f'APERS RELATING TO THE CITY OF NEW- YORK. 515

amounted to one hundred and twenty five Pounds per Annum more, than was wanted to pay the Salary intended for the Enghsh Minister.

Having proceeded thus far, the Consistory thought it further prudent to apply to tlie Classis of Amsterdam ; who, altho' they have no Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in His Majesty's Dominions, yet, as our Church was first erected under their Jurisdiction, it has been made a Practice to take tlieir Opinion and Advice upon disputed matters, whicli has been generally esteemed decisive, tho' by no means compulsory. The Consistory explained to them their Design of calling an English Minister and upon what Motives. M"- Hardenbrook & his Party who were then pretty considerable for numbers, amounting in the whole to Eighty three men with the addition of their Wives and Daugliters, protested against the Proceedings of the Consistory, (liere it is to be observed tliat the Protest was wrote by M"" Stoutenburgh and all the Names subscribed in his own Hand writing and some of the same Persons twice mentioned, it never appeared to the Consistory, that M*" Stoutenburgh had any Directions from the People, whose names he put down & some of them denied that they ever had given him any ;) and complained to the Classis aforesaid, setting forth their Objections in the fullest manner, the Classis after mature Consideration approved of the Measm-e of Calling an English Minister, and higlily commended the Consistory for their Prudence, in taking so proper a Step for the Preservation of the Church, and at the same Time wrote M' Hardenbrook, M-- Stoutenburgh and others, that their Objections were ill founded, and recommended to them brotherly Love and a due Submission to the Consistory ; this Letter, the Persons to whom it was directed, to the Number of thirteen, thought it most for their purpose to keep secret -- they had not Candour enough to communicate it to the Party in General ; If His Excellency & the honourable Board would be pleased to peruse it, the opinion of the Classis will therein fully appear to have been, that the Party is as ignorant as obstinate, the last of which is usually the Consequence of the first ; M^ Stoutenburgh can doubtless produce the Letter if he sees fit.