¦i^(v sa

^

A LetTeiI to a FRIEND,
Containing Remarks on certain Paflagei in a Ser^
monj preached by the Right Reverend Johnj
Lord Bifhop of LandafF^ before the incorporated
Society for the Propagation of the Gofpel iti foreign
Parts, at the anniverfary Meeting, in the Parifh
Chufch of St. Mary Le Bow, London, February 20^
1767; in which the higheft Reproach is unde*
fervedly caft upon the American ColonieSj^
BY CHARLES CHAUNCY, D.D.
iPaftor of the fifft Church of Chi^ift in Boftonj'
BoftoDj ih N. E. printed mdcclxviu
London, reprinted mdcclxviii.

WITH A SUPPLEMENTi
deataining an Anfwer tp the Plea of T. Bj
Chandler, D. D. of New Jerfey, for Amei-icari'
Bifhops: Wherein his Reafonings are fhewn to
be fallacious^ and his Claims indefenfible;
BY A PRESBYTER IN OLD ENGLAND^
London, printed -for Si Bladon, in Paternofler-rsWj
mdcclxviii'

A LETTER TO A FRIEND

Sir, This waits upon you with my'thanks for fending
me the Lord Bifhop of LandafF's fermon, preached
laft February before the Society for the propaga
tion of the Gofpel in foreign parts ; though I am
forry it was accompanied with your defire, after I
had carefully, read it, to give you my thoughts
concerning thofe paflages in it which relate to the
American Colonies. You could not have felefted
a perfon better fitted to anfwer your defign, fo far
aa a warm afJeftion for this as well as the Mother-
Country, and a ftrOng attachment to the intereft
and honor of both, may be effceemed requilite qua
lifications ; but you might, in regard of leifure and
abilities, with much more propriety, have enjoined
this fervice on fpme other of your acquaintance :
However, my obligations to you are fuch," that
I could not excufe myfelf from attempting that,
which, I join with you in thinking, juftice to the
Colonies requires fhould be dorje upon this occafion.
Had the character you mention, as given the
Britifh Cpjonies, been contained in a difcourfc de^
livered by a common Clergy-man, before a com
mon audience, it would, I believe, have given you
no uneafinefs ; as you would not have been appre-
henfive of any harm from it : But, as it is exhibited
in a fermon, preached before the incorporated
Society for the propa,gation of the Gofpel in foreign,
parts, many of whom are high in rank, and fuftain
the greateli character, no wonder your concern'
was moved; efpecially, as this refpeftable body of
men have virtually made themfelves patrons of th^
A 2 fermqn,

fermon. So we are authorifed to think from their
voting the preacher thanks for it, and defiringhim
to deliver to them a copy of it for the prefs ; unlefs
it may be faid, this was only a matter of form and
ceremony ; to fuppofewhich would refleft difhonor
on its dignified author. We, in this part of the
world, muft be fhamefully impious and immoral,
to deferve what is here faid of us ; or, if we do
not, very unhappy to be publickly placed in fo
injurious a point of light. Whether we are the
one, or the other, I fhall now examine.
His Lordfhip fays, page 6, " Since the difco-
very of the new world, the fame provifiOH hath
not been made of miniflers, necefTary to the fup-
port of Chriftianity among thofe who removed
thither ; efpecially in the Britifh Colonies." If the
complaint here made, fo far as the Colonies'with-
out difcrimination are concerned in it, lies in this,
that they have not provided themfelves with mini
flers epifcofally ondained, they readily own the fa£t.
But, furely, his Lordfhip does not thinkj that
fuch miniflers areyo necejfary that Chriftianity can
not be fupported without them. This dodlrine
was taught, and believed, in former times, when
bigotry. and opprefTion were the charafteri'ftic of
fome that were placed in high offices both in church
and ftate; but, in the prefent day of enlarged
knowledge and freedom of inquiry, it is hoped
there is no Arch-Bifhop, or Bifhop' in England, of
fuch contrafted principles. Certainly, his Lord
fhip is more catholic in his fentiments : Otherwife
He might have been more extenfive in his com
plaint, by taking in Scotland, Holland, and many
of the reformed proteftant churches in Europe;
for they, as truly as the Britifh Colonies in Ame
rica, are not provided with miniflers- '^ neceflTary
to- the fupport of Chriftia.niiy" among them, if
Epifcopal ones Oiily are fufficient for the purpofe.

It is tfherefote probable, the meaningof the charge
againfl the Colonies is,' that they had, provided
themfelves with no miniflers at all, or ha(f been fo
fc^nty in their provifiop, that Chrifliahity, on this
account, mu'ft fink and die, , having no better a
fupport. But this, affirmed of the Colonies with
out diflindlion, of limitation, is fo contrary to the
truth of fact, and might have fo eafily been known
to be fo, that I cannot l)ut wonder at his Lord-
fhip's charge. It can, with honor to hiin, bq in
no way a'ccounted for, but by fuppofing, that he
was fome how or other ftiangely mifinfbrmed.
BlefTed be God, we in New-England, nov.' have,
and aU along from the fifft lettlement of the
Country have had, a full provifion of Gofpel-
minifters. * Had they been confecrated after'the
mode of the eflabfiflied Church at home, and his
Lordfhip had known their number and juft.cha-^
racier, he would, I doulbt not, have reverfed what
he has here faid, and have fpoken largely in com
mendation of, at leall, thefe parts of the American
world. The fermon ^oes on, page 6, "A fcandalous
negleft, (this of not making a provifion of miai-
llers) whicfh hath brought great and defer ved re-
* Within the limits of New-Efigland. there are now, at th.e
loweft computation, not lefs than five iiundred and fifty mi-
nillers, fome Prefbyterian, moilly Congregational, who hare
been j^ularly feparated to the paftoral charge of a.s .many
chriftian focieties ; having been firft educated, and graduated,
at one or cither of our colleges. They may be jultly farther
charafterifed as men of a good moral convferfation. Jor fp
fac;-ed,a regard is paid here^to the apoille Paul's directions to
Tiniathy and Titus, t^at a minifter is furely difiniffedfrom
' hisbffice, 'if itajjpears^ thatTie is not " Hamel_efs,as.,a ae'.va>rd
of, God, fober, •lioly, ;juft- and tem.perate in all 'things." !t
has been feid.-byllran-gers whoh^vfe' come among lis, and by
. fome-Churcii-ClergyBien. too, that the workiof the miniJIry is
not more faitifolly a^d dilig,en|:ly performed in any, part 'of
' the chriftian world. A 3t proach

6
proach both on the adventurers, and on the
o-overnnlent whence they went ; and under whofe
protection and power they flill remained in their
new habitations." How far the government at
home have brought upon themfelves V deferved
reproach" for this " fcandalous negleft," I pre-
fume not to fay ; but this I will venture to fay,
that they were as deficient in " protecting*' the
adventurers^ as in " providing minifters" for
them. It is well known here, if not in England,
that it was from themfelves, without any affifl-
ance from the government whence they came,
that they founded and fettled this new world,
amidll a thoufand hardfb.ips; and in oppofition
to the furious malice of the Indian favages, with
whom they were at war, at one time arid another,
at a v^ifl expence of blood and treafure, as long as
;,. they lived ; and their pofterity after them were
many years expofed to like difficulties and dangers,
and went chearfuUy through them, without help
afforded to them from the native home of their
fathers. His Lordfhip proceeds, page 6, " To the
"adventurers, what reproach could be call, hea-
" vier than they deferved ? Who, with their native
" foil, abandoned their native manners and reli-
" gion ; and e'er long were found in many parts
" living without remembrance or knowledge of
" God, without any Divine worfhip, in dillblute
" wickednefs, and the moll brutal profligacy of
*' manners. Inllead of civilifing and convcrtina
_ " barbarous infidels, as they undertook to do,
, " they became themfelves infidels and barbarians-
" And is it not fome aggravation of their fhame,,
" that this their negleft of religion was contrary to
" the pretences and, condition's under which they
'" obtained Royal grants, and public authority to
*' their adventures ? The pretences and conditions *' were.

*' were, that their delign was, and that they fhould
*' endeavour, the enlargement of Commerce, and
" the propagation of Chriftian faith. The former
*' they executed with fincerity and zeal ; and in
" the latter moft notoribufly failed." A ftranger
to the hiftory of thefe adventurers would be obvi-
onfly and unavoidably led, frqm.the defcription in
this paragraph, to conceive of them, " in many
parts" at leafl, as' impious, profligate and difTo-
lutely wicked to the higheft degree of guilt. A
blacker character could not have been given of
"them. But, in " vvhat parts" were the adventurers
thus loft to all fenfe of God and religion ? His
¦Lordfhip has not told us in direCl terms ; but he
has fo dearly and fully pointed out the adventurers
he had in view, by certain defcriptive marks, that
we can be at no' Ibfs to know his meaning in the
limltirig-words, " many parts." Such are thefe
that follow,' " their not civilifing and converting
the Tjarbarous infidels, as they undertook to do ;"
their negleft of this iriftance of religion " in con-
trafiety to the pretences and conditions under
which they obtained royal grants;" and, fi
nally, thefe pretences, and conditions declaring,
that " their design was, and that they would
ENDEAVOUR, THE PROPAGATION OF THE CHRIS
TIAN FAITH," There were no adventurers to
Artierica, who undertook to convert the native-
barbarians, and to whom Royal grants were made
upon this condition, unkfs it wefe.thofe who came
into New-England, Thefe therefore muft be the
adventurers his Lordfhip had more efpecially in
his eye.
And of thefe he declare?, ''"that, with their na
tive foil, they abandoned their native manners and
religion." His Lordlhip could not affirm this
from perfonal knowledge,' as thefe adventurers
A 4 were

W,et-t all (^ead long l^efc^re he canjte into being. Arid
jt is ditficulttjp fay whence .he ,cou|d coUeft, fo
^pniPiing;an account. It is not contained, in ^ny
iiifljory that -ever was wrote, either of them, or of
the fettlement of the Qountfy by -them. No MiC-
fionary from the Society, ._4t is candidly ipefieved,
CDuld be fo bafely wicked, as to tranfmit it home,
-it is fo flanderous and falfe : Nor can it eafily be
ronceived how his Lordfhip could come by it,
unlefs from fome one, or more, who being dif-r
afFei!:ted to the Colonies,, and- rnalicioUfly fee
againft them, took an unbounded liberty in {peak
ing evjil of them, even from their firft beginnings,
Thefe adventurers have fometirnes been blamed
for having too much religion ; but never befor^,
vyithin my knovvledge, for having none, or fqr
having lofl what they had in their " native" land.
¦ It is acknowledged, if their " native religion''
Jay in a blind fubmjffion to Church-po,wer, arbitra
rily exercifed, they did " abandon" it ; and their
¦virtue hereby difcoyered ¦ys^ill be fpoken pf to their
.honor, throughout all generations, by thofe ac-
.quainted ¦with it, who, really believe, in its juft
latitude, this undoubted Gofpel-truth, namely,
that Jefiis Chrift only is fupreme Head and Lord
of the chriftjiaii Church.
But if ,by " abandoning their native religipn"
,is memx, their renoun-cir.g the doftriries of Chrift,i-
.janity as held fgrth in the thirty nine articles of. the
,Church of England, the reveife.of what is here laid
is the truth.^ ' ,The.re indeed ai-e the doftrines that
•:were hA'nicd dow.n from them to their children and
;phi!dren's children ; iififon^ych-'that they are to this
day the ftandard 'of orthodoxy ; and "there are com-
.paratively ,few but :are orthodox in thisifcnfe, unlcis
.-among thofe who profcls, themfelves 'members of
.the Epifcppal Churches. Or if by '" abandoning
.their native religion" t.he thinglnt.nded is, ^'^that

e'er

9
e'er long they were found without remembrance,
or knowledge pf God, or any divine wdrfhip," as
the charge' againft thein goes on in the next words;;
it muft be plainly faiid, it is altogether groundlefs.
There is no faft relative to the Country more cer
tain, than that thefe adventurers fo far " remem-
hrcd and knew God," as to make it one of their
,firft care^ to provide for the tarrying on, main-
taiiung and upholding the worfhip of him, which
they did wherever they extended their fettlements ;
and their pofterity have conftantly took the like
care all along to the -prefent day. There is there
fore no fenfe in which the above repre-Centationcatj
.comport with truth but this, that God caAnot be
worlhipped, at leaft fo as that it may be proper po
fay he is, unlefs the worfhip be carried on accord
ing tp the manner of the eflablilbed Englifh Church.
Sorne of ¦the Society's MifTionarles, I have reafon
to beUeve, are much inclined to think thus ; but I
would not fufpeft fuch a thing of his Lordfliip.
Whkt he has here faid 1 would rather attribute to
jnilinformatipn. It feems to be allowed, that thefe adventurers
had " native manners" ; otherwife they could not,
upon leaving their " native foil, " abandon
them". But they muft have abandoned them to
an enormous height of guilt, to juftify their b,eing
charged " with diffolute wickednefs, and the. mott
brutal profligacy of manners".' Tliefe words are"
fo groily reptoachful, that I could fcarce believe
my ov/n eyes, when I faw them in his Lordihip's
fermon. He muft certainly, however infenfible of
it, have' correfpojided, by word, or writing, with
foine vile Caiu.-nniator.
It would be injuftice to the firft fathers of New-
England, if I did not fay upon this occafion, that
fome of them were exceeded 'by few, in point of
patural,. or acquired accomplifhmen.s ; and by far
8 - --- ' Jtbe

JO
the greater part of them were eminently holy, men j
, pious toward God, jealous of the honor of Chrift
.as fole head of the Church, fober, juft, kind,
meek, patient, difengaged in their affeftion to
-things on the earth, and intirely refigned to the
¦ all wife righteous Governor of the univerfe. And
-of this they exhibited the ftrongeft evidence, by
1 their truly chriftian deportment under far greater
, trials than good men are ordinarily called to.
• They forfopk every thing near and dear to them in
their native land, from a regard to him who is
" King in Sion". And when they removed to the
then American wilds, and found themfelves fepa
rated- from their friends by a wide Ocean, withput
• the conveniences, and of'ten in want even of the
necefTaries of life^ furrounded with difficulties,
: and expofed ro all manner of hardfhips and dan
gers ; what could tempt them to continue there, if
. they had been thofe " infidels, barbarians, diflb-
. lutely wicked and. brutal profligates", they are re-
prefcnted by his Lordfhip to have been ? What,
in this cafe, could have prevented their return to
their friends, and the comforts of their native
home ? As they are fuppofed to have loft all con-
fcience toward God, if they ever had any, Church
impofitions could have been no pbftacle in their
way. They might, in lliort, with infinitely more
-reafon, have been fpoken of as fools, or mad-men,
than irreligious profligates. It may, I believe,
be faid with ftrift truth, there are none, now in
England, of any denomination, in high or low
oQice, or none at all, who are under circuraftances
that put it in their power to give fuch indubitable
proof of their being truly upright good men.
And I wifh they may never fee the time when
they will have opportunity, by fimilar trials, to
give as good evidence of their integrity. The
Miffionaries from the Society at home, may be
efleemed ,

ii
tfteerfied there, men of uncommon attainments iii
Chriftian piety, difcovered in their, zeal to pro-,
mote the caufe of Chrift; but they nex'er yet
exhibited, and, in all probability, •will never be
able to exhibitj like ample proof that this. is their
real charafter. No Miffionary was ever fent hither,
till the Country, through a \^ft extent^ was fub-
dued, cultivated and fettt?^', fo as to render living
here comfortable and pleafant. Arid as tkey are
moftly fixed in populous towns, in which they
may eafily be furnifhed with conveniencies, and
are expofed to no hardfhips Pr hazards but what
are common to mankind in general ; they can have
opportunity to give no other than common evi
dence of the goodnefs of their charafter ; and
while they give this, we will own ourfelves fatisfied
with it, though others fhould nvOt be farisfied with
that which is much ftronger, in regard of, much
more important men.
I fhall only add here. The adventurers to this
then inhofpitable land, muft have the honor of
being owned the original fettlers of a Country,
.which, in time, if not prevented by oppreffiv&
meafures, will probably enlarge the Britifh Em
pire in extent, grandeur, riches and power, far be-
. yond what has ever yet been known in the world.
. It is pity, after fuch a long courfe of labors, hard
fhips, dangers and fufferings, as they heroicly
went through, to prepare the way to what the
Country now is, and may be in after times ; I
- fay, it is pity their afhes lliould be raked into, and
their memory treated with reproach, greater than
¦which was never deferved by any of the fons of
Adam, in any part of the earth. , They are gone
to receive -the reward of their fidelity to their Sa
vior and Lord; and their reward, it may be,
will be inhanced by means of the undeferved obloquies

Ii
quies that have been caft upon, the'm' in this
fermon. , ,
As to the charge, in the next words, that, ^' in^
ftead of civilifing and converting barbarous infi
dels, as I'hey undertook to do, they became them
felves , ihfidels and barbarians"; and that it was
*' forne, aggravation of their fhame, that this their
negleft of religion was contrary to the piretences
and cpnditions,, under which they obtained Royal
grants, and public authority to their adventures" :
As to this charge, I fay, it would, I believe, if
fattened upon any other body of men, profefTing
godlinefs, "be efleemed highly Unchriftian, f^ad
a hint Only of this' nature been fuggefted, relative
to the Society, in whofe audience this cenfure was
delivered, this, and much "wrorfe, would have been
faid. of it, and defervedly too. And yet, that So
ciety have, without all doubt, been as deficient in
their endeavours to propagate the Gpfpel in thefe
"foreign parts", where it was moft needed, and in
contrariety to the defign of their incorporation too,
^5 was ever true of thefe adventurers, * For, by-
far

¦* What has >been done by thefe adventtirers may be feeti iri
the general account that is given of their labors in fome fol
lowirig notes. And if the faSs there related ftsould be fet iri
contraft with the abftrafts of the Society, jelative to the Jn-
dians, it would appeasi- at once, that, from the time of tlieir
incorporation to this day, tliey have dane little, very little,
in comparifon therewith. Their principal care has been to
prtjpagate the church of England ; and this, not fo much in.
thofe places, where there was real need of Miffionaries for the
ijiftr'jftion oi people in the knowledge of Chrift, or to fet up
the worfhippf Godaraong them, as where there was a fiiHnefs
of means for fuch inftruftion, and divine worfhip y^as a;lready
fet up, and as generally and devoutly. attended as in:Englaiid
itfelf. Many thoufands of pounds fterling have been thus
expended, where there was no v*ant of it for the propagation
oithe Gofpelj unlefs thaj means the propaga:tion 6f the Irpif-
copal

1^
far the greater part of their money has been ex
pended, if we may judge by their own abftrafts,
not in miffions to convert the Indian-natives, not
in miffions to fet up and maintain the -worfhip of"
Gpd,

copal mode of ferving God. And what has heen the eifeiS of
this vaft expence.? If we look over the Society's -aibfti-aas, we
ihall find one account from -their, Miffionaries is, ''. We have
baptifed fo many within fuch a time : fo many adult, and fo .
many children, white or black:" Every one of which cd'uld,
as well have been baptifed without a Ihilling of this expence,
if it might have been done byminifters Viot ep'ifcopaUy qualified
for this work. Another account amounts to this, '•' There is
the profpecl of a Church in this and the other place ; we have
been invited to preach here and there ; fo many have pro-
feiTed themfelves members of the Church, and more are in
clined this way." But of whom are thefe declarations made «"
Nqt of thofe, who were brought up in ignorance of the chrif
tian religion ; not of thofe, who were deflitute of .the means
of falvation ;' not of thofe, who had not the opportunity, and
did not in faft.make ufe of it, to attend the public worlhip of
God: No ; bMt of perfons, who have only changed, or were
inclinable to change, one mode of religioully ferving God for
another; and too often, there is reafon to think, without
having thoroughly inquired into matters of this nature. Some
times an account is given of the " good morals of the people, "
of their charge." It rnight, I believe, with exaft juftice, be
faid, thefe were as good before, as {ir.zs, their going to
Church. The plain truth is, had one half the money bse.i
fpared, for other ufes, that has been expended upon New.. ,
England, thofe places on the American Continent whicii need
it much more, might have been better provided with the means
of falvation: Without all controverfy, \hs poor Indian; might
have had more laborers fent to them, both in- the capacity of "
miniJlers and fchool-mafters ; and, it is probable, a large
harveft of fouls would, by this time, have been gathered in
for Chrift from among them, it is generally thought herre, if
a Jefs proportion of this money was employed for the fupport
of a party, and a far greater for carrying the Gofpel to the
numerous aboriginal natives, who are totally ignorant of the
true God, and of his fon Jefus Chrift, it would be as tionorary
to the Society, and as " acceptable in the fight of God our
Savior, who will have all men to be faved, and to come to the
kno-,i/ledge of the truth." I fliai;

14
God, where he was fcarce worlhipped at all ; but
in miffions to, thofe places in which the Gofpel was
preached before, as truly and faithfully, as it has
been.fince ; if it. be only fuppofed, that this can
be dope by miniflers, not ofiiciadng according to
the order of the church of England. If one
were to colleft their fentiments from their conduft, ,
as reprefented in thefe abflrafts, it muft be con
cluded, that, with them, the prppagation of the
Gofpel, and the eftabliflnment of Epifcopacy in the
I fliall not think it unfeafonable, or improper; to fubjbin '
here, "We are efpecially grieved, that the Society at home are
not more zealous in their endeavours to propagate 'the Gofpel
among the Indian nati'ves .; as an effeftual bar, a few years
iince, was laid in the way of our exerting ourfelves to this
purpofe, at leaft by the inftrumentality of a Corporation among
oar felves. The ftory ig briefly this.. Upon the conclufion of
the late war, a general fpirit was raifed in the people here, to
endeavour the enlargement of the Redeemer's kingdom, by
fending the Gofpel to the Tribes of Indians on our weftern
borders. They were defirous this affair Ihould be put under
the managfement of fome among our felves of well-eftabli(hed
reputation for wifdom, judgment and piety, and that they
fliould be incorporated by an aft ©f the Government to this end.
Two thoufand pounds fterling were, in a few days, fubfcribed,
in Bofton only, upon this condition. An incorporating aft
was accordingly prepared, and paffed by the whole Legiflature
of this Province, and fent home for his Majefty's approbation,
without which it could not continue in force. But it foon met
with a negative ; by means whereof this whole money was loft,
and as much more we had good reafon to expeft would have
been fubfcribed, befide the income of many hundred pounds
fterling that had been devoted to the fervice of the Indians. 1 1
is hoped, the accounts we have had are not true, that the ne
gative upon this aft was principally owing to the influence of
fome of the moft important members of the Society for the pro
pagation of the Gofpel. "We are content not to have the honor
of employing our own money in endeavours to Gofpelife thefe
Indians, if the Society will heartily and thoroughly engage in it.
We ftiall rejoice to find, by their abftrafts, that needfitl ^ if-
fionaries are fent to them ; and far from throwing any obfta-
cles in their way, we will do all in our power to encourage and
help them. .3 Britifh

^5, '
Britifh Colonies, were convertible terms. But'
this in tranfitu.-
Our complaint is, that the charge here brought
againft thefe adventurers has really no foundation
for its fupport. It is not pretended, that their
endeavours to convert the natives were unmixed
with human frailty. In common with other
good men, in other virtuous undertakings, they
had, no doubt, their failings ; but not fuch as'
may, with truth or juftice, be called notorious onts,'
And it is really unkind, I may rather fay cruelly
hard, to reprefent them to the world, as " becom
ing themfelves infidels and barbarians", inftead of
ufing their endeavours to " convert barbarous in
fidels". It is not eafily conceivable, wherein they
could have exerted themfelves with more zeal, or-
in more prudent ways, in endeavouring to enlarge
the borders of Chrift's kingdom in thefe " \itter- ,
moft parts of the earth", by making the native
barbarians the members of it. It was out of their "
power to fupport Miffionaries among thefe hea
then ; but, in other ways, they laid themfelves out
to the utmoft of their power, as they had oppor
tunity, for their inftruftion in the " knowledge of
God, and Jefus Chrift, whom to know is life eter
nal," And by their labors, efpecially as encou
raged and affifted by the London Society, and
more privately, they fo far effefted the converfion
of them, as that numbers were prepared and dif-
pofed to make an open profeffion of their faith in
Jefus Chrift. The facred books of the old and new
teftament were, in their day, by the fkill and labor
of the indefatigable eliot, * tranflated into the
Indian

* He is to this day often Ipokeii of in that honorable ftyle,
THE APOSTLE OF THE INDIANS, Jt was with great labor he
Blade himfelf mafter of the Indian language ; and,, as foon as ^
hp"

t6
Indian language, and difperfed among tHe. natlVe*
for their inftvuftion in things pertaining to the
kingdom of God,, and of Chrift. And through
his affiduous endeavours, vvith thofe of the renpwn-
fed MAYHEw's, * and other worthies,; a conKdei:- ,
ablie
he was thus accompliflied, he preached- to them m their owrt '
tongue, and in many of ' their villages : And, by the bleflJii'g'
of God on his diligent endeavours, ¦" many believedi'^Aff-
turned to the Lord." He foon had fW.feral compardoiis; and
afterward fiicceflbrs, who, were faithful and zealous, in ; in-
ffirufting thefe favages in the Gofpel methpd of falvation;
Schools were e'refted among them, and fuch "bcJOks p'OrintOf'
their hands, in their native language, as their edi^ie'atJoiilGal-
led for. 1 he cOnfequence was, that, in feveral ¦villagth^ ^Ih-',
¦diavs met togsethpr every Lord's day' fof the worfhip of: God
through Je/us. Chrift, an.dChurches, of ^h.em were gathered,
w"ho " walked in the fe'ar of the' Ldrd," and the rfcligiOus
obiervaiion of all Gofpel-ordinances. To the bible, cftir
Eliot added averfton of the Plalntis in Indis^'Metre/ which it
Wfjs their praftice to ling. This Inctian BiUe. is the only ond ¦
that was ever printed in this hemifphere of the univerfe ; as'it
isexprefled in" the attefiation whence the above aSftraft is talcsni
which 1 (hall- have occafion to mention' in the next'note; I
fiiall only add here, from, Dr. Cotton Mather, in a-fermoa;
printed i6g8, that- ". there were then in this Province more
than thirty Indian ailemblies, and more than -thirty, hfindred
chriftian Indians."' ' ..i. . ...
' Mi-/ 1 hofflas' Mayhew, fon of an exfcelient! man of this
iiame, began, "in another part of the Province, the wo'rk of
gpfpelifing; the infidel-natives,, fo faxback as 1642. And this
good vi'ork has been carried on, by otie'and another of" this
name and farhily, fi-dm that^dayto thist In 16517, man^-'
h*indred Indian mca and women were added' to the chriftian-
Societies in this pan of the Country, of fuch as might 'be faid
to be "holy in their, converfationj" 'and that did not need^
for knowledge, to be taught' " the firft prirfdples of the bi'a- '
cles of God," beftde nmny iMndrcd's of more fuperficial prot
fe'ifors,. ¦ In the year 1689, the Indian church under the care of
Mr. John Mayhew, fon of the above Thomas, confiftedofan
hundred, commuriicants,, walking according to the rule of the
fcfiptures. This is an extraft from the ; Rev. ' Mi*, 'l hom^
Prince's general account of the -Englifli minifters> who prefided
at Manha-'s "Vineyard* , ¦ ¦ . :
^ " ' ' Th«

ij
^Wnubber of churche^i under the (iivine bleftiti|i'
were gathered, cdnfifling of ikoiAN tilembersj
many of whom gave p^oor of the Reality of their
cbnverfion; .by their -walkitig ih the fdith dnd order
®f the Gofpel, fo as to adorn the doftrihe of hirnj
¦whom they n®w called theit only Savior ahd Lbrdi
Some of thefe churches- ha-ve cWinued in fufccef-
fion even to this d^y, with Englifh, or Ihdian
faftors at their headi * The above repreffentatiori
^¦¦' : ,, ' ' '4
, The Rev. Mr. Expefie Ace- Mayhew; fori of the before riien*
jioned'John, and father of.the late memorable Dr. Mayhew, i
Gentleman p£ fuch fuperior jriatiiral endowments, that he
•would, had he been favoured with coiiimon advantages, ha-K^
been: ranked ata'ong the firft worries of" Nevif-Ehgland ; and
Who fpent a life protsrafted fevferil ytai-s beyond eighty, in tHe
fervice. of jth!2|gidians, putliih'ed, iAthe year,i72 7, an oftav5
ydflffl^, entitled Indian Cpa-z/erts ;. in S^hich he has -given an
ftccouAt'of the liv^S of thirty Indian njihift'ers, arid aboi^j:
eighty Indian men, womfert; knd yoUiig p^rfoiisj withiri tlie
|imits-only,c^Marthia's, VinByard, anMaBdin Maffachufett's
jPi-ovince. .And of thefe, a^ he waS a Gentleman of eftablilh'.
fed reputation for both judgtnent and veracily, it may be chas-
ritablyfaid, they were all^real toriverts to the faith of Chriit,
-andfomeof theai iil fi. diftihg^iftiihg degriee, clearly' eVfldfenced
by their in^nijer of jife, which was fuch as may make mahy-
fengliiii profeifors blurfi, of .whom it may be hoped, that they
are chriftiahs in tr'utli, as well as name. In the Attefiation to
this accouilt, figned by elev^^n Bofton niinifteri; ibme bf whom
are no\?^ dlive, it is.feid; " That they ^h6 may ignorSntly
" ?.nd imperioufly fay; nothing has, been doifiei . jnStJf be coft-
*' futed ; aiid that they, who are defirous to fee fomething
" that has been done, may. be entertained and gratified ; h^je
'' is ndi;^ eithiHited a coUeftion of eSani^les, wherein the^lg-
" riotis gl-ace <5f odr great Rddeenier Bas appeared tp, aild on,
" thS INDIANS of New-England. It muft" riot 6e imagined,
" thefe dr'eall that could have been bollfeaed ; ibr all thefe ar^
" felefted orily from 8ne liland."— — It i§ faid farther, " tfie
author of this hiilory, Mr. Experience Mayhew, is a perfon
of ittcel/ttefii ble veracAy : — We agkin fdy, Ms irutli may be relied
on, his fidelity is irreprodckM^" ,
• There are, at this day, withiri the Pfbviilce of the Maflit-
• chufett's Bay ohly, fixteen mihiftfers, Englifh and Indian,
Iftatedly laboring, either as Paftors of fo ihany Indian churches;
B of

it8.
is fo generally known here tocbntain'the j&ltrucli^
that it was greatly furprifing to m^ny, to;^e/hi&
Lordlhip fo . impofed uppn by fuch as .were^e^libef
grofly ignorant of what ,bad been dotie:; by -thefe
adventurers, or wicked fenpttgh,- in oppofition Oa
their knowledge, to give .him an account chat was
odioufly^alfe and .injurious.
His Lordfhip proceeds,.-'^' -the pnetenceS' aud
" conditions were, that their defign w.as,:faHd'thAt
" they fhould endeavour, the enlargement of com-
^' merce, and the propagation of chriftian faith.
" The- former they executed with fincerity and
" .zeal ; in the latter moft- notorioufly failed." He
then adds in the immediately foUo.wing p^^ragraph,
'' Their "failure herein might •.well, have been ex-
" pei^ed. Rehgion and traffic, their two profe.ffed
" objefts, are hut ill yoke-fellows, , beirfg apt t,9
" draw qiiite different', ways ;. And me,n who with
" defperate hardinefs invade-unknown difficulties
"¦ and dangers in queft of gain^ could not be fup-
-" pofed to be much concerned about fpiriiual
"*' interefts, Rejigion is butan impedimeiit in the
" way of avarice : Many things therdD-y- pfohi-
" bited, are deemed allowable, and ftick clofe to
"traffic," Some of the adventurers to this part
'of the world rnight have the affair of commerce
principally , in their view; but, notwithftanding
their " fincerity and ' zeal j" they foon found their
or as Preachef^ to aflembjies of Indians that -mejst^together for
divine worlhip ; nine Englifh Lefturers, and -feven ftated
' SchoSl-inafters, befides .occafional ones :¦ All which are tinder
the care of CdmmilTioAers here fromjthe honorable Company
for the propagation of the Gofpel in new-England, and
parts adjacent iti America, The above accputit was handed
to me from the records of thefe pommjifioners. There aj;e,
at the fettlement caU'ed Maftipe, two hundred india;n3, up4er
the care of the. Rev, Mr-, Hawley, who knovif .lio God befide
the ever-living Jehovah, arid ftatedly pay v/orlhip to hjm.
through the one Mediator Jefus Chrift, .,^ mift'ake

lt}i|3jafe&;;ih ;^f?oftll -difapppintmen^ . ,.aad pofVly rr-€v
«Brnefi-!hpflne.i The .fettleiis-of tbis,^fi?gt -f^f .-Amiq-
rica were men of another turn. Liberty to worfhip'
Hidii t^m^b ^'ihe. dilates \af ,co^faenie,-wid^ -t|)j;
grand (mo^ve- to theira-emoval -hither ; and ^the ?«/'oy-
ineiit t)f 'this /fi'i?r(j' at' ffo great ~a diftiirtce from
^p7;ejjive power -was "their fUppdrt. il^^,^^;?. , he^tiyiejr
.trials than cahieafily bei.cphcei'ved of; b-y thofe "wh®
have never been in a wildernels-couritny,'.i s'lt i-nig'Ht
therefore be %ell expefted df fuc;h;'me'n,: if df iaiiy
•ii^ |?he world, that they, fliould not 'be.' .'guilty of
" notorious failures ;" as it. is certain ,-.th.ey .were
not. It is ackno_wledged, if *' religion and traffic"
-had .been their '"'two profefred;-bibjM's," 'they
would, have l^een 'Sbiit ill yoke.fellpwsi." for the
.reafan-s his Lordfhipiafnghs. i And,toay,it not ¦be
faid,' for the Hke reafons,"with equasl^f^i'Opriety and
trU{h»,, ^hat worldly d'i-gnjty, richeV alid' ppwe'r^
joinediiwith a pro%fIiQn.,;and defign'- co advance
-she -intereft of " a kingdomt that is-"nbt of this
-world," "are as-'ilK'ttiatehed 'cornpanions .^' Good
.may be, has been, arid, X truft, ''ii now dofile by
thofe", in whofe view there was a, regard .to the
honoi*s and riches of this world, as well as thd pro
motion 'of Chriftianity j and the farrte' may b'i faid
of, others, in whofe' defi'gn the objefts united wepe
religiion and traffici'*: But thefe are cafes not .very
-¦¦ ' ¦ • ¦ ' i ' common -^j
* An illuftrious inftanCe we ha-ve of this in '.Mi"- Thomas
Mayh^vv^ tJie firft of this na,me in America. He came over
as a i^erchant to the.Nilaflachufetts,. in the early times of that
.plantatibn, and,- meeting with difappointments in his bufmefsi
he pr.ociited, in 1641, a Grant or Patent oT $ir Ferdinando

led him, though now about fifty-five years of age, to Tparn fo
muQhof the. language, of the natives as was needful to'under-
ilan^ and di'fcourfe with them. , 'And as he gre.v in this ac-
.^ B 3 'quiremeht,

dJmmbh'; ii vrc fhall foon fee, if \^e orily look
into J)aft hiftory.- By fci daing it will |(e#h^ps b«
ijuireWehti he was 'greiitly h^pfiii to.hij',fop Thomas, now 4
prq^cher to them; in thepSoHs ^ark of 'making; them Chriff
tians. Upon the lofs of this his excellent ^nS. onjy fon iii
1657,, though now in the fevf ritjeth ,5rSa;r 'of his age,; an holy
zeal for tfie |li6i:y -of 'God, ahda irie^ ;cpriipaffianate charity
for the Ibuls 'of the -perifhing Indians,. kindle iip in his breaftj
Theytraife hjin abovecall thofe cpremonies, forms and diftinc-
tions that lay ijj jh.S!way,.'and which he-aceoUtited .as iipthing
in coriipetitioiiwjtli their eternal falvation ; and he thereupon
refolves, having lid.prpif^ei^'JDf a, regniar'mjnifter, to do his
utmoft to'carif oh tKfe g6od "wdtk that had been begun among
them, nqtw.ithft^njHiig; aM-eKterrdfdifttculties an4 difcourage^
ments. • He freqiieiitly vifited,' converfed '\Yi.thi;-afld iriftru£le^_
this poor people. He weiit once a wj^^k ta.fqriie o'f thsir ;plari'r
tationS; At fa advanced an agej ke fet himfelf with.uniivearied -
diligenfce to perfeQ: himfelf ih their difficult language-^ and'^
though a Governprj ,,yet *(ra4 not aihamed to beconie a preachar
among them., He ordinarily preached to fome of their afleiri-
fclies one day every week as long as hg lived. And hjsheart
•Was fo exceedingly engaged in the fefvit*, 'that-he.fpared 'life
.|)aiiis, tior. fatigussat & great ab age therein ; f6metiniies'tr%-'
vellili^ Oft foot niglj twenty miles thioQghjtlve woqds to preach
and vifitj wjiere tjtere was no Eiigfifli houfe ngiy tqj lodge at
iiii his abferice frbih home. In a 'fe\* years fime^ tcitli the
afliftante of thofe rSligious I'ndtaiis Who taught on the Lotd's-
day, he perfuaded the patives on the weftiend of tjie j[4?n4.tp
receive the Gofpel, who ha?l ma^^yjgrs beifn obftjnately re.-
folved againft it ; fo that now the ,|n'dl{ins q^ thei-Ifles'of Klar-
,tha's Vineyard arid Nantiicke't mig^t jiiftly bear the nSftie ejf
Chriftian. The n'mnber of their ad'ilhp bii both thefe I.flands,
vvas then a)>out three thoufand. He went on laborioiifly in
this noble work of -promoting the falvation of the fouls of thefe
Indians, to the.ninptyrthird year of his age,. when he (JiejJ td
t|ie gre^t lament^ioH boith of the Englifh an4 Indi^s.-r-
"WKdh' tne Incorporated Soclfty'at honie ftj^U (be flt> iS their
pious 'izeal for the prop%atioi? of the Goipel- to etnplby Mif-
lionafies, i^s th^ migl\V eafily 4p» Mriong thp indtM'k^then
'fettled all Over this Continen^i ^p ^(h^ll exert the-ihffelves
¦with like refplute ^iligeiice afld fi^eJify, to " turn the'm froih
'darkriefs to light," in ppp'df(tieh t^^ll the difficuhies and
hardftiips they may be called to cdil'tend ^vith, we will " highly
efteem them in love For their Work's fafee;" and, i^ead af
"treating their names vvith reprtaeh, \v-| will grja^iy " hoirpr
"fheift in the Lord." .;: foundj

af
fovind, that the conheftion of honors, riches and
power, with enipUjyments that are fpiritual, hajj
been as fruitful an occafion bf pride, haughtinpfs,
tarnperingwith Pflnpes, and adyifing, an<i helping
forward o*ppreffi^^ tyranny over co^nfcience^ as
the mixture of '^ traffic with religion" has ev§r
been of thofe' deceitful. fraudulent a^s the latter
prohib'its.' ^ c .
It follows in the next words, ." Commerce in-
^' deed has been the occafion of communicating
^' the knowledge of Chrift from nation to nation ;
*' but perfons engaged.-^thereiri have not ".been the
*' communicators of' it: Th^sir bufinefs is of anr
*' other fort. But this, has been., done by othei:
f' men, detachedframworldly affairs, and zealqu^
i"^ and flciiful in dis^'ins knowledge ; who» taking
^ the' advantage of the ihtercourfe opened by tliem
"with other views,. :.ha.ye preached the gofpel
*' 'where it -was before unknown. In this way oiif
•" Planters have excelled^ having giyen double
i" occafion of propagating cjiriftianity among the
*f native heathen of thefp regions, and ftmong
*' themfelviss alfo, who: foon became Jifithpp."
By the . firft recited word^ in thjs p^.flage» the
idea obvioyfly and intentionally coijvgyed tq the
world isj that our Planters, .being, engaged in the
bufinefs of traffic, might \be the ocjiafipn of cpmir
tnunicating the knowledge of Chrift to the barba
rians here, but that -they were not themfelves the
pfflmunkacors jof it. This -was dqne by others,
no doubt- the' worthy, miffiopatieg from the Society,
at home ; : who, being detached from. woi'Wy affairs,
and zealous and fkiifol in di-^ine knowledge, took
occafion, : from thg- intercoyrfe that had ^eeja
i&penedrwith thole to jrwhom the Gofpel was vin-
known, fo preach it tQ.them.K .So -that .it ftiould
feem, thefe MifTionariesi'^rno:^. t^^-; Planters, were
¦ctftsoijly perfons who had any haod in, propagating
: - :' ' B 3 p " Chriiti-

mi
JChriftikriitytinJthefetpartS'Crf'the;' world. -...'A gPO.(|ftr
-account - tnjl y J"? ¦ Noth i ngi'j cwjdfl: ha v(3 - ; beett^. faij
moF& h()tte^ie^lBis|ier-io£(ihe?SBeietyi, 'qxi their Mj-f-
fionpri^si^' '^aigiu-ibfe-i gloEy .rsflafi!® {OGi'/.tbeih - fhines
the b'ftfg;}ie^f<,cas':iB'ds"aoai)>trafted>..with the.t higheft
TepJ'oacri tlispii^ilild :be -caflfionithe Elaniexs.' > The
good pk)^IiiiiH:E43gland,i3Khb. ace unacquaint-ed
with the tranfadtions in this ne-w -world,'cjJi3aay.;be
led," froni'^'the '^hefee. repr^fentaition, intOiej£^lted
apprehenfloffs; bfithe ^ienscTendbavours , bath, of ; ..the
&jclety a.'SdJ'C^heir Mrffibnari^Si . It is indeed, well
adapted fO'open their.hearisiaij|i. haads! iitiE^intribu-
tions-to oaifry-dn what theyloharvse fbj<,>hopefsilly
begunv^ BuC'^hc unhappineife is^-iiea'KQnlao^eiareh
are not' -laore'diftanb'iioiii'-ieJKtfirtiiBTeEvbthaQ^^ '
account is^fto-m th&truth' ofcthtfjcafe ;. as;W^,.who
live- lief6,d& .certainly kno-wia "iFon .which:: reafon,
to fay ndfhiti'g'-mar^ 'iliHKiih,,!'^© .are: really .'aft©*-
nifhedj c-^^f'. r.-viau -''..'•¦¦h(\ : ¦/ -.¦,.. .. -•>
¦ By-th#tet^r;'wordi^ a .gifeafcmyftery ist-flpetied.
It' alway^"' appe4*yd to us- • £tn'.unaxicquntat)!fej;-tbi!n^,
that the ¦ Society for propagStingntheiGoi^iei in
thefe-f&^e-ign paWs, .fltoiilHo i'ay o^BfudsIstJ&fijms
of-' tbejri'tin^rfcyjin fupportiiigrMiffibnarieSi efpe
cially in'places that Were3m:oft populpUs'y- and bad,
as-we ife^ined,; the le-aftj'need of, them ^,-biit:tbe'i
dfffle!i>%'" 4si » n-ov/ "¦unravdied. : We n had I given
" DouB'LiE GCGAsiON of propagating,! .Chri-ftjani.tyv'
that'-iS^-'Ofc^'ASiON " AMOJNjG OURfSEL'VES; WHO
SOON BE.c'Ai^iiE^'ti'E'A'rH&N.," .£16 'Well: as - "i amoof
the native heathen- of thefe iregionsv'',; It: is;je'sfily
perCeivabk-,-i"'fi<"S¥n: What'is' here farfl,r that ,- not only
his-Lordlh-ipj -but the incorporated iSociety, before
whom he' prtabhedji lUnMs itneir votaof thatikfewaJ
a meer cbii|)Mm^t^ ISsMvopSn u's^aiS .hlaiwi^jatta^e
otfrfelv^s ¦"*/Heitherf;""l:iA)i»dj iftbiq dsQur, juft
eharadler^" pr^p^J cSi^afi^n': .wasr"'loffered.>.:forr,!tbif
'* propaigatiqii M^'-C){M'km.f^'- among: .xi'S;}:p
3 '; ¦• " ' *the:

e
they hu'v'g'i kindly pitied'- otir wretched cafe, ahd
fentaVaft^fupply df help to deliver us out of it.
We' arC'h&areiiy foriy lb Very refpetSable a bbdy of
men* ihotild' entertain' fUth a bad opinion of us. It
can be owing toj one or other of thdfe tWo caufes
(Sn-ly. Thfcy either' thinTc, With fome they have'
fifitf to life,- that' we have no true miniflers, no accept-
ahie laorfhipy no vdid' adminifiration- of facraments.,
and,- in. a word, no religion of any value; as our
ffiiriift-0ry 'HaVe'rtot had the hands of fdme Bifhop., in*^
a'liahl^fiiti^Mbn' froth the Apofiles., impofed on them,
and our rekgioas fervices are perfumed conformably^
pB^'i^e'-'MSfdlW of oun cimfiiences, ^cffid'-'Tiot that decent
Jbrnt'w^lMhas been' epablifBed- "by the (government at
hOfHei O^they ha-ve been':' led, by crtiellyhard and"'
notorioufly fHlfe repfelBntaftions of us, to' imagine,
that' we are become like to the nativ'e barbarous'
heMhfen- tKeiiiftPvesj ignorant of God and our
obligations -to .him--, without any fenfe of religion,
or pradli<3al regard to it ; arnd given uj!) to commit
all Uncleafinefs' and wickednefs \vith greedinefs.
We^ -would' not think fd' reproa'chfully either of
his'LiOrdfhip, or the Society, asto attribute.the ill
opinion they have-con<;eived qf us to the firft of
thefe batifes' : Nor fhall. we be brought to it by any
thing Ihort oi their pkin affirmation in, the cafe.
We cannqt therefore but fuppofe, that the Colo
nies -have beein fet before their vie w^n an horribly
abulive light, by fome fecret back-biters and re-
vilers, through bigotry, prejudice, malice, ihtefelt,
or fome other lull; of the flefh or mind, ¦ •
His Lordfhip,- in the next paragraph, haying
ye'flefted blame upon- the GoVernment in thefe
times for the ^' defe6tion" he had charged the
Colonies' With, ar^d aggravated this blame by fe-
yeral weighty confiderations, expreffes himfelf,
p. 10, in t-hefe Wbrds, '" Now' this great evil, irre-»
*« ligion,' might 'at'fitft have eafily been prevented
¦^- -—• ^ B 4 " gtQwiiig

^ growing in our CoJQt|jesi hut the fame 'eyiFi:
^ having^been l\?fFered to groWj hath been found
'f fo hard to ejcpell, th^t noWj afi:er miore than
*i 60 ye^rs diligent ende^vqur, it is very far fron^;
*^ being fifadicated," If by irreligion, the great:
c;yil fpoken ofj i? meaptj the great impiety of.
ferving Qod, withotjt dojng it tfter th"^, mode: of:
the eftablilhed Church a; horne, it \s acknowledged,
its "i growth wa(? Ao't prevented at firft,*' if it.
ipight have been; and , it has beeit " fuffered to
fow" fver fince, -without interruption, until about-
e pm^ qf-'tjie !l^evolutipn m England,vand fmce
en by ^he Society fof the propagation of the.
(^oljpel in foreigt^ Rarts; 4-nd if is hoped, by at;
ie%ft twenty njrie ijl thirty throughout ']S[,ew-Eng-.
land, t^at; it w^ll, inftea,d of being- ^r^dicatedj go..
on tp, gro^, even tq the ^n]^ qf time, notwithftand
ing all fffort^ tha^ may |^e ma|de tq th? contrary.
If this be "4rrdigipn," Wg ate npt afhamed to
glory in it, though W^ ihbuld be actrounted S!^- fools
fq'r thus glqrying \" npr are th^e wanting ^hofe
Jiere, v^ho "would efteem it " better to die than
that any tp^ft/' 9^ body of men, ^' fhould make
their glqrying vpjd'' in this refpeft* But if by the
1* growth pf irreligioi^" fiis Lordfhip would be
underf^ood tq nieqn, the increafe of irreverence
toward Qo^, expref^ed in an unbecpip.ing treatr
piehc of his ijame, perfections, apd goyprnifig
authority ; u.nrighteQufnefs toward ijienj difcqvered
inthevaripus ways of fraudulent arid oppreffive
aealing; and a dilr^gard tqthe great chriftian l^w
pf fqhinety, made manifell by an; indqlgenpe tp
fride, luxiiry, ektrajvagance, ungleaijnefs, "and
ifhofe other luftswhich= argue the -want of .due felf-
government J 'I fay^'if 'th{s ^s what hi§ Lprdfhip
n-iean,s by " the growth of irreiigion,'.' he .had no
need! to have looked fo far for it as ithefe diftan^:
jegions. Unlefs the l^n^ which : ^ave oi^r fore-
..;.. . ' fathers

H
^thers birth is greatly abufed, bpth by its owii
inhabitants, and "bthers who have been there, it
dqes not eome at all behind the Colonies in thisj'
kind of growth, ev^n hejghti^^d in malignity :
While yef^ the whole body of duly ai^thorife^Ckr-
gymeq, fiJp^riqr gnd jpferior, h3,ve, if they have
dqne their duty, been diligently* emplqyjt^gtheip
time and pains^ for n^ore 'than fixty years many
timqs tpld, to^jye chegl^ to it; ^nd upclef the ^d-
yantage top of that eftablifh^d mqde of performing
divine fervice, which, fof a long t^me, was not iri
life here. And if the abpunding grp^ch of ini-r
quity- could nbt'bp preyenjed at honie hiy the
.united force of fq rnany regularly ordained mini
flers,- high and low, faithfully laboring to ptomPte
fo good, a ^eiign, ^nd in conformity to the pre-
fcribed order qf the he&, ^cligiqus e||ablifhmenc in
the'wor|d;" why ftiould it be thi)Ugh| ftrange, if
ther^ \^as the growth of likp ba^ fruit in the Co
lonies, which tquld not have been Cq fully favoui-T
ed with the enjoyment of thefe advantages ?
. What the true 'ftate of the fouthern Colonies
|s, * I leave to be defcribed by thofe who are bettei?
acquainted
. * The grefent Ar.ch-BIfhpp o^ Canterbiiry, in his fociety^
fermon, preached, in 1741, when he was Bilho.p o.f Oxford,
ipeaking of iifpre of tl^e Bfitjfli Cploiiies than one, fays,
page 5, ?' 'fhere were fcarce any footfteps of Chriftianity
" left, Ijeyqnd the nieer n^rae, N^, Teacher was known, no
'' religious aflembly held; ^he I,ord'§-day diftinguilhed only
*' by more general 4i'^°'"i^^''^^s ; the facrament "of baptifni
" not adminiftr^^ fcif {i^at twenty years together, nor>that of
'' the Lord's {q-pper for near fixty, aniong m^ny thoufands of
f people, who did not deny the obligation of thefe duties,
f bi)t U'?ed notwithftanding in a ftupid negleft of chetii.'J
The more foij^th^rn Colonies, it is fvtppqfeti, are here held
Jorth to view ; as tlie defcription cannot, with fo much as th«!
ihadow of trijth, Reapplied to anyotnet., And according to
"this reprefentation of them, they we^e. certainly fit objeft? o^
tfi^ Society's conip^ffion^te regards^ -efpfecially as they wer^
"''¦'' incorporated

26
acqjuainted with them, than;! csin pretend to be,
But, as- to thq more northern ones, thofe particw-r.
Jarlythat are comprehended under' the, name of
incorporated principally with a, dpfign to extend their care toi
fuch of the Plantatiens; whofe ftate was thus deplorably fad.
One would' therefore' natAjfally think, that in ptppottlon to
their ability, and the need of thefe places, they wtotfld have
fent Miffionaries to perform the offices ofreligion ariiongthem,
And'yet, if we look over- their abftrafts, we fli^l find, th^^
f :ei"r piOns zeal h'&'s chiefly difcovered it felf iii miffions" to
dthet^Colbhies, where Teachers abound, the^ worfhip of Gbd
pn Lprd's-days is generaily and teligioufly attended, arid thd
^cr^ments of baptifm and the' Lord's flipper are as dulyadmi-:
:piftred as jnEngltod' itfelf j and this to the cpmparative
secLKCT of the above defc/ibed places, where" there was
fcarte any fenfe or appearance orClir-iftianit}^, "W^h'at is herS
faid of the Society's, conduft is as true a' faft;, as that their
abftrafts relate the, truth. It can j as I imagine, be aceounte^
for upo"h no principle biit this, that tKey think they IhaJJ better-
anfv?erthe great deftgnoC tfieir incorporation by zealous en
deavours: to make cOnverti' froin Prefbyterianifm arid'Congre-
gationalifnii to EpifCopacy, tlian by propagating -the gofpel i^
places that have no Teacher, no public worfhip.. of God, nd
facrarrients, no''r any footfteps of Chrillianity.beypnd the meer
name. If this is really their principle, it is' hoped they yvill
not'be averfe operily>to avow it in \yords, as'they-virtu'ally do
in their praftice.^ ., ; ' . _ : t .
r Tjiofb places are then "fpofcei;i of, p. 5, where the ftate of
tMA§^' was ¦" a little better," but ftill " Issmentably bad,"
The more northern Colonies muft be here intended. But, Vijuy.'
are they reprefented as in circumftances lamentably bad ? For
TTO reafon, that wc- know of here, that could move 'the ccfiiir
paffion of the Societ}', but this, that episco-pacy had not got
fuch ftrong footing here as they might defire.- And Irowever
«' affefting reprefentations might he made" of our deplorabl^
conditio-n by " the inhabitants in thefe parts, by Governors^
or principal perfons of note," to ufe the language of the fer
mon, a becoming regard-, to their honor as men bf truth,
obliges us to fay, that their reprefAi^a|ions inuft refpeft our
ilate chiefly in this point of view, -vi^iS^^oh-prevalence of
the Church among us. This, I know, is,- in the judgment of
ibme, the moft dep'orable ftate a people can be in, however
highly favoured they may be with the'ftieatis'of grace, under
another mode of adminifbration, though more agreeable to the
¦purity land-iimplicity of th* MMei. "

27
New-England, it is acknowledged, .they have too
fia,t departed from the fimp^icitf, piety, and ftrift
virtue of their fathers. There may b'e fome in*-
fidels within thefe limits •, but their number, I
believe, is very fmall. Thofe that are fq, came to
us. from, abroad, or were corrupted by bqolis wrote
¦at; home,, an,d imported from, thence. " There arc
alfo to be found, in thefe parts, men of* no con-
fcipnce, diffolute in their manners, and accuftomed
to dq evil; ordering their converfation- by flefhly
wjfdbm, not by the grace of God. ,BUt' this not-
-Wi^hftanding, I will be bold to fay, true Chriftifi
nity.is i\ot mor^ generally better priftifed in«ahy
part of the wqrl'd'. There is riot a town, or village,
within thefe,. liirigely extended" "Colonies, (Rhode-
Ifland Colony "excepted) unlefs fb lately- fettled as
nqt to have h3,d.tjme for it, -but is. furnifhed with
a,iif)iufe for th^.-wbrfhip of God, and a minifter'fet
apart for the adminiftration of Gofpel-ordinances
in it ; and-, at thefe ; houfes, there is every Lord's-
day, and , at other times alfo, a general refort of
the people to attend on;the public fervices of reli-
gioni l-fhould .not .wrqng the truth, fhould I fay,
that neither, the Lord's-day, or his worfhip on that
day, .are more univerfally and devoutly regarded
by any people on the earth. And as to the mPral
and chriftian virtues' of faith in' the being, per-
feftions, revelations, and government of God,
lovp to him, an holy fear of him, truft in his all-
fufiipie"Py> a-nd -fubjeftion to ,his will, however
mad,e known, whether in his word, or providential
CiO|i^y;^; they are as generally poffefTed here, and{
thrown out into exercife upon proper occafions, ,aS,
in- any P)art, of,t;hp .known world.. And it would!
be a. wrong- to. thefe Colonies, fhould a contraryfj
reprefentation be given of their charafter. |
Ifh^i add here, Wha,teve'r growth of vice there'jl
maybe in thefe. parts, it, is as vifiblein the cures of;'
' ¦¦ "' '¦ ¦¦ "the.

28
tke Mifilqh^ries from the Sofcleijr, ^s where thdy
jirc neither employed, of defired And from
hence it m^y be .juftly concluded, SS thefe Mif^-'
fionaries, through the pioUs care bf the Society^
9re^s numerous here ^"§ an^ wherp oh the Ame-'
Hcan. Continent, thdt this growth, ifl whatever
degree i^, may ijreyailj is not owing to the want qf
validly, ordained miiiijidrs, or M^ fpeml ^.ode of per
forming divine •votfxjhlp \ but' to other caufes. What
thefe are, \\ would fe. ea.7, w§re it needfdl, tq
point put, "they have operated, it may be, . more
powerfully ih co.rrviptihg the nation at home, than
Its dependant Colonie^, Whenever they are re-'
hiovedi religion, in unftained glory, will m,o.r£
iiniverfally take plqce both there ^nd here j but
jiot till then. - , .
.; His LordlHip. fpeaks, a few pages ohward, of
feveral things thait qbftruft the Society's endear
¦Vburs to eradicate irreligion, the infeterafeeviij
fo widely diffufed pVer this vaft traft qf Country. '
6ne is, to ufe his OWn Wiyds, p. 19, *' The
^' -yv^nt qf ijemiparie.S ift th^fe pafts, for'theedu-
.^' cation qf pdrfpn^.to ferVe in the miniftry of the
*' Golpgl '5 A great difadvantage ; fb gfeat, tbat
'' thfre '\'k reafon to apprehend, it may -one day'
" undo ^11 that the Society have been for marty
" years labouring' to do.'* Had his Lordlhip
thought !t worth while to h4ve more fully infprmed
(limfelfqf th? ftate of ^hings in this part of the
world, he wqlild haVefqqridt|o reafon for com4
plaint upon jthis head. Seminaries for the ediica*;
tion bf perfons to ferV^ ift the miniftry, -or any *
other c^jiing that would make a learned 'fducatioii
propej-, are, it niay be, rather too numerous iri
the; tTolonies. They are iti&re multiplied here, in
proportion, thah in England ; though there may
DC no cornparifon between their endowments. We
j^ye "nb left tha;n 'fiS; "publi'c 'Seminaries in North
America*

Artierlc^-, Two qf them, one at Virginia, tlid
bther at ]|!^ew-York, are Epifcopal colleges •, iri^
6 thifd, ^h^t at Phaadelphia, has an Epifcc)p4
Clergyman at its l^i^^. The, other three ^re opeff
toth? fons of Chvirph-men, in common With th^
fona of others} and they are aidmitted with the
fame free,dq.mj andj I may addi without apy pre-
viouflf required oaths, or fubfcriptions. < The
moft refpeftable of thefe Colleges fqr long ftJtndin
and endowraentSj, is th^t at Cambridge in the Ma
fachufttt? Province, *, Ther? is fqarpe a, Church.,
• This vyaj the fir(| Colfege in the Aiftetica-n wprld, Sp
far back as 1636,, the Maflachiifetts General AfTemhlygawe
¦^ 460 toward its fife. In the next following year hut pii?, tl^jp
memorable ^iba Ilarvfird lefts by his Jail will, o^e l}a{f of
Jiis eftate tP carry on t|ie fam? gop4 defign. And this year,
'638, giv^s 4*'s to the foundation of this College. It ha»
evet finCe tsfeen Htiiwri by the name of harv,<r]) college.
It was erefted principally for the Educatipijpf c5ur fons to ferve
in the work of the Miniftry ; that, as Churches were niulti-
.plied,; thepe mi^ht be no want of fuitably qualified perfons ft)
^afee the paftoral care of them. And ftom hence only thay
Were'ftrppKed 'mi|ch 'the greiter 'part of a century; and wi'^i
inore thah a few Pf fuch as made a fhjijing figure in their day»
Mj>ft of the beft eh^raftSr in the Cpimtry for acquired ^cconj-
|3|ifhment5> who, H»v? fervid eithei" jii Churdh or State, wefe
educated here, at le^ft until ptfier Colleges were erefted. It
may be faid of this, -withput refleftibn, that, in confequenqe
of donations,, in former days and more lately, from our p\yn
people, and from abrogd, it is the befl endowed of any Colleg?
pn the. Aroericar) Continent, though it may be below all coni-
iparifon with the Cdlleges iii Europe. — As this Cpllege h»s
shewn fb much candor and catholicifm in, its fentinient? ^'tyd
conduft tcwaxd' the Church of England, and a§ it has been fo
helpfiflto the Society at Hoijie jn fuppjyipg them with ittOft of
'ifheir ^i^pparie; for the nPrthern Cplonies ; it wpuld 'hav'e
been bat a decent cpplpiiinent, if it had been accounted worj
thy oFfrfme fmall: part of the large fum lately colleft^d through
out England for the bene^t of Seminaries in thefe parts of tlje
^..jxforld, Such as vyereof Cljurcli-prinijiples might have beep.
'~pducated for the Indian-Jertiice with as much, freedom here as
tlfewnere; and, prbbamy,- as many might have gojie from
4»ence upon the i}obl? 4^%*} of cs(rrYin| the Gofpel |p the bs^f-
'li«srpii5 H?tiy?s, ' ' ' -
man,

jo
¦roan, in this Province, oFany figbre, but has had
tqne or more of 'his fons educated hfere"; and it is
from.hence, . that the , Society at home have- 'had^
^perhaps, the moft of thofe they have employed in
t|ie 'Ne-w-iEngland Colonies, whicli have been the
greateft Iharers in" their pious- care to propagate the
Gofpel, it may be farther faid to the ' honor of
thi^ College, and in proof of their being aftuated,
¦not by a fpirit of bigotry, but -by-the -noble 'fp-irit
of^ true chriftian liberty, that,' far from obliging
their youths of Church-principles to join in -public
.worfhip, where it is carried on after the Congrega-
tionaimode, they have excuTed them from" jjc by
a ftanding law made on. purpofe: Only., by .the '
'fg.me law, they are laid under -©bligatiorls. notiitb
negleft diyine fervice perforrned 'in the Epifcppal
•Church near the College ;i, and, in cafe'of ;,3bfe;ftce,
Whrhout filfficient reafon, they are fubjefted to the
,Iame fine the other yout^hs are, if they grourtditefly
abfent. themfelves from the plaie where God:,' is
^orftiipped in our way>-. t '^^allonly add^ere, all
the churches, of every other denomiination rece-iiv«
.conftantly a ftill fupply for the miniftry from 'this
:andlhe other Seminaries ;^ and 'lb might the church
¦of England, if they ple-afed. T^be're! is -no o\M^-
:.cle in the way, unlefs -from them-felves. If itterie-
fore it has h'appehed, riiat " fe'veralC-hurches'hafae
•-ftood vacant, becaufe none could Ipp fqund to offi
ciate in them," and. that tl>e s^4mp, want Jiatii
bee:n an hinderatice to the 'proper work ©f. thiiS.iSo-
ciety, and muft neecls prove an 'effefttial bar tolkriy
farther confiderable progrefs in it," .as his Lord
fliip fpeaks, p. 20, it m^uft beafcribed, not to the
" want of Seminaries" -here, of which there apc
enough already, but tq fome other caufe. The
Church-intereft can be in no danger from this
quarter. ., / ;

3iv
Anothei; difadvahtage, attending the propagd-
tiqn of the Gofpe^ in thefe foreign par;s, his Lord
lhip tak«s ndtice of, p. 21, in the follbwing words,
" Wha,t eticquragement h^ve the inhabitants :o£
*^ thtefe regions to qualify themfelves for holy
* orders, while, to obtain them^ they lie under
"" the nec.feffity of crofting an imrpenfe Ocean, witll
*' much inconvenience, danger .and expencev
*' which thofe who come hither on that errand can
*' but jll bear. And.' if. they have the fortune tp
** arrive fafe, being here without friends, and with-
*' out: acquaintance, they have the fid bufinefs to
" -undergo, of preferiting themfelves unknown, to
" perfons unknown, without any recommendation
'*' or introduftion, except certain p3,pers in their
•* potlcet. Are, there not circumftances in this
*' cafe,, fufHcient to deter every ordinary courage,
*' and-to damp thte moft adventurous fpirit."
It is ^ckiiqwledged, it would be a great dif-
¦couragement to the fons of the Church from qua;-
liiying themfelves for holy orders, and I may fay
tq others alfo educTated' in the principles of tfee
Co an try from taking them, if, in order to obtain
them, they m^uft crofs a wide Qce:-in at their bww
EXPENCE. But this,. 1 prefume, israrely, if ev«r
the c^e. They, are, as we fuppofe upon good
information, freed from: this difcouragcment by
being well pi'qvided for, if not by the Society in
part at leaft, by thofe who expeft the benefit of
their labors. As for myfelf, was la candidate
for holy orders, 1 fhbuld'efteemk a happy circum-
ftance in the cafe; to have fo fair ah opportunity to
yififthe latid of our fore-father's. na!tivity. j^^^d I
believe there are few but^a^e -encouraged by this
very thing that is reprefejite:d as a matter of fo
great difcouragement. Their " being there with-
' bvft friends, and without acquaintance," is a dif
ficulty made t^ imagination- only. As they go

from fienccupon the nqbly profefTed defign- 6f
taking hqly orders; tiiat. they may be validl|f qom-^.
miifioned to propagate the Gqfpel, it is impoftible
they ftiould long want " friend^ oi: acquaintance,'*
if it were only amdng the mfemb^rs of the Society*
fhey are fo n'limerousj dnd, at the Wte time, fo-
earneftly fen^iaged iri promoting this piouis defign;-
It is true^ the " biifinels of preietitirig themfelves
unknown td thbfe iinknowh friends Wo\ild be fad,"-
if they hM no '^ recqrrimendatioh except certain
Jiapers ih their pofcket.'* It is lit they ,i(li,t)uld. hav0
thefe pajiers ih ifea'diniels to be ffeem Their mqral
SqUalififeatioris fcaFi be known^ at Tuch i. diftance,
bnly in thik Way. Biit it is as proper the)' fHbuld
have khovvledge iri their heads, as papers in theiir
pockets. And it is hoped, the Society fend hq
Miffiohdrle^ biit fuch as are able toi-ecomm^nd
-themfelves in th*e former, as well as the latter of
thefe ways.
His Lordfhip now comes to the laft aiidl greatefj;
IhconVenieh'c'e, " the want of Bifhops in our Cd-
lonibs:'* '* This,'* fays he, p. 22^ »' Belides
'" other difadvarit^ges attending it, appears, ih
" particular, to be the fund^ehtal tavife bf the
" want of native Mipi|[lers. The one removed ;
" the other, it feems, would ceafe of coiirfe* For
" can it be imagined, could orders be had on the
" fame terms there as elfewhere, that a number of
*' the natives fufficiept for the fervicfe qf ¦ the
"' Church, Would not qffer themfelyfes iti thoffe^ ^s
," they do, in all other parts of Chrift^ndom/' ;
The want of '* iiatiye miniiiefs,'' jf tliis is really
the cafe, is not, 1 b^lieye, owing tq any pf the
cav^fes his Lordlhip has mehtioni^dj not excepting
that of there being *' nq Bifbops iri thq Colonies, ¦
If I may fpeik her? with the fame freedom that t
thinkj I would fay, there is, in one refpeft^ alt
pb^ious diffiprenc^ ^iftwef ti 'mr people, and tWd

3^
Who prbfefs theftifeives Church-men. The formed'
jptnerally fend thel!:'' fqhs to one or other of. our
CoUeg'es With a vifew to their being educated f^r th?
miniftry. This is rarely done 'By the latter,' Should
any afk ' the rfeafdn,— it ri^uft, be plainly faid|
our Churches are nuriierous for ^ juew Country^
many of them large, and well.cdpable or providing
for their miniftefs^; and, hy a fwifc increafe df in
habitants 'and new fettlemenrs-,, they are daily
growing bdth in riumber and ability to fUpport theif
Clergy: Ther'e is herefrom the profpeft of a to-'
I'eribl^ provifion Foi: our fons, if educated to ferve
iii the rhiriiftry. Whereasj tHefe are very few
jpipifcopai chiircnes that '^ ftafjd , upon their owA
legs i^"^ — knd by tar the greater part of the dther ar^
finail in niiniber. Weak iri ability, and i,n,fuffici^nt
tb mairitaih their bWn .roiniltry, unlefs aflifted by
the Societ^f 'at homfe. It is this that qiCcqui-.ages
ihfc ChQrch-pfeopis froni bringing up tliej.r fqns for
Clergym&h, They Chufe rather td pirovide for them
fdiri'c other ->^ay. Arid as to profelytes frorii us,^
^he temptation ordinarily is .fo fm.all, that few are
overqame by it untii they have fourid there ;was
little or no profpdft of theii: beiag eqiplbyed to
greater Mvhntage, No one heed now be at a lofs
td afiflgri the true caiife of the *' Want of native
itiiSifters;" ' ' . .
. But if Bifhops. fhould be fent to the Colonies;
the people- would generally liirn Cliurch-men; —
the Ecclefiaftical ftate df things would foon be
•Inverrbd i— E^ifcopalidns would quickly exceed the
iither denorriinatioris of Chriftians, as much as they
how exfcped theiri.
This, without all doubtj is tlie grand point
aimed at ; and there itiay be foriie, both at home
arid here, Who really think all this woiild fpeedily
'comij intq event; , Bbt ihqfe who ai*b beft ac-
qaainttdivith the- geniUs, teillpei'. dri4 principles,
- ¦ ' , C ¦ (^f

34.
of the Colq-^ifts,. at le;aft in>thofe parts where they',
are moft numerous, have nqt the leafl motio'n of
fear excited in them from the profpeft of any fucb
efF^ftofthe miflion of Bifliops. They are rather
concerned, leaft it fhftuld be the occafiqn of hurt-
fril confequences both to them and us. Such eon-
fequences would certainly be the effeft, if thefe
Bifhops friould make ufe of their super iqrity, as
moft probably they would, fdoner or later, tq in
fluence our gre'at men here, and much greater ones,
at home, to projeft, and' endeavour to carry into,
cfxecution, meafures to force the growth of the
Church. It may be relied on, our people -would:
not' be eafy, if reftrained in the exercife of thai
"' liberty wherewith Chrift has made' them free ;"
yea, they would hazard e-very thing deat to them,
their eftates, their very lives,, rather than fuffer
their necks to be put under that yoke of bondage,,
¦which was fq fadly galling tp their fathers, and oc^
cafiohed their retreat into this diftant land, that;
ifhey might enjqy the freedom of men and chrif
tians. His Lordfhip fpeaks, p. 22, of the want of
Bifhops, as the " more heavily lamentable," be-*
caufe " ail fefts of Proteftant chriftians at.hqme»
and all fave one (meaning the Church qf EnglandJ
throughout the Colonies, have the full enjoyment,
of their religion."
A ftranger to tlie Colonies would be. apt to thinkj
from this caufe of lamentation, that the Epifcqpal
Churches' here, inftead of enjoying the liberty that:
is common to the other denominations of chriftians,
were in a ftate of religious oppreffion : Whereas
the real truth is, not the leaft- reftraint i^ laid upoa.
their. chriftian liberty. They worfhip . God when,
where, and how they pleafe, without hindrance or
moleftatlon : Yea, they "are diftinguifhed from aU
other denominations in this rel.peft, that they are
- * the

35
tlie drily objefts of the pibtis charitable help of the'
richeft Society in all England incorporated u'pon a
religious defign. And they are befide, within thfc'
M-vfTachufetts Province, [how it is in the othei-
Colonies I kriow not] favoured by a ftanding laW-
that e'xcufes them from paying toward the fupport-
bjT any minifters but their own. ¦
' But they have ^' no Bifliops." Veryt'rLte- and
they have rio juft reafqn for complaint ttpon thi§
head. Fot, let it bd.cbnfidered,
Throvighout an extent of tei'ritory more than five'
hundred miles in: length, cdrnprehending feven'
Provinces, the four New- England Ones, and thofe
df New- York, the Jerfies, and Penfylvania ; I fay,
throu'ghout thefe largely extended Provinces, fo-
Well inhabited, that they contairi m&re than a mil
lion of fouls, there are not, by the beft informa-^
tion I can get, more than eight or nine Epifcopal
churches that fupport th'emfefves. All the reft, to
the amount qf about fixty, n-iore or lefs, chiefly
mad^ up of converts frbm the other denominations
of Chriftians, are fo far upheld in their exifterice
by the Society at home, a,i the .espsnce of not l^Fs^
than fame thoufands 'fte'rliHig per arinum, that,
ftiould this be -Withdrawn, they would foon firik
away for Want 6f needed affift"ah'ce. Inftead now
of being contented With the receipt of fo much
pibU"s charity, they think it hard,, ahd complain bf
it'aS a moft lamentable thing, that -as' mariy thou-^
fands fterling more are nOt annually laid out for
the maintainancc of Bifhops amo-ftg them. Is this
reaf()na'ble ? Would Church-^men themfelves think
it fb in regard of other denominatipris of chriftlan-i
befide themfelves? Should any of thefe denomi^
n.itiqnsj in like circumft-anceS, .make the -like eom-
plairits, infif^iipig that they were nor fuffeted "fully
to erijby their religion,"' noh'e, it maybe, would
treat their corhp'hints.with more--conr&ru:pr, than
" ' C 2 thofe

3.6-
thofe who are diemfelves fo loud in making -them'.'
And yet, I know not, in regard of real merit, but
other denominations woiild have as good a right to
complain, as thofe who prqfefs themfelves mem
bers of the Chureh of JEngland. For they are the
defcendants from anceftors, who fubdued and cul
tivated this rtide Wilderriefs,' amidft a thoufand
difficulties and hazat*ds, fo as to make it the plea
fant fruitful land we xioyf behold it j heireby adding
to the extent, ftrength and glory of the Britifn
Crown : Nor has that facred IVlajefty who w^ars if,
more loyal, fubjefts even in England itfell*: And
as they are far more numerous than the Epifco-
palians, they are in proportion more able ; and I
a,m furethey would be as wilhng, to exert 'them
felves, if called to it, at the peril of their lives, in
defence of his Perfon and Dominions.
His Lordlhip farther mentions it as an aggra-*
-vating circumftance attending the want of Bifhops,
that "even the Roiriifh fuperftition within a Pro
vince lately added to the Britifh Dominions, is
cqmpieatly allowed in all points i it hath Bjlhops
ahd Seminaries."
, It is preftjmed;^ if i^ifhops are dllowed in that'
Prqvince, they are provided for by eftablifliments,
within itfelfi when the irihabita,rits Were fubjefts of
the King of France ; not at tlie expence bf the
Britifh Crown or Nation, as it muft be if Bifhops
are fent to fuper-intend the Epifcopal churches in \
thi? Colqnies ; which makes a Wide difference be-:
twixt the two cafes. . But be this as it rriay, the
faft itfelf may be efteemed eerraih, as it is affirmed
by his Lordfliip, whofe fituatiqri leaves no rooni
to fufpeft a miftake in a matter of this natures
And an aftonifhing one it is to lis in thefe parts of
the world ! the romish superstition com-
PLEATLY ALLOWED IN ALL pbiNxS ! What morq
furprifing! What more oppofite to one of the
: . . greai

grpajt ends propofed by King William lit. in in-
.corpopting, the Society for the propagation of
.f he Gofpel in thefe foreign parts! 'What could
more powerfully obftruft one main branch of theii*
proper bufinefs, the prevention, or extirpation, of
J'opery in the Cqlonies ! We may reafonably fUp-
pqfe, his I^ordfhipj and the whole incorporated
body of which h? is. a meniber, are ftrongly affeft-
jed with gppf at this .compleat allowance \ and
that th,ey will unite in all proper remonftrarices
ppon fo Important an occafion. How far articles
of capitulatiori may have made -way for fuch an
allowance,, I pre.tend not to judge ; but if, in virtub
pf any of them, it was made necefiaryj a cbnfent
tothem'^yas highly impohtic, and maybe of dan
gerous confequence to the Britifh intereft, more
clpecially in th^t part of Am-erica.
His Lordfhip concludes what h,e had to fay
jLipon the head of Bifhops, with thefe words, p, 25,
" This" point obtained, [the miffibn of Bifhops tb
,the Colonies"! the Am.erican Church will foon go
qut of its infan^ ftat<s ; be able to ft^and upon- its
pwn legs 5 and without foreign help, fupport and
fprcad itfelf. then the business of this socie
ty WILL HAVE BEEN jEROUGHT TO THE JEIAPPV IS-
SUJ-: intended." '" "" -.,.,.. ,.
1 he conduft of tli^ Society h^s, for hi afjy years,'
^t2;iven us.reafon to fufpeft their main view was to
EPiscopjsE the Coionies ; but we were never be
fore, that I know of, ..told fo in difeft terms. His
)-.ordfliip, in the prefence of ( he Society theri-ifelves,
has not only fpccified their business, butjn plain
words declared, that it will be .brought to its in
tended happy issue, if they may' ¦" but have
Ijifl-jops, , ai;5d the Church go out of its infant ftate
lb as to fupport and fpread ijtfclf," ^Ve are firmly
perfuaded, if their .proper bufinefs is here pointed
out,' and' they profecute 'it With -the greateft vigqff,
C 3 ti^e

.3^ '\ ¦-
_the " ^fppy -iffuo they- intend" will n^ver take
.plaf^,;^ccordipg tp their defire, at leaft iri" the
fN.ew-Epgland. Cqlonies, Thefe,' for fcores qf
.years, h3iye bpen the fpecial objeft of their folliti-
'.i^ous care; and may have coft them/ffocn firft to
laft, mor^ a gr^at deal than thirty thoufand pounds
'felling. And 'what has, been the eftfeft'?' There
has . gradually been the rife of about thirty three
Epifcopal churchqs, by far the greater part of
Which^re fq fmall in number, and to this day fb
ipfufficient fgr their own fupport, that, fhould the
,Society's. pious ch,'arity toward them be difcon-
.pn\ied, there, would He nqprqbable hope qf' their
long cpijitinu,3nce in b^ing:' "Whereas, the Congre-
.gational and Prefbyterian churches only, without
.^ny ch^ritab!^ he]p from abroad, and in oppofition
to all efforts to prevent it, have increafed to the
.number of 550; arid they go on increafing, as
much in proportion beyond the Epifcopal churches
,^ they exceed them in nymber and ability,' Why
then fhould the Society expeft " the happy ifTue
they intend ?" There is no reafonable roqm for
,}ip,pe in the cafe: Efpecially, jf it be remembered^
..that we, in tbtfe parts, hot only know the errand
.of our fpre-fathe.rs into, this Country, but have
been well indoftrinated in the.' principles of
CHiiiST^AN liberty, " Old grudges and jea-
,]pufies" are no " obftacles" in the way of our
going over to the Church j and as . to " obfolete
piques and groundlefs fears", they are as fully
" extinguifhed" here as in " England," ,We pre
fer our own mode of wdrfhip and difcipline to
that of the Englifh church; and we do it upon
principle, as really believing that it comes near-
.er to the purity and fmiplicity of Gofpel-direc-
tion. And as thefe are the generally prevailing
:;iferitimfn,ts in Nf w-England, and their conduft hias
^11 along been generally cqnfqrmabie hereto, we
have

?9
have no Feafful apprehenfions of a departure here
from ; but are rather fully perfuady, they will
ftand faft to thejr principles, and clbfely adhere to
that mode of Wormip which^ has hitherto been in
ufe among them, whatever attempts may be made
to turn them afide.
You fee. Sir, I have endeavoured to comply
with your defire. I hope your expeftations will
not be difappointed. PofTibly, your view may be
to publifh thefe remarks. As to this, you may
do as you pfeafe. No one is better able tp judge
of the prbpriety or truth of the fafts above re
lated ; and I may depend, if they will not bear
your fcrutiny, they will have yourperufal only.
I am, with great refpeft,
Your obliged, obedient fervant,
Charles Chauncy.
Boiion, Dec. lo, 1767.
POSTS CRIPT.
¦ As you faid nothing to me of the Society-
fetmon, preached by Dr. Warburton, Lord -Bifhop
ef Gloucefter, in 1766, I conclude you had not
feen it. While I was finifhing the foregoing re
marks, his Lordfhip's third volume of fermons on
various occafions, in which this is contained,- was
put into my hands. It will not, I believe, be un
acceptable, if. I tranfcribe two or three pafTages
in it for your perVlfal.
Page 65, "But thbugh the zeal of the ' firft
" Colonifts (rekindled by this violent .remove to
" the other Hemifphere) kept religion alive and
*' aftive, yet their poverty difabled them from
" fupplying fuel to the vital flame ; I mean^ pro-
" vifion for a preaching ministry. Infomuch,
*' that without the kindly affiftance .of their
C 4 ' " Mother-

4^
¦<^ Mother- Country, this new chriflian Commoq-j
f' wealth had been, ag the Roman hiftoriaji ex-ii
^' preffes it, of the iriipeijial City in its crjadldj
^' Re^ unius .^tatis." Agairifl this danger 'M
" timely fid vyas to b? proyid?d. And the Eoun-
" ders of our Society," etc. >^f;' doubt not hi?
Lqrdftjip'g thgrough acquaintance wfth the hiftory
pf o^lj^r more important Countri^'§, even firam
their firft rife ; but the; flory of this ha.s certainlji
beep belpw hi? notice. Otherwife, he, would liave
known, that fome of the " f^rft . Colonifts" were
men of ampje fortunes for thj^t d;|y, — ^He would
{lave kngwn ^Ifo, if jt was their unhappin^fs.-tfp be
poor, that, i)ptwit(jftandi,ng their pqverty, they, did
in faft " fupply fuel to the vital fl^me,',' ti^5£,.is,
make provifion for a ;;jjeacki.I¥g MmisxRV; info-
mucH, that, " without anykindly adiftance of thei^".
MothgrnCountry;" they had a fufficiency of Mini-
fters for the performance pf the piiblic. offices xif
'religion, wherever they extended their fettlements.
He would have known farther, that, there had,
been nearly the revolution of ah age^ if a century
i^^ay b<£f fo <:alled, apd:^n increafe of Cliurchj^S.. to
fome Jiundreds, with Paftpr^ at the head of -them";
before tfje exifiencg of ^hftt iqforpqr,at^d ;body
which Was to ftipply a pr^caching Minilixy, without
which religion could not be kept a.liv^, -' And He
)vould have knqwp.j mprpover^ tfiat^ fince' the.in-
corpbratipn of this Society, the growth of Church
es, and their fupply with Minilters,, at leaft in the
New-England Colonies, has. been , more than teii
ti.-Ties gre^^ter, without any help from, them, than
.¦jjVhere they |jave afforded it at an immenfe e%-
pence, -^
Page 67, '• Here then we might well le^axe thefe
'.' contentious people ' to themf'dves, d'^d not a
^' miferablecircumftanGp ftill call -for Qur rejefted
I' charii^y : I mean, t[i.f fpreOiding qentihsm, ia
./. ^ '¦- " ' ,: " ths

4i
** the Colonies themfelves. Not a brutal iscno.
f ranceof God, 'as amojig the Savage natives ; but
f' a BLASPHEMOu.s 90NTEMPT of his holy difpenfa?-
*' tions, among oU^ P);ilofophic Coionijis." Witli
what truth, orjuftiqe, this rdprbqch is caft upon
the Colonies, may be feen in i;he foregq^ng re7
marks. Only It may be faid here, if there ^r^ a.ny
*' Philqfophlc Colbnifts" who " blafpherrtoufly
fiontemn G^d's hqly difpenfatiorts," they are nqf
Cbrifined to the d'efcetidanis frorii " Fanatic'^-," but
may as well be looked for in the Church, that
has bpen the fpecial objeft of the Spcipty's parej
they themfelves being judges.
It follows in tl^e'next words, *f The "origin of
*' which folly 'was, hqwever, no more tlian this. — f
*' The rich produft of the Plantations foon fup-
" plied the Colqnifts With all the cqnveniences of
" life. And men are no fooner at eafe, than they
J' are ready addreffed td pleafure, So that th^
f fecorid venture of bur Colqnifts was for the lux-
^' uries df foetal life; Amorig' 'which the cqmmo-
f dity called fre$-thinking was cafefuily con?
" %r}ed to them,' as that whicl^ gave a'relifh and
*' fe:aforiing tq aU the reft.— 'THus it c^me to pafs^
V:- that the VERY people," whofe fathers were driver^.
f^ fqr confcience-fake mto the 'wajie mi Jgowlin^
f mUernefs, "\s noM M beady to lau-gh at
f' that bible, the moft precious reUft of thei|?
" ruined fortunes^ as at their" ruffs and coUar-
f^ bands.'? i^urely, his Lordfhip would' not have
faid thjs^ had ip not been told him by fpme, pro-
feffing dn aqqifaintarice with the pqftei^ity of thbfe,
¦^ho 'were driven into this 'Wildernefs; But be they
¦jvho they may, f the truth w^s hot in them." —
They could not more bafely or failfely have fpoken
fvil of them,
'l fhall only add, the reproachful light in which
the Colonies'' are placed, more efpecially in the two

4.2
laft Society-fermons, may poflibly tend to mqv«
the companion of ferioUS' good people at homfr,
efld enlarge the exercife of their pious charity; to
ward US; but the'gro'wth of the Church here, the
great thing in view, will rather fuffer than g^in by
it. Were thefe," and! a few riiore fermons breathing
the fame Spirit, to b? reprinted arid difperfed a-
mong the Colonifts, it would, I am perfuaded, dif-
ferve the Church much more, than the rrjiflion of
as many Bifhops, as could be v/ifhed, wquld ferve it.

A SUPPLEMENT
TO A LETTER TO A FRIEND,
Containing an Anfwer to the Plea of T. B.
Chandler, D. D. Reftor of St, John's Church, in
Elizabeth Town, in N^w Jerfey, and Miffionary
from the Society for the Propagation of the Gof-
pel, etc, for American Bifhops -, Wherein his
Reafonings are (hewn to be fallacious, and his
Claims indefenfible.
BY A PRESBYTER TN OLD ENGLAND.
London, printed mdcclxviii.

\'

But evil on itfelf fhall hack recoil^ i. m.

A SUPPLfeMENf
TO A'LETTfell to A FRIENO.'

• On a cafefui perufal of a psitiphlet * printed at
t^ew-Yorlc, written by the Reverend Dr; Chandlery
which opens the propofed plan for fending Bifhops
to America, it appear? to me to contain a varietjs
of fallacious reafonings and reports indefenfib^ei
I fhall therefore publifh my thoughts on that per-*
formancej without refe-rve, like an Englifhman,
who loves liberty, his country, the welfare and
felicity of all his fellow-fubjetts •, and the rather,
las the epifcopifing plan is of a very interefting na
ture, m3.y be attended with very bad confequences
if attempted to be carried into execution, and
objeftors to it are invited in the Appsal., p. 2,. to
propofe their objeftions in fuch a manner, " that
-" they may be fairly aqd eandidly debated, before
'* the tribunal of the public •, and if none fhall
" be offtred, it will be taken for granted x.h-a.%
" all parties are agreed."
The feundationi upon which the appellant builds
his claims, will demand a firft and clofe difcuffion*
The merits of the dppeal depend upon it.
• " An appeal to tjie public, ip l)ehalf of tbc church of
England in America : Wherein the original and nature of th^
Epifcopal office are bfiefly confidered,- reafons for' fendiiig
bifliops to America are affigned, the plan on which it is proi
f of^d to fend them is ftated^ and the objeflioq; againil: fending
them are obviated and copfuted. Witl} an appeijdijc, vyhereiij
is given fome accoant of an anonimous pdhiphlet. By'Thomas
Bradbury Chandler, D, D,, edc. We defire a fqir trial 1 *
^ iije (ire milty, funijh us ; if <we are innocent, proteSi us,
lusTiN MART'STR. New-rYork, printed for James Parker, at
tHf nciy jprinting ^fijce iii Besv?r Strfetj i^il^'" — in oftavo. S?ft. I*

46
Se(?t. I. On his Epifeopal government jure d'mno.
I am not of qpinion, with, thofe. who think,
that " Ecclefiaftical authority may have been ne-
" ceffary in the infant ftate of Society, and, fqr
" the fame reafon, it may, perhaps^ continue -to
" be in fome degree neceffary as long as Society
" is imperfeft ; and therefore may not be eritirely
*' abolilhed till civil go.vern ment ha've arrived at a
" tmich greater degree of perfeftion,." * — 'Though
this is advanced by an ingenious writer ; yet fo
far from agreeing with him, I deny th.2it,ecclefiafliG§l
authority, exercifed in the church of Chrift, hf^
ever had any countenance in the teachings either
of Chrift or of his apoftles. Nor dp I think' that
the religion of Jefus can endure any civil efta-
blifbment. The author even feems to agree neatly
with me, when he fays, " any other alliance 'betmem
" church, and Jiate, (than that of promoting the
" common g.o©d) is only the alliance qf difi«Fefit
" ibrts of worldly minded men, for their temporial
** ennolnment." -f '-.
However, 'Dr, Chandler is of opinion, t^iat
Epifcopal government is ^ by; divine right., Ifhe
proves his po'int^ he muft make, it evident, ..iliat
the powers qf government for wjiich he pleads, do
derive, either from Jefus Chrifl, or from j his
apoftles. In. the church of Chrift.,. there is nq
Other fburce of derivation.. What, the Dr. hastO
offer qn this fu'ojeft fhall , be exarnined, with the.
utmoft care and a religious' regard to evidence,
P, 3, 4y "None can have any authority in the
?' chriftian church, but thofe who derive it from
" Chrift, either mediately or immedititely. Thof%
" who receive authority immediately from Chrift^
'* See an eflay oh the firft principles bf goverrfthent,'&C.
p'. 1. 13. by J. Priepy, L. L. D, F, R. S,
, f ibid, p, ui. ¦ ¦..'¦*¦
2 « before

« iibfote they can expeft fubmlffion to it from
" others, muft be able to prove that they haVe it,
" for which nothing lefs can fuffice, at this day,
'V tbasn the power of working miracles. Thofe^
". who receive it mediately.^ muft detive it from
".thofe perfons whom Chrift has authorifed to^
" convey it, i. e. they muft receive it by a regiilar
" .fucfieffion. For any to fay, that fuch a fuccef-
"' fiqn cannot be proved, is infufficient : it is in-
*'¦ cumbeSnit. on the objeftqrs to prove that the
" fucceffioB. by Which wehbld has been interrupted.
" Proof of thiSj akhough zealoufly attempted, has
" never yet been made ; and could this point once'
*' be made clear, it would alfo prove farther, that
" Chrift has neglefted to provide for his church,
" ioa cafe fo e&ntiai to the very being of it, not-
" withftanding his having exprefsly promi:fed to
" be fever with it, to the end of the world ,^-^If the
" fueceffion be enee hrok^'a, and the po'Virer of or-
"' dinat'ion oKi:^ loft, not all the men on earth-^noc
*^ all the angels in heaven, without an immediate
*' commifiion fi-om Chrift, can refliore it." .
If. the reafoning be good, all profeffing chri
ftians who difallsQW of Epifcopal government, are,
at one ftrdfee, feparated from' the ch'ufch of Chrift ;
fmce fuch government is made effential to the very
being of his church. — 'Whether one half of thi
proteftaftts whi» profefs the religion' of Jefus, are .
pot thus cut ¦ off fi om the proteftion of the, one
Jt»ordi head over all things to his c-hurch, and de
nied the- bee^t ©f his prefenee, defer'ves a ferious
eoi^deration', Methioksj.. the Dofteft's idea of an uninterrupt-
«id fuccefilGn of Eipifcopal ordination, is Very ex-
travagafnt.' Nor only fo, but the channel of convey
ance of epifcopal powersj, fpt*! and contaminated..
JPogifh writoFSj- in f©v«rai .Lt© publications, boldly
affirm.

4*
k&irm> tliat. th^'ClergyoftheEnglifli.CHurfch-cflaJ' '
blifhment " are ambitious of deriving, their miffiid
*^ and ordination from.theif roman cathblie prede-*'
*f ceffprs ; and that th,eJabours.of Father Coarayer
*^ for that^ pkirpqfe, haVe been received with ap-
" plaufe;" nay.impr.eoveri "that they" have bor-
V rowed frqm.tnem all their Hierarchy, and it^
" emblUnierits,. as well as its Litufgy, ritual aricl "
" ce|-emony*," .< i. . , » ^ < ,¦ ^,
The praftice of tne ehurch.of Englafid, ih nqi^
re-ordaining the pppifh Clergy, ,who are admitted
into our church Services, upon their recantation of
popifii. errors, is in prPof of their emphatically ac-^
kno-wledgihg the Validity of pbpifh ordinatidns :
efpecially, Whilft tKey refufe to admit df ahy whd'
have received prefbyterian brdinationi *till re-ori-'
dained. .¦'¦¦.- ¦ '
But. in as much as we fhall difptite thfe authority
itfel£ and ablolutely ,deny any divine right of
Jlpilcopal government; it will „be needful,'
that .'we thoroughly examine into the grounds'
on which our ^o^or claims fuch an authority 'iti
the- chriftian church, as. derived fnedt'atefy' frorri
Chrift. He affirm-s, "^iith the grfeatelt affurance/
that Epifcopjil gqyern.mei"it, is equally bbliga-
tory en chriftians, with the mpft ejtprefs iriftitU-
tions of Jefus, p- 7» " The government of thii
*^ church, is as mijch a pofitive iriftitution as th^
^' chriftian facraments, -^nd tlie laws relating to it,
*'' bind us fo ftrongly."— -"We fhould therefor^
dili^iently inquire,' who they are. that are thus
privileged, and honoured with fuch inveftiture?
The ,UoBor tells us, p, 5, " that they who have
*' this pow^r conveyed tq them by apoftlesj~^thef*i
* Confiderations on the penal lavvs agaihft Roiiiati .Catlio'*
Jic:, p. 63, 64'j 65$ |)ubli(he4i London j'. I ^-64, - ""'' >¦¦ r - .
" theii

49
" their fucceffors were an, order diftinft from, and
" fuperior to, thofe who are now called Prefbyiers,
" • — and that none who were not of this higheft
" order,, had the powers of ordination and go-
" vernment, committed to them." Moreovery
p. 14, " that the powers infeparable from
" the epifcopal office will be'.found t© be govern-
." MENT, ORDINATION, and CONFIRMATION."-—
Thus roundly does he affirm, that there certainly
is an original divine inftitutipn, upon which he
builds thefe epifcopal claims of governing power.
But where is it, that we may find this original
divine fdurce of epifcopal government ? Is the dif-
covery to be made from the New-Tefl?ment re
cord of the teachings of Jefus ? — by no means, for
notwithftanding all he has faid, with fo muph cpn-
fidence, we fhall prefently catch him , pretty art
fully dropping the pretention, P, 4^, ." as Chrift
" is the great founder of the church, fo he is the
" only fountain of ecclefiaftical power. 'What-
" ever general laWs he was pleafed to injoyn, muft
" be of indifpenfible obligation to ^l his follow-
" ers. Indeed, with regard to the government of
" the chvirch, his laws are expreffed 'm iuch gene-
" ral terms, that we muft neceffarily have a re-
" courfe to thofe, whom he immediately intrufted
" with the government of his church, for a more
" particular explanation of them," — Here he
owns, that Chrift is the only fountain of ecclefiaft'tcal
power, and yet fays, he has expreffed himfelf in fuch
general terms, that we muft neceffarily have recourfe to
[others for a more particular explanation of his laws.
How does it then appear, that the only Lord and
Lawgiverin the chriftian church, has appointed other
.Lords and Lawgivers in it ? 'We will examine the Sa
cred recorditfelf. Now St, Matthew tells us--his dif^
,ciples went to know oi\\\m,"who is the greateft in the
Mmdom .?He fetS a little child before them, or in the
P midft

5^. J ->
qf them.,- zn&-{a,^Si except^ ye convert,- dnd, hecomas ttj-i
th children, ye fhall not 'enter i^tp the, kingdom, of he.a- ,
ven. Matt, xviii. i, 2,  -When the mqther of^
Zebedeeh children foticits for her two Sons, that
they might be advanced alcove their brethren, and
fhare with him in his government, qne to fit on
his right hand, the other on his left hand,^ — "Whaif,
fort of cpuritenance does he give the petition ?; —
Matt, XX. 20 to .2 8, Te know that the princes lof tj^i.
Gentiles exercife dominion over them, and they that are.
, great' exercife authoyity upon them-, but- jx shalv'
NO'i; BE so AMONG YOU: for whofoevcr wUVbcgreai
atjwng ycti, let him be your minifter, and ihhdever wiU
be chief l^^ng pu, let^him be your fervant. Cah a
piohibitlon'more exprefsly condemn a.n hierarchy
in. the. chureh of Chrift .'' it is not coiiceiy'able hoW
language could . be more plainly forbidding, to the
fcheme, of Epifcopal-goVef nment. And the more
emphatiGallf -to cenfure and condemn- any thing
like a refemblance, in his church, of the Jewifli'
Hierarchy; -wherein there was ari adminiftration of
pricrftly governing power, he fays, — ^'Matt, xxiiis
8. tp;i|., Ee ye not called Rabbi, fo^.pne' is ,youf^
MASTER, even Chrift, and all ye eri?. BREikRENv
jind call no man your ^ AncuY's. upon e$fth: For on^
is your ? atuer who. is in heaven — Nay, at the
¦very time when he comri^iifRons his Apoftles, with*
full powers to exercife the office, of the Apoftolatf,.
there is not the leafl hint of his communicating to
them^ any governing powers in his church; but the:
very reverfe : For he fays. Matt, xxviii. 19,20.
Jllpo%v£rJs given TO me in. heaven and earth: Go,
¦difciple all -nations, bapiifmg them^— teaching them ti^
obfirve all things, whatfo'ever i have commanded
vou. N, B, He does not authorize them to deli*-
ver any injunft ions or commands of their oWri, or
to demand the leaft fubjeftion and obedience to
thfeir,authority. He could not do it. For he never ha4

¦5*
had ^imfeif faiight iri his own riatiie, Neifcfer could
he promife to be With therri to the end bf the age or
worlds upon any fuch cbndition as that, of thfeifexeri-
ieifing a go'verning power in a Kingdom or Church,
'wherein aU'his fubjefts are rrioftreligioufly bound to
difdwh' the duth"qrity of any Lord or Mafter, but his
Otftlyi, to whbm all power is gheri both iii Beaijen and
'earth, rierei the De^of may correft his Wild ima-
g?nacion, thdt if the uninterruptied Su'cceifibn could
tie fet afide, if- wbulda^Jh prove farther, that Cbrijl
'feas^negle^ed io provide for his church.-^not'withftand-
i^ be hiath exprej^ promifed to be with it to the end
¦gf-the world. ¦
' There is hot the leaft danger of fuch a confequence
lEakirig place ; bfeeaufe' he moft certairily does and
'mil proteft arid cburiteriance, all chriflians, whd
fcqnlcientioufly forrrii themfelt'es Upon his own teach
ings. — He Will be With all who dare not owii any
tother authority in his churchy than what im^
mediately derives from thofe moft exprefs teach-
. ihgs*. Nbriff have a greater claim to his prdmifc
than they Whb call no mari, mafter, but Jefus -, nor
own any father in his church, but God only,^ — -
In a mblre fober hquf, the Di;£lor furely woUld ribt
be fo- Very uncharitable as to deny the prefence
of Jefus to chriftians, only becatife they ha've
neither Bifhops nor Archbifhops among them,
it Would difcover a very unchriftian Spirit, fhould
ke^fhew anyiriclinatioft to cut off all anti-epifcopa-
lians from the prefence of.Jefusy merely becaufe of
a cdnffcieritious compliance with his oWn exprefs
prohibition.— I will anfwer for the Prefbyterian's.,
they do not envy him the beriefit qf his Govern
ing Lordsi 'Frorii What has been fhewn to
be the fenfe of the New Teftamerit writings, upon
the ftihjeft of church authority, it ihdUld be aij
iittdqtibtfed truth, that, .
¦^0 claims of Eptfcopal government cm behadfro0iChrip» ,
D 3 Ay>

52
Ay, but fays our Do£lor, " the praftice of the
", primitive church was a faithful comment on the
" laws of Chrift, and his Apoftles, relating to the
" Government of the Church-— the works of the
*' apoftolic fathers are ftill extant — the writings ftill
" remaining ofthey«f<3»J and /ZiiV^ century." p. 8, 9.
And fo fays a brother Apologifi of , his — " Scrip-
" ture alone is not a cqmpetent rule of faith — but
" as it has been interpreted by Apoftles, their im-
" mediate Succeffors, and the primitive fathers
of the church." * — -N. B. Defenders of dioce*
fan Epifcopacy always refer us to Church-tra
dition.  "We prefume to fay, that Apoftles them
felves were not interpreters , of the Scriptures, or
of the Sacred canon ; but were the amanuenfes
of the Spirit of God : Not one doftrine nor
one fingle precept was ever -left to their in
terpretation ; as St. Paul affures us, 2 Cor. iii. 5,
6. — Much lefs,, are we to borrow the fenfe of the
Sacred canon, from their immediate Succeffion, or
from the writings of the' primitive or apoftolic^
fathers of the fecond or third Centuries.^  Dr.*
Whitby's Stri5lur.ae Patrum, is fufficient, of itft^lf,
to convince any reafonable mind qf this.-r-The
Scripture alone muft be a competent rule of faith •,
elfe chriftians are without any fuch rule. We will
therefore turn_ our eyes again to the New Tefta
ment, in order to know, whether /^(J/?/w themfelves
did ever eJcercife any Governing power in the
chriftian church ?
Government ever implies, fubor,dinancy and fub-
eftiqn. If therefore Apoftles were Governors in the
church, their governing powers muft either have
operated among themfelves ; or upon th^ people,
to -whom they gave law by their own authority,,
i. e. in Virtue of their office, by having dominion
* An Apohgyfor thi Catholics of Great Britain and Ireland.
p. -4c, 41. - - over

over the faith of Men. That they had rjeither pre
eminence nor inferiority among themfelves, is evi
dent, from St. Pfl«/'s telling the Galatians, that he
acknowledged no fuperiqrity in St. Peter -, " but
*' had withftood him to the face, becaufe he was
** to be blamed. Nor did he give place to any
" by fubjeftion; no, not for an hour.*' — The
Corinthians he affures of the very fame thing, when
he fays, I fuppofe, I am not behind the very chief eft
Apoftles, i. e. fuch who were the moft remarkable
for the fupernatural gifts. At the fame time, he de
clares, / am nothing, q. d. independent on my Lord
and Mafter, / am nothing. — So the blefled Jefus
. had affirmed, that of himfelf he could do nothing. — •
There was therefore neither fuperiority, nor fub-
.ordinacy among the Apoftles *. '
Did Apoftles exercife any governing power over
the people ? We are affure'jd, theydid not ; for this
would have cbntradifted the very end of the.divine
teftimony given to Apoftles ; 'which was, that their
faith, whom they converted, Jhould not ftand in the
hoifdom of men, but in the power ef God. , j. Cor.
ii. 4, 5. which led St. Paul alfo to acknowledge,—-^
We are not fufficient of our felves, to think any thing as
of ourfelves ; but ourfuffidency is of God. 2 ep. iii. 5.
He had, before 'this, difclaimed any fort of dominion
over the faith of fhriftians. ch. i. 24. q. d. though
we have the Apoftolic rod, and can miraculoufly
punilh the grofsly offending chriftian profeffion,
and fo openly vindicate the Inftitution ; yet, we
have no Governing-power that can be exercifed
by us over minds.  Apoftles' knew, they could
not deliver any thing to the people of their own
'Authority, that fhould be obligatory upon them.
f*()r which reafon, St. Paul fays, we preach not our
* See th€ paiTages before cited from St, Matthew's gofpel

54
felves, hut Chrift Jefus the lordj and (m felves youf,
fervantsfor Jefus fake, z Cor, iv. 5. .Jhey had np
authority to draw up creeds, .articles of faith, or
rules. of difcipline, that fhould ac]lcnqw,Iedge jhfiij
legifiative or gover;iing power m ^^ church Qjf
feod. ' " ¦
In qne wpfd,~there is not" any truth more m?,?
iiifeft, than that the body pf Chrift., i. 9'. his church,
confifts of many members,' >which has but op^e
}i.ead. There is nqthiifjg .of fuperiprity in the bp^y,
npr any dependance. Thp hand caanot fay tq thg '
foot, I h'ave no need of thee, a,nd all the memberi '
of the body depend wholly ^nd equally on their!
jhead for direftion, protgftipn^ and government j
and not one upon another. ' And firice none |ji}t"
Chrift himfelf is the head of the bodyj \% is impp^-
fible he fhould have given a' power of govepoment,'"
to any members of this his bqdy.— Therefore j]f
'j^ifhops are members of the body of Chr\ft, they
jcannot have any governing powers ; for t:he reafoti
of their. being members,— -And moreover, becaufe
there -is but one Lord, as there is but one body,
the church of Chrift can bear n,o refemblance of
any political body, nor of any devifed hierarchy, .
that ever had a civil eftabliftiment, Eph. iv, 4, 5,'
^. . No One member bf Chrift's body, has either
rnore. intereft in the head than another member
has; neither is it lefs needy bf guidance and di*;
feftion from him, than ianother member; nor is it
lefs capable of receiving tfie benefit of fuch, gui
dance and government: and confeqiiently, no
member can be inyefted -wjth govprqing pqweriij
in the church, or body of Chrift.
The true ftating of the cafe, is manifeftly this,—}
.Apoftles were tjualified, by an immediate infpira-
tion, to deliver the will of God to riiankind, juft aS
Chrift Jefus had commanded they fhoyld; they
|lfo were able tq comnaunicate the divine plan of
^ ¦' ' ?  (jofpel

55
Gofpel-teachiags, with the miracle wpridng power"
j:q Apoftolical men, or Evangelifts; fuch as Ti*
fndthy and Tiius, who were fhewn, by them, hoV^
they might judge of the proper qualifications foif
public teachers, in the churches : But when the .
Apofldes and Evangelifts had once finifhed the writ-
ten-candn, which was drawn Up for the rule of
chriftians in all after-ages, .the feveral diftinft
churches -thereby became capable of forming a
judgment for themfelves, ^n.d of ordaining perfons
moft proper tq lead their devotions.
Here an objeftion arifes tq Diqcefan-Epifcb-
pacy, which claims the fole power of Ordination ;
^nd that is, fuch ©ifhops pretend to confer, on
thofe they ordain, - pries'ts-orders.  Within
the compaffi of my abiUtyfor e:i£amining New-Tef-
tament-writings., I have mvex yet feen the leaft
mention made Of fuch a diftinft order, as that
,of Priefts» in the church of ChriiV. 'Neither
is the idea of a priefthpod fuited tp the nature
of the ehriltian Ini]:itution ; for chriftian minifters
'have neither facrifices nor oblations to ofier for thfe
people 5 they Ijaye nq altar, on which to Qay thfe
yiftim, or oyer which to.waye tjie offering: Ser
vices effential to ^ priefthbod,. The mediator and
Saviour is indeed called, the chriftian's high
.prieft : but then he needs no other prieft., becauffe
Joe is able fo fave to the^uttermoft $11 that come to Go4
hy him.— ^The New Teftament never fpeaks of
any other priefbhqqd, but of that which is appli-,
cable to every true chriftia'rt, — hence St, Peter de
nominates the whole body of chrifljanSy an holy arid
royal prieflhood, i Pet, ii, 5,- 9,.
The very Ofder of priefts is judaical, or pagan,.
What then ? If antiquity a-nd even univerfality could
be pleaded, the order has no foundation in the
New Teftament, — We own, very readily, that an-
j^rgument from Revelation, is nqt at all likely tq lay

5^
hold'iipori a writer, who can affirm,— "that the
*' praftice of the primitive church was a faithful
" comment on the laws of Chrift, and his Apof-
*' ties, relating to the government of the church ;"
and who can, with fo much confidence, reft his
claim upon the works of ApoftofiCal fathers, and
the writings of the fecond and third centttries. —
He has -paid very tittle regard to the writings of
Apoftles, and would have us pay as little, who
can make fuch an affirmadon ; for we are affured
from Apoftles themfelves, that even in their day,
the mjftery of iniquity did already work. 2 Theff. ii.
7. And the fpirit did. .fpeak ex.pre.fsly, that in
the latter times*, fome fhould depart from the
faith. I Tim. iv. i. 2 ep. iii. i. , And in Su Paul's
Epiflle to the Galatians, -he is warning the chrif
tians againft the Judaizing Teachers, whq wanted
to rob them of their chriftian liberty. St. Peter
cautions againft men, who, -whilft they promifed
them liberty-— were themfelves enfiaved to world-
linefs— See;2 ep. ii. 18 — ^end.. And St. John fays,
*' Little children it is ths lafk time ; and as ye have
" heard that antichrift fhall cotke, even noih are
*' there many, antichrifts ; whereby we know it is the
" laft'time. i ep. ii. 18. And we are to add, the
complaining meffages delivered to the feven Afia-
tic churches, in the Apoc?ilypfe.
Are not thefe authentic teftimonies abundantly
fufficient to prove, that our Miffionary is over
confident when he affirms, "that the praftice of
" the primitive church was a faithful comment of
" the laws of Chrift,, and his Apoftjes, relating to
" the government of the church." Nq fort of de,-
.pendence can be had upon that, or upon the works
of the apoftolical fathers, or upon the writings of
^}c^t fecdnd'iXid^third centuries, in any thing incompa-
* N.B In I John ii, i8. the age, of Apoftles is called, the
laft time. • '
tible

SI
tible with the written canon. Nor have we any cOm^
petent .rule of faith and wqrfhip, but the New-
Teftament writings only.
Upon the whole merits, of the inquiry, whdt
could have been more fanciful and, groundlefs,
than either thofe governing epifcopal poWers, or
than the uninterrupted fueceffion of them, faid to
be infeparable from the Epifcopal office; whether.
fhey be for ordination, ox fonfirmation?
If I am not extremely miftaken, the laft new
facrament, viz. that oi confirmation, has as little
fupport in the New-Tcftament writings, as either
government, or ordination. For though we are
referred to the New-T^eflament writings in proof
of its being of divine original, yet the two texts
produced by the ,appellantj have only to do with
the miraculous gifts, Afts viii. 14, 15,' 16,
and Afts xix.  Biit affuredly not. any autho
rity can be derived thence, favourable to Epif
copal confirmations in after-ages of the church.
For, in faft, Bifhops have never had any fuperna
tural powers ; they could rieither convey fuch gifts,
nor communicate any new mental ability, by vir
tue of laying on of their hands., There is not aingte
.inftance can be produced of fuch manual efficacy.
Neverthelefs, our Dr. would have us imagine,
that Bifhops have fome peculiar virtufe goes out
from them ; for fpeaking of this new facrament.
Confirmation, -p. 2^, 24^ he fays, — Without the
?' gracious aififtances of , the Holy Spirit, it is as
" certain now as ever it was, thatno man is able to
*' withftand temptations, and to .fulfil the condi-
" tions of the Gofpel covenant. Thofe upon
" whom the Apoftles laid hands, are faid to have
*' received the Holy Ghoft : but, I truft, there
"is nothing fo extraordinary in this, but that
.*.' chrift'tans in all ages, who .haye a proper difpq-
' " fition.

5«
Vi^ciqni and* make ufe of the 'ftanding iueaa*
.*«.^)poiflted in the efeiirchj may hope to obtain
f' even this mfpeakable benefif. • It is fufficient
*« for chriftians at this day, that, withoqt thefe
?* miraculous endowments,, after the forgivenefs
f* of fins, they are ftrengthned with -the Holy
^f Ghoft the Comforter." — ^This is a very prefump'-
tmous account of epifcopal confirmation ; and can
meet w^th credit only among thofe, who- chufe
to put themfelves under an affefted ^ritftly
poWer, exercifed over the qnderftandings of men.,
Our mifftonimty fays^ ^ I truft, there is riothing
*' fo €xtraordii}ary in thisj bujt that chriftians
^' in all ages, whq have a proper difpofition,
^' and make ufe of thp ftanding m^ans appointed
-*' in the chtirch, niay hope to obtain even this
?' unfpeakfibk gift" 'Whaj: iinfpeakable gift ?— ^
-Why, the Holy Gi^qft, as men receiyed it at the
-bands of Apoftles 1 Strange ^s this is, we plainly
jdifcern it to be his meaning; for his words lie in
this order, — " Thofe upon whom the Apqftles laid
*' hands, are faid to have received the Holy
?' Ghoft : but, I iruft, there is nothing fo extrar
?' ordinary in this, but that Chriftians in all ages^
.*' who have a proper difpofition-r-may liope tq
*' qbtain''^even this unfpeakable gift."-^^
The Society for propagating the Gofpel, could
.never have found out a n^an in all the wqrld, whofe
trust or confidence would have'beejj more
marvellous ! His faith muft be eqaial, in its
• wildnefs, to that of the mqft noted Etijhufiafts.
O Re3or of St. John's ! thou mayeft challenge
]p.omerpapal to produce any one champion, on thfe
fide of Epifcopal power, whofe faith fhall ftretch
beyond thine,— But, the better to reconcile the lefs
. credulous to an admiffion of fuch hope-^— our Deiidr
has been pleafpd to jidd — \l It \& fufficient foF
*l Chriftian^

- $i
?' -Chriftians at'thiis day, that, ^vithotw rfiefe m-*
i' ja^jiiqus endo\vmqnts, after t^ fo^ivenefs ,<?/
f fins, they are ftrengthqed with the Holy Ghoft,
^' the.Cqm|qrl;er."--:;H;ere, we are .fo underfiand.
tha-t,/^* fo^rgivenefs of fins,, is a m^i'^ter which muft
be t^ken for granted, a^ ibei,ng wifhin tfee Bifhop'*
pqWjef, whenever and iwhoever h^ confirms,— TAn4
i;qyld .we allow him the a^bility, w^ migl]? ^dniit
tl^e.. confequeijtial benefit. Arjd yet, where fhalj^
we find greater finners thaii fonie confirming Bi
fhops themfelves h?iye been \ F|ave we tiO\ far
more reaibn than the Jews qf qld had tq put the
foUowji^ queftions, Why ^oss this man thus fpedk
fflafphmies ? Who cm forgive fins but God, only ?-rt
Nq aafeer i;ould ever have beei^ made to thefe
queftions, but by him who pOqld fay tq the para
lytic, Arife^ take up thy couch, ^nii go into thin0.
|?«»^.— wherever the power qf God inftantly re
moves fialadie^, there is a virtual . fqrgiyenefs.
But for uninfpired nien aiithorit0tively. to pretend
an ability qf fqrgjving fins, who have no fuchpre-
ferice of God witH them, is not furely at all defen-
liblci There is no remiffion qf fins, urider the
Grofpel, but where there is trvje fepenta^ice j evei^
tEqugh an apoftje Ibqujd m^ke the declaration.
And the f^rne words, repentance and rmijfion of fins.,
when pronounced by a Bifliop, have no more efii^
Cacy than if pronounced by ^ny good man. Neither
^re the prayers of a Bifl^op more efficacious than,
the prayers of ^ layman/ T^he hand of a mitred
trieft is pot a wjiit more capable qf conveying any
(pirhiial bene^t, than the hand of 9. mechanic.
If I underftand the New Teftament teachings,
.there is no fuch facrament inftitu ted, in the church^
pf Chrift, as that qf Epifcopal-csnfirmatiQn; and if
i have aqy juft idea qf the reafqn> nature, and truth

€6
of things', there could not be any fuch divine infti-*
tution in that thurch. On the contrary,— in riiy
humble opinion, confirmation, as it is called, by
the hands of a Bifhop, has a much more natural
tendency to rerider the human mind vain, con
ceited, and prefumptuous, ; than to enable it to
withftand temptation, and fulfil the conditions of
the Gofpel-covenant. A Bifhop, indeed, we are
told, had the modefty to fay, " TJie holy rite of
" confirmation is a divine ordinance, and it pro-
*' duces divine effe&s, and. is miniftred h-y divine
" perfons, i. e. by thofe whom God has fanftified
" and feparated to this' miniftratlon," p, 24, note.
• — Should it not rather have been faid, fanftified
and feparated by the Conge d'Elire of the King ?—
How many poor creatures fall under the delufion
of having had their fins pardoned by the Bifhop ?
-when the religion of man has no dependancB upon
What any prieft can do, either to him or for him ;
all religion being perfonal. This appears from
the currency of New Teftament teachings, e. g.
Would a man know his own real charafter, as a
chriftian ? he is not exhorted to go to the-Bifliop
ibr his examination ; but the rule is, examine your-
f elves -whether ye be in the faith, prove your own felves:,
•2 Cor. xiii. 5. Would he be qualified for receiving
'¦the Eucharift? Apoftles do not direft to Epifcopal
confirmation ; but to felf-examination, i Cer.
xi, 28, Let a maneHamine himfelf; livd fo let him eat
> of that bread, and 'drihk of that cup. -r-^2& the chri-
'iftiafn been overtaken in a fault ? In order to recover
himfelf, muft he have prieftly abfolution ? by no
lineans, — hxit- let every man prove his own work, and
then fliall he have rejoicing in himfelf, and not in an
other. Gal, vi, 1^—5-.' Thus the religion of thg
.Chriftian is perfonal. Seft. II.

^1
Seft. II. The appellant's idea 0/ religion, effentiatty
different from chutchifm.
We proceed to notice what the HoSlor fays qf
religion, and what of.the church. .
, Thefe are his words, p. 30. " i? Jzg-/fl« being 'a
"-.matter of free choice, for which we are ordindi
" rily accountable only to him, who will hereafter
" judge us fqi^ our moral behaviour. — And the
" chm ch conf\dexed with relation to. civil power,
" being in the very nature of it a voluntary fociety ;
" it is left to mens confciences, whether they will
" bfeeqme members of it or not ; but lafter they
" are become membersi. the laws of the church
" are; in force againft them, and they are fubjeft,
" in ecclefiaftical matters, to the a.uthority of thofe
" whq govern it." — ^Here is an open confeffionj
that men may be religious, without becoming membefi
of the church. — We applaud this acknowledgment.
¦ — Indeed it muft be fo, inafmuch, as religion is a
matter of free choice, the truly religious man is
only accountable to him, who will be his final
judge.-^Our Dr, fays-, ordinarily it is fo. I affirm,
it univerfally is fo ; and can be rio otherwife, fo far
aS a man is religious. However, I am very ready
to own, with this appellant, that as to a civil
church eftablifhment, which is what he means by
the church confidefed with relation to civU power,
being, in the very nature of it a voluntary fociety,
qf which men may become members or not, if
men do once become members of this xhurchi
they are no longer in poffeffion of that freedom
which conftitutes religion ; they are ,nq longer ac^
countable .only to the final judge ; but they become
vaffals of church-governors, —
In order to reconcile men to this ecclefiaf
tical authority, he fays, p, ^g, " NoW as the
"honor of God is moft direftly promoted
*' by public "worihip— -as that worlhip muft be
" moft

**' ttlO{l ikcepUMe to . him, \)^herein"- i3i&' praifil
*' and adorations' oif his cJ5eJ^rure$ are regularly
**^ offered hirii, irt the fokmii' offices oi^the ¦;^iireji
*• and beft religion-^nd as the national .rellf iba
«* muft bB^fiippofed beft to anfwer thefe (shar.a&rS^
** in the national opinion; it neceffarily follows^
*' that the' ftate of the natidnil" religion here' has d
"' right, oh- this occafidm ^to the peculiar atteritioli
** and- Confideratiori of thofe who are intrufted
^*^ with the- direftion of our public affairsi"
. H-erej the fophifm iS glaring l^^^lihc piraifes arid
adofatioTis of God^s creatuj-es regulatiy offered' him,
ihthe folemli office^ of.the pUrejH arid ^^^ reli|;ibn;
aire fuppofed beft to anfwer thefe char afters in the
national teligion,--^Prayi in whofejlidgment"?— •
in that of the: reafon, nature, and truth of things,''
The Dr; does nOt fay this .?— ^in that of tHe teach
ings of the New-Teftament ? That is not oilr ap
pellant's declaration, — -What then? Why, a na
tional religion is the beft in the national opinion.
Yery wonderfxil, truly, is this reprefentation made
qf the folemn offices of the pureft and beft religion;
"^Which reafoning will be every whir-as clear and
conclufive too, either at Conftuntimpkj - at Peking
Japan, or at 'Rome.
In what light did all the National religiqns ap
pear when chriftianity was at firft profeffed in the
World ? and where is it that a national eftablifh^
ment of chriftiaaity has rend^ed the' worfhip more
acceptable to God .'' or has fhewn the praifes and
adorations offered: him, to be in the folemrt offices
of the pureft and beft religion ?
Before the reformation had obtained an eftablifh
ment in Englandj I afk'^ whether the folemn offices
of the high mafs, the then national religion, were
more pure ahd more acceptable than the pr^ifeS
and adorations of the Lollards and Wicliffites'j
who made $he New Teftament the rtile Of their
• homage,

horinage,. and who abhorred the worlhip of thd
Virgin, and the motlfey of church faints,''—.
,Our Dr. verily, wojild. have. us know, he keeps
a quick eye ttpori the contemners of church-autho
rity ; and he would gladly blunt the edge of their
dipike to his epifcopifin^-fcheme ; and therefore it
is we meet with the following addrefs, — p. 31,
" In this age, a man would be generally efteemed
*' wrong-headed, or mean-fpirited, or both, who;
*' Ihould- profefs much reverence fOr eeclefiaftlcat
*' authority.;— In this ftate of things, the reftora-
" tipn of the primitive difcipline feems tq be a
" matter rather to be wiflied for and defired, than'
*' tq be ratiqnally attempted by thofe in authority.
*' Accordingly no attempts of this nature will ber
" made under an American Epifcopate : the dif-
*' cipline of the church, lb far as it relates to the
** private members. Will be left as it is, and no-
*' thing farther will be done than refufing the;
" communiqn to diforderly and fcandalous perfons,
*' which every Clergyman may now refufe, and
*' ought to refufe, agreeably to the Rubrics,"— He^
adds, " But with regard to the Clergy, it is pro-
" pofed that a ftrift difcipline be eftablilhed, and
" that the Bifliop's power over them fhall be as
*' full and complete, as the laws and canons of the
" chureh direft."
The Dr. is put to much pain about curtailing
cpifcojpal , power, in matters of difcipline. His
argument for the neceflity of American Bifhops
is greatly weakened, when none but the cle:rgy can
come under their rod of epifcopal eorreftion. And
it is ftill leffened, when he affirms, " that nothing
" farther will be done than refufing the communion
" to diforderly and fcandalous perfons, which every
" clergyman may now refufe, and ought to refufe.-"
Very lP:ran.ge and incredible it is, that in Old
9 England

6^
England the cqnforming clergy are all obliged to
give the qualifying facramental teft to the moft
immoral vicious man, who obtains an office under
the government ; and yet that the epifcopal efta
bliftiment, propofed in Anierica, fhould have its
clergy excufed under a general taxation of thofe
Colonies I , "
Seft. III. Other Arguments for the Epifcopijing-
Scheme, confidered. - '
One gracious conceffion' made by the Dr. we
have p. 47, " Some of the colonies were generally
*' fettled by thofe who had an averfion to epifco-,
"pal government. The propriety of not fending
" a Bifhop to fuch colonies -will be, difputed by
" none." And as a mark of moft uncommon ten-
dernefs, p, 48, " A fear of irifringingthe religious
*' rights bf Proteftahl-diffeiitirs in'this; country, fo.r
" which^both our civil and ecclefiaftical ruler's
^" have fo tender a' regard, muft have created
" an!almqft infuperable difficulty in carrying into
"execution a, work of this nature," * It is afto
nifhing, that when the riumber of Epifcopalians
in' North-America is io, fmall, a clergyriian fliould
have the confidence to ' fpeak of the general
body of thofe colohifts", under the denomination
of proteftant-diff enters ! Would fuch language
be relifhed, if the epifcopalians and feceder^
in the' northern part df Britain, fliquld call the
KiRK pf Scotland, by the name of proteftant-dif-
fenters ? and yet, I arii . perfuaded, that in our
American Colonies the Epifcopalians do not hold
a greater proportion tothe Prefbyterians and Inde-
* Compare with this what is found to be the Dr,'s tender
^regard to prpteftant-diffenters, p. 1C9, of which more here-
afti-r, 7 pendents,

65 »
pendents, &c. than they in North Britain do to the
Kirk. ¦
He goes on, p. 54, and would have it thought,
to be at prefent a moft favourable feafon, for put-
tihg the epifcopifing ftheme in executiPh, " The
" favputableoppbriunity which has fo long been
" waiting for, in the opinion of many wife and
" judicious perfons in America now prefents itfelf
" — and -fuch, in feveral refpefts, as the circum-
" ftances of the nation have never, until now,
*' offered." Among. other things he fays, " the
*' greateft harmony fubfifts between our mother-
" country and moft of the Colonies, the late dif-
" putes having been brought, by the wifdom and*
" good temper of the former, to a happy termi-
" nation."It is nqt uricomriion for men, fond of a fcheme»
to fancy a great many things that may be favour
able to it ; but it is furprifing, that a Doftor in
Divinity, a Miffionary too, fhould, in fo many words,
fay, that the very reverfe of what things manifeftly
are, is, the truth of them. — The stamp- act had
ruffled the min.ds of the Americans — 'The repeal
of that aft, appeafed them — But has not the far
ther aft of taxing a people, who think, " that no
^' TAXATION fhould be impofed in a free government,
" without REPRESENTATION,'' again difgufted
them ? — I am humbly of opinion, that the pre-
fe'nt junfture is by no m^ans favourable, and
do moft humbly fuggeft, that if a meafure of
this nature fhould be taken, not any thing could
more gratify the real enemies of the prefent chofen
illuftrious royal family now on the throne ; nor more
favour the lurking fubverfive fchem.e of jacobites
and Papifts ; nor give them a fairer opportunity of
bringing in their pretended stuart fariiily. — A
Bifliop or; Bifliops fent to North- America, might
put fire to the train, fnring the mine, and throw the
E colonies

66
colonies i^tp- the utmoft gonfufion. This, verily,,
is the,apprehenfive idea in my breaft; and' I own^
I fliould greatly dread the experinient I
The Dr. tells us, " That the church of Eng-
" land, (/, e. the epifcopalians in America,) contains-
" now a million of members.; at p, "jj, he fays,
« near a million," — And,- that " from general cal^
" dilations, it has been frequently faid qf late years,
" the proper fubjefts of the Britifli cjrown in-
" America amount to three millions," p, 55,— It
is, to me, incredible, that near one third o.f the.
American fubjefts of the Britifh crown Ihould be
Epifcopalians, when I confider, what numbers of
Prefbyterians, Independents, Baptifts, Quakers,^—
-alfo Papifts, are kncswn to be among them ; befide
the very large numbers of foreign Proteftiants, whO'
are not Epifcopalians, but have, in a long fuc-
cel^tin of emigrations, been flying frqm the in-
tpllerant hand of church-power, in Germany, Hun
gary, France, and other countries. — In a note to
Dr, Chauncyh very fenfible Letter, he writes,.
" Within the limits of New-England, there are
" now at the loweft computation not lefs than five
," hundred and fifty miniflers, fome Prefbyterian,
" moftly Congregational, who have been regularly
" feparated to the paftoral charge of as many
" chriftian focieties ; having been firft educated,"
" a-nd graduated, atone or other of our Colleges."
- — To thefe 550 churches in New-England, where
in the- pra'ifes and adorations of God's creatures^
may reafonably be fuppofed as regular and as ac
ceptable, as thofe more abundantly furnifhed with
formality and ceremony, very great numbers muft
be added from other parts of the America!) colonies^
And from the accounts which are publiflied by the
F^pifcopal Society for propagating the Gofpel, in foreign
parts, itfelf, one cannot but conclude, the num
bers and fize of epifcopalian churches to be of
very "

67
very fmall account, when compared with the
churches or . congregations of other proteftants* •
So that, a very inferior number to a million doth
feem to be the portion of epifcopalians in America; •
ahd confequently the argument for Bifhops there,
becomes thereby confiddrably weakened.
Here, I may aptly affign a reafon, why the ac
count of a Miffionary in the fervice of the Society,
Ihould not always be relied upon, till fully exa^-
mined ; no more than the accounts publifhed by
the Society itfelf: Since it appears, from a contro
verfy carried on in the Bofton Gazette, between the
Reverend Mr. Winftow, minifter of Braintree and
Stoughton, and JMr, Dunbar of Stoughton, that
the faid /^^zk/^c'o; reported to the Society aforefaid,
a far greater number of families belonging to the
church of England in the town of Stoughton,
than there were, calling therri twenty ; when Mr.
'Dunbar has fhewn, that a young boy and girl were
brought into the account, as heads of families ;
and thtjee vagrant Irifhmen ; and that three of the
heads in the number, live out of the bounds of
that 'town,. Nay, that Father Rufoe and Daniel
Waters, were put into the lift, though both of
them were dead Iqng before Mr, Winflow gave the
Society the account referred to. Mr. Dunbar, *
who lives in Stoughton, tells us elfewhere in, that
controverfy, that he knew but of four families pf
that epifcopal church, properly fo called, — He very
juftly adds, " What pity is it, that the Honour-
" able Sqciety fhould be fo impofed on by their
" pious Miffionaries!" ' * '
• See the Bofton Gazette, printed for Edes and Gill, dated
June 22, i-jf^j, for Mr, Samuel Dunbar's Lettei', dated
June 1-5, 1767; Aug. 3, 1767, for another LetteV of "his,
dated July 21, 1767 ; and Aug", 17, 1767, for a third Letter
of Mr, , Dunbar's, dated Aug. iz, 17^17, £oataining /arther
mifreprefentations chargeable on the faid Mr, VVinflow,_^
E 2 Another

68.
Another argument made ufe of to recommend-
the Epifcopifing American fcheme, is in p, 64, ¦
" The influence of Jefuits and French Miffionaries
" ceafes to operate in thofe regionS,> where for-
*' merlyevery attempt made by a proteftant nation
*' to propagate the Gofpel, was fure to be coun-
" terafted as effeftUally as poffible," It -will re
quire a very ftrange faith, to give oyr appellants '
the leaft credit in this matter. For, we have been
affured in print, by a Proteftant Prelate^ that " the
Romifli fuperftition within a province lately added
to the Britifh dominions, is compleatly allowed ,
IN ALL POINTS ; it hath Bifliops and Seminaries,"
And there is great reafon to believe, that whole
fhip-loads of Popifh Priefts and Jefuits have gone
,to Canada accordingly ; from whence they will be
able moft commodioufly to fcatter and promote
their bafe fubverfive principles throughout all
North-America, I pray God the event of that
allowance may not prove deeply tragical I
Seft, IV. The Extent of Epifcopal Powers in America^ "
afcertained what they fhall be.
We are affured by the Dr. p. .79, " That the
" Epifcopifing plan has been long fettled by our
*' friends and fuperiors at home, and the Clergy
*' of this country have often fignified their en-
*' tire approbation and acquiefcence therein 
*' that the Bifhops to be fent to America, fhall have
*' no authority, but purely of a fpiritual and ecclefiafti^
*' cal nature, fuch aS is derived altogether from the
" church and not from the ftate. — That this authority
" fhall operate only upon the Clergy of the Church,
• *' and not updn the laity nor dift'enters of any denomi-
*' nation : — That the Bifhops fhall not interfere with
" the property or privileges, whether civil or religious,
" of church-men or _d'tfjenters : — That, in particular,
," they ftiall have no concern with theprobate of Wills,
" Letters

" Letters of Guardianfhtp and Adminiftration, or
^' Marriage-licences, nor be judges of any cafes relating
" thereto-T-But that they fhall only exercife the original
" powers of their office as before ftated, i, e, ordain
'^ and govern the Clergy, and adminifter Confirmation
" to thofe who fhall defire it.
" This,- without any refervation or equivoca-
*' tion, is the exaft plan of an American Epifco-
", pate which has been fettled at home ; and it is
" the only one, on which Bifhops have been re-
" quefted here, either in our general qr more
" particulai- addreflfcs."
Thus he has laid before us the moft plaufible
plan, that could be devifed for the Epilj"copate,.
For we are to obferve, that although the Do6ior had
been pleafed to tell us, in his advertifement^ |that
the talk of drawing up the Appeal was firft impo
fed upon him, by the very worthy and reverend
Dr. Johnfon of Stratford inConneSlicut; yet that
the plan had been long concerted, and is the
refult of a general confultation. His words
are thefe, " In a work of this nature, it may be pro-
" per to make -the following declaration to the
, '^ public, that it has been long fettled by our friends
" and fuperiors at home ; and the Clergy of this
" country have often fignified their entire .appro^
'f bation and acquiefcence herein," — -Then he men-
rions the plan as above recited, from which, h?
would have us know, his appeal fpeaks the general
fenfe of his Church, and hence he thinks himfelf
ajathqrized to fay, *' Every oppofition to the fcheme,
has in it the nature of perfecution." I am very glad
he dqes, not fay, rebellion, — And even'how the
lefs powerful fliould be able to persecute, may be
of difficult conception, — ^No matter for that, the
DoSior will have it fo — " Every oppofition to fuch
" a plan has the nature oi perfecution, and deferves
*f fixz name. — And it is hard to believe that any
E 3 " proteftants,

'£¦

70
^' proteftants, efpecially that any Englifh Diffen-
" ters who have generally, for a Century paft,
" been warm advocates for religious liberty, and
*' who are greatly indebted to a toleration them-
*' felves, can be fo inconfiftent, as tp wifli this
" harm to the members of the national church,
p, 82,85.
This is indeed to reafon like a church-man ;
but with no fort of evidence : for the D'Mor is not
able to prove, that the prbteftant-diffenters are at
all indebted to a toleration, Unlefs the beft fub
jefts of his Majefty King George III, are favoured,
by being ftigmatized with that brand of vaffalage,
in order to correft in^hem a miftaken loyalty. But,
in as much, as a more extenfive ftretch and fuller
grafp of Epifcopal power, (which is, a great
efficient caufe of that brand being continued,)
will be juft- matter of their dread and averfion ;
no charge of , ingratitude can 'fix upon them,, be
caufe of their great diflike to the American Epif
copifing fcheme.
The fame degrading fpirit, with that of tolera
tion, ardendy breathes in our American Doftor,'
p. 109. " Arguments of this fort, y^jj i;i?, may be
" as fairly and properly alledged againft a religious
" toleration which is npw generally efteemed by
" Proteftants, to be a natural right of , men, and a
" very important one of chriflians— againft ad-
" mitting thofe who diffent from the national reli-
" gion to any degree of civil or military power,
?f TO WHICH, INJJEEO, THEY HAVE No'nATURAL
?' RIGHT*."  There is fomething extremely offenfive
«
* If proteftant-diffentefs were, as papifts univerfally are, by
effential imchangea'clc fpirjit and principle, the avowed en-
rnies of religious liberty ; and fo effeftually alienated from the
interefts of proteftantifm, as to hold it meritorious to deftroy
pr extirpate, whatthey call, the northsr-m 'heresy ; if they diS

71
lof&nfive in this declaration. He owns, that a re
ligious toleration is generally efteemed by prote-
¦did mtjnojjolize the favour of God, fo 4s to deny, fahatiitte
tould he hard, hut only in their oiun church ; they wp'Lild then
have no riglit io tolpation. — ^But as this uhfociable, in-
tollei-ant fpirit of popery, is the very fame irt this enlighten
ed age, that it ever was ; papifts are not to be tolerated.
The faipenefs of ^irit and principle ih Papifts is glaring !
witnefs the decrees delivered from the Vatican to the tolifti
Senate, by the .Aaaa'a frorii his hollnefs in 1766 f; and alfo
in our home publications, made by profeffed popifti writer-s
. of eminence ; particularly in an apology for the Cntho'Ucs of
•Great Britain and I-reletnd, humbly Cfffered td the confideration of
the King's .moft excellent Majefiy and hath hpufes of Parliament,
1768: And in Mr. Howard's 97ioi^;^/j, efiafs, and maxims,
chiefiy religitms .aiid political, 1768.
1 he former fays, '.' the catholics have fubftantiaj reafons for
" believing that their church is the o-aXy. church which has pre-
" ferved the faith delivered by Chrift to his Apoftles— intire
" and inviolated. If fo, theirs is the faviitg filth : And if
" without faith, it is inipofflble to pleafe God ; of conle-
" quene6,,thofa.that are deflitute of faith are not" in the way
'" of Salvation," p, zA, 27,
The. latter, when fpeaking of papifts emlbracihg proteftan
tifm, nioft ifividjoufly calls it, swallowing the scorpion, '
^" their internal happinefs is fo much affefted thereby, their
" future hopes teing deftroyed," — p. ii.
I have adduced thefe open recent teftimonies, in proof that
popery is ftill -the fame, notwithftanding -what tliat fertile
genius, theEffayift \i^r\ firfi principlej ofgoijernmeM, has too un
guardedly faid, in defence of tolerating that inimical profef
fion,- And I will freely own, >that if .iny principles, avowedly
held by proteftant-diffenters, are equally fubverfive of govern
ment, and deftruftive of religious liberty, they have then no
natural right to any degree of ciwti or military po^wer.  *
This note cannot be deemed foreign, or impertinent, when I
am able to add, that there are numbers of conformifts to the
church eftabliftiment, hoth clergy and laymen, who are fo in
fatuated with the glare of hierarchical powers, as openly tb
give popery the preference to a proteftant-diffent !
t See original pieces concerning the prefent fituation of the
proteftants and Greeks in Poland, p, 122, 123, 124, 125,
E 4 ftants,

72
ftants, to be a natural right of men, and a yeiy
important one of chriftians ; and yet, he has the
confidence to affirm, that thofe whq diffent from
the national religion, indeed, have no natural right !
— Thus he differs from the general fenfe of Pro
teftants, and tramples under his anti-proteftant
feet, ¦f thofe very people, whom he acknowledges
may be as good fubjefts as thofe of his own church ;
and whofe chriftianity, it is apprehended, is every
way better than his own, in as much as they would
be aflbamed to tell the Epifcopalian, that becaufe he
had an ignorant zeal for an ecclefiaftical hierarchy,
that therefore he had forfeited his natural right as a
man, and his important one as a chriftian, to any civil
or military power, — ^Yet truly, this Author affirm?,
p. 112. that " nothing has been afferted in the
" courfe of this work, but what he believes, upon
*' good evidence, to be true; no argument has
" been advanced, but with a full perfuafion of
" its being perrinent and conclufive." Such is his
flagrant credulity.
But that American pre/hyterians and congreg^-
tiongls may have an high opinion of his church,-^
the Do^or has quoted, p, 9.0, 91, the late Rev. Dr,
George' Benson, a very learned diffenter, as not
fcrupling to make the following declaration, — the
church of England with its prefent candor, fpirit of
toleration and charity, appears to me the beft efta
blifhment on the face of the earth.— ^Our Miffionary
ought to have given the teftimiOny its full fcope":
for thefe are the words of Dr. Benfon, following
in immediate conneftion — to which, I would con
form, moft gladly, and with all my foul, provided they
¦ * The Doftor has warranted this application of the term,
atiti-protefiant, from his very oppofite fpirit, to the general efii-
mation of protefiants, ' ' . would

n
would admit me, without requiring any thing, which
appears to me unreafonable, or unfcriptural.. But, as
long as fuch things are contained in her articles, and
mixed with every part of the common forms of -wor
fhip, my confcience obliges me to diffent, and avoid com
munion with her. But I wifh her no harm. I fin-
¦cerely wifh her a thorough reformation, and that
fpeedily. What muft now be thought of this miffionary of
the Society for propagating the Gofpel, thus im-
pofing ofi the Americans, not capable, for the
general, of coming at Dr. Benfon's book, nor of
detefting the mifreprefented teftimony : which,
when fairly givep, is as full againft his church
fyftem, as the power 6f language can exprefs.
 Is this the hand felefted to manufafture
an appeal to the public, in behalf of the church
pf Englapd in America ? — dedicated to the Arch-
bifhop of Canterbury ? What muft the impartial'
public think, both of an appellant and of a caufe
thus defended? When witneffes are, made to
fpeak the very reverfe of their moft, explicite depo-
fitions. With as good a grace, he might have
told us, that DAVID gave his teftimony full and
exprefs in favour of atheifm. Ps. 14, i. He had
only to fupprefsj the fool hath faid in his heart, and
then, the propofition lay openly and exprefsly be
fore him,— r-THERE IS 'NO GOD.
I can affure the public, that this artful decep
tion, has given pain to very worthy Prefbyterian
and Go.ngregational minifters in America ; one of
whom has written to a learned friend of mine, comr
plaining and grieving at -weapons being put into
i'an enemy's hand, by a profeffed learned advo
cate for religious liberty. Hence, we may be able
to account, in fome meafure, for an appeal to th?
public, not bearing a re-publication in old England,
*"¦ ' - ¦ thpugU

74
thqugh prqfeffedly drawn up by a miffionary oi the
Society, for the purpofe of opening their Epifco
pifing fcheme. It was eafy to fee, fuch ardfice
could not bear the canvaffing eye of Old England;
-though it might ferve well enough to bje put into
the hands of fuch church-men, who fcom to look
into a prefbyterian publication.
To obviate any farther fufpicions about new laws
being made in favour of an American Epifcopate,
that. fhall fubjeft the colonies to the payment of
Tithes-, he will by no means allow of any dangq- in
that refpeft, fince the Clergy are now regularly and
well fupported without tithes, in feveral provinces,
— But as this may not be quite fatisfaftory, he
adds, p. J 07, — " It may be farther afkedj Shall we
•' not be taxed in. this country for the fupport of
*' Bifhops, if any fhall be appointed ? 1 anfwer,
*' Not at all. — But Ihould a general tax be laid
*' upon the country, and thereby a fum be raifed
*' fufficient for the purpofe : and even fuppofing
*' we fhould have /^«^ Bifhops on the Continent,
*' which are the moft that have been mentioned,
" yet I believe fuch a tax would not amount to
*' more than four pence in one hundred pounds.
" And this would be no mighty hardfhip upon the
'^ Country, He that could think much of giving
" the fix thoufandth part of, his income, to any ufe
*' which the Legiflature' of his Country fliould aC-
^' fign, deferves not to be confidered in the light
*' of a good fubjeft, or member of Society," — ^He
fays' indeed, " no fuch tax is intended, nor I
" truft, will be wanted,"
- The Dollar muft allow me, in my turn, to fay,
I am one of many thoufands, who are vjery averfe
to the having any tax laid upon our incomes, thq"
it was but the fixty thoufandth part, for fuch an ufe
0S that here fpecjfied ; nqtwithftanding the Legi
flature

', • IS
flature of my Country. fliould afllgn it. And was I
an inhabitant of North America, fhould look upon
it in no other light, than as an unreafonable,
unrighteous taxation -, and yet, am confcious
of defervirig tb be confidered as a good ftibjeft. — -
But when I add to this, that by an original
inftitution of American Bifhops, a declaration was
folemnly made by a Britifh Legiflature, " that the
?' Bifliops fhall not interfere with the property or
" privileges, whether civil or religious, of church-
" men, qr diffenters ; and that there is no equivo-
" cation or refervation in fuch plan of inftitution ;"
I fhould certainly conclude any fuch tax, an
open, atrocious violation of national -faith ; and,
from my fpul, deteft and abhpr the taxation.
The Doctor fay-s, — =¦" no fuch tax is intended,
*' nor, I truft, 'will be wanted."' — What does he
qffer in bar of all fufpicions ? — Why truly, " It
?' has been .propofed from the very beginning,
" that the American Bifliops fliould be fupported
" without any expence to this Country, A fund
" accordingly has been eftablilhed, for this parti-
" cular purpofe for more than half a Century paft
" under the influence and direftion of the Society
^^ for propagating the Gofpel, &c. and many wor-
'^ thy perfon.s. have contributed geperoufly and
f' largely to. the increafe of it," p. io8.
If you would know more of this' fund, he men
tions y^wB perfons who haveleft among them, in
above half a' Century, four thoufand feven hundred
pounds ; and tells us, there are other fums received
-for this ufe. The intereft of this aggregate fpe-
cifled fum of 4,700 /, would not be fufficient, even
^t four pep cent, to fupply half the wants of one
fingle American Bifliop — and how large a fund
\yould be requifite to atifwer"the deniands of
' " ' ' three.

76
three fuch Bifhops ! — '* But the DoBor fays, " if
*' the ftock is not fufficient for the fupport bf a
^' proper Epifcopate in America, he imagines thg ^
" difficulty in making it fufficient will not bp
f great.^'p, io8.
Our Appellant has owned, p. 47, very exprefsly,
>' there is no propriety in fending a Bifhop to
?' fuch Colonies as have an averfion tp Epifcopal
»' Government." Neverthelefs, I am yery fufpici-'
ous, he would have nq fcruple of" obliging thofe
adverfe Colonies, to contribute to the fupport
of fuch Bifhops by a general taxation ; and tfhat he
would inftantly plead the propriety of fpch Spi
ritual Lords, beihg moft liberally and honourably
provided for; efpecially, if he himfelf fhould have;
a fide-glance at a mitre. —
Another fuppofed objeftion he has put before ^
lis, p. 109. " If Bifhops are once fettled in
*' America, although in the manner we now pro-
" pofe, there will probably be an augmentation bf
f their power, as foon as circurnftances will admit
?' of it ; and what is eafy and inoffenfive in its
" beginning, may become burthenfome and op-
^' preffive in its end." — Not any thing can be
more probable ; notwithftanding all the DoSlor has
faid, or can fay, to invalidate the objeftion, Na^,
verily, after the Doifor has pretended to parry off,.
or put by its force ; he gives us hjs own reafons
why he thjnks they may very properly be vefted
with civil power, pt no, " To explain in what
" manner civil power, if vefted in American
" Bifliops, would be moft likely to pperate, I beg
" leave to put the following plain and familiar
• Did not-Eilhop Sherlock, many years ago, fay, that a
Biftiop could not exercife hofpitality, with a lefs appointment
than one thoijfand pounds per annum ? ^' cafe.

11
*«• Cafe, Let us fuppofe a Clergyman in this
", country, bf any denomination, made a juftice of
" Peace, or a judge of S^uorum, would the perfons
" who are immediately concerned in his proceed-
" ings, be otherwife affefted, than ifhe was a mere
" Layman ?"— before he had laid, " But fliould the
" Government fee fit hereafter tq inveft American
" Bifhops with fome degree of civil pdwer worthy
** of their acceptance, which it is impoffible to fay
*' they will not, although there is no appearance
" that the'y ever will ; yet as no new powers will
" be created in favour of Bifliops, it is incon-
" ceivable that any would thereby be injured."
p, 1 10, How fophiftical this appeal ? How mani-
feft the chicanery ? — The Epifcopifing plan, laid
down, with all the parading folemnity of truth—
" that American Bifliops, fhall have no authority,
" but purely of a fpiritual and ecclefiaftical na-
" ture, fuch as is altogether derived from the
" church, and npf from the ftate.— That they
" fhall not interfere with the property or privi-
" leges, whether civil or religious, of church-men
" or difl[enters." And yet, that though a general
tax fhould be made for their fupport, and Govern
ment fhould fee fit to inveft them hereafter with
fome degree of civil power, wortJoy of their acceptance;
none can be injured by it, becaufe no new powers
will be created in their favour. — On,e cannot forbear
to call this what it really is, a prevarication, a
very notorious one ! for, fhould the Government
hereafter fee fit to inveft them with fome degree
of civil power, whatever that is, it muft be a
new power created in their favour ; becaufe in
the very exprefs letter of their inftitution, they
are excluded the having any authority, but purely
of a fpiritual and ecclefiaftical nature, fuch as is
, altogether derived from the church, and not from
¦ ' . the

8

7S
the ftate. Might we not, likewife, .with the ut- ,
moft propriety, arraign his confidence, in faying,
" It is inconceivable that any would be injured by
" fuch an inveftiture of civil power in American
" Bifhops,"when it is to be of fuch a nature, and in
fuch a degree, as is worthy, of their acceptance.
How are we to form a judgment of what fhall be
worthy of their acceptance? — Who are to be the
judges of what fhall be worthy the acceptance of
American Bifliops } Themfelves, the recipients ?
or the ftate minifters, who are to beftow upon them
the inveftiture ,? which ever fhall determine, it
can afford no pleafing profpeft to the people, put
under the influence: of , fuch civil power given to
the mitre. There are no inflances of the kind on
record, that have been favourable to" the people^
I will make but one obfervation more, upon
this groundlefs, this delufive plea for American
Bifhops ; and that fhall be to prove, from the
DoSiors own pen, that the very Epifcopacy, for
which he is fo unfair an advocate, is only the
creature of civil policy. — This is evident frqm
what he fays in p, 115. " It is rafh and injurious
" to charge any with difaffeftion to the Govern-
" ment, at this day, becaufe they diffent from the
" national religion. But notwithftanding, epifco-
" pacy and monarchy are, in their franie and confti-
*' turion, beft fuited to each- other*, episcopacy .
" can never thrive in a republican government;
" nor republican principles in an epifcopal church.
" For thecfame reafons, in a miXed monarchy, no
" form of ecclefiaftical Government can fo exaftly
" harmonife with the ftate, as that of a qualified
* For Sir Robert Filmer's- affertion of Monarchy being
j-ure di'uino — that all go'Vernment is abfolute monarchy — and
that all men are born flaves.  -See Locke on Goiiernment,
B'. I. Chap. I. ^ _ .
" Epifcopacy,"

. 19
" Epifcopacy," — Coufin-germain to that church-
aphorifm, no bishop ijo king.
A ftronger and more conclufive argument, can
not well be offered in prqof, that Epifcqpacy, in
the fenfe of this Appellant, has no other original,
than a worldly one ; as it is exaftly calculated for
the political purpofes of monarchy : for if it was
of God, it would as well fuit one mode of Go
vernment as another. It muft; becaufe there
is no one mode or form of civil government, that-
is diftinguifhed or recommended either by Jefus
Chrift, or by his Apofl:ies. But if monarehy had
been effential to epifcopacy, and epifcopacy effen-'
tial to chriftianity, our bleffed Lord could not fail
to have prefcribed that precife form of civil go
vernment, which is monarclncal — whereas, on the
contrary, he difavows any" kind of afliance ever
taking place between his church and any of the
fyftems of civil policy ; for he abfolutely declares,
his kingdom is not of this world. [See John xviii. 36.
and compare Ci>fl^, XV. 19, Luke-aCii. i'4.] But becaufe
epifcopacy and monarchy can only harmonife; it
is impofllble that epifcopacy can be of any higher,
original than that of a political civil inftitutioji ;
which has nothing at all to do with the church of
Chrift. — ^Nay, by the Doctor's account, epifcopacy
ijiuft beft flourilh under> an abfolute monarchy ;
for this very reafon, viz. becaufe under a mixed
one, no form of ecclefiaftical government caij fo
exaftly harmonize with the ftate, as that of a qua
lified Epifcopacy.
It is now apprehended, that Dr. Chandler''^ rea
fonings ha^lre, with full evidence, been proved fal-
laciou.s, and his claims indefenfible ; by
A Prefbyter in Old England.
April 14, 1768. 5

K.S; " The BsPm GazetU" of ttlraary 8, 176*, bai'mg jiij} noiti come ti
hand, the follDivitigAffiWcu'don is copied framit.
« To the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, l^aftersand Scholars of the UnivcrJity /
of Cambridge. . '?
" We the clergy of the church of Englarid, in his Majefty's Aroerician '
" Provinces of New- Jerfey and New- York, in voluntary convention affem-
«' bled, beg leave, in aur neceffities, to triage application to the iiniverfity of .
«< Cambridge, which we do with the greater afliirance, as fome of us havd
*^ been fa happy as to receive our education in that illuftrious feminary of
" learning, virtue, and religion.. - . ..
" After the churches fuffering iri thefe countries for confiderably more
" than a century by want of Bifhops and rSgular difcipline, we, at laft, with,
" all humility, have refolved to proftrate ourfelves before the throne, im-
.'" plorihg the countenance and proteftion of bur moft gracious fbvereign, to^
" wards the^profenbrs of the eftabllifa^d religion in thefe remote parts bf
" his majeftji's dominions, . ,
" Addreirs-s to the fame purpofe are likewife to be preferited to the arch^
*• bifliops of Canterbury and York, the bifliop of London, under y/ho<e di-
*' reftion long ufage hath nrore immedia;tely put us, and the yenc.fable fo-
" ciety forthe propagation orthe gofpel^ to whofe paternal cafe it is owing
" under Providtnce; that the churchof England hath notyet loft her very
•* name a.nd exiftence throughout all the various provinces df the Britim
" American dominions,
. ".From fuch dutiful applications, we have ftrong hopes of fuccefs, efp'e-
*' cially, if the two famous univerfities which have ever been the fafety of the
" church, will condefcend to ule their intereft in our favours; and, \\e truft,
'", that ^he reafonablenefs of our requeft, will every where procure it a can-
" did reception, efpecially in the univerfity, to the members of which aiiguft
<* fociety we now beg leave in a' particul^lr manner to recommend ourfelves^
*• praying them, byevery religious and civil confideration that they hold d,ear,
¦'.valuable ?n4 facred, to ufe their utmolt Influence, irhatonbor morebiflipps
•' may, be fpeedily appointed to i-efide and govern the churchin Aoierica, ,
" And fiiall we not h'ope that you gentlemen,-. upon whof? chriftian fpirit
«f and conftitutional zeal we have the ftron|;eft dependance, w'ill look with a
«' pitying eye upon more than a' millioh of pedpile who belong to the church
"' ofiEngLind in America, and are deprived of almoft every advantage which
•' dirienters of all denominations enjoy, have the full libefrty", to enjoy I Each, '
" of their lihurch-fdrrns of gSverBmeni'is intire, outs is deleft ive in the mk)fl(>
" effential p.irts. - And ye,t, fuch i5j;Jie,mrejiinefs, not.to fay^pe;-verfenefs of
« their difpofitions, that they are^K;c'ontehted quietly te pirtake thefe itrfJ
.<' mesfe priviledges, but make it'their too conftajit praftice to traduce and,
«' vilify the church, not even refraining from the ftate under which fuch
•- immunities ate allowed them. ¦ -
" The e.itent of inhabited country which hath hitherto with refpeft to
«*^ epifcopacy been neglefted, is fome thoul^nds of miles; and we prefume
" that no Inftance can be given of a people originating from a chriftian
«' country (wheiein Epifcopacy is genera.lly efteemed, and commonly b^ieved
" to be the imrhediate inftitution of Chrift himfelf) who have during fudi a
" number of years laboured under fo capital a defeft. ;
f' The very moravians in thefe pans, wh,ofe principles at the belt are of a
"'•doubtful tendency, enjoy their full form of ccclefiiiftltal government, and
¦ " ha«e a biftiop, either allowed by parliament, or at leaft connived.at by the
«' executive power. The prolefibrs of the churck ol^ England, that oroa-
«' ment and honour'of Chriftendom and chriftianity, are,' fcft to fliitt fur
« theihfelves in the moft deplorable and difticffcd fituation," , .

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