USA > Virginia > Old churches, ministers and families of Virginia, Vol. II > Part 44
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Then Mr. Hugh Jones and some others, faulting the doctrine of Mr. Commissary's sermon preached before them that day, desired Mr. Com- missary to print it. He, excusing himself as never having appeared in print, said if they had any objections against it he was ready to answer
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them, or, if they desired it, he would transmit a true copy of it to my Lord-Bishop of London; and accordingly they insisted upon this last, and he promised to do it.
Then it was moved that an address be made to the Governor. Mr. Commissary and some others put them in mind that it was more proper, and would look better upon the minutes, to begin with the principal business they were called upon,-viz .: The answer to my Lord of London's letter. But, this being overruled, a committee was appointed to draw the said address. Some moved that Mr. Commissary might be one of this com- mittee to help prepare the said address ; but this was opposed by the greater part.
Then Mr. Commissary and some others moved that it might be consi- dered whether it was not proper to give directions to the committee con- cerning the manner of the said address, particularly that they should abstain from intermeddling with those unhappy differences of State that were between the Governor and the House of Burgesses; and that they should confine themselves to what was more proper for the clergy,-namely, the thanking the Governor for his protection of the Church. If they drew a handsome address to this purpose, it was said, we should all unanimously join in it, which would do him more service than if they drew any thing which we could not all unanimously sign. But this motion was overruled and the committee left to themselves without any limitation.
THURSDAY, April 9.
Mr. Emanuel Jones delivered in the address to the Governor, which, being read and examined paragraph by paragraph, passed without amend- ment.
Though it was carried by a majority of the Convention that this address should pass without amendment, there was a very great debate on the subject-matter of it. They were put in mind that those prejudiced men by whom they said his Honour was affronted and abused were the body of the representatives of the country,-the House of Burgesses; that they had made a public complaint of the Governor, which now lies before the King; that it did not belong to our province either to prejudice his Majesty or to decide the points in difference between the Governor and the House of Burgesses; that, if we were ever so desirous to justify the Governor, we were not in a capacity to do it, the matters in difference being entirely out of our cognizance. The House of Burgesses complain that their privileges are encroached upon : is that a fit subject for us to determine? They complain of a great sum of money taken without order and spent about the Governor's house and gardens : they had the account before them, whereas if we say any thing upon that subject we must speak without book. And so of the forfeiture of lands and the Burgesses' salaries and some other things complained of, of which we are very incapable judges. They were likewise told that the duty of mediation of peace did much better become
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us than the espousing of any party; that we should thereby incur the displeasure of a great many gentlemen of our own parishes ; that we should create to ourselves lasting uneasiness; and that a time might come when the House of Burgesses might think fit to call those to account that put such public affronts on them, as we heard the House of Commons in Ireland did those that counter-addressed in the case of Sir Constantine Phips.
When none of all this prevailed, but the address was carried by vote, the Commissary, and seven more that were against addressing in that form, desired that they might enter the reasons of their dissent. But this was wholly refused.
While this business was in debating, Mr. Robertson brought a letter from the Governor to the Commissary, requiring the perusal of his sermon preached yesterday before the Convention. The style of it is so particular that Mr. Commissary thought fit to set it down verbatim, which follows :-
SIR :- In your sermon preached yesterday before me, upon occasion of the Convention of the clergy, you thought fitting to advance such principles with respect to Government that I judge I should not discharge the duty I owe to my Prince if I failed to take notice thereof; and lest I might, upon one cursory hearing, misapprehend some positions you then laid down, I desire you will favour me now with a more deliberate perusal of the sermon in writing; and your immediate compliance with this request will be the only means to satisfy, sir, your most humble servant,
A. SPOTTSWOOD.
WILLIAMSBURG, April 9, 1719.
Upon this, he immediately sent the sermon, hoping the Governor would either rest satisfied, or, by the help of his friends of the clergy, form his objections and give him an opportunity of answering them. He heard no more of it, only understands he took a copy.
Upon the question of Mr. Commissary's Episcopal ordination, of twenty- four that were present besides Mr. Commissary himself, twelve voted that they were doubtful of his Episcopal ordination, eleven that they had no doubt about it, and one that he suspended his judgment. The reasons of those who were doubtful were, first, that they knew not the hand in which the certificate was written subscribed Jo. Edenburgen. To which it was answered, that they could not have a better proof, that fell within their knowledge, than the late Bishop of London's license under his hand and seal. Second, it was objected that the certificate was not in the usual English form, nor any seal annexed to it. To which it was answered that a certificate from a Scotch Bishop of any one being a minister in his diocese, in the Order of Presbyter, is a sufficient proof of the matter of fact, though it is not in the English form; and that, being taken for such thirty- four years ago by the late Bishop of London, (and the late Lord Effingham, Governor of Virginia,) to whom both his ministry in Scotland and the test
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for which he suffered were at that time well known, it ought not now to be called in question. Third, Mr. Hugh Jones objected to the word Presbyter in that certificate,-that it should have been Priest. But this objection was ridiculed by most of themselves, since in the English certificates of Priests' Orders they are said to be promoted "Ad Sacrum Presbyteratus Ordinem."
In answer to the question whether they knew of any minister in this Colony that did not punctually conform to the rules of the Established Church, there is no more set down in the minutes but that it was owned there were several rules which were not observed by any of them because of the circumstances of the country. But upon this Mr. Commissary urged that my Lord-Bishop of London had been certainly informed of great de- viations from the Liturgy, and therefore that if any of the informers were then present they would acquaint us with what they had observed of this kind, that it might be certified, and told them they must expect he would acquaint my Lord with it if they had nothing to say. Upon this Mr. Hugh Jones said something to this purpose :- That he was desired by my Lord of London to give his Lordship some account of the state of this Church, and that accordingly he had given an account of some things in which Mr. Commissary did not observe the rubric. He instanced in the clerk's publishing the banns and some other things in church. For by the laws of this country all proclamations and many laws are published in Church, and, the clerks commonly keeping the register, the usual way is for them to publish the banns and give a certificate of it to the minister. He com- plained too of Mr. Ingles, his taking upon him in his school to make ex- hortations to his schoolboys, alleging that he should only teach them the Church Catechism. The whole Convention, judging these things frivolous, commended Mr. Ingles (who is a sober, good man, and master of arts) for giving good instructions to his boys concerning their morals; and as for some other things of small variation from the rubric, they found none but such as the different circumstances of the country from those of England necessarily engaged us in, which are more particularly mentioned in the clergy's answer to my Lord of London's letter.
In the evening of this day, after the Convention was adjourned, eight ministers, who, for the reasons above mentioned, did not join in the address which the major part prepared for the Governor, agreed upon one of their own, both to show their duty to him and their moderation with relation to the public differences in the country. It was as follows :-
To the Hon. Alexander Spottswood, his Majesty's Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony.
May it please your Honour, it is with no small concern we humbly represent to your Honour that we could not join with the rest of our brethren in one uniform address, being unwilling to determine between persons and things which, as we apprehend, were not properly under our
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cognizance nor within our province. Nevertheless, we think it our duty to return our most hearty thanks for the continuance of your Honour's protection to the Church and clergy of this country. We have no doubt of your Honour's ready concurrence in any present methods that can be offered for our support and encouragement. And seeing your Honour is well apprized of all our circumstances, without any further information from us, we desire to leave it with yourself to consider of the best ways and means to remedy what wants redress in the precariousness of our cir- cumstances, whether by execution of the laws in being, or the contrivance of new ones, to answer better the circumstances of the Church and clergy and people of this country as in your wisdom you shall think fit.
It is far from our thoughts to add any thing to the uneasiness of your circumstances from other hands, being extremely concerned at the unhappy differences in the country. As we heartily wish a better understanding, we shall not fail by our prayers and endeavours in our station to procure it as far as in us lies. And in the mean time, committing you to God's conduct and direction, we take leave to subscribe ourselves, sir, your Honour's most obedient and most humble servants,
JAMES BLAIR, Com'y, JAMES SELATER, JOHN CARGILL, PETER FOUNTAINE, JOHN BRUNSKILL, GAY SMITH, JNO. MONRO, FRANÇIS MYLNE.
WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE, April 9, 1719.
And then they went to his house to present it. But he, having first perused it by himself, at last refused to receive it, called it a libel, and gave it back to Mr. Commissary.
FRIDAY, April 10.
There is nothing to be remarked upon this day's proceedings but that some objections were made to a few things in the clergy's answer to my Lord of London's letter, upon the amendment of which all the clergy declared their readiness to sign it. These objections were, -- 1st. The slur it casts upon Mr. Commissary's ordination. 2d. The unfair representation, or insinuation, at least, as if some of the Council, and particularly Mr. Commissary, obstructed the Governor's acting in favour of the clergy in the point of institutions and inductions. It is true they do not take it upon themselves to say this, but lay it upon the Governor, and say that he imputes the opposition "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 another to the vestry of the parish of St. Anne's, may perceive, both which, together
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with Mr. Commissary's answer, we doubt not your Lordship will receive, and in which we most humbly and earnestly pray your Lordship to inter- pose your Lordship's advice and assistance." Though this was the least they could do without directly incurring the Governor's displeasure, there were several who said they knew the Council and the Commissary had been such constant friends to the clergy that they would have no hand in ·
putting this slight upon them, as if they opposed their institutions and inductions. 3d. That it lays the blame upon our laws that we are obliged to baptize, church women, marry, and bury, at private houses, &c., whereas it is not by our laws these things are occasioned, but partly by our pre- cariousness, (the Governor never making use of the lapse,) and partly by the exceeding largeness of the parishes and other inconvenient circum- stances of the country.
Immediately before dissolving the Convention, Mr. Hugh Jones moved something to this effect,-that, in regard a major part doubted of Mr. Commissary's Orders, the Governor should be required to suspend him from officiating as a minister of this country, and the Bishop desired to send another Commissary. This proposal was with a general voice ex- ploded and cried out upon, and they asked him if he was not ashamed to offer any such thing. When nobody backed his motion, he desired it might be entered on the minutes. But the whole Convention rejected it with great indignation.
The above account, consisting of ten pages, is a true narrative, to the best of our remembrance.
JAMES BLAIR, . JNO. MONRO.
An Answer to the Accusation contained in the Governor's Letter to the Convention, which Letter is to be seen in Journal of the Proceedings of the said Convention.
ACCUSATION.
For none more eminently than Commissary Blair sets at naught those instructions which your Diocesan leaves you to be guided by, with respect to institutions and inductions,-he denying by his practices, as well as dis- courses, that the King's Governor has the right to collate ministers to ecclesiastical benefices within this Colony; for when the church he now sup- plies became void by the death of the former incumbent, his solicitation to the same was solely to the vestry, without his ever making the least application to me for my collation, notwithstanding it was my own parish church.
ANSWER.
As this accusation is here worded, the design of it is plainly to induce your Lordship to believe that I oppose the King's instructions and deny
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the Governor the power of collation, and that I was inducted into my parish without him. But none of all these do in the least touch and ex- plain the true state of the difference betwixt his opinion and mine in this matter, which I must therefore beg leave more clearly to unfold to your Lordship.
The sole question as to this affair is, What is to be meant by collation as in the Governor's instructions ?- whether such a power as the King has to bestow livings of which he himself is the patron ? or such a power as the Bishop has to collate to livings that fall into his hands by lapse ? He claims it in the first sense ; I have always understood it in the second, for the following reasons. It has been the constant practice in this country that whatever ministers we have had inducted have had first a presenta- tion from the vestries, who, by law here, act in the name of the parish- ioners. And before this gentleman's time, it was never known that ever a Governor refused to induct upon any such presentations, or gave collation and institution without it. 2d. By a law of this country, entitled Minis- ters to be Inducted, after it has spoken of a minister's producing a testi- monial of his ordination, and his subscribing to be conformable to the orders and constitutions of the Church of England and the laws there established, follow immediately these words :- " Upon which the Governor is hereby requested to induct the said minister into any parish that shall make pre- sentation of him." And from these words it has been always understood here that the parish had the presentation and the Governor the induction. For, as to the word requested, they think, and he grants, it doth not alter the case when applied to the Governor,-that being the usual form in which our laws express his duty, and not by the more authoritative words of enacting, commanding, or requiring, as they do other people's. 3d. The parishes here are at the charge of founding the churches, the glebes, and the salaries. 4th. Governor Nicholson consulted Sir Edward Northey, the late Attorney-General, as to all this affair,-being desirous (as I thought) to remedy the precariousness of the clergy, who, except a very few, have no inductions. And Sir Edward was altogether of this opinion, as your Lordship will see by a copy of it, which I herewith transmit. Governor Nicholson sent copies of that opinion to the several vestries of this coun- try, and threatened if they did not present that he would take the benefit of the lapse : the very threatening procured presentations, and consequently inductions, for some ministers. And had the Governor collated and in- ducted upon the lapse,-nay, had he made but one or two examples of it,- all this grievance might have been redressed long ago. But he only threatened, and never once collated upon lapse; so that the precariousness is as much fixed as ever. 5th. Having often discoursed with your Lord- ship's predecessor and written to him on this subject, I never found he had any other notion of collation by the Governor but that it was to be upon lapse. And the great difficulty started in those days to that scheme was, that the country complained six months was too short a time for them
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to supply their vacancies in,-there being no ministers to be had here who were not already provided. For remedy of which, in the last revisal of our laws, a law was provided in which two years (if I remember right) were allowed the parishes to supply their vacancies. This law, about fifteen years ago, was under consideration of the Council of Trade. My Lord- Bishop of London was that day present at the Board, and I, being then in London, was desired to attend. After full debate upon it, the law was approved of, and my Lord of London was very well satisfied. But after all it miscarried here in this country. Our Assembly could not agree about it, and so it fell. Sure, if either the Bishop or the Council of Trade had had any notion of this right of patronage which the Governor claims, (and his commission and instructions are the same now they were then,) having so ready a remedy for the precariousness of the clergy, they needed not to have made these extraordinary concessions. 6th. The Governor's new method would destroy all benefit of lapse; whereas, if the presenta- tion is in the parish and the lapse in the Governor, we have the ordinary check upon the patron, as in England and other Christian Churches, which is a very valuable security. 7th. Collations for benefices, together with licenses for marriage and probates of wills,-being three things pertaining to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, but expressly excepted out of it and by the King's instructions given to the Governor,-seems to be a good argu- ment that, in the point of collations, the Governor acts only as ordinary, and consequently either institutes upon presentation or collates by lapse, but not as original patron.
These are the reasons which have induced me to think collations are to be interpreted in another sense than the Governor has lately fixed on them. I say lately ; for I do not remember that he fell upon this notion above three or four years ago, which makes me astonished at the censure he gives of me for not applying to him for his collation. There are two wrong things here insinuated. One is, as if the Governor at that time had claimed (as he now does) the right of collating to the living as patron before it lapsed; whereas this pretension was, by four or five years, of a later date,-my coming to this parish being at Christmas, 1710,-and no- body at that time having ever questioned the vestry's right of choosing a minister when the parish was fairly void,-as it was here, by the death of my predecessor, Mr. Solomon Wheatly. As soon as I was elected by the vestry, I immediately acquainted the Governor, and he said he was very glad, of it. And I do assure your Lordship he nor no one else at that time faulted this as being then, and long afterward, the common practice of the country. If a Governor ever interposed in such cases in those days, it was only by recommendation to the vestries, but never by way of collation, which he now begins to claim. The other thing which I take to be here insinuated is as if, upon the vestry's presentation of me, I had, in contempt of his authority and right to give collation, never applied to him for it. This, I confess, would have been a great contempt, and such one as never any
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minister in this country was guilty of. For, as soon as we can get a pre- sentation from the vestry, we never fail to apply to the Governor for in- duction, as readily as any clerk in England applies to the Bishop with his presentation. But this is the unhappiness of our precarious circumstances in this country,-that the vestrics are such enemies to induction that they will give no presentations, and our Governors have been so unwilling to disoblige the parishes that they have never taken the benefit of the lapse; so that the ministers generally officiate upon the election of the vestry, without presentation or induction. As this is the case of about nine or ten of our ministers, (for some four or five are inducted,) your Lordship will easily perceive that, as matters then stood, without a presentation it was in vain for me to apply to the Governor for collation or induction. But I thought it became me, in good manner, to wait on the Governor and to ac- quaint him with what was done : he signified his great satisfaction, and did not in the least fault any thing in the conduct of the matter. We were then, and for many years afterward, in perfect friendship; though now all things that are capable of any ill aspect are mustered up to make a crime where never any before was so much as pretended.
ACCUSATION.
And I cannot but complain of his deserting the cause of the Church in general, and striving to put it on such a foot as must deprive the clergy of that reasonable security which I think they ought to have with regard to their livings.
ANSWER.
It passes my skill to find out the defects of this method. If the Governor would give the parishes warning to present in a reasonable time, and, in case of failure, to make use of the lapse, it would remedy the precarious- ness of the clergy as well as the other, and would have this advantage,- that it would be much more easily applied, and a minister would have more of the love of his parishioners ; whereas, the other way will involve him in a lawsuit to defend his title; and if we should at any time have a Governor that has little regard to the Church or religion, he may keep the parish void as long as he pleases,-there being no lapse ever incurred by that scheme.
ACCUSATION.
As to the disorders in the worship of God which are pointed at in the said letter, it appears as if my Lord of London knew not that his Com- missary is more apt to countenance than redress the same; for I myself have seen him present in church while a layman-his clerk-has read the divine service in the congregation,-he himself vouchsafing to perform no more of his ministerial office than to pronounce the absolution, preach, and dismiss the congregation.
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ANSWER.
It is well known that I do constantly, while I enjoy my health, read the whole divine service myself. And if the Governor has at any time seen it otherwise, it has been when I have been so weakened with sickness that I was not able to go through the whole service and preach too. If it be thought an irregularity that on such a case I made use of a laic, it is to be considered that this is a country where there is not one clergyman to be had on such an occasion,-they being all employed at the same time in their own far-distant parishes,-and that the country, is so used to this practice, that long before I knew it, by the fifth law in the printed book, entitled Ministers to Provide Readers, it is enacted "That where there is not a minister to officiate every Sunday, the parish shall make choice of a grave and sober person of good life and conversation to read divine service every intervening Sunday at the parish church, when the minister preacheth at any other place." But I constantly read prayers myself, unless disabled or weakened by sickness.
ACCUSATION.
I have often seen him present at the churchyard, while the said clerk has performed the funeral-service at the grave.
ANSWER.
Here it is insinuated as if I had been at the funeral when the clerk performed the funeral-service at the grave. I can aver that my constant practice is otherwise. What might occasion it that one time-whether that I had not been spoken to, or that I was hoarse, or that I passed through the churchyard accidentally while the clerk was in the funeral-service, and I did not think fit to interrupt him-I can't tell, except the circumstances of the fact were explained. But it is a common thing all over the country- what through want of ministers, what by their great distance and the heat of the weather and the smelling of the corpse-both to bury at other places than churchyards and to employ laics to read the funeral-ser- vice,-which, till our circumstances and laws are altered, we know not how to redress.
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