Wikipedia

Johannes Arondeus

Domine Johannes Arondeus (c.1710 – c.1796) was one of the earliest pastors in American history who was sent to the Middle Colonies during the height of the First Great Awakening by the Dutch Church in Holland. The purpose of the Great Awakening was Evangelism and it adopted the evangelical style of preaching that held conservative theological views believing in the Bible as the word of God[1] Evangelists in the United States alone, make up one quarter of the population today. Evangelicalism has become a significant force in American politics.[2]

Johannes Arondeus
Bornc.1710 (1710)
Overschie near Rotterdam, Holland
Diedc.1796 (aged 85–86)
Morris County, New Jersey, United States
NationalityDutch
Occupation(s)pastor, Dutch Church
Known forDutch Reformed Church in America

Early life and work edit

Arondeus was born in Overschie near Rotterdam between 1700 and 1710 and died in Morris County, New Jersey. The date of his will was September 28, 1796.[3] He was ordained in Amsterdam on September 9, 1741,[4][5] and was invited by the Dutch Reformed Church on Long Island, Queens County, New York,[6][7] where he was to take the place of Reverend Bernhardus Freeman, whom had passed away in 1741. On July 11, 1741, he was called by the Deputies of the Classis in Kings County, New York.[8] He accepted the call on July 17, 1741,[9] and had set sail for America in 1741 but was captured by pirates.[10][11]

He returned to Holland on January 9, 1742, and requested the Classis of Amsterdam that he be released from his call to Long Island because of the ill health of his wife.[12]

Rev. Arondeus served in the Dutch Reformed Church from 1742 to 1747 at Brooklyn, Bushwick, Gravesend, Flatbush, Flatlands and New Utrecht Reformed Church, all on Long Island, and from 1747 to 1754 at Raritan (Somerset), Harlingen (Somerset), Somerville (Somerset), Readington Reformed Church, Six Mile Run (Somerset) at Franklin and The Three Mile Run, all in New Jersey.[5]

In 1754 he went back to Holland[5] and was thought to have died in 1754.[13] However he married, second, Christina Praa Provoost, widow of David Jonathan Provoost on April 20, 1769, in New York.[14] His will was dated September 28, 1796, in Morris County, New Jersey.[15] Administrators were Jonathan Provoost of New York City and David Provoost of Morris County, New Jersey.

Johannes Arondeus adhered to the Dutch Reformed Church in Holland.[16] The Dutch Reformed Church was based on The Union of Utrecht in 1579. Article 13 specifically states “each person shall remain free, especially in his religion, and that no one shall be persecuted or investigated because of their religion."[17]

More about Arondeus can be read in the Ecclesiastical Records, State of New York[18] volumes 4–6. Vol 4, p. 2804 includes record of his support by the members of the congregation: "We have now got our new Domine; but with a true Christian joy, which continues and constantly increases, because of his great zeal and soul stirring sermons. We can and must give this testimony to his Reverence, that he altogether verifies the certificates of the Rev. Classis of Amsterdam. He edifies by his teachings and by his life. He is zealous and painstaking in his service, in preaching, in catechizing and in everything, pertaining to the duties of a faithful servant of Christ. Therefore we, the undersigned elders and deputies of our congregations, and in their name and by their order, humbly request your Reverences to select again for our congregations a minister, such as we need, and who will prove serviceable, and qualify him according to the rules of the church, and bend him over to us to do service for us as our lawful pastor".[7]

As a result of the changing times, a schism developed within the Dutch Reformed Churches in America.[17] Ulpianus van Sinderen, Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghuysen, John Henry Goetchius[19] represented the pietist fraction. Johannes Arondeus represented the orthodox[20] and they became fervent enemies.[21] Arondeus arrived in America amid the turmoil within the church. Frelinghuysen was having problems within his own congregation in the Raritan Valley as they became increasingly annoyed with him.[22] The division within the church also affected non-religious people. Problems within the Raritan Valley were heard about not only in America and Amsterdam, but also around the world.[22] Letters were written to the governing bodies of the churches regarding the behavior of Goetchius. One letter writes of him discrediting Arondeus at the door of the Dutch Reformed Church at Oyster Bay, Long Island.[23]

The Coetus[24] wanted to be more independent of the 'Classis' or the Dutch Reformed Church.[17] Heated arguments and accusations arose between the pastors in the two fractions and were recorded. As documents later became more accessible, it was possible to discover that many accusations were false. For example, 'Reverend Johannes Arondeus claims to be a pastor but cannot prove his ecclesiastical attestation'.[25]

In a letter written from New York to the Classis in Amsterdam on December 2, 1772,[26] Arondeus writes what had happened to him after he left the church in America and went to Denmark where he could preach and earn a living there. He explains how he had been the subject of slander and that Ulpianus van Sinderen, known as The Rebel Parson,[27] preached from the pulpit to his congregation the following about he, Arondeus: 'in the old countries I had hanged myself and had then been buried at a crossroad".[26]

There was no basis for any of the rumors as is proven in the support Arondeus received from both churches in Holland and America as seen in the correspondence recorded in the Ecclesiastical Records of New York. It shows the bitter rivalry between the Classis of Amsterdam[28] and the Coetus in the church in the Middle colonies during the Great Awakening.

References edit

  1. ^ "Great Awakening **".
  2. ^ "Evangelicalism and Politics | the American Historian".
  3. ^ "Documents relating to the colonial history of the state of New Jersey, Vol. 38". www.familysearch.org.
  4. ^ "Ecclesiastical records, state of New York". Albany, J. B. Lyon, state printer. 1901.
  5. ^ a b c Weis, Frederick Lewis. The Colonial Clergy of the Middle Colonies: New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania 1628-1776 (PDF). pp 171–172 in original, pp 5–6 in PDF facsimile.
  6. ^ "Naamregister der predikanten, zoo van de Nederduitsche, als Walsche en Engelsche kerken [...] mitsgaders [...] der [...] professoren van de [...] hooge schoolen [...]. Verandert tot den eersten january 1754". 1754.
  7. ^ a b "Read the eBook Ecclesiastical records, state of New York (Volume 4) by New York (State). State Historian online for free (page 57 of 95)". www.ebooksread.com.
  8. ^ Ecclesiastical Records, State of New York
  9. ^ "Ecclesiastical records, state of New York". Albany, J. B. Lyon, state printer. 1901.
  10. ^ Tanis, James Robert (6 December 2012). Dutch Calvinistic Pietism in the Middle Colonies: A Study in the Life and Theology of Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghuysen. ISBN 9789401506113.
  11. ^ "Ecclesiastical records, state of New York". Albany, J. B. Lyon, state printer. 1901.
  12. ^ Ecclesiastical Records, State of New York vol IV
  13. ^ Thompson, Benjamin Franklin (May 3, 1843). "The History of Long Island, from Its Discovery to the Present Time: With Many Important and Interesting Matters, Including Notices of Numerous Individuals and Families, Also a Particular Account of the Different Churches and Ministers". Gould, Banks & Company – via Google Books.
  14. ^ Biographical and Genealogical Notes of the Provost Family from 1545 to 1895 by Andrew Jackson Provost
  15. ^ Documents relating to the colonial history of the state of New Jersey 1670–1817 vol 38 p.16.
  16. ^ Diffendal, Anne Polk (August 1974). The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts and the Assimilation of Foreign Protestants in British North America (PDF) (Thesis).
  17. ^ a b c "New Netherland Institute :: Religion". www.newnetherlandinstitute.org.
  18. ^ http://www.ancestraltrackers.org/ny/resources/ecclesiastical-records-state-ny-v5.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  19. ^ "Ecclesiastical records, state of New York". Albany, J. B. Lyon, state printer. 1901.
  20. ^ Balmer, Randall Herbert (May 3, 2002). A Perfect Babel of Confusion: Dutch Religion and English Culture in the Middle Colonies. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195152654 – via Google Books.
  21. ^ "Ecclesiastical records, state of New York". Albany, J. B. Lyon, state printer. 1901.
  22. ^ a b "Theodorus Jacabus Frelinghuysen – Mapping the Great Awakening".
  23. ^ "Read the eBook Ecclesiastical records, state of New York (Volume 4) by New York (State). State Historian online for free (page 64 of 95)". www.ebooksread.com.
  24. ^ Marsh, John (May 3, 1835). "An Epitome of general Ecclesiastical History, from the earliest period to the present time. With an appendix, giving a condensed history of the Jews, from the destruction of Jerusalem to the present day. Fifth edition" – via Google Books.
  25. ^ A History of the City of Brooklyn, Including the Old Town and Village of Brooklyn, the Town of Bushwick, and the Village and City of Williamsburgh. Volumes I ONLY. p. 184. ISBN 9780788441639.
  26. ^ a b Ecclesiastical records, state of New York. Albany. May 16, 1901. hdl:2027/yale.39002002685882.
  27. ^ http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/0177.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  28. ^ "Reform Churches | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com.
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