain rules for the maintenance of mutual correspondence; but, since the minutes of said meeting are not yet drawn, they cannot make a particular report. The commission is continued until the next Synod, and a copy of their Minutes, as well as of those of the Synod, shall be furnished to the respective Classes as soon as possible, at the expense of Synod.
ENGLISH PSALMS.
The Rev. Body judge, that since in many of our congregations Divine service must be performed in the English language, it will be necessary hereafter to make some regulations upon this subject, but defer the same for the present.
REV. JOHN RITZEMA, MINISTER EMERITUS OF NEW YORK, TO THE
CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM, DEC. 10, 1785. VOL. 34, PAGES 112- 120. REFERRED TO, VOL. 25, P. 36.
Addressed:
To the Very Rev., Very Learned Gentlemen, the Deputati ad res exteras, of the Classis of Amsterdam.
Very Rev. Sirs, Fathers and Brethren :-
I received by what has always seemed to me to be a wonderful and adorable providence of God, my portion in the ministry for the upbuilding of the Netherland Church. Many of your Revs. are also not ignorant of the fact, that I generally had no small part in the difficulties which occurred in the church, thinking, as I did, that, if our churches were to continue to exist under another (Civil) Govern- ment, it would be necessary, on the one hand, to preserve the Privileges granted to us, and on the other, to adhere inviolably to the Rev. Classis of Amsterdam. For, without those things, the purity of our Doctrine, according to the Synod of Dordrecht, could not be preserved, nor could good order be maintained.
Our church in the Province of New York, was, according to the Peace of Breda, (1667) as I understand it, not a merely tolerated, but an Established Church. It obtained before, and, especially during, my time, Privileges which were refused to others. This made " Dissenters " envy us. This was particularly the case with the Presbyterians. Although this could not be said of all, yet the best of these Presbyterians were one with us in the Fundamental Doctrines. These were also always seeking Union with us in order thus to secure our churches with their properties. The growth of the English language and the decrease of the Dutch in many places contributed not a little toward such ends. And now I find that what was feared in connection with civil independence, will be sure to come about in the Church, and that the purity of Doctrine will also come to an end.
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