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the vacating of that design. Besides, there was a probability of doing more service to that unhappy people, in England than I could do in Georgia, by representing without fear or favour to the Trustees, the real state the Colony was in. After deeply considering these things, they were unanimous, That I ought to go. But not yet. So I laid the thoughts of it aside for the present: Being persuaded, that when the time was come, God would make the way plain before my face.

Friday, Dec. 2. In the Afternoon the Magistrates publish'd an Order requiring all the Officers and Centinels, to prevent my going out of the Province; and forbidding any person to assist me so to do. Being now only a Prisoner at large, in a Place where I knew by experience, every Day would give fresh opportunity, to procure Evidence of words I never said, and actions I never did; I saw clearly the Hour was come for leaving this Place: And as soon as Evening Prayers were over, about Eight o'clock, the Tide then serving, I shook off the dust of my Feet, and left Georgia, after having preach'd the Gospel there (not as I ought, but as I was able) one Year, and nearly Nine Months.

[An Extract of the Rev. Mr. John Wesley's Journal, from Oct. 14, 1735, to Jan. 29, 1783], 8-52 passim. (Taken from a contemporary copy, of which the title-page is missing.)

100. A Good Man's Letter (1752)

BY GOVERNOR JONATHAN BELCHER

Belcher had been Massachusetts's agent in England, and later governor of the province. At this time he was governor of New Jersey. The letter is inserted as an excellent example of the formal but sincere expression of a Christian gentleman. Bibliography: Palfrey, New England, IV, 517-579; Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, V, 166–169.

Dear Mr Whitefield & Worthy Sir

YOUR

YOUR Excellently good and religious Letter of the 13th of Oct. 1750 came to my hands the May following and which I had Answered long before now But that your Sudden Motions from place to place made me quite at a loss how to get a Letter in safety to you and I now Cover this to the Care of our good Friend Mr Bradford of Phil for its better Conveyance.

Dr Sir how much have you disappointed great Numb" of your longing Friends by not making a Stride a Cross the Ocean from Carolina hither of which we were big with Expect" but we must Submit believing your

great Master Steers & marks out your Paths so as shall best of all Contribute to the build up and Enlargement of His Kingdom of Grace here and thereby fitting Multitudes of Souls to be His Subjects in His Kingdom of Glory thro' the endless Ages of a Happy Eternity Amen.

I thank you tho' I am quite Ashamed that any thing of mine shou'd pass under the Correct Eye of the Excellent & pious Countess of Huntingdon who is so Bright an Ornam nay I may say a Constellation in the Church of Christ here & who will (I doubt not) hereafter Shine as the Stars for ever & Ev! & now thro' your kind interposition I presume to Address Her Ladyship by the Inclos'd which I leave open for you to read & then Clap to the Seal and deliver it and this is an honour I shou'd not venture to do my Self but that I depend upon your Goodness to obtain Her Ladyships Pardon for the trouble of this Nature. . . .

And now, Sir, let me thank you once more for your kind & generous Concern for the Welfare of the Infant College in this Province wch I assure you creeps along with great difficulty- the Trustees chose M' Pemberton the last Fall to take a Voyage to great Britain in favour of the College but when the thing came before his Church and Congregation they wou'd by no means be prevail'd upon to let him go.

And this Spring Mr President Burr was pitcht upon for the same purpose but his fear of the small Pox and the difficulty of finding a person to take the Care of the College in his absence have render'd a Second Attempt in this matter abortive however we intend at the next Meeting of the Trustees to try if some other person can't be found for this Service which seems to me must be the dernier resort for Encourageing and Establishing this New Seminary nor will I despair but Conclude with the great Pharisaical D' if it be of God it cannot be overthrown I heartily ask your Prayers for its prosperity.

O Sir as often as I read your ingenious & pious Letters they rejoice my Heart and refresh my Bowels and I am particularly glad to find that you were at good Lady Huntingdon with three other Clergy men that love and preach Christ Jesus & that you can give me the pleasing Account of several Instances where the Sovereign Grace of God has taken place in the Hearts of Persons of High Degree how pleasing is the prospect when such are posting to the Celestial Canaan with their faces thitherward. . .

Præcepta docent Exempla cogunt.

How sweet Sir must be your Meditation when your Soul rolls inward to Consider that you are Sincerely will to spend and be spent in the

Cause of your Blessed Lord & Master and may you still go on in His Strength to win many Souls to Righteousness every one of which will be a bright Gem in the glorious Crown with weh the Great God Man will wreathe your Temples in the great day of his appears Amen and Amen! ...

William A. Whitehead, editor, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey (Newark, 1885), VIII (i), 84-86 passim.

101. A Plan for American Bishops (1758)

ΙΟΙ.

BY ARCHBISHOP THOMAS SECKER

Secker was archbishop of Canterbury at this time. This letter is selected out of several of similar tenor. Dr. Samuel Johnson, Rector of King's (now Columbia) College, was much interested in the scheme. For its political effects, see No. 147 below. -Bibliography: Palfrey, New England, V, 245-255; Winsor, Narrative and Criti cal History, VI, 243-245; Channing and Hart, Guide, § 133.

A

LL these things will contribute, directly or indirectly, to facilitate what we must ever pray and labour for, till we obtain it, the establishment of Bishops of our Church in America. This I have long had at heart and not only said but written a great deal in favor of it to such as I hoped might be brought off from their prejudices, either wholly or in some measure. Nor, unsuccessful as the attempts have been shall I ever abandon the scheme, as long as I live. But pushing it openly at present would certainly prove both fruitless and detrimental. They alone are judges of opportunities, who know the dispositions and influences of persons and parties which cannot always be explained to others. The design when some years ago it seemed to be in great forwardness, received a most mortifying check, by means of an unseasonable step, which a worthy and able prelate took to promote it, and of which its opposers made their advantage. The time is not yet come for retrieving the ground then lost though I believe the King to be well disposed; and those, whom he consults, to be, in general, either not averse, or only so through groundless fears. But in the mean while, both you and we may be seeking occasions, in friendly and seemingly accidental discourse, and with better effect as we can truly affirm, that no plan for this purpose lies now, or will be laid soon before our superiors, to shew men, that nothing was ever intended, at which Christians of any denomination have cause to be alarmed: but merely a provision

U

that those of our Communion in the Colonies might have that complete and easy exercise of every branch of their religion which others there have, and would complain bitterly if they had not; and ought therefore from the love which they profess of universal harmless liberty, not only to consent that our people should have but join to procure it for them. The powerful objection made at home against our proposal, is, that the Dissenters abroad have terrible apprehensions of being injured by it. And in proportion as their remonstrances are vehement, our endeavours will be unpromising. Therefore the principal point is to convince them, that whatever the Bishops were, from whom their ancestors fled into the New World, those of the present age are, and have always been, most sincere patrons of extensive toleration; and that we are for sending persons of our own order into America, not to claim the least jurisdiction over them, but merely to ordain Ministers for Episcopal Congregations, without the trouble, expense, and hazard of a voyage to England; a burthen, to which if they were subjected, they would think insupportable, to confirm from time to time the Youth of those congregations; a practice which rightly or wrongly we hold in high esteem; and to exercise such discipline in those congregations only, as they exercise by ordained Presbyters or lay Elders; which discipline of ours would no more hurt them, than theirs hurts us. To these Representations they will pay more regard, if we are careful not to give them unnecessary offence in any thing: but in every thing to oblige them; as far as there is room for it, without betraying the doctrines, the interests or the honour of our Church.

I conceived it would be best to lay before you, thus plainly and distinctly, my judgment concerning the due method of conducting the affairs of the Society. If in any article we differ, I beg you will communicate to me your opinion and your arguments for it, with the utmost freedom; and be assured, it will give me pleasure. Where we agree, you will have the goodness to lead others into the same way of thinking, and a suitable course of behaviour. . . . Thus let us each be doing the best we can, and leave the event to God. That his blessing may be on all who serve him in the Gospel of his Son, particularly on you and your College, our Clergy in America and their people, is the fervent prayer of

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E. B. O'Callaghan, editor. Documents relative to the Colonial History of the State of New-York (Albany, 1856), VII, 348-349.

CHAPTER XVI-SLAVERY AND SERVITUDE ✓

102. The First Vote against Slavery (1688)

BY THE MONTHLY MEETING OF THE GERMANTOWN QUAKERS

The agitation against slavery was at this period confined chiefly to the Quakers. The minute was sent to the Yearly Meeting at Burlington, which declined to confirm it. Bibliography: Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, V, 243-245; Channing and Hart, Guide, § 148.-On slavery, see also Contemporaries, I, No. 86, and III; and Nos. 103-108 below. On the Quakers, see Nos. 98 above and 106 below.

HIS is to the monthly meeting held at Richard Worrell's:

TH

And those who

These are the reasons why we are against the traffic of menbody, as followeth: Is there any that would be done or handled at this manner? viz., to be sold or made a slave for all the time of his life? How fearful and faint-hearted are many at sea, when they see a strange vessel, being afraid it should be a Turk, and they should be taken, and sold for slaves into Turkey. Now, what is this better done, than Turks do? Yea, rather it is worse for them, which say they are Christians; for we hear that the most part of such negers are brought hither against their will and consent, and that many of them are stolen. Now, though they are black, we cannot conceive there is more liberty to have them slaves, as [than] it is to have other white ones. There is a saying, that we should do to all men like as we will be done ourselves; making no difference of what generation, descent, or colour they are. steal or rob men, and those who buy or purchase them, are they not all alike? Here is liberty of conscience, which is right and reasonable; here ought to be likewise liberty of the body, except of evil-doers, which is another case. But to bring men hither, or to rob and sell them against their will, we stand against. In Europe, there are many v oppressed for conscience-sake; and here there are those oppressed which are of a black colour. And we who know that men must not commit adultery-some do commit adultery in others, separating wives from their husbands, and giving them to others: and some sell the children of these poor creatures to other men. Ah! do consider well this thing, you who do it, if you would be done at this manner — and if it is done according to Christianity! You surpass Holland and Germany in this thing. This makes an ill report in all those countries of

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