considerable number of those that did come off with me on the account of the Quakers Errors are joyned with the Church of England both Men & Women of good account, & others of them. keep up their Separate Meetings particularly one at Philadelphia & some of them have joyned themselves with the Anabaptists in those Parts, as I have had particular Information by letters from my friends there, year after year. It would be of great service, as I judge, if one or two more Church of England Ministers were sent to Pennsylvania; it is not to be doubted, but they would not only get hearers, but such as would join with them to make up Congregations. * "In West Jersey that lyes on the east side of Delaware River, I have several friends that joyned with me in the Separation from the Quakers, especially about Croswicks, which is about Fifteen or Sixteen miles from Burlington, (the chief Town in West Jersey lying by Delaware River ;) if a Church of England Minister were sent thither it is not to be doubted but he would be received and joyned with, both by some of my friends and some other sober persons. The most proper place to set up a Church would be at Burlington, and another at Croswicks. abovementioned. * * * "There is not one Church of England as yet in either West or East Jersey, the more is the pity; and except in Two or Three Towns there is no face of any public worship of any sort, but People live very mean like Indians. In New York there are but few Quakers, & some that were, are come off & joyned with the Church there. One Mrs., a friend of mine, is lately deceased, but before her death was baptized & had the Lord's Supper administered to her, & got her Children baptized, whereof I had a late Account in a letter from one of my friends there, now a zealous Churchman. There is no Church of England in all Long Island, nor in all that great Continent of New York Province, except at New York Town." * * * ANNA REGINA. On the 8th of March, 1701, King William died, and was succeeded by Queen Anne; "who," says Hume, "ascended the throne, to the general satisfaction of all parties.” "Even the Jacobites," he adds, "seemed pleased with her elevation. She had been taught to cherish warm sentiments of the tories, whom she considered as the friends of monarchy, and the true sons of the Church. * She was zealously * devoted to the Church of England." SURRENDER OF THE GOVERNMENT TO QUEEN ANNE. "On the 17th of April, 1702," says Smith's History, “the several proprietors of East and West New-Jersey, in America, did in person, present a deed of surrender by them executed under their hands and seals, to her Majesty in council, and did acknowledge the same to be their act and deed; and humbly desire her Majesty to accept the same, that it might be enrolled in the court of chancery, whereby they did surrender their power of the government of those plantations: Which her Majesty graciously accepted, and was pleased to order, as it is hereby ordered, that the same be enrolled in her Majesty's said high court of chancery; and the said instruments are to be delivered to Mr. Attorney General, who is to take care that the same be enrolled accordingly." THE FIRST MISSIONARY OF THE S. P. G. The familiarity of Mr. Keith-as exhibited in his "Memorial"—with the state of Religion in this country, led the Society for Propagating the Gospel to appoint him as their first missionary. His "JOURNAL OF TRAVELS from New-Hampshire to Caratuck on the Continent of North-America," printed in London, "by Joseph Downing, for Brab. Aylmer at the ThreePigeons, over-against the Royal-Exchange in Cornhill, 1706," begins thus: "The Twenty eighth Day of April 1702, I sailed from Cowes in the Isle of Wight, in one of the Queens Ships, called the Centurion, whereof Captain Herne was Commander, who was very Civil to me, bound for Boston in New-England; and by the good Providence of God we arriv'd at Boston the Eleventh day of June, our whole time of Passage being Six Weeks and one Day. Colonel Dudley Governour of New-England, and Colonel Povie Deputy Governour, and Mr. Morris, with all whom we sailed in the same ship, were so generous and kind both to Mr. Patrick Gordon Missionary for Long-Island, and to me, that at their desire we did Eat at their Table all the Voyage on free cost. "At my Arrival the Reverend Mr. Samuel Miles, and the Reverend Mr. Christopher Bridge, both Ministers of the Church of England Congregation at Boston, did kindly receive me and the two ministers in company with me, and we lodg'd, and were kindly entertained in their Houses, during our abode at Boston. "June 14, 1702, being Sunday, at the request of the abovenamed Ministers of the Church of England, I Preached in the Queens Chappel at Boston, on Eph. 2. 20, 21, 22, where was a large Auditory, not only of Church People, but of many others. "June 28, Sunday. The Reverend Mr. John Talbot, who had been Chaplain in the Centurion, Preached there. "By the advice of my good Friends at Boston, and especially of Colonel Joseph Dudley, Governour of Boston Colony, I chose the abovenamed Mr. John Talbot to be my Assistant and Associate in my Missionary Travels and Services, he having freely and kindly offered himself, and whom I freely and kindly received, and with the first occasion I wrote to the Society, praying them, to allow of him to be my Fellow-Companion and Associate in Travels, &c., which they accordingly did,† and indeed Divine Providence did well order it, for he proved a very loving and faithful Associate to me, and was very helpful to me in all respect, and was well approved and esteemed every where, both with respect to his Preaching and Living, in the several places where we Travelled." ENLARGING THE CHRISTIAN BURIAL-GROUND. On the 16th of September, 1702, Thomas Revell, "Executor in Trust of Elizabeth Tatham late of Burlington Widdow deceased" for "Three pounds Currant Silver money" conveyed to "Nathaniel Westland Robert Wheeler & Hugh Huddy as ffeoffees in Trust" a "Lott" of land "Containing fforty foot in + The appointment of Mr. Talbot as a Missionary of the Society, bears date September 18th, 1702. front and bounded on the North side by a Lott late purchased from Robert Wheeler for a burying ground on the South side by the Land of John Hollinshead on the West by the Land of the late William Myers deceased, & on the East by a publick street called Wood street, for the Enlargeing the aforesaid burying ground." "Several Persons (Inhabitants in & about Burlington) together with Nathaniel Westland, Robert Wheeler & Hugh Huddy disbursed certaine Sumes of money for the purchasing of the same Land & for the ffencing & Repairing of the whole for a Burying ground," "for all Christian People who shall be desirous to bury their dead therein." Original Deed. THE MISSIONARIES ARRIVE IN BURLINGTON. "October 29, 1702. We arrived at Burlington in West-Jersey. "November 1, Sunday. We preached in the Town-House at Burlington, (the Church not being then built,) and we had a great Auditory of diverse sorts, some of the Church, and some of the late Converts from Quakerism. Mr. Talbot preached before Noon, and I in the Afternoon. My Text was, John 17. 3.-[And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.] Col. Hamilton, then Governour of West-Jersey, was present both Forenoon and Afternoon, and at his Invitation we dined with him. "November 3. At Burlington I detected the Quakers Errors out of their great Authors, George For his great Mystery, and Edward Burroughs Folio Book, and others, having given the Quakers Preachers Notice two Days before, to come and defend their Principles and Authors; but none of them would appear in the Cause." Keith's Journal. A MEETING OF THE CLERGY, IN NEW YORK. “November 8, Sunday [1702.] I preached in the Church of Philadelphia, at the Minister's Request, on 2 Pet. 3. 15, 16, in the Afternoon. Mr. Talbot preached there in the Forenoon. And again I preached another Sermon, on the same, that Evening, after six a Clock, (it being usual once a Month to preach an Evening-Sermon in that Town.) We had a very great Auditory, so that the Church could not contain them, but many stayed without and heard. "That Week a Meeting of the Clergy being appointed to meet together at New-York by general Consent, we accordingly did meet, being Seven in number; at our Meeting we drew up an Account of the State of the Church in these American Parts of Pensilvania, West and East-Jersey and New-York Province;† a Copy whereof we sent to the Honourable Society at London, for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." Keith's Journal. INSTRUCTIONS FROM QUEEN ANNE. "Instructions for our right trusty and well beloved Edward lord Cornbury, our captain general and governor in chief, in and over our province of Nova-Cæsaria, or New Jersey, in America. Given at our court at St. James's, the sixteenth day of November, 1702, in the first year of our reign. "1. With these our instructions you will receive our commission under our great seal of England, constituting you our captain general and governor in chief of our province of New Jersey. "2. You are with all convenient speed to repair to our said province, and being there arrived, you are to take upon you the execution of the place and trust we have reposed in you, and forthwith to call together the following persons, whom we do by these presents appoint and constitute members of our council in and for that province, viz. Edward Hunloke, Lewis Morris, Andrew Bowne, Samuel Jenings, Thomas Revell, Francis Davenport, William Pinhorne, Samuel Leonard, George Deacon, Samuel Walker, Daniel Leeds, William Sanford, and Robert Quarry, esquires. "3. And you are with all due solemnity, to cause our said commission under our great seal of England, constituting you our captain general and governor in chief as aforesaid, to be read and published at the said meeting of our council, and to cause proclamation to be made in the several most publick places of our said province, of your being constituted by us our captain general and governor in chief as aforesaid. + This was signed by GEORGE KEITH, EVAN EVANS, Cler. Minister of Philadelphia, ALEXANDER INNES, Presbyter, EDMOND MOTT, Chaplain of Her Majesty's Forces in New York, JOHN TALBOT, WILLIAM VESEY, Rector of New York, JOHN BARTOW. |