Editing Flushing Remonstrance (section)

==Events==
[[File:John Bowne House 20230516 113609 06.jpg|thumb|right|John Bowne House on 16 May 2023]]

The Flushing Remonstrance was signed at the home of Edward Hart, the [[town clerk]], on December 27, 1657, by a group of Dutch citizens who were affronted by [[persecution]] of Quakers and the religious policies of Stuyvesant.<ref name="Liberty Mag">{{cite news |author=Michael Peabody |title=The Flushing Remonstrance |url=http://www.libertymagazine.org/article/articleview/532/1/86/ |publisher= Liberty Magazine |date=November–December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071204215137/http://www.libertymagazine.org/article/articleview/532/1/86/ |archive-date =December 4, 2007}}</ref><ref name=NYT1>{{cite news|author=Glenn Collins |title=Precursor of the Constitution Goes on Display in Queens |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/nyregion/05remonstrance.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 5, 2007}}</ref> None of them were [[Quakers]].<ref name="jackson">{{cite news |title=A Colony With a Conscience |first=Kenneth T. |last=Jackson |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/opinion/27jackson.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 27, 2007}}</ref> The site of the signing is presently occupied by the former State Armory, now a police facility, on the south side of Northern Boulevard between Linden Place and Union Street. The Remonstrance ends with:

{{Poem quote|The law of love, peace and liberty in the states extending to Jews, Turks and Egyptians, as they are considered sonnes of Adam, which is the glory of the outward state of Holland, soe love, peace and liberty, extending to all in Christ Jesus, condemns hatred, war and bondage. And because our Saviour sayeth it is impossible but that offences will come, but woe unto him by whom they cometh, our desire is not to offend one of his little ones, in whatsoever form, name or title hee appears in, whether Presbyterian, Independent, Baptist or Quaker, but shall be glad to see anything of God in any of them, desiring to doe unto all men as we desire all men should doe unto us, which is the true law both of Church and State; for our Saviour sayeth this is the law and the prophets.</p>

Therefore if any of these said persons come in love unto us, we cannot in conscience lay violent hands upon them, but give them free egresse and regresse unto our Town, and houses, as God shall persuade our consciences, for we are bounde by the law of God and man to doe good unto all men and evil to noe man. And this is according to the patent and charter of our Towne, given unto us in the name of the States General, which we are not willing to infringe, and violate, but shall houlde to our patent and shall remaine, your humble subjects, the inhabitants of Vlishing.}}

In response Stuyvesant dismissed the local government and chose new Dutch replacements as leaders.  Four who signed were arrested by order of Stuyvesant. Two immediately recanted, but the writer of the remonstrance, [[Edward Hart (settler)|Edward Hart]], and sheriff of Flushing Tobias Feake remained firm in their convictions. Both men were remanded to prison where they survived in isolation on rations of bread and water for over a month. After friends and family petitioned Stuyvesant on behalf of the elderly Hart, the clerk was released on penalty of banishment. Feake held out for a few more weeks, but eventually recanted and was pardoned after being fined and banned from holding public office.

Stuyvesant asserted that he was not violating the signers' "freedom of conscience", only their right to worship outside of family prayer meetings. In addition he proclaimed March 13, 1658 a Day of Prayer for the purpose of repenting from the sin of religious tolerance.<ref name=nycreligion/>

[[File:Society of Friends Meetinghouse, Northern Boulevard, Flushing, Queens County, NY HABS NY,41-FLUSH,1-12.tif|right|thumb|Society of Friends Meetinghouse on [[New York State Route 25A|Northern Boulevard]] in Flushing]]

Subsequently, [[John Bowne]] of the colony allowed Quakers to meet in his [[John Bowne House|house]]. He was arrested in 1662 and brought before Stuyvesant. Unrepentant, Bowne was sentenced to banishment to the Dutch Republic, though he was of English descent and spoke no Dutch. After several months in Europe, Bowne petitioned the directors of the [[Dutch West India Company]]. After a month of deliberation, the Dutch West India Company agreed to support Bowne, and advised Stuyvesant by a letter (1663) that he was to end religious persecution in the colony. One year later, in 1664, the colony was captured by English forces. The [[John Bowne House]], built before 1662, still stands in historic preservation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bownehouse.org/|title=Bowne House|website=Bowne House}}</ref>

The [[Old Quaker Meeting House (Queens)|Quaker Meeting House]] in Flushing, built 1694, is now the oldest house of worship in continuous use in New York State.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://flushingfriends.org/|title=Flushing Meeting|website=flushingfriends.org}}</ref>