Tryal upon the Spot where evidences (if any) were to be had, was much more natural as well as justifiable, than sending him to England 3000 miles off, where no such thing could be proved against him. All that Mr Moore wanted was to go to England, to lay his complaints at the feet of his superiours, and would he or any of his friends in the least have believed my Lord would have sent him there, he never would have undertaken so hazardous expensive and fatigueing a journey to New England in order to procure a passage home, no, his fears suggested other things and whether groundless or not I shall not determine, I have heard it offered that the reason of my Lords intentions in sending Mr Moore home, was because he was cautious in meddling in Ecclesiastical affairs, why then did he confirm that ridiculous suspition of Mr Moore by Coll Ingoldsby that was properly an ecclesiastical affair and meddling with a witness but of this enough." * * Colonial History of N. York, Vol. V: pp. 318-9. "THE CONGREGATION ALL IN A FLAME." Gov. Hunter to the Secretary. Extracts. "New York Feby 25th 1711 "This serves for Prologue to a story which I believe will no less surprize you than it startled me. "Col. Heathcote told me he was privately informed that there had been a representation against me carried about to some of the Clergy for Subscription; I could not believe it being conscious to myself of nothing that I had done, left undone, or intended, with relation to the Churchs Interest, that the most consumate malice could ground a representation upon. That worthy gentleman was of the same opinion but positive that there was such a representation, for which reason he in conjunction with Coll Morris as members of the society thought fit to write a letter to Mr. Vesey & Mr. Henderson in whose hands they understood this paper to be & who were the principal contrivers and Promoters of it. * * there came over hither * one Mr. Henderson a missionary with a new Light he is upon his departure to England charged with the clandestine representation. This young Gentleman came from England not long agoe for Dover Hundred of Pensilvania whether he disliked the people or the people him I cannot tell but he remayned but a very short time among them and returning to Burlington in the Jerseys Mr. Talbot got him to supply his place during his absence, being come himself to New York to pursue a resolution he had taken of going for England; Col. Quary acquainted me that in his passage through Burlington he found that poor congregation all in a flame, Mr. Henderson it seems had thought fit in performing Divine Service to leave out that prayer in the Litany for Victory over her Majty Ennemies, and the prayer appointed to be said in time of War; The chiefe of that Congregation had took exceptions at this, but he gave them no other reasons for so doing but that Mr. Talbot had done so, they replyd that having been long acquainted with Mr. Talbots exemplary life they were willing to bear with his scruples, but he could pretend none having formerly never omitted them & further that this would look as if that congregation could not bear any such prayers which was a thing far from their hearts, and entreated him to pray as he was appointed by his superiors, or they would not willingly assist at them for the future. Mr. Quary desired me to speak to Mr. Talbot upon this head; I begg'd of him first to do so, and then if there was any necessity I wou'd, he did so, & the result was that Mr. Talbot went back to Burlington and Mr. Henderson came hither to go for England in his place, having in charge the secret Rep" mentioned; I have now bargained with Mr. Tatham for that House and Land at Burlington & as you will observe by the enclosed Deed marked (C) have reserved the space to four months for the Societie's Assent or dissent, which I beg I may have speedily that we may not be loaded with Interest. The house is much out of repair and will be in a Short time uninhabitable, if there be not directions given for repairs." * * * MR. TALBOT BUYS A HOUSE. On the 16th of March, 1711, Hugh Huddy, "for the sume of One Hundred & fforty pounds of currant silver money att the rate of nine shillings & two pence pr ounce," conveyed to "John Talbot, Clerk," a house, and lot containing 2 acres of land fronting on the East side of Second [afterwards named Talbot] street, between the land of John and Jonathan Fox and the land of Walter Humphrey, 21 perches and 10 feet. Also, 23 perches of land next adjoining. M Huddy delivered the property into the possession of Mr Talbot in the presence of Robert Wheeler, Thomas Gilberthorp and George Willis, and received £140, "in full sattisfaction therefor." The Deed was acknowledged before Daniel Coxe, Oct. 27th, 1711, and "entered in the publique Records of the Province," in "Lib A. A. A. folio 376, 377, by J. Bass, Secretary." Original Deed. THE S. P. G. BUY THE TATHAM PROPERTY. On the 29th of October, 1712,-" in the Eleventh year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lady Anne, by the Grace of God Queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith"-"his Excellency Robert Hunter Esq, Captain General and Governor in Chief of the Provinces of New York and New Jersey and the Territories depending on them in America, &c, and one of the Members of the Right Honorable, the Society for the propagation of the Gospel in fforeign Parts,' in behalf of said Society, purchased for " £600, sterling money of England," the famous property "at the Point;" the Survey of which, by Daniel Leeds in 1689, and the description of its "Great and Stately Palace," by Gabriel Thomas in 1698, are given on pp. 11 and 17. In 1712, there is the following report: "The Society did little else this year in the cause of the Church abroad, but finish the contract for the house at Burlington, [known afterwards as BURLINGTON HOUSE,] mentioned in the abstract of 1711, as the best and most commodious place for fixing one of the Bishops' Sees; which was effected by agreement between John Tatham, gent., and his excellency Robert Hunter, Esq.; the former having made over the fee simple for ever to the Society, on the valuable consideration of six hundred pounds English sterling, or nine hundred pounds current money of New York, to be computed eight shillings each ounce, at the expiration of four calendar months, after the date thereof, Feb. 26, 1711." The first occupant of this "Palace”—John Tatham, a man of great wealth and culture, (whose Will, and Inventory, in the Secretary's office at Trenton, afford much information concerning him)-died in 1701, and left TO BE MADE HABITABLE FOR A BISHOP. Messrs. Evans and Talbot to the Society. 'Burlington, December 4th, 1712. "RIGHT REVEREND AND RIGHT HON. SIRS : * "In these parts of the world the great enemy of mankind hath for many hundred years ruled with an uninterrupted sway, and we are sensible that he doth and will use all the means possible to hinder and discourage the Missionaries, whose business it is to promulgate the Gospel, and by that means to deliver his Captives from the greatest slavery into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God. Our Great Master hath, in these parts, raised us up some faithful friends of all ranks who are zealously affected both to us and the work we are engaged in, and nothing now seems more wanting to establish the Church, in a flourishing state, than the residing of a Bishop amongst us in these parts; which we are in hopes it will not be long before we are blessed with, since we are informed the Honorable Society have closed the bargain for the house at the point, and directed the fitting it up for the reception of a Bishop. We are sorry any accident should have altered so charitable and good a design, and therefore you may imagine it was with no little concern that we beheld the damage done by fire, on one part of the house, since the closing of the bargain, (though before any possession was given to any person on account of the Society.) On the 23d October, in the afternoon, by the foulness of the chimney and carelessness of one Stiles, who kept possession for Mr. Tatham, the fire took on the top of the Roof, but by the industry and care of all sorts of people was extinguished with the loss of part of the Roof of that part of the house that lieth next the Town, and little other damage. His Excellency the Governor, by his letter to Mr. Talbot of the 3d November, 1712, hath directed him to repair the house and make it habitable for a Bishop; which since it could not be it to his widow, Elizabeth. She died shortly afterwards, and left it to Thomas Revell, in trust for her children, being minors. Her son-likewise named John and Mary, his wife, of New York, executed to Gov. Hunter, the Deed, from which these particulars are drawn, and which was acknowledged before David Jamison, Esq., Chief Justice of the Province of New Jersey. done this winter, as your Honours may see by the enclosed certificate, we thought it more advisable to acquaint the Society thereof, as also our opinion that it would be less chargeable and more certain, if the Society would please to give order to some person in this Town to manage that work, and believe Mr. Secretary Bass hath already (without any directions) taken care to provide some things necessary for the covering the House and fencing the Garden, &c., and whose zeal for the interests of the Church, and particularly for the coming over of a Bishop, we believe is not unknown to the Honorable Society, if his letters of the 22d May, 1711, with the enclosed papers, were communicated to the Society. We herewith send the Honorable Society the carpenter's opinion about the repairs, and believe that the sending Glass, Sheet Lead, Nails, &c., from England would be both better and cheaper than to purchase them here. We earnestly pray for a blessing on your pious endeavours for the Glory of God and good of his Church, and remain with all imaginable deference, "Right Reverend and Right Honorable, "Your most obedient and faithful "EVAN EVANS, "JOHN TALBOT." 66 FROM THE CLERGY AT A GENERAL MEETING. May it please the Honorable Society "As your Honble Body has recommended to us in particular manner the maintaining a correspondence among ourselves in order to cherish a Brotherly affection so we have made it our business ever since we had the Letter by our Revd Brother M Henderson to take the most effectual measures we could think of to carry on the said most useful christian design and as we of the province of Pensilvania have fixed upon certain times to meet her so to render the correspondence so earnestly recommended to us the more extensive and consequently the more acceptable to our Honble Superiors. "We at our meeting at Philadelphia agreed at a Motion made |