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and welfare of the colonial Churches. And it seems yet more strange, that these Churches, suffering as they did, many inconveniences from their servile dependence upon a foreign judicatory, were not prompted, at a very early day, to apply for a local organization with classical powers. But this expedient was not thought of, and for more than a century, they continued to receive their supplies from the Classis of Amsterdam, to refer their controversies to it for decision, and implicitly to obey all its commands. And that Classis, having long had the exclusive management of these foreign concerns, with the approbation or tacit consent of the other judicatories in the Netherlands, or without encountering any interference, was at last supposed to possess a sort of paramount authority. It acquired unlimited power over its American charge. It was invested with an imaginary infallibility, to which almost the same respect was paid that Catholics are wont to show to that imputed to his Holiness the Pope. The opinion obtained with some, that it was the only legitimate source of ministerial authority-that no ordination was valid, except it had been performed, or approved, by the Classis of Amsterdam.

An instance of this kind of extravagance occurred in Albany, in 1675. It is thus related :-" In the year 1675, Nicholas Renslaer, a Dutch Clergy

man, arrived here. He claimed the manor of Renslaer Wyck, and was recommended by the duke (of York,) to Sir Edmond Andross, for a living in one of the churches at New-York or Albany, probably to serve the Popish cause.-Niewenhyt, minister of the Church at Albany, disputed his right to administer the sacraments, because he had received an Episcopal ordination, and was not approved by the Classis of Amsterdam, to which the Dutch Churches here hold themselves subordinate." "* The controversy excited a good deal of interest at the time, and in the end, was referred to the determination of the Consistory of the Dutch Church at Albany.-Opposition to the settlement of Renslaer, under the suspicions entertained of his character and designs, was perfectly justifiable upon the ground of those suspicions, but not upon that of the supposed invalidity of his ordination. This, if not thought to be derived from quite so good a source as the Classis of Amsterdam-and such an opinion would probably find some advocates at the present day,-provided he showed a willingness to adopt the standards of the Church, and to put himself under its government, could not fairly be viewed as barring his reception; much less, could it be viewed as in itself wholly ineffica

* See Smith's History, page 63.

cious, or conferring no right to administer sealing ordinances. The claim, however, which Niewenhyt,* in his zeal, set up in favour of the exclusive validity of Holland ordination, was not more chimerical and absurd than that which in modern times has been advanced, and somewhat strenuously maintained, in favour of the exclusive validity of Episcopal ordination; and though urged, on the occasion, in contravention of a suspected nefarious design, the fact that it was urged, clearly evinces the influence which it was believed the argument would have; and hence, may be seen the ascendency then of the Classis of Amsterdam, in the Dutch Churches, in this country. This ascendency continued unimpaired, and without even the semblance of opposition, until the year 1737, when, for the first time, an attempt was made to form a local convention, to have some general superintendence of ecclesiastical concerns.-A few ministerst met in

* The writer has no means of ascertaining, though it would gratify him to be able to present, the names of the ministers who preceded Mr. Niewenhyt in the Church at Albany. In the Christian's Magazine, the Rev. Messrs. G. Schaats and Godefridus Dallius, are represented to have served the same Church prior to the year 1693.

†The Rev. G. Dubois of the city of New York; the Rev. G. Haeghoort, of Second River; the Rev. B. Freeman, of Long

the city of New-York, and agreed upon the plan of a Cœtus, or an assembly of ministers and elders, to be subordinate to the Classis of Amsterdam.

The plan was submitted to the consideration of the churches; and the following year, at a meeting of ministers and elders * held in the same city, it

Island; the Rev. C. Van Santvoort, of Staten Island; and the Rev. A. Curtenius, of Hackensack.

C. M.

* Present-The Rev. Mr. Dubois, with two elders, Anthony Rutgers and Abraham Lefferts; the Rev. Mr. Freeman, with two elders, Peter Nevius and Dirk Brinkerhoof; the Rev. Mr. Van Santvoort, with one elder, Goosen Adriance; the Rev. Mr. Haeghoort, with one elder, F. Van Dyck;t he Rev. Mr. Curtenius, with one elder,-Zabriskie; the Rev. R. Erickson of Nauwesink, with one elder, J. Zutveen; the Rev. J. Bohm, of Philadelphia, with one elder,-Snyder; the Rev. Mr. Schuyler, of Schoharie, with one elder-Spies; and the Rev. T. J. Frelinghuysen of Raritan, with an elder, H. Fisher. The names of the persons constituting this meeting are taken from the Chris. Mag. in which the lastmentioned clergyman is thus spoken of in a note :-" He was a great blessing to the Dutch Church in America. He came over from Holland in the year 1720, and settled on the Raritan. He was an able, evangelical, and eminently successful preacher. He left five sons, all ministers; and two daughters, married to ministers."-To this, may be added the testimony of that eminent servant of Christ, the Rev. Gilbert Tennent, respecting Mr. Frelinghuysen. In a letter to Mr. Prince, of Boston, he says, "The labours of Mr. Frelinghuysen, a Dutch minister, were much

was formally approved. A A copy of it was at once forwarded to Holland, for the approbation of the Classis ;-and though perfectly inoffensive in all its features, not intended to weaken, in the least, the authority of the Classis in its operation, but merely to afford the brethren opportunities of giving and receiving advice, in cases of difficulty, and of cultivating a good understanding with each other,—-it seems to have been received with some little sentiment of its future important results.-Whether

such was the case or not, no

to the communication for the

pre

answer was returned

space of eight or nine

years. -When the answer came, however, it was a gratifying one to the friends of the plan ;-and accordingly, in the fall of 1747, the Cœtus was constituted.

blessed to the people of New Brunswick, and places adjacent, especially about the time of his coming among them. When I came there, which was about seven years after, I had the pleasure of seeing much of the fruits of his ministry: divers of his hearers, with whom I had opportunity of conversing, appeared to be converted persons, by their soundness in principle, Christian experience, and pious practice: and these persons declared that his ministrations were the means thereof. This, together with a kind letter which he sent me, respecting the necessity of dividing the word aright, and giving to every man his portion in due season, through the divine blessing, excited me to greater earnestness in ministerial labours."-Prince's Chris. Hist.

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