198 Timehri. 



(Peter Steuyvesant in the ;>ear 1653, being Governor of that other 

 New Amsterdam, declared that in the New possessions of Holland over 

 which he was Governor he could not and would not tolerate any other 

 religion than the true Reformed. He even forbade the Lutherans to hold 

 private services in their homes. Anyone who ventured to read a sermon 

 in such private services made himself subject to a penalty of one hundred 

 pounds Flemish ; and anyone who listened to such a sermon was to be 

 punished with a fine of twenty-five pounds. In some cases those who 

 disobeyed were cast into prison.) 



It might also be noticed that when the slaves arose in insurrection 

 in 1763, it was Abbensetts of Solitude, one of the founders of this 

 Church, who did the most valiant service on the Berbice River, holding 

 the slaves at bay with a small handful of men. However, it seems fair 

 to conclude that the Lutheran Church had the respect of the slaves 

 inasmuch as they spared only the properties belonging to this Body 

 when they burned and pillaged Fort Nassau. 



There is also a reference to this period of the history of the 

 Lutheran Community in Mr. Bodway's excellent three volume history of 

 British Guiana. On page 176 of Volume i. we read : — " It was also 

 rumoured that the Lutheran Predicant being unable to escape, had 

 barricaded his doors, and tried to reason with them from the windows, 

 but they set fire to the house and murdered him as he was coming out." 



Now it is evident that this was only a rumour, and as Mr. Kodway 

 did not correct the rumour in his history I should like to do so now. 



From our records we find that the house of the Lutheran 

 Predicant was not burned and that the Predicant was not murdered 

 but fled from the colony : for our record states : — " The first and second 

 of our Clergymen died very shortly after their arrival in the Colony, 

 the third fled the Country at the same time of the revolt in 1763 without 

 giving notice of his intention." 



The first century of the Berbice Lutheran Community closed as 

 the last resident Dutch Lutheran Minister vacated his pulpit about the 

 year 1843. 



The next twenty-five years witnessed a period of deterioration in 

 the Lutheran Community. The congregation came very near dying out, 

 portions of its members being scattered among the several denominations 

 of Berbice. Only four male and seven female members remained at the 

 end of this period. The Wesleyans were permitted free use of the church, 

 manse, and other buildings ; and a considerable sum was set aside each 

 year to assist in the support of their ministry. The funds of the 

 Church were made to serve private ends until in the year 1875 there 

 was a distribution of five thousand dollars among the few remain- 

 ing members. Some considered themselves unfairly dealt with iu this 

 distribution and made representations to the Government that the 



