"No man shall raise or bring forward any question or argument on the subject of religion, on pain of being placed on bread and water three days in the ship's galley. And if any difficulties should arise out of the said disputes, the author thereof shall be arbitrarily punished."
They repeatedly passed ordinances requiring their officers to be of the reformed religion.
"Ordinance
Of the Director-General and Council of New Netherland prohibiting the bringing of Quakers and other Strollers into New Netherland.—Passed 17 May, 1663.
"The Director-General and Council of New Netherland, To all those who shall see or hear these Presents read, Greeting, make known.
"Whereas we daily find that many Vagabonds, Quakers and other Fugitives are, without the previous knowledge and consent of the Director General and Council, conveyed, brought and landed in this Government, and sojourn and remain in the respective Villages of this Province without those bringing them giving notice thereof, or such persons addressing themselves to the government and showing whence they come, as they ought to do, or that they have taken the oath of fidelity the same as other Inhabitants; the Director General and Council, therefore, do hereby Order and command all Skippers, Sloop Captains and others, whosoever they may be, not to convey or bring, much less to land, within this government, any such Vagabonds, Quakers and other Fugitives, whether Men or Women, unless they have first addressed themselves to the government, have given information thereof, and asked and obtained consent on pain of the importers forfeiting a fine of twenty pounds Flemish for every person, whether Man or Woman, whom they will have brought in and landed without the consent or previous Knowledge of the Director General and Council, and, in addition, be obliged immediately to depart out of this government with such persons."
17 March, 1664, they ordained that the schoolmasters shall appear in church with their scholars, on Wednesday before divine service, and be examined after service by the minister and elders, "as to what they have committed to memory of the Christian Commandments and Catechism, and what progress they have made."
On 1 October, 1673, 8 November, 1673, and 15 January, 1674, they passed ordinances that the sheriff and magistrates, or the schout and magistrates, each in his quality, take care that the reformed Christian religion be maintained in conformity to the Synod of Dordrecht, (or Synod of Dort,) without suffering or permitting any other sects attempting any thing contrary thereto, or suffering any attempt to be made against it by any other sectaries.
On 12 November, 1661, they passed a law imposing "a land tax at Esopus to defray the expense of building a Minister's House there."
On 13 February, 1657, the court of Breuckelen (Brooklyn) imposed an assessment on that town to pay "the Rev. Minister De J. Theodorus Polhemius fl 300," as a supplement of his promised salary and yearly allowance.