USA > Delaware > Sussex County > Some records of Sussex County, Delaware > Part 24
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WM. BECKET.
LEWES, Aug 2d, 1737.
Letter to the Deputy Governor of New York.
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONR .- I have had several Letters from Mr. Harrison Missionary at Staten Island proposing an exchang of Mis- sion between himself and me and yt we should join our Interests together to obtain leave of the Hon Society to grant & confirm the exchange As I have not the Honr to be of your Acqtance so I must beg leave before I ask a Favour to introduce myself to you by saying That I am Mr Brookes (your Kinsman's) Countryman That I was his most intimate Companion & Friend That he used humourously to call me his Confessor that he lodg'd & dieted in my House for some years, & yt he testified his Respect for me in his Last Will by leaving me his sole Heir & chief Extor.
When I have sd this I know yt I need to say no more to recommend me to some share of your Favour Mr. Abraham De Payster (the Tall) can assure you of the Truth of most of these Particulars.
And now Sr the favour which I would beg of you is That you would be pleased to Assist me with your Interest & Influence to promote the exchange of my Mission from Lewes to Staten Island I have no reason to desire it but that I live on a Country Plantation where I and my Family cannot have our Health as we have found by 5 years woeful experience In order to promote this Design I will wait upon you at N York as soon as the Spring opens if you are pleased to approve of it Be so good Sr as to Direct your Secretary to write me your Sentiments on the Subject for I shall not stir in it without your Consent & be pleased to acqt Mr. Commissary Vesey with the affair if you think proper Be pleased to give my Hum Service to your Lady & Miss Penelope tho' unknown (for they are both of my own Native Country Cheshire) and give me leave to say that I shall always remain
Sr Yor most Obedt & most Hum Servt W. B. I will bring the Res of you & your Lady formerly wrote to Mr Brooke.
MAR 18, 1737-8
Lettr To the Rev. Mr. Harrison.
DEAR BROR HARRISON .- I was sick almost to Death when you wrote to me about the Exchange of our Parishes and cou'd not give you a satisfactory Ansr till now that I am got Hearty & strong again and now you may expect to see me at York very soon when the Spring
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opens if the Govr to whom I have wrote this day approves of the affair and my design is to act intirely in concert with you .I met accidentally in Octr last at New Castle with the late Dean Berkley's Bror (the Dean is now Bp of Cloyne in Ireland) to whom I communi- cated the Affair He approves of the Exchange and has promised to facilitate it by writing to my Lord his Brother so yt we shall hardly meet with any difficulty in the fase For the remainder I beg leave to recommend you to the perusal of what I have this day wrote to your Governor. And as you will probably see me very soon so I need to say no more at prest but yt I am no Changeling But
Sr Yor old Friend & Bror & Hum Servt W. B.
MAR. 18, 1737-8.
Be pleased to write to me specially.
Letter to Dr. Humphreys.
REVEREND SR .- My last Letter to you contained in part an Acct of my Indisposition the last year which brought me very near the Grave This will bring you an account of my Recovery & yt I have been able thro' the Divine Blessing to perform the Duties of my Function the whole year past at the Several Churches of this County alternately as usual I have not laboured in Vain & thank God The 4 Churches of ys County have generally in good weather full Congrega- tions I seldom baptize in one Sunday less than Three often six and sometimes more. I have at one Church 30 at another about 20 and at another 12 Communicants the last time I administred the Euchar- ist at the several Churches (For one of our Structures is a poor small Chappel lately built & inconvenient for that purpose.) The people are generally poor, willing but few of them able to contribute any thing to my support. But the Country-born as the People here call themselves are generally Professors of the Ch of England and are little inclined to either Bigottry or Enthusiasm. Quakerism decays strangely even in this Province the Nursery of it only for want of Opposition The Missionaries here are generally of Opinion That let it alone & it will die of itsself We study to be great & to mind our own Business. After having given you this brief Acct of the state of my Parish I must desire leave to lay before you and by your Means lay before the Hon Society a particular Case and beg leave yt it may be considered by way of Petition. The Revd Mr Harrison Missionary at Staten Island has often by letter desired me to sollicit from the Hon Society an Exchange of Missions between him & myself. The Reasons he gives me for it is some Uneasiness between himself & his Parishon- ers besides yt as this is a very private Corner of the World he desires to end his Days in Retirement being now about the Age of Sixty. The Reasons I have to beg leave to Accept of the Exchange are that I found by Eleven Years Experience that as Lewes was too changeable a place to support my Numerous Family so since I mov'd back into the Woods myself nor Family have never had our Health so well as usual. Tho' the Land be good yet it is situate among Swamps & Marshes Lewes Town which is a healthy place with the Hon Societies Salary will very well support a Single Person as He is But it is hard to subsist a Family. European goods being generally sold there at 300 Cent. The Church People of Staten Island as well as the Leiuten-
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ant Govr of N York are as I am well informed willing that the Ex- change should be made if the Hon Society thinks fit. More especially because they want a man of Learning to assist in the Education of their Sons (Absit arrogantia verbo) the Parents being some of them rich and not only able but willing to be at the Expence of as good an Education as may be had for their Children. If the Hon Society judges that this Affair will be of any Service to Learning & Rel as well as to my Health & Interest I know they will grant the Prayer of my Petition. If not I must acquiesce. I desire always to remain
Revd Sir Yor Most Obliged & Most Obedt Hum Servt WM BECKET.
LEWES, March 29, 1738
1738 .- " The Reverend Mr. Becket, Minister at Lewis, writes April 22, 1738 That he was recovered from a very dangerous Illness; & through the Divine Blessing enabled to perform the Duties of his Function, & had not laboured in vain, the four churches in that County having generally full Congregations; and on Sundays he seldom baptizeth less than three, sometimes four, sometimes six; & hath at one Church thirty, at another twenty, & at a third twelve Communicants; that the Country-born People, as they call themselves, are generally Members of the Church of Eng- land; & Quakerism decays strangely, even in that Province designed to be the Nursery of it. He adds they have no Bibles but of the smaller Prints, & desires the Society to bestow on him one of the larger Print, & on his Con- gregation some Common Prayer-Books & Catechisms. The Society hath sent Mr Becket a Quarto Bible for him- self fifty of Lewis's Exposition of the Church Catechism, to be distributed among his poor Parishioners."
PUBLIUS LENTULUS THE PROCONSUL FROM JERUSALEM TO THE SENATE OF ROME .- TRANSLATED FROM JEAN HUARTES .- Feb. 22d, 1724-5.
There has appeared in our days a man who is yet alive and furnished with the greatest Virtue called Jesus Christ whom the People name the Prophet of Truth and his disciples say that he is the Son of God. He raises the dead and heals the sick. His person is of a middle stature and strait & very agreable to sight. His visage is so venerable that those who look upon it are equally disposed to love & fear him. His Hairs are of the Colour of a Ripe Filbert and fall plain as far as his Ears and from thence to his Shoulders they are of the Colour of Wax but much brighter. From the middle of his forehead along the Top of his Head, his Hair is parted after the Fashion of the Nazarenes. His Forehead is smooth and most serene. His Face is without wrinkle or Spot of a Moderate Colour. For his Mouth and Nose there is no
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fault to be found with 'em. His beard is thick and like his Hair Its not overlong and grows forcke'd or parted in the Midst. His look is exceedingly sweet and Grave. His eyes piercing & very lively. When he reproves, he gives Terror, & pleases when he admonishes. He makes himself belov'd. He is gay with gravity. Never has he been seen to laugh but often to weep. His hands and arms are extremely handsome. He pleases much in conversation But uses it rarely. And when he appears with great Modesty. In a word in his whole air and behaviour he is the loveliest man that can be imagin'd.
Transcribed from Mr. Brooke's Translation, May 16, 1739.
To Mr. Whitefield.
REVD SR .- I rec'd your Pacquet & the Money & I thank you for your printed Pamphlets with the same degree of Sincerity which in- duced me to thank you for your Sermon. I am sorry Mr Grant pays his Debts with so ill a grace, to pay a debt and yet to use reviling language at the same time little [ ] of a Xn Spirit As to his accusing me before your Tribunal of Drunkenness I not only deny the Charge in General but his in a most particular manner. He is an open Lyar and I do assure you that I never drank a Bottle of Wine nor a Bowl of Punch (yt wicked Liquor as you term it) in com- pany with him nor with any such paltry fellows in my Life, And us to himself I do certifie to you that he never was a common Drunkard to my Knowl' only he has a mind to creep up your Revd sleeve. But in these slanderous cases I always judge yt the Receiver is as bad as the Thief I heard a scandalous Storey of you in Lewes a fortnight before you arrived here publickly asserted yt you had kept a Girl in Man's Cloathes during your Travels to sleep with you & had now Shipt her off for England when you were blown. This Story was supprest'd as much as lay in us, by me & the rest of the Company out of Xn Charity a Doctrine wch I find you leave out of all your Sermons I have now done with being serious with you. But now to enter into the Rediculous part of your Doctrine & Conduct Your fathering Adams Sin upon us, your damning infants of a Span long, your accusing the Justice & Mercy of God by absolute Predestination, Your Inward feelings, wch are no evidence to any one (besides your self) your Faith without good works, your want of Xn Charity & damning like a Pirate (in the Xn Ch), all but yourself & your crazy followers. Your preaching against Xn Morality, your leaving my Church to go & preach in an open Balcony and to act the Mountebank when there was no occasion for it even after you had thrown about you Hell & Damnation Fire & Brimstone enough to have burnt a Wooden Frame As these and many more things were ridiculous, so I pardon you As to your empty censures, kicking about the Revd Dust of Dr. Tillotson above 40 years after his decease & your open abuses of our Revd Bishop yt now is. These things look like the highest Impudence. I conclude that Enthusiasm is a Sort of Wild fire yt leads men into Ponds & Ditches and for all yt the muddy fellows think they are in a good Road It will make men censorious & busy bodies and always disturbers of the publick peace & tranquillity. But this takes only with the Mob not by any means with men of a good understanding However when your beard is grown & your
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judgm't settled I still hope you will burn yor own works rather than Tillotsons & this I assure you will highly oblige.
Sr Yor Hum Servt WM BECKET. JUNE 9, 1740.
P. S .- I cannot think you intended me an act of civility by yor Papers & Letters since you boasted to Capt Howell & your Crew con- cerning what you wrote to me &c. I rather take it to be the effect of your Spiritual Pride & Self.conceitedness.
Letter to Mr. Franklin in defence of Dr. Tillotson.
Sr .- As you have the Reputation of a man of candor, and do not make your Press the Engine of any particular Party you are desired to print these few lines in yor Gazette Which are a brief Refutation of what Mr. Whitefield has published agt A. B. Tillotson in his 3 letters.
The A. B. sais yt all yt the Gospel requires as necessary to these purposes (i. e. to mans justification & Salvation) is yt we perform the Conditions of the Gospel yt so we may be capable of Being made Partakers of the Blessings of it. And yet Mr Whitefield in a few Lines after in the same Lre sais, Here is not a Word menconed about the All-sufficient perfect & everlasting Righteousness & death of Jesus Christ as being the sole Cause & Condition of our being accepted by the Father Tis true indeed the A. B has not sd it in these very words but what He sais above is testamunt & comprehends it.
Is not Faith in Jesus Christ one of the conditions which the Gospel requires of us, in order to Salvation? The A B speaks in General & this Revd Gentleman only mencons one particular which is compre- hended in his Grace's General assertion.
Is not believing in J C. one of the conditions of the Gospel? And does not he that affirms the whole affirm every particular part? So yt instead of refuting the A. B. he hath only refuted & exposed himself.
Faith is not all that the Gospel requires of us it is only one particular Condition of our Salvation.
This is the main Error that runs thro his Letters As to Dr Edwards, I have nothing to say of him He is dead, let him rest.
I am always concern'd at abusive language especially from a clergy- man, But am still of Opinion yt the Reputation of Him whom he calls the Goliah of the Philistines But should have rather called the Great Champion of the Protestant Religion stands yet firm & unshaken,
I am Sr Yor hum Servt. B.
AUGT 26. 1740
From the Mercury of Augt 14, 1740
The Congratulations humbly addressed to the Revd Mr White field on his 68 preachments in 40 days, with the great & visible Effects of Meat & Money yt ensue'd therefrom.
Great Miracle of Modesty & Sense
Recount thy Prayers & recking up thy pence
Secure while these you tell & those you show
To meet yor great Reward, at least below
But waring lesser points for solid things
We find from whence thy Cash & Credit springs
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How Pitious nonsense works on Knaves thy Tools,
When duely touched by corresponding Fools,
Scepticks no more contest thy pious Arts
Of crazing Noodles & of Cobbling Hearts,
1 -2 . When such amazing Prodigies arize
And Sin & Folly make us good & Wise
We see the Holy Proselytes expose
Their meekness Truth & Charity in prose
While in their Matchless Poetry is shown
Genius & Sense not much unlike thy own.
Letter to Governor Thomas.
MAY IT PLEASE YOR HONR .- I ought to ask yor Pardon for not wait- ing on you when I was in Philada The Reason was I heard you were very busy preparing to fit out the Troops. Your Assembly was sitting & other Matters & as for me I had but 4 days stay in Town. Pray Sr let these things and your good Nature plead my Excuse. There is another matter too in the case, I cou'd not sell my Bills of Exche & therefore cou'd not settle with your Secretaries Office for the Licences I had granted as I intended But this I think was rather a Misfortune than a Fault. But give me leave Sr to say that it was not Disrespect or Undutifulness that was the cause. I was well acquainted some years ago with your Character before you were my Govr from my Old Friend Mr. Brooke and I have lived to see what he said of you made good in your conduct since you were my Governor. A man must be very dull not to observe how much you were Supreme to an Obstinate Assembly by your Arguments And now by your Courage & Constancy maugre all opposition you fitted out your Quota of Troops for the Kings Service. And at the Same Time give me leave to say that I am glad that our Men of the 3 Lower Counties at least did their Part. Somebody has told me that our Great Men from Lewes as they call them, have given me a very bad Character to you. Men that rather insult than govern this County & that have turned all things upside down. Mr. Brooke is dead Mr. Till is moved and now the poor Parson is to be demolished. But not to meddle with Poli- ticks wch is not my Province I am going to acqt you with the State of Rel here, Tho' my Churches are as full as ever yet Mr. Whitefield has dropt some of his Enthusiastic Venom at Lewes I have not been there this fortnight the Weather is so bad. But they have set up a Society in my absence I ask'd the Man that told me this what was the meaning of a Society. He told me they were to meet to sing Psalms & Hymns &c twice a week. There is no harm in the Affair, if there be no counter plot. But I cannot forbear suspecting that Whitefield & Tools have laid these Schemes all over America, to draw People to a dislike of our Church Doctrine Discipline & Government But Sr what- ever Enthusiasts do or endeavor to do, let us stand fast to the Consti- tution convey'd down to us from our Forefathers both in Church & State. Let us not tear it to pieces but endeavor each Man in his Station to Support it. This is the sincere wish & shall always be the Endeavour of Sr
Yor most Obedt & Most dutiful Hum Servt
JAN 2, 1741
WM BECKET
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As to News I beg leave to refer you to a Letter I have wrote to Mr. Till.
REVD SIR .- I was very sorry to hear from Mr. Commissary Cum- mings when I was at Phila in Oct last that the Letters & Parochial Acct of the Missionaries here were not come to your Hands. I never since I had your Orders neglected to write But tis probable My Letter came by some Vessel that fell into the Hands of an Enemy of which we have too many Instances here or Miscarry'd some other way. I find in my Note Book this Memm. Notitia Paroch alis &c. Missa ad Philad Apl 30. 1740, Pro Anno precterito. It is scarce practicable that I should send to you so often as I ought being placed about 150 Miles from Philada our nearest Point yt trades to London but I shall not fail to do it as often as I can Mr. Commissary C. has my last Half Years Notitia &c to send to you.
The State of my Parish is somewhat changed from what it was, Tho' my Churches are as full on Sunday's as ever Mr. Whitefield having rambled over North America the last years, has with his Enthusiastic Notions very much disturb'd the minds of abundance of weak but perhaps well minded People by endeavoring to root out the respect which they had Entertained of the Church Service &c. He has Encouraged his Tools to set up Religious Societies as he calls them wherever he can. There is one at Lewes composed of some ch. People some Presbyterians & some Quakers, who meet twice a week, And many people are perpetually wrangling & disputing about Relig- ion, I found his Industry this way had the same effect in many places where I preached the last Fall, for I travelled in Oct & Novr Last above 500 Miles & it was very visible in most places that where good seed had been Sown he had scattered Tares, so that what between Infidelity and Lukewarmness & Enthusiasm you may easily guess at the fluctuating State of Religion in many parts of our Colonies. I got but one copy of our Bishop's last excellent Pastoral Letter, but could heartily wish that I had some to distribute The Missionaries however are resolved to attend on their respective Churches carefully, and to wait the Event of these things with Xn patience We at first entertained him as a Bror. But when We perceived his design & looked upon him with an Air of Indifferency, he foresook both our Church & the Liturgy & has been a Field Preacher here as in England ever since.
I beg leave to remain Revd Sr yor most Obedt Hum Servt,
WM BECKET
LEWES, March 4, 1740-1.
It ought here to be remembered that our Govr & the Magistrates do not encourage Mr. W's unaccountable proceedings.
1740 .- "The Reverend Mr. Becket, Missionary at Lewes in Sussex County, writes by a Letter dated June 11, 1740, That his People are constant Attendants on Divine Wor- ship, insomuch that on Sundays more of them generally come to the Churches than they can contain: & that the Inhabitants of the upper Part of the County had petitioned the Society for a second Missionary, upon a most true alle-
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gation, that the four churches, each at a considerable dis- tance from the other, in the County, are too much for him to attend; tho' he doth his best, & officiates once on a Sun- day in every three weeks in three of them, & once in the middle of every week in the Church near the Center of the County. But by the great Fatigues resulting hence, he hath often contracted severe Illnesses, & begins now to grow in years; however, thro' the Blessing of God, he will go on chearfully to do what he is able in the Performance of his Duty in this great Cure, until the Society shall be pleased to appoint a second Missionary to it. It is not without very great Regret, that the Society hath found themselves obliged not to comply with this very reasonable Request for the present, thro' the very low Estate of their Cash. Mr. Becket hath baptized from the 30th of April 1739, to the 30th of April 1740, one hundred and eighteen Infants, & seven Adults, and the Number of his Communicants are generally about fifty."
Letter to the Secretary of the Society.
REVD. SR .- Accding to your instructions I now send you my Notitia But my Mission being 150 miles from any Sea Port trading to England it is impracticable for me to take a Sea Capts Receipt however I keep Copies of all the transactions you recommended.
I can with great Pleasure now inform you that we have lately finished the inside of our Church at Lewes with a good plain Wainscot the Roof is arched & we intend to paint it. This considering the Peoples poverty & the great scarcity of money is no small piece of work in this place. In the month of May last when I went to visit 2 of the most distant Churches in this County I baptized 57 children in two days time and in a corner of Maryland near me where I went to visit the people at their request in one day I baptized 9 children.
Thus Sr the good Designs of the Society by the Blessing of God prosper in our Hands. But not without opposition This puts me in mind of the Parable But when the Blade was sprung up & brought forth fruit yn appeared the Tares also. So the Servt of the House- holder came & said to him Sr didst thou not sow good seed in the Field from whence then hath it Tares-To apply this-Mr. White- field hath done more mischief in America by reviling the Clergy & misrepresenting Xanity than all the Dissenters put together.
To tell you another Affair of Moment which tho' it ought by no means to be made publick so I think it ought not to be kept secret from you. The fine Church at Philada had undoubtedly been finished long ago had it not been for the pride & peevishness of our late Com- missary whose groundless & needless jealousie of an English Clergy- man threw the City into Parties put a stop to that great Work, & had almost made parties between the Clergy, But I hope all this died with him I know where he laid the blame but it was not right in him to do so. There is one favour I would beg of the Society if I may obtain
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it That they wou'd be so good as to bestow upon me or add to their Library here, Dr. Prideaux's Connection with the Map's? A Gent in this County has the Book, but the Map's are not in it nor to be had at Philada. You know how necessary they are to the clear under- standing of that excellent History & how necessary for a Clergyman. My churches generally all the Summer Season have more people attending devine Service than they will hold so that I am often obliged to preach under the green trees. This notwithstanding all my difficulties in so extensive a Mission is no small pleasure, & en- couragement to
Sr your faithful & Most Hum Servt WM BECKET. LEWES, Octr 16, 1741.
P. S .- I am poor and so are my people so yt they are able to con- tribute very little to my support. The 20th part of the Ch. people dont live in Lewes, which are in this County, I must ride generally 40 or 50 miles every week sometimes over 60 or else I cannot do the duties of this County. A Horse lasts me a year or 2 and a suit of cloaths half a year. Bills of Exchd are lower'd & the price of goods much raised since the War. Can the Society afford to make me any addition for visiting distant Churches, Or must I be content to wear homespun Cloth as they call it here? Be it as it will I shall en- deavour to be content I have not forgot the last Sermon I heard at St. Pauls by Dr. Maugey on these Words, No man having put his hand to the Plough & looking back is fit for the Km of God. I have faithfully distributed all the Books and small tracts sent by the Society here is indeed great want of more if they could be afforded.
1741 .- "The Reverend Mr Becket, Missionary at Lewes, by a Letter dated October 16, 1741, writes, that the good Designs of the Society prosper there, but not without Oppo- sition; however, all the Summer Season he hath more Persons attending Divine Service, than his Churches will hold; & he is often obliged to preach under the green Trees; & in the month of May, when he visited the most distant parts of his Mission, he baptized 57 children in two days; & stepping into a corner of Maryland to visit some People at their earnest Request, he baptized nine Children there. Mr Becket adds, that the Church of Lewes hath been lately wainscoted on the Inside in a plain decent Manner, & the Roof is arched, & will be painted"
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