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 3
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he is a well study'd divine, a good philosopher and Preacher, but above all an excellent Disputant, especially against the Quakers, who use to challenge all mankind formerly. Now all the Friends (or enemies rather) are not able to answer one George Keith ; he knows the Depths of Satan within them and all the Doublings and Windings of the Snake in the Grass. In short he has become the best champion against all Dissenters, that the Church ever had, and he's sett up such a Light in their Dark places, that by God's blessing will not be putt out. The Clergy here have had a sort of Convocation at the Instance and Charge of his Excellency Col. Nicholson Governor of Virginia ; we were but seven in all ; and a week together, we sat consider- ing of ways and means to propagate the Gospel, and to that End we have drawn up a scheme of the present state of the Church in these provinces which you shall see when I have time to transcribe it, and I shall desire you to send it afterwards to my good brother Kemble. We have great need of a Bishop here to visit all the churches to ordain some, to confirm others, and bless all. We pray for my good Lord of London, we can- not have better than he whilst he lives, therefore in the mean time we shall be very well content with a suffragan. Mr .. Keith's mission will be out about a year hence ; by that time I hope to get some tokens for my good friends and Benefactors. But as for myself I am so well satisfied with a prospect of doing good that I have no inclination to return for England; however be so kind as to let me know how you doe, which will be a comfort to me in the wilderness. You know all my friends, pray let them, especially my mother and my sister Hannah, know that I am well, God be praised, and shall be glad to hear so much of them. I cannot write many letters, much less one two or three times over as when I had nothing else to do. I pray God bless you and all my Friends, I desire the Benefit of their prayers, though I cannot have that of their good Com- pany. I know you'll take all in good part that comes from " Your old Friend, " JOHN TALBOT.
" P. S .- I have many places offered me but I know not where I shall settle, in mean time you may direct your letters
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for me to be left with Mr. Bridge of Boston N. E. Mr. Vesey at N. York, Mr. Evans at Philadelphia and Mr. Wallace in Virginia."
ROBERT WHEELER AND FAMILY.
" February 21, Sunday, 1702. I preached at Burlington in West Jersey, on Rom. 10. 7, 8, 9 .- [Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.]-and Feb. 22. I baptized the Wife of Mr. Rob. Wheeler and his three Children, f and five others : in all 9 Persons. He and his Wife had been Quakers, but are come over to the Church. He did most kindly and hospitally enter- tain us at his house, gratis, the several times that we travelled to and fro in those Parts : And the like kind and free Enter- tainment he gives to all Ministers of the Church that travel that way."-Keith's Journal.
TWO HUNDRED POUNDS TOWARDS A CHURCH. Mr. Keith to the Bishop of London. Extracts. " Philadelphia, 26th February, 1702-3. -X- -X *
"The Congregation here has been considerably enlarged in number by those called Keithian Quakers, coming into the Church, whose good examples many others have followed both in town and country, and since my arrival in this Country there has been some increase in Divers places both of those formerly called Keithians and others who are well affected to the Church. In E. Jersey the Keithians are generally zealous for the Church and divers others whom they have an influence upon. Mr. Talbot, my Companion, and I have laboured among them, in preaching from place to place, and had much con-
¡ In the first Parish Register-mentioned in the Preface-in the hand- writing of Mr. Talbot, is this: "Rebekah Wheeler & her Children, John Rebekah, Robert & Mary Baptized by Mr. G. Keith on Sunday ffeb: 22, 1703."
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ference with them in private from House to House, for the space of two months, and we baptized two and twenty persons, young and old of those called Keithians. In W. Jersey also those formerly called Keithians are well affected and came from divers parts to visit me, and heard me, and showed me Love and Affection. I have been here not much above a month, and have preached nine times in the Church here, having had large auditories, sometimes about a thousand persons in the Church, but not all of the Church, many of them . Presbyterians, some Anabaptists, and some Quakers, but the Quakers of late have made an Act that none of their way shall come, which has at present put a stop to their coming. I have also had much private discourse with some who yet remain Keithians, and use to meet together ; of divers of them, I have good hope, they have frequently come to Church to hear me, and last Sunday I went and preached in their meeting, with which some of them were well pleased though others not.
"The people well affected to the Church have gathered two hundred pounds towards building a Church at Burlington, in W. Jersey, they are to begin to build as they have told me this Spring ; also at Amboy, in E. Jersey, they intend to do the like. Colonel Morris is a very good friend to the Church and a promoter of it, and was very kind and assistant to us, and is very regular in his family, and his Lady is a very pious and good Woman, his family is a little Church ; he useth the Com- mon Prayer in his family daily, and on Sundays his neighbours come to his house, as to a Church, and at times Mr. Junesse preacheth in his house. I suppose your Lordship remembereth Mr. Junesse, a good man, but a nonjuror.
" My Lord, if but 3 or 4 pious and able ministers were sent over to supply the present necessity in these provinces of E. and W. Jersey and Pensylvania, it would be of exceeding great service to promote and increase the Church. At Chester, in Pensylvania, 16 miles Southward from Philadelphia, by the River Delaware, some well affected persons have built a brave Church. Mr. Yates, who lives at Chester, has been the main ' promoter of it; they are to write to your Lordship earnestly to request your Lordship to send them an able and pious Minister.
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The Quakers are very many and rich, in and about that place, but some of good note of them called Keithians are well affected to the Church in that County who would certainly join with the Church, if they had a Minister. I have lately preached at Chester and had an auditory of above 200 persons, and also at the Houses of 2 Keithians, my former friends and acquaint- ances, who received me with much affection. I am forced to use this term of distinction to distinguish them called Keithians from the other sort of Quakers who generally are most refractory and pertinacious in their Errors, but yet there is hope of many of the Youth among them.
" There is here at Philadelphia a brave vestry of men, both pious and very discreet and in good unity and harmony one with another, and kind to their Ministers, and they have been very civil and Respectfull to us. We have lodged all the time of our stay here at Philadelphia, with an ancient Gentlewoman, a widow called Mistress Welch, formerly a Keithian but now & zealous Churchwoman and so is her daughter.
" My Lord, having thus far given you an account in general of things hereaway, I shall not enlarge upon this subject ; what further shall occur in my Travels, I think to acquaint your Lordship from time to time. His Excellency Governor Nich- olson is a very great patron and benefactor to all the New- Erected Churches in these Northern parts of America.
"I remain your Lordship's most humble
" And most obliged servant, " GEORGE KEITH."
LAND FOR ERECTING A CHURCH ..
"WHEREAS severall well disposed Persons with others (Inhab- itants in & about Burlington) together with Nathaniell West- land Robert Wheeler & Hugh Huddy have agreed together to purchase a Lott or parcell of Land as well for the Enlargeing of that or those parcells of Land ffenced in for Christian bury- ing ground as also for the Erecting a Church & other buildings as occasion may serve for Charitable uses and for the same intent & purpose have respectively disbursed or agreed to dis- burse into the hands of the said Nathaniell Westland Robert
1
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Wheeler & Hugh Huddy (as ffeoffees in Trust) certaine Sumes of money," therefore, on the 6th of March, "In the Yeare of our Lord according to English acco:" 1702, " the said Nathaniell Westland Robert Wheeler & Hugh Huddy, as well for them- selves as also in trust," for the Sume of Twenty pounds of Cur- rant Silver money within the Province," bought of " William Hollinshead & John Hollinshead, Yeomen," all that "Lott" of Land in Burlington " bounded Easterly by a street commonly called Wood street & adjoyning to & Rangeing with the Easterly end of that Land purchased lately & ffenced in for Christian burying ground & runs thence in a direct Line bounded by said Wood street unto the street called Broad street & soe runs Westerly bounded by the said Broad street untill it Range in a direct Line with the Westerly end of the said Burying ground & is the same in Length with the said Burying ground," " to have & to hold the said Lott " " for the Publick uses afore- said." Extracts from Original Deed.
CORNER-STONE OF THE CHURCH LAID. Mr. Talbot to Mr. Gillingham. "New Castle, 10th April, 1703.
" I have gone with Mr. Keith and without him, about East and West Jersey Preaching and baptising several scores of men, women and children, encouraging them to build Churches by promising them in time ministers from England, and that the Honorable Society would take care to send none but sober, good men well qualified in all respects for the work of the ministry. I look upon it that the sending Mr. Keith in quality of a mis- sionary, to travel for the good of the Churches, has been the best service that has been done yet for the Church of England in these parts of the world ; for he is a general scholar, an able disputant and a perfectly honest man. He is in a word Hereti- corum malleus, and so he had need ; having to deal with some of the worst that ever troubled the Church or the World. Here is little or no Government, and people in many places take the liberty to say there be three Gods, or no God, and nothing is done to them. Certainly 'tis better to live where nothing is
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IN BURLINGTON.
lawful than where all things are. Since I came to be more acquainted with the Quakers I have much worse opinion of them than ever I had. It appears by William Penn's book, that he is a greater Antichrist than Julian the apostate. He has said that Christ is a finite, impotent creature; and Faith in the History of Christ's outward manifestation is a deadly poyson these latter ages have been infected withal, to the destruction of holy Living. Who was defender of the Faith when the lewd Heretick was made Governor and Proprietor of a province? Certainly God gave this Land into the hands of the English, that they might Publish the Gospell and give knowledge of Salvation to these people; and I am sure the King gave this to William Penn, with Injunction expressly in his patent, that he should endeavor to convert the Indians to the Faith; but instead of that he labours to make Christians Heathens ; and proclaims Liberty and Priviledge to all that believe in one God, and yet when they come here they say there are three or none, and yet be borne out by the Quakers against the Christians. They pretend they ought not to fight, yet I have seen several commissions, under several of their Governor's hands to kill, &c. God bless Queen Anne, and defend her that she may defend the Faith ; and her Faithful Councellours if they have any piety or policy I'm sure will take some course with these Heathens and Hereticks, for if they be let alone to take the sword (which they certainly will when they think they are strong enough) we shall perish with it, for not opposing them in due time. Notwithstanding the Toleration they are subject to all the penal laws, as you'll find if you read the Act, and were I in England, and had as much knowledge in Law as you, I would bring Statutes and Judgments against them. I have done so att New York where there is a good Governor, my Lord Cornbury.
" Last Lord's day I was at Burlington, the chief Town in West Jersey, where I have preached many times in a house hard by the Quakers' meeting ; we shall have one too, I hope, when we return here again from Virginia, where we think to stay but two or three months ; after sermon I went out with the rest of the people, and laid the corner stone of Saint Mary's C
.
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Church. God grant it may rise to be the house of God, and the Gate of Heaven to them.
"It seems the Honorable Gentlemen of the Corporation have considered my Travels for the Service of the Church, and have given me a handsome allowance to bear my charges with Mr. Keith. Pray give them my hearty service and thanks to let them know that, by the grace of God, I shall make it my busi- ness to fulfil my mission. Pray remember my duty and Love to my Good Mother ; I hope she is alive and well, let her not want £10 per annum, as long as I have £60 coming to me, which will be due the 12th of June next ensuing. It grieves me much to see so many People here without the benefit of serving God in the wilderness. I believe I have been solicited to tarry at twenty Places where they want much, and are able to maintain a minister, so that he should want nothing; they send to New England and call any sorry young man, purely for want of some good honest clergyman of the Church of England. Many go to the heathen meetings of the People called Quakers, because there are no houses of God in their provinces, till at last they come to be bewitched and forced out of their Faith and senses too. The country is a good land in all parts of it, bating the sudden change of Heat and Cold, which, if people be not careful, they are many times the worse for. The air is generally clear and pure. Nobody complains here of the spleen, unless he has also an evil conscience attending. I saw Mr. Burley, Mr. Scott's friend, at Philadelphia. I was at his house, he lives very well and entertained me very civilly, and was glad to hear of his old Friends. I am but poor at present, being robbed by a negro of all my money out of my Portmanteau ; the young slut did not leave me one Token for myself, only I got the bag again. But blessed be God I never wanted meat nor drink, nor cloaths neither as yet; but if you don't send me some cloaths next shipping, instead of going as they do in White Hall, I shall go as the Indians do. I shall be content, let it be as it will. I might have had money enough here if I would have taken what People have offered me, but lest the Quakers should say truly, as they do falsely, that we
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come for money and preach for hire, I preach the Gospel as freely as the Apostles did to the first Churches.
" Virginia, 8th June.
" When I wrote this, I missed the opportunity to send it so I brought it hither with me so you must take it rough as it runs. We have been now at our journey's end in N. Carolina as far as we could goe, now we tack about and stand another way to Philadelphia again, thus George Keith's home and mine is every where. Governor Nicholson has been very kind and generous to me. I pray God prosper him long in his Govern- ment ; he has some enemies as well as other men, but none of them can deny but he is a just magistrate in his place. I have sent the scheme of our Church affairs by one Mr. Beverly, an honest Gentleman of this Country, who is bound for Eng- land very speedily : you'll hear of him at Mr. Parry's, the Virginia Merchant. George Keith comes home next year ; then if I can get anything worthy sending, I shall have a care- full hand to deliver it. There is one Mr. Keyes, my Lord of London's taylor ; you may deal with him to send me a chest of cloathes, new or old, once a year. Direct them or anything else for me to be left with George Walker at Kecoughtan in Vir- ginia. I am
" Semper Idem, .
1147168 "J. T."
THE CHURCH CALLED ST. MARY'S.
Mr. Talbot to Mr. Gillingham. " Virginia, 3d May, 1703.
" DEAR FRIEND:
"Now at last (God be praised) we are arrived at the Haven where we would be. Mr. Keith is got to his Daughter's house, and I am got amongst my old Friends and acquaintance in these parts, who are very glad to see me ; especially those of the ministry, who came over along with me. Here has been great alterations in these ten years. Since I was here many of my old Friends are dead, but I have found some new in their stead; amongst which is the bearer, Mr. Robert Beverly, who has one
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of the best houses and plantations in this country, where I reckon myself as it were, at home, he has been so courteous and civil. But there is some dispute in Law concerning the Title, and he is come over to see about it; wherein I hope you will and can be serviceable to him, and I shall take it as done to myself. I have sent you several Letters, but have none yet from nobody. I hear the Honorable Gentlemen of the Society at Bow have ordered £60 per annum for travelling charges ; £30 I have received upon Bill. I desire you to receive the other &30 to buy Books for a friend of mine here, who will repay me. I desire you to lay out £10 more in cloathes and shirts which I desire neighbour Leviton to buy for me, and send them in some ship to New York directed to me, to be left at Mr. Vesey's, minister there. I shall be glad to hear how all our Friends do, especially my good mother. Pray let me know where she is, and how she does, let her have decem minas upon my account as long as she lives. I have sent the present state of the Church, apud Americanos as far as we have gone; the first year from Dover, eighty miles eastward from Boston in New England, to Philadelphia in Pensylvania ; since that scheme was finished, I have gone up and down in E. and W. Jersey preaching and baptizing and preparing the way for several Churches there. At Amboy they are going to build one, at Hopewell another, and at Shrewsbury, Coll. Morris is going to build one at his own cost and charge, and he will endow it as he says, which I don't doubt, for he is an honest Gentleman, and a member of the Honorable Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign parts. I was at Burlington last Lady day, and after prayers we went to the Ground where they were going to build a Church, and I laid the first stone, which I hope will be none other than the House of God and Gate of Heaven to the People. Coll. Nicholson, Governor here, was the chief founder of this as well as many more; and indeed he has been the benefactor to all the Churches on this land of North America. God bless this Church and let them prosper that love it. We called this Church St. Mary's, it being upon her day. January last I was at the opening of a church at Chester ; I preached the first sermon that ever was there, on Sunday the day before
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the Conversion of St. Paul, and after much debate what to call it, I named it St. Paul's. This is one of the best Churches in these American Parts, and a very pleasant place ; but they have no minister as yet, but Mr. Evans of Philadelphia officiated there once in three weeks. The Governor of Virginia is build- ing several more churches: Two at North Carolina, where we are going next week, and one at New Castle, where in all appearance we shall have a considerable Congregation of Chris- tian People. The place is very well planted for trade both by sea and Land. It being allmost in the midway between Phila- delphia and Maryland upon Delaware River ; where, God wil- ling, I intend to spend some labour and pains ; though I can't find in my heart to settle in any place for my own, but to travel, as I told you, for the good of the Church in general. I should be glad to hear how you did about the Centurion, and how mat- ters of account stand between us. Tis good to reckon some time if we never intend to pay, though I hope to be out of debt to the world. Yet I shall always count myself obliged to my friend. I have been with George Keith a year next June 12th, then my £60 becomes due. This has been a sickly year apud Americanos, but God be praised I have had good health all this time. And I believe I have done the Church more service since I came hither than I would in seven years in England. Perhaps when I have been here six or seven years, I may make a Trip home to see some Friends (for they won't come to me) but then it will be Animo Revertendi, for I have given myself up to the service of God and his Church apud Americanos ; and I had rather dye in the service than desert it. Pray give my service and thanks to the Honorable Society for their Generous Allowance to bear my charges. I shall take care to fulfill my mission, and goe as far with it as any body that they shall send forth. We came hither in a sloop from Pensylvania, when we were out of Delaware River, a North west wind took us and carried us out to sea and lost us ten or twelve hours so as I was never lost in my life ; 'tis true sometimes, as the sailor sayes, the last storm was the worst. The sea never got any thing before by my sickness, but then I was so sick that I had much adoe to keep my bowels within my body; we arrived safe at
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last, God be praised ; but I shall be hardly catched on board so small a vessel again in a good while. We are going now by land to Pamplico in North Carolina, a place where there never was any minister but only one Dan. Brett, a scandalous Fellow, that has done more harm than good every where. He was the worst I think that ever came over.
" We want a great many good ministers here in America, especially in those parts mentioned in the scheme; but we had better have none at all than such scandalous beasts as some make themselves ; not only the worst of ministers but of men. If you know none so good as to come, I hope you will find them that are willing to send. Some good books would do very well in the mean while. I am sure there is no want of them in England, they have enough and to spare. Indeed we have had many of Dr. Bray's books and I could wish we had more. But his way and method is not the best for this people that we have to do withal, Quakers and Quakers' friends ; to most of them, nothing but controversy will serve their turn, 'tis a hard matter to persuade to the Baptismal Covenant, on which the Doctor has writ three or four Books to the folio, that they may be ever learning and yet never be able to come to the knowledge of the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, nor the Ten Commandments.
" Those that we have to deal with are a sharp and inquisitive people : they are not satisfied with one Doctor's opinion but must have something that is authentick if we hope to prevail with them.
" We should have some Common Prayer Books new or old, of all sorts and sizes with the thirty-nine articles, and some books of Homily's, to set up the worship and service of God till we have ministers ; some of Dr. Comber's Books would be of right good use here to give those that ask a Reason of all things contained in our English Liturgies ; which has still stood the Best Test of all adversaries that were not blind and deaf. Above all, Mr. Lesly, the Author of the 'Snake in the Grass,' has given Quakerism a deadly wound, I hope never to be healed : and his five Discourses about Baptism and Episcopacy have brought many to the Church. We want a 1000 of them to dis- pose of in the way that we goe. I use to take a wallet full of
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Books and carry them 100 miles about, and disperse them abroad, and give them to all that desired them; which in due time will be of good service to the Church ; 'tis a comfort to the people in the Wilderness to see that some body takes care of them. There is a time to sow and a time to reap, which last I don't desire in this world. I might have money enough of the people in many places, but I would never take any of those that we goe to proselyte, especially amongst the Quakers; I resolved to work with my hands rather than they should, say I was a hireling, and come for money, which they are very apt to do. The Governour .of Virginia, my old Friend, has been very generous to us, and has taken care that nothing be wanting to us while we are in his Territories ; if there were such another Governour in America, it would be much cheaper travelling for the missionaries. But alas! I am afraid we shall lose him before we get such another. There are a parcel of men in the world, that are given to change, and don't know when they are well themselves, nor can't let others alone that do. But more of this another time, I have writ enough to tire you and myself too: you must take it as it is. I have something else to do now than write letters twice over; rough as it runs I hope you'll take it in good part. With my Love and Service to all Friends, I desire your Prayers, and rest
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