New-York tribune., 1909-01-15
TRINITY AND HER TRUST
OVEEN. ANNE LAND GRANT
DR.. LmdJaro Says Trinity Began
Career Under CiJic Auspices.

tarv ~ the Federation OF Churches, said yesterday
that Trinity Corporation began its career uhder
civic auspioes and with specified obliga tons TO the
Protestant Episcopal community Of this city IN the
DAYS when it was called New Amsterdam ana uI7
Dutch ruled the island He based MS CONCLUSIONS
on exhaustive study OF the church RECORDS oI ul7
state which were published in 1902 under the super
vision of Hugh Hastings state historian Dr- Lalu
law is the author of oldest New York, puoica-
ton of the Federation Of Churches, and is famiia
with the intricate records OF the earliest ChurcH
real estate transactions
I,ocun,en.s found within the last five years have
proved DR. I.adlaw says that religious liberation
was en- uppractised virtue in Manhattan before tne
Revolution and that both Dutch and Engiisn
cbrrcbes exsrcissd the right OF "cutus reglo elus
religio" The nation in power established Its own
Church and ruled it, all land grants TO reIsIous
bodies being carefully guarded by exact specinca-
| tions as TO use and conditions of holding
eff the Dutch had not considered that the Cnutcl,
which they consented should become the estaollsne
! church had obligations to the whole community
| said Dr. Iaidlaw to Tribune reporter 'i'eS
would not have allowed that Church 10 oecoIn7
established The early records bear out tls S'dNC
roent In the language of the letters OF patent 1t
is quite evident that the grant was intended 10 Oe
a grant to the Anglican religion, not to a cor
/ poration IT was granted TO all OF the Ahehcan
religion in the colony whole. To change Irlh-
ity into close corporation In the race OF tese MS
| toric facts is a breach of trust.
1T was only of the chancellor the court
being divided that settled the dispute in favor OF
the close corporation idea in 1914 Every thinking
/ man disputes the moral if not the legal right or
7 Trinity to regard the endowment as for the use
! simply of that corporation.
! 'Ai church people in New York must be mindful
of the fact II Trinity is not. that the corporation
has been allowed to proceed it has in violation
OF it's original moral trust and responsibility 2ny
because the separation of Church and State that
/ came with the Revolution. This separation made
! Trinity accountable to nobody and Il has acted
( accordingly.
RELIGIOUS CONTROL OF ISLAND.
! "Tha Dutch were as intolerant as the English
were later I'm exercising religious control of the ISL
and, The charter Of patroonship of 164o provided
that no other religion should be publicly admitted
J in New Netherlsnd but the Reformed. for which
the West Indies Company was to provide preachers.
/ When Peter Stuyvesant installed as director
general he took oath to enforce this regulation
The New Amsterdam clergy were anxious that
It should be enforced. and urged the home classis
/ of Amsterdam to assist them In holding the com
pany to its original instructions Suyvesants pro-
/ hIbition OF Lutheran worship was therefore on
docrina grounds. and the statement of Mr. Roose-
Welt in his History Of New York that there was
! complete tolerance here is hardly justified
'"The Iutherans presented petition for incor-
roration 20 the directors the West India Com
pany which refused The directors wrote 70
I Stryvesant condcmning his public antagonlsm to
the I.utherans and suggested that he proceed more
quietly against them Following this letter the
7 IItherans presented a petition, which was re-
fused
! Later stIvvesant enforced the plscate OF Feb
| ruary l by imprisoning William Hallett and William
/ " lckendarn Baptists The early Dutch were toll
Grant to Calvnistic cornmunons other than the Re
formed Church, but they were intoerant or other
equally Protestant Christian conceptions. and Il is
a mistake pedestal them as possessing the comfy
ideas of the present day.
| During the early English occupation the Dutch
! remained in the majority. and the English made
| no attempt 10 establish their own church. The
/ government paid the salary Of the Anglican chap
| lain of the British forces and allowed the Dutch
church to continue raise the minister's salary by
| semi-ofrciaI But FOR the rebellion Of Jacob
Ieisler It is questioned whether the English would
| have advanced the idea Of establishment in CON
nection with the Church OF England within the
| seventeenth century
FEARED ROMAN CATHOLIC POWER.
! 'T.eisIer who was q former deacon or the Dutch
! church feared that the island would fail into the
! power Of Roman Catholic adherents OF James II,
and after execution and the arrival Of Governor
| Fletcher the Assembly recommended that provision
be made the support of minister. In 1893 100
vas voted for the purpose and provisions were
| made for the choosing of ten vestrymen and two
| church wardens.
The vestryrnen and wardens were TO be chosen by
a vote OF the freehoders and the first election was
held 1924 Only three Of the twelve chosen were
| EpscopaIians. OF the wardens Nicholas
| Bayard I.eisler's leading opponent In the follow
ing wear only one Episcopalian was elected. but
that new vestry took the first steps 10 call the Rev.
| William Vesey minister Though nearly all
were Dutch they had already recognized the futlity
OF opposing the Governors purposes. and the pos
stbe advantages by way OF incorporation. OF their
| own congregation.
THE Assembly however, opposed the Governor,
the council and the city vestry. 1t declared that
the act OF 1888 did limit the choice of min
lister TO the Church of England The Governor was
not to blame for their misunderstanding They had
provided for a connection OF Church and State. and
he had told them he meant the Church Of England.
II they did not understand him. the vestry, albeit
| Dutch, understood him perfectly. Soon afterward
the Dutch petitioned the Governor for the incor
| poration OF their church. It granted in 1886.
| The third city vestry. chosen on January II,
1896 contained six E,aiscopaans and six Reformed
| Dutch In 1896 persons. including three of the
new vestry, petitoned to be allowed TO purchase
| small piece of land 1yeing without the North gate
| OF the said City, betwixt the Kings Garden and
! the Burying Place, and to hold the same IN mort
/ main. and thereon to build the said church, for
| the use of the Protestants OF the Church OF Eng
! land
1.-The Dutch received their charter May H.
| 1886 and on May s. 1897. Trinity had hers. both
signed by Governor Fletcher. Trinity was designated
to receive yearly the f100 raised by taxation the
| election Of its vestry committed to its
! communicates, and Governor Fletcher disarmed
! much of the criticism of his action by his
large contributions to the building of the church
He further granted them the Kings Garden and
the Kings Farm
TERMS OF QUEEN ANNE GRANT.
I'm 1903 the vestry petitioned for the Queens
! Farm. This land had been sold by the heirs OF
I Anneke Jams to Governor Lovelace in 1870 1t
subsequently granted to the Colonial governors by
| the Crown a perqusite of office Governor
Fletcher leased the farm to Trinity Church in 1881
! Belomont annulled this lease in 1899 hut Lord