Stuyvesant wanted to preserve the true Dutch Reform Church in New Amsterdam as the only religion in the colony. &nbsp;As more people settled, this became quite difficult. He fended off the Lutherans when they requested a minister. &nbsp;In 1654 23 Jewish refugees arrived from Brazil. Three years later 12 Quakers from Yorkshire landed on Long Island and two women began preaching in New Amsterdam. &nbsp;Stuyvesant next tried confiscating vessels carrying Quakers to the colony, imposed a 50 pound fine on anyone shielding a Quaker in their house. &nbsp;His treatment of Quaker Robert Hodgson, preaching in Hempstead who refused to doff his hat in court was so barbaric that Stuyvesant's sister Anna Bayard intervened and saved Hodgson's life and thirty of his neighbors banded together to draft the Flushing Remonstrance. &nbsp;By 1663, the Dutch West India Company which sorely needed immigration, directed Stuyvesant to allow everyone to have his own belief.

The Charter of Freedoms &amp; Exemptions stated that “no other Religion shall be publicly admitted in New Netherland except the Reformed, as it is at present preached and practiced in the United Netherlands”.

The Flushing Remonstrance was a petition to Director-General Peter Stuyvesant, that requested an exemption to his ban on Quaker worship. &nbsp;It has been called the &nbsp;‘Magna Carta of Religious Freedom’ and is credited with incorporating tolerance and a multiethnic culture into the Dutch Colony that became New York.&nbsp;

The law of love, peace and liberty in the states extending to Jews, Turks and Egyptians, as they are considered sons 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. 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.Written this 27th of December in the year 1657, by mee.Edward Hart, ClericusTobias Feake Nathaniell Tue The marke of William Noble Nicholas Blackford William Thorne, Seignior The marke of Micah Tue The marke of William Thorne, Jr. The marke of Philip Ud Edward Tarne Robert Field, senior John Store Robert Field, junior Nathaniel Hefferd Nich Colas Parsell Benjamin Hubbard Michael Milner The marke of William Pidgion Henry Townsend The marke of George Clere George Wright Elias Doughtie John Foard Antonie Feild Henry Semtell Richard Stocton Edward Hart Edward Griffine John Mastine John Townesend Edward Farrington

Right Honorable,You have been pleased to send unto us a certain prohibition or command that we should not receive or entertain any of those people called Quakers because they are supposed to be, by some, seducers of the people. For our part we cannot condemn them in this case, neither can we stretch out our hands against them, for out of Christ God is a consuming fire, and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.Wee desire therefore in this case not to judge least we be judged, neither to condemn least we be condemned, but rather let every man stand or fall to his own Master. Wee are bounde by the law to do good unto all men, especially to those of the household of faith. And though for the present we seem to be unsensible for the law and the Law giver, yet when death and the Law assault us, if wee have our advocate to seeke, who shall plead for us in this case of conscience betwixt God and our own souls; the powers of this world can neither attach us, neither excuse us, for if God justifye who can condemn and if God condemn there is none can justifye. &nbsp;

And for those jealousies and suspicions which some have of them, that they are destructive unto Magistracy and Ministerye, that cannot bee, for the Magistrate hath his sword in his hand and the Minister hath the sword in his hand, as witnesse those two great examples, which all Magistrates and Ministers are to follow, Moses and Christ, whom God raised up maintained and defended against all enemies both of flesh and spirit; and therefore that of God will stand, and that which is of man will come to nothing. And as the Lord hath taught Moses or the civil power to give an outward liberty in the state, by the law written in his heart designed for the good of all, and can truly judge who is good, who is evil, who is true and who is false, and can pass definitive sentence of life or death against that man which arises up against the fundamental law of the States General; soe he hath made his ministers a savor of life unto life and a savor of death unto death. &nbsp;