HISTORY OF BROOKLYN. 177

Discipline of the Dutch Reformed Protestant Churches, the Constitucon whereof not admitting any minister to assume a right to any Church but where he is Regularly called to, which the said order seems to Direct.”1

The only reply which the intractable domino received, was notice that the Governor “had already determined the matter, and would hear nothing further.”2 Still, he and his friends continued to worry the Governor with petition after petition, and finally (April 18, 1710), in the interval between Gov. Lovelace's term and the arrival of the now Governor, Robert Hunter, the question was again brought up in the Council, of which the Hon. Gerardus Beekman was president pro tem. It was then and there determined that the majority report rendered to the Council in 1709, in favor of Mr. Antonides, should be confirmed. Mr. Antonides had at length triumphed; but a few days thereafter Mr. Freeman surreptitiously obtained an order from Mr. Beekman, the President of the Board, authorizing him to preach “alternately with Mr. Antonides, in Flatbush and Brookland churches.” This outside movement on the part of Mr. Beekman gave great umbrage to the adherents of Mr. Antonides, who earnestly protested against it, and requested that the order thus illegally granted might be recalled.3 The Council also felt insulted by the unwarrantable act of their President, and on his refusing, at their next sitting, to recall his order to Domine Freeman, "they declared they would not meet in council till it was done; telling the President, if he could do what he had done as aforesaid without them, he might do all other acts of government without them, and that then they saw no business they had to convene in council. And thereupon the Council broke up.”4

1 N. Y. Doc. Hist., iii. 166.

2 Ibid., iii. 167.

3 Ibid., iii. 172—date June 12, 1710.

4 Council Minutes, x.; N. Y. Dom Hist., iii. 173. The following document relative to the above is taken from Doc. Hist. N. Y., iii. 174, 175:

H. FFILKIN TO SECRETARY (CLARKE) EXPLANATORY OF THE QUARREL BETWEEN
HIM AND LT. GOV. BEEKMAN.

SIRÑI am in expectation of a complaint coming to his Excellency by Coll. Beeckman against me, and that his Excellency may be rightly informed of the matter, my humble his request to you is, that if such a thing happen, be pleased to give his Excellency an account thereof, which is as follows: A ffriday night last, the Justices of the County and I came from his Excellency's; Coll. Beeckman happened to come over in the fferry boat along with us, and as we came over the fierry, Coll. Beeckman and we went into the fferry house to drink a glass of wine, and being soe In company, there happened a