- Transcription
Copy 184
Brunswick
30 Mar. 1762.
Finding by the publick papers that Dr Bearcroft Secretary to the Society for propagating the Gospel in foreign parts is dead, I must though unknown to you direct this to you who succeed him, as being a Corresponding Member, not having had a Letter from him for above two Years, I imagine that a long Letter that I wrote to him to be laid before the Board has miscarried, in which I stated the Situation of the Affairs of the Apostolic Church in this Province, since which time notwithstanding the Laws I got enacted and amended for the Support of the established Clergy, the Number of Clergymen are diminished instead of increasing, and the Inhabitants are rather becoming more dissolute, and Sectaries and Idleness increasing for want of Clergymen and proper Schoolmasters to educate Youth, there being not even a parish Clerk in the Province to serve as a Schoolmaster, or Reader upon Occasion where Clergymen are wanting, or when attending the out Chapels, as most Counties contain only one parish; this Province therefore demands a further Supply of Missionaries or Clergymen to be sent over—The Provision at present made for them by law is £100 ⅌ Ann. this Currency, and £20 in Lieu of a house and Glebe until they can be provided, besides which in most Parishes they may receive near £50 by Marriages, and when they are allowed to make Excursions to neighbouring Counties who want Clergymen, they are allowed handsomely for it, however as our Currency at present is much depreciated by issuing Notes to raise the Supplies for our necessary Defence it makes a considerable Abatement, and what is a farther Discouragement is that the several Parishes provide only annually for their Incumbents, and therefore I can’t properly induct them and ascertain their Residence, and the reason the Vestry gives for this Practice is, that they may oblige the Clergyman to do his Duty & attend properly, which as there is no Bishop or Superior with Episcopal Jurisdiction over them, they will be apt to neglect their Duty—I therefore think it of infinite Consequence and the Duty of the Society to address His Majesty that he wod, appoint two Bishops at least for this Continent, or Clergymen with Episcopal powers to visit the Clergy, confirm and ordain proper persons within these Colonies (as a sufficient Number can’t be obtained or procured to come from Europe) with a Power of Suspension and Degradation of the Clergy for Immoralities or Heresies, or for neglect of their Cures, With a Power of inflicting mild Censures and Discipline upon the Laity by depriving them of Church Communion where dissolute & profligate, this with a Provision for parish Schools to educate Youth in Christian principles wod. soon improve this Province, get rid of Sectaries and encourage the Inhabitants to become Industrious. In my former Letter I proposed sending over a Schoolmaster with a proper Appointment to civilize and convert the Catawba Indians and that I wod. add to it during my Residence, that Nation consisted then of 300 Warriors in strict friendship with us, since that time by the small pox getting among them they are reduced to 60 Warriors with a proportional Number of old Men Women and Children, and have quit their Towns in this Province and have removed into So. Carolina, where they have laid them out a Township.
I propose at the Assembly which meets next week to recommend their making a Law to empower each Vestry to raise a Fee or A Tax for a Clerk and Schoolmaster in every parish. The Town of Wilmington and parish is now without a Clergyman, Parson Smith having been refused to be restored to his Mission has been made a Chaplain in a Man of War, and our Parson here talks of quitting us, as he expected to be made a Missionary, but has heard nothing of it. I therefore beg leave to recommend it to the Board that they wod. if possible appoint more Missionaries to this unfortunate Province where Sectaries are increasing and Corruption of Manners, where we have but seven Clergymen to near 30 Parishes, most of them Counties, and one of them Mr. Moyer an abandoned Missionary who does little or no Duty within a Parish, and totally neglects his Mission.
I heartily pray for Success to the Society in their laudable Design of propagating and spreading the Gospel particularly in this extensive Continent.
I am
Revd. Sir
your obedient
humble Servant
Arthur Dobbs
No. 23. North Carolina
A Letter from his Excely Arthur Dobbs Govr of North Carolina, dated Brunswick. Mar. 30. 1762.
Read at a Committee
July 12—1762
