USA > New Jersey > Burlington County > Burlington > History of the church in Burlington, New Jersey : comprising the facts and incidents of nearly two hundred years, from original, contemporaneous sources > Part 10
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" May it please the Honble Society " Your most dutiful & most " Obedt humble Servants
" GEO. Ross JOHN TALBOT
JOHN CLUBB
EVAN EVANS
JAC. HENDERSON
ERICUS BIORCK
JOHN HUMPHREYS ANDREW SANDEL."
"SOLICITING FOR A BISHOP THESE TEN YEARS."
Mr. Talbot to the Secretary.
" Burlington, Augst 6th 1713.
" SIR:
" Tho' I have not had the favour of a Letter from the Honble Society since Mr. Henderson arrived in these parts, yet I think it my duty to take all opportunities of paying all dutiful regards to that Venerable body. Therefore I could not fail to salute them by the hands of my good brother Evans Rector of the
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Church at Philadelphia who comes home in the service of the Church which never wanted patronage so much as now in all these two provinces particularly New Jersey and New York and I may say in Pensylvania too. The rights of the Church are invaded and possessed by her Enemies. Affidavits are procured and dispersed by the worst of men against the best Missionaries, the plate and books given by the Society and other benefactors are violently carried away, and those who pretend to be pro- moters of the Gospel use all ways and means and have persuaded one unworthy Brother to carry affidavit from province to province against another and as I have always said we cannot expect any better treatment till we have a superior pastor to order and establish the Church, this is the one thing necessary which I have been soliciting these ten years. I find it all in vain for them or us to offer to propagate the Gospel or Erect the Church without Bishop or Deacon which I humbly offer to our superiors at home for the burden is too hard upon us poor presbiters, who labor under all sorts of perils and diffi- culties which we are not able to bear any longer. But I need say no more by this worthy Brother, who has been a faithful Laborer here these 13 years and has a particular account of the affairs of all his churches to whom I do with all humility refer the Honble Society upon whose credit they may safely depend. So desiring your prayers and protection .
" I remain Sir &c " JOHN TALBOT."
A REMONSTRANCE AND PETITION.
The Churchwardens and Vestry to the S. P. G. " Burlington March 25th 1714. " RIGHT REVP AND RIGHT HONORABLE
" To whom with a greater probability of success can we ad- dress in a cause in which the Church is concerned than to you whose peculiar business is to propagate the Gospel in Foreign parts : you that have with an uncommon generosity at a vast expense and charge sent over Ministers rightly ordained into these dark corners of the world to turn the people from darkness
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IN BURLINGTON.
to light from error to truth and by all means to endeavor the increase and flourishing estate of the Church we believe cannot but be concerned at those steps that are taken by some amongst us to defeat all those good designs to discourage and ruin our Infant Church and propagate false and erroneous principles destructive to the interest both of the Church and state. On these considerations it is that we humbly presume to address your honours that you would afford us your assistance to put a stop unto those mischiefs that unreasonable men under a color of a law are endeavoring to bring on this Church and Colony. Had only our estates been endangered by their mischievous devices we should not have presumed to interrupt you from your more weighty affairs to hear our complaints but when our reputations Laws liberties lives and what is and ought to be dearer to us than all our holy Religion is subjected to the humours of unreasonable men and made the sport of faction and party when men whose avowed principle it is that the taking of an oath in any cause whatsoever though enjoined by the laws of the Land is unlawful shall by a law of their own making be admitted to enjoy all offices of profit and trust and to serve on all Jurys except Petty Jurys in causes criminal. As your Honors will see is designed by the inclosed act past by an As- sembly great part of which are Quakers. We hope you will give us your assistance to prevent the dangers the Ministers and Members of our Church must undeniably be exposed to by such laws can your honble Society hear that the whole course of the common law is changed and men who will not swear mingled in the same number with those who are under the sacred obliga- tion of an oath and this called a Jury and by a law enabled to try all causes criminal and mixt and the same persons enabled to sit as Judges who have taken no oath for the due discharge of their offices and not join with us in addressing her Majesty to disallow that act that has given them this power and thereby to save us from the dangers threatened. Had we been so happy to have a Bishop residing in these parts of the world we doubt not he would have put a stop to these growing mischiefs which we fear will never be removed without. To remonstrate the state and case of our Churches in writing is both tedious and trouble-
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some and at last must of necessity fall short of giving that just idea of things and persons to any that are at so great a distance from these parts as our circumstances require which would be easily discerned and as easily helped by a person of that sacred order residing among us.
" We therefore humbly pray that your Honorable Society would be pleased to grant us their assistance in getting the inclosed act of Assembly disallowed by her Majesty and as the only means of securing us from the like attempts for the future that your endeavors may be used to hasten the sending a Bishop amongst us the want of which on the Continent and Islands of America is such an instance as the christian world from the Apostles days to this time hath never produced the like when so many thousand souls as the Northern Colonies alone have inhabiting in them and the greatest part of them professing themselves Members of an Episcopal church have no Bishop residing amongst them to rule and govern them it is no wonder if the Members grow careless remiss and slack in their duty if many fall into scandalous and damning errors, if Atheism Deism Quakerism Freethinking & other heresies increase amongst us, if scandals are both given and taken when the Ecclesiastical sword is wanting to punish evil doers to reduce the erroneous and cast off the heretics.
" How happy were our churches under the administration of the Earl of Clarendon a noble Member of your Honorable Society to whom we never applied in vain for any thing that might promote its Interest and whose protection and favor is now so very much wanted by us here. We are sensible had he continued we should have had no need to address your honors to prevent the passing an Act so very destructive to the churches Interest and do yet comfort ourselves with the hope that he will so far remember us as to afford us his assistance in hindring its receiving the royal approbation.
"The Revª Mr. Talbot your Missionary unto this Church hath not only opposed these practices with an uncommon zeal and prudence but in all things hath behaved himself like a truly apostolick person his pious discourses and exemplary life as it hath been very instrumental in the confirming us in our most
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holy faith so hath it in many things defeated their designs in these parts and calls for our grateful acknowledgement to you for the services he hath done.
" We humbly beg your honours pardon for the tediousness of this address and that you will believe it is only a sincere desire of the prosperity of the best of Churches amongst us and a con- cern to see the expense and charge which you have with so much generosity expended frustrated by these pernicious prac- tices that engages us in this matter.
" May the Divine Being direct and prosper all your consulta- tions for his Glory and the Churches good and may we always gratefully acknowledge the services we already have received and still hope to receive from your honorable Society who are
"Right Revd and Right Honorable
your most humble & obedient servants
The Churchwardens and Vestry of the
Church of St. Mary in Burlington
"J. BASS " MANUEL SMITH Churchwardens. "and others."
THE SEE-HOUSE IN PERFECT REPAIR.
Governor Hunter to the Secretary. Extract. " New York 10 May 1714.
"I have put the house at Burlington in perfect repair ; it cannot be let because I have no instructions for a lease and we have difficulty to find any who will live in it for nothing by the year and take care of it. I have drawn Bills for the money I have advanced on that score as I was directed and have sent over the receipts and vouchers, pray intreat for me punctual payment for if you knew my circumstances you would be convinced that I pinched hard to spare it."
The abstract of the Report of the S. P. G. for 1714 says: " And by way of preparation for a Suffragan, or Bishop, in one of the Sees upon the continent of America, the Society having thought fit to purchase a seat for his residence some while since at 600l. sterling expence, in a convenient mansion-house and lands, situate at Burlington, within the Jersies ; they have proceeded to ex- pend this year, for repairs of damages done by fire and otherwise, under Gor- ernor Hunter's inspection and menage, 226l. 7s. 5d."
H
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ROWLAND ELLIS, SCHOOLMASTER.
Mr. Ellis to the Secretary. " Burlington in West Jersey May the 20th 1714.
" SIR
" Being by the Venerable & worthy body the Honorable Society &c appointed Schoolmaster into this Town according to their directions I presume (having had some experience of the nature & disposition of the people humbly conceiving myself more capable then heretofore) to render to the Society a true account of the present state condition and progress of my School since and after my arrival into this place.
" At my first coming here I found one that had undertaken the charge of the School and had been therein about a twelve month before I came, (who when he understood the errant I was come upon) endeavored to set the people against me that he might be countenanced and continued in the Town insomuch that his insinuations prevailed and made the Inhabitants look shie upon me at first being a stranger together with what he had suggested proved an obstacle rather than any encouragement to piety & learning. Upon my entrance into the School, I found about a dozen of young pupils there (thro' the Revª Mr Talbot and some more of the good people of the Towns persuasions for the retaining and encouraging of this man being he was lame and an object of Charity) I consented to take him as an assistant thinking thereby to please the people and to gain their love and do him service, notwithstanding the diskindness he had done me before and still persisted at every opportunity to do more till I came better acquainted with the Town and his intrigue I found that it would not answer and that the Town could or would afford two Schoolmasters and seeing the number of my boys to be but few I told him my intent and gave in my reason, how unlikely it was for us both to be in expectation of a maintenance by so few to which he replied with a great deal of warmth & assurance that he had he thought as good a title and as great a priviledge to follow his vocation here, meaning Burlington, as L had if not more, thus being set on by some designing men and such as he called his Friends (but had better been without them);
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he arrogantly withstood the Societies power and authority say- ing to my face that he cared not for the Society nor none that belonged to them what where they to him! he would teach in Town whether I would or no with abundance of such imperti- nent words until I made him sensible to the contrary producing my Licence to which with some reluctancy and grumbling he submitted.
" When he was gone I found my number decreasing instead of increasing as every young beginner would have expected at length I went about enquiring the reason why they were so backward and so negligent in the discharge of their duty which God had commanded them seeing I was sent, to the end their children might be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord the reason I could never yet fully learn but most part of the people have told me that he had been in their houses ushering of malicious suggestions against me (which they have since own'd) would consequently prove prejudicial to my reputa- tion, these unexpected and God knows undeserved reflections proved a great hindrance to my Infant School and I sustained no small disadvantage thereby : thus we poor Missionaries suffer and all for want of a good Bishop amongst us to maintain our cause to suppress such irregularities and be our refuge in time of need for unto whom shall we make our complaint but to those who supply our wants ? or unto whom shall we flee for succour to harness ourselves against such miscreants that would devour us especially in these parts where we are beset with Heathenism Paganism Quakerism and God knows what, having the law in their hands and our lives & liberties at their mercy I say to whom shall we make our addresses and from whom' shall we expect relief but from him who is Lord over us, deplorable is the case of our Church in these dark corners of her Majestys dominions where Quakerism so much and lost will those sheep be at last, who have no Shepperd ; but to say no more about this it is bad enough I beg leave to return to my former head and that is I have got rid of the Serpent thank God and with some difficulty regained my lost Lambs which were dispersed abroad through the wiles and cunning contrivance of the Fox; and have now to the number of 20 & I praise God they daily in-
-
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crease but most of them are Quakers enemies to our Church so that I can't do as I would but as near as I can without giving offence (endeavouring to please everybody) I discharge the duty of my office. I shall as much as in me lies be always ready to do that Honble Society all the service I am able either abroad or at home & with all the care and diligence I can or may make use of to work upon the obstinate minds of Parents as well as their offspring to turn them from Darkness to light from error to truth and from the Power of Satan to embrace the light and taste of the benefits of the Glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ the righteous.
" As to the nature and disposition of the people I could enumerate to you several Families in this Town that have sev- eral children and have not sent a child to School since nor before I came they being of different persuasions and qualities regard- ing neither Religion nor learning nor their childrens welfare but bring them up like themselves heathen-like having neither knowledge nor understanding of future things nor indeed things present unless it be how to get an estate, it grieves me to see so many idle children leading one another to all manner of wicked- ness and follow mischievous practices but much more to hear their Parents indulge and uphold them therein, I have beged of them to send their children to School but to no purpose thus in short it is here and these things I thought myself in duty bound to give an account of, the substance or what part you seem con- venient be pleased to communicate to the Honble Society together with my hearty respect in all dutiful obedience, with my kind service to yourself.
" I conclude Dear Sir &c
" ROWLAND ELLIS."
"THE ARK OF GOD IN THE HANDS OF THE PHILISTINES." " To the Queens Most Excellent Majesty.
" The humble address of your Majestys Loyal subjects the Minister Churchwardens and Vestry of St. Marys Church in Burlington in new Jersey in America.
" Permit us most gracious Sovereign to lay before your Majestys feet the tribulation of the Church in this your Majesty's
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IN BURLINGTON.
Province distressed by the wiles and insults of Quakerism and schism and surrounded with the power of her enemies who with unwearied zeal and artifice labour to bring her to the ground whom shall we apply to but to heaven in cases of great affliction or from whom expect relief to the Church but from your Majesty who is Gods image and immediate representative. The present difficulty we lie under is a certain new act which the Governor Council and Assembly has passed in this your Majestys Province to qualify the people called Quakers to serve as Legislators Judges Justices Jurors and to execute all offices of Trust or profit in the Province which we humbly presume to be an in- novation of a very dangerous consequence contrary to the laws and Statutes of England and consequently repugnant to your Majestys instructions by virtue whereof the Quakers are made Rulers and Guardians of the Church and State who ever hated one and whose principle it is to deny to defend the other. This unrighteous act delivers up the Church to the power of her im- placable enemies the Quakers and of all the sects of Dissenters the most dangerous to christianity. This impious act gives them (by the laws they shall make and by the Judgments they shall please to give) a liberty to dispose of the Estates & liberties of your Majestys subjects and to control or persecute the Church purely upon the credit of their bare affirmation without any lawful qualification without any oath or any other lawful obli- gation injoined upon them to the contrary upon which sacred obligation of Religious oaths depend all the laws of Great Britain both Ecclesiastical and civil which guard the lives and liberties of your Majestys Subjects and defend your crown tis the basis whereon truth and Justice expand their light in your Majestys dominions and your Majestys Throne is establishd by it.
"We humbly trust in your Majestys goodness that this act so contrary to the laws and constitutions of England & to your Majesty's Instructions and so pernicious to the Church and state may receive no sanction from your Majesty's Royal hand but that your Majesty may be pleased to stretch it forth to save us for we are sore aggrieved to see the Church of Christ in the power of Quakers as were of old the children of Israel to see the Ark of God in the hands of the Philistines. Our Infant
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Church (whose nursing Mother your Majesty is) claims a right to be nourished in the arms of your royal care and favor. We humbly implore that her preservation may be your Majestys care and your Majesty the care of heaven. That your Majesty would preserve in its minority the tender Vine that it may stretch forth its branches to the floods and from the floods to the worlds end-That your Majesty may rescue her from the Gov- ernment of Quakers who like the many headed beast are ready soon as she is born to devour her.
" We cannot express to your Majesty without abhorence the villainous and sacrilegious fact committed by the enemies of our religion in Trinity Church at New York where in the night the window was broken open the surplice cut and tore in pieces the common prayer Books taken out into the Church yard and there defiled with human ordure and the Minister himself goes in danger of his life. The examples and vile indignities upon our holy religion may point out to your Majesty the necessity of appointing true sons of the Church to rule as well as to act in your Majestys Councils in your Majestys Provinces and how absolutely necessary and of great service a Bishop would be to these Provinces to preserve the order and authority of the Church to punish the prophane with Ecclesiastical censures to protect the Clergy in discharge of their holy function and by his power precept and exemplary life expand the Glory of the Gospel.
" From your Majesty the fountain of all goodness upon earth we hope for protection and that your Majesty would be pleased from the power of schismatics and Quakers from the priesthood of Micha from the snare of the Hunter from the Counsellors of Zoan from the Statute of Omri and from people that strive with the Priest, to defend and deliver us your Majestys Loyal subjects that the sons of the Church may in these distant parts of your Majestys Dominions taste the blessings of your Majestys righteous & happy administration.
"From all your Majestys blessings we humbly pray to Heaven that God's mercey may long uphold your Majestys Throne-That you may be ever dear to God and your People that after a victorious War abroad you may long reign at home
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secure in a glorious peace in the heart of your subjects-That your Majesty may long live the joy of your Kingdom-the ter- ror of your enemies and the glory of the Earth and may your Majestys care of the Church Militant after a long series of happy years be at last rewarded with the joys of heaven in the Church Triumphant.
" JOHN TALBOT Rector . "J. BASS Sect?y. " MANUEL SMITH
Churchwardens " and others."
"THE GOSPEL RIDICULED ; THE CHURCH UNDERMINED; TIIE LAWS OF ENGLAND SUBVERTED."
The Rector &c of St. Mary's Church to General Nicholson.
" MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY
" We are not insensible what a weight of business continually presses on your Excellency and of what consequence tis to trifle with the least minute of your time, time which must needs be extremely precious when the occasions of imploying it are so many and of so high and considerable a nature as the Glory of God and the good of his Church the honor and interest of her most sacred Majesty and the welfare and prosperity of her subjects.
" No other consideration than this could prevail with us to remain so long in silence and stifle the declaration of our joy and satisfaction which now we sincerely and heartily make for your safe and happy return unto these American parts-honor'd and dignified with a character which many have wished for but could never obtain and which by the Providence of Almighty God and her Majestys great wisdom and goodness has been re- served for your Excellency thereby distinguishing you amongst the most loyal and deserving of her subjects ever was equal to and qualified for so great and diffusive a Trust ; but as our joys on the one hand are redundant, so our grief and complaints on the other are extravagant for who that has any sense of religion (which teaches us duty to our God -- Loyalty to our Sovereign and love to our Country) can with any Patience behold the doctrines of the Gospel ridiculed and vilified, the Church of
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Christ undermined and shaken, and the laws of England in danger of being intirely subverted.
" The most impious and atheistical Books and Tenets are not only cunningly and privately but impudently and publicly spread abroad and promulgated & even acts of Assembly past (containing most abominable falsities to make them the more pallatable) in order to countenance the Quakers those enemies to our Church and Holy Religion and enable them to act in all places of trust and profit in the Government as well as to serve on Grand and Petty Jurys by which means they are capable by Indictments &c to destroy the reputations of or at least to cast an odium on the Ministers and Members of the Church of England ; not to insist on the danger we are in of being deprived of our Estates if we refuse to humour these pretended Saints in their most frantic and licentious extravagencies.
" Add to all this the frequent and scandalous reports against many sober and religious divines and threatening even the very lives of others.
" Who can without horror & detestation mention or so much as think on that hellish sacrilegious act lately perpetrated at New York or whom can we imagine to be the authors of it but such whose principles lead them to depreciate all religion and to persuade men to dwindle down into Atheism or free thinking.
" Those small attempts against the Churches of Jamaica & Amboy serve but as so many shades to embellish & sett off that greater masterpiece of villainy and abomination.
" The particulars of all these matters will in more than ab- stracts appear to your Excellency's view in the several addresses sent home to Great Britain-The representation of the Clergy &c. The originals of all which particularly of that from our selves are designed to pass through your Excellencys hands and we hope for and intreat your Excellencys favor in recommend- ing them the shortest and surest way to be laid at her Majesty's feet with your Excellencys sentiments upon the whole which we presume naturally falls into the Province allotted you and may be occasion of redressing some of the greatest irregularities that have ever happened since these parts of the World have been. added to the dominions of the imperial Crown of Great Britain.
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" For the rest when we are made happy in your Excellencys presence in this Province which we are encouraged by a sight of your Commission shortly to expect we shall make it our business to evince (as we have ever done) the Loyalty of our principles and the justice of our complaints which shall likewise be attended with a demonstration of the regard we have for your Excellency's person and merit to either of which the greatest part of us are no strangers.
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