USA > Delaware > New Castle County > New Castle > Sketch of early ecclesiastical affairs in New Castle, Delaware, and history of Immanuel Church > Part 5
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Sir Your mnost obliged & most humble serv't GEO. ROSS."
"Rev'd Mr. Ross to the Secretary,
Chester, 9th March, 1709.
Sir :
I took care to inform you long since, of my remov- al to New Castle, and the reasons moving me to change
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my Station, since which time your letter by Mr. Evans came to hand, together with some resolves of the Honor- able Society. I cannot divine what weight my reasons may have with the Board to justify my proceedings, but I am persuaded they will not judge me by a law whereof I was invincibly ignorant; and most certainly I was of their order, with respect to the removal of their Missionaries from the places they are sent to, when I left New Castle. Since Mr. Jenkin's return to Appoquinimy I received a letter from the Church wardens of New Castle with promises of encouragements. If they will redress my former Grievances I design by the Grace of God to go back to my former charge; but provided I do return and find the place still disagreeable to my constitution, and prejudicial to my health, I humbly desire that the Honorable Society would be pleased to allow me to set- tle in a more agreeable place, and not to confine me to a corner of the Country which has proved very hurtful to my person.
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The order of the Society, enjoining their Mis- sionaries to give an exact and full account of their con- versions of Heathens and Infidels, seems to be built upon a mistake which lyes in this, that the Missionaries are supposed to preach to the Indians (for so I take the word Heathens). We are confined to some particular charges among the English Inhabitants who are generally seated on the front of the Country. Whereas the Indians have their abodes a great way back in the woods, so that we seldom see or converse with one another, unless it be when leaving their Winter Quarters, they straggle up and down among the English plantations and villages
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to meet with a chapman for their Burthen of skins, or with a meal of victuals : besides few of thein under- stand English, and we are altogether ignorant of their Language, for as we had it not when we came to America, so we are otherwise employed in the Country than to be able to learn Tongues, so that we are utterly incapable of giving them any notion of religion : Nay, laying aside this consideration of wanting their several tongues, those few that can talk a little English, have their understandings so strangely darkened (which is more dismal) in spiritual things that let a man beat his brains to make himself intelligible to them, he has just as little satisfaction as if he had discoursed some carved lead. They are justly accounted politic and sub- tle in making Bargains; but abstracting from their worldly concerns, I aver they are veluti pecora quae natura prona atq ventri obedientia finxit : Nay, as far as I could learn nullum nomen inter eos inveni, quod animae immortalitatem significat. I will not say but those that are more conversant with them are able to give a better account of thein. I would be understood to speak of them, not with contempt but with regret, and from my own observation. I desire to know whether or not the Society expect from their missionaries the names of those that have been retained from immoralities by their min- istry : if they do, though I am unwilling to publish to the world who have been reputed immoral, yet you shall have a Catalogue of such persons, as soon as you please to require it. This is all that occurs at present to,
Sir, Your very humble serv't,
GEO. ROSS. "
Viewing the matter of Mr. Ross' removal from New Castle at this distant point of time when we can see clearly
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all sides of it, it does not appear that Mr. Ross did any wrong to anyone. He should not have left his cure without consent of the Society, but as we observed above, his determination was made hastily and he did not properly consider his relations with the Society, yet the reason for his leaving as given by himself certainly justifies him. He did not think he had been fairly treated at New Castle in the matter of his support. He had recently been married and was receiving but a pittance of a salary, and very properly wished to improve his condition and saw a chance at Chester to keep a school in addition to his parochial work, which would enable him better to provide for the wants of an increasing family. It seems absurd that Mr. Evans should have become so excited. It was of course produced by jealousy and the fear that Mr. Ross would supplant him in the favor of his people. Mr .- Ross returned to England: the affair was investigated by the Society: and he was reproved for leaving New Castle without consent previously obtained from the Society, nothing more, and was ordered back to New Castle where the people were anxious to receive him, and liad provided a more satisfactory stipend. Mr. Ross' long terin at New Castle where he staid the balance of his life completely refutes the application of the epithet Mr. Talbot gave him of "wandering star," and the high esteem in which he was held during his long life not only in his own parish but all through the neighboring provinces shows that he was a man incapable of the motives Mr. Evans accused him of.
There is reason to believe that the Rev. Mr. Evans realized in after years, that he had done Mr. Ross an injustice and he atoned so far as he could for the wrong 5
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he had done him. Mr. Evans died rector of Spesutia Church Harford County, Md., in October, 1721, and by his will he expressed a desire that his funeral sermon should be preached by Rev. Mr. Ross "minister of New Castle, for which I will and bequeath him two guineas." (1).
The Rev. Thomas Jenkins who as Mr. Ross says, had been sent over by the Society as Missionary to . Appoquinimink, immediately succeeded Mr Ross at New Castle. The letter given below, from Mr. Jenkins, will explain fully the circumstances of the work at New Cas- tle and give his views of the situation.
"Rev. Mr. Jenkins to the Secretary.
New Castle, Pensylvania, 26th Aug't., 1708. Sir,
In obedience to yours and the Honorable Society's commands, I have taken care to begin my correspond- ence with you from abroad by the first opportunity : af- ter eleven weeks sail from Portsmouth we arrived at Virginia the 26th of May, last 1708, and for want of a convenient passage from thence to Philadelphia, we were detained there five weeks and at last having no prospect of any fairer opportunity, we hired a Boat for eight pound ten, to carry us with our effects to Bo- hemia landing which is a part of Maryland and borders upon the province of Pensylvania and lyes within 70 miles of Philadelphia. The very first night we came to Bohemia we met there with his Honor Colonel Evans, Governor of Pensylvania. After we had paid him our respects and I had delivered him my letters of recom- mendation to his Honor's countenance and favour, un-
(1) Spragues' Annals American Episcopal Pulpit, page 24.
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derstanding my mission was for Appoquinimy, his honor told me that he wondered the people of that place would presume to petition for a Minister to themselves, being so few and inconsiderate a remnant, not above five settled families upon the Creek, and withall added, he was sorry it was my chance to be sent amongst them. The next day his Honor desired Mr. Black and I to bear him company to New Castle, the second town in the province which lyes very near the sea, upon the mouth of the River Delaware, 40 miles below the City of Phila- delphia, formerly a place of great trade and still has some vessels belonging to it, most of the Inhabitants be- ing merchants here. In the Town of New Castle we met with the Reverend Mr. Nichols, late Minister of Upland in Chester, with his wife, his servants, and all his effects, going to Maryland to settle himself minister of some country there. Upon this vacancy at Upland I had several pressing invitations to come to Chester from the Church-wardens and the best gentlemen there. I answered them I was not in a capacity to accept of any such proposals, though very encouraging, except upon some more than ordinary occasions, I should be necessi- tated to leave Appoquinimy. After Mr. Black and I had preached once before his Honor at New Castle, I went the following week to Appoquinimy, and waited upon one Captain Cantwell, the only person of any note or reputation in the place. He received me very kindly and was willing to lodge and diet me at his house, but it was so small he could afford mne no retired room to myself, nor was there any in Appoquinimy that could better accommodate me than he, his house being but twelve miles from the Church, and the rest for the most part some more miles distant. I preached there on Sun- day and had a very large congregation to hear me, most
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of them being led out of curiosity from neighbouring parishes, and above 30 were come from Maryland, out of the Rev'd. Mr. Sewell's parish: however they all seeined to be all very well satisfied in the Gospel doc- trine I had entertained them with, but there was none of thein, excepting three, Mr. Cantwell, Mr. Healey, and Mr. Dyer, that took any notice of me, or did once as much as bid me welcome to the place, yet not with- standing their coolness and indifferency towards me, I still retained the same resolute purpose of continuing amongst them that I first had when I came from home, but going up again to New Castle the following week to meet with a Sweedish Minister, a very pious sincere Christian, one Mr. Biork, I found there that the Rever- end Mr. Ross your late Missionary to that town of New Castle, was removing from thence, and in supply of Mr. Henry Nichols had agreed to settle himself at Chester. When I had reasoned a little with Mr. Ross upon this his sudden removal, he told ine 'twas upon the account of his late inarriage, not that he thought to better him- self anything through his ministry at Upland, but that he had very promising hopes of getting his family a bet- ter maintenance there by keeping a Boarding School, having several children promised him from Philadelphia. I being in Town when Mr. Ross acquitted himself of his charge here, the Church-wardens and Vestrymen had a meeting and drew up a general petition to ine, desiring me to reside among thein and take care of their Church, which they had by such great charge been so long a finishing ; otherwise, though but just now finish- ed and many did daily join with her communion, yet if left in this desolate and destitute state, it would be the absolute ruin of her, adding as they have already represented to My Lord of London, that the Presbyter-
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ians having built a very spacious meeting house in the very face of this Church, they would soon make havoc of her by proselyting the greatest part of their Congrega- tion, consisting most of country people, which, being illit- erate are as yet hardly principled in the true Christian, Apostolical Church, and its Gospel Doctrines, and would be soon carried away with every wind of Doctrine; with this at the same time, I received a very pressing Letter from his Honor, the Governor of this place, wherein he urged ine by all the tenderness and compassionate re- gard we owed to the infant distressed Church of Christ in general in those parts, that I would take particular care of this in New Castle, and assist the people of Ap- poquinimy as frequently as I could, adding withall in great sincerity that by all the power and authority that . was imposed in him, he would see this Church at New Castle supplied before any other, assuring me if I stayed here his Honor's particular favor and all the good offices he could do me. Yet before I could settle anywhere but where by my mission I was particularly directed, with all this I thought it very proper to consult Colonel Quary, as I understood him to be a Member of your Corporation, so that his approbation concurring with the reasonable motives before offered, together with the sense and conscience I had of my duty to God and his Church in general, prevailed upon mne, (I hope not with- out a happy providence of God) to fix myself at New Castle in hopes of My Lord of London's future approba- tion and the rest of the Honorable Societies. I have since my settlement here frequently offered my service and ministry to the people of Appoquinimy, to preach to them constantly upon one Sunday in the month and if they would meet me once a fortnight upon week days ; but I have not been able to persuade them yet to
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accept of this, for they imagine that I am under such special bonds and obligations to serve them in my Min- istry, and none else but them only, that if I don't live with them they have made no scruple to tell me, that they will complain to the Honorable Society, and make them withdraw their bounty from mne.
I suppose you have heard from them before now, but upon the whole of what they say, whatever may be the Society's opinion of ine, I have this much to say for myself, that I thank the Alinighty God (with sincerity be it spoken,) I have a good conscience on my side for what I have done, and hope for acceptance from God in particular for the care I have taken of this Church at the present juncture when left destitute and exposed to the rage and scorn of all scismaticks, particularly of those numerous crowd of Heathen called Quakers, who would make inany a triumphing acclamation over her Distress, ridicule her primitive, ancient ceremonies out of countenance, and trample her wholesome doctrines under feet, when there was no Priest left within her gates to stand up and preach repentance, faith and Salvation in Christ Jesus, God inanifest in the flesh, whom I have heard them positively deny. What would signify our Church when there was none left within her to bear his Christian testimony against those dark benighted and deluded souls that deny the saving faith, and are worse than infidels. Sir, could you frame in your mind any idea of the fractious nature and circumstances of this place, it would soon incline you to believe what I so clearly see, that if this Church had but wanted a Minister for one half year, without a special providence and protecting Grace of God, it would not have been above three that would sincerely
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be of her Communion, whereas we have now some hundreds in the town and country, that are of the Church of England, which by reason of the vast distance many of them live from the Town they cannot every Sunday give their attendance at the Church, but I meet them about half way in the country about 12 miles from the town, once a fortnight to preach to them and catechize their children, and in the last and second meeting I have had with them our congregation con- sisted of fourscore people, and many of them were Welch with whom I have also agreed to have a meeting every three weeks amongst themselves in the Welch
Tract (as it is here called.) The Welch consist here in this County of New Castle, and bordering upon it of 40 families, being for the most part deluded and drawn away by Scotch Presbyterians and a Welch Anabaptist Preacher, so that ever since their first settle- ment in this country they have been divided into three parties, an Anabaptist, a Presbyterian and a Quaker congregation, and no wonder there is such a division amongst them since they now had a Church of England minister amongst them that could preach to them in their own language, most of them understanding no other. They have to this time lived groping in the dark for want of the Gospel Doctrine delivered them in its natural light and purity. I therefore design to spend much of my time and pains upon them in order to re- claim them from those pernicious errors, and I am already thus far encouraged that the Anabaptist preacher has promised to resign his meeting house to my service, and has declared himself to be one of my constant hearers, for he can neither read nor understand any other language but the British, which he has to great perfection, but being likewise as well acquainted myself
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with iny mother tongue as I am with any other, I hope, with the blessing of God, upon my endeavors, I shall be able to do much good among them, and in my first six month's account to give you a very comfortable relation of the successful progress of the Gospel through mny ministry amongst them. I hope for the Honorable Society's favor and approbation, upon what I have here offered with respect to what I have already done, and what is my design to do further in this great work they have thought fit to employ me in; and I hope that as long as I shall retain my Christian principles within me or any just sense or regard to the great charge of the weighty errand I am sent upon, I shall never, by God's Grace do anything but what in soine measure may prove answerable to the purity of your good intentions in sending me, being conscious to myself that I am not only accountable for what I do to that happy number of good men, the venerable corpora- tion from whomn I am sent, but inust be more strictly so to the great Bishop and Shepherd of our souls, when I must stand in judgment before him at the latter day. And that not only my reputation lies at stake at home with some of the best men, but my eternal well-being hereafter in another state does more immediately depend upon my faithful discharge of my ministry. I pray God to give me sincerity in what I say, with his grace to act and do accordingly that I may always bear the character of, Sir
Your faithful missionary and humble Servt,
THOMAS JENKINS."
P. S. As for the Church Books that were given for Appoquinimy Church, and the Library allowed for my own use, I have carried them with me, because the
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nature of my obligation was, in case of my removal, to leave them to the succeeding minister or Church War- dens, but there being neither of them, I presumed to keep them by me till further order from the Society how to dispose of them, and that I shall be sure to comply with. I am willing to let the Church Books remain in the Church if they would accept of my service there to read prayers, and preach to them as often as I can, till they have another minister sent them, but this they will not accept of. I desire, therefore, your opinion and direction what to do in this case, as soon as you can."
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CHAPTER V. 1709-1714.
Mr. Jenkins removes to Appoquinimink. His Death and Burial. The Vestry ask the London Society for another Missionary, &c. Rev. Robert Sinclare arrives. Vestry elected. Letter from Vestry to Bishop of London. Four letters from Mr. Sinclare. Act of Affirmation and Protest of Vestry. Mr. Sinclare re- turns to England. Rev. Jacob Henderson takes charge. Let- ter from Mr. Henderson. Removes to Maryland.
Mr. Jenkins did not remain long at New Castle, but returned to the full charge at Appoquinimink about the Ist of March, 1709. He took this action at the sugges- . tion of Rev. Mr. Evans, who represented to him the dis- favor of the Society at his taking the work at New Cas- tle. (1) Mr. Jenkins did not live long after his return to Appoquinimink. The Rev. John Talbot in a letter, dated Sept. 27, 1709, writes from Burlington to the Secretary : * "Poor brother Jenkins at Appoquin- * imy was baited to death by musquitoes and blood thirsty Gal Knippers, which would not let him rest night nor day till he got a fever at Appoquinimy, came to Philadelphia and died immediately of a Calenture : my brother Evans and I buried him as well as we could. It cost us about £20, for, poor man ! he had nothing, being out of quantum with the Society, and his bills protested. If you please call to mind, I told the Society when I was there, that those places must be served by Itinerants, and that it is hardly possible for anybody to
(1) Bishop Perry's Colonial Church, Delaware, p. 20.
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abide there, that is not born there, till he is musquito proof ; those little things are a great plague in some parts, and when a man is prevented in one place he should have leave to go to another, or else he has very hard measure, and especially in these parts where our life is a kind of Penance, both winter and summer, and nobody can tell which is worst, the extreme heat or cold." (I) Mr. Talbot shows himself to have been some- thing of a Munchausen. The story doubtless excited the sympathy, at least, of the members of the Society at home. The following letter from the New Castle vestry to the Society gives their views of their grievances as to Mr. Ross' removal, and other matters of interest.
People of New Castle, Delaware, to the Society.
.
EXTRACT ..
"New Castle on Delaware, 17th October, 1709.
May it please your honors.
We received yours from the Secretary, pr. Mr. Keeble, dated 15th February, 1708-9, in answer to which we here send you a true and impartial account of what occurs to our memories in relation to the conduct of Mr. George Ross whilst our minister, and the encourage- ment we gave him.
We subscribed towards his maintenance the sum of £50 pr. annum, to be paid from the time of his arrival, during his continuance amongst us as our Pastor, which would have been enlarged had he duly attended his ministry; but his frequent absence from his church for the space of three weeks or a month at a time (without any supply, and once particularly the whole week next
(1) Hill's Church in Burlington, p. 93.
·
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before Easter,) occasioned several of his hearers to keep back the contribution they intended him.
As to a Vestry, we never had any, Mr. Ross seem- ing always averse to it; but during the time of his con- tinuance here as our minister, acted in all inatters relating to the church, according to his own pleasure without any interruption from us.
The opening of the church was done by the Reverend Mr. Rudman, late minister of Philadelphia, and himself, and called by the name of Emanuel, with- out any notice thereof given to the undertakers for erecting the said church or any of his Parishioners, and unknown to any of them before publication thereof.
His leaving us was sudden and surprising, and altogether without our consent, and notwithstanding our earnest solicitation for his stay amongst us, assuring him of all the encouragement we were able to give towards his maintenance, (which would have amounted to more than his former subscriptions,) he speedily re- moved to Chester, as minister there. We afterwards entreated his return (as your Honors may see by the enclosed, which is a true copy, to which is added his answer); his demand we found to be large, and more than so small a congregation (considering their poverty and the charge they have been at in erecting a church, for which they are considerably in debt,) were able to comply with, nevertheless we assured him of £50 pr. annum, besides his house rent, which, with the Society's Bounty, we believed to be a sufficient maintenance for a minister here, or at least would have satisfied him till, by the increase of his hearers, there might have been a new addition, which, in all probability, would soon
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have happened, inany of the dissenting party being inclineable at that time to come to church; now, although he accepted of the above said offers and promised to return to his charge within six weeks, and in the mean time to supply the church constantly by himself or some other minister, with which we were content, until we saw that he never designed to perform anything of that agreement with us, but contrary to all his engagements, removed from Chester to Philadelphia, to keep school, where he now is, to our great disap- pointment and discouragement, having thereby pre- vented and delayed us from giving your Honors an account of our miserable condition for want of a minister.
And notwithstanding what we have above related, we must do him the justice to say, (that whilst our minister) his life and conversation was answerable to his sacred function, save only what we have before ex- pressed.
We do sincerely assure your Honors of the truth of what we have above related, as to his conduct amongst us, without any aspersion on him.
We therefore pray your Honors to consider the state of our church, and that you would be pleased to send us a minister of some years and experience in the affairs of the church, that may, by his constant and steady attendance upon his church. be able to prevent unstable minds from wandering, and gain those who are moder- ate among the dissenters to allow of the church service and discipline, and be a constant support to us in all our spiritual necessities, our long want of the true established ministry giving us more than ordinary occa- sion for such a person, which, out of a due sense of our
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