overseer is to receive for his labor three pence on the pound, of principal, and six pence on the pound, of interest, and no more. Mr. Abram Van Wyck was appointed. Thereupon, the Consistory further Resolved, that the said book shall have a heading, stating that the revenues from the lands sold shall be applied according to the design of Cornelius Steenwyck, from whom the Manor originally came, as is also expressed in the Acts of Assembly. Mr. Lefferts and Pieter Lott brought in an answer, respecting the sale of the farm to John Vermillie at five pounds, ten shillings per acre, on the same terms of payment as the sale to Isaac Valentine, with the proviso that fifty pounds should be paid to him for his services to the church. Whereupon Mr. Cornelius Lefferts and Lott were requested to prepare the writings and Mr. Evert Bancker to go with Francois Marschalk, to measure the farm. This they agreed to do. Philip Livingston, Pieter Lott, Evert Bancker, Dirk Brinckerhoff, John Duryee, Henry Clopper, and so many of the Consistory as are inclined are appointed to go with the surveyor, and the jury of view on the Manor of Fordham, in the case between the Consistory and Lewis Morris. Actum as above, in name etc. J. Ritzema, p. t. President. REVEREND DR. JOHNSON TO ARCHBISHOP SECKER. 1759 King's Coll. New York, May it please Your Grace, March 20, 1759. I am inexpressibly obliged to Your Grace for your most kind and condescending letter of Sept. 27, 1758. The labours you have taken in writing so large a letter with your own hand, full of such wise and benevolent instructions and suggestions, is extremely obliging, and the more so, as it abundantly assures us your Grace is in earnest and indefatigably engaged to promote the best interest of the Church and true religion to the utmost of your power both at home and abroad. I have communicated it to the Clergy that are near me, who are with me most highly obliged to Your Grace, and desire me to write you their humblest duty and thanks. I shall communicate it to them all as I have opportunity and make it as useful as possible, so far as my acquaintance and influence extends especially in New England, New York and the Jersies.-Your manner of mentioning my late dearest son is very kind. I hope you received my letter of thanks for your great kindness and condescension to him. I do entirely agree with Your Grace in every thing you suggest respecting the Church in these parts, and have always endeavoured to govern myself, and to influ 1759 ence others to be governed by the same principles and with the same temper s Your Grace inculcates, as you will see by my preface to Mr. Beache's book ber? enclosed (the second tract, by a mistake in the binding) which though it was, (* least I desired it should be) sent in the time of it, perhaps it may not have falle into Your Grace's hands, by which you will see how the Controversy stood between us at that time: since which nothing new or of any consequence hath been written except a weekly paper called the Independent Reflector and another called the Watch Tower (Copies of which I was promised should be sent to Your Grace's predecessor Abp. Herring)-And by the way, a Copy of Mr. Beaches Sermon that gave so much offence was not sent from these parts, because we were told a copy was sent from Boston to a member of the Society, long before the complaint of our Adversaries; but that matter has been happily accommodated.-I would send you Hobart's pleces to which these are replies; but I cannot find where any of them are to be had. One book indeed, which has, I imagine, been a principal occasion of the com plaints against the Society and Missionaries, is the History of New York lately published in London, which doubtless Your Grace has seen. This was wrote by one Smith of this Town, upon which Mr. Barclay has made some very just remarks. which were sent about two months ago, and I hope are now in the Secretary's hands. This Smith is a lawyer here of some note, who with two others of the same profession, Livingston and Scott, all bitter enemies to our Church and College, were believed to be the Chief writers of the Reflector & Watch Towers- And I believe one of the leading occasions of his writing this history was, that he might abase the Church, Society and Missionaries, as it contains a summary of what they bad before published in those papers so far as religion is concerned. But your Grace will see by our Controversy with Hobart, and by Mr. Barclay's remarks compared with Smith's history, that it is indeed fencing against a hail, to hold any contreversy with them, there being nothing they will stick at, however so false and inju rious, in opposing and discrediting the church, and which they would not cease to repeat and inculcate, over and over again, however so thoroughly it was answered. I could wish Mr. Barclay's Remarks were printed that both our benefactors and enemies at home, might see how little regard our adversaries here have for truth or common honesty, who are so indefatigably laboring, and with so much success to disaffect our Benefactors both to the Society and us.-What connections any of these gentlemen may have in England I know not. I am told it is one Dr. Avery with whom our Dissenters here chiefly correspond. It is indeed, my Lord, a thing of most melancholy consideration, that by such inaccountable methods our adversaries should have procured such a formidable maltitude at home to be disaffected to the Society; and that any should treat it with such insolence as to use even threatening intimations. When at the same time there never was the least ground for that which it seems is their grand complaint, viz that the Society have unwarrantably changed their object from the propagating of Christianity and Protestantism, to the propagation of one form of it in opposition to other Protestants. This, my Lord, I belleve never was designed nor attempted by the Society to this day. There have been, indeed, a multitude of proselytes to the Church especially in New England, but this has not been an originally designed, bat an Accidental effect. And now, My Lord, as to the business of Episcopacy in these plantations we never pretended to desire any Episcopate that should have any jurisdiction over them, er indeed any concern with them: so that they never had any reason to have the least apprehensions, much less such terrible Apprehensions from it. All that ever we aimed at, was no more than just what your Grace intimates. And when they enjoy with out molestation their Presbytery in the full vigor of its discipline, is it not a cruci thing that they should be so bittert ainst the Churches enjoying her own form of Government and discipline, for want of which she suffers extremely, and many valuable lives have been thrown away? And is she not reduced to a miserable pass indeed, that she cannot provide for her children abroad here, without their consent for it? We should be entirely contented if we were only upon an equal foot with them; but for that which is the established Church of our nation, to be in these Colonies in a state that is so much inferior to them, is very hard indeed, and what, as your Grace justly observes, they would think utterly intolerable, were it their own case; were they for instance obliged to send their Candidates a thousand leagues for ordination. And, my Lord, though no plan for this purpose is, or will soon be laid before our superiors, may we not hope that the great Minister who now so gloriously conducts the public affairs, is a friend to religion, and that when it shall please God to bless us with an honourable peace, he who has proved such a friend to America may be induced to use his influence for the bringing about so great a Blessing? Meantime I humbly beg Your Grace's influence, if possible that such may be appointed our Governors from time to time, as are friends to religion, and will countenance and encourage the Church, and set an example of constant, or at least frequent attendance on the public worship, which has not always been the case; and when it is otherwise the ill effects of great examples are very deplorable. We have rarely seen a Governor at Church in this Province except Sir Charles, since the year 1743. I should now proceed, my Lord, to answer your other enquiries relating to the State of the Church and Clergy in these parts but I doubt I have already trespassed much too far on Your Grace's goodness by this tedious letter. However as I am in duty bound to give you all the satisfaction I can on those points, I shall by the next opportunity write again. In the mean time most humbly thanking Your Grace for Your kind prayers and good wishes, and begging the continuance of them, I conclude with my earnest prayers for Your health and long life and success to all Your labours here, and a glorious crown hereafter: And remain may it please your Grace, Your Grace's most obliged and most dutiful and obedient humble Servant, 1759 CHURCH OF NEW YORK. New York, April 1, 1759. Consistory held after calling on God's name. The President delivered and opened a letter from Mr. Adrianus Van der Sman containing an earnest complaint about his support as Visitor of the Sick and Catechist. Thereupon the consistory Resolved that a collection should again be taken up for him in both churches on the first day of Easter; and that in the Autumn a subscription should again be started for him. Farther, Resolved, That two new houses be built on the lot by the old church; also that on the first of May, the deacons should put out £150. at six per cent to Morin Low below Harlem. Signed in name of all, J. Ritzema. 1759 ACTS OF THE CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM. Deputati ad res Exteras. 1759, April 2nd. Art. 7. There were read 1. A letter to the Consistory of Batavia. 2. A letter to the Conventus of Suriname The Classis approved of these and thanked the Messrs. Deputies for their care and trouble. Further the said gentlemen read two letters from New York. dated Oct. 3, 1758, and Oct. 12, 1758. Thereupon the Classis resolved that in a letter to the Senior Pastor at New York, two circular letters should be enclosed, which were to be sent to everyone, without distinction. These were intended to exhort all preachers and consistories to peace, and unity, and to unite themselves together into a Coetus. xiii. 209. [Rev. Dr. Johnson to Archbishop Secker, April 15, 1759. See Col. Docs. N. Y. vii. 374, Extracts, Dix's Trinity Church, i. 314.— This letter urges the duty of holding Conventions.] ACTS OF THE CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM. 1759, May 7th. Deputati ad res Exteras. Art. 4 ad 7. The Deputies read a circular letter to be sent to all the preachers of New Netherland. The said letter satisfied the intentions of Classis. Its exhortations were well calculated to lead to peace, love, and unity. Two of these letters shall be forwarded: one, with the Acta of Synod, to the Consistory of New York, for its use, and the use of those ministers who have sided with them. The other to the so-called Coetus xiii. 210. ACTS OF THE CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM. The Classis of Amsterdam to the Consistory of New York and to those who call themselves the Coetus, May 7th 1759. Vol. 31. Page 140. No. 94. Referred to, xxiv. 64, 65. To the Rev. Consistory of the City of New York and to those who call themselves the Coetus. Rev. Sirs and Much-beloved Brethren : In company with this letter we send you the proceedings of the Christian Synod of North Holland, held the preceding year (1758) at Alkmaar. The Minutes of the year 1757, we hope you have heretofore received. The letter recently sent from your province exhibited the con- Petrus Noordbeek, Depp. Cl. h. t. Praeses. Amsterdam, In our Classical Assembly, May 7th, 1759. ACTS OF THE CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM. The Classis of Amsterdam to all the Consistories in the Province of New York, May 7, 1759. Vol. 31, page 140. No. 95. Referred to, xxiv. 64, 65. To all the Consistories in the Province of New York. Rev. and Much-beloved Brethren: However much we may regard it to be our duty, for Christ's sake, to promote the welfare of the churches in your province; and with whatever readiness and zeal we would labor to this end; yet we are obuged to confess that it is impossible to do anything effectual if our counsels are not heeded, and dissensions and troubles are allowed to triumph. The condition of affairs among you, which has been made known to us by letters of the different parties, is of such a nature, that the Classis is unable to decide either in favor, or against either party. Nevertheless she pities the poor congregations, and prays to the Great God and Savior to have mercy on them, and to bestow upon them his good Spirit, in order to create peace in the churches. The Classis is of the opinion that all her efforts to accomplish any good are useless, so long as her counsels are rejected, your dissensions are not healed, and you refuse to unite again in one Coetus. Nevertheless we have determined to urge you to this once again in love. Brethren, what advantage is there in discord and strife? Do you not know in your hearts that it is not Christ, but Satan; not the Church of God, but her enemies, who rejoice in such things, and derive advantage therefrom? Can any good 1759 |