equal the assembly of New Jersey in gratitude or any other virtue, I shall not pretend to determine. But this I am sure of, that this province has been more liberal of its grants to his Excellency, than to any of his predecessors. Instead of any debate about his salary, three grants have been made in less than two years, amounting to near three thousand pounds sterling in the whole; besides the very valuable island of Mount Desert, which the province thought they had a right to grant, subject to his Majesty's confirmation; and which his Excellency doubtless will have confirmed to him. All this, with the ordinary perquisites, besides the full third of all the seizures, must amount to a very handsome fortune, obtained in about two years and two months." "To conclude, would all plantation governors reflect upon the nature of a free government, and the principles of the British constitution, as now happily established, and practise upon those principles, instead (as most of them do,) of spending their whole time in extending the prerogative beyond all bounds; they would serve the king their master much better, and make the people under their care infinitely happier."

Chapter X.

Jealousy respecting Episcop acy-Controversy on this subject-Dr. Mayhew-Dr. Apthorp--Dr. Chauncy-Dr. Cooper-Dr. Byles.

THE allusion made by Otis in his Vindication, to the church of England, in speaking of Mr. Locke, was naturally suggested by a subject, that was blend ed with all the uneasy feelings of the times. A jealousy of the designs of the English hierarchy was kept constantly alive, by the indications given from time to time of anxiety to extend its authority over this country, and by the indiscreet conduct of some of its missionaries. Fear, hatred, and a long course of hereditary prejudices against this church, combined almost all the dissenting clergy of New England, in constant opposition to it; and naturally led them to sympathize with those who opposed the unconstitutional acts of political power. The intentions of the church and the king were often mentioned in conjunction, and when the ambitious designs of the ministry under George III. began to be apprehended, an extension of the power of the church was supposed to be connected with them. Episcopacy, or the patriarchate in America, was said to have been first proposed by bishop Sherlock in the reign of George II., which was then very coldly received, and he was never afterwards summoned to the privy council.*

See Critical Review, for October, 1764. Article, Mayhew.

No project perhaps could shew greater ignorance of the character of the New England colonies, than any attempt of the English church to extend its dominion among them. The efforts of the Society for propagating the Gospel, when made, not among the Indians but among the colonists, were looked upon as designed rather to extend the forms and power of the church, than to diffuse the knowledge of truth. It could not be pretended that the gospel was not preached and practised, for this

"If any thing were wanting to this necessary operation of the form of government, religion would have given it a complete effect. Religion always a principle of energy in this new people, is no way worn out or inpaired: and their mode of professing it, is also one main cause of this free spirit. The people are protestants, and of that kind which is most adverse to all implicit submission of mind and opinion. This is a persuasion not only favourable to liberty, but built upon it. I do not think, sir, that the reason of this averseness in the dissenting churches, from all that looks like absolute government, is so much to be sought in their religious tenets, as in their history. Every one knows that the Roman Catholic religion is at least coeval with most of the governments, where it prevails: that it has generally gone hand in hand with them, and received great favour and every kind of support from authority. The church of England too, was formed from her cradle, under the nursing care of regular government. But the dissenting interests have sprung up in direct opposition to all the ordinary powers of the world; and could justify that opposition only on a strong claim to natural liberty. Their very existence depended on the powerful and unremitted assertion of that claim. All protestantism, even the most cold and passive, is a sort of dissent. But the religion prevalent in our northern colonies, is a refinement on the principle of resistance; it is the diffidence of dissent and the protestantism of the protestant religion. This religion under a variety of denominations, agreeing in nothing but in the communion of the spirit of liberty, is predominant in most of the northern provinces, where the church of England, notwithstanding its legal rights, is in reality no more than a sort of private sect, not composing most probably the tenth of the people. The colonists left England when this spirit was high; and in the emigrants was the highest of all; and even that stream of foreigners, which hath been constantly flowing into these colonies, has, for the greatest part, been composed of dissenters from the establishment of their several countries, and who have brought with them a temper and character far from alien to that of the people with whom they mixed." Burke.

community was indisputably one of the most religious in the world; and that the congregational ministers were not deficient in learning, was shewn by the ability with which they engaged in the controversy, against all the talents of their opponents. Their resistance indeed was fortunate, and it aided the cause of civil as well as religious liberty. From the first origin of the colony, this jealousy of the church had been kept alive by a series of ill advised attempts to establish its power, but the congregational clergy and their flocks could not be ignorant of the consequences, if these attempts had succeeded. In the year 1763, when this contest broke out into open publishing, the intelligent part of the public was not so bigoted as to fear the mere forms and names of things, but it was the power behind them, on which their eyes were steadily fixed. Since the independence of the country, episcopacy has been fully established. When the first bishops were seen in New England, though some strong prejudices were startled at the name, yet the panic soon subsided, as it was found, than this title was borne by a christian pastor without temporal power, who owed his elevation to the free choice of his people. This church, which could make no progress under foreign auspices, has since increased in an equal proportion with other sects, though its spirit is opposed to the enthusiasm and fanaticism that seek to make proselytes. The propositions for establishing episcopacy were moderate and unobjectionable, but this mild beginning could not calm the apprehensions of any

man who had ever considered the nature, and examined the progress of ecclesiastical rule,or who had seen its mischief when connected with civil government, and their pernicious effects upon each other.* On this occasion, it was most fortunate that it did not succeed. If it had once obtained a settlement, it would have gradually extended its influence. The government would have lent its aid to enlarge its own patronage and adherents; and the country might in time, have become like Ireland, burdened with the support of a double hierarchy, not to promote the interests of religion, but to serve the purposes of party.

A controversy began on this subject in 1763, and was continued with little intermission till the declaration of Independence. It arose from an article in a newspaper, on the decease of an episcopal clergyman in Braintree, reflecting with great coarseness on episcopalians generally, and on the Society in England for propagating the Gospel. This produced a pamphlet by Dr. Apthorp, rector of the church in Cambridge, defending the conduct of the Society for propagating the Gospel. Dr. Apthorp,† was a

* See Appendix C.

The Rev. East Apthorp was born in Boston in 1733, and having passed through Master Lovell's school, went to the University of Cambridge in Eng land. After taking orders, he was sent out to this country, in the service of the Society for propagating the Gospel. The church at Cambridge was erected under his care. The controversy in which he became engaged, rendered his situation irksome, and he went back to England. He was there made successively Vicar of Croydon, Rector of Bow Church, London, and Prebend of Finsbury. He published, besides sermons, two volumes of Discourses on Prophe cy, delivered at the Warburton lecture, at Lincoln's Inn, and a volume in answer to Gibbon. Dr. Apthorp had many friends among the dignitaries of the English church, and was generally beloved and respected. His education