assembly of this province, with the commissioners and other gentlemen, was pleased to proceed to the spot, and lay the same accordingly, and thereon a sum of money; a stone was then laid by each of the gentlemen that attended his Excellency, followed by the loud acclamations of a numerous concourse of people that had assembled to see the ceremony; after which the company proceeded to Mr. Gordon's, where a handsome entertainment was provided by the commissioners. Dinner over, his Majesty's health was drank, followed by a discharge of the cannon at Granville's bastion, then the healths of all the royal family, and other loyal toasts; and the day was concluded with peculiar pleasure and satisfaction. This Church will be built on the plan of one of Mr. Gibson's designs, and it is thought will exhibit a fine piece of architecture when completed. The steeple being designed much larger than that of St. Philip's, will have a fine set of bells.*

1753. Twelve persons agreed that they and their families should form a congregation at Roxbury (Connecticut). Having no prospect of soon obtaining a minister, they made choice of one of their number, Captain Hawley, to be their reader. The congregation grew, and it was not long before they found themselves in a capacity for building a Church. The original twelve belonged to four contiguous towns, New-Milford, Southbury, Woodbury, and Roxbury, and met in the latter as the most central place. Captain Hawley officiated for twelve years, and this is one among the instances of the utility of lay-reading, where circumstances do not admit of the people having a minister, which of course will always be preferred where practicable. According to the computation of the Rev. Dr. Johnson of Stratford, no less than five out of twenty-five candidates for holy orders from New-England have lost their lives in the attempt. Three candidates intended for

the town of Hebron, successively died in consequence of going to England-one drowned, and two by small-pox.

1754. In 1701, when this Society was chartered, there were not more than five churches of the Church of England, though much more than half of the inhabitants were of that denomination. Now more than one hundred churches or chapels are built, near seventy missionares and catechists are employed, schools are established, bibles and books of devotion dispersed. The inhabitants are said to amount to eight hundred thousand, besides three hundred and fifty thousand negroes.

1756. Their children (i. e. Episcopalians) are debarred the privilege of a liberal education, unless they will submit to accept it on such conditions as dissenters require, which, in Yale College, is to submit to a fine as often as they attend the worship of the Church of England, communicants only excepted, and those only on sacrament days.

1757. Mr. Barton, missionary to York, Pennsylvania, is said to have often, at the head of his congregations, gone to oppose the savage and murderous enemy, which has had so good an effect, that they are verily persuaded, that he hath been instrumental, under God, in preventing many families from deserting their plantations, and having the fruits of many years gathered by the hands of rapacious and cruel murderers. A letter to Mr. Penn says-" Mr. Barton has put himself at the head of his congregations, and marched either by night or day on every alarm. others imitated his example, Cumberland would not have wanted men enough to defend it; nor has he done any thing in the military way but what hath increased his character for piety, and that of a sincerely religious man, and zealous minister."

Had

1758. The dissenters prevailed by their majority in the vestry at Jamaica, Long-Island, to present one Simon Horton, a dissenting teacher, for induction into the parish, but the governor would not admit him into that cure.

1759. One-half of the money raised in New-York by public lottery for the Episcopal college, was, by the assembly of the province, applied to another purpose. The Society voted £500 to the building and support of the The Rev. Mr. Bristowe left it his library of near fifteen hundred volumes.

same.

1760. St. Michael's Church being now almost finished, we hear that a subscription is set on foot for purchasing a set of bells for its steeple, the cost of which will be about £400 or £500 sterling.*

1761. The Society had, in New-England, twenty-seven missionaries; and as one of the reasons for having but few in North-Carolina, the unhealthiness of the climate is mentioned. St. Peter's (Philadelphia) was built this year. Mr. Ogilvie, missionary at Albany, writes-that "he is informed that there is no nation (indians) bordering on the five great lakes, or the banks of the Ohio, the Mississippi, and all the way to Louisiana, but what are supplied with priests and schoolmasters, and have decent places of divine worship, with every splendid utensil of their religion." They had been instructed by the priests of the Roman Catholic religion. The Rev. Mr. Macdowell, Brunswick, North-Carolina, agreed with the vestry, in every year, to reserve to himself four Sundays, to be employed in other parishes, besides the places which he can attend on common days: for two or three weeks he has been employed every day, preaching and baptizing.

1762. The Rev. Mr. Langinau, Newfoundland, writes"In Whitlass Bay are eleven poor families, all Irish Roman Catholics, where the few Potestants there are in danger even of their lives." The Rev. Mr. Bass, Newberry, New-England, writes-that "the dissenters, upon his refusing to give them leave to hold their religious meetings in his Church, till they could build a meeting

house, had forcibly entered into it." Governor Bernard recommended, and the Society directed, him to permit the dissenters to use the Church for a limited time; provided they disclaim all manner of right to it, &c. The Rev. Mr. Beach, Newtown, writes-that "of eight hundred members in his cure, two hundred and forty are communicants." The Rev. Mr. Apthorp, missionary at Cambridge, writes-as he had hitherto been of little service to the Society, not as yet residing at Cambridge, he cannot accept the salary for 1759 and '60, but begs leave to grant it towards the building of the Church. Agreed to. The Rev. Mr. Chandler, New-Jersey, writes-that "the dissenters are become so charitable as to think there is no material difference between them and us; and such is the moderation of some churchmen as to return the compliment in their opinion of the dissenters." The Rev. Mr. Morton, New-Jersey, writes-his communicants last Easter were only five, the people having been taught by dissenting ministers, that they must arrive at almost a state of perfection before they can be worthy partakers. The Rev. Mr. Barton, Lancaster, writes-that in his mission (about twenty-four thousand souls) he has avowedly no infidels. The poor people in Pequee and Caernarvon, contented to dwell in the meanest huts, contributed handsomely to the building of two stone churches, which they did at their sole expense. The Rev. Mr. Stewart, NorthCarolina, writes-that "when he mentions baptizing a person by immersion, he would be sorry to have it thought affectation of singularity in him, and assures the Society he did it only to keep people from falling off from the Church. That province, he observes, has lately been overrun with a people, who at first called themselves Anabaptists, but who, refining upon their scheme, have run into many errors, and bewildered the minds of the people. A notion of inspiration, visions, and of their sect being the elect of God, is gone out amongst them.” The

Rev. Mr. Martyn of St. Andrew's, South-Carolina, resigned the Society's salary, thinking he was sufficiently provided for by the parish.

1763. The Rev. Mr. Fayerweather, Massachusetts, writes" some persons take too many occasions of expressing great bitterness against the Church of England." He finds immersion preferred by many, and administers in that way when requested. The Rev. Mr. Browne, NewHampshire, informs the Society, that Governor Wentworth has interested them (by grants) in one hundred and twenty towns, and will interest them in every one he shall hereafter grant. The interest in each of these towns will amount to three hundred acres or more. Besides, the governor has set apart glebes in each of them. He has in vain endeavoured to procure a gentlemen to go to England for orders, to become an itinerant. The small-pox,

and the danger of the sea, are insurmountable difficulties and show the necessity of an American bishop. The Rev. Mr. Punduin, Connecticut, writes-that he has entered upon the thirtieth year of his service to the Society, and during that long term, has been enabled to officiate every Sunday, except one. By the blessing of heaven he has raised up eleven churches. The Rev. Mr. Milner, WestChester, petitions the Society to continue their bounty to a schoolmaster, as the school is a nursery for the Church. The Rev. Dr. Johnson writes-that a Mr. Bennet, aged fifty, has an earnest desire to spend the remainder of his days in converting the Mohawk, and other indian tribes. He only desires so much salary as to support his own person, having a competent estate which he would leave with his family. The Rev. Mr. Campbell, New-Jersey, writes that his congregation at Mount Holly, which was very flourishing, has been hurt by some enthusiastical people, who pretend that Mr. Macclenaghan is the only preacher of Christ in America, and all the rest are Arminians, &c. Arthur Dobbs, Governor of North-Carolina, suggested, that it is of infinite consequence to appoint