Nicholas van Rensselaer was a Dutch Reformed clergyman.
Background
Nicholas van Rensselaer was born September 25, 1636, in Amsterdam, North Holland. He was the eighth child of Kiliaen and Anna (van Wely) van Rensselaer. Kiliaen, a wealthy merchant and a director of the West India Company, was the first patroon of the Manor of Rensselaer on the Hudson River in New Netherland.
Of Nicholas' early life little is known; while visiting Brussels, he met Charles Stuart, later Charles II, King of England, then an exile on the Continent. Young Van Rensselaer, with fortunate prevision, assured the prince that the Stuarts would be restored to power in England and that he would ascend the throne of his father. Because of this incident, Charles remembered Van Rensselaer when he had forgotten greater Dutch benefactors.
Education
Nicholas was liberally educated in Holland, and studied theology there until his studies were temporarily interrupted.
Career
On October 2, 1662, Van Rensselaer was received in the Classis of Amsterdam, and not long after he accompanied Michiel van Gogh, Dutch ambassador, to London as chaplain of the embassy. Charles II in 1664 launched his first war against the Dutch, but when van Gogh returned home the following year, the chaplain remained, and the King gave him a license to preach to the Dutch congregation at Westminster. As a personal mark of regard, Charles gave him a gold snuffbox, which is preserved by the Van Rensselaer family. In 1670, Van Rensselaer was in the Netherlands again, matriculating as a V. D. M. minister of God's word at the University of Leyden. He gave his residence as Amsterdam and his age as thirty-three.
Two years later, he was accepted by the Classis of Amsterdam as an "Expectant for Foreign Churches. " These ordinations and appointments were the basis of his claim and preferment in the province of New York. When Sir Edmund Andros came to New York as governor, he was accompanied by Nicholas van Rensselaer, who was recommended to him by the Duke of York for a Dutch pulpit. Andros took great interest in the provincial churches, but, though he had much regard for English orders, he did not look upon Dutch orders with the same respect.
One of his first acts was an attempt to induct Van Rensselaer into the church of Albany as a colleague of Gideon van Schaats. The Albany consistory resisted, holding that if Van Rensselaer was an Anglican clergyman, then he was not a minister of the Church of Holland. A temporary adjustment of the difficulty was obtained when William Van Nieuwenhuysen, pastor of the Reformed Church of New York, came to Albany as Van Schaats' assistant. Undefeated, Van Rensselaer went to New York with the understood purpose of administering baptism to children. Opposed by Van Nieuwenhuysen, he complained to the governor, and the dispute came before the Council.
The proceedings, lasting from September 25 to October 2, 1675, opened with the introduction of Nieuwenhuysen's declaration that he did not look upon Van Rensselaer as a lawful minister, or his admittance to the Albany pastorate as lawful. After Van Rensselaer's submission of his papers, Van Nieuwenhuysen still insisted that in order to administer the sacraments of the Dutch Church, a minister should have promised: "to conduct himself in his services conformably to their Confession, Catechism and Mode of Government. " Van Rensselaer accepted these requirements and was installed in the Albany pastorate.
A year later, Jacob Leisler and Jacob Milborne declared that Van Rensselaer was not orthodox and Van Rensselaer sued the two for slander. The case finally reached the Governor's Council, and the parties were ordered to be reconciled "by the friendly shaking of hands". In 1677, Van Rensselaer was deposed by the governor on the charge of leading a bad life. The authorities to whom reference was made for the support of the accusation were Van Nieuwenhuysen and Schaats. It was not unnatural that Van Rensselaer should have been the victim of religious animosity. He had come to America from the most liberal school of learning in Europe, established in memory of the siege of Leyden, and there he may easily have learned to reconcile doctrinal distinctions. Conditions, however, were unpropitious for so broad a mission. Then, too, Charles II, his patron, had lately waged a second war against the Netherlands; moreover, Charles's court, where the young preacher began his ministry, was not esteemed as a school for piety.
Achievements
Van Rensselaer is known as one time director of the Manor of Rensselaerwyck. He was ordained a deacon of the Church of England by the Bishop of Salisbury.
Connections
On February 10, 1675, Van Rensselaer married Alida Schuyler, sister of Peter Schuyler; he had no children. After his death his widow married Robert Livingston.
Father:
Kiliaen van Rensselaer
1586 – 7 October 1643
Was a Dutch diamond and pearl merchant from Amsterdam who was one of the founders and directors of the Dutch West India Company, being instrumental in the establishment of New Netherland.
Mother:
Anna van Wely
Wife:
Alida Schuyler (Van Rensselaer Livingston)
1656 – 1727
Was a Dutch businessperson in Dutch America who exerted a considerable influence in the life of the colony.
