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Right Honnorable.^[i]

You have beene pleased to send up unto us a certaine Prohibition or Command that wee shoulde not receive or entertaine any of those people called Quakers because they are supposed to

bee by some seducers of the people for our parte

wee cannot condem them in this case neither can wee stretch out our handes against them to punish bannish or persecute them for out of Christ God is a Consumeing fire and it is a feareful thing

to fall into the handes of the liveing God wee desire therefore in this case not to iudge least wee

be iudged neither to Condem least wee bee Condemed but rather let every man stand and fall to his own Maister wee are bounde by the Law to doe good unto all men especially to those of the Househould of

Faith and though for the present wee seeme to bee unsensible of the law and the Lawgiver: yet when death and the Law assaults us: if we haue our advocate to seeke who shall pleade for us in this case of Conscience betwixt god and our owne soules the powers of this world can neither attack us neither excuse us for if god iustifye who

can Condem and if god Condem there is none can justifye and for those Jealowsies and suspitions which some have of them that they are destructiue unto Magistracy and Ministery that cannot bee: for the Magistrate hath the Sword in his hand and the Minister hath the Sword in his hand as witnesse those tow great examples which

all Maiestrates and Ministers are to follow M[ oses ] and Christ whom god raised up Maintained

and defended against all the Enemies both of flesh and spirit and therefore that which is of

god will stand and that which is of man will [ come ] to noething: and as the Lord hath taught Moses,

or the Civill power to give an outward libertie

in the State by the law written in his heart designed [ for ] the good of all and can truely iudge who is good

and who is evill who is true and who is false

and can pass definitiue sentence of life or [ death ] against that man which rises up against the [ fundamen ]tall law of the States Generall soe [ he ] [ hath made ] his Ministers a savor of life unto [ life ] [ and a sav ]or of death unto death.

The law of loue peace and libertie in the states extending to Jewes Turkes and Egiptians as

they are Considered the sonnes of Adam which is the glory of the outward State of Holland, soe loue peace and libertie extending to all in Christ Jesus Condems hatred warre and bondage and becawse our Saviour saith it is

Impossible but that offences will come but woe bee unto him by whom they Commeth our desire

is not to offend one of his little ones in what [ soever ] forme name or title hee appeares in whether presbiterian independant Baptist or Quaker

but shall bee glad to see any thing of god in a[ ny ]

of them: desireing to doe unto all men as wee d[ esire ] all men shoulde doe unto us which is the true

law both of Church and State for our Saviour saith this is the Law and the Prophets Therefore if any of these said persons come in love unto us wee cannot in Conscience lay violent hands upon them but give them free

Egresse and Regresse into our Towne and howses as god shall perswade our Consciences and in t[ his ] wee are true subiects both of Church and State

for wee are bounde by the law of god and man to doe good unto all men and evill to noe man

and this is according to the Pattent and Charter of our Towne given unto us in the name of the States Generall which wee are not willing to infringe and violate but shall houlde to our pattent and shall remaine your Humble Subiects the inhabitants of Vlishing written this 27th of

December in the yeare 1657 by mee Edward Heart clericus.

Tobias Feake
The marke of X William Noble
William Thorne, senior Nicolas Blackford
The mark of X Wm. Thorne Junior
Edward Tartte The mark of X Mica[ h ] Tue
John Storer
Nathaniel Hefferd The mark of X Phillip Ud[      ]
Beniamin Hubbard

The marke X of William Pidgion
The marke X of George Clere
Elias Doughtie
Antonie Feild
Richard Stocton
Edward Griffine.
Nathaniell Tue
Robert ffeild, senior
Nicholas Parsell
Robert Feild, junior
Nittkcolas Parnell
Michaell Milner
Beniamin Hubbard
Henry Townesend
George Wright
John Foard
Henry Samtell
Edward Heart

John Mastine Seijt dat Jan Masteyn hem versocht h [ ]
Henry Townesend dat hij seijn naem weder daer [      ]

John Townesend stellen.

Edward ffarington gingh naer eduars huijs en d [ aer

onderteeckent ^[ii]

Notes

References

Translation: Gehring, C., & Venema, J. (Ed.). New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vol. 8, Council Minutes, 1656-1658 Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press: 2018.A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.