Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/306

278. In a word, a general Ignorance and immorality runs through the Youth of the whole Province.

There was in the year One thousand six hundred ninety-seven some endeavors to settle a maintenance in that Country for Ministers, and the greatest part of the house of Comons there were for it, but one Richard Hartshorne a Quaker, and Andrew Broun [Bowne] an Anabaptist found means to defeat it that Session, and before the Assembly could sit again, arriv'd one Jeremiah Bass an Anabaptist Preacher with a Comission from the Proprietors of East Jersey to be their Governour, and with Instructions and Orders from them not to Consent to any act to raise a Maintenance for any Minister of what Perswasion soever, so that there is no hope of doing any thing of that kind till that Governm't is in other hands.

In West Jersey in the year 1699 there were 832 freeholders of wch there were 266 Quakers, whose number are much decreased since Mr. Keith left them. The Quakers in yt Province are ye men of the best Rank and Estates — the rest of that Province (generally speaking) are a hotch Potch of all Religions, the Quakers have several Meeting houses disperst up and down that Province and I believe none of the other perswasions have any. They have a very Debaucht Youth in that Province and very ignorant.

is settled by People of all languages and Religions in Europe, but the People called Quakers are the most numerous of any one perswasion, and in Philadelphia the Capital City of that Province, there is an Episcopal Church, a Quaker Meeting house, a Presbiterian Meeting house, an Anabaptist Meeting house, and I think an Independent Meeting house, and a little w'thout ye Town a Sweeds Church, the Church of England gains ground in that Country, and most of the Quakers that came off with Mr. Keith are come over to it : The Youth of that country are like those in the neighboring Provinces very Debaucht and ignorant.

I shall now suggest some measures w'ch may conduce to ye bringing over to the Church the People in those Countrys.

First That no man be sent a Governor into any of those Plantations, but a firm Churchman, and if possible none but Churchmen be in his Counsel and in the Magistracy.

2dly That Churchmen may have some peculiar privileges above others. This (if practicable) must be done by Act of Parliament.

3dly That there may be some measures fallen upon to get Ministers