Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/447

No. 147] they have found there was little or no prospect of their being employed to greater advantage. No one need now be at a loss to assign the true cause of the "want of native ministers."

But if Bishops should be sent to the Colonies, the people would generally turn Church-men ; — the Ecclesiastical state of things would soon be inverted ; — Episcoparians would quickly exceed the other denominations of Christians, as much as they now exceed them.

This, without all doubt, is the grand point aimed at ; and there may be some, both at home and here, who really think all this would speedily come into event. But those who are best acquainted with the genius, temper and principles of the Colonists, at least in those parts where they are most numerous, have not the least motion of fear excited in them from the prospect of any such effect of the mission of Bishops. They are rather concerned, least it should be the occasion of hurtful consequences both to them and us. Such consequences would certainly be the effect, if these Bishops should make use of their, as most probably they would, sooner or later, to influence our great men here, and much greater ones at home, to project, and endeavour to carry into execution, measures to force the growth of the Church. It may be relied on, our people would not be easy, if rest[r]ained in the exercise of that "liberty wherewith Christ has made them free ;" yea, they would hazard every thing dear to them, their estates, their very lives, rather than suffer their necks to be put under that yoke of bondage, which was so sadly galling to their fathers, and occasioned their retreat into this distant land, that they might enjoy the freedom of men and christians. . ..

But they have "no Bishops." Very true; and they have no just reason for complaint upon this head. For, let it be considered,

Throughout an extent of territory more than 500 miles in length, comprehending seven Provinces, the four New-England ones, and those of New- York, the Jersies, and Pensylvania ; I say, throughout these largely extended Provinces, so well inhabited that they contain more than a million of souls, there are not, by the best information I can get, more than eight or nine Episcopal churches that support themselves. All the rest, to the amount of about sixty, more or less, chiefly made up of converts from the other denominations of Christians, are so far upheld in their existence by the Society at home, at the expence of not less than some thousands sterling per annum, that, should this be withdrawn, they would soon sink away for want of needed assistance. Instead now