Scheme II
Of Religion in Virginia
It is an Opinion as erroneous as common, that any sort of Clergymen will serve in Virginia; for Persons of immoral Lives, or weak Parts and mean Learning, not only expose themselves, but do great Prejudice to the Propagation of the Gospel there; and by bad Arguments or worse Example, instead of promoting Religion, become Encouragers of Vice, Profaneness, and Immorality. Whereas were such confined to the narrow Limits of a Parish or two in England, where their Knowledge and their Name would scarce extend farther than the Circumference of their own Country; then neither could their bad Learning nor Example propagate so much Mischief, as when sent Abroad into the World among bright and observing People. Neither do they want quarrelsom and litigious Ministers, who would differ with their Parishioners about insignificant Trifles, who had better stay at Home and wrangle with their own Parishes, which is not so great a Novelty here as there. Neither would they have meer Scholars and Stoicks, or Zealots too rigid in outward Appearance, as they would be without loose and licentious Profligates; these do Damage to themselves, to others, and to Religion.
And as in Words and Actions they should be neither too reserved nor too extravagant; so in Principles should they be neither too high nor too low: The Virginians being neither Favourers of Popery nor the Pretender on the one Side, nor of Presbytery nor Anarchy on the other; but are firm Adherents to the present Constitution in State, the Hanover Succession and the Episcopal Church of England as by Law established; consequently then if these are the Inclinations of the People, their Ministers ought to be of the same Sentiments, equally averse to papistical and schismatical Doctrines, and equally free from Jacobitish and Oliverian Tenets. These I confess are my Principles, and such as the Virginians best relish, and what every good Clergyman and true Englishman (I hope) will favour; for such will never refuse to say with me
God bless the Church, and George its Defender,
Convert the Fanaticks, and baulk the Pretender.
For our Sovereign is undoubtedly the Defender and Head of our national Church of England, in which Respect we may pray for the King and Church; but Christ is the Head of the Universal or Catholick Church, in which Respect we wish Prosperity to the Church and King.
Clergymen for Virginia should be of such Parts, Tempers, and Notions as these. They likewise should be Persons that have read and seen something more of the World, than what is requisite for an English Parish; they must be such as can converse and know more than bare Philosophy and speculative Ethicks, and have studied Men and Business in some measure as well as Books; they may act like Gentlemen, and be facetious and good-humour’d, without too much Freedom and Licentiousness; they may be good Scholars without becoming Cynicks, as they may be good Christians without appearing Stoicks. They should be such as will give up a small Matter rather than create Disturbance and Mischief; for in all Parishes the Minister as well as the People should pass by some little Things, or else by being at Variance the best Preaching may have the worst Effect; yet they must not condescend too far, nor part with a material Right, but must be truly zealous and firm in every good Cause both publick and private. There are many such worthy, prudent, and pious Clergymen as these in Virginia, who meet with the Love, Reputation, Respect, and Encouragement that such good Men may deserve and expect: However, there have been some whose Learning, Actions, and Manners have not been so good as might be wished; and others by their outward Behaviour have been suspected to have been, some Jacobites, and others Presbyterians inwardly in their Hearts.
In Virginia there is no Ecclesiastical Court, so that Vice, Prophaneness, and Immorality are not suppressed so much as might be: The People hate the very Name of the Bishop’s Court. There are no Visitations, so that the Churches are often not in the best Repair, nor as decently adorned as might be; neither in some Places can the Lord’s Supper be administer’d with such holy Reverence as it should be, for want of proper Materials and Utensils. The Churches being not consecrated are not enter’d with such reverent Demeanour, as ought to be used in God’s holy Tabernacle.
For want of Confirmation Persons are admitted to the holy Sacrament with mean and blind Knowledge, and poor Notions of the divine Mysteries of the Supper of the Lord; which is an Abuse of a thing so very sacred.
In North Carolina and several Parts of Virginia Children are often neglected to be baptized till they are grown up, and then perhaps may never know or never mind that they want to be christen’d; and many esteem it unnecessary.
The Clerks upon several Occasions performing too great a Share of divine Services, expose the Church to Shame and Danger, and often bring Contempt and Disdain upon the Persons and Function of the Ministers.
Ministers are often obliged to bury in Orchards, and preach Funeral Sermons in Houses, where they also generally marry and christen; and as for Weddings there is no Regard to the Time of the Day nor the Season of the Year; and in North Carolina the Justices marry.
Now to remedy all these Grievances and Deficiencies, with all Evils of the like Kind, there is an absolute Necessity for a Person whose Office upon this Occasion should be somewhat uncommon, till a Bishop be established in those Parts; who might pave out a Way for the Introduction of Mitres into the English America, so greatly wanting there. This Person should have Instructions and Power for discharging such Parts of the Office, of a Bishop, of a Dean, and of an Arch-Deacon, as Necessity requires, and the Nature of those sacred Functions will permit; and from a Medium of these three Functions he might be called Dean of Virginia; under whose Jurisdiction North Carolina might fall for the present, till the Constitution in Church and State there be better advanced.
This Person should reside in some Parish in Virginia, and be obliged to make a Progress (for the People will not approve of a Visitation) each Spring and Fall in Virginia and North Carolina, as his Discretion shall best direct him.
As for a Salary for his travelling Expences 100 l. per Ann. would suffice; and that this might not bring any new Charge upon the Publick, there should be no Fees upon any Account, neither should he put them to any Expence. This Person should be one that is popular, universally acquainted with the People, their Temper and Manners, and one respected and beloved by them; and as a farther Encouragement for him, and to support the Dignity of his Office, he should have a good convenient Parish in Virginia; and in his Absence the Clergymen there should be obliged to officiate in his Church in Turns, according to their Seniority in the Country; for the Detriment that the Parishes would suffer by the Loss of Service in their Churches one Sunday in several Years would be nothing, when compared with the Advantage they would receive in Lieu of it.
As a farther Addition to his Salary and Honour, he might be one of the Masters of the College, particularly Divinity Professor would be most suitable with his Character and Office, and more convenient for him, since he might contrive to make his Progress in the Vacation Time.
This Salary of 100 l. per Ann. might certainly be easily obtained from the Government out of the Quit-Rents, or otherwise, as the Commissary’s was; which Office and Name has not appeared well-pleasing to the People and Clergy, for Reasons I can’t account for: neither has it obtained the Power and good Effect as might have been expected.
This Office of Dean might be try’d for a few Years, and the Dean should be obliged to transmit Home yearly to his Diocesan the Bishop of London attested Copies of his Proceedings in his Progress; setting forth the Particulars of the Attempts that he has made, and the Good he has done, signed by the Justices and Ministers of the Place or County. The Expence of this Tryal would be but little, but the Good that might arise from hence might be unspeakable, and there can be no Hurt in it; no Incroachment upon the Privilege of the People, nor the Rights of the several Incumbents.
His Office and Duty should be to register all Letters of Orders and Credentials of Ministers, sent over by the Bishop of London, and also all Collations to Livings. To examine and confirm all Persons before they be admitted to the Lord’s Supper, which Confirmation (or rather Approbation) might be done without Imposition of Hands in a peculiar Form, proper for the Circumstances of this Occasion; and the Ministers should admit none to the Sacrament without his Certificate of this their Confirmation.
He should be obliged to send the Ministers in his Progress timely Notice of his Intention, with a printed Form of his Examination and Confirmation, with Directions for the Minister to prepare and exhort the Congregation thereto. In his Progress he should preach at such vacant Churches as he passes by; baptize all Children and others that require it; and preach up the absolute Necessity of it. He should have Power to call a Vestry, and there examine whether the Church, &c. be in good Repair, and fit for the Congregation; whether it be sufficiently beautified and commodiously built and situated; whether there be Surplices, Communion-Table and Cloth, and all the Utensils required in the Canons of the Church of England.
He should enquire into the Conduct of the Minister; and likewise should he inspect into the Management of the Clerk, and prescribe him Rules and Directions in the Execution of his Office, especially where there is no Incumbent Minister, which very frequently happens in several Places for Years together.
He should see that the Lord’s Supper be duly and decently administered, encourage People to frequent Communion, and instruct them in the Nature of that holy Sacrament; and as for Baptism he should see that it be rightly performed, and by the Bishop of London’s Directions should prescribe the requisite Alteration in the last Clauses of the Form of Baptism; as also those Alterations wanting in the Prayer for the General Assembly, instead of the Prayer for the Parliament.
He should also visit such Sick as he passes by, and exhort all to a timely Repentance, and not (as they too often do) to defer that and the Sacrament till Death.
He should persuade and advise People as much as may be to christen, marry, and bury at Church. He should likewise enquire if there be any notorious and scandalous Livers, who by their wicked Practices give Offence to their Christian Neighbours.
He should likewise see that the divine Service be performed regularly and decently according to the Rubric, and exhort and direct thereto; with Abundance more of such Things as these, which might easily be done, if attempted in an easy, mild Manner; which might prove of wonderful Advantage to the Good of Vertue and Religion.
Though the Office of this Dean should be chiefly to inspect, exhort, reprimand, and represent, besides Confirming, and doing the common Offices of a Clergyman; yet should he and the Vestry present at the County Courts any egregious Default or Omission of the Kinds here mentioned; but here they should be very tender and cautious not to give general Offence, for Rigour will soon make such an Office odious to the People, and then it will be but of little Service.
Presentments of this kind (when any) should be made, given in, and prosecuted in the common Courts, in the same Form and Manner as common Presentments are; so that here would be no Innovation in the Proceedings.
In order to create more Respect for sacred Places and Things, the Churches and Church-Yards there should be solemnly set apart for that Purpose by the Dean, by some kind of Form of Consecration suitable to be used by a Person that is no Bishop, and agreeable to the Occasion of the Thing, and Nature of the Place.
Such a Person as this might do a vast deal of Good, and reduce the Church Discipline in Virginia to a much better Method than at present it is in: For tho’ the Church of England be there established, yet by permitting too great Liberty, and by being too indifferent in many such Respects as are here specified, great Inconveniences have arose; and we may certainly expect far greater Detriment in the Church from hence, unless timely Lenitives and proper Remedies be applied, in the best Methods that can possibly be devised; some such Methods (I conceive) as these here proposed may not be esteemed least proper; and if they be rejected or despised, yet I am persuaded that they are not so insignificant as some may imagine, and not altogether so despicable as to be quite disregarded; and not thought worthy of the serious Perusal of any concerned in Affairs of this Nature.
The Method used for obtaining a Living in Virginia, is for the Party to notify his Intentions of going Abroad to the Bishop of London, to produce sufficient Testimonials of his good Life and Principles, together with his Letters of Orders; which being approved of, he has then a Licence, and Certificate, and Credentials to the Governor, with an Order upon the Treasury for 20 l. for his Passage; and upon his Arrival makes Application for some vacant Parish either to the Governor, to the Parishioners, or to both; upon whose Approbation he is admitted their Minister. But Variety of Disputes have arose from the uncertain Interpretation of the Virginia Laws relating to Livings; and though the Opinion of the best Council has been procured, yet as their Sentiments could not sufficiently settle it, so have they directly contradicted each other. Several of the People insist that they have the Right of Presentation; and on the other hand the Governor has as strenuously contested with them for his Right of Presentation in Behalf of the King; so that several that the Parishes have nominated or elected have been refused; and on the other Side, many appointed and sent by the Governor have been rejected with Disdain, Disappointment, and Ill-Will. These Elections of the People are often disagreeable to the Governor’s Choice, and the People on the contrary will refuse whom they say the Governor may impose upon them, though he comes directly recommended from the Bishop; but in my Opinion their Election might be better given up, suppose they had a Right to it, since it often creates such Disturbance; and in Process of Time, who knows but they may elect and insist upon Persons unfit for the Ministry, either for their Learning, Lives, or Doctrines, and not licensed by the Bishop; and may obstinately refuse any such as comes regularly, and is presented to the Living by the Governor.
This Presentation by the Governor, who likewise as Ordinary is to institute and induct, may be termed a Collation; but there of late were not above three or four Rectors thus collated, or instituted and inducted in the whole Colony; because of the Difficulties, Surmises, Disputes, and Jealousies that arise upon such Accounts. But the Clergy standing upon this Footing are liable to great Inconveniency and Danger; for upon any small Difference with the Vestry, they may pretend to assume Authority to turn out such Ministers as thus come in by Agreement with the Vestry, who have often had the Church Doors shut against them, and their Salaries stopped, by the Order and Protection of such Vestry-Men, who erroneously think themselves the Masters of their Parson, and aver, that since they compacted but from Year to Year with him as some have done, they may turn off this their Servant when they will; be without one as long as they please, and chose another, whom and when they shall think most proper and convenient; which Liberty being granted them (I believe) some few would be content rather never to appoint a Minister, than ever to pay his Salary.
Among many Instances of these Kinds of Refusals, Ejectments, and Elections, I shall only instance that of the ingenious Mr. Bagge, who coming to England for Priest’s Orders, after he had been Minister of St. Ann’s for a long Time, was refused by them upon his Return, when the Governor sent him to his own Parish again; whereas they strenuously stood by Mr. Rainsford, whom they had elected and presented to the Governor. And Mr. Latané, a Gentleman of Learning and Vertue, and well beloved, was almost ejected, nay was shut out of his Church, only upon account of a small Difference and Dispute with some of his Vestry. The main Allegation they had against him was that they could not understand him, (he having a small Tang of the French) tho’ they had been hearing him I think upwards of seven Years, without any Complaint of that kind till that very Time.
Governor Spotswood, to his great Honour be it spoken, always stood up for the Right of Collation, and was hearty in Vindication of the Clergy, who, as he professed in a Speech to them, certainly had not only his Protection but also his Affection; so that it is difficult to be determined in which Respect he chiefly excelled, either in being a compleat Gentleman, a polite Scholar, a good Governor, or a true Churchman.
I speak in Behalf of the Right of Presentations belonging to the Crown; because my Reason tells me that it is most equitable and most convenient for the Peace and good Government, and for the Security of the Doctrine and Discipline of the established Church of England.
Many Arguments I know are brought against it, both from apparent Reason and Interest; but all these might easily be confuted by this following Remark.
When Churches were built and endowed, as these in Virginia, by the Laity, with the Leave of the Bishop or Ordinary in antient Times, the Presentations to such Ecclesiastical Benefices were often granted away to the Families that founded such Donations, as Rewards and Encouragements of such pious Liberalities; whereas all other Preferments were invested in the Church: This I take to be the Origin of Lay-Presentations, when Gentlemen reserved this for the Benefit of some of their Posterity or Family, who might receive a Maintenance from their Bounty; which they in Reason ought to do preferable to any others who contributed nothing towards it.
But though the Virginians built and endowed their Churches, yet I never could find that they had made any such Reserve; so that the Right of Presentation must belong to the King their chief Ordinary, who never granted away to them the Title of Donation, but kept it for himself and Heirs; so though he gives them Leave to make Parishes and establish Salaries, yet he still imply’d an Obligation in them to give those Livings to whom he pleases.
This I take to be the Case, and hope I may be excused for delivering my Opinion by any that may entertain different Sentiments.
Be the Right invested in which it will, either in the Crown or in the Country, I am certain that it ought to be determined one way or other; and if it belongs to the People, yet should there be such Regulations made as might make the Livings certain, and the Lives of the Clergy as peaceable as may be.
Were the Establishment for the Clergy in Virginia a little more plain and regular, even without any additional Augmentation of their Salaries, I am sure it would be for the Good of the Clergy there, and for the Encouragement of good and ingenious Men to go over and settle there.
Some Parishes are long vacant upon Account of the badness of the Tobacco, which gives Room for Dissenters, especially Quakers, as in Nansemond County; but this might be remedied, either by making the Payments of equal Value in the other Commodities produced there, or else by a standing Order, which Governor Spotswood proposed, viz. that the Parishes longest vacant should be in their due Course first supplied; for then the good and bad would have Ministers alike in their Turns; but the Ministers must run the Risk of their Lot, though the most deserving should have the worst Parish, and the most unworthy be best preferred: but the Value of the Parishes being so nearly equivalent to each other, this small Difference might easily be made up to good Men some other way; so that this Method may not be impracticable nor improper.
Some Parishes are not conveniently divided; in some the Churches are not commodiously placed, and other Parishes are too large, others too small; but these and the like Disproportions might easily be remedied by the general Assemblies, if they unanimously set about such Divisions without being swayed by private Interest; to do which would tend to the general Good of the Clergy and Laity; but Works of this Nature, where great Numbers are concerned, are not effected without great Opposition and Difficulty.
The Buildings upon the Glebes being Timber soon decay, especially upon Vacancies; but these should be kept in due Repair continually by the Vestry: Likewise should the Dimensions and Form of the Dwelling-Houses and Out-Houses be more particularly determined, and made such as might conveniently and handsomly receive the Ministers and their Families; which would be very great Inducements for them to relinquish England for the Certainty of good Livings, good Glebes, good Accommodations, and a kind Reception. The Expence of building and repairing where most of the Materials are only an Incumbrance, would be but a Trifle to a Parish; whereas ’tis a great Expence and Trouble to a Stranger to fit up the Apartments that he finds, which are generally too small and often very ruinous. Besides this a small Stock of Hogs and Cattle upon the Glebes would be of excellent Service to Newcomers, till they can be better furnished; they being obliged to leave behind them the same Number of the same Animals. Some Glebes, as that at James Town, have this Convenience, and ’tis Pity but more Parishes followed such Examples: The prime Cost in stocking their Glebes by Degrees would be insignificant; and the chief Trouble would be for the Church-Wardens to receive the Stock from the Executors of one Incumbent, and deliver them again when there comes another.
Other Difficulties that the Clergy meet with there are the Methods of Payment, the Laws and Customs being not particular enough in this Respect; so that sometimes Tobacco cannot be got in Time convenient for the Minister, or is not delivered at a proper Place for his Interest, or is not at all good of its Kind, or not of the right Sort, or but very indifferent, such as the Receivers might have refused, or else is not pressed hard enough, which is a very great Detriment; and sometimes they will make the Ministers pay for their Cask, or for collecting, pressing, rolling their Tobacco, and making it heavy and convenient, and that at an extravagant Rate; and if a Stranger, fearful of being imposed upon, takes the Management of his Tobacco into his own Hands, he is at a Loss how to order it aright, being unacquainted with the Nature of the Commodity, and the Customs of the Country; and if one Difference arises, it frequently begets wider, though about those Things which might easily be settled, and are of but little Value in respect of their Inconveniency; so that the best way to get sweet-scented Tobacco has been declared by some to use sweet-scented Words.
Now all this should be determined, to avoid future Quarrels of this kind, which too frequently proceed from such Causes, by fixing the Times, Places, and Manner of Payment; together with a Regulation of the Allowances for collecting, pressing, and making Tobacco heavy and convenient; with an Injunction for the Payment of none but good and vendible Tobacco for parochial Dues. Whether the Parish or the Minister be to allow the Expence thereof, it might easily be determined; and if both are to join in it, this might easily be settled, by which Means abundance of Variance would be prevented, and the Incomes would be more certain, and of a good deal greater Value if the Parish did deliver good heavy Tobacco with Cask to the Minister, at Places most suitable to his own Conveniency, which I take to be the Intent of the Law, which was made for the good Payment of the Ministers. The Charge of this would be but small to a whole Parish, tho’ it often falls heavy upon the Minister, especially when he meets with sharp or cross People; but in abundance of Parishes the Inhabitants are so good that they never make any Dispute about these Things, especially when they like their Minister; for that he may have any Favour of them that he in Reason may desire.
The Payment of the Surplus Fees also wants a Regulation; for when Tobacco is dear, some will pay them in Money, but when cheap they will pay Tobacco, which does not seem equitable; so that in my Opinion these Payments should always be made at certain appointed Times and in proper Methods, either in one or the other, and not left to the Humor or Discretion of the Debtor, since sometimes there is half in half Difference.
A Settlement of these Things should be made, either for the Advantage of the Clergy or People, or else a middle Expedient should be found out; since the Consequences of Disputes and Variance between Ministers and their Congregations are generally very pernicious to the Welfare, Happiness, and Tranquility of both Parties; wherefore Remedies should be applied in Time, especially in such Cases where Delays encrease the Danger; when ill Customs in Time pleading Prescription are established as firm as Median Laws, and propagate such ill Habits in the Constitution, as are most difficult to be extirpated.
As for the Establishment of Episcopacy in Virginia, it would be of excellent Service, if Caution was taken not to transplant with it the corrupt Abuses of Spiritual Courts, which the People dread almost as much as an Inquisition; but these their Fears would soon be dissipated, when by blessed Experience they might feel the happy Influence of that holy Order among them, free from the terrible Notions that Misrepresentations of regular Church Government have made them conceive.
I have often heard that there have been Intentions of this Kind; and that the main Obstacle was the Difficulty of raising a Salary sufficient to support the Dignity, and recompense the Labours of a Bishop. But this Impediment may (I presume) with good Contrivance be easily removed; for I don’t at all question that the superior Clergy and Collegians in the Universities would refuse to contribute half a Crown a Year for this glorious Undertaking, or that the Inferiors would join their Shillings. This might be collected into the Treasury gratis, by the Officers of the Taxes, and might be taken off in a few Years, when upon Tryal the Usefulness of a Bishop upon the Continent of North America was confirmed by Experience; for then a Maintenance might be contrived by other Means very easily, there being spare Land enough to be appropriated for a Barony. And one skilled in Political Arithmetick may readily compute what a handsom Income this would amount to with Care in collecting.
A large Tract of Land claimed by Virginia and North Carolina, and under the Government of neither, rightly called the disputed Bounds, is a kind of American Mint, whither several wicked and profligate Persons retire, being out of the certain Jurisdiction of either Government, where they may pursue any immoral or vicious Practices without Censure and with Impunity. But to end Disputes about it, why might not this be granted to a Bishop of Virginia and North Carolina?
The Occasion of these Disputes about the Bounds depends upon a Mistake or Difference in two Grants, one fixing the Bounds according to a certain Latitude, and the other specifying the Bounds (as I take it) to run Westward from Roon-oak Inlet, which proves in a Latitude different from that before mentioned; so that the List between these Parallels of Latitude, which is about fifteen Miles broad, and indefinitely long is disputed, the Governments of Virginia and North Carolina each pretending a Right to it; but this might easily be settled, either by finding out the true Meaning of the Grants, or what was the Occasion of the Error, and then determining the Bounds from thence; or if this (or what is before-mentioned) cannot be done, the Mathematical Professor, or some other, should be imployed to split the Difference between them, rather than have continual Disputes between the two Governments, to the great Detriment of the Religion and Trade of both of them.
No regular Church Government or Salaries have been yet made for the Clergy in North Carolina; but to bring this about, Representations should be made to the Proprietors; their Directions obtained to the Governor and Assembly there for their Assistance for this Purpose, in Conjunction with the Missions, that, by proper Applications, I presume may be continued from the Society, especially when they are assured that Measures will be taken to prevent their pious Endeavours to be any more frustrated there; and besides this I don’t think it impracticable for them to obtain the Impropriation of the two travelling Fellowships, for Clergymen of a certain College in Oxford, to be confined to their Government for some Years; since at present they have such great Necessity for Christian Help of this Sort.
Besides, the continual Progress of such a Person as the Dean before-mentioned for some Years, would be of extraordinary Service in the present deplorable Circumstances of the Church of Christ in the Government of North Carolina.