shall from thence forth be and remain Elders and Deacons for the sd two Churches of flat Bush & Brookland for the first ensuing year & that at the end of ye sd year to comence from the sd election, half of them shall be removed & four others chosen in their stead, and at the end of two years after sd first election, the other half shall be removed, & other four shall be chosen in their stead, & so successively every year according to ye usuall custom, the said Elections to be made by the votes of both the sd Ministers & the Consistory for the time being: and that whenever the sd Ministers shall meet upon any such or other Publick Service, the one shall preside one time, and ye other the next time & so alternately. 4. That to the time of ye Election of ye sd New Consistory, so to be made by both parties as aforesaid, each party shall, of their own parts respectively bear pay & discharge the Sallary, Perquisites, & other things due to ye respective Ministers, vizt Those who have hitherto sided with Mr Freeman shall clear all arrears to him: & those who have hitherto sided with Mr Antonides, all arrears to him. New York March 5th 1708. Endorsed "Proposals on the part of Mr Freeman's friends. 1708." CORNELIS SEBERINGH, ENGELBARDT LOTTE, CORNELIS VAN BRUNT. ARTICLES Exhibited by the Elders & Deacons of the Dutch Reformed Protestant Church of the Towns of Brookland, fflatbush, and fflatlands on the Island of Nassau, for the Reconciling the differences wch have of late been amongst the Dutch Churches on the said Island. 1st That all parties do consent that Mr Antonides according to the rules of the said Church is the duely called Minister of Brookland, flatbush & flatlands, and that the Elders & Deacons wch were lately chosen by Mr Antonides with the assistance and consent of those Elders & Deacons wch he formed there at his arrivall are yet still the true Elders & Deacons, and that what ever has been acted to the contrary by Mr Freeman & others was always null & void & is so still; That therefore the collections gathered in the Churches of Brookland & flatbush by the friends of Mr Freerman be delivered to the Consistory of Mr Antonides to be disposed of according to the rules of the Church. 2dly That all parties do consent that the Call made for Mr Freerman by those of New Utrecht does limit him to the Congregation of that Town only. 3dly That all parties do consent, that no such lycence, or the other orders wch the Lord Cornbury has granted to Mr Freeman whereby the Effects of the sd Churches at his pleasure were to be delivered up to Mr Freeman, never were nor yet are of any force or validity in the Dutch Churches of this Province, but Tended to the ruin of the liberty of the said Churches in this Country; That they do allso reject this Position, That all the Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiccon of the Dutch Churches in this Province is wholly in the Power of the Govr acording to his will. & pleasure, That yet nevertheless all parties do firmly own that the Dutch Churches in this Province are accountable to the Goyt for their peaceable & good behaviour in their Doctrin, Disciplin, and Church Government; that is to say, as farr as it does consist with the Rules & Constituçons of their own nationall Church alwayes enjoyed at New York, As well as they have the right and Priviledge to be protected by the Civill Goyt in the free exercise of their Religion according to their own Constitution. 4thly That all parties consent to subscribe the Church Orders of the Classis of Amsterdam, & those practiced on the Island of Nassauw not being contradictory thereto, & that in case any matter in difference cannot be decided amongst themselves the same be referred to the other Dutch Churches of this Province & if not by them decided the same to be submitted to the Classis of Amsterdam, whose decision is to be binding. 5thly That all parties reject the expression made by Mr. Freerman at a certain time, vizt that when the Church Orders were for his advantadge he observed them, but if they were against him he went round about the same, & could tread them under his feet. 6thly That then Mr Freeman shall be in a condicon to be called to those congregacons on the sd Island where he is not yet called according to the rules of the Church, and shall be called accordingly, Provided M Freerman's friends do first find out sufficient means thereto and a dwelling house and do perswade the Congregacons aforesaid to desire the Consistory to call him in an Ecclesiasticall manner. 7thly To the end there may be a perfect peace in all the Dutch Churches on the said Island all parties, together with the freinds of Mr Freerman at Jamaica are to consent that the Elders & Deacons that were there when Mr Du Bois preached there the last time are yet the true Elders and Deacons & that then both Ministers may be called there. 8thly That all parties consent that these articles being interchangeably signed be read to the respective Congregations from the Pulpit & and authentiq copies thereof sent to the other Dutch Churches in this Province to be by them kept & that notice hereof be given to the Classis of Amsterdam with the request of both parties for their approbacon. Lastly. If Mr Freerman & his friends should not be pleased to consent to the above articles that then Capn Joannes De Peyster be desired to produce the resolucon of the Classis of Amsterdam, whereby Peace is said to be recommended according to the order of the said Classis, as Mr Freerman intimates in his letter without date to Mr Antonides that Capt. De Peyster aforesaid had shewn the same to him, together with the means to attain such a Peace. New-York 4th March 170. Endorsed, By order of the said Elders and Deacons, ABRAH: GOUVERNEUR, GERONEMUS REMSEN, PIETER MELIJUS. "Proposals on the part of Mr Antonides's friends. 1708." FURTHER PETITION OF DOME ANTONIDES' ELDERS. To the Right Honble Richd Ingoldesby Esqr her Matis The Petition of Joseph Hegeman Peter Nevius & Jeronimus HUMBLY SHEWETH, That yor Pets did in the time of the late Lord Lovelace petition his Excy & Councill against sundry Iregularitys comitted in their Churches by Mr Bernardus freerman: That his Exy & Councill were pleased to referr the Examicon thereof unto three of the members of this board to take ye same in the prsence of sundry other Gent". That the said Genta have long since finished the said Exinacon but by reason of the other emergent affairs of this Province no report has as yet been made thereof. Yor Pet's therefore humbly pray that for the prventing of farther disputes & and settling the peace of the County where those Churches are the said members of the Councill may be ordered with all speed to make their report on that affair to this honble board. And yor Petrs as in duty bound shall ever pray New York 8th Sept. 1709. ABRAH: GOUVERNEUR. Upon Read ye Petition of Joseph Hegeman Peter Navius & Jeronimus Remsen in the behalf of ye Elders & Deacons of ye Dutch Reformed Protestant Churches of ye Towns of fflat Bush fflatlands and Brookland Praying ye Comittee appointed for examining into the disputes concerning Mr Antonides and Mr Freeman on the Churches aforesaid may make their report thereof to this Board. It is ordered yt they proceed thereon according to ye said Petition. PETITION OF THE ELDERS OF DOME FREEMAN'S CONGREGATION. To the Honble Richard Ingoldsbey Esqr Lievt GovernTM & The most humble petition of Dorus polhemus John Hansen SHEWETH Whereas Mr Freeman by orders from our late Governor the Lord Cornbury was to be Minister of this Congregation-and none els: which also was confirmed by the Lord Lovelace according to which we your Honrs petitioners were chosen & Constituted Elders of ye Church & now continue to be so. Nevertheless Mr Antonides being very well apprized hereof but minding to make a Division & Disturbance in the Church |