USA > Virginia > Old churches, ministers and families of Virginia, Vol. II > Part 43
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to the patron to present another clerk, if their Lordships had any imagina- tion that the law of Virginia gave the right of patronage to the vestries? Whatever wild notions some people may entertain of his Majesty's minis- ters intrusted with the inspection of the Plantations, I am confident they would never advise his Majesty to enjoin any thing repugnant to law ; and therefore, till the King thinks fit to alter my commission and instructions, I hope I cannot be blamed for not giving up a right which his Majesty has intrusted me with, unless it be otherwise determined by due course of law, to which I shall be as ready as any man to submit; and I doubt not you will allow me to be a fair adversary in so fully informing you be- forehand of the merits of the cause I am to defend. However, you have it in your power to bring this dispute between us to an accommodation; and I do again assure you that I shall be ready on my part to show myself an indulgent Governor, and, in order to make you easy, to yield what I can without betraying my trust to my master.
The said letter being read, a motion was made that the Commissary be desired to print his sermon preached this day before the members of the Convention, at the parish church of Bruton, in the city of Williamsburg. Mr. Commissary answered that he had never yet appeared in print; but, if the members of the Convention wished it, he would transmit a true copy of it to the Lord-Bishop of London; and it was desired accordingly.
Resolved unanimously that the Governor be addressed.
Then a committee of the seven members following was appointed to prepare the address,-viz. : Mr. Emanuel Jones, Mr. Hugh Jones, Mr. George Robertson, Mr. Skaife, Mr. Seagood, Mr. Brodie, and Mr. Yates,- and return it to the House by to-morrow morning, nine o'clock.
Ordered, That the Convention be adjourned to that hour.
THURSDAY, April 9, 1719.
Mr. Brodie, one of the committee that was appointed to draw up an address to the Governor, being absent by reason of sickness, the rest of the said committee-viz. : Mr. Emanuel Jones, Mr. Hugh Jones, Mr. George Robertson, Mr. Skaife, Mr. Seagood, and Mr. Yates-appeared, and Mr. Emanuel Jones in their name delivered it in; which, being read and examined paragraph by paragraph, passed without amendment, and is as followeth, viz :-
To the Hon. Alexander Spottswood, his Majesty's Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of this Colony.
May it please your Honour, should we, the clergy of his Majesty's Pro- vince of Virginia assembled in Convention, (who have, with the utmost indignation and resentment, heard your Honour affronted and abused by a few prejudiced men,) be silent upon this occasion, we should appear ungrateful in both capacities as ministers and subjects. Therefore, with
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grateful hearts we now express our deep sense of your just and wise government,-a government that has raised this Colony to a flourishing condition by exercising over it no other authority but that wherein its happiness and liberty consist, and which nothing but the groundless sus- picions and unreasonable jealousies of the eager and violent can render liable to exception. Your Honour is happy to us rather than to yourself, in that you are perpetually toiling for the public, constantly doing good to many, whilst you do injury to none.
We approach you, therefore, not only as our Governor, but as a common good, and think we cannot better declare our love to this country than in our hearty wishes and fervent prayers that you may long, very long, preside over it, which we assure you are the sincere desires of your Honour's very much obliged and most humble servants.
WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE, April 9, 1719.
The Convention next took the Lord-Bishop of London's letter into con- sideration, which being again read and considered paragraph by paragraph, the first question that was put by Mr. Commissary was, Whether any of the members present knew of any person who officiated in this country as a minister without license from our present Diocesan or his predecessor? and the whole House declared they knew of none. The next question upon it was, Whether any of the members present knew of any minister that officiated in the Colony without Episcopal ordination? to which the following members answered they knew of none,-viz .: Mr. Monroe, Mr. Mylne, Mr. Smith, Mr. Fountaine, Mr. Brunskill, Mr. Sharpe, Mr. George Robertson, Mr. Finney, Mr. James Robertson, Mr. Thomson, Mr. Cargill.
The following members were doubtful whether Commissary Blair had Episcopal ordination or not,-viz .: Mr. Skaife, Mr. Latane, Mr. Yates, Mr. Bagge, Mr. Emanuel Jones, Mr. Bowker, Mr. Seagood, Mr. Scott, Mr. Hugh Jones, Mr. Falkoner, Mr. Downal, and Mr. Worden. Mr. Selater suspended his judgment. The next question was, Whether any member knew of any minister who did not conform punctually to the rules of the Established Church ?
It was owned that there were many rules which were not observed by any of them, because of the circumstances of the country.
Ordered, That it be an instruction to the committee that shall be ap- pointed to answer the Lord-Bishop of London's letter, that they set forth the particulars whercin at present they cannot help being deficient in the discharge of their function, and that his Lordship's directions be requested therein, and that they inform him that none of the members refuse to conform to the rubrics and canons to the utmost of their power.
The next thing inquired into was the irregularity of the lives of the clergy.
To which it was answered, that no member had any personal knowledge of the irregularity of any clergyman's life in this Colony.
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Whereupon it was ordered, that it be an instruction to said committee modestly to vindicate the lives of the clergy from the aspersions .(thrown on them by former informations to his Lordship) of faults and miscarriages in the lives of some among them.
Ordered, That it be an instruction to the committee to inform his Lordship that visitations have been attempted by Mr. Commissary, but have been found very difficult, and that his Lordship's directions be desired in that matter.
The next things in his Lordship's letter taken into consideration were institutions and inductions.
Upon which the question was put, Whether, in order to the redress of the grievances we labour under with reference to them, the difficulties which render our livings and circumstances precarious should not, in the said answer, be represented to his Lordship?
It passed in the affirmative.
Ordered, That the said committee be instructed accordingly ; and that they let his Lordship know that, whenever the Governor has been applied to, he has been always ready to redress us in this matter to the utmost of his power.
Ordered, That the committee to be appointed to draw up the representa- tion and answer to his Lordship's letter consist of seven members. Then the House named Mr. Commissary, Mr. Bagge, Mr. Hugh Jones, Mr. Cargill, Mr. Mylne, Mr. Finney, and Mr. Pownal to be that committee.
Ordered, That the committee meet this evening at six o'clock.
Resolved, That the address be presented to the Governor.
Ordered, That the committee that prepared it attend him to know when he will be pleased to be waited upon therewith. Then the Convention adjourned to 9 o'clock to-morrow.
FRIDAY MORNING, April 10.
Mr. Selater and Mr. Smith being absent when the House was called over, Mr. Bagge moved that no member should be allowed to be absent from the Convention without leave, which was seconded and ordered.
Mr. Yates moved that when the committee was engaged in drawing the answer to the Bishop of London's letter, a copy of the proceedings of the Convention should be laid before the rest of the members to inspect them, in order to reducing the same into a regular journal, which was seconded and granted. .
Mr. Emanuel Jones reported that the committee which prepared the address had waited on the Governor to know when he would be pleased to be waited on by the House to present the same, and, his Honour having signified his pleasure that he would receive it at seven of the clock in the evening, the members accordingly presented it him, who was pleased to receive it very graciously, and to return an answer that he thanked us for our kind address, and that we should always find him willing and ready to
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promote the interest of the Church and clergy of this Colony, and assured us that we should not only have his protection but affection.
Mr. Bagge moved that the several letters, together with the address men- tioned in the minutes, be inserted in the fair transcript of them in their proper places.
The committee desiring more time to finish the representation and answer to the Bishop of London's letter, the Convention adjourned till six of the clock in the evening.
Accordingly, the House meeting at that hour, the committee appointed to prepare the said representation and answer delivered in the same, which was read, and considered paragraph by paragraph.
The 1st paragraph being read, ordered that it pass.
And 2d paragraph being read, it passed unanimously.
And the 3d, it likewise passed unanimously.
And the 4th, ordered that it pass.
And the 5th, it passed unanimously.
And the 6th, ordered that it pass.
And the 7th, it passed unanimously.
And the 8th, it passed unanimously.
And the 9th, ordered that it pass.
And the 10th, ordered that it pass.
And the 11th, ordered that it pass.
And the 12th, ordered that it pass.
And the 13th, it passed unanimously.
Accordingly, the whole passed, which is as followeth,-viz .:
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR LORDSHIP :-
We, your Lordship's dutiful sons and servants, the clergy of Virginia, being, in obedience to your Lordship's monitory letter, in Convention duly assembled, and having in the fear of God impartially considered the import and contents thereof, beg leave to return your Lordship the following answer and representation.
We are extremely sensible of your Lordship's tender care of us in re- minding us of our duty, and of the prudent manner of it, in that you have not been forward to give credit to disadvantageous reports concerning the clergy of this Colony, but have given us this opportunity of answering for ourselves, which we humbly and gratefully accept, and make use of with all sincerity.
We find, upon examination, that there is no minister among us who has not license from your Lordship or your predecessor.
We are fully satisfied that we all of us are Episcopally ordained, except Mr. Commissary, of whose ordination a major part doubt,-a true account of which he has promised to transmit to your Lordship, together with the journal of this Convention.
We must confess the circumstances of this Colony are such that, in many respects, they will not permit us to perform that regular conformity to the
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established Liturgy as otherwise we would willingly observe and our duty requires ; particularly we beg leave to inform your Lordship, that the parishes are so large, the inhabitants so dispersed, and so distant from the church, (some twenty, thirty, forty miles and upward,) that throughout this whole country we have divine service but once every Sunday, and but one sermon; and, for the same reason, the people neglect and refuse to bring their dead to be buried in the churchyards, and seldom send for the minister to perform the office, but make use of a layman for that purpose,- alleging for reasons the extremity of heat in summer, and the great dis- tance from the habitation of the minister. Also, that people observe no holy days except those of Christmas-day and Good Friday,-being un- willing to leave their daily labour; and you are well satisfied that we are obliged to administer the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to persons who are not confirmed.
We must confess that we have some laws of the Colony which might favour us in the discharge of our sacred function ; but, should they be put in execution, the defect or obscurity of others would expose us to the greatest difficulties ; for which cause we are obliged to baptize, and church women, marry and bury, at private houses, administer the Lord's Supper to a single sick person, perform in church the office of both Sacraments without the decent habits and proper ornaments and vessels which our established Liturgy requires.
We have inquired into the irregularities among us which were intimated to your Lordship, and we have discovered none such to our personal know- ledge, but observe that the lives of the clergy and laity are much improved of late years.
We deplore the unhappy precariousness of our circumstances, to which many of the afore-mentioned deviations from the established Liturgy are to be attributed, and beg to lay them in the most pressing manner before your Lordship for your advice and direction.
The people in general are adverse to the induction of the clergy,-the want of which exposes us to the great oppression of the vestries, who act often arbitrarily, lessening and denying us our lawful salaries,-the opinion of the Attorney-General being that we are incapable of taking the benefit of the law to oblige them to do justice, without that necessary qualification, or a compact.
Our Governor, who is, under God, our chief support here, has never been wanting to us in redressing our grievances to the utmost of his power, and would willingly act in our favour with respect to institutions and inductions, according to the King's patent and instructions; but he imputes the opposi- tion he meets with in this affair to some of the Council, and particularly to Mr. Commissary, whom he also accuses of some other irregularities, as your Lordship, by his Honour's letter to us and by another to the vestry of the parish of St. Anne, in Essex, may perceive, and which we most humbly and earnestly pray your Lordship to interpose your advice and assistance.
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Visitations have been attempted by Mr. Commissary ; but he met with so many difficulties, from the churchwardens refusing to take the oath of a churchwarden or to make presentments, and from the general aversion of the people to every thing that looks like a spiritual court, that little has been done.
Could your Lordship procure any thing that might tend to the promotion of religion and the knowledge of the clergy or laity of this dominion from the Venerable Societies for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge, we assure your Lordship that we will use our utmost endeavours in the right application of any such charitable favours, and shall gratefully esteem it a signal instance of good- ness from you and them.
We return our most hearty thanks for your Lordship's admonitions and advice, and, begging your Episcopal benediction, take leave to subscribe ourselves, My Lord,
Your Lordship's most dutiful sons and most humble servants.
COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY, AT WILLIAMS- BURG, VIRGINIA, April 10, 1719.
The members of the Convention having desired Mr. Commissary to sign the said letter and representation, he refused the same. Ordered it be entered accordingly. Mr. Hugh Jones moved that the members of the Convention sign the said letter and representation.
Ordered, That it be signed; and it was signed accordingly.
Ordered, That Mr. Commissary, Mr. Hugh Jones, Mr. Seagood, Mr. Bagge, or any two of them, examine the journal of this Convention, and transmit .two copies, one to the Bishop of London, and one to the Go- vernor, attested by them.
Then Mr. Commissary asked whether the members had any thing more to prepare, &c. It being answered in the negative, he dissolved the Con- vention.
(A true copy.) JAMES BLAIR, HUGH JONES.
Mr. Commissary's Speech to the Convention, April 8, 1719.
REVEREND BRETHREN :- As in my letter for calling you together at this time I acquainted you that it was in pursuance of the directions of our Right Reverend Diocesan, my Lord-Bishop of London, I shall first read to you his Lordship's letter about it to myself, and his letter to the clergy of this country, which he has desired me to communicate to you; and then I shall (as I find my Lord expects of me) endeavour to resume the particulars and press the observation of them with all fitting earnestness.
Then, having read both these letters, he went on thus :-
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Brethren, it is plain that the ground of this admonition is an information my Lord-Bishop has received of some irregularities among us that need very much to be redressed. I wish the informers, whoever they are, be- fore they had given our worthy Diocesan this trouble and uneasiness, had first made known their complaint to me, who have the honour to be de- puted by his Lordship for that purpose; and then, by your concurrent advice, matters might have been redressed among ourselves, without ex- posing us to his Lordship's suspicions, or bringing us under the character of a clergy guilty of several irregularities. As in secular affairs no man carries a cause from this country to England till it has been first tried in our Virginia courts, and, if any one is dissatisfied with their sentence, in weighty causes there lies an appeal for England, it is most regular that it should be so too in spiritual affairs. It would be too great a burden for my Lord-Bishop of London to be troubled in "prima instantia" with all the irregularities of the numerous clergy under him, especially in the re- mote Plantations, where he can't have the parties before him, or be suffi- ciently informed of the circumstances or the facts, the witnesses living at so great distance. But this piece of justice, which was not designed us by the informers, my Lord of London himself, out of his great prudence and unbiassed justice, has done us. He tells us that he "is not forward to give credit to disadvantageous reports, finding that wrong representa- tions are not unfrequently made," and perhaps never more frequently than now. And therefore his Lordship has reduced this complaint into the right method ; that is, he has given you and me notice of it; and, like a good Bishop, he stirs us up to do our parts toward redressing any irre- gularities that may be among us.
And, seeing our Diocesan has been so just and kind as not to proceed to censure upon this private information, but has left both the inquiry into the truth of the information and the redressing the irregularities, in great measure, to ourselves, let me with all earnestness exhort you to discharge a good conscience in this matter, and to speak freely, if ye know any that officiates as minister of any parish in this country, without license from my Lord-Bishop of London or his predecessor; if you know any among us who has not had Episcopal ordination; if you know any who does not comply with the established Liturgy; and, lastly, if you know any that are scandalous in their lives and conversation. These are the chief things pointed at with relation to our duty in my Lord's monitory letter. There is one word added concerning institutions and inductions, intimating that the Governor will be ready, upon notice given, to act accordingly, if any minister is settled among us who has not a license from the present Bishop of London or his predecessor, as also in reference to institutions and in- ductions. As to this of institutions and inductions, I say, I do not so well apprehend what is required of us in them. They are in the Governor's hands, who does not fail to institute and induct when presentations are duly made. But for want of these the clergy of this country have been
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upon a very precarious footing. Many endeavours have been made to procure a remedy for this evil, and, in the revival of the laws about sixteen or seventeen years ago, particular care was taken of it; but it miscarried in that Assembly which was in Governor Nott's time, when the great body of the revisal passed.
The common remedy in England is for the ordinary to take the benefit of the lapse, which is not so easy in this country, for want of men in Orders who are unprovided. And, indeed, this makes it much harder, too, on their side who are to present, if they are strictly limited to the six months, as in England,-there being no vacant ministers here for our vacant parishes. In the year 1703, Governor Nicholson had the opinion of Sir Edward Northey-then Attorney-General-as to the business of presenta- tions and inductions. He gave his opinion that the right of presentation by our laws was in the parishioners, and the right of the lapse in the Governor; only, he added, that if the parishioners have never presented, they may have a reasonable time to present a minister. But, if they will not present,-being required so to do,-the Governor may, in their default, collate a minister.
These are the subjects of my Lord of London's letter and of our con- sultations, which, I think, we must go upon in the first place, and then, if any one has any thing further to propose, it will be time to consider it. Our consultations will be much shortened if we proceed regularly and with Christian temper, and speak on at once, without heat, or passion, or par- tiality, and without breaking in one upon another.
There is one thing more I have to recommend,-namely, a unanimity and brotherly love among ourselves, which will be a great ornament of our profession and a great mutual support to our interest.
I need not put you in mind that there are now many censorious eyes upon us, and therefore we must be very circumspect in our behaviour : prudence, gravity, sobriety and modesty, and moderation, are great orna- ments of our profession at all times. I hope we shall leave a good character behind us in this place, that the very adversaries may have nothing to reprehend in our example or conduct, and so God, of his infinite mercy, accompany all our consultations with his blessing, and direct them to his glory and the welfare of that part of the Church in which we are more particularly concerned.
HISTORICAL REMARKS FOR THE BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRO- CEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION OF THE CLERGY AT WILLIAMSBURG, IN APRIL, 1719.
Before the Convention was called, great pains were taken to prepossess the clergy in favour of the Governor by getting them to sign addresses of encomiums upon him, in which there was usually some reflection against the House of Burgesses that sent home a complaint against him to his Majesty, so that, without condemning themselves, it could not be expected
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they would act otherwise in relation to him than they did at the Conven- tion. To make way for these addresses, it was confidently given out, and most industriously spread all over the country, that Mr. Commissary and three more were turned out of the Council, and that the address of the House of Burgesses was refused to be received, because it came not through the hands of the Governor; both which proved otherwise.
On the day of the Convention, the Commissary and clergy waited on the Governor at his house; and, the Commissary asking if he had any com- mands for the Convention, he said he would signify what he had to say in a letter.
While Mr. Commissary was yet giving his charge, and was come to that part of it which gives an account of Sir Edward Northey's opinion,-viz .: " In the year 1703, Governor Nicholson had the opinion of Sir Edward Northey, then Attorney-General, as to the business of presentations and inductions. He gave his opinion that " the right of presentation by our laws was in the parishioners, and the right of the lapse was with the Governor." Here Mr. Emanuel Jones interrupted him, crying out that it was a mis- take; it was not the parishioners, but the vestry. "I have right to know it," said he, "for I brought in that opinion." Mr. Commissary answered, "Sir, you ought not to interrupt me : I have Sir Edward Northey's opinion here, and I'll show you presently that it is right quoted ;" and accordingly pro- duced it, and satisfied the whole Convention that he had right quoted it.
Immediately after the Commissary's charge, and before any other business was entered upon, Mr. William Robinson, Clerk of the Council, being sent by the Governor, desired admittance, and presented a letter from the Gover- nor, directed to the reverend the clergy of Virginia in Convention at Wil- liamsburg, and then withdrew. This letter, being all an invective against Mr. Commissary, contributed very much to the ill-temper of the Convention. There was such a confused noise upon it, that for a considerable space no one could be heard. When that confusion was a little over, so that he could be heard, Mr. Commissary said he was very unhappy to be under the frowns of the Governor, but was so conscious of his innocency, that, if they would have patience to hear him, he would ask no time, but would immediately answer all the accusations of that letter. And, beginning, as the letter does, with the business of collations, while he was showing the law and practice of the country and the opinion of the late Bishop of Lon- don and of Sir Edward Northey, by which he had always governed himself, another confused clamour arose, that they were not proper judges of these things, and therefore desired him to desist, and send his answer to the Governor's letter in writing to my Lord-Bishop of London; to which he acquiesced.
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