USA > New York > The documentary history of the state of New York, Vol. III pt 2 > Part 45
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meddled in their Affairs, it was, I suppose, because no body applyed to them to represent their Complaints and Grievances, and perhaps, because no person belonging to the Church, con- cerned or declared themselves in favour of the Ministers whom they would speak of. But that is not the Case at present, since there is a Majority of the Church, who have declared themselves in my favour, or who desire earnestly that I may be Re-estab- lished, and who do not approve what the Consistory hath done.
What do they mean by those Passages of St. Peter and Ezekiel, which they quote with an affectation of Piety, tho' at the same time they discover an insolent Contempt and bitter Malice against all the Body of the Ministers of Jesus Christ, devoted to the preaching of his holy Gospel? whom they call that set of Man- kind devoted, &c. As for the Passage of St. Peter (1 Epist. ch. 5. v. 2, 3.) which instructs us all in our duty, and ought to make us think with humility of our own weaknesses and failings, their malicious Reflections will not hinder us Ministers from finding our Comfort in this Passage, while we find nothing in it, but what we study to do by the grace of God, according to our ability, and what we incessantly ask of him in our prayers. As to the passage of the Prophet Ezekic!, (if I did not fear to lay open in too strong a light the Infirmities of some of my flock, over which it is proper to draw a vail) I could call out of the Crowd these Diseased Sheep, whom I have strengthened, and the broken whom I have bound up, &c. (Ezek. 31. v. 1.) And who can testifie whether this Passage hath been well applyed by them; or no; But I should be imprudent in glorying, 2 Cor. XII. 11. tho' I am compell'd in my defence, it is better to wait for that time, when, if any of us have done well, every man shall have praise of God, 1 Cor. 4. 5. Instead of stopping at that verse of Ezckicl, and at the first part of the Chapter, where they have maliciously been searching, wherewithal to sting their Minister, and wherein M: . turns his own Accuser, they had better have read on what follows from the 16th & 17th verses, to the 22d. inclusive, and to take good heed to what God saith by his Prophet, now no longer to bad Shepherds, but to bad Sheep, to Sheep that rebel, that will not bear Teaching, and that are stub- born and headstrong, that are fat and strong, &c. v. 16. confer
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Amos 4. v. 1. Which Characters are so well described by the Prophet, that one would think that he had carried his Views as far as to our Times and Circumstances.
While they cite these passages, they talk of the Corruption of Manners which had crept into that set of Mankind devoted to t're preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But not to speak of the Clergy, I say, that this general Complaint of the Corruption of Manners, cannot be better applyed than to the horrible Scandals which we have seen all along break out in this Church, and to the Disorders, Divisions, and other sins, against which I have so often cryed aloud, Esa. 58. 1. and which have, no doubt, drawn upon her the displeasure of God Almighty, through which she is now threatened with an entire Ruin and Dissipation, or at least with an unhappy Schism and Rent.
To obtain the favour of the English, they begg leave humbly to f'er (c) that they cannot be called Dissenters from the Church of England, as by Law established. But who, do they think to impose upon by this empty Compliment, so meanly expressed ? Not surely those of the English, who are Affectionate to their own Church, and who cannot be so easily catched. The Society and all the Episcopal Ministers hereabouts know them too well, to suffer themselves to be blinded by such smooth Expressions. They have always been Enemys of the Church of England as Ly Low established, they have always railed at her Liturgy, her Service, her Church Government, and her Ceremonies. It is long ago that the late Bishop of London, Doctor Henry Compton con- veyed his Complaints to them on this subject, by the Consistory of the Wallcon Church in London, for that they shewed themselves worse than the Dissenters in England themselves. In opposition lo this National Church they have entertained and fomented for several years a scandalous schism at New-Rochel, where the incapacity of providing for a Minister, obliged the Inhabitants `o establish an Episcopal Church, thro' the Bounty and Protec- tion of the Society in England, and they would still support this schism, if their M . . .
. was not taken up in the Custody of our Church, of which he keeps the keys, in order to keep me out unjustly. In short, they have always looked upon
(c) Fistula dulce canit volucrem dum decipit auceps.
VOL. III.
7.1
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my Inclination, Esteem and Respect for the Church of England as a Crime in me. They have conceived at length such Mistrust and Suspicion thereof, that they have not been able to dissemble it in the last Meeting of the heads of Families, on the 20th of September, so that it is I, and several of my Subscribers.who have a Right to say, that We cannot be called Dissenters from the Church of England, no more than were our Ministers in France, and all the wisest and most moderate among the Refugees in England, and all over the Protestant world.
They say at last, That they are not indebted unto me one Far thing for all the time that I have served them. But this must be examined and enquired into in due time. In the mean while, I give them notice, that they owe me One Quarters Salary, which is past, and that at Easter they will owe me Tico. If I have not served them during all this time, it is they who have hindred my doing it, by discharging me from my Functions, as they have done, and which they now dissemble through deep Malice. They add to this, " That if any Person or Persons amongst them " have done me any personal Injury, the Laws of England and of " this Colony are open, and that there are Courts of Law and Justice, " and that there are Deputies, who may call them to account." Tis well, I am glad to hear it, I accept their Invitation, and I am of opinion, according to their advice, if I cannot obtain satisfac- tion otherways, to call them into Court, on account of the Injns- tice and Injury which they do me, and particularly of that which their Treasurer Mr. Barberie doth me, in refusing me my Pay- ment, when at the same time he has Money of mine in his hands: and besides of that which Mr. Moulinars doth me, in detaining my Church from me, by keeping the keys and by taking posses- sion of my place, which is a remarkable Usurpation, for which I will demand Restitution and Reparation from him.
They end with signifying, They presume that His Excellency and the Honourable Board will Reject the Petitioners suid Petition and Complaint, &c. But we hope that this honourable Body will act otherwise, and that in their great Prudence they will judge better than we can, that our Request is both just, lawful and well grounded.
New York, Febr. 18. 1724, 5.
LEWIS RON, Minister of the French Church.
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FRENCH PROTESTANT CHURCH, NEW-YORK.
Postscript, containing some further Observations
On the same Answer of Mr. Moulinars.
Speaking of the French Protestants in the Kingdom of France, they say, "So that it was not in their Power ever to Compel any " of the French Subjects to submit unto their Discipline and " Government, nor to Restrain or Punish any of their Number " who had submitted to their Form of Worship, Doctrine, " Discipline and Government, who were minded to forsake " them, and alter their Profession, &c.
I don't know to what purpose, nor to what end they tell us all this, neither do I know what Consequence they will draw from it, nor what Advantage they pretend to get by it, this seeming rather to be against themselves, since they pretend now to a Power to Compel me and to Force me to sign what they will, against all Reason and Equity.
But leaving there what they mean by it, I say, that this is not true. Let any one read the Preface of our Discipline, and look on the 16, 17, and 31, 32 Articles of the 5th Chapter of the same, besides a great many others, and he'll see what great Power our Protestants had in France, to Compel and Restrain or Punish any of their Number, who had submitted to their form of Worship, &c. by means of their Ecclesiastical Censures, Excom- munication, Suspension, &c.
Speaking of me, they say, " Such Contract we made with Mr. " Rou &c. and since he has been amongst us, whilst he behaved " himself conformable to his Agreement, and for his Encour- " agement so to continne, did come to a second Agreement, &c." Here they would insinuate that I have not always performed my Agreement, and that there has been one time when I behaved myself conformable to it, and another time when I did not so. But this is entirely false ; I have always performed my Agree- ment in the same manner, and there has been but little difference: So that if I have failed in the Performance of it in those last . times, it must be supposed and said, that I have also failed in the beginning, and that, if I have behaved my self conformable to ' it at one time, riz. in the beginning, the same must be said of the last times with more reason. They have also been always very well satisfied of my Service in the Church when they had
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no particular occasion of Anger against me ; And they have shewn to all People in the Town a great satisfaction of it, &c. So that it is their Passion and their Fancy that makes them content or discontent about that, without reason in the last point, and we may apply to them what Horace says of himself, Ep. I. lib. I.
Rides: quid, mca quum pugnat sententia secum; Quod petiit spernit; repetit qued nuper omisit: Astuat, et vitie disconrenit ordine toto, Diruit, adificat, mutat quadrata rotundis !
" And as our Congregation encreased, we did likewise send for " another Minister, &c. pag. 3.
Their Congregation was not Increased, but rather diminished when they sent for another Minister, but their ill Humour and Malice against me was much increased at that time, by some particular occasions that we know ; they sent for this Minister only to vex me, and plagne me, as it appears, and Brigadier Ilunter, who saw this very well, warned and foretold Mr. D. L. of all the Divisions and Troubles that we now see in our Church.
And this lasted until we came to find Mr. Rou to flag in his Duty &c. pag. 4. Since when they have found me to flagg in my Duty? if you will believe me, it is since this Governonr has been here, and they have found that he did me the honour of granting me part in his friendship and Familiarity tho' I have no less per- formed my Duty in preaching since that time, than I did before ; So that it is their Malice, Envy and Jealousie that has made them find out what they could not see otherwise. Observe the Cir- cumstances and the Context of their Answer in this place, and you'll find it as I say.
And altho' we often in a friendly manner requested him to Return to his Duty and perform his Contract, &c. p. 4.
They have never requested me any thing in a friendly manner towards my Duty, and they had no occasion nor reason of doing it, but they have often scoled, railed and grumbled in an unfriendly manner about a few Sermons, when they had some particular occasions of being angry or fretful against me. What they say here, is meer Malice and Hypocrisy.
6. He still persisted notwithstanding to pursue his own humour, &c. p. 4. What humour; or whose humour must I pursue then,
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FRENCH PROTESTANT CHURCH, NEW-YORK.
if I have not the liberty of my own, as they seem to pretend ? Must I follow or pursue their Humour, or those of the Normands, of the Picards, of the Rochelers, of the Poitevins, of the Langue- docians, of the Xaintongers, of the Gascons, of the Bretoons, of the Angoumoisins, of the Bearnois, or of the Dauphinois ? But I have never been in these Provinces, and I find a great many faults in their Inhabitants, so that I think it better for me to pursue my own Humor, that is to say, those of a right French-man of no Province at all, but who was born in Holland and Naturalized an English-man.
7. " If Mr. Rou will desert the Consistory, when met, and " refuse to come, when sent for, how are we to blame that he has " not been heard (as he is pleased to say) p. 4. I have already answered to this Allegation at large, in my second Memorial, and that is the reason why I have said nothing of it in this Reply. I shall only add here, That since they have found the way to my House, after they had passed this unjust sentence against me (of which I complain) to declare it to me in my face, why did they not take the same Method before they passed the same, to read it to me, or to send me, at least, those Papers which they had prepared to Condemn me, in order that I might have been able to defend myself, &c ?
" They cannot be forgetful (they say afterwards) "of that " most gracious Declaration or Saying of our most gracious "Sovereign Lord King George, upon his Accession to the Throne " of Great Britain, That the Indulgence and Toleration granted by " Law to Scrupulous Consciences was no ways inconsistent with the " Civil & Religious Constitution of the Kingdom, Sc." What shall I answer to this impertinent and Sycophantick Discourse ?
I'ltra sauromatas fugere hine libet et glacialem
Oceanum, &c.
Juven. sat. 2.
Pray, What has the Indulgence and Toleration granted by Law to Scrupulous Consciences in common, with the Persecution and Oppression of which I and my Subscribers complain ? What Scruple of Conscience can perswade them to depose or deprive their own Minister, and to take away his Living, without Reason, without the least cause or colour of Justice, for a Bickering, for a thing of nought, and that without the Authority and Power
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they should have for what they do ? What scrupulous Conscience can perswade them to deprive the Congregation who think (as I have said) themselves Edified by my Ministry, of the Pastoral Cares and Service of a Minister who belongs to them, whom they have called here from Europe, and have made perpetual Pastor of the Church ? We know that the Indulgence and Toleration granted by Law to scrupulous Consciences, is no ways inconsistent with the Civil and Religious Constitution of the Kingdom. But we know at the same time, that nothing is more Inconsistent with the Civil and Religious Constitution of the Kingdom than Persecu- tion, Oppression, Violence, Tyranny, Injustice, Uncharity, Usurpa- tion of others Rights, &c. of all which they given a scandalous Example, in his Majesty's Dominions not to be suffer'd ; & we do therefore, in all humble manner presume, That if our most gracious King GEORGE could hear of it, he would not be much obliged to them for thus their intermeddling with his sacred Majesty, and mis-using his most gracious Declaration upon his accession to the Throne of Great Britain, in order to support & authorize their Barbarous Proceedings, and thus for giving a just cause of Complaining of the same to his Reformed Subjects, or perhaps an occasion to his Enemies and Adversaries of eluding or retorting the Complaints and Christian Representations He has been pleased to make, in favour of other Protestants, to some Popish Princes, upon the like Matters.
L. R.
The last Discourse presented to the Consistory from Mr. Rou's part, in order for an amicable Agreement.
As much as I can apprehend by the Answer which the Gen- tlemen of the Consistory have lately given to the Deputies who presented themselves before them, on my behalf, as well as on behalf of our Flock (which answer has been only verbally com- municated to me, the Consistory not having thought fit to give it in writing, as in reason and justice they ought to have done) it appears to me, That though these Gentlemen have so expresly profess'd their Disposition to Peace, and to enter into an Amica- ble Agreement about our Differences yet they will make none at all, except upon such Conditions as have been disputed
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PROTESTANT FRENCHI CHURCH, NEW-YORK
already so much these six Months past, and upon which we shall always dispute, till there comes a Decision to put an end to these Debates.
These Conditions (according to what has been reported to nie) are, Ist. That before anything else, I shall acknowledge the Elders lately elected in our Church, to be duly and lawfully elected.
2dly. That I shall subscribe the Act of their Confirmation or Reception incerted in the Registers.
3dly. That I shall likewise Promise to hold myself inviolably attached or addict to the Discipline and Constitution of our Churches.
4thly. That I shall likewise promise to submit my self, for the future, on the Decisions of the Consistory.
To which they have added, for the 5th Article, That if I would not accept of these Conditions, They'll refer the Judgment of this Affair to the Consistory of the Dutch Church in this City.
To answer precisely and in a few words, to every one of these Articles, I say upon the first, what I have already repeated several times, viz. That I acknowledge these Gentlemen, as I have always done, and according to the manner by which they have been elected, that is to say, for Elders elected by the majority of the Votes, and with my Opposition. I cannot say any more of it, since there is nothing more in the truth of the fact itself ; and since it shall always remain true till the end of the World, That they have been elected in this manner, and not otherwise. But as for the Question, Whether they have been duly and lawfully Elected, that is another matter, and they should do very well to say nothing of it, lest they should give me occa- sion to reveal the whole mystery and secret practice, which yet lies silent. As for my part, I don't believe they have been duly and lawfully elected, & I have laid the Reasons of it in two long Memorials that I have prepared upon this, and which, perhaps, will be produced one day or another. This being supposed, it As not just nor reasonable that I should be forced and constrained in my Opinion, or that I should declare any thing contrary to what I think of it. Nay suppose it was an Error or Obstinacy in me, they ought to let the People alone in their Error or Obsti-
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nacy, without pretending to constrain or compel them, or Tyranize them for their Thoughts.
Upon the second Article, I say, That tho' I have desired, by Letter, a Copy of that Act of the Confirmation or Reception of the Elders, yet I have not had the favour of it. Wherefore, to say, that I will sign it before I see it, cannot be expected: But if it contains nothing But Truth, I am ready to sign it; or if it should contain what is not, I am ready to testifie, by my Sub- seription, all that I know to be Truth concerning that Affair, the chief of which is, That the Elders were chosen by the Majority of the Voices of the Consistory, and with my Opposition.
Upon the Third Article, I consent to hold my self inviolably attached to the Discipline and to the Constitution of our Churches, which I have always here-to-fore been, and as much as can be in this Country, where we have not the means which we have in France, to Regulate our Affairs. But I hope, that they them- selves will hold them also attached to this Discipline and this Constitution ; for if they don't, they have no reason to hold another to it:
Upon the Fourth, I have to answer, as I have here-to-fore answered on the same Subject, That willingly I will submit my self to the Decisions of the Consistory, so far as the Constitution and Discipline of our Churches require, and in all other things that are Just and Reasonable, and agreeable to the Word of God, to Truth, to Charity, and to Equity ; and I don't believe that a Reformed Protestant ought to engage himself otherwise to Submit to the Decision of any Body in the World, since he cannot submit himself blindly and without Examination, as I have shewed in my second Memorial. They must not ask here, Who shall judge of what is Just and Reasonable ? For this is speaking as the Papists do, and I shall answer as a Colvinist, That the Word of God shall be Judge That Reason shall be Judge, That Charity shall be Judge, That Justice and Equity shall be Judge, &c. provided that People are Just, and Equitable, and Reasonable lovers of Truth, &c.
Fifthly. As for Referring the Decision of all this Affair to the Consistory of the Dutch Church, I have already signified in the
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FRENCH PROTESTANT CHURCH, NEW-YORK.
precedent Discourse, (which has beeen delivered to the Gentle- men of the Consistory ) the Inconveniences which I found therein, and it is easie to perceive several others. I shall only add here, That to refer the Judgment of a Sentence Consistorial to another Consistory, who are not of our Body, and who have no Authority over us, to decide our Affairs and Differences, and even to whom we cannot commodiously explain our selves, to understand one another, This doth not at all seem to me an Equivalent of an Appeal to a Colloquy, and much less to a Provincial or National Synod, it is however of National Equity, and no doubt, of the Spirit of our Discipline (as the Gentlemen of the Walloon Church in London do express themselves in their letter) that this Equivalent should be managed and reserved for Me. As to which I pray God there may be no further need of searching for, and that this my Answer to the Propositions may give Satisfaction to all.
Done at New Yorke the 10th LEWIS ROU, Min.
of April, 1721, 5.
FINIS.
C
XXIII.
Medals and Coins.
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MEDALS AND COINS.
The smaller engraving on this plate is a representation of a rare Copper cent, struck soon after the Treaty of peace. The Device on this coin is a laurelled head of WASHINGTON.
Inscription, Washington and Independence, 1783. Reverse, A wreath inclosing the words " One Cent"
Inscription, UNITY STATES OF AMERICA, TUT.
The coin from which this engraving was made, belongs to the Albany Institute, to which it was presented by Mr. William McElroy. It has been declared by some to be the WASHINGTON CENT, but the probability is that it is a token manufactured at the time in England by some private speculator, and sent for cir- culation to America, and that the portrait of Washington, (which is very well executed,) was selected to give it greater currency. It is mentioned by Felt, Mass. Currency, p. 252, who adds that it is not mentioned in the Journals of Congress.
PLATE II.
THE ROSA AMERICANA COINS.
The four engravings on this plate are 1º a farthing; 2º and 3º a half penny, of different dates; 1º a penny. On the last, the
Device, is a laurelled Head of George I.
Legend, GEORGIUS D: G: MAG: BRI: FRA: ET HIB: REX.
Reverse, a large double Rose, surmounted by a crown.
Legend, ROSA AMERICANA, 1723. UTILE DULCI.
The inscription on the farthing is merely, Georgius D. G. Rex; on the Reverse, ROSA AMERI. UTILE DULCI, 1722. On the half penny the inscription is, GEORGIUS. DEI. GRATIA. REX. The reverse of the farthing and half penny of 1722 wants the crown, which was added in the following year.
These specimens of antient colonial currency, belong to the collection of the Albany Institute. There is a notice in 3 Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll. vii., 282, 283, of the half penny and penny (the latter of 1722) by Dr. MEASE, of Philadelphia, who conjectures, though erroneously, that they were probably coins of the Old Thirteen Colonies.
No such coin,as this was struck by any of the old colonies. Its history, though not much known, is very curious and par-
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MEDALS AND COINS.
ticularly interesting, especially when found to be intimately connected with the " Wood's half pence," immortalized by Swift.
About the year 1722, a patent was granted to William Wood, of England to coin a large amount of copper currency for Ireland, and on investigation it leaked out that the profits of the patent were to be shared with the Dutchess of Kendal, one of the court · favorites.1 It seems that Wood succeeded in procuring, about the same time, a patent for coining small money also for the English colonies in America, in pursuance of which he had the conscience to make thirteen shillings out of a pound of brass. 2
We have not been able to ascertain which, if any, of the Court favorites had a share in this patent. " We have been informed," says Snelling, 3 " that Kingsmill Eyres Esq., Mr. Marsland, a hardwareman in Cornhill, and several others, were concerned in the scheme ; the dies were engraved by Mr. Lammas, Mr. Standbroke and Mr. Harold, some of which were in the posses- sion of Mr. Winthorpe, who went to New York; his father lies buried at Beckingham. They were struck at the French Change, in Hog lane, Seven Dials, by an engine that raised and let fall a heavy weight upon them when made hot, which is the most expeditious way of striking Bath metal, of which they were made."
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