USA > New York > Westchester County > History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the county of Westchester, from its foundation, 1693, to 1853 > Part 24
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This year Mr. Wetmore again addressed the Secretary.
MR. WETMORE TO THE SECRETARY.
Rye, July 31st, 1729.
REV. SIR,
"Since my last, dated November 5th, 1728, we have had noth- ing very remarkable in this Parish. The trial with the people of
« New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. ii. p. 11, 12. (Hawks'.)
৳ Church Records, p. 46.
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the White Plains, who commenced an action against the officer for collecting the rate to repair the Church, was not issued till last month, so that nothing has been done towards repairing the Church, for about 12 months past, but that action being now de_ termined in favour of the Church, I hope they will go on with the work and bring it to some greater perfection ; I have been labouring to soften and reconcile the Dissenting party, for which reason I have not nrged raising more money upon the Parish, but I hope the present Trustees of the town, who are 4 Churchmen to 2 Independents, will do something in the matter without my appearing active in it, and the Independents will have the less to object, because they are doing their utmost to build a meeting house, and can hardly think we should have less zeal to make the Church appear beautiful, when we have sufficient power in our own hands. The Dissenters have no teacher among them, but the common teachers come once in a while to preach among them, to keep the party alive, many of them come to Church and bring their children to be baptized, but I cannot depend upon their being so reconciled, but that they will leave the Church again if one Independent teacher comes to town, but I am in hopes while so many come to Church, and are pretty easy, the zealots of the party will never be able to make an in- terest strong enough to procure a teacher among them. My congregation is considerably increased at New Castle, a new settlement in the woods, where I go to officiate every fifth Sun- day, the Dissenters there are all Quakers, and I have thought if we had a good school master there, it might be of great ser- vice to religion, in some sort to supply the place of a resident minister in catechising and instructing the youth, and keeping the people from running wild in their principles and practice, as they are in great danger of doing, by being among so many Qua- kers, seducers, and more of no religion.
Yours, &c., &c., JAMES WETMORE. "a
* New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. ii. p. 22. (Hawks'.)
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In 1729, Mr. Wetmore writes to the Secretary, that he meets with good success in his mission ; that his hearers increase and that several of the Independents have quitted that persuasion and very regularly attend divine service at his Church. In his report for 1730, he acquaints the Society with the good suc- cess he meets with in his mission, and the hopes he entertains of checking the growth of Quakerism.
MR. WETMORE TO THE SECRETARY.
Rye, New- York, December 21st, 1730.
REV. SIR,
" There has nothing very remarkable happened in this Parish since my last, our Church has been very full all this summer past, and the Independents having been destitute of any teacher of their sort, are grown something more complying than former- ly, and sundry of them attend the church constantly, with good satisfaction. .
Our greatest trouble is now with the Quakers, who are very industrious to propagate their sect ; where any of them set- tle, they spare no pains to infect their neighbourhood and where they meet with any encouragement, they follow them up with their meetings day after day, and new holders forth, who have all a great fame spread before them, to invite many curiosities, besides they are much encouraged by the countenance they meet with, our people of credit will often go to their meetings, especially what they call their great and general meetings, which I think are of pernicious consequence to religion, and ought to be suppressed ; these meetings debauch young people and many as to their principles. I have used my utmost dili- gence to secure my parish from the poisonous infection of those principles, but yet they have gained ground among us, by Qua- kers coming from Long Island to settle here, and some few have been seduced by them, among whom a woman of very good fam- ily, to whom I wrote the enclosed letter upon that occasion, to which having received two answers from the Quakers, I
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thought it proper to put this letter in print, especially having Mr. Johnson's advice, whose judgment I very much esteem, and I have writ a reply to the two Quaker letters, which I design to publish as soon as they have printed theirs ; if those, who urge me to it will help to bear the charge which some of them have promised, and 'tis thought the method I have taken, was very seasonable and necessary and will be like to have some good effect in putting a stop to the growth of Quakerism, which for many years has gained ground in this Province, and having had little or no public opposition, has almost overrun us.
I have baptized but one adult this last half year, who is the daughter of a Quaker, and 12 children, and have had two new communicants ; I enclose the printed letter without any other apology for so doing, but that I think it my duty to submit my- self to the direction of this Honourable Society, if I have been moved by an over forward zeal to appear publicly in a cause that might have been much better managed by other hands. My humble duty to the Honourable Society, and hearty prayers to Almighty God, to prosper all their charitable undertakings and designs, concludes this from
Rev. Sir, &c., JAMES WETMORE."a
In the following year Mr. Wetmore reports to the Secretary :
MR. WETMORE TO THE SECRETARY.
Rye, May 15th, 1731.
REV. SIR,
" Though I have nothing very remarkable to acquaint you with, yet in compliance with the commands of the Honourable Society, I think it my duty frequently to write to you, if it was for no other end but to engage myself to the greater diligence
· New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. ii. p. 41, 42. (Hawks'.)
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and industry in the discharge of my function, that I might have this at least to give an account of whatever the success proves ; however, I have some encouragement, in that my endeavours have been so far blessed with success, that the Independents can get no teacher among them, though Connecticut people have assist- ed them with money to build two meeting houses in this town. The party, I think, would soon be at an end were it not for the teachers in Connecticut that once in a while come along and endeavour to keep up the zeal of some few that instigate others ; but many of them come constantly to church, especially the younger ones, and as to the White Plains, where lives the chief body, I endeavour to make them easy by going every eighth Sunday to preach to them, when they come to church univer- sally, and seem to express a satisfaction in it. I am in great hopes I shall gain them over in time, by God's help. The peo- ple of Bedford, who are the most rigid and severe of all, came very generally to church when I was last among them, and many that never before were at church at North Castle. Mr. Dwight is very diligent in his business and well beloved for his diligence and sobriety, but the people.in some respects are slack, and not so zealous as I expected many of them would be; to remedy which, I would request in Mr. Dwight's behalf, and for the greater benefit of his labours, that the Honourable Society would signify their pleasure to him that upon a prospect of doing greater service to religion he miglit remove to any other part of the Parish with the advice and consent of the minister and churchwardens of the Parish. This would be a means to quicken their zeal, and make them more punctual in fulfilling their engagements, for they will be very unwilling to part. with him.
Since Christmas last I have baptized two adults, nineteen white children, and one negro. My communicants have in- creased none. I meet with the most trouble from the Quakers, who are extraordinary zealous to propagate their sect in this Parish, there being swarms of them at Long Island and West- chester, from whence they make frequent visits hither, and hold
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their yearly meetings, monthly, quarterly and weekly meetings, yea, and sometimes daily. The letter I printed to a parishioner which I enclosed to you last fall, did some service in putting a check to them, but they have very lately printed and dispersed what they call an answer to it, which, though silly enough, amuseth some people, especially after themselves have mightily applauded it; by way of reply to which I have prepared three dialogues which I have now ready for the press, and have com- municated them to the Rev. Mr. Johnson and some others, who earnestly advise to the printing of them and think they will be of great service to stop the growth of Quakerism in these parts, and Mr. Johnson tells me he will give twenty or thirty shillings towards it, and some of my parishioners have subscribed about forty shillings more, but the whole charge will be about £10, which considering the circumstances of my family, is something too heavy upon me ; for as the Quakers disperse their books freely, so our people will expect it from me, and indeed they have never been used to buy books, for besides the books I re- ceive from the Society, I have myself been at about £5 charge towards the letters I have dispersed among them ; for which reason, if the Honourable Society would be pleased to give me some small assistance in this matter, it shall be thankfully ac- cepted and employed for the benefit of other Parishes as well as my own, and I ask it the rather because I don't know how far I shall find it necessary to proceed, having thus begun with them. I shall only add my earnest prayers to Almighty God to suc- ceed all the charitable designs of the Honourable Society for the extensive good of mankind, and beg leave to subscribe, as I am in great sincerity,
Reverend Sir, Yours and the Honourable Society's most obedient and humble servant, JAMES WETMORE."a
At the close of 1731, he acquaints the Society "that his Parish
a New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulhato, vol. ii, 43, 45. (Hawks'.)
17
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is in a flourishing condition ; that last year he baptized one adult person and twenty children, two of which were negroes ; hath some new communicants, and that all things in his Parish, are at present quiet and easy, and likely to remain so."
In the following communication to his Diocesan, Mr. Wet- more refers to his printed dialogues which seem to have ended the controversy with the Quakers, and also to the great want of a suffragan bishop :--
MR. WETMORE TO THE BISHOP OF LONDON.
Rye, Province of New- York, April 3rd, 1732. MY LORD,
"I take this opportunity, by Mr. Beach, who waits upon your Lordship for your benediction and orders, to return my humble thanks for the favour of your letter in approbation of what I had undertaken in respect of the Quakers. I now send by Mr. Beach, the dialogue I printed in reply to the Quaker's answer to my letter, in which I should have spared some expressions, if I had received your Lordship's directions before they were printed, but the greatest asperity being only the relating of such facts as are open and notorious, they can make little advantage of it. They are a sort of people that take greatest advantage from being used with smoothness, which they fancy their own merit extorts. They did not expect I would have treated them with so much freedom and plainness, but I am well assured it has done good ; it has opened the eyes and awakened the con- sideration of some that were almost drawn over to them upon account of their being thought a sober, virtuous, good people, though they have as many vitiary people in their herd as among any sort of professors, but their trick is to call such only ' hangers on,' though they are as zealous for their principles as the best of 'em.
It is now 9 months since the dialogues were printed, and though at first they gave out they had an answer ready, yet it
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does not appear, and of late not a syllable is heard about it, they are mighty still now, and rather afraid of losing their own peo- ple than intent upon prostituting ours.
Mr. Beach will be able to acquaint your Lordship how fast the principles of the church gain ground in New England, chiefly among the teachers in Connecticut, on which account we might hope to have this country reclaimed from this schism, so dishonourable and prejudicial to religion, and destructive to the souls of men, if some method could be projected for perfecting an establishment of religion here, and removing the difficulty which is indeed great and burthensome, of going 1000 leagues over sea,'through many perils, for ordination ; if only one suffra- gan was allowed under your Lordship, (the two or three would do better to ordain and confirm,) in other things Commissaries might answer, it would give a new tone to the Church among us, and I believe the Country would generally submit to an Episcopal government, in a little time if there was provision, that laws or canons might be made here for regulating some circumstantial things, according to the peculiar circumstances of this Country, I mean in reference to the calling of Ministers and their main- tainance, which the people will be fond of having their voice in, and in respect of which they are afraid of imposition, and per- haps it may be thought not necessary to insist upon a perfect uniformity, in things indifferent, as a term of communion, where unity in government, and all essentials can be gained, for which a discretionary power in your Lordship, or your suffragan, to prescribe for this country, the form and method of worship at Croft, wherein it may be thought proper to bar in any respect, from the established English Liturgy would be sufficient.
I have not the vanity to think of projecting a'scheme or pre- scribing to your Lordship, but only to breathe out my own and others wishes and desires into the bosom of your Lordship, as the Father and head of the Church, in the Plantations, who has expressed a zealous and fraternal care of us, and whose wisdom and goodness we confide in with pleasure, to project for
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us, and still further bring about that what is wanting, may be perfected and set in order. I am with all dutiful submission, My Lord, &c., JAMES WETMORE. "a
His next semi-annual report to the Secretary, bears date the same year.
MR. WETMORE TO THE SECRETARY.
Rye, New- York, June 6th, 1732.
REV. DOCTOR,
" I have received yours of Dec. 13th, 1731, wherein I am order- ed to acquaint the people of North Castle with the sentiments of the Honourable Society, concerning their neglect in encour- aging Mr. Dwight's school, which letter I have communicated to Mr. Dwight, and he has discoursed the people upon it, and I expect to go among them in a fortnight, and then I shall dis- course them myself, upon the affair. Mr. Dwight tells me they are very unwilling he should be removed from them, the people are indeed very poor and that which is worse, they are unhappily divided one against another, which hinders their uniting to pro- mote their common interest ; those we had greatest dependence upon, to encourage learning and religion among them, are either dead or fallen to decay, and removed out of the place, within two years ; Mr. Dwight tells me, as he thinks them a poor unfor- tunate people, deserving compassion, so he has hopes, their af- fairs will mend, and he is willing to make some further trial, if the Hononrable Society think fit to allow him, being urged by some new comers among them, and after some trial he will ac- quaint you with his success. Mr. Cleator, who has been the Honourable Society's schoolmaster in Rye for many years, died about the latter end of March. The people have desired me to
» New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. ii. 54, 56. (Hawks'.)
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present their hearty thanks to the Honourable Society, for the benefit they have had by Mr. Cleator's labours, and to request in their behalf the continuance of the Honourable Society's fa- vours, and that Samuel Purdy, Esq., may be appointed to suc- ceed Mr. Cleator, who is a gentleman very well respected in the town, a constant communicant in the Church, a man of good abilities and sober exemplary life, and conversation ; he is the foremost Justice of the Peace in the Parish, and one of the Quo- rum as well as chaplain of the militia, but these being pla- ces that require, rather than make a fortune, he has private reasons to make him accept a mission from the Honourable So- ciety, and the greater his interests in the people's esteems and affections, by the honourable character he sustains ; he will be under the greater advantage to promote religion and the interests of the church for which he has always had a good affection and his father before him, who was one of the chief promoters of the Church, in the time of Mr. Muirson and Mr. Bridge, being Jus- tice of the Peace and Representative of the county upon the As- sembly, for many years. This gentleman is well qualified to teach and instruct children in the principles of religion, and such learning as is fit for the country, and I doubt not he will be very faithful and industrious, if the Honourable Society will be pleased to employ him. Since my last I have baptized one adult and twenty children, of which two are negroes, and have ad- mitted three more new communicants, and buried three of those that were formerly communicants ; the state of the Church con- tinnes flourishing, all things at present are easy and quiet, and like- ly to remain so. Our trustees are repairing the windows of the church, for which they raised £20 last year by a public rate, and we are contriving to build a steeple to the Church, for which we have begun subscriptions. I have bought a bella to make a pre- sent of, weighing 93 1b., that for the bigness sounds well, and I
a The first notice of a Bell occurs in the minutes of the Vestry, for January 16th, 1732, wlien it was resolved " to raise £1 for a Bell Ringer and sweeping the Church."-Sec Church Records, p. 57.
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
have subscribed thirty shillings besides to the people ; Mr. Clea- tor has also, upon his death bed, given half his last years salary to this use, so that I hope we shall accomplish it, tho' I do not find the people so ready to subscribe as I expected ; a zeal for the honour and decency of God's house, and worship, is a tem- per very much wanting in this country, I pray God to increase it and to give abundant success to the pains and charitable de- signs and endeavours of the Honourable Society, &c.,
JAMES WETMORE."a
Mr. Joseph Cleator, whose death is alluded to in the above letter, and whose appointment has been already noticed, "la- boured faithfully and successfully for nearly twenty-eight years," in his useful calling as schoolmaster for the Society, for which he received the very moderate compensation of £15 sterling, per annum.
In the following report, Mr. Wetmore again recommends Mr. Samuel Purdy, to the Society :----
MR. WETMORE TO THE SECRETARY.
[EXTRACT.] Rye, New- York, Aug. 20th, 1733.
REV. SIR,
" Last summer I informed the Honourable Society of the death of Mr. Cleator, their schoolmaster in this town, and the request of sundry inhabitants, that Samuel Purdy, Esq., might be ap- pointed to succeed him in this school with the Honourable Soci- ety's bounty, but having had no answer to that letter, pre- sume to intercede in behalf of the poor people in this Parish, to have that mission continued, without which many children will have little to distinguish them in their education from the wild heathen. Mr. Dwight, at North Castle, continues very diligent
* New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. ii. 63, 64. (Hawks'.)
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and faithful in his school, and very well esteemed by the people there, but the great misfortunes of that place make him weary of it ; more than half the people that first encouraged his coming among them, and were very zealous for the church, and desi- rous of preserving some appearance of religion and the worship of God among them, in that new place, are since dead or remov- ed away, and those left are so poor that they can give him but little encouragement. His sober and good behaviour, and dili- gence in his calling, renders him worthy of recommendation, and the great extent of this Parish, the number of children, as well as slaves that live so remote, that they never appear to be catechi- zed of the Church, and are never likely to have any catechetical instructions, unless some further endeavours are used, than can be expected from one minister, in so large a Parish, makes me presume to add this further request, that the Honourable Society, if they think fit, would appoint Mr. Dwight, Catechist for the Parish of Rye, with liberty to teach school in such parts of the Parish where he shall find the best prospect of doing service in his catechetical office, and that he be ordered to take particular pains in several parts of the parish, which he may perform by appointing several places to attend that work by turns, and I shall be ready to assist all that lies in my power, to render such a method successful.
Our most forward promoters of Independency, have of late dis- covered a better temper, and often come to Church, and I hope that a few years more will wholly wear that spirit out. As for the Quakers, there is little to be done with them, but only to guard against their attempts, and I think, (by God's blessing) they have not made one proselyte here for two years past. Since my last, I have baptized one adult, twenty-four children in this parish, and three in Greenwich ; I have had but one new com- municant, but there are four or five more which I hope will re- ceive, next Christmas.
Rev. Sir, yours, and the Honourable Society's most obedient and humble servant,
JAMES WETMORE. "a
* New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. i. 67. 68. (Hawks'.)
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
The Society appears to have acted immediately upon the re- commendation of Mr. Wetmore, by appointing Mr. Samuel Pur- dy, schoolmaster at Rye, with a salary of £15 sterling per an- num.
Notwithstanding his arduous duties at home, it seems that Mr. Wetmore, like his predecessors, occasionally extended his missionary labors into Connecticut.
MR. WETMORE TO THE SECRETARY.
EXTRACT.]
Rye, June 24th, 1734.
REV. SIR,
" My Parish continues in a flourishing state, tho' we have many yet that show too little reverence for religion. The Church is commonly more filled this summer than heretofore, and since my last, I have baptized in my own Parish, twenty-seven children and two adults, in Greenwich in Connecticut, three chil- dren, and Norfolk, in Connecticut, two children and one adult, an Indian slave, and I have admitted eight new communicants, all of very sober conversation, and good lives. The people of Connec- ticut begin to show a friendly disposition towards the constitu- tion of the Church of England, which disposition seems to in- crease apace, which makes more and more want of a Bishop in the country, that some places might be supplied with ministers, that now cannot, without burdening the Honourable Society. Some zealous bigots among the Independent teachers are awa- kened to make fresh attempts to amuse and enslave the peo- ple by their scurrillous pamphlets, which they spread industri- ously, full of bold, audacious calumnies, but little argument, yet would be of mischievous consequence, if we did not anti- dote their poison by printing and dispersing such books as ap- pear serviceable to this end, in which I was urged last summer to give some assistance by printing an answer to a pamphlet that undertook to prove the necessity of separating from the
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Church of England, and the divine right of Presbyterian ordi- nation and government. There is now dispersing in this coun- try a defence of that pamphlet, stuffed with vile aspersions and unmannerly reflections upon the civil and ecclesiastical govern- ment of the nation, done by two or three hands, one of which I conclude Mr. Browne, of Providence, will reply to, and the other, Mr. Johnson and I must prepare an antidote for, which I hope will prove to as good acceptance in the country as what we printed last year, and have the same good effect, which has been very visible in promoting the interest of the Church. My prayers and endeavours shall always be zealous to promote the great and charitable designs of the Honourable Society for prop- agating the gospel of Christ.
I am, Rev. Sir, your most obedient, humble servant, JAMES WETMORE. "a
In his report for the years of 1735, 1738, 1739, occur the fol- lowing memoranda :-
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