The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I, Part 75

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1114

USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I > Part 75

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"The Magistrates of Breucklen find themselves obliged to communicate to your Honors that to them it seems impossi- ble that they should be able to collect annually 300 guilders from such a poor congregation, as there are many among them who suffered immense losses during the late wars, and principally at the invasion of the savages, by which they have been disabled, so that many, who would otherwise be willing, have not the power to contribute their share. We must be further permitted to say that we never gave a call to the aforesaid Reverend Polhemus, and never accepted him as our minister ; but he intruded himself upon us against our will, and voluntarily preached in the open street, under the blue sky ; when, to avoid offence, the house of Joris Dircksen was temporarily offered him here in Breuckelen. It is the general opinion and saying of the citizens and inhabitants of Breucklen generally, with those living in their neighborhood, that they could not resolve, even when it was in their power to collect the money, to contribute anything for such a poor and meagre service as that with which they have thus far been regaled. Every fortnight, on Sundays, he comes here only in the afternoon for a quarter of an hour, when he only gives us a prayer in lieu of a sermon, by which we can receive very little instruction ; while often, while one supposes the prayer or sermon (which ever name might be preferred for it) is beginning, then it is actually at an end, by which he contributes very little to the edification of his congregation. This we experienced on the Sunday preceding Christmas, on the 24th of December last, when we, expecting a sermon, heard nothing but a prayer, and that so short that it was fin- ished before we expected. Now, it is true it was nearly evening before Polhemus arrived, so that he had not much time to spare, and was compelled to march off and finish so much sooner, to reach his home. This is all the satisfaction -little enough, indeed-which we had during Christmas ; wherefore, it is our opinion that we shall enjoy as much and more edification by appointing one among ourselves, who may read to us on Sundays a sermon from the 'Apostille Book,' as we ever have until now, from any of the prayers or sermons of the Reverend Polhemus. We do not, however, intend to offend the Reverend Polhemus, or assert anything to bring him into bad repute. We mean only to say, that his greatly advanced age occasions all this, and that his talents do not accompany him as steadily as in the days of yore ; yea, we discover it clearly, that it is not the want of good- will in Polhemus; but as we never did give him a call, we cannot resolve to contribute to his maintenance."

The Governor was inflexible in his determination that the people of Breuckelen should pay their share of the minister's salary, but the people were obdurate, and the contest was a long one, the poor dominie, meanwhile, being put to great straits for want of his dues.

Meanwhile a new element of discord had arisen with- in the jurisdiction of the Dutch Government. The

329

PETITION FOR A MINISTER.

Quakers, banished ineontinently from all the eolonies of New England (except, be it always remembered, from Rhode Island), ventured to find in New Netherlands the home and the liberty of eonseienee which was else- where denied them. Unfortunately they only stepped "from the frying pan into the fire," and brought down upon themselves a whirlwind of indignation and sum- mary punishment from Governor Stuyvesant and his elerieal advisers. In spite, however, of these severe measures, the infection rapidly spread through Long Island. Jamaica, Gravesend, and Hempstead soon de- veloped the germs of Quakerismn, which no eivil perse- eution has ever erushed out even to this day. Symptoms of disaffeetion also appeared at Brooklyn-or, rather, perhaps, as is usual in a disaffected community, the new principle of non-conformity was used by many as an exeuse for their non-eomplianee in the matter of paying the minister's tax. The Sheriff complained to the Coun- eil of abuse received, while eolleeting the tax, from eertain parties, who, when summoned before the Coun- eil, pleaded-one that he was a Catholie, and the other that he did not understand Duteh. Their exeuses were pronouneed "frivolous," and they were each condemned to pay a fine of twelve guilders ($4.80). The prin- eipal maleontent, who attempted to hire the publie bellman to go around and defame Couneillor Tonne- man, was obliged to beg pardon, on bended knees, of the Lord and of the court, and was fined twenty-five guilders ($10) and eosts.

The Governor finally conquered the refractory Breuekelen people, by issuing an order, on the 6th of July, 1658, forbidding the inhabitants of the three towns to remove their grain from their fields until their tithes were taken or commuted-which eommutations were ordered to be paid within three days. And, when the Governor "put his foot down" in this manner, as was his wont, the people found it was useless to " kiek against the prieks."

In the fall of 1658, in response to a letter sent to the Classis of Amsterdam, of the Fatherland, by Messrs. Megapolensis and Drisius, ministers to New Amster- dam, one Hermanus Blom was indueed to come out, and, having aeeepted a eall to Esopus (Kingston), re- turned to Holland to pass his examination before the Classis, and receive ordination.

Breuckelen People Petition for a Minister of Their Own .- Meanwhile the people of Breuekelen, in view of the badness of the roads to Flatbush, and the inability of the Rev. Mr. Polhemus, on aeeount of his age and infirmity, to bestow any considerable portion of his labor upon them, had petitioned the Governor and Couneil for permission to have a minister resident in their town. The application was favorably regarded, and when (Mareh 1) Blom left Holland on his return to New Netherland, he was aecompanied by the Rev. Hen- rieus Selyns, under appointment to preach at Breueke- len. Mr. Selyns was born in 1636, and traeed his anees-

try, both on the father's and mother's side, clearly baek, through a regular line of elders, deaeons, and deaeon- esses, to the first institution of the Duteh Reformed Chureh as an independent establishment. And, eon- neeted by blood and marriage with distinguished ministers of that ehureh, he could not fail to imbibe its tenets and principles, and enter with confidence and honorable ambition upon the studies which were to fit him for its serviee. On February 16, 1660, he was, by the Classis of Amsterdam, examined and admitted to the ministry with full powers-engaging to serve the Breuekelen ehureh for the term of four years. On the 7th of September, 1660, Mr. Selyns was formally in- stalled into the ehureh at Breuekelen. "This eeremony," says his biographer, "measured by the usual standard of great events, was, indeed, insignifieant; but viewed as the first installation of a minister in what is now a large and flourishing eity, the third in size in the United States, and as populous as the famous eity of Amster- dam herself at the present day, it was one which deserved, as it received, the attention of the authorities in an appropriate and becoming manner. It was, never- theless, to that eolony, an interesting event, and it was accompanied by proceedings ealeulated to give dignity and authority to the minister. The Governor deputed two of his principal offieers to present the minister to the eongregation-Nieasius de Sillé, a member of the Coun- eil, a man of no mean attainments, and well versed in the law, and Martin Krigier, burgomaster of New Amster- dam, who, on several important oeeasions, was the envoy of the Governor to the adjoining English eolo- nies. After the presentation, Dominie Selyns preached his inaugural sermon, and then read the eall of the Classis and their eertifieate of examination, with a tes- timonial from the ministers of Amsterdam, deelaring that during the time he had dwelt among them, he had not only diligently used the holy ordinanees of God for the promotion of his own salvation, but had also often edified their ehureh by his aeeeptable preaching ; and, moreover, had, by his life and conversation, demeaned himself as a godly and pious man-a character which he never forfeited." On the 7th, a letter was forwarded, " by a respectable person," to the Rev. Mr. Polhemus, informing him of Mr. Selyn's installation in the ehureh at Breuekelen, and thanking him in courteous terms for his labors and attention to the congregation. This attention was appropriately aeknowledged by the ven- erable pastor, who, on the 12th, sent to the new inenmbent a list of ehureh-members residing within this vieinity, numbering in all twenty-seven persons, inelusive of one elder and two deaeons. The population of the village at this time was 134 persons, in thirty-one families ; and the bounds of the new Dominie's eharge ineluded "The Ferry," "The Waal-boghit," and " The Gujanes." Measures were taken for the speedy ereetion of a ehureh, and in the meantime the congregation worshipped in a barn. As the people were not able of

330

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

themselves to pay his entire salary, they petitioned the Council for assistance, and Stuyvesant agreed personally to contribute two hundred and fifty guilders, provided Mr. Selyns would preach a sermon, on Sunday after- noons, at his " bouwery," on Manhattan Island. Under this agreement the Dominie thereafter preached at the "Director's bouwery," which was a " sort of stopping- place and pleasure-ground of the Manhattans." After Selyn's installation at Breuckelen, Dominie Polhemus confined his services to Midwout and Amersfoort. Under Selyns' able ministrations the church in Breuck- elen increased, until, in 1661, it numbered fifty-two com- municants, many of whom were admitted on certifi- cates from New Amsterdam and from churches in the Fatherland. The same year, the village of Breuckelen received from the W. I. Co., on the request of Rev. Mr. Selyns, a bell for their church, which "might also be used, in time of danger, to call the country people thereabouts together." Mr. Selyns was not, as late as 1662, an actual resident of Breuckelen, although the people desired it, and had been at the ex- pense of building a house for him. September 21, 1662, the Council ordered the inhabitants of Breuckelen to pay 300 guilders to him, for services since August 30, 1660.

Church erected at Flatlands. - On the 12th of the same month the people of Flatlands had been permitted to build a church ; making, with that of New Utrecht, the third Dutch church edifice within the county.

During this year, also, complaint was made to the Consistory of the Breuckelen Church of the exposure of the graveyards to hogs and other animals ; in con- sequence of which, the Consistory contracted for a clap- board fence, five feet high, to enclose the entire ground, for the sum of seventy guilders.

Early in 1664, Dominie Selyns addressed a petition to the Director and Council, complaining that, in con- sequence of the great depreciation which had taken place in seawant and beaver-skins, he found his salary much reduced and insufficient to meet his wants. The Council finally decided, that any money paid to the Dominie on account of the 600 gl. allowed to him in the Fatherland, should be paid in beavers, at a rate not higher than 6 gl., and any commodities in seawant in proportion. The 600 gl. promised him here, in New Netherland, was to be paid with beavers, in cash, at the value of 8 gl. per beaver, agreeably to the contract of August 30th, 1660. This year, his time having ex- pired, Mr. Selyns yielded to the urgent solicitations of his aged father in Holland; and, with the permission of the Lords Directors of the W. I. Co., was most tenderly and respectfully dismissed from his church on the 17th of July, 1664, and sailed for home on the 23d, in the ship Beaver, the same vessel which had conveyed him to America.

After his departure, Charles Debevoise, the school- master of the town and church sexton, was authorized

to read prayers and a sermon from some approved author, cach Sabbath, in the church, for the improve- ment of the congregation, until another minister could be found.

The records of the church at Breuckelen during Selyns' ministry are still preserved in his own handwriting, and bear ample evidence of his devotion to his calling -chronicling, with rare simplicity, the occurrences in the government of the church and the occasions of dis- cipline of his flock.

In some trying occasions of his life, when brought in conflict with others upon questions of authority and power, he sustained the rights and privileges of his of- ficial position with equal firmness, dignity, and force of reasoning. His pen and logic were never to be de- spised by his opponents.

After his return to Holland, Selyns remained unset- tled for two years ; and in 1666, took charge of the congregation of Waverveen, near Utrecht, a rural vil- lage of no fame. In 1675, he became a chaplain in the army of the States ; but with this exception, seems to have passed sixteen years of his life in the obscurity of Waverveen, usefully and even contentedly employed ; for, in 1670, upon the death of Megapolensis, of New York, he declined a call from that church to become associated with Rev. Mr. Drisius in its charge. Subse- quently, the call was so urgently renewed to Selyns that he accepted, and again left his native land to spend, as it proved, the remainder of his life in America. He arrived at New York in the summer of 1682, and was received "by the whole congregation with great affection and joy." He now occupied a position among the churches of the colony which was commensurate with his talents.

Beloved by his own congregation, he was, also, on terms of friendship with the heads of the government and his colleagues in the other churches in New York, and in correspondence with distinguished men in the neighboring colonies.

Troublous days, however, came to him with the revo- lutionary outbreak, which placed Jacob Leisler at the head of the government. Selyns, as well as the other ministers, looked upon Leisler as a usurper, and threw all the weight of their influence against him and his party. But they committed the error of continuing their opposition to him after his power had been fully established ; thus themselves becoming traitors to his government, whom he felt justified in putting down at any cost. Dellius was obliged to escape to Boston ; Varick, the minister of the four Dutch towns of Kings county, was imprisoned, tried, and convicted of treason, and sentenced to be deposed from his ministerial func- tions ; Tesschenmaker was massacred at Schenectady, in February, 1690 ; and Van der Bosch, of Kingston, had been deposed previously ; so that Selyns was, for a considerable time, the only Dutch clergyman on duty in the province. While he had committed no overt act

331

CHARACTER OF REV. SELYNS.

rendering himself amenable to the law, he was in such close communication and sympathy with the leaders of the opposition, that he was constantly watched. He was suspected of concealing Bayard, and his house searched by public officers, for the purpose of discover- ing him. His service in church, of which Leisler was a member, was interrupted by Leisler himself, who there threatened openly to silence him. His letters to Hol- land and elsewhere were stopped in transit, and opened by order of the government. His feelings of hostility to Leisler were aggravated, no doubt, in a large degree by these circumstances, and were carried by him to the grave itself. He was one of those who approved and recommended the carrying into execution the sentence of that popular leader, when Sloughter wisely hesitated, and desired to wait until he could obtain the views of the home government on the propriety of the act. While Leisler was lying in prison, the helpless subject of a political prosecution, Selyns preached a sermon against him, from the verse of the Psalmist : " I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." His opposition es- tranged from him the Leislerian portion of his con- gregation, and they refused to contribute to his salary; and the refusal continued, under this fresh provocation, for several years. He appealed to the Classis to in- terfere; and even sought, through that body, the man- date of King William, supposing that, as a Dutchman, he could be induced by the ecclesiastical authorities at Amsterdam to compel the payment of his arrears. He intimated that he would, in consequence of witholding the salary, be forced to give up his ministry here and return to Holland. The Classis, in a proper spirit, advised him to pacify and win back the alienated hearts of his flock, and to suffer and forget all in love ; and also addressed a letter in the same spirit to the

consistory and congregation. The difficulty was finally arranged.

The great object of Selyns' labors, during the later years of his life, was the establishment of the liberties of his church by the procuring of a royal charter con- firming its rights and privileges. This was at length accomplished, May 11th, 1696, by a charter under the royal seal, for the Reformed Protestant Dutch church in the city of New York, which is still in full force, and was virtually the charter of the Low Dutch Church in America. He had now attained his sixtieth year. " He had labored faithfully, zealously, and successfully. Amidst all his trials, no one had ventured to breathe a syllable against the purity of his life and conversation, or his fidelity to the spiritual interests of his congrega- tion, which had increased from 450 to 650 members during his ministry among them." In 1699, he received an assistant, in the person of Rev. Gualterus du Bois, of Amsterdam ; and, shortly after, in July, 1701, he died at New York, in his sixty-fifth year. In his do- mestic relations he appears to have been fortunate.

" He was a faithful and devoted minister, honest, sincere, and capable ; learned in his profession, pious, and pure in his life. He was free from that narrow feeling which begets prejudice from mere difference of opinion. But he was fond of the exercise of power : persevering, and pursued his object with determination, and sought it sometimes for the sake of success, when, perhaps, a wise regard for the feelings of others would have led him to abandon it. He may be justly re- garded as one of the founders of the Dutch Church in America, who did more to determine its position in the country than any other man; and in this circumscribed field, in which the great business of his life was con- cerned, his fame must mainly rest."

He never appeared as an author in print ; and his

Achim Brauchen in N. Nodirbt Ding Jun. 164 User Erwanting.

Onderdanigfto BroDd in Christo Fogni, Henricus Solyns . 5

FAC-SIMILE OF REV. HENRY SELYNS' SIGNATURE AND SEAL.

(Translation)-" Done at Breuckelen in N. Netherland, the 9th of June, 1664.

"Your Reverences'

" Humble brother in Christ Jesus,

(Addressed to the Classis of Amsterdam.)

" HENRICUS SELYNS.

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

only literary remains are contained in a little volume of poems, of which a pleasant selection, translated by Hon. Henry C. Murphy, has been published in the "An- thology of New Netherland," one of the elegant issues of the Bradford Club.

After Selyns' return to Holland, the church at Breuckclen came again under the pastoral charge of Dominie Polhemus, the minister of the associated churches of the four Dutch towns of the county. The labors of this venerable and faithful servant of God ceased only with his life. He died on the 9th of June, 1676.

Church Erected at Breuckelen-1666 .- During

a carriage and wagon-track passed around each end, forming an oblong circle, remitting at either end. " And a miserable road it was, filled with mud-holes and large rocks."-[Furman's MSS.]

It was a large, square edifice, with solid and very thick walls, plastered and whitewashed on every side up to the eaves; the roof, as usual, ascending to a peak in the centre, capped with an open belfry, in which hung a small, sharp-toned bell, brought from Holland shortly after its ercction, and afterwards (1840) hung in the belfry of the district school-house in Middagh street, Third Ward of Brooklyn. The interior was plain, dark, and very gloomy; so that, in summer, one could not see

P.DAVIS_SPFER.SC

THE SECOND BREUCKELEN CHURCH, 1766.

his ministry, in the year 1666, the first church edifice in Breuckelen was erected in the middle of the high- way, now Fulton avenue, near Lawrence street. Tra- dition says it was built on the walls of a stone fort, constructed in the early days of the settlement for pro- tection against the savages. This first church re- mained in existence just a century, being pulled down in the year 1766.

The second church, which was then built, stood on the same site, in the middle of the road leading from the Ferry into the country, which road is now known as Fulton avenue. Immediately opposite to it (on the west side of that avenue, and between Bridge and Lawrence streets), was a burying-ground, unprotected by fence or enclosure. The road was spacious, and

to read in it after four o'clock in the afternoon, by rea- son of its small windows. These were six or eight feet above the floor and filled with stained-glass lights from Holland, representing vines loaded with flowers.

The old town of Breuckelen, it will be remembered, comprised, at this time, several divisions or settlements, each possessing local names which yet cling to them, in spite of the streets, squares and avenues of the new city of Brooklyn- Gowanus, Red Hook, Bedford, Cripple- bush, Wallabout-and for all these the old church occu- pied a very central position.

" The Collegiate Dominies," says Mr. VAN PELT, " had many pious people and firm friends in Brooklyn. Al- most every house was as open to them as their own homes, and one in particular, opposite the church, was

333

BREUCKELEN AND FLATBUSH CHURCHES.

especially designated ' The Dominie's House." This was convenient for rest between services on the Sabbath ; for receiving applications for baptism, membership, etc .; for meeting the Consistory, Church-Masters, and others; and for attending generally to official duties."

By the death of Dominie Polhemus, the churches of Kings County were deprived of the regular preaching of the Gospel, and the Breuckelen church invited the Rev. Mr. Nieuwenhausen, of New Amsterdam, to sup- ply their pulpit, which he did until the year 1677. In that year the collegiate churches of the county extended a call to the Rev. CASPARUS VAN ZUREN, from Holland, who was installed on the 6th of September at Flatbush. Until that time, the members of the church residing at the New Lotts (as the eastern part of Flatbush was termed), had been represented in the government of the Midwout Church. But, in 1681, the Consistory was so enlarged as to allow an elder and one deacon to be chosen from the New Lotts membership. Of Van Zuren little is known, except that he was an industrious and systematic man. In 1685 he returned to Holland, where he resumed his former charge over the church, at Gonderac.

The records of the church at Flatbush during Van Zuren's pastorate present the following minutes, which may not be uninteresting to our readers :

" Respecting another difficulty, touching the preaching at Flatbush beyond the usual turn. It was asked, inasmuch as this [i. e., a similar case] had occurred at a previous meeting, on the 15th of November, 1679, whether, when the town which has the turn shall neglect to fetch the minister, or be hindered by foul weather, such ought to pass for a turn for Flatbush-which appeared improper, because in such case the minister would then [only] sit still. After some debate between Flatbush and the other towns, the minister observed that the service on the Lord's day might not be neglected ; for it could not injure the other towns that Flatbush had an extra turn, for the other towns thereafter again took their course [i. e., their respective turns]. That the minister not being fetched by anybody, evidently belonged no more to the one than to the other, and in such a case he stood free on his own feet to give the extra turn to whom he pleased ; that Flatbush received profit, but the other towns no injury, [and] that this was unjust no one could pretend ; and that Flatbush was not obligated to the other towns, but to the minister whom they remunerated, which was evident, inas- much as they had purchased a piece of land 16 rods long and 12 broad, adjoining the parsonage ; and this ought to be duly considered, although no person ought to be a judge in his own case ; therefore the minister advised that this dif- ference be referred and submittted to the Honorable the Consistory of New York."

On the 14th of October, 1680, the following was agreed to, being article 7 of a new agreement with the minister, viz :

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The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I, Part 75

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1114

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1114