'v.-r M REGULATIONS fibrarD of i\t Jftkral-street Sfftietn IN BOSTON. I. The Library is open to the use of all the Members of tiie Federal-street Congregational Society. II. Books are delivered from the Library at the close of the morning service on every Sunday. Books must be returned at the same time. III. Each person may take two volumes at a time. IV. No volume can be taken from tlie Library, until its title, together with the name and residence of the person on whose account it is taken, has been recorded in a book kept for the purpose. V. Octavo and duodecimo volumes may be kept four weeks ; other books, only two weeks. This book was placed in the Library, No. ^4^ ^^^^-.-^^ ^^^ ■'? A N APPEAL to the PUBLIC, I N BEHALF O F T H E CHURCH OF ENGLAND I N AMERICA. I Ml By Thomas Bradbury Chandler, D, D. and Miilionary from the Society for the Propagation cf ^ the Go/pel, &c. "^ " We deftre a fair Trial-^if c,,, are guilty, punijh us-, if ^' ^.. are tnnocent, protea «;.» Justin Martyr. ^ N E W-Y O R K: Printed by James Parker, at the New-Prin- ting>Office, in Beaver-Street. M,DccXxm «* A BISHOP, that Ihall have the chief " Inlpeflion over thofe whom he is to " ordain, and over the Labours of thofe already * placed J ^hom he Ihall direft and aflift in every " Thing ; and who governs himfelf by the Rules ** of the primitive Church, and by the Advice of «^ his Brethren, is the likelieft Inftrument both for " propagating and preferving the Chriftian Reli- '^ giop.**: Bijhop BurmL AH APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC, IN BEHALF Of the Church of England IN AM E RICA? WHEREIN The Original and Nature of the Episcopal Office are briefly considered, REASONS POR SENDING BISHOPS TO AMERICA ARE ASSIGNED, THE PLAN QN WHICH IT IS PROPOSED TO SEND THEM IS STATED, AND THE OBJECTIONS AGAINST SENDING THEA^ ARE OBVIATED AND CONFUTED: With an APPENDIX, WHEREIN IS GIVEN SOME ACCOUNT O F An Ai^o^jYMOus Pamphj^et- ERRATA. THE Author's Inability to attend upon the Prefs, liatli occafioned fome Errata, of which the following are the moft material, which are to be corrected thus: In Page i. Line lo, for the Support, read Support of the. Page 9 in the Note, for Y2i^t, read Fai\i, Page 14, /. i^, fornor, read or. Page 21, /. 2^, for this, read thefe. Page 22 in the Notes , for nifcis, read nefcis ; for Juftar, read Inllar ; ajid quidam, ir^^^quidem. Page^J, I. 2, for Ferfon, read Ferfons, Page 73, /. 24, for The Opinion, read His Opinion. Page y6, /. 31, for full, read the full. Page 83 in the Note, for Chlan- dler, rf^^ Chandler. Page 88, /. 22, /or could, read fhould. Page %g, I. 30, for Others, read the others. Page 98, /. 8, /or King, r^^^ Kings. T O The Moft Reverend Father in God, - THOMAS^ Lord Archbifliop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, &c* May it Pleafe Tour Grace^ TH E Arguments for fending Bifhops of the Church of En- gland to America, are fo ftrong and convincing, that an Appeal may be made to the World for the Reafon- ablenefs of fending them. The ge- neral Plan which has been long fettled for the Regulation of their Authority when fent, is fo well calculated to fecure the religious Privileges of every Deno- 11 DEDICATION. Denomination of Chriftians, that no- thing more than a proper Explanation can be needful, to recommend it to the Approbation of every candid and unprejudiced Perfon. For Want of this, many are ftill averfe to an Ame- rican Epifcopate, and fome are induf- trioufly employed in mifreprefenting the Matter, and in propagating their Prejudices and Objections againft it. It is therefore the general Opinion here, that it is at length become ne- ceffary, to explain this Plan, and thereby, as the moft effedual Method, to remove thefe Prejudices and Ob- jeftions. Such, My Lord, is the Defign of the following Appeal. The Author of it was not forward to undertake the Work. Want of Leifure, and a Confcioufnefs of Inability to execute it properly, were Difficulties in his Way not eafy to be furmounted. But as no one appeared that was willing to perform DEDICATION. ni perform what all feemed to allow was neceflary to be done, and as he was requefted by many of his Brethren to undertake it, he finally confented. Without this Apology, the Author would not prefume to infcribe to Your Grace fo imperfedl a Piece, or to afk for it your Patronage. Nor indeed would any Apology juftify him in doing fo, did he not know that Your Grace takes a Pleafure in encou- raging every well-meant Endeavour, however unfuccefsful it may prove, to ferve the Caufe of Religion and the Church of Chrift of which amiable Difpofition your whole Life has been a Proof. As to the Church of England in America^ it will ever be acknowledged with all Thankfulnefs, that none has fhewn for it a more affedbionate Con- cern, or treated the Members of it or its Clergy with more' Kindnefs and Conde- iv DEDICATION. Condefceniion than Tour Grace. Se- veral of them You have honoured with a private Correfpondence; and but few have gone Home from this Coun- try for Holy Orders for a long Courfe of Years, v/ho have not been able on their Return, to tell of the great Obligations You have conferred upon them. And this was the Cafe long before your Advancement to that high Station, whereby You became related to all of them as their Metropolitan, and to many of them alfo as Preiident of the Society for the Propag'ation of the Gofpel in foreign Parts. Butbeiidesthefe particular Kindneffes {hewn to the Clergy, the general State, and Intereft of the American Church, has always been the Objed of your clofe, and careful, and anxious Atten- tion. None has ever entered fo deeply into the Knowledge of her Condition, or had fo true a Senfe of her Wants, or reprefented them to the Public in fo DEDICATION. fo proper and ftriking a Light, as Your Grace did many Years ago, in your moft excellent anniverfary Ser- mon preached before the Society. Therein particularly You explained the Need and Ufefulnefs of an American Epifcopate; and what You then faid and publifhed on the Subjed, together with what You have continued to fpeak and write ever fince, on all proper Occafions, has probably contributed more to prepare the Way for it, fo far as it has been prepared, than what has been faid, and written, and done, by any other Perfon. For thefe Things, as well as on other Accounts, the Clergy and Friends of the Church in America revere You, with Sentiments of the fmcereft Gratitude. They look up to Tour Grace as eminently their Friend and Patron ; and they can ne- ver defpair of the Succefs of their late Application, while fo reafonable a Caufe is fupported by your Abilities and Influence. a At V vi D E D 1 C A T I O Kt At the fame Time they are not in- fenfible of the Obligations they are under to many other illuftrious Per- fons, and efpecially to forne great Prelates of the Church, who have been pleafed to become their Advocates on this Occafion: And it is not doubted but they w^ill continue to allift and co-operate with Your Grace in this good Work, of refcuing the Ameri- can Church from the Diftrefs fhe is under, through the Want of an Epif- Gopate. Every Attempt to relieve her^ My Lord^ is really an Ad: of Charity ; and it may properly be faid that "the Bleffing of ^^r that is ready to perifh," will come upon thofe that befriend her in this Neceffity. As the following Papers were drawa up with a View of ferving the Caufe, which you have always had fo greatly at Heart, and been foremoft in promo- ting, in that RefpeB they can be ad- dreffed to none fo properly as to Tour Grace DEDICATION, vii Grace. But in many Refpecls the OiFering is unworthy of your Accep- tance; and yet — lince it is made with an Intention of publickly exprelling, not only that Reverence which is due to your exalted Station in the Church, but that Gratitude to which You are entitled, by the many fignal Proofs You have given of your Attention, to the general Intereft of Religion, and efpecially of the Church of En- gland in America, and your Concern for it, and affiduous Exertions in its Behalf; it is humbly hoped that it will not be rejeded. If it may be received alfo as a Teftimony of Gratitude, for particular Favours which Tour Grace has con- defcended to beftow on the Author, it will add greatly to his Happinefs* That God may long continue your Life and Health, fo ufeful to the Public, and of fuch peculiar Importance to the viii DEDICATION, the Church in America— —and, that You may have the Satisfaction of feeing all your pious and benevolent Attempts to promote the Happinefs of Mankind attended w^ith Succefs, and in the End find them glorioufly rewarded — is the daily and devout Prayer of, Mj Lord, Tour Grace* s mofi dutiful m^ahth-rv^n, and obliged Son, in Nenv-jerfey, June 24, 1767. ^ and obedient humble Servant^ Thomas Bradbury Chandler, ( 1^ ) Advertifenient to the Reader, ^HE Author of the following Appeal, has faid^ by JVay of Apology^ that '^ he was requejied by *' many of his Brethren to undertake it^ He thinks it not amifs to declare more particularly^ with the fa^ne View^ that the Tafi was Jirft impofed upon him by the very worthy and Reverend Dr. Johnfon ^/Strat- ford in Connc6ticut. From that venerable Ferfon a Work of this Nature would have come^ with more Propriety^ and greater Advantage to the Caufe. For an Appeal to the Public in Behalf of the Church of England in America, on the prefent Occafion^ could be made by none fo properly^ or with fo good Effe^f., as by him^ who has fo frequently fignalixed himfelf as its Advocate^ for the Courfe of more than Forty Tears., and who., for a confiderahle Fart of that ^ime^ has been anxioujly foUiciting the Caufe of an American Epifcopate. But a Tremor in the Hand., which caufes him to write with the utmofi Difficulty himfelf., made it necejfary that hefJjould leave the Work for another. He thought proper to apply to the Author^ whofe Obligations to him were fuch., that he could not refufe hifn any 'Thing in his Power ^ without incuring the Imputation of Ingratitude and Injuflice. At the Time when this Treaty was nearly concluded^ the Clergy of New- York and New-Jerfey, being met together in a voluntary Convention, and ajfifted by fome of their Brethren from the neighbouring Pro- vinces, took into Confideration the Propriety and Ex^ pediency of addr effing the Public y on the Subje5l of an American Epifcopate, After a thorough Difcuffion of the Point., they were unanimoufly of Opinion., that fair- ly to explain the Plan on zvhich American Bifhops had ADVERTISEMENT heen requejled^ to lay before the Public the Reafons of this Requeft^ to anfwer the Objections that had been made^ and to obviate thofe that might be otherwife conceived againft it^ was not only proper and expedient^ hut a Matter of NeceJJity and Duty. It was accor- dingly voted that Something to this Purpofe fhould be piiblijhed, and the Author was appointed to this Ser- vice—with Liberty^ however^ to make the 'Time of his performing it mofi convenient to himfelf Excufes were not admitted^ and a Refufal could not be juftijied, The Author, being brought thus under double En- gagements, determined to acquit himfelf as well as his Circumftances and Abilities would permit. In Order to this, he zvas careful to follow the Directions he had received, and, as he had Opportunity, to confult the mofi judicious of his Friends, in Regard to the Method and Management of the Work, How he has fuc- ceeded, mufi be fuhmitted to the Judgment of the Reader, whofe Candour is requefted. It gives the Author great Pleafure, to find that hi^ Sentiments have been Jo clearly and forcibly expreffed, by The Right Reverend the Lord Bifhop of Lan- daff, in his excellent anniverfary Sermon preached be- fore the Society in February lafi. The Thanks of every Friend of the American Church are due to His LordHiip, for fo feafonable and fpirited an Affertion and Vindication of its Rights ; from which it is not doubted but the following Extract will be acceptable to the Reader, although for Want of Room it mufi of Necejfity be fhort, '' The want of Bifhops (in America) hath been " all along the more heavily lamented, becaiife *' it is a- cafe fo fingular, that it cannot be paral- " leled in the Chriftian world. For what fed; *' wao ever any where at all allowed, that was nop " allowed ii TO THE READER. li allowed the means within themfelves of providing for the continual cxercife of their worfhip ? the' granting one without the other would be but a mockery. Yet fuch is the ftate of our church in the colonies ; and at a time, and in a realm, where the rights of confcience are beil under- Itood, and moil fully allowed and protected. All feels of Prcteftant Chriflians at hom.e, and all, fave one, throughout our colonies, have the full enjoyment of their religion. Even the Ro- milh fuperftition, within a province lately added to the Britifh dominions, is completely allowed *' in all points ; it hath Bifnops.— Thus ftands the *' cafe of all churches in our colonies, except only *' the church here by law ellabliflied ; that alone " is not tolerated in the whole, it exifts only in *' part, in a maimed flate, lopt of Epifcopacy, an " efTential part of its conftitution. And whence *' this difgraceful diftindlion ? whence this mark ** of diilruil ? what is the fear ? what the danger ? " A few perforis veiled wich authority to ordain *' miniiters, to coniirm youth, and to vifit their *' own clergy. Can two or three perfons, reilrain- " ed to theie fpiritual functions, be dangerous to " any in any matter ? in what ? or to whom ? Can *' they poiTibly, fo limited, on any pretence what- *' ever, attempt to moleil any in their religious *' concerns? Can they invade the rights and jurif- " di(5lion of magiilrates? Can they infringe the " liberties of the people ? Can they weaken, or be " thought difpofed to weaken, the fidelity of the '' colonies to his Majeily, or their dependence on " this country ? To thefe duties, if there be any " difference, the members of this church, as fuch •' are bound by one ipecial motive, befides the " many motives common to them with other fub- " jecls." Page 22, &c. CONTENTS. ^HE INTRODUCTION, Page i SECTION I. A Sketch of the Arguments in fa^vour of Epifcopacy, p. 3 SECTION U. The Po-Mers peculiar to the Epif copal Office Jhenvn to he thofe of Government, Ordination and Confirmation. P* '3 SECTION in. That the Church in America, ^without an Epifcopate, is neceffarily dejiitute of a regular Gonjernmenty and cannot enjoy the Benefits if Ordination and Confirmation, p. 26 S E C T I O N IV. The unparalleled Hardjhip of this Cafe reprefented, p. 39 SECTION V. Reafons ajpgned njuhy the Church in America has been thus ne- gleJled, p. 47 SECTION VI. That the prefent funSiure is apprehended to he fa^vourable to the Epifcopate in ^uefiion, P> 54 SECTION VII. The Cafe of the American Heathens particularly confidered, and fijeivn to require an Epifcopate, p. 6 1 SECTION VIII. The Plan on ivhich American Bijhops ha SECT. TO THE PUBLIC. 3 SECTION I. A Sketch of the Arguments in Favour of Epifcopacy. IN Order to judge properly of the Subjea: before Sect, us, it is neceflary to premife, and it fliould be ^• well confidered, that the Church of England is £- pifcopal, and confequently holds the Neceffity of Bifhops to govern the Church, and to confer Ec- <:lefiaftical Powers upon others. Of this there can be no Difpute, fince many of her public Offices, and indeed the whole Syftem of her Condud with Regard to the Clergy is founded on this Principle. In the general Preface to the Ordination Offices fhe declares, that « it is evident to all Men dili- " gently reading the Holy Scriptures and ancient " Authors, that from the Apoftles Time there *' has been this Order in Chrift's Church, Bifhops, " Priefts and Deacons, as feveral Offices." And her Pradiceof admitingnone to officiate as Clergy- men, who have not been ordained by Biffiops, is a Proof, that (he efteems every other Ordination to be, at leall, irregular and defedive. It is not ne- ceflary to enter upon a particular Defence of this Dodrine, in an Undertaking of this Nature ; fmce our prefent Plea is equally valid, whether thefe Principles are founded rightly or wrongly. How- ever, a brief Sketch of the Arguments, whereby the Neceffity of Epifcopal Government is defended, may, on this Occafion, be not altogether ufelefs or improper. It is an eflential Dodrine of the Church of Eng- land, that none can have any Authority in the B 2 Chrifti^n 4 AN APPEAL Sect. Chriftian Church, but thofe who derive it from • Chrill, either mediately or immediately. Thofe who receive Authority immediately from Chrift, before they can expedt SubmifTion to it from others, muft be able to prove that they have it ^ for which no- thing lefs can fuffice, at this Diy, than the Power of working Miracles. Thofe who receive it medi- ately^ muft derive it from thofe Perfons whom Chrift has authorized to convey it, i. e, they muft receive it by a regular SuccelTion. For any to fay, that fuch a Succeffion cannot be proved, is infuffi- cient : it is incumbent on the Objedors to prove that the Succeffion, by which we hold, has been in- terrupted. Proof of this, although zealoufly at- tempted, has never yet been made -, and could this Point once be made clear, it v/ould alfo prove far- ther, that Chrift has negledled to provide for his Church, in a Cafe fo elTential to the very Being of it, notwithftanding his having exprefsly promifed to be " ever with it, to the End of the World." Men may ridicule the Notion of uninterrupted Succeffion as they pleafe •, but if the Authority of the Clergy is derived from Chrift, (and if it is not, they are no Minifters of Chrift) they muft receive it in one of the Ways already mentioned. And if the Succeffion be once broken, and the Power of Ordi- nation once loft, not all the Men on Earth — not all the Angels in Heaven, without an immediate Com- miffion from Chrift, can reftore it. It is as great an Abfurdity, on St. Paul's Principles, for a Man to preach without being properly fent^ as it is to hear without a Preacher, or to believe in him of whom we have never heard. As Chrift is the great Founder of the Church, fo he is the only Fountain of Ecclefiaftical Autho- rity. Whatever general Laws he was pleafed to injoin, TOTHEPUBLIC. 5 injoin, mud be of indifpenfible Obligation to all Sect. his Followers. Indeed, with Regard to the Go- ^' vernment of the Church, his Lav/s are exprefled in fuch general Terms, that we muft neceflarily have Recourfe to thofe, whom he immediately in- trufted with the Government of his Church, for a more particular Explanation of them. That the Apoftles, " to whom he fhewed himfelf " alive after his Pailion, being feen of them Forty " Days, and fpeaking of the Things pertaining to *' the Kingdom of God,^' underflood the Laws of Chrift, is not to be doubted : and, as they were alfo conduced by the Spirit of God, the naore ex- plicit and particular Rules v/hich they have given for the Government of the Church, muft be re- ceived — either as authentic Explanations of Chrift's general Laws, or as Regulations that are agreeable and conformable to them. To this muft be ad- ded, that the public Pra5fice of the Apoftles is a faithful and plain Comment on the Lav/s of Chrift, unlefs we can fuppofe them to have been unacquainted with, or difobedient to, his divine Will ; and it is of equal Authority with any written Inftrudions. Now if we carefully examine the Writings of the Apoftles, and the Canonical Records of their Pro- ceedings, I muft think that thefe Things will evi- dently appear, — that our blefied Saviour, before his Afcenfion, committed the Government of his Church upon Earth, intirely to them — that this Government was exercifed by them— that they con- veyed this Power to others, to be communicated fucceflively to others, to the lateft Pofterity — par- ticularly, that thefe their SuccefTors were an Order diftindb from, and fu peri or to, thofe who are nov/ called Preft)yters"^and tha.t none who were not of this 6 ANAPPEAL Sect, this higlieft Order, had the Powers of Ordination ^' and Government committed to them. It would Jead me too far from my prefent Defign, to eila- bhfh thefe Points by particular Proof; nor can it be nccefTary, as feveral of the Fadts that fupport them, have been brought to a clofe Examination, and fairly flated to the Public, in the Inftances of James 'dtjerufakm^ Timothy ztEphefus^ 'Titus 2itCretey th.t Angels of the Seven Churches of Afia^ &c. * Let us now confider what Evidence arifes to fa- vour thefe Conclufions, from the general State of the Primitive Church. The Travels of fome of the Apoftles are related in Scripture, and from thence, as well as from other Proofs, it appears, that with amazing Succefs they planted and fettled Churches in all the moil confiderable Countries of Afia and Ezirope, v/ithin the Compafs of not many Years. And it is a Fa6c well known, that all the Churches that were gathered during the Firft Century^ whe- ther immediately by the Apoftles, or their Mif- fionaries, were under the Dire6lion of fome or other of that venerable Order. Men of the molt eminent and undoubted Piety, who had been ho- noured with their intimate Acquaintance, were ap- pointed by the Apoftles to fuperintend Churches in certain limited Diftrids, fome of whom were choien to fucceed them in thofe Churches which they had always kept under their own more im- mediate Tnfpedtion. So that during this Period, while the Chriftian Church was governed by the Apoftles, and others of their Appointment, no- thing, in our Opinion, but grofs Prejudice, or a wrangling * See Archbiftiop Potter on Church Go'vernment. See alfo Mr, Learning's Defence of the Epifcopal Go'vernment, ^c, againft the Ob= ie6tiou3 of Mr. JFg/lts and Dr. Chauncj. T O T H E P U B L I C. 7 wrangling and captious Difpofition, to fay noworfe. Sect. can lead any to fufpe6l or afTert, that it v/as pxia- tcrially corrupted, or that it had departed, in any confiderable Degree, from that Plan of Govern- ment which Chrift had inflituted. The Govern-* ment of the Church is as much a pofitive Inftitu- tion as the Chriflian Sacraments, and the Laws relating to it bind us as llrongly, as the Laws which oblige us to receive Baptifm or the Holy Eucharill. As fuch they were ccnfidered in the Period we are treating ofj and any Attempt to change them would have been treated with the fame Indignation and Refentment by the Chriilians of that Age, as if the Laws relating to the Sacra- ments had been wilfully violated. And if we confider the general Charadter of Chriftians, and the State of the Church, in the Second and Third Centuries^ we fhall find it not eafy to believe, that there could have been any efTen- tial Variation or Departure, from the original Plan of Difcipline and Government committed to the Church. Chriftianity ftill continued to be attack- ed with all the Engines of worldly Power and Policy, and had nothing to fupport it, but its own rational Evidence, accompanied with the Power and Spirit of God, and the Expedation of Happinefs in an invifible State, But very few worldly Profpeds and Motives could operate either on the Clergy or private Chriftians, when they all knew that their Religion tended to deprive them of all worldly Ad- vantages, and would probably caufe them to be a- bufed, and infulted, and pcrfecuted, even to Death- Their only Dependance was on their afcended Re- deemer, for whofe Sake, and in Obedience to v/hom, they facrificed all the Eafe and Happinefs and Glory t>f the World, efteeming them but as Drofs \ 8 ANAPPEAL Sect, Drofs and Dung in Competition with their Duty. In this State, and with this Difpofition, every Law of Chrift was valued more than Life, every re- ceived Ufage and Practice of the Church was re- vered as facred, by Chriflians in general. And as w^e are obliged to believe, that but few could have been defirous of making Innovations, fo it is utterly incredible that many would have been willing to fubmit to them, in Matters of Im- portance. How firmly the Chriftians of thofe Days were attached to, and how confcientioufly they followed, whatever they efteemed to be an In- ftitution of Chrift or his Apoftles, the ^arto-de- ciman Controverfy, or the Difpute which divided the Church about the proper Time for the keeping of Eafier^ among others, is a noted Proof. And although in this Point one Party muft have been miftaken, yet it is manifeftly a Matter of no great Confequence, and the Church at that Time was divided in their Judgment : and, it by no Means follows from this Inftance, that the Church might alfo have been miftaken in Matters of the greateft Weight, fuch as thofe of Faith and Government, elpecially when all were united in Opinion. And as the Pradice of the primitive Church was a faithful Comment on the Laws of Chrift, and his Apoftles, relating to the Government of the Church ; fo it is not fo difficult a Matter, to dif- cover what that Pradtice was, as fome may ima- gine, The Works of the Apoftolical Fathers * arc * The Authenticity of fome of thefe has been warmly difputed, cfpecially of the Epiltles of St. Ignatius \ and Dr. Chauncy oti Bojlon. has, within a few Years, in an Appendix to his Dudleian LeSlure, endeavoured mofl: zealoufly to invalidate their Teftimony. But the Do6lor undoubtedly knows that he has been able to offer no- thing TOTHEPUBLIC. 9 are ftill extant — the Writings ftill remaining of the Sict. Second and Third Centuries are numerous — we have ^' not only the Chrijiian Apologies of thofe Times, in which thing ne^iv on foexhaufted a Subjed?-; and others know, that he has faid Nothing againll the A-uthenticity of thefe Epiltles, but what has, long ago, been fairly and fully confuted. Although the Advocates for Epifcopacy fee no NeceiTity for giving up the Teftiniony of St. Ignatius^ it is not from an Opinion that their Caufe would labour under any great Diftrefs, without that Support. It has a much furcr Foundation to reft upon, and they are willing to have it tried on the Footing of pure Scnpture Evidence, as well as that of publick and notorious Fa6ls. Hard is the Fate of ancient Writers ! For if they do not luckily countenance modern Opinions, either their Credit will be direftly attacked, or their Arguments ridiculed or fophiftically evaded ; and if nothing lefs will ferve the Authenticity of their Writings* and perhaps that fuch Pcrfons ever exited, will be difput^ d. And when an obdinate Cppofition is once undertaken, whether from latereft, or Spleen and Malignity, no anc'ent Authors are fo fecure, not even fomt of thole of the Holy Bible, but that fuch Adventurers may be able to do fon^e Injury to their Reputation and Authority. This Remark accounts for much of the Oppofi- tion St. Ignatius met with in the laft Century : Prejudice and a par- tial Attachment to particular Syften?s may probably account for the Remainder. Father Hardouin^ whofe general literary Chara6lcr was not con- temptible, is a remarkahlelnftance to what Lengths Prejudice, or rather an incomprehenfibly whimiical Humour, may carry a Man, in Cafes of this Nature. In a large Worl' of his, printed in Paris 1693, " He undertakes to prove from Medals, that the greater " Part of thofe Authors, which have paffed upon the Moderns " for ancient, were forged by fome Monks of the xiiith Century, *' who gave to them thefeveral Names of Homer, Plato, Ariftotle, " Plutarch, &c. Tertullian, Origen, Bafil, Auguftine, &»:. He •* only excepts out of this monkifli Maniifa^ure, the Works of ** Cicero, Pliny's Natural Hiftory, Virgil's Georgicks, and Horace-'* <* Satyrs and Epiftles. Thefe he fuppofes the only genuine Monu- «* ments of Antiquity rem^i.ing, except fome few Tn'criptions « and Fafte; and with the Aliiitance of thefe, he thinks that thefe '* Monks drew up and tafhioned all the other ancient Vv'rirings, <* as Terence Plays, Livy's and Tscitus's Hiftory, VirgiTs JEntxd^ •* Horace's Odes, &c nay he pufhed rhi-; Chimera fo far, that he *' fancied he could fee plainly enough, that ^neas m Virgil was •* defigned for Jefus Chrift, and Horace's Mill refs La!age tor the <* ChrilVian Religion " f It 'S well for thefe ancient r' uthors, that in a Cafe which moft People can better judge of, this lame Father Hardouin could not diltinguifh Partridge from Horfe Flefli. t See Dr. Jortirfs Remarks on Ecchfiajlical Hijlcryy Vol. i, Pag« 4a —and the New dnerd Biograp hical Di^imary. c lo A N ^A P P E A L Sect, which many Pra61;ices of the Church are explained, ^' but private Efiftles from Friends to Friends, in which they are mentioned without Guard or Dif- guife — we have the Regulations and Decrees of Councils — and the Report of Ecciefiaftical Hiflo- rians — to fay nothing of other Writers, wl-ofe occafional Teflimony will perhaps be lefs excep- tionable to many Perfons, as they had no Defign to ferve the Caufe of Religion. Now thefe all agree in their Account of the general Pradlice and Government of the Church, and the Evidence ariling from the Whole, appears to us to be of irre- fiftible Force in Favour of Epifcopacy, and in the Opinion of Mr. Chillingworth^ one of the beft Reafoners the Englifh Nat'on ever produced, it amounts even to a Jjemonftration. It greatly con- cerns thofe who can refill this Evidence, to be very careful that the fame Arguments whereby they endeavour to overthrov/ the Weight of it, do not alfo operate with equal Force againft the Authen- ticity of the Canonical Books of the New Tefta- ment. It is generally allowed by the Rejciflers of Epif- copacy, that Epifcopal Government obtained very early in the Church. Dr. Dcddridge ^' admits, that '' the Diilindion between Bhliops and Prefbyters " has been as ancient as the Time of St. Ignatius :^^ i. e. the Beginning of the Second Century, and within Seven or Eight Years after the Death of the lad of the Apoftles. Now if this Government was not of Apoftolical Inftitution, a general Ufurpa- tion muft have been attempted — the Attempt muft have fucceeded — and a capital Revolution mull have been eflablifhed and completely fettled through- ^ * hi hii Leiiureii &c^ Page 49?, TO THE PUBLIC. ii throughout the Church within a very few Years of Sect. the Apoilles Death. Thofe Powers which were ' now given to a new Order of Officers, muit have been quietly abdicated by their former PoiTeflbrs, and the whole Chriilian Church muft have been perfuadcd to give up a Form of Government, which had been confecrated by the P^ac^ice and Authority of the Apoftles, and then to fubmit to a new Form, which they had never experienc ed or heard of. Surely fo great and (Irangc a Work could never have been accompliilied in fo iliort a Time, without the Aflifcance of fuDernatural Pov/er •, and the Enemies of Epifcopacy muil con- fefs, that a very extraordinary Miracle muft, on this Suppofition, have been wrought in Favour of it. If the Experiment fhould be made at this Day, what Addrefs would it require, what a tedious Procefs would be found neceffary, to profelyte even a fingle national Church, that of Scotland for Inilance, which holds Epifcopacy to have been an Innovation in the Chriflian Church, to a peace- able Submiffion to it.'' And yet no modern Chri- ftians can pretend a greater Veneration and Zeal for apoflolical Inftitut ons, than the primitive Chriftians were undoubtedly poiTefled of. What long Struggles and violent Convulfions have al- ways been iuffered, before any Republican Govern- ments have been brought to acq lefce in a Change to Monarchy } And yet Men have commonly been found as ready to give up the edabliihed Forms of Civil Government as thofe of Religion. ^ But fuppofmg fuch a Change to have happened, can any tolerable Reafon be affigned, why no Re- cords, no Intimations of it are to be found in Hi-ftory ,^ Can it be imagined, that while many trifling Occurrences in compariibn, fuch as the C 2 Death 12 AN APPEAL Sect. Death of one Bifhop, and the Succeflion of ano- • ther, and the Birth of a third, in every Age of the Ciiurch have been carefully related, that not the lead Notice fhould have been taken, either by Friends or Enemies, Pagans or Chriftians, of fuch a capital Revolution ? Or, are we able, from this univerfal Silence of Hiftory, to form any other Conclufion, than that the Event in Queftion has never happened ? Let us hear on this Subjed a very celebrated Writer *. " When I fhall fee therefore all the " Fables in the Met amor fhofis adied, and prove true *' Stories •, when I fhall fee all the Democracies and '' Ariftocrafies in the World lie down and deep, '' and awake into Monarchies ; then will I begin '' to believe that Prefbyterial Government, having '' continued in the Church, during the Apoilles '' Times, jfhould prefently after (againfl the Apo- . « files Doftrine and the Will of Chrift) be whirled *' about like a Scene in a Mafque, and tranf- '' formed into Epifcopacy. In the mean Time *' while thefe Things remain thus incredible, and, *' in human Reafon, impolTible, I hope I iliall " have Leave to conclude thus : " Epifcopal Government is acknowledged to " have been univerfally received in the Church, " prefently after the Apoilles Times : " Between the Apoilles Times and this prefently " after^ there was not Time enough for, nor Pof- " fibility of, fo gteat an Alteration : " And therefore there was no fuch Alteration " as is pretended ; and therefore Epi-copacy being " confeiled to be fo ancient and Cathohc, mull " be granted alfo to be Apoilohc." SECT. * Mr. Ckilling'WQrth in his Demonjlration of Epifcopacy, TOTHEPUBLIC. 13 SECTION II. The Powers peculiar to the Epifcopal Office jbewn to he thofe of Government, Ordination and Con- fir mat. on. THE Epifcopal Order appearing thus to be Sect, diftind: from, and fuperior to that of Pref- ^^* byters, it is proper now to enquire, wherein that Diftindion and Superiority confifts. In Order to this, we mufl carefully feparate the feveral Things that have been added as Appendages to the Epif- copal Office, from thofe which originally and eflentially belong to it. In Chriftian Countries, the Alliance betv/een the Church and State has obtained for the former many Perquifites and Ad- vantages of an external Nature, which may be reduced to the three Heads of, legal Exemption, temporal Poffefiions, and civil Power. Thcfe have generally varied in different Countries and Ages ; and although they have influenced the external Form and Appearance of the Church, yet they have not altered its real Nature, which is always and efTentially the fame under all outward Circum- llances, whether proteded, negleded or perfe- cuted, by the Powers of the World. Thus the Woman, in the Vifions of St. John *, was the very fame, after " fhe fled into the Wil- ** dernefs," and was purfued by the Dragon, as when fhe " was clothed with the Sun, had a Crown " of Twelve Stars on her Head, and the Moon " under her Feet," notwithfl:anding that her out- ward * Rev. xii. AN APPEAL ward Circumllances and Figure were widely dif- ferent. Every one knows that the Office of a Clergyman is the fame, whether he is pofTelTed of a P'ortune, or is without one — whether he has a large Parifli, or a fmail one. And if thefe things make no Alteration in the Office of a Prefbyter, it will be hard to iliew why they fhould alter the Epifcopal Office, and why it fhould not be exadly the fame now, as it was before the Days of Con- ficintine. As worldly Profperity or Adverfity docs not aifeft the Nature of the Office, fo neither does the Location nor Limitation of it with K.egard to P.aCe. He who has a fmall Diocefs, has the fame Epifcopal Powers, as he that has a large one; and it matters not, as to the Validity of the Kd:^ whether it is performed by the Bifhop of Man^ or the :rchbi(hop of Canterbury —ot., in the Lan- guage of St. Jerom^ \vhether by the. BiHiop of Rome or Rheghim., of Confiantinople or Eugubiumy of Alexandria or Tanais. Our prelent Inquiry therefore, leads us to the . Confideration of thofe Powers only, which, being infeparable from the Office, and peculiar to it, all BifliopuB, as fuch, are equally pofiefTed of, and without which they w^culd ceale to be Biffiops : and thefe will be found to be the Powers of Government^ Ordination and ConfrmattGn. The Power or Right of Gcvernrnent is necef- farily included in the Superiority of their Office. For in every Society, where there is a Subordi- nation of Offices, that which conititutes the higheft Office is the legal PoiTeffion of the higheil Power •, and the fuperintending and governing Pov/er, being fuperior to all others, muft of Confequence belong TOTHEPUBLIC. 15 belons: to the higheft Office. In the Chriftian Ssct- 't> "-' ""^ '* & Church, the Apoflles were in veiled with this iower by Chrift — as it was inten-f ed for perpetual Ijfe, they conveyed it to their SuccefTors — it was exer- cifed by Timothy at Ephefus^ by Titus at Crete^ by Dyonifius the Arcopagite at Athens^ by Epapkroditus zc Philippic by Archippus at Colojj'e^ &c. — and, through ail the Ages of the Church, it has been tranfmitted down and maintained by the Epifccpal Order ; who, in the exercife of it, have occafionally and frequen ly taken the Advice of their Prefby- ters. The Biihop may communicate this Power^ in fome Degree, to Prefbyters or others as he fhall think proper; but in fuch Cafes, it muft be exerv cifed in Subordination to him, for he can never diveil himfelf of his controlling and fuperintending Authority. It is fo efTential to his Office, that he cannot relinquifh it in fuch a Manner, as not to, be accountable for the Exercife of it. The Epiilles to the Seven Churches of the Lydian Afia are a Proof of this, and fhew plainly, that the Government of thofe Churches refpe6tively, was lodged in the Hands of fmgle Perfons, v/ho are called Angels ; by which was meant and intended, according to the united Voice of Antiquity, BiJhopSy in the appropriated Senfe. Some of thefe are reproved for the Relaxation of Difcipline, and all of them are treated as having the^ intire Government of their relpedive Diftrids, and as accountable for the State of Religion within the Bounds of their Spiritual Jurifdidion. But it is needlefs to prove what the Enemies of Epifcopacy will not deny, that wherever this Form of Govern- ment has obtained, the Government of the Church has always been exercifed by Bifnops, and never by Prefbyters, unlefs in an inferior Degree and 'in Subordination to them. Another ii. AN APPEAL Another Power belonging to Bifhops, is that oi Ordination ; which has always been confidered by the Friends of Epifcopacy as peculiar to Bifhops, and unalienable from their Office. And indeed there would be an Abfurdity in fuppofing the con- trary. For to whom can the Appointment of iifferior and fubordinate Officers belong, in every Society, but to thofe who govern it ? Befides, the fame Arguments which prove the Diftindion of BiQiops from Prefbyters, prove alfo that Ordi- nation is an Office peculiar to the former ^ for it is chiefly by the Appropriation of Offices, that wc are able to prove the Diilindlion of Orders. Be- caufe fome Ecclefiaftical Offices are never per- formed by the Clergy in common, but only by fuch of them as are particularly ordained for thofc Purpofes, it is evident that thofe who are thus or- dained and impowered, are admitted to a different and higher Order. Now, with Regard to the Power of Ordination, none that have laboured in the Caufe have ever been able to fhew from Scrip- ture 2i Jingle Inftance, wherein this Power has been exerciied by Prefbyters only ; but there are many Inftances in which thofe, who are manifeflly fupe- rior to Prefbyters, are found to have ufed it. As to the Cafe of Timothy^ whom St. Patil ex- horts, in his Jirft Epiftle to him, to " negled not '' the Gift which v/as given him by Prophecy, with " the laying on the Hands of the Prefbytery," it will not anfrver the Purpo'e. For allowing, at prefent, the Word Prefiytery to fignify, what fomc would choofe it fhouid lignify, a Number of meer Prefiyters \ } et we are certain that 'Timothy was not ordained by fuch Perfons only, Kinlefs St. Paul was but a meer Prefbyter. For in his fecond Epiillc to him he exprefsly alferts, that this fame Gift was imparted TO THE PUBLIC. ^7 imparted to him " by the laying on of his own Sect. " Hands/' "^ The Queflion then arifes. How thefe two Ac- counts of Timothy^ s Ordination can be reconciled ? To this Queftion the Anfwer is obvious. There is not a Prefbyter of the Church of England but can, with Truth and Propriety fay, that he re- ceived his Ordination by the laying on of the Hands of the Bifhop, and with the laying on of the Flands of Prefbyters. For in our Ordinations, in which, as in other Things, we endeavour to come as near as poflible to the primitive Standard, the Prefbyters that are prefent, always join with the Bifhop in the Impofition of Hands. But ob- ferve the Difference between by and with : Timo- thy received his Gift by the Impofition of St. Paul's Hands, as being effedual to convey it ; but it was only with the Impofition of the Hands of the Prefbytery, which implies not any Power in them, but their Concurrence only. St. Paul could have ordained without their Concurrence, but the Im- pofition of their Hands would have been altoge- ther unavailable without the Apoftle — much more in Oppofition to him. I am afhamed to repeat Things which have been fo frequently faid by others ; but an Apprehenfion that thefe Papers may fall into the Hands of fome, who are Stran- gers to what has been written on the Subjed, muft be my Apology. As to the other Cafe of Paul and Barnabas, which is objedled againft us, there is no Evidence that this was any Ordination at all ; and when it can be proved that it was, it will be foon enough to confider it. I have faid, that there is no Inllance in Holy Scripture, wherein Ordination has been performed D by 38 A N A P P E A L Sect, by meer Prefbyters : I may go on and fay, that ^^' there is not an Inftance of it to be found in the Church for feveral Ages. Jerius and Co Hut bus in the Fourth Century, feem to have been the firft Contrivers of Ordinations of this Sort ; but, with what Views they a6led— in what Light they were confidered by the Catholic Church — and how badly they fucceeded — are Particulars, for which I beg Leave to refer the Englifh Reader to Hooker's Ecclefiaftical Polity *, and to Archbifhop Potter's very excellent Bifcourfe of Church Government -f. From this Time, until after the Beginning of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century^ no In- fiances worthy of Notice occur to favour Ordina- tion by Prefbyters. So that the uniform Pradlice of the Church for 1 500 Years, may be added to the Evidence of Scripture, in Support of the Ne- ceflity of Epifcopal Ordination. There is another Branch of the Epifcopal Office, which mufl not be paiTed over on this Occalion, as we think it a very material one ; I mean the Impofition of Hands in Confirmation. The Nature and Deiign of Confirmation may be feen in our public Office for the Adminiftration of it — ^wherein the Perfons to be confirmed are, in a public Man- ner, prefented to the Biihop, who aflcs them with due Solemnity, " Do ye here in the Prefence of *' God, and of this Congregation, renew the folemn *' Promife and Vow that was made in your Name *' at your Baptifm •, ratifying and confirming the ^' fame in your own Perfons^ and acknowledging *' yourfelves bound to beHeve, and to do all thole *' Things which your God-fathers and God-mo- *' thers then undertook for you ?" to this Queftion each f Book vii. Seft. 9. f Chap, t, T O T H E P U B L I C. 19 each Perfon anfwers in the Affirmative, " I do." Sect. Then follows the Impofition of the Biihop's Hands, ^^' with Benediction and Prayer. We fee here, that Confirmation confifts of two Parts ; one to be performed by the Bilhop, and the other by the Perfons prefented to him. The Perfons prefented, on their Parts, folemnly, in the Prefence of God and the Congregation, renew the Promifes made, not by themfelves, but by others in their Name, at their Baptifm, and ratify and confirm the fame in their own Perfons ; in Confe-- quence of which, the Bilhop for his Part, impofes his Hands upon them with Prayer, and blelfes them. As to that Part of the Tranfadlion which be- longs to the Perfons confirmed, none can difpute the Propriety or Ufefulnefs of it. For nothing can be better adapted for the Promotion of Virtue and Piety, than that thofe who have been baptized in their Infancy, as foon as they are duly inftrvi6i:ed in the Nature of the baptifmal Covenant, fhould thus publickly engage, in their own Perfons, to perform the Conditions of it. And as to the Bifhop's Part, for the fame Reafons that we expedl the BlefTmg of God to attend any minifterial Offices in the Chriftian Church, it may be expeded ia this ; which is founded on the Example and Au- thority of Scripture, as well as on the unvaried Practice of the primitive Chriftians. The Church of England declares, * that " it *' hath been a folemn, ancient and laudable *' Cuftom, continued from the Apoftlcs Time, '^ that all Bifhops fhould lay their Hands upon " Children, baptized and inilrudted in the Cate-^ D 2 chifn? 20 ANAPPEAL Sect. «« chifm of the Chriilian Religion, praying over ^^- " them and blelTing them." If this Cuftom has been continued from the Apoflles Time, it mufl have been pradifed in their Time ^ for, in the Language of the Schools, the "Terminus a quo is the Time of the Apoftles. And it can with no Pro- priety be faid to have been continued from their Time, if it commenced after it. Let us fee then what Information the Scripture gives us, relating to this Subjed. In the AEfs of the Jpojlles * we have the follow- ing PafTage : '" When the Apoftles that were ap *' Jerufalem heard that Samaria had received the *' Word of God, they fent unto them Peter and *' John •, who, when they were come down, prayed *' for them, that they might receive the Holy '' Ghoft. For as yet he was fallen upon none of '' them ; only they were baptized in the Name of *' the Lord Jefus. Then laid they their Hands *' on them, and they received the Holy Ghoft." Thefe Words exadly defcribe Confirmation, as it is pradiced in the Church of England, and there is hardly Room for a PolTibility of applying them to any Thing elfe. Two Apoftles are fent to Sa- : maria, to perform a" particular Office — had it not ' been neceflary that this Office ftiould be performed by thofe of the higheft Order in the Church, others undoubtedly would have been employed in that Service •, it being abfurd to imagine, that Apoftles would have been itnt from Jerufalem to Samaria to do that' only, which might as effedually have been done by common Elders— the Office itfelf was to impofe Hands on thofe that had received Baptifm — and the great End of it was, that, by ^|r^ this • Chap. yiii. 14, 15, x6, 17, T O T H E P U B L I G. 2x this Impofition of Hands, the Subjeds of it might Sect. receive the Holy Ghoft. We have another Inftance of Confirmation in the Difciples at Ephefus^ on whom, " after they were " baptized, St. Paul laid his Hands, and the Holy " Ghoft came upon them *.'* There can be no Reafon to doubt but the Office here performied to the Converts at Ephefus^ was the very famie that .was performed to thofe in Samaria-^ fmce it was adminiftered, in the fame Manner — by a Perfon of the fame higheft Order in the Church — to thofe that had the fame Qualifications — and was atten- ded with the fame Effeds. Should it be objected, that thefe Inllances prove only what was occafionally pra6ticed by the Apo- ftles, but not that this Rite was intexided to be of ftanding Ufe to the Church in all Ages, I an- fwer: What was the Intention of the Apoftles, was beft known by their Contemporaries who con- verfed with them j and what their Opinion was of this Matter, we may fafely judge from their Pradice. That Confirmation was alfo pradifed by the immediate SuccefTors of the Apoftles, and has been univerfally continued through all the Ages of the Church, until within tliis Two Centuries, he that has the leaft Acquaintance with Ecclefiaftical Hiftory muft confefs. Had there been any Doubts or Difputes, about the Ufefulnefs or Propriety of its Continuance, in the firft Ages of Chriilianity, we might have fome Reaibn to difpute it now. But fo far was this from being the Cafe, that it was univerfally received as of facred Obligation, and ot great Importance. " Can you be ignorant (fays Sx.. Jerom) that " this is the common Cuftom of Churches^:^at " Hands t _^__ ^ * A^s xix. 11. 22 ANAPPEAL SicT. « Hands are laid upon thofe who have received " Baptifm, and in that Manner the Holy Ghoft *' is implored ? Do you afk, where this is writ- *' ten ? you will find it in the A^s of the Apojiles. *' But even if the Authority of Scripture had been *' wanting, the Confent of the whole World in this " Matter, would have the Force of a Com- '' mand *." JVhcfe Hands were impofed in fuch Cafes, we are plainly told, foon after. " The *' general Cuflom is this, that the Bijhcp goes *' abroad to impofe Hands vipon thofe, who, in *' the fmaller Cities, and at a Diftance, have been *' baptized by Prefbyters and Deacons, that he may ^' obtain for them by Prayer the Gift of the Holy " Ghoit f." But that it was the Intention of the Apollles^ that Confirmation fhould not expire with them, but be continued for the perpetual Benefit of the Church, we are not only able to prove thus medi- ately, but it mufl neceffarily follow, from what one of them has faid concerning it. The Author of the Epillle to the Hebrews :|: fpeaks of it, as one of the firfl Principles of the Chriflian Dodrine, and fundamental to it ; and puts it upon the fame Footing, in that Refped, with Repentance, Faith, !&c. " Leaving the Principles of the Do6lrine of *' Chrift, let us go on to Perfedlion ; not laying *' again the Foundation of Repentance from dead " Works^ '* An nifcis etiam Ecclefiarum hunc efie Morem, ut baptizatis pjoftea Manus iinponantur, et ita invocetur Spiritus Sanftuc. Exigis ubi fcriptum fit ? In Aftibus Apoftolorum. Etiam fi Scrip- turje Au6loritas non fubeflet, totius Orbis in banc Partem Con- fenfus Juftar Praecepti obtineret. Ad'verfus Luciferianos. f Non quidain abnuo banc Ecclefiarum efle Confuetudinem, ut adj^g^ui longe in minoribus Urbibus per Prefbyteros et Diaconos baptizati funt, Epifcopus ad Invocationem fanfti Spiritus Manum icnpofiturus excurrat. Ibid, X Chap, vi, I, a. TO THE PUBLIC. 23 ^^ Works, and of Faith towards God, of the Sect. *' Dodlrine of Baptifms, and of the laying on of ^^* *' Hands^ and of the Refurredion of the Dead, and *' of eternal Judgment." What we are to under-^ fland by the laying on of Hands ^ fubfequent to Bap- tifm, thofe who reje6b the Dodlrine of Confirmation - may probably difpute. But all the ancient Com- mentators agreed in Opinion, in which they have had the Concurrence of the mofl confiderable of the Moderns, that what is here meant, is the Im- pofition of Hands in Confirmation only. If there- fore, the Principles of Chriftianity are the fame now as they were originally. Confirmation, which, in the above Pafiage is declared to be one of them, ought always to be retained in the Church. But it may be farther objedled, that from the Inllances of Confirmation recorded in Scripture, the Effe6ls of it appear to have been miraculous, and confequently, as the Power of Miracles has confelTedly long ceafed, that this Rite whereby it was imparted, is now ufelefs, and ought not to be continued. But the Solution of this Obje6lion is not difficult. There is no Reafon to believe, that miraculous Gifts, although frequently, were always imparted by the Impofition of the Apoftles Hands. But could this be proved, yet other Gifts of a dif- ferent Nature v/ere alfo communicated at the fame Time ; and this Communication is neceflary to all Perfons in all Ages. Without the gracious Af- fiftances of the Holy Spirit, it is as certain now as it ever was, that no Man is able to withfland Temptations, and to fulfil the Conditions of the Gofpel Covenant. Thofe upon whom the Apoftles laid Hands, are faid to have received the Holy Ghoit : but, I trufl|pt there is nothing fo extraordinary in this, but that Chriftia.^5 2^4 AN APPEAL ^ti:r, Chrifiians in all Ages, who have a proper Diipo* ^^* fition, and make Ufe of the Handing Means ap- pointed in the Church, may hope to obtain even this unfpeakable Benefit. And if fome, in Con- fequence of this Impofition of the Apoftles Hands, are faid to have fpoken with Tongues, and prophe- fied, which was not fo much for their own perfonal Advantage, as for the Convidlion of others ; it is fufficient for Chriftians at this Day, that, without thefe miraculous Endowments, after " the For- *' givenefs of their Sins," they are " lengthened *' with the Holy Ghoft the Comforter," and that *' the manifold Gifts of Grace are daily increafed " in them — that they receive the Spirit of Wifdom " and Underilanding — the Spirit of Counfel and *' ghoilly Strength — and are filled with the Spirit *' of the Fear of God •," for all which Things the Bifhop and Congregation are direded to pray, in the Ofhce of Confirmation. Thus we fee upon what Authority this Pfadicc 13 founded, and the Advantages that attend it; and if Perfons in this Age are difaffeded, or in- different towards it, it is either becaufe they do not underfland the Nature of it, or have not that Zeal and Anxiety for their fpiritual Interefts, which Men had formerly *. It * •* The holy Rite of Confirmation is a divine Ordinance, and ** it produces divine Effefts, and is miniftered by divine Perfons, ** that is, by thofe whom God hath fan6lified and feparated to this ** Miniftration. At firft, all that were baptized, were alfo confir- ** med } and ever fince, all good People that have underftood it, " have been very zealous for it ; and Time was in E?jglandy even *' iince the Beginnings of the Reformation, when Confirmation ** had been lefs carefully miniftered for about Six Years, when ♦* the People had their firft Opportunities of it reftored, they ran ** to it in fo great Numbers, that Churches and Church-Yards *' would not hold them; infomuch, that I have read, that the •* Biftiop of Chefler was forced to impofe Hands on People in the •* Fields, and was fo opprefled with Multitudes, that he had almoft *' been trod to Death by the People, and had died with the Throng, " if he had not be«n refcued by the Civil Power," BiJJ^op faf^lir. T O T H E P U B L I C. 25 It remains only to be obferved under this Head, Sect. that Confirmation can be adminiftered by none but ^^' Bifhops. In the Time of the Apoftles, this Power was exercifed by them — they conveyed it to thofe only who were ap ointed to fucceed t'^em — and it has always been confined to the higheil Order in the Church. SECT 26' ANAPPEAL SECTION III. That the Church in America^ without an Epifcopate.j is neceffarily deftitute of a regular Governments and cannot enjoy the Benefits of Ordination and Confirmation. Sect. T N the preceeding Se6tions I have endeavoured' III. Jl^ to give a Summary of the Arguments in Favour of Epifcopacy, and to prove, v/ith all" poffible Brevity, that the Powers of ordaining, confirming and governing the Church, belong rightfully to Bifhops, and are not to be exercifed by any of an inferior Order. If the Coniiderations which have been offered have no Weight with others, they are, howevery convincing to us of the Church of England ; and we firmly believe the Truth and Importance of the feveral Points, the Proof of which has been thus briefly attempted. Indeed the Convidion of DilTenters, v/ith Regard to the Divine Inftitution and Authority of Epifcopacy, is not the imme- diate Intention of this Publication: and yet it is no Mark of a,n unfriendly Difpofition, to hope, that thofe who are unable to invalidate the Force of the preceeding Arguments, will candidly fub- mit to them, unlefs they are able to oppofe to them others which they judge to be, at leait, of equal Strength. For it is the Duty of every rational Inquirer, in all Cafes, and more efpecially in Matters of Religion, to be governed by what appears to be the ftrongeil Evidence. But the prefent Defign is to fet before the Public, the Neceflity T O T H E P U B L I C. 27 >Teceffity and Importance of Epifcopacy, in the Sect. Opinion of Epifccpalians, and to fhew the wretched ^^^• ' Condition of the Church of England in America for ¥/ant of Biihops. And this appears, in Part, from what has been already offered. For if, according to the Dodrine and Behef of the Church of England, none have a Right to govern the Church * but Biihops, nor to ordam, nor to confirm; then the American Church, while without Bifliops, mufl be without Government, without Ordination and Confir- mation. ■ Was there no other Difadvantage attendins our Want of Biihops, than that it neceflarily prevents o^r having Confirmation adminiflered, we Ihould efteem it a great Grievance. For in Proportion to our Opinion of the Ufefulnefs of this facred Inibtution, muft be the Hardfhip of being ex- cluded from the Enjoyment of it-efpecially, when It IS confidered that our Enjoyment of ic would not mterfere with either the civil or reli- gious Rights or Privileges of any. I will not however, enlarge on this Subjeft, but proceed immediately to Matters of greater Confequence ; and fuch are the Church's Want of Government and ordaining Powers. When it is faid, that the Church of England in America, without Biihops, muft be without Go- vernment, this is to be underftood in a qualified Senfe. For where there is abfolutely no Govern- ment at all, there can be nothing but Diforder and Confufion, * The Reader will obferve, that only fiich Authority \^ hp|.» "* rfte ct'h'^ P«ely Ecclenaftical, a/d p.cnxtr.^tl Offic I X Uvli ;, ^^ ■■ .T"^' King's Supremacy, as expreffed in Article 28 ANAPPEAL Sect. Confudon, without any Appearance of Regu* ^^^' larity •, which, I trufl, is not yet the Cafe of the Church in America. Some Degree of Govern- ment is elTential to the very Being of every So- ciety, whether civil or religious •, and as foon as Government intirely ccafes, the Society is difTol- ved and has no Exiitence. It has been allowed that Prefbyters may have a fubordinate Authority to govern; and it is well known, that the Biftjop of London hath formerly taken fome Cognizance of Ecclefiaftical Matters in the Plantations, by Virtue of the King's Com- iTiifiion. But much more than this is needful, to anfwer the Neceflitics of the American Church. The Clergy can evidently do but little * without a Billiop ; and when it is difputed, whether one Bifnop rending in America vfould be fuflicient for the Colonies, it is agreed, on all Sides, that pro- per Care cannot be taken of them by a Bifhop, who * The mofi that the Clergy can do to relieve the Church, in the prefent State of Things, Teems to be in the \^'ay oi ^-v'Auntory Coii'-vfi.'tions, which has been regularly pra(5lired, for a Number of Years, in (ome of the Northern Colonies. A general C'^nctrn for the Interelt of Religion and the Church, and a Defire in the Clergy of contributing their united Endeavours to promote it, occalioned th? fiill: i^ife of thefe Conventions ; and the Advan- tages which have been found, on the Whole, to attend them^ have cauled their Continuance. Indeed fuch Conventions of theClergy, u-herein all the Mem- bers meet together on Terjus of Equafiry, are unknown to the Conftitution of the Church of England. But it muft be alfc* graiited, that for fuch a Nmr.ber of Prefbyters, to be left without a Bifnop at their Head to fnperintend 'and govern them, is a Thing equally unknown to the Conftitution of any Epifcopal Church upon Earth. That, of tlie Church of England in her Colonies, is an extraordinary Cafe : and in extraordinary Cafes uncommon Meafures maybe allowable. If fome Inconveniences may be expefted from thefe Conventions, which hitherto have been but fmall and inconfiderable j Inconveniences alio will arife, irow. every other Method that can be taken by the Clergy to ferve the general Intereft of religion, while without an EpKcopate— 5nd undoubtedly thegieateft Inconveniences of ail, from their neglect iug TO THE PUBLIC, 29 who has the immediate Infpe6i:ion of a large Dio- Sect. cefs in England, and refides at the Diftance of ^^^* Three Thoufand Miles. Trial has been heretofore made what could be done by CommifTaries ; but their Ufefulnefs, upon the Whole, appeared to be fo inconfiderable, that none have been appointed for near Twenty Years. So that the State of the Church in America is, at prelent, really this : The Clergy are indepen- dent of each other, and have no Ecclefiaftical Superiors to unite or control them •, and the Peo- ple are fenfible of their Want of Power, and find, them/elves free from all Reftraints of Ecciefiaitical Authority. They both confider themfelves as ac- countable to God for their religious Behaviour, and, in fome Senfe, to the W^orld for the Con- fiiiency of their Charaders. They have the Rubrics of the Church of England, whereby they profefs to govern themfelves, and to which, for the moil Part, they ftridtly adhere, in the public Offices of Religion; and they endeavour to conform to the Canons^ fo far as the Circumflances of the Church in th s Country will admiit of. But after all. Men's governing themfelves by certain Rules and Laws, (if the Expreflion may be ailov/ed of) and their being governed by others, who have a proper Authority, although according to the fame Laws, are Things that will ever be found to be different. In the former Cafe, fome Appearance of Order may be maintained, but the Body is v/ithout neglecting to exert themfelves jointly in the Profecution of their general Duty. Jf thofe who think unfavourably of our Conven- tions, would be fo obliging as to tell us, bonv, in this diftrefied State, of the Church, we can {er\'t it, and thereby the commoa Caufe of Religion more efteftually, we fhould take it kindly. This is the great End we aim at ; and we are attached to parti- cular Means, only iji Proportion as wc judge them to be coa- «lttcive thereto. 30 AN APPEAL Sect, without Strength, and liable to be deilroyed by ^^^' innumerable Accidents; whereas it is only in the latter Cafe, that Health and Vigour and Perma- nency can be reafonably expe6i:ed. The Government of the Church may be na- turally divided into Two Branches, and confidered as relating either to the Clergy, or the Laity •, and it may be proper to take a fliort View of it, with Reference to both. Religion being a Matter of free Choice, for which we are ordmarily ac- countable only to him, who v/ill hereafter judge \is for our moral Behaviour — and the Church, confidered with Relation to civil Power, being in the very Nature of it a voluntary Society -, it is left to Men's Confciences, whether they v/iU be- come Members of it or not. But after they are become Members, the Laws of the Church arc in Force againil them, and they are fubjedl, in Ecclefiaflical Matters, to the Authority of thofe who govern it. What the jufl Penalties of Difobedience are, yiTQ muft learn from the Nature of thxC Church it- felf. In Civil Society, the Magiflrate is armed with the Sword of Juftice, and "^ he is the Mini- *' flier of God, a Revenger to execute Wrath upon *' him that doeth Evil *,'* according to the De- gree and Nature of his Offences. But the Power of the Church is of a fpiritual Nature, and the utmoil Efred of it in this World, is the cutting •off and rejecting thofe Memibers which are in- curably and dangeroufly corrupted. This Punifh- mcnt which has commonly been known by the Name of Excommunkaticn, however it was dreaded in the Durefb Ages of Chriflianity, has loft much of • Xonj, xlii. A., T O T H E P U B L I C. 31 ^f its Force in this-, whercin Altars are ict up Sect, againfl Altars, and Churches againfl: Churches, and thofe who are rejeded by one, may be received by another. A Difpofition to (light the highell Punifhment which the Church can inflicfk has become general, and there appears to be no Remedy for it, unlefs in the Ufe of Reafon and Perfuafion. But we live in an Age, in which the Voice of Reafon will not be heard, nor the Strength of Argum.ents regarded, although fup- ported by the Declarations of Heaven, on the Subjed of Church Difcipline. Nay, a Man would be generally efceemed to be either wronsr-headedj or mean-fpirited, or both, who fhould profefs much Reverence for Ecclefiaftical Authority ; and the Charge of Prieft-Ci'aft^ fo long hackneyed by Infidels and Libertines, would be fure to fail upon the Clergy, fhould they have Courage to fpeak up in Defence of it. In this State of Things, the Reftoration of the' primitive Difcipline feems to be a Matter rather to be wifhed for and defired, than to be rationally attempted by thofe in Authority. Accordingly no Attempts of this Nature will be made under an American Epifcopate -, the Difcipline of the' Church, fo far as it relates to the private Mem- bers, will be left as it is, and nothing farther will be done than refufmg the Communion to difor- derly and fcandalous Perfons, which every Clergy- man may now refufe, and ought to refufe, agree- ably to the Rubrics, But with Regard to the Clergy, it is propofed that a ftrid Difcipline be eilablifhed, and that the Bilhop's Power over them fhall be as full and complete, as the Laws and Canons of the Church dired. Of the Neceflitj of this, none can be more 32 ANAPPEAL Sect, more fenfible than the Clergy themfelves, who, in * all their AddrelTes in Favour of an Epifcopate, have propofed and reqiielled that this may be the Cafe. The general Character of the American Clergy, the Author believes, if he may judge from a large and extenfive Acquaintance v/ith them, and he hopes it may be thought excufable in him, on this Occafion, although one of the Number, to declare his Belief of it, to be truly refpectable. They are found and fleady in their Principles, and regular in their Behaviour. In lb large a Body, fome Exceptions from .the general Chara6ler muft be expelled ; but it is rather to be wondered that their Number is fo fmall, confidering all Things. Tndeed v/e have heard much of the profligate Behaviour of the Clergy to the Southward, and in the lilands ; but this, perhaps, mav have been owing to the Conduct of a few Individuals, re- . ported and aggravated with a malicious Intention. But allowing many of thefe evil Reports to have been juftly founded, yet we all know that the im- moral Pradices of one vicious Clergyman will be more frequently mentioned, than the Virtues of Fifty, of an orderly Life and Converfation. But after all, whatever may be the Proportion between the virtuous and vicious Clergymen in America, as there are undoubtedly fome of both Charaders ; the Want of Bifhops to fuperintend and govern them, is obvious at lirfl View. If one Sort have no Need of a Bilhop to keep them to their Duty, yet fomie Cafes will arife in the Dif- charge of it in which his Diredtion will be ufeful — and many Cafes, wherein his Support and En- couragement will be needful — and in all Cafes, his Friendlhip and Patronage will give Life and Spirit, T O T H E P U B L i C. s^ Spifit to them in undergoing the Difticulties, and -ect. in performing the Duties, of their Station. But as there are Clergymen alfo of a difFc^rent Chara6i:er, it is more immediately neceflary en Account of thefe, that Epifcopal Government fhould take Place in America. The Procefs of carrying an Accufarion, and afterwards offuppor- tiiig it, before our Super ors, at fo great a Diilance, muil be tedious and difficult ; and this Confide- ration undoubtedly, in fome Cafes, may caufe thole to efcape Punifhment who really deferve it. But the Cafe will b':^ different under a fettled Epif- copate ; as then, for every Grievance of this Nature, the Church will have an eafy and effec- tual Rem.edy. if a Clergyman (hall difgrace his Profeffion in an open and fcandalous Manner, a Biihop refiding in the Country can fufpend him immediately ; and if upon Trial the Cafe Ihall be found to deferve it;, he can proceed to deprive him of his Benefice *, and not only filence and depofe him, but excommunicate him from the Society of Chriftians. The Confideration of this, and that they are under the Eye of their Bifhop, one main Branch of whofe Bufinefs is to infped and enquire into * It is faid that in Maryland^ a Clergyman once poflefled of a Liring, can hold it for Life, however loofe and profligate he may prore in his Behaviour. If this is really the Cafe, it muft be owing to fbme great Defeat in the Conftitution of that Province, which ought to be remedied. In the mean while, it is fuch a Hardlhip upon the Church, as, I believe, is fuffcrcd in no other Part of the World. And what makes it the more intolerable, is, that the fole Right of difpofing of every Benefice in the Province, is claimed by the Proprietor, and exercifed by his Governor. It as fome Alleviation however, that the prefcnt very worthy Gover- nor makes it a general Rule, (if the Author hath been rightly in- formed) to which he adheres, as far as he can, confidently with his Obligations to the Propri«tor, to grant Induftion to wo Clergyman, without the ApprobatioR of the Ycftry and principal ParJlliioncrs, F 34- ANAPPEAL Sect. Jnto their Condud, v/ill naturally tend to make • the Clergy in general, more regular and diligent in the Difcharge of the Duties of their Office, and more careful and circumfptdl in their whole Beha- viour. In a Word, of thofe whofe Charaders anc juftly exceptionable, fome may probably be re- formed by a Bifhop -, and as to others, they may be eafily difplaced, unlefs it be the Fault of the People; themfelves. But a greater Difadvantage, if polTible, than the Want of a regular Government, attends the Church of England in America in its prefent State, I mean the Want of Ordination : for none can be ad- mitted to Holy Orders v/ithout croffing the Atlan- tic, v/ith great Hazard and Expence. The Dan- ger of fuch a Voyage may, to fome, appear to be trifling , but the Apprehenfion of it, together with a natural Averfion to the Sea, has been known to deter many worthy Perfons, who have been de- firous of obtaining Ordination in the Church, from attempting it— the Fear and Apprehenfion of Danger, in fuch Cafes, whether rightly founded or not, having always the fame Effedt. But what real Foundation there is for fuch an Apprehenfion, will be beft dlfcovtred from Experience and Fa6ls. Now the exad Number of thofe that have gone Home for Ordination, from thefe Northern Co- lonies (excepting fome who have failed lately, who cannot properly be included in this Account) is Fifty- two. Of thefc Forty-two have returned fafely, and Ten have mifcarried ; the Voyage, or Sicknefs occafioned by it, having proved fatal to near a fifth Part of them. The Expence of this Voyage cannot be reckoned at lefs, upon an Average, than One Hundred Pounds Sterling to each Perfon. To Men of For- tune T O T H E P U B L I C. 3- tune this is an inconfiderable Sum; but Men of Sect. l-ortune muft not be expefted to devote them- '"• ierves to the Service of the Church in America, where the Profpedt is fo difcouraging, and fo man^ difagreeable Circumftances are known to attend It. The Expence muft therefore generally fall iipon fuch, as having already expended the greateft Part of their Pittance in their Education, will find PuipoT^^ '° '''^" ' ^""^ ^"^^'^'^^ f°r '^^ Under thefe Difcouragements, there has al ways beefl great Difficulty Tn fupplying the Ckirch with Clergymen, and there always muft be In what Manner the Church is fuppLd at preLt • he following Inftances will fuffi'Sently teffify! I^ Ch'r^r'^^H r ^''■'-y^'fey there are TwenLone Churches and Congregations; Eleven of thefe are mnrely deftitute of a Minifter, and there are but Five C ergymen to do the Duties of the other Ten. lnFe„„fyhama, mduding the LZrCo^n Stte'at^hSh 'I ^'^'^"^ «^"^^2S: ^wa mere are Three Churches and Conffreo-ationc and but Two Clergymen ; in the Reft of the Pro' vmce the Nurnber of Churches is Twenty fix aS that of the Clergy is but Seven, ^ ' - '• If fpme of the Colonies are better fupnlied perhaps others may be found which are pSed ■ tor not fo well. In North-Carolina, the ffe Go vernorl).^^. informed the Society, in his Ltter t"ti^^''^'^'^' ^76^> " that there were S " Aere wS:*"?"'" i" .that Province, although there were Twenty-nine Parifhes, and ea?h ^Parilh contained a whole County :" And the Majority of the Inhabitants are flid to pJofefs them- February 1767. 36 ANAPPEAL StcT. themHves Members of the Church. Other Rea~ fons may have contributed to this general Want of Clergymen in America, but it has always been principally owing to the great Difficulty of ob- taining: Ordination. Under this Head it may be obferved farther, that the Danger and Expence of a Voyage to Eng- land for the rurpofs of obtaining Ordination, are not the only Evils we have Reafon to complain of: for another glaring Difadvantage, to which the Chu ch in America is manifeftly fubjed, arifes from the impoflibility that a Bifhop refiding in England, fhould be fufficiently acquainted with the Chara6lers of thofe who go Home from this Country for Holy Orders. To this it is owi ;g, that Ordination has been fqmetimes fraudulently and furreptitioufly obtained by fuch Wretches, as are not only a Scandal to the Church, but a Dif- grace to the human Species. The Church has taken all due Care that none lliali be ordained, without full and proper Evi- dence of dieir good CharaBer and Abilities * •, and ?.s to thofe who go Home from this diftant Country fcr that Purpofe, fcnfible of the peculiar Hazard at.ending fuch Caies^ the Bijhop of London^ in Conjunction with the Society for the Propagation of the Gofpel in foreign Parts^ every Year proclaims and publifhes to the World, that he " requefts and *' earnefily befeeches all Perfons concerned, that *^ they recommend no Man out of P avour or Af- *' feclion, or any other worldly Confideration, but f' w^ith a fincere Regard to the Honour of Al- *' mighty God, and our BlefTed Saviour ; as they ^' tender the Intereft of the Chriftian Religion, " and the Good of Men's Souls." But * S«e Canon xxxiv„ T O T H E P U B L I C. 37 But although the Bifhops of London, to whom Sect. this Application from America has always been made, have fucceflively exercifed the greateft Care and Circumfpedion in this Matter, yet none of them have teen able in ti rely to avoid Impofi- tions of this Nature. Notwithftanding their ut- | moft Caution and Care to prevent it, Inftances have happened, wherein Perfons have produced in England the moft ample written Credentials, obtained God knows how, of their pious and or- derly Converfation, whofe Lives have been noto- riouily infamous in this Country; and after having been invefted with the facred Office, they have l^een fent back to take Charge of the Souls of others — in the Profecution of which Work they have adted as if they had not, or imagined that they had not, any Souls of their own. And this is not much to be wondered at, fmce in fuch a Country as America, an artful Man may fometimes be able to procure Teftimonials in his Favour, figned by a competent Number of fuch Clergymen and others, as a Biftiop of London will not know how to objedl againft. Or, fhould this Attempt fail him, he may even forge his Tefti- monials, and fo carry his Point before he is de- tedled. This Suppofition is not an abfurd one — it is necelTary in Order to account for the Succefs of fome Adventurers from the Colonics, who have obtained Ordination in England, and then have returned to America to difgrace themfelves and the Church — to the great Grief and Vexation of ail its Friends, and, I doubt not, to the no fmall Confolation of fome of its Enemies. And when we confider the miferablc Confe- quences that muft neceflarily follow, even from a fmgle Inftance of this Kind, and that one worth- lefs 38 ANAPPEAL Sect. Ufs Clergyman will do more Mifchief to Religion, • than many w&rthy ones are able to repair •, it is evic^nt that the Church may be, as Experience proves that it fometimes adlually has been, a great Sufferer in this Refped. And there fecms to be no Method of preventing this Evil intirely, but by the Refidence of Bifhops in America-, in which Cafe the general Charader of each Candidate for holy Orders might be known by the Bifhop, and fuch Impofitions as have been rpentioned, woui4 feidom be attempte4» SECT, TOTHEPUBLIC. 39 .5 S E C T I O N IV. i^ke unparalleled Hardjhip of this Cafe reprefented. WAS the Author difpofed to proceed in the 'Sect. Way of Declamation, he is of Opinion, that the Chrifrian Church has not, in any Inllance,' for Ages paft, afforded a more fruitful Subjedl for. it. But it is his Defign only to ftate Arguments ' and Fads as briefly as he can, and to recommend them to the candid Confideration of the Public' He therefore begs Leave, on the foregoing Repre^^ fentation, barely to make an Appeal to the Con-"* fciences of Men in Behalf of the Church — whether,^ in Cafe the religious Society whereto they belong,' was doomed to undergo fuch an Hardfhip as the' Church of England in America fuffers for Wanti cf Ordination, to fay nothing of other Inftances,^ they would not think themfelvcs injured, and copi- piain mofl: bitterly ? If any other Denomination of ' Chriftians in his Majefty's American Dominion^-' was not allowed to have a Clergyman, without paying a Fine of One Hundred Founds Sterling on his AdmifTion, and expoling him, at the famei- Time, to fome dangerous Procefs, which had^ proved fatal to a fifth Part of his Predecellbrs, would they not efteem i: an intolerable Grievance^ i and a cruel Perfecution ? And indeed, would not ^ every difmterefted Perfon confider it in the fame' Light? Now, if this w^ould be efteemed Perfecu-' tion, in the Cafe of Prefbyterians or Congrega- tionalifts, or of any ather religious Denomination of People in this Country, why it (hould beefteem- cd lefs when fuffered by the Church of England, is 40 A N A P P E A L Sect, is hard to conceive. We have the fame Feelings, ^' the fame Senfibility with other Perfons, and arc. equally alFeded by any Sufferings. Some perhaps may difpute the Propriety of the "Word, as the great Grievance in Queilion arifes no: from any pofitive Exertion of Civil Power againft us : but if it be not properly Perfecution, it is fomething that is as bad in its natural Confe- quences. It may be queftioned, whether the woril: Perfecutions have ever exterminated a fifth Part of the Clergy in any Country ; and it is evident, that all dire§: Perfecutions have been attended with this good Efredt, that the religious Zeal of thofe againil whom they have been intended, has been animated and increafed : whereas, in the particular Species of fuffering, of which the American Church fo juftly complains, there is a peculiar Tendency to render the Mem. hers of it carelefs and indiffe- rent in religious Matters, and regardlefs of its Intereils. If there are any Points, in which the Reafon and common Senfe of Mankind can be fuppofed to agree, this muft unqueftionably be one, that the Church of England in America, under the before- mentioned Disadvantages, aldiough not formally perfecuted, is in a mofr wretched and deplorable Condition. And, w^e who are Members of it^ cannot but think it an Aggravation of our Unhap- pinefs, that it appears to be altogether unprece- dented ; we being fingled out from all the People upon Earth to be made the lirfl Example of it. It would be but a poor Confolation, we confefs, to be able to recoiled Inflances, wherein others have fuffered in the fime Manner with ourfelves. But yet our Condition feems to imply, and Strangers mAy conclude from it, that there has been fome- thing TOTHEPUBLIC. 4^ thing grofly amifs and unprecedented in our Beha- viour, which has brought down upon us the Dif- pleafure of our Superiors, from whom we might otherwife expedt, at leaft, that common Protediori and Indulgence, which is fo generouily and pro- perly afforded to all others. But while we thus fuffer, we are not apprehen- five that it can be owing to the Difpleafure of our Superiors, as we are confcious of no Crimes, with Regard to the State. On the other Hand we claim a Right to be confidered as equal with the fore- moil, in every due Expreflion of Fidelity and Loyalty. We efteem ourfelves bound, not only by prefent Intereft and Inclination, but by the more facred Ties of our religious Principles and Chriftian Duty, to fupport, to the utmoft, the National Civil Ellablifhment. Accordingly no Trumpet of Sedition was ever heard to found from our Pulpits — no Seeds of Difaffedion have been fuffered more privately to be fown in our Houfes. As our Religion teaches us, in the firft Place, and above all Things to fear God j fo, while we can preferve it, it will be a full Security to the Govern- ment for our honouring the King, and not meddlings with them that are given to Change *. If then the Church of England in America is not diftinguilhed by the Want of Duty and AfFedlion to the Government, why fhould it be thus diftin- guilhed * This Declaration is not intended to imply any Accufation of others j who are able, it is hoped, to make their own Defence, whenever the Occafion (hall require it. His Majefty's American Subje^s, of all Denominations, belonging to the old Colonies, have always profcffed Sentiments of Loyalty j and the Author belietes they have generally been fincere in thofe Profeffions. If ihere have been any late Appearances of undutiful Behaviour ia the Colonies, they have ariien, not from any Difaffeftion towards G ^'^ Sect, IV, 42 ANAPPEAL Skct. guilhed and ftigmatized by the Want of thofe rc- ' ligious Privileges, which are granted to all other Denominations of Chriftians whatever, in the Bri- tifh Dominions. In our petitioning for Bilhops, all that we afl< for ourfelves, is what has been freely granted to others, v/hat has been refufed to none elfe who have applied for it. We requeft only the Liberty of enjoying the Inflitutions of our Church, and thereby of being put upon an equal Footing with our Neighbours — with the various Seds of Englifh DiiTenters, who have the full En- joyment of their refpeftive Forms of Eccleiiaftical Government and Difcipline — and even with the Moravians and Papifls, who are feverally allowed a BijQiop. And we cannot but flatter ourfelves, that we have as good a Right to expect Succefs in an Application of this Nature, as if we were Dif- fenters, or Moravians, or Papifts. For it is utterly inconceivable to us, that there can be any Thing in the peculiar Principles of our Religion, or in the diflinguifhing Circumilance of its being the national Religion, that can account for a Refufal +. It has been faid, that we look upon the Cafe of the Church of England in America to be unpre- cedented. his Majefty's facred Perfon — not from any Want of Efteenr\ for the civil Conftitution — but from an Opinion of unconftiiuiioual Oppref- lion. And fo long as the free Principles of the Britifli Conftitu- tion fliall be extended to the Colonies, whofe Inhabitants, how- ever difvided in other Relpeets, all agree in maintaining the fame Efteeni for Liberty with true Engliftimen at Home, there will be no Danger of their attempting to revolt. -f- ** If among the feveral Denominations of Chriftians there be *< ong, which has preferved the due Medium — in its Difcipline, be- ** tween Tyranny and Oppreflion on one Hand, and Licentiouf- ** nefs and Anarchy on the other — in its DoBrines, between fuch ** Claims of Infallibility as preclude all private Judgment, and fuch " Latitude as would render a Revelation infignificant for thePur- ** pofe of a Rule of Faith— in its Wlrjhip, between fuperftitious ** »nd idolatrous Po;np, and a Negle<5l of Decency and Order— if " ia TOTHEPUBLIC. 43 cedented. That it is fo, compared with the State Sect. of religious Denominations in the Britifh Domi- nions, has been already fhewn. And if we look- abroad, or carry our Inquiries back through all the Ages of the Church to its firil Origin, I am perfuaded we fhall not be able to find its Parallel. During the Time of the Apoftles, as the Num- ber of Chriflians increafed. Care was taken to form them into proper Ecclefiaftical Diflrids, and a Bifhop was appointed for each, " to fet in Or- " der the Things that were w^anting, and to ordain " Elders in every City^." What was the Extent of thefe original Diftrids, to which the Exercife of the Epifcopal Authority was ordinarily limited, is, perhaps, not eafy exadtly to determine at this Day. But it is moft probable, that in every large City, including its Environs and Dependencies, where the Gofpel had been received, and the Num- ber of Chriflian Congregations and Prefbyters was confiderable, Bifhops were appointed. And in every Territory, which had natural Boundaries and Limitations, whereby it was made feparate and diftindl from the neighbouring Countries, whether it did or did not include any Capital City, pro- vided, as befor?, that the Number of Churches required it, a Bifhop was alfo fettled. By this Means due Provifion was made for the whole Church, and no large Number of Chriftians was negledted ** \ry its profeffed Principles, it be beft fitted to promote public <* Peace and Happinefs, and in its external Polity ht^ adapted to <* the Form of the civil Conftitution :--.and if, over and above *« all thefe, it be in other Refpe^fmo^ conformable to the original <« Standard, and to the Ufages of the beft and pureft Ages of <* Chriftianity : Such a Society of Chriftians (we truft) will ever <* recommend itfelf to a wife and religious Legiflature, as worthy « of the /r/, and always of the chief Care :^ Dr. Gt FothirgiU, * Titus i. 5. IV 44 ANAPPEAL Sect, ncgkdled, nor fiifFered to continue long without a regular Ecclefiaflical Government. An Inftance of this general Care is to be found in Crete^ over which 'Titus was appointed Bilhop by St. Paul'^ at a Time, when the Number of Con- verts in that Ifland, was probably much inferior to the prefent Number of profefled Chriftians, in more than one of our Britilh American Idands. In the fucceeding Ages, until the Roman Empire be- came Chriftian, this Apoftolic Plan was carefully followed, and the Number of Bifhops was in- creafed, in Proportion to the growing Extent and Advancement of Chriftianity *. When the Church at length obtained the Protection and Patronage of the State, thefe Ecclefiaflical Regulations were efiaUijhed by Law^ and Bifhops, in the Exercife of their Jurifdi6tion, were aided and lupported by Civil Power. If we purfue the Hiilory of the Church from this Period, we fhall meet v/ith no Inllance, in which any large Number of People profelyted to the Chriftian Rehgion, or any confiderable Colo- nies, fettled by a Chriftian Country, have been without a Biftiop, the Dutch Colonies excepted, which do not defire thern. It has been the Prac- tice of all Chriftian Nations, to provide for and maintain the national Religion, ^nd to render it as refpeclable as poilible, in the moft diftant Colo- nies ; wherein, either a Regard for their Religion, or Reafons of Policy, and probably both, have led them to take equal Care for the Eftabliftiment of Ecclefiaftical, as of Civil Government. As to America^ in particular, wherever we meet with French or Spanifh Settlements, we find BiHiops. In * gingham's AntiquitiiSt Book \x. TO THE PUBLIC. 45 In Canada^ a Country lefs populous than many of Sect. the Britifh Colonies, when we took Pofleflion of ^^* it, there was a compleat Ecclefiaftical Eftablifh- ment under an Epifcopate. But we need not confine our Inquiries to Chri- llian Nations and Countries. If we confult the Records of Paganifm and Mahomet anijm^ the Cafe appears always to have been the fame in this Rc- fpe6b. Among the ancient civilized Heathens, the national Religion was never negledled ; for it was generally confidered as one of the firft Duties of the Civil Magiftrate, to encourage, fupport and increafe its Influence, to the utmoft of his Power. And the Mahometans have ever been as zealous in propagating their Religion, as in extending their Conquefts. This univerfal Pra6lice of all Nations and Ages, has proceeded from Two general Principles that are deeply founded in human Nature, and human Policy. The firft is infeparable from our Nature, and neceflarily leads Men to exert themfelves, for the Prefervation and Security of whatever they efteem and hold to be valuable, in Proportion as they judge of its Ufefulnefs and Importance. The other feems to be a fundamental Principle of found and confiftent Policy, which neceflarily requires the Protection and Security of the national Reli- gion. For as fome Religion has been ever thought, by the wifeft Legiflators, to be neceflary for the Security of Civil Government, and accordingly has always been interwoven into the Conftitution of it; fo, in every Nation, that Religion which is thus diftinguilhed, muft be looked upon as, in the Opinion of the Legiflature, the beft fitted for this great Purpofe. Wherever 46 AN APPEAL Sect. Wherever therefore the national Religion is not ^^* made, in fome Degree, a national Concern, it will commonly be confidered as an Evidence, that thofe who have the Direftion of the national Affairs do not efleem their Religion — or, that they are negli- gent of the Duty they owe to God and the Public, as the Guardians of its Flappinefs. SECT. T O T H E P U B L I C. 47 SECTION V. Rcafons ajftgned why the Church in America has been thus negle5fed. A RE v/e then, from the prefent State of the Sect. Church of England in America, inimedi- V. ately to form fo harfh a Coaclufion, concerning thole who have the Diredion of our national Af- fairs ? Muil we necefiarily fuppofe, that they have no Efteem and Afre6lion for that Religion, v/hich is fo clofely allied and conneded with the Confti- tution of the State? Has the Condiiuf of the Church of England been fuch, with Regard to the Go- vernment — or, are its Frincifles fuch, that it is not in titled to the fame Care and Protedlion, which other Kingdoms and States have ever afforded to the national Religion, whether ChrJitian, Maho- metan, or Pagan r . Neither of thefe, it is hoped, can be faid properly. Although the Church of England in America appears not hitherto to have been made a national Concern ; yet many Reaions may be affigned for this Negledl, owing to the peculiar Circum.flances of the Englifh Nation and Colonies, which wJli account for, although, perhaps, not altogether ex- cufe it. The Colonies were generally fettled by private Adventurers -, and fome of them, by thofe who had an Averfion to Epifcopal Government. The Propriety of not fending a Bifhop to Colonies of the lat er Sort, will be difputed by none : and as to the others, their Beginnings were fmall, and for fome Time an EpifcQpate was not greatly wanted, ~ Befides, 48 ANAPPEAL Sect. Befides, it ought to be confidered, that the Chafl^ ^' ges of Government — the Revolutions of Power— the Oppofition of contending Parties at Home — the Intrigues of foreign Courts — and the Attacks of neighbouring Kingdoms and States, have gene- rally been more than fufficient to employ the pub- lic Attention, almoft ever fmce the Rife of our Colonies. Accordingly we have found, that even the commercial and political Importance of thefe Colonies, has been but little known or regarded, ! until of very late Years. In thefe Circumftances^ it is not to be wondered, that the Cafe of the Church in America, has not been attended to ; efpecially as the Members of it, not excepting the Clergy, have been carelefs themfelves, and not made thofe Reprefentations in Favour of it, which they ought to have made. To this may be added, that fo long as no re- gular Plan for an American Epifcopate was fettled and propofed, a Fear of infringing the religious Rights of Proteftant DifTenters in this Country, for which both our Civil and Ecclefiaftical Rulers have fo tender a Regard, muft have created an al- moft infuperable Difficulty in carrying into Exe- cution a Work of this Nature. Our own Negligence in this Country has been confefTed ; and I wifh as much could be fairly faid in Excufe for it. How can the Neceffities of the Church here be known, at a Diftance, unlefs thofe who refide here will be at the Trouble of reprefen- ting them ? And from whom can fuch Reprefen- tations be properly expeded, but from the Clergy, and other Friends and Members of the Church ? Indeed there have not been wanting fome Indi- viduals, for almoft a Century back, who have feen and TOTHEPUBLIC. 49 and lamented the Want of Bifhops in this Country, Sect. and endeavoured to obtain them : and there .was a Time, wherein the Members of the Church in ge- neral, feem to have exerted themfelves in Behalf of an Epifcopate. So early as in 1672, this Sub- je6l. was mentioned, and it was thought needful and expedient even then, that a Bifhop fhouid re- fide in Virginia. But in the Beginning of this Cen- Riry, Addreffes were earneftly and repeatedly made to the Society for the Propagation of the Gofpel in foreign PartSy then newly incorporated, figncd not only by the Clergy and by Veftries, but by Gover- nors of Provinces *, fetting forth the NecefTity of an * " upon renewed Inftances from Governors of Provinces, Miniftefo, Veftries, and private Perlbns in the Plantations, for fettling Ecclefiaftical Superiors there, without whom the Church muft rather decreafe than increafe 5 and from a full Conviftion of the Expediency thereof, Biihops being nevermore v*'anted there than now : the Society s Endeavours have been employed, not without Expence this Year, in paving the Way for fuc/j, by all proper Applications and due Preparations : not to men- tion what has been formerly done in this Matter, after a loud Call for fifteen Years together, by a Committee extraordinarily- appointed to find out W'ays and Means for the Maintenance and Support of Rifhops in America: nor to recite the Reprefenta- tions made in the laft Reign, concerning this grand Affair, faid, in the laft of them, to tend to the Glory of God, by the Ad'vancevient of found Religion^ the Honour of her Majeflyy the Profperity of her hubjeSs, and the four ijhing Stale of the Church in thofe Parts ; of- fered b)^ his Grace of York, and Lord Bijhop of London, in May laft, which her late Majefty, of bleffed Memory, received very gracioufly. and intended to have proceeded upon : The Provi- dence of God has fo difpofcd Events, that the conceited Mea- fures may probably be brought to Perfection in the Beginning of this Reign, as a moft pregnant Inftance of his facred Ma- jefty's Favour and Encouragement, promifed to fo pious and ufeful a Work, as he has been pleafed to declare that of the Pro- pagation of the Gofpel to be. Nor can our Expectations but revive, fo foon as his Royal Wiidom ihall be apprized, that the Inclinations of thofe People in thofe Regions (which furely is the Voice of God in this Cafe) concur vvi'th the apparent Necef- fity, that fuch Governors in the Church be there conftltuted, after the Apojiolical Form and Order ; (fo in one Addrefs to her Majefty theyexprefs their Sentiments:) jft. To rule and go- 50 ANAPPEAL Sect, ^n American Epifcopate, and imploring their In- fluence and Mediation in Favour of it. That truly charitable and worthy Society, to whom the Nation and the Chriftian World in general are under great Obligations, and to whofe unexampled Liberality, indefatigable Application and amazing Perfeverance, the Church of England owes its very Exiftence ** vern well thofe People, who are defirous to be committed to " their Charge ; fo another, ^without ivhtch (they are the very ** Words of the Supplicants) no ? '" ^^^ Inlands, and the other on the Continent of his Majeffs Dominions in America^ Ahfraa of the Proceedings of the Society jor iji^., Page s^. -' ^ -^ The preceeding ExtroB, from a Narration which is in fo few Hands at this Day, affords fo much Intelligence, and fo many ufe- jul Hints reiztmg to the Subjeft before us, that it is not doubted but the Reader will readily excufe the Length of it. t In one of their Addrefles to the Qu^een, were the following Words : " We cannot but take this Opportunity, farther to re- " prefent to your Majelty, with the greateft Humility, the earneft *' and repeated Defires not only of the Miflionaries, hut of divers •' other confiderable Perfons that are in Communion with our " excellent Church, to have a Bifhop fettled in your American '* Plantations, which we humbly conceive to be very ufeful and ** neceffary for eftablifhing the Gofpel in thofe Parts, that they «* may be better united among themfelves than at prefent they " are, and more able to withftand the Defigns of their Enemies ; " that there may be Confirmations, which in their prefent State *' they cannot have the Benefit of; and that an eafy and fpeedy " Care may be taken of all the other Affairs of the Church, which *^ is much increafed in thofe Parts, and to which, through your ** Majefty's gracious Proteftion and Encouragement, we truft that •* yet a greater Addition will daily be made. We humbly pray ** Leave to add, that we are inform.ed the French have received '^ feveral great Advantages from their eftabliftiing a Bi/hop ^t iX S^ebeckr Dr, Kmnffs annhfrfary Sjmoft, Anno lyiz. Page 2;. 5^ AN APPEAL Sect, after duly preparing the Way, obtained an Order ^ • from the Crov/n for a Bill :|: to be drawn and laid before the Parliament, for eflablifhing an Ame- rican Epifcopate : — but when the Affair was in a Way of being fpeedily accomplillied, the Death of that excellent Princefs fiiddenly put * Stop to it. The Attempt was renev/ed with the famie Spirit, in the Begining of the next Reign, and the Prof-, pedl of Succefs was molt encouraging § •, but^ — It proved abortive. The Reafons of this Mifcar- riage are not now well known in America. Pof- fibiy the Rebellion, which foon broke out, diverted the Royal Attention to Subjeds of a different Nature— perhaps alfo the Clergy, and Members of the Church in this Country, grew carelefs them- felves, and neglected to renew their Application; aiid their Silence may have been conftrued by the Government to imply, that the NecefTity of the American X ** However, there being already fo many Minifters fettled in *' thefe foreign Parts (by the unwearied Application of the So- *' ciety, and the great V^atchfulnefs of the B\{hop o^ London over •* his Charge, both before the Societys InHitnt'ion and (ince) as ex- •* ceed the Number of thofe in m?ix\y Diocefes in England ; and the *' Traft of Land on the Continent where they are planted, ex- *• clufive of the Iflands, being larger in Extent by far than both *•' the Provinces of Canterbury and York put together; it has pleafed *' the Divine Providence to raife in the Heart of her Moft Excel- *•' lent Majefty, a Zeal for the better Regulation of thofe Places, in ** the ErtabHfhment of Ecclffiajlical Supertorsy who may govern ** both Priefts and People, according to the ancient Apoftolical,, " Form, the Model oi X.\\e Englifh Church, the Inclinations of many *' of the People, and the beft Methods of bringing Souls to Heaven : *^ Accordingly, after the moll mature Deliberation of a Commit- '« tee appointed for that Piirpofe, and of the whole Society there- *' upon : A Reprefentation was humbly offered to her Majefty, *' importing what Number was expedient to be fent— where they *' were to be fixed— and what Revenues might be thought proper. «f for their Support : To which her Majefty was pleafed to givov *' a moft gracious Anfwer, highly fatisfaftory to the Society j and •' a Draught of a Bill was ordered, proper to be offered to thq •* Parliament, for eftabliftiingBilhops and Bifliopricksin America." Abjira^ in 171 it Page 5$,, § See the prcceeding Note, Page 49. T O T H E P U B L I C. 53 American Church was not fo urgent as had been Sect. formerly reprefented. However, the venerable Patrons and Supporters of the Church in America, the Society for the Pro- pagation of the Gofpel^ notwithilanding our ov/n Negligence and Stupidity in this Country, v/ith Regard to a Matter which fo nearly concerns us, (for which the P'ailure of the before-mentioned Attempts mull apologize as well as it can) con- tinued to keep Sight of the great Objed; •, and they have ever been v/atching for feafjnable Opportu- nities of exerting themfelves to obtain it. In the mean Time, the public Declarations of its moil illuilrious Members, concerning the Pro- priety, Ufefulnefs and Neceffity of fending Bifhops to America, frequently made as Occafions have been fuitable, have done Honour not only to them- felves, but to the Society in general •, as we flatter ourfeives that they exprefs the commion Sentiments of that venerable Body, as well as their own *. And although hitherto their Endeavours to pro- cure for us an Epifcopate have been unfuccelsful, they have never difpaired of fuccecding in the End ; and while the Times would admit of nothing farther to be done in Favour of it, a Fund for its future Support was raifed under their Iniiuence and Aufpices—thty never having ceafcd to hope, amidil the moft difcouraging Prolpe61:s, " that a Defign" (to ufe the Words of the late Bifhop Butler on this Subject) " fo neceflary and unexceptionable, could ^' not but at laft be put in Execution." SECT. * See in particular the excellent anniveiTary i-etn/)ns of tv.o gr€»t Prelates now living, one preached in 1740, the other in 1764., 54 ANAPPEAL SECTION VI. ^hat the prefent JunBure is apprehended to he favou- rable to the Epifcopate in ^ejiion. ?ECT. ^nr^HE favourable Opportunity which has fo ^^' X ^ong been waited for, in the Opinion of many wife and judicious Peifons in America, now prefents itfelf — and fuch, in feveral Refpeds, as the Circumflances of the Nation have never, until novv, afforded. As the Tumults of War have ceafed, and the public Tranquillity is reflored, without any reafonable Sufpicions of a fpeedy In- terruption — fo, the greatefb Harmony fubfifts be- tween our Mother-Country and moft of the Colo- nies, the late Difputes having been brought, by the.Wifdom and good Temper of the former, to a happy Termination — the Flan of an American Epifcopate has been previoufly fettled, and ad- jufted in fuch a Manner, that the rehgious Privi- leges of none can be violated or endangered— and, v/hich we fhould ever acknowledge with all Thank- fulnefs, we are, at this Time, fo happy as to have a Prince on the Throne, from whofe moft un- queftionabie Difpofition to promote the general Intereft of Virtue and Religion, from v/hofe fm- cere Affection for the Church, and from whofe moft gracious Declarations on the Subjed before us, we cannot poffibly doubt of the Royal Appro- bation and Concurrence— while a wife and virtuous Miniftry cannot fail of being ready, to afford to fo good a Caufe, all needful AfTiftance. Thefe are die Advantages, which now happily concur to fa- youip T O T H E P U B L I C: 5^ vour the American Church, and which peculiarly Sect. mark the prefent Period. VI. It ought to be farther confidered, that the Ar- guments for fending Bifhops to America, were never fo urgent and forcible as they are at prefent. When fuch Progrefs was made towards obtainino^ for this Country an Epifcopate, in the former Par't of this Century, the Number of American Clero-y and ProfeiTors of the Church, although judo-ed then to be greater than in many DiocefTes in Eno-- land ^ was fmall and inconfideraWe, in Compan- fon With the Amount of their prefent Number. The amazing natural Increafe of the Colonifts, and the vaft Acceffion of Europeans to the Britifh Ame- rica, have, in the Compafs of Fifty or Sixty Years fo enlarged the Number of its Inhabitants, and proportionably of the Members of the Church, that perhaps it is not inferior now, to the Number of Inhabitants in all the DiocelTes in the Province ofTork^ exclufive of DifTenters. Should it be faid, that the Church of England in America contains now near a Million of Mem- bers, the AfTertion might be juftified. It is nor eafy to afcertain the Number exaftly, in a Country fo widely extended and unequally peopled; but from general Calculations it has been frequently faid of late Years, that the proper Subjeds of the Britilh Crown in America amount to Three Mil- lions. This has been faid even in the Parliament of Great-Britain, if our Information may be trulted —it has been repeatedly faid in this Country, by fome of our moil fenfible Writers. Strangers may be aftonilhed at fo large an Account, but tl) others It is not incredible. An * See Note, Page 52. 56 ANAPPEAL Sect." An aflual Survey * of the Number of Inhabi- ^^' tants in 1762, with a Diilribution of them into CiaiTes, according to their religious ProfelTions, is faid to have been carefully made : and it was then found, that, not including the new Colonies ceded by the laft general Treaty of Peace, they amounted to between Two and Three Millions, in the Colonies and Iflands. Of the Whites^ the Pro- feiTors of the Church were about a third Part — the Prelbyterians, Independents and Anabaptifls were not fo many — the Germans, Papiils and other De- nominations, amounted to more. Let this Reprefentation be carefully confidered, and it will appear in a very evident and flriking Light, that the Wants of the American Church, as it has been deditute of Eiihops, muft have na- turally increafed, and can amount nov/ to little lefs than an abfoluteNecelTity. In thefe Circumftances, could fuch a Number ot Chriilians, even under a Pagan Government, unlefs in a State of open Per- ft^cution, provided they had alv/ays proved them- felves loyal and faithful Subjedls, apply in vain for a Favour, fo needful for themifelves, and fo harm- lefs to others ? How much lefs Reafon then can the Church in America have to fear a Refufal in xhQ prefent Cafe, not only from a Chrillian Na- tion, famied for its prudent Indulgence to all re- ligious Denominations in general — but from a Nation, which is moreover difpofcd to befriend it, from peculiar Reafons both of Affection and Policy ? This Argument taken from the Numler of thofc v.'ho belong to the Church of England in America, Will receive great additional Force, from a Con- fideration of the State of the Blacks m our Iflands and f Communicated by a Gentleman of wntloubted Veracity, T O T H E P U B L I C. 57 and Colonies ; who were found, in the above- ^egt, mentioned Survey, to be about Eight Hundred and ^^* Forty-four Thoufand. Although many of thefe, it is to be feared, through the Negledt of their Mailers, are not Chriilians at all; yet, as they are connedled with, and under the immediate Govern- ment of, Perfons who profefs Chriftianity, they may be faid, in an imperfed Senfe, to belong to the relpedtive religious ClafTes of their Owners. However, their Situation is undoubtedly fuch, that in Proportion as a Senfe of Religion prevails in their Mailers, they will receive Benefit. Now as thefe are known chiefly to belong to the Profeflbrs of the Church, if an Epifcopate will naturally tend to improve the State of Religion in the Church of England, it mull confequently, (to fay nothing of a particular Care which will probably be exten- ded to them, when Bifhops Ihall be fettled) have a general good Effedl upon more than half a Million of poor Creatures, Sharers with us of the fame common Nature — fent into the World as Proba- tioners and Candidates for the fame glorious Im- mortality — whom Chrifl equally purchafed by his precious blood-lhedding — who notwithilanding, as they are bred up in Ignorance and Darknefs, are fuffered, to the eternal Difgrace of their Owners, to walk on " in the Shadow of Death," without a Ray of rational religious Hope to chear them. This Confideration mull make a deep Imprcf- fion upon the Minds of all ferious Chriilians, and lead them to encourage and help forward every Work, which has any probable Appearance of pro- moting the Spiritual Interefls, of fo many of thefe wretched Outcafts of Humanity. If it is the Duty of Chriilians to communicate " the glad Tidings *' of Salvation" to Heathens in general ; it is a I Duty 58 A N A P P E A L Sect. Duty more peculiarly incumbent upon us, to ex- ^ ' tend the Gofpel to fuch of them as are under our i immediate Government and Infpeftion, and wha wear out, under the hard Yoke of Bondage, their Strength and very Lives in our Service. Another Argument for granting an American Epifcopate, arifes from the Obligations of Grati- tude ; a national Senfe of which, it is humbly con- ceived, ought, at this Time, to have a peculiar Efficacy in Favour of Religion in the American Plantations* By a fignal Interpofition of Divine Providence, the Britifh Arms in America have triumphed over all that oppofed them, our Colo- nies have been prodigioufly extended, and our new Acquifitions, together with our old Settlements, have been fecured, not only by Treaty, but by a total Annihilation of that Power on this Continent, whereby our former Safety was chiefly endangered. Every wife Nation fees and acknowledges the Hand of God in the Production of fuch Events 5 and every religious Nation will endeavour to make fome fuitable Returns to him for fuch extraordi- nary Favours. And what Returns are proper to be made in fuch Cafes, one Moment's ferious Re- fle6lion will clearly difcover. The Circumftances of Things evidently point out two Duties to our Governors, on this Occafion, both of them impor« tant in themfelves, and of indifpenfible Obligation : One is, the farther Security and Support of th« true Religion in America, in thofe Places where it al- ready is ; and the other ^ the Propagation of it in^ thofe Places, to which it has not hitherto been ex- tended. As America is the Region, wherein the Divine Goodnefs has been more remarkably difplayed, in Favour T O T H E P U B L I C. 59 Favour of the Britifh Nation ; fo, America is evi- Sect, dently the very Ground, on which fome fuitable ^ * Monument of religious Gratitude ought to be ^redted. This fhould be of fueh a Nature as to be vifible to the World, and, that the Honour of the Supreme Ruler of Events may be thereby im- mediately promoted. Now as the Honour of God is moft diredly promoted by public' Worlhip — as that Worfhip muft be moft acceptable to him, wherein the Praifes and Adorations of his Creatures are regularly offered him, in the folemn Offices of the pureft and beft Religion — and as the national Religion muft be fuppofed beft to anfwer thefe Charaders, in the national Opinion ; it neceflarily follows, that the State of the national Religion here has a Right, on this Occafion, to the peculiar Attention and Confideration of thofe, who are in- trufted with the Diredion of our public Affairs. What then does the prefent State of this Reli- gion in America require to be done ? What is pof'- Jihle to be done for its Benefit and Advantage \ Thefe are the Queftions that muft naturally arife. And every one that profefTes it, every Witnefs of its fuffering Condition, is able to anfwer : — The Church of England in America, is perifhing for Want of common NecefTaries. She has long been imploring Relief, under fuch Difeafes as muft prove fatal to her, if much longer negleded. She there- fore earneftly requefts, and fhe only requefts, that proper Remedies may be provided for her prefent Sufferings. And fhe leaves it, with all due Sub* milTion to the Wifdom of her SuperiorSj whether any Thing farther is proper to be done, to ftrengthen and improve her Interefts. She wifhe* for nothing, which fhall be thought inconfiftent with the Rights and Safety of gth^rs. She alks ?iothing3 6o AN APPEAL Sect, nothing, but what has been granted to others, ^ • without any ill Confequences ; and fhe relies on the common Affedion and Juftice of the Nation, to raife her to this Equality. And, whether there ^ is any Thing prefumptuous or unreafonable in thefe Expedations, let Heaven and Earth judge ! SECT, TO THE PUBLIC. 6x SECTION VIL ne Cafe of the American Heathens particularly con- Jidered^ and fhewn to require an Epifcopate. BUT befides taking proper Care of the true Sect, Religion where it already is, the Providence VIL 6f God calls loudly upon the Nation, to profecute fuch Meafures as may be moft effectual, for the Propagation of it amongfl: thofe Nations on our Borders, which ftill fit " in Darknefs and the Sha- *' dow of Death" — or, at the very leaft, to afford thofe who are engaged in, or defirous to undertake the Propagation of it, all due Encouragement, And in this View, an American Epifcopate will be found to be nccefiaryc Nothing can be plainer, even from the common Principles of Humanity and Benevolence, if we have no Regard to the facred Injunftions of our holy Religion, than that it is the Duty of thofe whom " the Day-Spring from on high hath vi- *' fited," to communicate this Light to others, and as they have Opportunity, " to give the Knowledge *' of Salvation" to thofe that are without it, " for *' the Remiflion of their Sins" — This is the indif- penfible Duty of every private Chriftian, and it i.§ a Duty ftill more ftrongly incumbent upon every Chriftian Nation ; as the Means of fuch a Com- munication are more in the Power of a Nation, than of private Chriftians. The Situation and Circuraftances of fome Na- tions are more favourable than thofe of others, for Attempt* 62 ANAPPEAL $£CT. Attempts of this Nature. The fairefb Opportune *'^ ties are commonly in the Hands of trading Nations, like ours •, to which Commerce opens a free Inter^ coiirfe with the unenlightened Parts of the Earth — and, when condudled fairly and properly, it is attended with luch fenfible prefent Advantages, that farther Propofals for their fpiritual Benefit, will probably be received, with lefs Prejudice, as coming from the Hands of their Benefactors. When the Englifh Nation firfl propofed to efla- blifh Settlements in America, the Propagation of the Gofcel amonc? the native Inhabitants was al- ways mentioned as a principal Part of the Plan. Queen Elizabeth^ in whofe Reign thefe Settlements were projeded, confidered the Opportunity they would furniih for the Advancement of Chriftianity, as a ilrong Motive for carrying the general Scheme into Execution. " The firft Letters Patent gran- ted by her Succelior, to eftablifh a Company for improvmg the Trade and Plantations in Virginia^ April loth, 1606, exprefsly enjoined the Propaga- tion of the Chriftian Faith^ as the End principally intended. Another Patent in the fame Year, gran- ting two Colonies to Sir 'Thomas Gates^ Sir George Summers'^ Knights •, Richard Hackluit^ Clerk, Pre- bendery of Wellminfber, &c. dire6ls it to the Fur- therance of fo noble a Work, which may by the Providence of Almighty God, hereafter tend to the Glory of his Divine Majelly, in propagating the Chriilian Religion to fuch People as yet live in Darknefs, and miferable Ignorance of the true Knowledge and Worlhip of God*." Hov/ this original Plan came to be altered, and fo efiential a Part of it as the Converfion of the American T-- • ,- 1 1 I I llUT -|~ * Dr, Kenncfs anruverfary Senno»> Page 31, Note (b)^ ViL T O T H E P U B L I C. 63 American Heathens, to be afterwards omitted, Sect. would require more Time to explain, than the in- tended Brevity of this Publication will admit of. That it has been altogether laid afide as a national Defign, is too evident to be difputed. And yet as the Nation has not rejedled the Chriflian Religion, but profeffes to be governed by it, and to eileem the Light of the Gofpel as an invaluable BlefTmg, may it not be hoped that they may flill be per- fuaded to refume the Plan ? Are there no Sparks of Chriilian Compaflion remaining, to warm the Breafts of our national Rulers, in Favour of in- numerable Tribes of our Fellow-Creatures, origi-* nally " made of one Blood" with us — with v/hom we are farther connected by Pofition and political Ties — and who are ftill " Strangers from the Co- *' venants of Promife, having no Hope, and with- *' out God in the World ?*' May it not be reafon- ably expedled, that fome generous Efforts will be made, to furnilli them with the Means of rational and eternal Happinefs, of which moil of them con- tinue to be intirely deflitute ? Efpecially, may it not be expeded, under the peculiar Advantages which the prefent Seafon affords ? The Providence of God, as has been obferved, points out this general Duty, by the late Events, more plainly and exprefsly than ever. We never had, until this Time, fo favourable an Opportu- nity for carrying forward this bleffed Work. W^e never had it fo much in our Power •, and our Ob- ligations of Gratitude were never fo ftrong. A ne- eeffary Dependance of the Natives upon us, is now cftablifhed -, as they can have Recourfe to no other European Nation, without the utmoft Difficulty, for the Supply of their Neceffities. The Britifh Standard is now ereded in the Heart of their Country; 64 ANAPPEAL Sect. Country ; and a friendly Communication is opened ^^' with many Tribes and Nations, whofe Names were unknown to us until very lately. The Influence of* yefuits and French Miffionaries ceafes to operate in thofe Regions, where formerly every Attempt made by a Proteftant Nation to propagate the Gofpel, was fure of being counteracted as efFedlually as pof- fible. In a Word, their Situation is now fuch, that no Opportunity or Chance remains for their ever hearing fo much as the Name of Chrift, if they do not hear it from us. What Influence thefe Confiderations may have upon our Politicians^ one who is no Politician will not undertake to determine. But certainly they mufl: deeply affed the Minds of all ferious Chri- llians, and, one would think, of rational and con- fiflient Deifl:s, who profefs a Regard for natural Religion — the great Dodrines and Duties of which, are generally corrupted and violated by the Ame- rican Heathens, and will be mofl: eflredually refl:o- red and fecured by the Propagation of the Gofpel. After all, it may deferve to be confidered, Whe- ther, on the Principles of meer worldly Policy, fome Pains and Expence prudently beflov/ed to- wards the Converflon of thefe Savages, would not turn to our Account ? The nearer they are brought, in their Principles and Morals, to the Chrifliian Syfl;em, the more they will refemble Chrifl:ians in their Way of Life. The Principles of the Gofpel, and the Manners of Savages, cannot conflfl; with each other, for any confiderable Time. The more they improve in Civil Life, the more ufcful'they will be to us in the Way of Commerce — and the lefs we fhall have to fear from their barbarous Cruelties, on any Occafion. " Nor Ihould it be for- *' gotten;, that every fingle Indian, whom we make " a Chri- TOTHEPUBLIC. 6^ « a Chriftian, we make a Friend and Ally, at the Sect; *' fame Time." But while tlie Propagation of the Gofpel amongfl the American Heathens has been altogether ne- gledled, as a national Concern, many private Per- fons, whofe eminent Abilities have been an Honour to the Nation— whofe viniverfal Benevolence has been as confpicuoub as their Abilities — and whofe Adtivity has been equal to their Benevolence — have not negledled to exert themfelves, in Behalf of the general Intereils of Chriftianity. Can any Englifhman, even at this Day, hear the Name of Boyle mentioned, without a very fenfible Emotion of Pleafure ? This truly honourable and illuftrious Perfon, amidfl his unwearied Application for the Improvement of religious and ufeful Knowledge at Hom.e, found much Time and large Sums to be- fiow, for the Propagation of Chriftian Knowledge, in different remote Farts of the Earth, and parti- cularly amongft the Natives of America. ne Society for the Propagation of the Gofpel^ al- though, notwithftanding they have been abufed in this Country by m.any petulant Tongues, and fome petulant Pens, on this Account, the Converfion of Heathens was not their primary and original Ob- jedt (for if we read the Hiftory of its Rife, or exa- mine its Charter, which recites a particular Cafe only, and makes Provifion for it, and may judge from thence, we fnallfind it as evident as Language can make it, that the Support and Propagation of the Gofpel amongft our own People in America, was the immediate and principal Defign of their Incorporation;) I fay, this worthy Society, have moft afliduoufly and vigoroufly attem.pted, fo far as their m.ore immediate Duty would admit of it, K th^ 66 A N A P P E A L Sect, the Converfion of the IndiaPxS in the neighbour- hood of our Settlements. It may feem flrange, to flich as judge of their Defign by miftaking their Title ^ and are acquain- ted with the large Sums * they have annually ex- pended in America for the Propagation of the Gofpel, that their Progrefs in the Converfion of Heathens has been fo fmall. But when it comes to be coniidered, that their Eenefa61:ors have en- trufted them with their Donations, chiefly for other Purpofes — and, that their Funds have never been fufficient, to anfv/er the Occafions that have arifen in their more immediate Department — it is rather to be wondered, that they have been able to make any Attempts at all of this Natu.e, than that they have * It has been given out, from Year to Year, by the Publiihers o? the Court Kalendar, that the annual Expence of this Society is about One Thoufand Five Kundred Pounds- It is aftonifhing that fo grofs a Miitake fnould be once made — more (oy that it fhould continue to be io often repeated — and moft of all, that it fliould be adopted by Writers, from whofe Accuracy better Things might be expected — efpecially, as the Society never fails to publifli yearly an exa6t Account of their Expences, and even to expreis the Par- ticulars. This Mifreprefentation may pofTibly have been owing to jio unfriendly Intentions 5 but yet, as it may be fuppofed to cii-- culate widely, it muft naturally have a bad Effect upon the Society, by preventing Benefa6lions. For fome who beftow Nothing, on the Suppofition that the Society's annual Expence is but One Thoufand Five Hundred Pounds, would, in all Probability, give liberallyrif they knew it amounted to near Five Thoufand Pounds., which is really the Cafe. The Society was incorporated in 1701. In Ten Years Time their Expences arofe to One Thoufand Eight Hundred and Forty- lix Pounds, Ten Shillings, and One Penny, per Annum \ a Sum confiderably larger than the above mentioned Compilers have af- ligned, even for the prefent Year. Their Expences have been gradually increafing, from their firlt Inllitution to the prefent Time. In 1740 their Expence was Three Thoufand Four Hun- dred and Forty Pounds; and in 1765 they expended Four Thou- fand Seven Hundred and Eighty Pounds, Five Shillings, ar.d Three Pence — of which Sum Four Thoufand One Hundred and Foity- four Pounds, Five Shillings, and Three Pence, was paid in Salaries to Mifllonaries, Catechifts, &c. and the Remainder was laid one in Books, Gratuities to Miffionaries, and in defraying other inci- dental Charges. T O T H E P U B L I C. 67 have done fo little. And yet they have always em- S^^"^- ployed fome Perfon in this Service ; and I believe it may be truly faid, that they have never negle6led any fair Opening to introduce the Gofpel amongfl the American Heathens, efpecially if proper Per- fons could be found, to engage in fuch a Miflion. But they can force none into this Service, which heretofore has been attended with great Danger, as well as Fatigue : they can only offer fuch Salaries and Rewards by Way of Inducement, as they have Abilities to offer. However, they have not been altogether unfuccefsful in their Attempts. Several Hundreds, by Means of the Society, have been converted from Heathenifm to the Chriftian Faith, among whom fome have been Ornaments to their new Profeffion, and an inflruclive Example to thofe who have had better Advantages. Yet ilill it mull be confeffed, that the Succefs has not been pro- portionable to the Pains that have been taken ; and from the repeated Trials that have been made, as well as from other Evidence, it appears, that there muff be fome more effe6lual Way for the Conver- fion of Savages, than has been yet taken. As it was always known, that the living like Chriffians with Refpedl to Religion, and like Sa- vages with Refped to civil Life, could not be re- conciled in the fame Perfons ♦, it was hoped that the Converfion of Indians to the Chriftian Religion, would naturally introduce amongft them Civility of Manners — and this was reckoned among the Ad- ^ vantages to be expeded from converting them. But it feems now to be generally agreed, that what was propofed as a Corifequence^ ought to be confi- dered as a necejfary Means ^ of fp reading the Gof- pel amongft lavage Nations. The 68 ANAPPEAL Sect. fhe Religion of the Gofpel was intended for ^^^' Men and reafonable Creatures, and not for Brutes, akhough in the Shape of Men. Until thefe Wretches therefore are, in fome Degree, humani- zed, there can be but little Profped of making them Chriftians, to any lafling and valuable Pur- pofe. The Society^ for a long Time, feem to have been growing fenfible of this ; but as another Me- thod had been undertaken, it was proper that a full Trial ihould be made of it. The venerable Dr. Bray^ who has not impro- perly been filled the Father of the Society^ and • han whom, no Man ever more carefully confidered Sub) eels of this Nature, and but few have had bet- ter Opportunities of informing themfelves, was latterly of this Opinion. In his Memorial relating to the Converficn of the Aracrican hidians^ . addreiTed to the then CommifTaries of Maryland^ and the Reit of the Clergy, he has the following Para- graph. " You mufl earnefdy endeavour to bring them " off from a wandering and idle Life, to a fettled •"^ and induftrious Way of living •, it being impof- " fible to conceive how any religious Impreflions " and Inftructions Ihould be given them to any " Purpofe, or remain upon them in their wandering " State. Nor was it ever known in Fad, that Chri- *' ftianity did thrive among a rude and barbarous " People, continuing in an unfettled and fiavage " Way of living, as in the Nature of the Thing, " it is impoinble that it ihould. And it is very " remarkable, that as our BlelTed M.ifler came " into the World when it had become moil aVi- " lized\ and where it was fo, in a few Ages, Chri- " ilianity overfpread the civilized Part of it: lb . " iipon the Inundation of wikl and barbarous Na- " tions TO THE PUBLIC. 69 tions into the Roman Empire, true Chriftianity Sect. d-d fenfibly decline •, and Satan, by his Deputy ^^^' or Vicegerent Anti-Chrifi^ regained his Domi- nion over the greateft Part of Chnftendom, both in the Rafter n and Weft em Parts of the Empire." Dr. Stebbing^ 2i Perfon of diilingiiifhed Abilities and Penetration, and a Member of the Society, in his anniverfary Sermon, delivers the fame Senti- ments. " Of a general Converfion of the native " Indians, (fays he) I fee no great Likelihood at " prefent. If this is to be done by human Means, " there muft be the necefTary Preparations for " human M^ans to operate. They muft be poli- " fhed into good Manners — there muft be lome *' common Intercourfe between us— v/e muft brino- "^^ them to fome good Liking of our Laws and ^' Cuftoms. All this is necejjary^ where the Power f' of Miracles is wanting ♦, and when^ and whet er f' ever^ it will be done, God only knows." One of the grand Obftacles the Dcdor complained of, is now happily removed ; the others will always continue, until we heartily engage in the Removal of them. I might avail myfelf of the Names of more ijluftrious Perfons now Living; but farther Authorities are needlefs in fo plain a Cafe. It having then become a fettled Point, that the / moft proper Way for converting Savages, is pre- vioufly to inftrud them in the Arts and Manners of civil Life, the Society has been, for a confide- rable Time, carefu ly employed in colledling fuch Information and Intelligence, relating to this Sub- je6t, as may enable them to form a proper Plan for civilizing the Natives of America, in Order to their becoming Chriftians — in which great and good Work, they cannot doubt of meeting widi all needful Encouragement, for this Purpofe many Pe^^o^5 yo AN APPEAL ^Vir^* ^^^"^^^^ '^^ America have been particularly conful- ted, both Miffionaries and others •, and the ReRilt already is, that they have con^e to a general Deter-^ mination to ere6l Schools, for teaching the Indian Children the Elements of Agriculture, and the moil necelTary mechanic Arts, together with civilized Manners — to be followed by proper Inilrudion in the Chriftian Religion *. They have entered into Refolutions for carrying into Execution a Scheme cf this Nature, as foon as proper Places can be fixed for the Ere6t:ion of fuch Schools, and proper Perfons be found to eno^acre in the Service — truftmo; m that good Providence to afTift them in this Un- dertaking, v/hich has fo wonderfully fupported them in the Profecution of their original Work. But here a Number of DifRculties arife to retard their Progrefs. A Variety of Plans and Propofals have been tranfm.itted from this Country. The Perfons who have been confuked, have their par- ticular Prejudices and Attachments. The Thmgs and Places which one reprefents as expedient, are condemned by another. And this muft of Ne- ceflity happen, where fo many Perfons, uncon- nected together, and without Opportunities of con- fulting one another, are called upon to give their Opinion of a Cafe, like this, whereof moft of them muii: be fuppofed to have but a partial Knowledge, To ballance and adjuil fo many different Opi- nions and Reprefentations, mufl be the Work of much Time and Care, and will of Courfe greatly retard the Execution of the general Plan. For one falfe Step taken in the Beginning, may in Time produce Confeqiiences that are pernicious and fatal. But *■ A School on much the fame Plan has been eftablifhed for fome Years in Covtre^kut, under tlie Dire6lion of the worthy Mr, Wbee- lock ; and its Beginnings are not unpromifing. TOTHEPUBLIC. 71 Butthefe Difficulties would vanifh in a great Mea- ^^ct. fure, under an American Epifcopate. Suitable ^^^' Places for the Ercdtion of Indian Schools, might be fpeediiy afcertained — proper Perfons to be intrufted with the immediate Care of them, might be found out and appointed — and when actually employed, the general Diredbion and Superintendency of a Bifhop refiding near them, would not only give Spirit to the Work, but would moreover be necef- fary to unite lo many Perfons, in different Parts of the Country, who are independent of each other^ and to make them regular and uniform in their Endeavours to promote the fam.e general. Defign. In a Syftem of this Kind, w^here a Ntimber of Powers and Movements arc to be employed to one common Purpofe, a regular and confiilent Diredlion of them is as requifrce, as of the diffe- rent mechanical Powers, in a Watch or a Clock. And the nearer the fuperintending Influence is, the better -, for when it is prefent, if irregularities arife, they are foon corrected, and are never fuffered iono- to continue. In other Cafes, where a Number of Perfons arc employed in one general Work, a com- mon uniform! Diredion is allowed to be neceffary •, and why this particular Cafe fnould be an Excep- tion, will not be eafy to Hiew. The Neceffity of one comm.on Dire6tion in the Cafe before us, v/ill probably be granted ; but per- haps fome may thmk it may as w^ll be carried on without an Epifcopate. This is a Point which de- ferves fome Examination. Although the general Diredion of fuch a Work mull belong to ths So- ciety at Home, fo long as it is carried on at the Expence of the Society ; yet it will be highly re- quifite that a Superintendent in this Country ihould overfee the Whole, wdth a Power to regulate the Behaviour 72 ANAPPEAL J^ECT. Behaviour of all that are immediately employed in *^' it, to hear Complaints, to redrels Grievances, and to corre6t Abufes ; to whcm Application m.ay eafily be made on all Emergencies. Nov/ the Qiieftion is. Whether a Bifhop would not be a more proper Perfon to be entrufted with this Superintendency, than any other ? And if we confider that the great End in View, is the Ad- vancement and Propagation of the Chriftian Reli- gion — and that many Clergymen as well as others mull be employed in the Service, there miufl evi- dently appear to be a peculiar Propriety in carrying on this Work, under the Direction of a Bifhop. Who can be fo proper to conducfh a Plan for the Propagation of the Gofpel, as one of that Order, to whom the Charge of the Gofpel was prin- cipally committed, and to whom a Blefling was exprefsly promifed, in their Endeavours to pro- mote it ^ Who fo proper to govern Clergymen, as thcfe to v/hom the Government of them, together with that of the whole Church, was particularly in- truded by its Divine Founder ? — If fome of the Ends of this Superintendency might as well be anfwered, by putting it into Lay- Hands, yet others manifeflly cannot. There mufb be frequent Occafions for the Exercife of thofe fpiritual Powers, which are peculiar to the Epifco- pal Office ; and it will be of great Confequence to the Succefs of the Work, whether Recourfe may be had to a Bifhop in fuch Cafes eafily and fpeediiy, or whether the Application muil be made to one, at the Dillance of more than a Thoufand Leagues. It fhould alfo be confidered, that fuch a Station mufl neceifarily require fome Perfon of eminent Abilities and Influence, to fill it properly. And although T O T H E P U B L I C. 73 although many fiich, at this Time, are to be found ^^^7' amongiL the Laity -, yet, where fhall we find one thus qualified, who is not too deeply engaged in Affairs of another Nature, to devote himfelf to this in fuch a Degree as will be neceffary ? If fuch a one fliould be fent from Home for this Purpofe, he muft be fupported agreeably to his Rank and Cha- rafter, the Expence of which the Society can by no Means afford. Whereas if there was a Bifhop in America, this would be confidered as Part of his- Office ; v/hich he would therefore freely execute^ without any Addition to the neceffary Charges, Thofe Perfons in this Country, who may be thought bcil qualified for fuch a Trull, I believe, are fully employed in other Matters already, and cannot be expedled to relinquifh them and engage in this, without a handfome Support. Sir JVilliam Johnfon^ who, by his long Expe- rience in, and careful At'ention to, Indian Affairs, is probably befc qualified for this Direction, and is undoubtedly the beft Judge of thefe Matters in America, has, on this Occaiion, been particularly confalted by the Society^ whereof he is a Member, and by fome in this Counrry. The Opinion of the Matter, which mufl alv/ays carry the greateft "Weight, is, that an American Epifcopate will greatly facilitate the Converfion of the Indians, upon any Plan that fhall be followed. He declares his Readinefs to aififl: and co-operate with a Bifhop in fo good a Work, but fays nothing of under- taking it as Principal, as the political Superinten- dency of Indian Affairs, with which he is inveffed by the Government, already affords him fufncient Employment. What then remains to be done .^ Shall the Society^ at an Expence which will in a great Meafure dif- L enable 74 ANAPPEAL ^^^^' enable them to purfue their Plan, be obliged to fupport a Lay-Superintendent, who, at the fame Time, will be unable to anfwer all the Purpofes of fuch an Office ? Or, will an Opportunity be granted them, of putting the Management of this important Affair into the Hands of an American Bifhop — who can more properly and effectually execute the Office, and without any additional Ex- pence ? If a Chriilian Nation does not think fit to undertake this Work immediately^ a Work which will probably be attended with many political Ad- vantages; yet furely it cannot refufe to give all due Countenance and needful Encouragement, to fuch benevolent Chriftians and worthy Patriots, as are willing and defirous to undertake it — efpecially when this can be done, without burthening the Public. SECT. TOTHEPUBLIC. 7^ SECTION VIII. The Plan on which alone American Bijhops have been requefted, fairly ftated^ with Expfiulations on the Reafonablenefs thereof, THE I>rign. of what has been ofFered in the Sect foregoing Sedion, is to fhew^That the Pro- VIIL pagation of the Gofpel amongfl thofe who are Strangers to it, is a Duty incumbent upon every Chriftian Nation, as they have Opportunity:— That the Englifli Nation in particular has, at this Time, a much better Opportunity, for convertino- to the Chriftian Faith the Heathen Nations on th? Borders of our Settlements, than has heretofore offered^ and that the Obligations of Gratitude to perforrfi this Duty are ftronger, and the Providence of God points it out more plainly, than even- That the commercial and political Advantages to beexpededfrom fuch a Converfion, if it can be etteded, are a ftrong Argument for attempting it, on the meer Principles of worldly Policy :— That the true Method to be taken for the Converfion of Savages, is by previoufly teaching them the Arts and Manners of civil Life, in order to which, pro- per Schools in different Parts of the Country are neceifary :— That the Society for the Propagation of the Gofpel, not waiting to fee what the Nation will attempt, have, on thefe Principles, formed a gene- ral Plan for the Eredion of Indian Schools, with a Defign to put it in Execution, as foon, and as ex- tenfively, as poffible :— And that in Order thereto \t 15 reafonable to think, that an American Epifco- pate 76 ANAPPEAL Sect, pate v/iU be mofl eminently iifeful, and indeed ^'^^^- that the Work cannot be properly conduced with- out it. From thefe Confiderations it evidently fol- lows, that every P'riend, not only to the Church of England, but to Chriilianity in general, ought mofl earneflly to defire the Settlement of Bifhops in America, on this Jccomt, and to ufe his Influ- ence for obtaining it. The Reafons which have been offered in Favour of an American Epifcopate, appear to us to be of that real Weight and Importance as to deferve, and we humbly hope that they will obtain, the Atten- tion of our Superiors •, and if they are duly con- fidered, we are unable to conceive that they can fail of producing the defired Effect, under fo mild and equal a Syftem of Government. The Principles of Liberty, Juftice and Benevo- Jence, are the main Pillars that fupport the fair Fabnck ot the Britiih Conilitution. It^ is the Glory of Britifh Subjeds, that they enjoy as much Happinefs and Freedom as is confiilent with Go- vernment, and infiniteiy more than is confiflent with the Want of Government— and that their Li- berties are fecured by I^av/s that have been made by, and cannot be fufpcnded or repealed without the Confent of, thofe whom they have chofen ta a6l as their Reprefentatives. No undue Superio- rity over fome can legally be claimed by others ; and for every A6t of Injuflice or Oppreffion, a iure Remedy is provided. Provifion has been carefully made, that all may have full Enjoyment both of civil and rehgious Liberty •, and fo free and equitable an Execution of the Powers of Govern- ment is efiiabiiihed, that no Body of Subjedts, not an Individual, can juftly complain of any Suffering or Grievancej without Confidence of Redrefs. Such n TO THE PUBLIC. Such is the happy Tendency of our Conflitution, Sect and we truft that our prefent Rulers have a Difpo- Vlll fition to a6t, in all Cafes, agreeably to the Genius and Spirit of it. Will not then the Complaints of near a Million of Britifh Subjeds in America, of unimpeached Loyalty and Fidelity, who are fuffering under the moft unprecedented Hardfhips with Regard to their Religion, an Intereft dearer than Property and more invaluable than civil Liberty, be re- garded, and procure the Redrefs of fo intolerable a Grievance ? When an impartial Tendernefs and Care for the religious Rights of all, is the profefled Principle of the Adminiflration, as well as of our Legiflature, is it not abfurd, and injurious, and. ungrateful, to entertain any Sufpicions, that fo large a Number of Subjedis will be treated with a cruel Partiality ? — of fuch Subjects efpecially, as have ever been dutiful and faithful, and who {land in a peculiar Connexion with, and Relation to, the national Body ? Can it be imagined that fo grofs a Partiality againft the national Religion, may ever be juilly imputed to the Britifh Nation, as no other Nation upon Earth was ever guilty of? For no " Nation has ever treated their Gods, which are " no Gods," in fuch a Manner, as this Imputation would charge a Chriftian and Proteftant Nation with treating the great Sovereign of the World. As therefore we cannot but hope that the Voice of fo many Petitioners will be heard, and that fo reafonable a Requeft will be granted \ fo we cannot but flatter ourfelves that it will be granted fpeedily^ and that no unnecefTary Delays will prevent its good EfFeft. The Reafons which have been afligned for granting us an Epifcopate, are now in full Force, 7^ ANAPPEAL %tll\ ?^^orcc and ftronger than ever ; and if they require It at all, they require it immediately. It is not apprehended that any Difficulties can attend the Execution of this Plan at the prefent 1 ime, which will not always continue ; and fome peculiar Motives and Advantages now concur to tavour It which probably no future Period will afford. If then our Application fails of Succefs now, we fliall defpair of it hereafter ; and-we want Language to exprefs the ill Confequences we fear from luch a Difappointment. What has been faid implies not an Opinion, that there are at this Time no Difficulties in the Way, but only that there are no Difficulties but iuch as muft be always expefted. We are verv lenfible that a Work of this Nature will have many to oppole It. Some will oppofe it from an Enmity to all Religion. Others will oppofe it from an En- mity, either open or fecret, to the Proteftant Re- hgion ; of which the Church of England is confef- ledly the Itrongeft Barrier againft Popery. There are others again who heretofore have oppofed it trom an Apprehenfion, that either the Property or religious Liberty of their Friends might be affefted by It ; as It was not fo well known, with what Powers and with what Views it had been requefted that Bilhops might be fent to us. But this has been lo often and explicitly mentioned of late, that 4t can hardly be fuppoled, that any Perfons of Power and Influence can remain ignorant of our true Plan. «? «. However, for the Sake of others, and of fucfi as miftake it, it may be proper, in a Work of this Nature, to make the following Declaration to the PuDlic, (and I appeal to every Reader, who is ac- quainted 1 TOTHEPUBLIC. 79 quainted with the Matter, for the Truth of it) that Sect. it has been long fettled by our Friends and Supe- riors at Home, and the Clergy of this Country have often fignified their entire Approbation and Ac- quiefcence therein — That the Bijhops to he fent t9 America^ jhall have no Authority^ hut purely of a Spiritual and Ecclejtaftical Nature^ fuch as is derived altogether from the Church and not from the State — That this Authority fhall operate only upon the Clergy cf the Churchy and not upon the Laiety nor Dijfen- ters of any Denomination — That the Bifhops fhall not interfere with the Property or Privileges^ whether civil or religious^ of Churchmen or Dijfenters — That, in particular^ they fhall have no Concern with the Prohate of Wills^ Letters of Guardianfhip and Ad- minifiration^ or Marriage-Licences^ nor he Judges of any Cafes relating thereto — But^ that they fhall only exercife the original Powers of their Office as hefore fiated^ i. e. crdain and govern the Clergy^ and admi- nijier Confirmation to thofe who Jhall defire it. This, without any Refervation or Equivocation, is the exad Plan of an American Epifcopate which has been fettled at Home •, and it is the only one, on which Bifhops have been requefted here, either in our general or more particular AddrefTes. And fo far is it from being our Defire to moleft the Diflenters, or any Denominations of Chriftians, in the Enjoyment of their prefent religious Privileges, that we have carefully confulted their Safety and Security, and ftudied not to injure, but oblige them. Many may haav'e received different Accounts of our Dcfigns, and of our Condud; but fuch as have not proceeded from Ignorance, muft have been the Effed of Malicioufnefs. When Bifhops were firfl propofed and requefted for this Country, they were mentioned 8o ANAPPEAL Sect, mentioned under the Title of Suffragans. This is "^' no ambiguous Term ; it has a fixed and deter- minate Meaning in the Laws of England, and can- not be miilaken. Suffragan Bifnops are the fame with thofe that were called Chorepifcofi^ or Bifhops of the Country, in the primitive Church ; and it is their Buiinefs to difcharge all Offices merely Epifcopal, in the remote Parts of the Diocefs where- in they rcfide, according to the Diredlion of, and" by Virtue of a Commiffion from, the Diocefan *. And fmce the Term has been omitted, fuch Ex- planations have attended our Petitions for Ame- rican Bifhops, that I know not of a fingle Inilance, wherein Reafon has been given to fuTped, that a Departure from the fame general Plan has been aimed at or defired. And of this I am certain^ that all our AddrelTes from this and feveral of the neighbouring Colonies, for many years, have had one confident and unvaried Tenor, agreeable to the preceding Explanation. "What Weight will be allowed to thefe AfTer- tions, the Author knows not -, but the Authority of the following Declaration to the fame Purpofe, contained in an Anfwer to Dr. Mayhew's Obfervati- ons^ cannot fairly be difputed ; as the Author of it, fuppofed to be a very high Dignitary in the Church, manifeilly difcovers that he is perfe6lly acquainted with the Affairs of the Society^ and of the Church in America. Speaking of the Mem- bers of the latter, he fays : " It is defired, tliat " Two or more Bifhops may be appointed for them^^ " to refide where his Majefty Ihali think moft con- " venient ; - that they may have no Concern in the " leaft with any Perfons who do not profefs them- * Dr. Grey's Syjiem ofEngliJb Ecckf.afilceJ Losa.\ " felves TOTHEPUBLIC. 8i « felves to be of the Church of England, but may Sect. " ordain Minifters for fuch as do ; may confirm " their Children, when brought to them at a fit " Age for that Purpofe, and take fuch Overfight " of%he Epifcopal Clergy, aa the Bifhop of Lon- *' don's CommilTaries in thofe Parts have been em- " powered to take, and have taken, without Of- " fence. But it is not defired in the kaft that they " fhould hold Courts to try Matrimonial or Tefta- " mentary Caufes, or be veiled with any Autho- '" rity now exercifed, either by provincial Gover- " nors or fubordinate Magiftates, or infringe or " diminifh any Privileges and Liberties enjoyed by *' any of the Laity, even of our own Communion, *' This is the real and the only Scheme that hath been " planed for Bifhops in America -, and whoever *' hath heard of any other, hath been mifmformed '* through Miilake or Defign .*" Now what reafonable Objedions can be offered againft fuch a Plan as this, which is fo univerfally harmlefs in every Refped, that none can be injured by it ♦, and fo ufeful withal, that near a Million of Perfons will receive Benefit, and perhaps the Sal- vation of many Souls will be effedled, by its being put in Execution ? Can any Thing be promoted by it, but the Good of the Church ? Can any Thing then be objeded againft it, but that this End will be promoted ? But will any dare, in this Age of Britilh Freedom and improved Liberty, to avow the Objeftion ? Would not fuch a barefaced At- tempt thus wantonly to opprefs us, and to prevent our Enjoyment of thofe invaluable Rights, to which we are equally intitled with others— which there is no Pretence that we have ever forfeited — and no Appearance of a Difpofition to abufe— M roufe * Page 59. S2 A N A P P E A L Tm S''-^^^^'%^''^^§"^^^^" snd Refentment of all t^e • J^riends of religious Liberty andTolerarion, whe- ther Chiiirchman or Diflenters ? ' .Every Oppofition to fjch a Plan, has the Nature of Perlecution, and deferves the Name. t:or to pun^lh us for our religious Principles, when no Reafons of State require it, is Perfecution in its . ftriaefl and propereft Senfe. Will it be faid, that the Prevention of an Epifcopate in America, is no Pumfhment ? It may as well be faid, that keeping ^ Man out of his Right is no Injuftice. Whatever Evil IS inflidied on us on account of our Principles. or Pradices, is proper ly Punifhment; and every ■ Good we are deprived of, is equivalent to an Evil mflicled. Wherever therefore an Evil is inflided, or we are deprived of a Good, en account of our Rehg.on, unlefs it be neceffary for the Security of theiVohc, we fuffer Perfecution. i As fuch, Treatment has the very EfTence of Per- fecutioii, fo it can have its Source only in an into- lerant perfecuting Difpofition. And it is not to be doubted but a Difpofition that will produce thus much, if armed with Power, would be produdtive of more— and that they, who only endeavour now to prevent our Enjoyment of thofe Advantages, to ^ which we are intitled by the Laws of God and the Conflitution, would bring us, if they could, to the Stake or the Gibbet. But w^hat an Abomination is fuch a Difpofition and Behaviour, in the Eyes of every true Etiglilhman, of every true Proteftant f What an Indignity and Affront to the Nation, to defire it to countenance fuch Injuftice and Cruelty! ; It is hard to believe that any Proteftants, efpe- cialiy that any Englifli DifTenters, who have gene-^ I rally, foi a Century paft, been warm Advocates for ' rehgious TO THE PUBLIC. 83 re'igious Liberty, and who are greatly indebted to ^^^Ji' a Toleration themfelves, can be lb inconfiftent, as ^ ' to wilh this Harm to the Members of the national Church. It would be a very ungrateful Return, for the mofl ample, compleat and generous Tole- ration, which is this Day to be found upon Earth. Many of the moit fenfible Men belonging to that Body, have exprelTed, on this Subjedt, Sentiments that are candid and liberal ^ and he who was late- ly confidered in fome Senfe as their Head *, when our Plan was explained to him, and his Opinion thereupon was defired, did not hefitate to declare his free Confent to, and Approbation of, American Bifhops, in the Manner that we requeft them. The Principles of religious Liberty profeiTed by the DifTenters^ muft not only reftrain them from oppofmg an American Epifcopate, as now fettled and explained, but oblige them, if they would ad confidently, even to befriend it. Some of them, I am fully perfuaded, would freely join with us in our Applications for Bifhops, if their AfTillance was needed, as we Ihould be ready to alTill them, in Cafe of the like Grievances ; and all of them will really have a much worfe Opinion of the Church of England in general, or of thofe who belong to it, as probably their Reproaches on future Occa- fions will teftify, if this Matter Ihould not be brought to a fpeedy and happy Termination. For certainly nothing can more degrade our national Religion, in the Eyes of DifTenters and others, both Proteftants and Papifts, at Home and abroad, than to fee that it is in fo fmall Eftimation, and its Interefl fo little regarded, by thofe who profefs it.^ For, wherever Men are indifferent towards the Religion they profefs, one of thefe Conclufions will ^ j)^^ ^^^;«^/ aiandler, ' -— H A N A P P E A L ^Vill ^^^^ neceffarily be made, and there is no preven- • ting it— either that their Religion, upon a more intimate Acquaintance, appears to be unworthy of their Efteem and AfFedion—or, that its ProfefTors are of an irreligious Charader, and have no Regard for that which is the moft invaluable of all Things. And in either Cafe, the Reputation of their Reli- gion will greatly fuffer. At the Time of writing this, cafting my Eyes upon the Pul?lic Paper of the Day, I was ftruck with the following Paragraph, faid to be an Anfwer from the King of Poland to the Emprefs oi Ruffia^ who had interpofed with that Monarch, in Behalf of his Proteftant Subjeds. « I have not forgot the " Obligations I am under to the Emprefs of Ruf- " fia, among the Means which God Almighty " made Ufe of to raife me to the Throne r'^but " when I came to it, I promifed the exad Obfer- " vation of my Religion throughout my Kingdom. *' If 1 was weak enough to abandon it, my I^ife *' and my Throne would be expoled to the juft *' Refentment of my Subjeds. T am threatened *' with forcible Means to oblige me to do what is " aflced of me, which would reduce me to an " Extremity equally unhappy. I perceive fome " Danger in whatever Refolution I may take ; but " I had rather be expofed to fuch as my Bitty and " Honour induce me to make Choice of; and from this Time I join with my Country in Defence of *' our holy Religion." On tlie Suppofition, that the Propofals, made by her^ Ruffian Majefly to the King of Poland, were believed to be inconfiftent with the Safety of the national Religion, there is Something fo fenfible, Ipinted and open in this Declaration, that every candid and confident Proteilant mult applaud it, at TO THE PUBLIC. 85 at the fame Time that he condemns the eftablifhed Sect. Religion of Poland. Popery is a grofs Corruption ^^^^• of the Chriftian Religion, and it has been wrought up to its prefent State, by the Application and Po- licy of many Ages. It prefents to us, not the ami- able and undefiled Religion of the Gofpel, but under the Name of it, an intolerant Syftem, com- pounded of Superftition, Abfurdity, and I know not what ♦, and it manifeftly appears to be the gene- ral Intereft of Mankind, to endeavour, in the Ufe of all proper and fair Means, to reform it. But although this appears to be fo evident to Prote- ftants, there are undoubtedly others, to whom it does not appear at all, and who believe the contrary. As the King of Poland has folemnly bound him- felf by Oath, to maintain and defend the Popifh Religion, we muft charitably fuppofe that he be- lieves it to be true. And as he believes it to be true, and has fworn to maintain it, he cannot give it up, he cannot negled it, without betraying his Duty and Honour^ in the Opinion of all reafonable and unprejudiced Perfons. If therefore the Diflen- ters and others, who are fenfible of the Abfurdities and Corruptions of the Popifh Religion, cannot but commend this firm Adherence to it in his Po- lifh Majefly, fo long as he believes it to be the true Religion ; furely they mufl at leaft equally com- mend the like Condud, with Regard to the na- tional Religion, in Proteflant Princes — ^^more efpecially, when the Security of the eflablifhed Re- ligion, and a Toleration of thofe who peaceably difTent from it, are allowed to be confiflent. In the fame Public Paper we are told, that the Courts of London^ Berlin and Copenhagen, have agreed to afTifl and co-operate with the Ruffian Em- prefs, in Favour of the Proteftants in Poland. It muft 86 ANAPPEAL Vm! ^^^^^ S^^'^ Pleafure to every confiderate Proteflant, to hear of lb generous an Effort to be made, pro- vided it be made properly, in Behalf of the refor- med Religion -, and we cannot but earneftly wiih it Succels. But could it be conceived, that thofe Powers who are thus adive for the Proteilant In- terefl in foreign Countries, would negieft to en- courage it in their own proper Dominions, their Zeal for it abroad would be efteemed but little bet- ter than political Grimace. And on this Principle our Englifn Dillenters would have a much better Opinion of the Church of England, and of our Superiors v/ho are Members of it, if, while they warmly intereil themfelves in Favour of Proteilan- tifmi in Poland, they do not inconfiftently negled, what they profefs to elleem the purefb Species of it, in our own Colonies. A true Regard for the Pro- teflant Religion is not confined to particular Places : it will produce vigorous Endeavours to im.prove and fecure it, and to render it as refpedtable as we can, in all Places -, and efpecially in thofe Places, wherewith we are moil clofely connedled, and wherein our Power and Influence are greateil. SECT, TOTHEPUBLIC. 87 SECTION IX. That the Epifcopate propofed cannot hurt the Biffen- ters^ and is free from all reafonahle Ohje^ions. SHOULD it be pretended, that what appears Sect. to be fo reafonable in itfelf as an American IX, Epifcopate, and fo becoming the Honour and Cha- rader of the Britifh Nation to grant, would be pro- dudlive of much Clamour and Difcontent in the Colonies, and, on that Account, that found Po- licy forbids it ; it would be an ill-grounded Af- fertion. It may deferve Confideration, whether any Un- eafinefs that can be imagined, fo deflitute of a proper Foundation to fupport it, that can arife from the Profpea: of Bifhops in America, fent only to take Care of the Church, in the Manner explained, can in Reafon and Policy juilify the Refufal of what IS fo elTentially needed. Every reafonable Objedlion of others ought to be confidered ; but thofe which are evidently perverfe and unreafon- able, efpecially after due Care has been taken to make that Unreafonablcnefs and Perverfenefs ap- pear, deferve not to be regarded— much lefs to be regarded in ilich a Manner, as to facrifice thereto the Intereft and very Being of the Church of Eng- land in America. But if the Uneafmefs of Ame- ricans be of fuch Confequence, why the Uneafmefs of the Members and Friends of the Church, fo juftly founded in Cafe of a Refufal, dpferves'not to be confidered, as much as the Uneafmefs of its Enemies without any Foundation, will be difficult ^^ ^^^^' Should 88 ANAPPEAL Sect. Should it be faid, wttich I conceive is the only IX. xhing that can be faid to the Purpofe, that Dif-: content in the Minds of Churchmen has not that dangerous Tendency with Refped to the Govern- men't, which there is Reafon to apprehend of it in the Minds of others : whether^ and how far this is true, I will not undertake to determine. But this may truly and properly be faid, that fo long as we are governed by the Principles of the Church of England, no Hardlhips or Trials which we are doomed to undergo, will ever occafion juft Sufpi- cions of our Fidelity and Loyalty. But then, ought our inflexible Loyalty and political Integrity to be thought, in'fuch a Cafe, a fufficient Reafon for our being denied the common Rights of Britifh Subjeda, and the moft facred Rights of Confcience? We humbly apply to our Superiors— we call even upon our Enemies— we appeal to the World— for a Decifion of this Point. Thefe Things have been hinted as worthy of Confideration, even on the Suppofition that fending Biihops to America could be really attended with Difcontent and Uneafmefs inDiflenters and others. But of any confiderable Difcontent or Uneafmefs, there is no Reafon to be apprehenfive. Whatever Notions the DifTenters in this Country may have formerly entertained, concerning the Church •, yet of late Years they have greatly come off from their Prejudices, and Sentiments of Candour, Chanty and Moderaion have vifibly taken Place. And, excepting here and there a hot-headed Writer, or a pragmatical Enthufiall, fome of whom are to be found in all Communions, who exped to find their Account in raifmg a Combuftion and being noify, we would hope of the DilTenters in America, that they bear no lU-Will to the Church, and defire nothing TO THE PUBLIC. 89 nothing niore than Security in the Enjoyment of ^^^^^^ their prefent Advantages. Indeed in the Time of the late Diflurbances oc- cafioned by the Stajnp-A^^ it was afTerted in fome of the London Papers^ that the Fear of Bifhops being - fent into America, was the principal Caufe of that Uneafmefs and Clamour, which raifed fuch a Flame in ;his Country. Every one here knew the Afler- tion to be a vile and malicious Reprefentation of the Cafe ; and whoever could believe it to be true^ muft have previoufly conceived of the Americans, as being of all Creatures tiie moil wretchedly flu- pid. The Difcontent of that Time, arofe altoge- ther from another Quarter. It was by no Means peculiar to the E-ejeccers of Epifcopacy, nor had any Relation to it ; but proceeded from what the Americans generally efteemed, and complained of, as an imconfiiiutional oppreffive A5f. I appeal to all the Remonftrances of thofe unhappy Times — to all that was publidied here, either m Pamphlets or periodical Papers, v/hether the Fear of an Epifco- pate was ^;2 who are defirous of particular Information. In the mean Time, I beg Leave to produce two.' fnort Extrads from that Work. The firll fliall ' be from a Declaration of the celebrated Feter du Moulin, an eminent Profellbr of the French Church | in the Beginning of the laft Century, in the fol- 1 lowmg Words : '' I know that under Pretence \ *' that the Church of England hath another Form . *^' of Difcipiine than ours is, our Adverfaries (the ^' Papills) charge us that our Religion is divers. But Experience confuteth this Accufation.— *' The moR- excellent Servants of God in our ^i Churches, Peter Martyr, Calvin, Zanchius, Beza, *' &c. have often written Letters full of Refped ''^ and Amity to the Prelates, of England.— Our Adverfaries. unjullly accufe us to be Enemies ' " of the Epifcopal Order." The other Extrad ihall be from the V\^ords oi Calvin himfelf. " Give '' us fuch a Hierarchy (fays he) in which Bijhops " prefide, who are fubjed to Chriil and to him " alone (not to the Pope) as their only Head; ^'. and then I will own no Curfe too bad for him " that iliall not pay the utmoft Refped and Ohe- " bedience to fuch an Hierarchy as that." And what Calvin fays in general of fuch an Hierarchy Binghanis Works, Folio Edition, Vol. IL T O T H E P U B L I C. 93 as ours, Beza and the mod iiludrious foreign Pro- Sect. teflants have particularly applied to the Church of ^^* England. If then Calvin and the mofl celebrated foreign Protefbants, were of Opinion, in former 'Times ^ that the Diffenters in England ought peaceably to fuh- mit to the Government of our Bifhops : furely the Diffenters in America now^ when the Englifh Epif- copal Government is fo much milder than hereto- fore, will not oppofe the very Exiftence of Bifhops in the fame Country v/ith themfelves — efpecially as no Obedience or Submiffion at all from them is required or expelled. But, as was faid before, I take not this to be the prefent Difpofition of Diffenters in America, and believe that they would refent the Imputation of it as a grofs Affront. They have acquired the fam.e liberal Turn in their Sentiments and Manners, with the Diffenters at Home ; and provided there be no Invafion of their Privileges and Rights, they can live as quietly and peaceably with their Neighbours, although diffe- ring in Principles, and even with Billiops, as their Brethren can in any other Part of the World. Some of them indeed formerly have had an Averfion to the Idea of Bifhops in America, on the Suppofition that they mufb become fubjedi; to their Authority. But the Plan which is now fixed, muff effectually obviate all their Objedtions and diffipate their Fears*. As the Bifhops propofed will have no Power over them, or Concern with them, there can be nothing to alarm them. Our Ordinations cannot hurt them ; any more than their Ordinations can injure vis. They can have no more Reafon to complain of Confirmation, or of any other Epifcopal Office performed in our Churches by Bifhops, than they now have to complain, that Preach* 94 A N A P P E A L Sf cT. Preachins; and the common Adminiftration of the ^^^ Sacraments are pradiced in them by Prefbyters. And as to fuch Difcipline and Government as is in- tended to be exercifed under an Epifcopate, they will have no Reafons to be difTatisfied therewith -, any more than we now have to be difTatisfied with the Difcipline exercifed by them—but on the other Hand, they will have many Reafons to be pleafed with it. There are feveral Things in the Church of Eng- land in America, owing to the Want of a proper Superintendency and Government, with which they fay they are offended^ and the Removal of Offences will naturally give them Pleafure. Sometimes they have been grieved, at feeing the ill Behaviour of a Clergyman in the Orders of our Church ; but by the Settlement of American Bifhops, a Remedy wll be provided for this Diforder. Sometimes they have lamented, that the Bifhops at Home, and the Society for the Propagation of the Gofpel^ have been impofed upon by falfe Accounts tranfmitted from hence by our American Clergy, (whether with or without juil and fufHcient Reafons, I will not flop to enquire) j but under an Epifcopate, they mufl be fenfible that there can be no Opportunity for any grofs Impofitions of this Nature. Sometimes, again. Complaints have been made, that, in Con- ft quence of this falfe Information, MifTions have been ereded in improper Places, and the Society's Bounty has been mifapplied ; but of all fuch Cafes Bifliops in this Country will be competent Judges, and no Perverfion or Abufe of the Societv's Fa- vours will be fulfered to continue. Some of them have fignified that it would give them the utmoft pleafure, to fee more vigorous Efforts made by the Society^ for propagating the Gofpel amongft the Heathqus I IX. TO THE PUBLIC. 95 Heathens on our Borders : This Pleafure the So- Sect. ciety intends to afford them, as foon as Bilhops Ihall be fettled in America, without which this im- portant Work cannot be condu61:ed properly— and this is one Reafon why an Epilcopate has been fo earneflly requefted. I might inftance in many other Particulars to the fame Purpofe, but thefe" are fuf- ficient to fhew, that an American Epifcopate will probably produce many Effe6ls that will be agree- able to the Diffenters. And as the Laws of Chri- (lian Charity and Benevolence oblige them to de- fire it, for our Sake -, fo they may be fjppofed, very confidently, to defire it alfo for their own. If our American Bilhops are to have no Autho- rity over Diffenters, nor indeed to exercife Difci- pline over our own People, the Clergy excepted -, then the frightful Obiedion of Spiritual Courts in- tirely vanifhes. For if no Authority of this Kind will be claimed or exercifed by them, we may be fure that no Courts will be ereded for the Exercife of it. What Foundation there is for Complaint of the Spiritual Courts in England, 1 know not. Per- haps they may have ufed too great Severity in fome jparticular Inftances. But this Complaint is not unfrequently made, of our common Courts of Juilice. Cruelty and Severity is by no Means the Charadtef of the Englifh Bilhops, nor is it conne6ted with the Exercife of their Authority, more than with that of the civil Magiftrate : and in all Courts, Whether Ecclefiaftical or others, where an Injury is fuffered, the Laws of England have provided a Remedy. If fome of the Laws which relate to thefc Courts, are imagined to bear hard upon Britifh Liberty, this, 96 A N A P P fe A L Sect, this, by the Way, is not- neceilarily to be confidered ^^' as the Fault of the Bifnops — it ought to be charged to the Account of the Legillature in general, and not of a particular Branch of it. But b'e this as it may, it is probable that thefe, and all other Eccle- liafiical Laws, as well as our Liturgy and public Offices, and our Trandation of the Bible, will be reviev/ed, as foon as it fhall be thought that there is good Senfe and Candour enough in the Body of the Nation to admit of it. Some undoubtedly blame thefe Courts, becaufe they find themfelves punifhed therein for A6lions, of which other Courts at prefent take no Cogni- zance. But fuch Perfons do not confider, that if Spiritual Courts were aboliflied, thofe Addons which are profecuted and brought to Trial there only, would many of them be made punilhable in other Courts, as they were before the Norman Co7i~ queft ', fmce they are efteemed by the Legiflature of the Nation to be inconfifcent with the public Happinefs. ' Upon the Whole, I m.ay venture to aifert, that the Spiritual Courts at Flome, with aU their De- fe6ls, are an Advantage *to the Public: and that the Annihilation of them would be no Benefit to thofe Individuals, who make the loudefl Com- plaints of them. But whether they are ufeful or hurtful, and whether the Averfion to them in , this Country be rightly founded or not •, as it is certain that thty will never be eflablilhed here, they cannot with Propriety be made an Objection againfl an Epifcopate. SECT, rOTHEPUBLIC. ^y Sect X. S E C T 1 O N X. ^he Cafe of tithes difiin5llj examined^ and the Appr4- hen/ton of being forced to pay them in this Country ^ proved to he intirely groundlefs. AS to 'Tithes^ of which many Americans h^ve had formidable Apprehenfions, there could be no Reafon to fear the Payment of them here, even fhould the Authority of our Bifhops be as full and extenfive as it is in England ; and it is owing ^iltogether to Ignorance and Mifapprehenfion, that People here have ever given themielves Uneafmefs on that Account. As perhaps no Prejudice has taken deeper Root or extended wider in America than this, and as it Hill continues to prevail in the Minds of many well-meaning but millaken People; fome Pidns taken to undeceive them, and to place this Subjedl in its true Light, will not be condem- ned by the friendly Reader. Tithed cannot be demanded by Bifnops in this Country, becaufe there are none belonging to the Church : they are demanded in England, only be- caufe they are due to the Church. They are due to the Church there, becaufe they have been freely given to it, by the ancient Proprietors of the Lands ; and the Laws relating to them do not convey them to the Church, but make them recoverable as its Property, to which it had a previous and compleat Right. This Right was veiled in the Church by* '■ King Ethelwulph^ with the Confent of his Barons, in the Year 854. At this Time all the Lands in England were properly the Kings Dcmefne^ and he O had 98 ANAPPEAL Sect, had as good a Right to difpofe of any Part of them ^' in this Manner, as any Proprietor or Owner of Lands in this Country has, to difpofe of them to fuch Perfons and for fuch Pnrpofes as he thinks proper. Sir Edward Coke^ in his Comment upon Littleton's 'Tenures *, fays : " It appeareth by the " Laws and Ordinances of ancient Kings, and efpe- " cially of King Alfred, that the firfl King of this " Realm had all the Lands of England in Demefne, " and les grands Manours and Royalties they refer- ". ved to themfelves, and with the Remnant they « for the Defence of the Realm enfeoffed the Ba- *' rons of the Realm with fuch Jurifdidlion as the " Court Baron now hath." The very Charter, by which this Conveyance was made, is extant, we are told, in the old Ab-" bot Ingulph, in Matthew of Weftminfter, and the Leiger Book of the Abbey of Abingdon, This Charter was folemnly offered by the King s^n the Altar at Winchefter, in the Prefence of his Bilhops and Barons, and of Beored and Edtnund, the Two tributary Princes oi Mercia and the Eaft- Angles, by whom it was alfo figned ; it was accepted by the Bifhops in Behalf of the Church, and immediately fuhlifhed throughout all the Parilhes in England. The Charter, as tranllated by Collier, is in the fol- lowing Words : " I Ethelwulph, by the Grace of God, King of " the P^efi-Saxons, with the Advice of the Bifhops, " Earls, and all the Perfons of Condition in my " Dominions, Have, for the Health of my Soul, " the Good of my People, and the Profperity of " my Kingdom, fixed upon a prudent and fer- *' viceable Refolution of granting the Tenth Part " of * As quoted by Dr. Hejlin, TOTHEPUBLIC. 99 " of the Lands throughout our whole Kingdom to Sect. " the holy Churches and Minifters of Religion, ^' " officiating and fettled in them, to be perpetually *' enjoyed by them, with all the Advantages of a " Free Tenure and Eftate. It being likewife our '' Will and Pleafure, that this unalterable and in- " defeafible Grant Ihall for ever remain difcharged " from all Service due to the Crown, and all other '' Incumbrances incident to Lay-Fees : which Grant *' has been made by us in Honour of our Lord " Jefus Chrift, the Blefled Virgin, and all Saints ; ^' and out of Regard to the Pafchal Solemnity, and " that God Almighty might vouchfafe his BlefTing " upon us and our Pofterity. Signed Anno 854, ^' Indi^ion the Second, at the Feaft of Eafter ■\'* Afterwards, when a Diftribution was made of the Lands to the Barons for the Defence of the King- dom, they received them under this Incumbrance ;, and by Conveyance and Defcent they have come down into the Hands of their prefentPofTeflbrs, thus incumbered, i. e. Nine Parts as private Property, and the Tenth Part as, through all Changes, be- longing to the Church. When therefore the TithQ is paid to the Church, the Church only receives its own, and what never did, nor can rightfully, be-i long to the Perfon who pays it. To make the Nature of Tithes appear plainer if poflible, let us confider them in their mod fimple and original State, before any Alteration was introduced by Impropriations, Modus's^ &c. And here let us fuppofe two Eftates of equal Value, each to be really worth One Thoufand Pounds, but one free from Tithes, the other titheable. If thefe two Eftates were to be fold, the Price of the firft would be its full •V ■ .• II I II ■ I M l ' t Ecclejiajikal Hi/iory, Vol. I, Page 15.6. loo A N A P P E A L Sect, full Value One Thoufand Pounds, while that of the other would be abated, in Proportion to this In- cumberance. Or fuppofing thele two Eflates to. be leafed at an annual Rent ; in this Cafe, if the former is rented at Fifty Pounds per Annum, the latter will be rated at Forty-five Pounds only, to, be paid to the Landlord, the remaining Tenth Part being due and payable to the Church. From thefe fuppofed Cafes the Nature of Tithes plainly appears ; and it alfo appears, that none have Reafon to complain of the Hardfhip of paying them, any more than of paying Rent to the Land- lord—or than he who receives Money belonging to the Church, can juftly complain of being accoun- table for the Ufe of it. For as the Tenth Part of the Produce of the Land, in this latter Cafe, be- longs to the Church, the Landlord never purchafed it, and confequently he has no Right to receive it from the Tenant. If the Tenant pays Five Pounds in Tithes to the Church, he pays but Forty-five to the Landlord, in all Fifty Pounds •, whereas, if he paid no Tithes, he would be obliged to pay the • fame Sum of Fifty Pounds to the Landlord. If Tithes were exactly paid in the Manner here ftated, neither Party would be injured in their Rights -, the j Church would receive Nothing but its ov/n from % the Land-Holder, nor the Land-Holder from the > Church, and neither in this Cafe wpuld be injured or benefited. Although the State of Tithes in England is now become more complex and intricate than is here . Hated, owing to ,niany Caufes, which it is not my prefent Bufinefs to aflign ; yet their true Founda- tion and Original has been explained, from whence the general Nature of them, which continues the fapie, may be eafily underllood. And it evidently, follows. TOTHE PUBLIC. loi follows from what has been faid, that fo far as the Sect. Church is fupported in England by Tithes, efpe- ^' cially by Predial Tithes, it is lupported without any Expence to the Inhabitants, Some may imagine that the Tithes of mod Parifhes in England mull amount to an enormous Sum, and that fuch exorbitant Wealth muft have a general bad EfFed upon the Clergy. Whether this be fo or not, is, I confefs, not immediately to my prefent Purpofe to confider. And yet, fmcc I have entered upon the Subjed, I would willingly, if polTible, remove every Prejudice and Miflake concerning it, which have been conceived in the Minds of Americans. Every Prejudice relating to this Subjed, contributes Something to that Aver- fion to Bifhops, which many are pofrefTed of. The candid Reader will therefore excufe my taking No- tice, even of fuch Prejudices as thefe, as not alto- gether impertinent to my general Defign. In what Manner Wealth has a natural Tendency to affedl the Clergy, may be concluded from this common Aflertion, fometimes made with a friend- ly Intenti,on, but perhaps more frequently with a malicious one, but which is ftri6tly and literally true, that the Clergy are hut Men. For this will diredly lead us to infer, that Wealth will operate upon them, much in the fame Manner that it does upon Men in general. Upon fome it will have a bad Effedl, and upon others a good one, according to the prevailing Difpofition and Chara6ler of each Perfon refpeiStively. But as it is hoped that, in Proportion to their Numbers, there is more true Piety and Virtue to be found amongft them, than- in any other Order of Men -, fo it will be expe6ted, that their Wealth is proportionably employed to fetter Purpofe. And, to fay nothing of what has been 102 ANAPPEAL Sect, been beflowed m private Charity, if we take a View X. of all the public Inftitutions in the Kingdom, fuch as Colleges, Hofpitals and charitable Societies i the Friends of the Clergy will have the Pleafure to find, that none have been more forward than they, in affording all ufeful and charitable AfTiftance to their Fellow- Creatures. As to the other Part of the Suggeilion, concer- ning the Amount of Tithes ', it is acknowledged, that if they were at this Day paid according to the original Grant of them, they would, in moil Pa- rilhes, produce a large Revenue to the Church. But under the prefent Cufloms and Regulations, I believe that there is not a Parifh in England that pays a full Tithe, agreeably to the Intention of the Donors, in fuch a Manner that the Incumbent receives Five Pounds out of every Fifty Pounds produced by the Parifh : But of this there is no Complaint, with Regard to thofe Parilhes,, where the Clergy are ftili provided for fufficiently j and it is confelTed that there are fuch in the Kingdom. But the Number of them is very fmall, whencom-^ pared with that of the Livings that fall fhortof it. An Author of Reputation fays : " It is well " known that there are in England and Wales about " Three Thoufand parochial Cures, none of which " exceed the yearly Value of Thirty Pounds a ^' Year, Two Thoufand of which are not above '^ Twenty Pounds a Year a piece, and a Thoufand " of thofe not above Twelve Pounds a Year. I, *' (fays he) now Minifter to a Congregation of " about Twelve Hundred People, in the deareft '^ Part of England^ and almoll daily am employed ''- in the Bufmefs of the Cure, and yet have not *"' Fifty Pounds per Annum certain, of which the ^^ Tithes are about Thirteen Pounds per Annum^ *' and X. T O T H E P U B L I C. 103 " and the Glebe about Twelve Pounds *." Now Sect can it be imagined that the Tithes are fully paid in any of thefe Parifhcs, I mean that the Tenth Part of the yearly Value of the Lands in the Parifh, is paid to the 1 ncumbent ? A landed Eftate of Three Hundred Pounds per Annum is efteemed but mo- derate in any Part of England ; and yet the com- pleat Tithe of fuch an Eilate is more, than all the Tithes that are a6lually paid in the largeft of Three Thoufand Parifhes — as the proper Tithe of an Eftate of but One Hundred and Twenty Pounds per Annum, is equal to the Tithes received by the Incumbent, in a Thoufand Pariihes. The Author mentions his Qwn particular Cafe, wherein he cannot reiftake. His Cure, I fuppofe, he meant Margate in Kent^ contained about Twelve Hundred People, which cannot be computed at lefs than Two Hundred Families, and his Tithe* amounted to about Thirteen Pounds per Annum, i. e. not to One Shilling and Four Pence to a Fa- mily on an Average, which is but the Tenth Part of Thirteen Shillings and Four Pence. From this Reprefentation, is it pofTible not to fee, that the Church at Home has fuffered a pro- digious Depredation of its Property ? And that; in the Cafe of Tithes, there are indeed the greateft Reafons for Complaint — but not on the Side of thofe who pay, but of thofe who receive them ? And yet, not fatisfied with the Injuries that afe paft, fome, it is faid, ft ill pay with Relu61:ance the poor Pittance that is left ! But, as has been ob- served. Men might as juftly refufe to pay the Rent that is due to their Landlords, or any juft Debts whatever. For what is faved from the full Pay- ment * Ls'wis's ExamifMtim of the Rights, &c. Page ^zz. 104 aNAPPEAL Sect, ment of Tithes, where they are due, by any Arts or Evafions, is only fo much gained by the Plunder of the Church, already greatly difbreffed in many Parifhes : a Species of Injuilice which has the true Nature of Sacrilege^ and is as highly criminal un- der the Gofpel, and even the Law of Nature, as it ever was under the Law of Mofes. Let us now return, and 'proceed to the Appli- cation of what has been faid on the Subjedl of Tithes, to the Cafe of America. If any Perfon in America has given to the Church the Tithes of his Eftate, as pofTibly fome may have done, although I have never heard of fuch an Inftance-, the Church has unqueftionably a Right to receive it, whether we have Bifhops or not. If any have given lefs or more than this Proportion, as fome have ; the Church has equally the fame Right to receive it— the Right being not founded on the Circumflance of its being precifely a 'Tenth Part, but on the free Gift and Conveyance of the legal Proprietor. Whatever has been given or conveyed to the Church, the Church has a Right to demand-, what- ever has not been given or conveyed to the Church, belongs not to the Church, nor can it be claimed as its Property. The Cafe of Societies, whether Ecclefiaflical or Civil, is exa6lly the fame, in Regard to the Acqui- fition of Property, with that of Individuals. Nei- ther of them can obtain a Right to the Property of others, without the free Confent or Conveyance of the true Proprietors. Thefe Principles are evi- dently and neceffarily founded on the Law of Na- ture, and no Power, either divine or human, can reverfe them. Can any then be fo weak as to fear, that the Arrival of Bifhops in America, will imme- diately caufe the Nature and Relation of Things 4:a T O T H E P U B L I C. 105 to be changed ? The Refidence and Power of more Sect.* than Twenty Bifhops in England have no general EfFedt upon private Property j and we may be very certain, that the Refidence of one or two Bifhops in this, which is a much larger Country, without any Power of a temporal Nature, will not affedt it. In this Refpedt, at leaft, our American Bifhops will be like the Bifhops of the primitive Church ; they will content themfelves with fuch a Reception as they can obtain fairly, and claim no Perquifites, but fuch as fhall be freely granted them. But although it is evident, that Tithe^ in the prefent State of Things, cannot be claimed in this Country, and that Bifhops cannot make any Change in the Nature of Property; yet fome may go on to obje6t, that the Laws of England relating to Tithes, will take Place in America, under an Epifcopate. I anfwer : thofe Laws unlefs they are now binding in America, or have fome enadling Claufe to make them to be of Force here as foon as we fhali have Bifhops, neither of which will be pretended by the Objediors, can no more operate in this Country under an Epifcopate, than without one. They can never have any EfFedl here, until an A6b of Parlia- ment fhall be made to extend them to us. And it is abfurd to fuppofe, that fuch an A6t will be made ; becaufe all that it could efFedt, is fufiicient- ly provided for already, by thofe Laws which are univerfally allowed to be in Force in America. For, as has been before fhewn, the Laws which relate to Tithes in England, only enable the Church to recover them as its lawful and equitable Pro- perty, but do not make them its Property. There are many Eftates in England, which, notwith- llanding thofe Laws, pay no Tithes at all. This, in particular, is the Cafe of molt of the Abbey- P Laads «o6 AN APPEAL Sect. Lands which were veiled in the Crown, in the Reign of Henry VIII. on the Diflblution of the Monafteries. If then the Laws in Queftion make not Lftates titheable in England, a Perfon of the loweft Capacity can draw the Confequence, that they can make none fo here. SECT. TO THE PUBLIC. SECTION XI. Farther Sufpicions and Olje5iions obviated^ and thi Suhje5i concluded. toy B UT it may be inquired, whether new Laws Sect. will not be made, in Cafe of an American XI. Epifcopate, tofubjedt us to the Payment of Tithes? But of this there can be no more Reafon to be ap- prehenfive, than if Bifhops were not to be fent hither. Tithes are not paid in England to Bifhops, but to the Incumbents of Parilhes; and the Clergy in this Country will have no greater Need of Tithes after the Arrival of Bifhops, than they now have, and have had always. In fevcral Provinces on this Continent, the Clergy are regularly and well fup- ported : and in the others, we have no Profpedt but Hill to depend, in a great Meafure, upon the Charity of our Bencfadors at Home, until God fliall either enable or difpofe our Friends in this Country to do more for us. But as Ignorance is ever fufpicious, it may far, ther be afked. Shall we not be taxed in this Country for the Support of Bifhops, if any fhall be appoin- ted ? I anfwer. Not at all. But Ihould a general Tax be laid upon the Country, and thereby a Sum be raifed fuflicient for the Purpofe : and even fup- pofing we Ihould have three Bifhops on the Con- tinent, which are the moft that have been men- tioned-, yet I believe fuch a Tax would not amount to more than Four Pence in One Hundred Pounds. Ajid this would be no mighty Hardfhip upon the Country. He that could think much of giving the Six io8 AN APPEAL Sect. Six Thoufandth Part of his Income to any Ufe^ • which the Legiflature of his Country ihould afTign, deferves not to be confidered in the Light of a good Subjed, or Member of Society. But no fuch Tax is intended, nor, I truft, will be wanted. It has been propofed from the very Beginning, that the American Bifhops fhould be fupported without apy Expence to this Countiy. A Fund accordingly has been eflablifhed, for this particular Purpofe, for more than half a Century paii, urder the Influence and Dire6Vion of the So- ciety for the Propagation of the Gofpel ; and many worrhy Perfons have contributed generoully and largely to the Increafe of it. I can recoUecl as I am writing, the following Inllances : Archbifliop ^ennifon, who has been dead upwards of Fifty Years, bequeathed to it One Thoufand Pounds Sterling •, Sir Jonathan 'Trelawney-, near the fame Time, another Thoufand Pounds ; the Lady Eli- zabeth Haftings^ Five Hundred Pounds -, Biihop Butler^ Five Hundred Pounds ; Bifliop Benfon^ Two Hundred Pounds^ Biihop Ofhaldefton^ Five Hundred Pounds -, and Mr. Fijher^ One Thoufan^ Pounds. Thefe, and all other Sums which the Society have received for thJ3 Ufe, were put into the public Funds as foon as paid into their Hands, and have been accumulating ever fmce, excepting what they expended at Burlington^ in the Manner that has been mentioned. If this Stock is not fuf- ficient for the Support of a proper Epifcopate in America, I imagine the Difficulty in making it fuf- ficient, will not be great. For, as many have given liberally on the remote Profpe5f of its being needed, it is not to be doubted but Benefadors will be raifed up, when AfTiftance ihall be called for by a frefent Necejftty, Another T O T H E P U B L I G. 109 Another Objeftion has been made by fome Per- Shct fons, to the following Purport ; That if BiHiops arc once fettled in America, although m the Man- ner we now propofe, there will probably be an Augmentation of their Power, as foon as Circum- ftan°eswill admit of it: and what is eafy and m- ofFenfive in its Beginning, may become burthen- fome and oppreffive in its End. But at this Rate there can be no End of objefting. tor if every foffibk ill Effea of a Thing, although confeffedly proper in itfelf and harmlefs in its natural Tendency, may be made an Argument againft it, there is no- thing that can efcape. Arguments of this Sort may be as fairly and properly alledged-againlt a religious Toleration, which is now generally effeemed by Proteftants, to be a natural Right ot Men, and a very important one of Chriftians — ^(^ainft admitting thofe who diffent from the na- tional Religion to any Degree of civil or jnihtary Power, to which, indeed, they have no natural Rio-ht— againft allowing the common People the Ufe of the Holy Scriptures, or the Liberty of exa- mining any Points of Religion or Government— ao-ainft futFering any to receive a learned Educa- tion, &c. for none can tell what ill Confequences and Abufes may follow, in fome future Period, from thefe Conceflions and Indulgences. Ihe Truth is. Men are not to be terrified or influenced by Fears of fuch Confequences as are barely pof- fible ■ but to confider what is reafonable and pro- per in itfelf, and what EfFefts will probably and naturally follow. That an American Epifcopate is reafonable and proper in itfelf, and that fuch an Epifcopate as is now propofed has a natural Tendency to produce no ill Confequences, has, Itruft, been fufficiently preyed. ^'° AN APPEAL «• thatBifhops m this Country will acquire ?ny In- fluence or Po^yer but what fhall arife from a ge- neral Op,nion of their Abilities and Integrity, a^d a Conviftion of their Ufefulnefs ; and of this no Perfons need dread the Confeque'nces But £uld the Government fee fit hereafter to inveft them With fome Degree of civil Power worthy of theTr Acceptance, which it is impoffible to fay they wHl ev°e;:m"S ''"' '' - APP-ance'th7tIey Favou of^R f^"' "° new Powers will be created in wn^L ./ u u^''- " '' inconceivable that any would thereby be injured. All that the Happinefs and Safety of the Public require, is, that the legiflative and executive Power be placed in the Hands of fuch Perfons, as are poleS of he greateft Abilities, Integrity and Pnidence : a„d'c defe^^el^^SX^^^^ To explain in what iVTanner civil Power if vefted m Amencan Bilhops, would be moSdl to operate, I beg Leave to put the following pkn and famihar Cafe. Let us fuppofe a cKan yjt ??f '"I' °^ ^"^ Den^o^mination, S" Would the Perfons who are immediately concer- ned m his Proceedings, be otherwife affefted, than 1^ w.^ f'^": ^'^J^'"^" • I^ cannot be preten ded. Whether it would be proper to giveS a In r/p" ^«^"y «f;heCler^,^is another Point! In molt Parts of this Country there can now be no Occafion for It, and where it is not evidently ne- cciTary for the Good of the Public, I know that ome of the Clergy would refufe it,' and I bd eve there are but very few that would defire it. If then It could be of no great Confequence to the Publi? ©r TO THE PUBLIC. ,,x or to Individuals, whether a Juftice of the Peace Sect. be a Clergyman or a Layman, fnppofmg their ^^- * Abilities and perfonal Characters to be equal ; fo, if Bifhops Ihould be invefled with a proportionable Degree of civil Authority, neither would there be any great Reafons for Complaint. But after all, nothing of this Kind is at prefent forefeen or inten! ded; and it is abfolutely determined that no Powers fhall be given them, that can interfere with the civil or religious Rights of any. But there is no Occafion for dwelling on Parti- culars of this Nature. The real and only Plan on which It IS agreed to fettle Bifhops in America when his Majefly Ihall fee fit to appoint them, has been fairly flated and explained in the preceedino- Pages. This Plan is now propofed to the Public^ to fee whether any reafonable Objedions can be offered againfl it. But whatever may be objeaed againfl any different Plan, is not to the Purpofe. The Friends of the Church are defirous to know, what can be faid or fuggefled againfl an American iLpilcopate, in the Form wherein it is propofed to fettle It; and they who have any Thing to offer are requefled to confine themfelves to this parti' cular Point: For to objed aeainfl Bifhops in this Country, under a Form wherein it is determined not to fettle them, is as foreign to the Purpofe, as to objedl agamfl the Authority of the Archbifhop of Gnefna^ or the Pope of i^^/;?^. I have now taken Notice of all the Objeaions that have been made againfl fending Bifhops to America, fo far as they have come to my Know- ledge i and it mufl be left to the Reader ta ludo-e whether, with Regard to the Epifcopate in Que* Ilion, they are not unreafonable and groundlefs. It IS ladeed ppffiblg that gther Obje^igns may have been 112 AN APPEAL Sect, been offered, or may be hereafter fuggefled, againft ^^' American Bifhops ; but I am perfuaded that upon Examination they will generally be found to be Proofs, rather of the Dexterity or 111 -Will of the Inventors, than of the real Fears and Uneafinefs of the Inhabitants. Ar ful Men may raife Objec- tions and Difficulties in the plainefb Cafes, and can make any Ihing an Argument againft any Thing, in a Way that Ihall appear plaufible, to thofe who are unacquainted with the Legerdemain of Cavilers and Sophifts. But whoever employs his Talents in this Exercife, is as unworthy of the public Attention, as the Child that engages in Crambo or Pufh-Pin. Thus, having reprefented theDiftrefs the Church of England in America is under, for Want of an Epifcopate — having attempted to prove, by various Arguments and Confiderations, the Propriety and Fitnefs and NecefTity of relieving it, and of allow- ing it the 'fame Advantages which are granted to all other Denominations of Chriftians in his Ma- jefty's American Dominions— and having explained the Nature and Extent of that Authority with which our Bilhops will be invefted, when it fhall be thought proper to fend them, and fhewn that fuch an Appointment can produce no Harm to the Diflenters, nor afford juft grounds of Uneafinefs or Complaint to any ; I muft now haften to a Con- clufiQn, fubmiting what has beert offered to the Judgment of the Reader. Nothing has been af- ferted, in the Courfe of this Work, but what the Author believes, upon good Evidence, to be true; no Argument has been advanced, but with a full Perfuafion of its being pertinent and conclufive. He looks upon the Subjed to be of uhe utmoit Impor- TO THE PUBLIC. 113 Importance; and he has no Difpofition to trifle Sect, with it, or with the Public to which he appeals. If thefe Papers Ihoiild have the Honour of coming into the Hands of any of thofe Perfons, from whofe Power or Influence an American Epif- copate is in any Meafure expected ; the Author humbly begs, that the Caufe which he has under- taken to plead, may not fuffer, in tljeir Eftima- tion, from the Unfkilfulnefs of its prefent Advo- cate. Although he greatly diflrufts his own Management, he has no Diffidence of the Caufe itfelf. He believes it to be the Caufe of Truth, of Juftice, and of Chriflianity, and as fuch he moft refpe6tfully and fubmifTively recommends it, imploring their Attention to fo extraordinary and important a Cafe, as that of the Church of Eng- land in America. It need not be repeated, that unlefs Bifhops (hould be fpeedily fent us, we can forefee nothing but the Ruin of the Church in this Country. It need not be fuggefted, that fuch an Event is too much to be hazarded, when no Good can be ex- peded to arife from fuch a Rifque, and much Evil will probably follow it — Evil, which it is the unqueftionable Duty of thofe to j)revent, who are intrufled with the Interefts of the Nation. The Church of England here, is fo infeparably con- ne6led with the Church at Home, or rather, is fo elTentially the fame with it, that it muft ever fub- fift or perifh, by the fame Means. The Caufes indeed, which deftroy it here, may be local, and not immediately operate in England; but then, that Inattention and Negligence in our national Superiors, which would fuffer it to be deftroy ed in the Colonies, muft have a general Effedl, and can produce no Good to the fame Church in the Q^ Mother- XL 114 ANAPPEAL Sect; Mother-Country, Here, the Church has been long flruggling under fuch an increafing Load of Difficulties, and is now in fuch a State of Oppref- ' fion, as to deferve the Compaffion of the whole Chriitian World. From our own Nation, and the Guardians of its Interefts, it conceives itfelf to be intitled to more; as there is a Concurrence of every Kind of Motive for prevailing upon them, to afford it the Relief which is fo effentially needed. The common Principles of Juflice, and the moll facred Obligations of the Chriftian Religion, have been Ihewn to require this at their Hands. Nor need the Author ufe many Words to prove, that Confiderations even of a political Nature, are fufficient in this Cafe, to prevail with thofe who are infenfible to other Motives. The Church of England, in its external Polity, is fo happily con- neded and interwoven with the Civil Confhitution, that each mutually fupports and is fupported by the other. . The greateft Friendiliip and Harmony have ever fubfiflea between them •, and in that me- morable Period, wherein. the Ruin of the one was effeded, the Defeu6lion of the other immediately followed. The Refurredion of the one,.^ after- wards clofely attended the Reftoration of the other; and he that h.as a Regard for the Happi^efs of either, can nev«r wiih t^ fee the Experiment re- peated, either in England or her Colonies* It is not pretended that the C[iara6ter and Man- ners of the prefent Times are, in this Jlefpedl, the fame, as in the Period refcred to ;. nor that thofe Vv^ho are Enemies to Epifcopacy in this Age, are Enemies to Monarchy, as was frequently the Cafe formerly. Xhe contrary is evident, in innume- rable Inflances. There are many Britifh Subjects, both at Home and in ijae Plancations, who reje6t Epif- T O T H E P U B L I C. 115 Epifcopacy, and yet are warm Advocates for our Sect. happy Civil Conftitution. It is therefore rafn and ^^* injurious to charge any with Difaffe6tion to the Government, at this Day, becaufe they dilTent from the national Religion. But notwithftanding, Epifcopacy and Moi, rchy are, in their Frame and Conftitution, beft fuited to each other. Epifco- pacy can never thrive in a Republican Govern- ment, nor Republican Principles in an Epifcopal Church, For the fame Reafons, in a mixed Mo-- narchy, no Form of Ecclefiaftical Government can ib exadlly harmonize with the State, as that of a qualified Epifcopacy, And as they are mutually adapted to each other fo they are mutually introdu6live of each other. He that prefers Monarchy in the State, is more likely to approve of Epifcopacy in the Church, than a rigid Republican, On the other Hand, he that is for a Parity and a popular GovernmenC in the Church, will more eafily be led to approve of a fimilar Form of Government in the State, how little foever he may fufped: it himfelf. It is not then to be wondered, if our Civil Rulers have always confidered Epifcopacy as the fureft Friend of Monarchy *, and it may reafonably be expelled from thofe in' Authority, that they will fupport and afTift the Church in America, if from no other Motives, yet from a Regard to the State, with which it has fo friendly and clofe an Alliance, But there is no Reafon to doubt, but every proper Motive will have its Effe6t, upon thofe wife and illuftrious Patriots, who now condudl our public Affairs. We no more fufpeft the Goodnefs of their Difpofitfon, than the Reafonablenefs of the Caufe, for which we are fo anxious. All that we can bejuftly apprehenfive of, is, that to thofe who - refidt ^^^ ANAPPEAL S£c/r. refide at fuch aDiflahce, the Neceffity of relieving the Church m America, with all poffihle Speed, may not be fo evident, as to thofe who are Eye-Wit- nelTes of its fufFering Condition. We therefore beg Leave to fuggeft this—and earneftly to requeft, that the Relief, which we doubt not is intended, niay htfpeedily granted. The ill EfFeds of delay- ing It, may be irretrievable. The prefent favour- able Opportunity may be foon loft, and then De- Ipair will fucceed our difappointed Expedtation. Jo thofe who have been averfe to American Bifhops, and hitherto have fliewn a Difpofition to oppofe their Settlement, I have but a Word more to offer.. Their Prejudices, we charitably believe, rnuft have arifen altogether fi;;om Mifapprehenfions of the Cafe, and from the Fears which, from thence, have been conceived, of their becoming Sufferers, either in their Property or Privileges, by the Epif- copate in Queftion. The Subjed: is here placed m Its true Light, and thereby, it is trufted, their Mifapprehenfions are fairly removed, and their con- , fequent Fears are fh^wn to be groundlefs. Inftead j therefore of diftrefTing themfelves, or of oppofing ' the Church in the Cafe before us, we flatter our- ^ felves that they will ad: the Past, wl^ich Generofity and Candour prefcribe, and behave towards us as , Fellow-Chnftians and Eroteftants ought to behave J to one another. If they have been led by Igno- " ranee or Mifinform^tion to oppofe a Caufe, which they now find to be juft ; their Duty obliges them to be careful for the future, at the very leaft, not i to obftrud it. If th^y are in R^lity the Friends of Truth, and Juftice, and Liberty, which thc\^ pretend and we are willing to believe them to be, they muft be heartily difpofed to adl a friendly Part tov/ards us, with Regard to an Epifcopate-, which T O T H E P U B L I C. 117 which Difpofition will add greatly to their own Se cr. Happinefs, as we)! as to ours. They know, by ^^* Experience, the ineflimable Value of thofe Advan- tages, for which we have petitioned ; and if we are as fairly intitled to them as any other Chriftian So- cieties, they ought not to envy, but to take Plea- fure in, our Enjoyment of them. If all the religious Denominations in America, by the general Conftitution of the BritiHi Colonies, are to be treated on the Footing of a perfe6t Equa- lity, for which fome have contended; then, the Church of England is as fully intitled to the com- pleat Enjoyment of its own Difcipline and Inftitu- tions, as any other Chriftians. If any one Deno- mination is intitled to a Superiority above others, as is believed by many *, then, the Claim of the Church of England to this Preference, is not to be difputed. One of thefe mufl be undoubtedly the Cafe ; and on either Suppofition, to endeavour to prevent the Epifcopate we have afked for, is In- juftice and Cruelty. If any fhould remain unconvinced by the Argu- ments that have been advanced, or unfatisfied with the Solution of Objedbions that has been attempted, or ftiould,ha¥« any new Obje6lions to offer ; the Author will be ready, in Cafe ot a decent Notifi- cation of it, to reconfider the former, and to exa- mine the latter — fhould it be thought proper by his Friends, upon whofe Judgment, in fuch Matters, he will always depend more, than upon his own. For the prefent, he begs Leave to conclude in the Words of an eminent Writer of the laft Century, as they exadly reprefent his own Difpofition and Sentiments : '' I fhall heartily befeech all thofe " who fhall plcafe to read what has been written, J' that if they meet with any Thing therein, which " either ii8 AN A P P E A L, &c. Shot. « either is lefs fitly fpoken, or not clearly evi- denced, they would give me Notice of it in fuch ^^ a charitable and Chriftian Way, as I may be the ^^ better for it, and they not the w^r/^. Which ^^ Favour if they pleafe to do me, they Ihall be .. jelcome to me as an Angel of God, fcnt to con- dutt me from the Lanes of Error into the open ,, Ways of Truth. And doing thefe Chriftian Offices to one another, we fliall by God's good Leave and Bleffing, not only hold the Bond of ^^ external Peace, but alfo in due Time be made „ partakers of the Spirit of Unity. Which BleA " u"^^f. .t,^'-^'"'^ '^""''^ gracioufly beftowon ^ his afflided Church, is no fmall Part of our De- ^^ votions m the public Liturgy; where we are „ taught to pray unto Almighty God, that he « ^ould pleafe continually to infpire his miverfal ^^ Church with the Spirit of ^ruth. Unity and Con- " T I 1 ^''^"^ ^^'^* "-^^ *^^y "^^^'h ^0 confers « T, ^yJ'^f^'' m^-y ^gree alfo in the Truth of his ■^^ holy Wora, and live in Unity and godly Love. ^^ Unto which Prayer he hath but iittle of a Chri- Itian, which doth not heartily {3:^, Amen." A n ( "9 ) A N APPENDIX. SINCE the drawing up of thefe Papers, I have met with a Pamphlet 'intitled, A Demonftra- , iion of the uninterrupted Succejjion and holy Confecra- tion of the fir fi Englifio Bifhops^ being an E^tra^ from Mr, Ward's Second Canto of his England's Reforma- tion : with an Intro dilution^ Notes and an Appendix^ containing the folemn funeral Song cf the native Irifh. Printed M,dcc,lxvi. This curious Performance has been printed with ^reat Secrefy, probably in Philadelphia^ although the Place and Name of the Printer be not mentioned, and as fecretly difperfed timongft the Inhabitants cf the remote Parts of the Country. The Defign of it is to ridicule the Of- fice and SuccelTion of our Englifli Bifhops, and the Occafion of it appears to have been the late Application made by lb me of the Clergy, for Ame- rican Bifliops. The Editor, in his Introdu61;ion, which he has endeavoured to fet to the Tune of Ward's Canto in doggerel Verfe, ahfurdly alTumes the Chara6ler of a ChurchmoMy as he introduces his Hero to de- fend, what he even profeffes to expofe ; whereas a Regard to Confiftency of Charafier, which is as neceffary in Works of Drollery and Humour as in any other, ftiould have led him to appear in his true 120 AN APPENDIX. true Shape of an Anti-Epfcopallan^ or rather of an Anti-Proteftant. For the Story of the Nag'^s-Head Confecration, the only Engine with which this vain Mortal ad- vances to attack the Church, is well known to have been a Fidlion of the Papifts^ invented Forty Years after the Time wherein it is faid to have been tranfafted, and when it was hoped that no diredl; Proof could be made of its Falfity. But he, who frequently " difappointeth the Devices of *' the Crafty," fo ordered it in his Providence, that what was thus infamoufly projeded to dif- honour the Church of England, is an eternal Mo- nument of Reproach to the Church that invented it, as it muft ever difgrace thofe who endeavour to propagate it. But that the Reader may better judge of it, an Account of the whole Affair, as given by Bijhop Burnet^ is hereunto fut)joined. The Extract from Ward^ which makes the Body and even the Soul of the Pamphlet, is no- thing elfe than a Repetition of this villainous Slan- der of the Nag^s-Head Confecration in wretched Rhyme, cooked up and larded with fuch unfavoryi Ingredients, as muil render it offenfive to every Perfon of the lead Delicacy, and can agree only with fuch Stomachs as can bear the Ranknefs of Train Oil. It is now generally agreed that Ridicule, even when managed with the greateft Dexterity, is not the Tell of Truth. If this Edi- tor thinks otherwife, let him try the Experiment with One or Two keener and better Pieces, which are recommended for the Improvement of him and his Friends, if peradventure he has any, I mean Butler's Hudibras and Swiff s 'Tale of a Tub. The Appendix is intitled Remarks on the pre- ceedifip- Piece j wherein the Editor condefcends to come A N A P P E N D I X. 121 i come down to the Level of tame Profc, and ad- vances a Number of AfTertions tending to difcredit Epifcopacy, which have been frequently and effec- tually confuted, and fliewn to be falfe. For the Support of them, he refers to a Lift of Authors, who have been often and abundantly anfwered, without taking the leaft Notice of the Anfwers ; and concludes with a doleful Story of a poor Clergyman in Ireland who was fuppofed to be frightened to Death, and a Lamentation of the wild Irifti on the Occafion. This, wc may chari- tably fuppofe, was intended for an Exploit of Wit ; but it will puzzle a Reader of ordinary Sagacity, to difcover any Thing, either in the Imagination, or Execution of it, that can juftly intitle it to this Chara(5ler. His whole Performance is clofed with this grace- ful Period : " I fhall conclude my Remarks with " only adding, that / wijh there may be no Occa- fion to repeat this folemn Dirge over your Bifhop .^ 1.' T„^ 3.,jn.: — J' ' T^u^ TA ^^ u^*.^ :^ <€ Upon his Introdu6lion." The Danser here in timated there is no great Reafon to fear, as it is ftiggefted, not by any public Appearances, but by the Ferocity and Rancour of his own Heart, of which his whole Performance is a Proof. But does he not fay that he wijljes the Occafion may not happen ? Aye, indeed does he ; but any one that reads his Pamphlet, will think it to be as cha- ritable and polite Treatment as he deferves, to re- ply to him in the Words of Valerian^ an old honeft Capuchin, " Mentiris impudent ijftme,"^ Upon the Whole ^ I can venture to pronounce the Performance before me to be the moft unfair, impudent and malicious Thing I have met with ; and I am perfuaded that thofe whom he intended to ferve, or rather to deceive, will not thank him R for 122 AN APPENDIX. for his Trouble. For fo long as Men, in any to- lerable Serife, continue to be reafonable Creatures, fuch Management mull be efleemed a Difgrace to the Caufc which it aims at promoting. If this Perfon is alarmed at the Prolpe6t of Bifhops in America, Why does he not ftand forth fairly and produce his Obje6lions ? In the Name of Goodnefs, let him fhew, if he cart, that the Church of England in this Country has no Need of Bifhops— or that Ihe has no Right to expedl that Bifhops will be granted her— or that fuch an Indulgence will harm the DifTenters. But con- fcious of his Weaknefs, fhould it be put to a fair Trial, he dares not venture into the open Field. Like a Cherokee^ he choofes rather to fkulk in the Dark, and to do what Mifchief he can amongfl fuch of the Inhabitants as he fufpeds to be moft weak and unguarded. Contrary to the Rules of Honour, and the Laws of all civilized Nations, like his Brother-Savages he attacks with poifoned Arrows •, and therewith he too is fupplied by the inveterate Enemies of the Proteflant Interefl. For, as has been obferved, this Nag's-Head Affair, was altogether a mean and wicked Contrivance of the Papills, to blaft the Reputation of the Englifh Reformation. TVard was a notorious Papifl, and' his whole Book, from which this Extra^l: is bor- rowed, was written for the very Purpofe of fettino- the Reformed Religion in a contemptible Licrht! What mufl the World then think of fuch a p'ub- ' lication as this .? Or, of a Caufe, that can require fuch an Advocate, and fuch Arts, to fupport it ? I will not give this poetico-profaic Haberdafher any farther Difturbance, but leave him in the Pof- i fefTion of as much Tranquillity and Satisfadion as ! fuch a Produdion^ with the Confeioufnefs of his own A N A P P E N D I X. 123 own evil Intentions, can afford him. Had his Views been honeft^ with whatever Abilities he had acquited himfelf, his Reward would have been greater. For there is much Truth in the Obfer- vation of Father Garaffe, fpeaking of thofe Au- thors that write with a good Defign, that " v/ben ^'' a poor Genius toils incefiantly to produce fome ^' worthlefs ndiculous Piece, and for that Reafon " will never obtain the public Applaufe, yet that " all his Pains might not pafs unrewarded, God " gives him a Seif-Satisfa6lion, for which it v/ould " be an Injuflice beyond Barbarity to envy him, " And thus God, who is all juft, denies not even " to F'/'ogs the Pleafure of being charmed with ^' their ov/n Mufic." M. Pa/chars Letters, An Account of the Confecration of Archbifhop Par- ker, and the Fable of the Nag's-Head confuted^ by Bifhop Burnet. " On the 8th Day of July the Conge d* Elire was fent to Canterbury •, and upon that, on the 2 2d of July^ a Chapter was fummoned to meet the ?ir^ oi Auguft '^ where the Dean and Prebendaries pieeting, they, according to a Method often ufed in their Eledions, did by a Compromife refer it to jthe Dean to Name whom he pleafed : and he naming Dodor Parker^ according to the .Queen's Letter, they all confirmed it, and publifhed their Eledion, finging fe JDeum upon it. On the 9th oi. September the Great Seal was put to a Warrant for his Confecration, directed to the Bilhops of 'Burefme^ Bath and JVells^ Peterborough^ Landaff 1 and to Barlow and Scory (ftiled only Billiops, not being then eleded to any Sees) requiring them to confecrate him. From this it appears, that neither Tonjialy Bourn nor Pool were at that Time turned ^^4 A N A P P E N D I X. turned out : It feems there were fome Hope of gaining them to obey the Laws, and fo to continue in their Sees. " This Matter was delayed to the 6th of De- cember, Whether this flowed from Parker's Un- vvilhngnefs to engage in fo high a Station, or from any other fecret Reafon, I do not know. But then the Three Bifhops lafl named refufmg to do it, a new Warrant pafTed under the Great Seal, to the Bifhop of Landaff, Barlow BiHiop Eled of Ckichefter, Scory Bifhop Eled of Hereford, Cover- dale late Billiop of Exeter, Hodgkins Bilhop SufFra- ^ gan of Bedford, John Suffragan of Thetford, and ^':F^^/^ Bifhop of Offory; that they, or any Four of them, fhould confecrate him. So by Virtue of this, on the 9th oi December, Barlow, Scory, Cover- dale and Hodgkins, met at the Church of "i"/. Mary le Bow, where, according to the Cuftom, the Conge d' Elire, with the Election, and the Royal AfTent to it, were to be brought before them: and thefe being read, WitnefTes were to be cited to prove the Eledion lawfully made ; and ail who would objed- to it were alfo cited. All thefe Things being performed according to Law, and none coming to objed againfl the Eledion, they confirmed it according to the ufual Manner. On the J 7th of December, Parker was confecrated in the Chapel o^ Lambeth, by Barlow, Scory, Co- verdule, and Hodgkins, according to the Book of Ordinations made in Y^g Edward' sT\mt\ Only ,, the Ceremony of putting the Staff in his Hands |l was left out of the Office, in this Reign. He being thus confecrated himfelf, did afterwards coniecrate Bifhops for the other Sees: namely, Grindal Bifhop oi London, Cox, that had been King JE.dzvard'j Almoner, Bifhop of Ely, Hgrn Bifliop , of A N A P P E N D I X. 125 of Winchefter^ Sandys Bilhop of Worcefter^ Merick Bifhop of Bangor^ Young Bifhop of St. David' s^ BuUingham Bilhop of Lincoln, Jewel Bifhop of ^^- lijbury (the great Ornament of that Age for Lear- ning and Piety •,) Davis Bifhop of 6"/. Afaph, Guejl Bifhop of Rochefter, Berkley Bifhop of Bath and Wells, Bentham Bifhop of Coventry and Litchfieldy Alley Bifhop of Exeter, and Far Bifhop of Feter- borough. Barlow and Scory were put into the Sees of Chichefter and Hereford. And fometime after this, \n February 1561, Toung was tranflated from St. David's to Tork -, there being now no Hopes of gaining Heath to continue in it : which it feems had been long endeavoured, for it was now Two Years that that See had been in Vacancy. In like Manner, after fo long waiting to fee if Tonftal would conform, there being now no more hope of it, in March 1561, Filkington was made Bifhop of Durefme. Beji was afterwards made Bifhop of Carlijle, and Downham Bifhop of Chefter. " I have given the more diflindt Account of thefe Promotions, becaufe of a malicious Slander with which they were afperfl in aftertimes. It was not thought on for Forty Years after this. But then it was forged, and pubhfhed, and fpread over the World, with great Confidence, That Farker him- felf was not legally nor truly confecrated. The Author of it was faid to be one Neale, that had been fometime one of Bonner's Chaplains. The Contrivance was, that the Bifhop oi Landaffh^'m^ required by Bonner not to confecrate Farker, or to give . Orders in his Diocefs, did thereupon refufe it : Upon that the Bifhops Eled: being met in Cheapftde at the Nag's-Head Tavern, Neale, that had watched them thither, peeped in through an Hole of the Door, and faw them in great Dit- order^ 126 A N A P P E N D I X; order, finding the BiHiop of Landaff was intract- able. But (as the Tale goes on) Scory bids them all kneel, and he laid the Bible upon every one of their Heads or Shoulders, and faid, Take thou Au- thority to -preach the Word of God fmcerely^ and fo they rofe up all Bifhops. This Tale came fo late into the World, that Sanders and all the other Writers in Queen ElifahetFs Time, had never heard of it : otherwife we may be fure they would not have concealed it. And if the Thing had been true, or if Neale had but pretended that he had feen any fuch Thing, there is no Reafon to think he would have fuppreffed it. But when it might be prefumed that all thofe Perfons were dead that had been prefent at Parker''s Confecra- tion, then was the Time to invent fuch a Story ; .for then it might be hoped that none could contra- di6b it. And who could tell but that fome who had feen Bifhops go from Bow-Church to dine at that Tavern with their Civilians, as fome have done after their Confirmation, might imagine that then was the Time of this Nag's-Head-Confecration. If it were boldly faid, one or other might think he remembered it. But as it pleafed God, there was one living that remembered the Contrary. The old Earl of Nottingham, who had been at the Con- fecration, declared it was at Lambeth, and defcribed all the Circumflances of it, and fatisfied all reafon- able Men that it was according to the Form of the Church of England. The Regifters both of the See of Canterbury, and of the Records of the Crown, do all fully agree with his Relation. For as Parker''s Conge d" Elire, with the Queen's AfTent to his Eledion, and the Warrant for his Confe- cratipn, are all under the Great Seal : So upon the Certificate made by thofe who cgnfecrated him, the Tempo- A N A P P E N D I X. 127 Temporalities were reftored by another Warrant alfo enrolled-, which was to be fhewed to the Houfe of Lords when he took his Place there. Befides that the Confecrations of all the other Bifhops made by him, fhew that he alone was firft confecratcd without any other. And above all other Teflimo- nies, the original Inftrument of Archbifhop Par- ker's Confecration lies ftill among his other Papers in the Library of Corpus-Chrifti College at Cam- hridgCj which I faw and read. It is as manifeftly an original Writing, as any that I ever had in my Hands : I have put it in the Collection, for the more full Difcovery of the Impudence of that Fidlion. But it ferved thofe Ends for which it was defigned. Weak People hearing it fo pofitively told by their Priefts, came to believe it ; and I have myfelf met with many that feemed ftill to give fome Credit to it, after all that clear Confutation, of it, made by the moft ingenious and learned Bifhop Bramhall^ the late Primate of Ireland. Therefore I thought it neceflary to be larger in the Account of this Confecration ; and the rather, be- caufe of the Influence it hath into all the Ordina- tions that have been fince that Time derived down in this Church.'* Hiftory of the Reformation^ Vol. II. Page 402. Arltngtnn library (Sift of X ■) " ■i . M