Historical Remarks for the Better Understanding of the Proceedings
of the Convention of the Clergy at Williamsburg,
in April, 1719
Before the Convention was called, great pains were taken to prepossess
the clergy in favour of the Governor by getting them to sign addresses of
encomiums upon him, in which there was usually some reflection against
the House of Burgesses that sent home a complaint against him to his
Majesty, so that, without condemning themselves, it could not be expected
they would act otherwise in relation to him than they did at the Convention.
To make way for these addresses, it was confidently given out, and
most industriously spread all over the country, that Mr. Commissary and
three more were turned out of the Council, and that the address of the
House of Burgesses was refused to be received, because it came not through
the hands of the Governor; both which proved otherwise.
On the day of the Convention, the Commissary and clergy waited on the
Governor at his house; and, the Commissary asking if he had any commands
for the Convention, he said he would signify what he had to say in
a letter.
While Mr. Commissary was yet giving his charge, and was come to that
part of it which gives an account of Sir Edward Northey's opinion,—viz.:
"In the year 1703, Governor Nicholson had the opinion of Sir Edward
Northey, then Attorney-General, as to the business of presentations and
inductions. He gave his opinion that "the right of presentation by our laws
was in the parishioners, and the right of the lapse was with the Governor."
Here Mr. Emanuel Jones interrupted him, crying out that it was a mistake;
it was not the parishioners, but the vestry. "I have right to know it,"
said he, "for I brought in that opinion." Mr. Commissary answered, "Sir,
you ought not to interrupt me: I have Sir Edward Northey's opinion here,
and I'll show you presently that it is right quoted;" and accordingly produced
it, and satisfied the whole Convention that he had right quoted it.
Immediately after the Commissary's charge, and before any other business
was entered upon, Mr. William Robinson, Clerk of the Council, being sent
by the Governor, desired admittance, and presented a letter from the Governor,
directed to the reverend the clergy of Virginia in Convention at Williamsburg,
and then withdrew. This letter, being all an invective against
Mr. Commissary, contributed very much to the ill-temper of the Convention.
There was such a confused noise upon it, that for a considerable space no
one could be heard. When that confusion was a little over, so that he
could be heard, Mr. Commissary said he was very unhappy to be under
the frowns of the Governor, but was so conscious of his innocency, that, if
they would have patience to hear him, he would ask no time, but would
immediately answer all the accusations of that letter. And, beginning, as
the letter does, with the business of collations, while he was showing the
law and practice of the country and the opinion of the late Bishop of London
and of Sir Edward Northey, by which he had always governed himself,
another confused clamour arose, that they were not proper judges of these
things, and therefore desired him to desist, and send his answer to the
Governor's letter in writing to my Lord-Bishop of London; to which he
acquiesced.
Then Mr. Hugh Jones and some others, faulting the doctrine of Mr.
Commissary's sermon preached before them that day, desired Mr. Commissary
to print it. He, excusing himself as never having appeared in
print, said if they had any objections against it he was ready to answer
them, or, if they desired it, he would transmit a true copy of it to my
Lord-Bishop of London; and accordingly they insisted upon this last, and
he promised to do it.
Then it was moved that an address be made to the Governor. Mr.
Commissary and some others put them in mind that it was more proper, and
would look better upon the minutes, to begin with the principal business
they were called upon,—viz.: The answer to my Lord of London's letter.
But, this being overruled, a committee was appointed to draw the said
address. Some moved that Mr. Commissary might be one of this committee
to help prepare the said address; but this was opposed by the greater
part.
Then Mr. Commissary and some others moved that it might be considered
whether it was not proper to give directions to the committee concerning
the manner of the said address, particularly that they should
abstain from intermeddling with those unhappy differences of State that
were between the Governor and the House of Burgesses; and that they
should confine themselves to what was more proper for the clergy,—namely,
the thanking the Governor for his protection of the Church. If they drew
a handsome address to this purpose, it was said, we should all unanimously
join in it, which would do him more service than if they drew any thing
which we could not all unanimously sign. But this motion was overruled
and the committee left to themselves without any limitation.
Mr. Emanuel Jones delivered in the address to the Governor, which,
being read and examined paragraph by paragraph, passed without amendment.
Though it was carried by a majority of the Convention that this address
should pass without amendment, there was a very great debate on the
subject-matter of it. They were put in mind that those prejudiced men
by whom they said his Honour was affronted and abused were the body
of the representatives of the country,—the House of Burgesses; that they
had made a public complaint of the Governor, which now lies before the
King; that it did not belong to our province either to prejudice his Majesty
or to decide the points in difference between the Governor and the House
of Burgesses; that, if we were ever so desirous to justify the Governor, we
were not in a capacity to do it, the matters in difference being entirely out
of our cognizance. The House of Burgesses complain that their privileges
are encroached upon: is that a fit subject for us to determine? They
complain of a great sum of money taken without order and spent about the
Governor's house and gardens: they had the account before them, whereas
if we say any thing upon that subject we must speak without book. And
so of the forfeiture of lands and the Burgesses' salaries and some other
things complained of, of which we are very incapable judges. They were
likewise told that the duty of mediation of peace did much better become
us than the espousing of any party; that we should thereby incur the
displeasure of a great many gentlemen of our own parishes; that we should
create to ourselves lasting uneasiness; and that a time might come when
the House of Burgesses might think fit to call those to account that put
such public affronts on them, as we heard the House of Commons in
Ireland did those that counter-addressed in the case of Sir Constantine
Phips.
When none of all this prevailed, but the address was carried by vote, the
Commissary, and seven more that were against addressing in that form,
desired that they might enter the reasons of their dissent. But this was
wholly refused.
While this business was in debating, Mr. Robertson brought a letter from
the Governor to the Commissary, requiring the perusal of his sermon
preached yesterday before the Convention. The style of it is so particular
that Mr. Commissary thought fit to set it down verbatim, which follows:—
Sir:—In your sermon preached yesterday before me, upon occasion of
the Convention of the clergy, you thought fitting to advance such principles
with respect to Government that I judge I should not discharge the duty
I owe to my Prince if I failed to take notice thereof; and lest I might,
upon one cursory hearing, misapprehend some positions you then laid down,
I desire you will favour me now with a more deliberate perusal of the
sermon in writing; and your immediate compliance with this request will
be the only means to satisfy, sir, your most humble servant,
A. Spottswood.
Williamsburg, April 9, 1719.
Upon this, he immediately sent the sermon, hoping the Governor would
either rest satisfied, or, by the help of his friends of the clergy, form his
objections and give him an opportunity of answering them. He heard no
more of it, only understands he took a copy.
Upon the question of Mr. Commissary's Episcopal ordination, of twenty-four
that were present besides Mr. Commissary himself, twelve voted that
they were doubtful of his Episcopal ordination, eleven that they had no
doubt about it, and one that he suspended his judgment. The reasons of
those who were doubtful were, first, that they knew not the hand in which
the certificate was written subscribed Jo. Edenburgen. To which it was
answered, that they could not have a better proof, that fell within their
knowledge, than the late Bishop of London's license under his hand and
seal. Second, it was objected that the certificate was not in the usual
English form, nor any seal annexed to it. To which it was answered that
a certificate from a Scotch Bishop of any one being a minister in his
diocese, in the Order of Presbyter, is a sufficient proof of the matter of fact,
though it is not in the English form; and that, being taken for such thirty-four
years ago by the late Bishop of London, (and the late Lord Effingham,
Governor of Virginia,) to whom both his ministry in Scotland and the test
for which he suffered were at that time well known, it ought not now to be
called in question. Third, Mr. Hugh Jones objected to the word Presbyter
in that certificate,—that it should have been Priest. But this objection
was ridiculed by most of themselves, since in the English certificates
[OMITTED]
Priests' Orders they are said to be promoted "Ad Sacrum Presbyteratus
Ordinem."
In answer to the question whether they knew of any minister in this
Colony that did not punctually conform to the rules of the Established
Church, there is no more set down in the minutes but that it was owned
there were several rules which were not observed by any of them because
of the circumstances of the country. But upon this Mr. Commissary urged
that my Lord-Bishop of London had been certainly informed of great deviations
from the Liturgy, and therefore that if any of the informers were
then present they would acquaint us with what they had observed of this
kind, that it might be certified, and told them they must expect he would
acquaint my Lord with it if they had nothing to say. Upon this Mr. Hugh
Jones said something to this purpose:—That he was desired by my Lord of
London to give his Lordship some account of the state of this Church, and
that accordingly he had given an account of some things in which Mr.
Commissary did not observe the rubric. He instanced in the clerk's
publishing the banns and some other things in church. For by the laws
of this country all proclamations and many laws are published in Church,
and, the clerks commonly keeping the register, the usual way is for them
to publish the banns and give a certificate of it to the minister. He complained
too of Mr. Ingles, his taking upon him in his school to make exhortations
to his schoolboys, alleging that he should only teach them the
Church Catechism. The whole Convention, judging these things frivolous,
commended Mr. Ingles (who is a sober, good man, and master of arts) for
giving good instructions to his boys concerning their morals; and as for
some other things of small variation from the rubric, they found none but
such as the different circumstances of the country from those of England
necessarily engaged us in, which are more particularly mentioned in the
clergy's answer to my Lord of London's letter.
In the evening of this day, after the Convention was adjourned, eight
ministers, who, for the reasons above mentioned, did not join in the address
which the major part prepared for the Governor, agreed upon one of their
own, both to show their duty to him and their moderation with relation to
the public differences in the country. It was as follows:—
To the Hon. Alexander Spottswood, his Majesty's Lieutenant-Governor
and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony
May it please your Honour, it is with no small concern we humbly
represent to your Honour that we could not join with the rest of our
brethren in one uniform address, being unwilling to determine between
persons and things which, as we apprehend, were not properly under our
cognizance nor within our province. Nevertheless, we think it our duty
to return our most hearty thanks for the continuance of your Honour's
protection to the Church and clergy of this country. We have no doubt
of your Honour's ready concurrence in any present methods that can be
offered for our support and encouragement. And seeing your Honour is
well apprized of all our circumstances, without any further information
from us, we desire to leave it with yourself to consider of the best ways
and means to remedy what wants redress in the precariousness of our circumstances,
whether by execution of the laws in being, or the contrivance
of new ones, to answer better the circumstances of the Church and clergy
and people of this country as in your wisdom you shall think fit.
It is far from our thoughts to add any thing to the uneasiness of your
circumstances from other hands, being extremely concerned at the unhappy
differences in the country. As we heartily wish a better understanding,
we shall not fail by our prayers and endeavours in our station to procure
it as far as in us lies. And in the mean time, committing you to God's
conduct and direction, we take leave to subscribe ourselves, sir, your
Honour's most obedient and most humble servants,
James Blair, Com'y,
James Selater,
John Cargill,
Peter Fountaine,
John Brunskill,
Gay Smith,
Jno. Monro,
Francis Mylne.
William and Mary College, April 9, 1719.
And then they went to his house to present it. But he, having first
perused it by himself, at last refused to receive it, called it a libel, and
gave it back to Mr. Commissary.
There is nothing to be remarked upon this day's proceedings but that
some objections were made to a few things in the clergy's answer to my
Lord of London's letter, upon the amendment of which all the clergy
declared their readiness to sign it. These objections were,—1st. The slur
it casts upon Mr. Commissary's ordination. 2d The unfair representation,
or insinuation, at least, as if some of the Council, and particularly Mr.
Commissary, obstructed the Governor's acting in favour of the clergy in
the point of institutions and inductions. It is true they do not take it
upon themselves to say this, but lay it upon the Governor, and say that he
imputes the opposition "he meets with in this affair to some of the Council,
and particularly to Mr. Commissary, whom he also accuses of some other
irregularities, as your Lordship, by his Honour's letter to us and another
to the vestry of the parish of St. Anne's, may perceive, both which, together
with Mr. Commissary's answer, we doubt not your Lordship will receive,
and in which we most humbly and earnestly pray your Lordship to interpose
your Lordship's advice and assistance." Though this was the least
they could do without directly incurring the Governor's displeasure, there
were several who said they knew the Council and the Commissary had
been such constant friends to the clergy that they would have no hand in
putting this slight upon them, as if they opposed their institutions and
inductions. 3d. That it lays the blame upon our laws that we are obliged
to baptize, church women, marry, and bury, at private houses, &c., whereas
it is not by our laws these things are occasioned, but partly by our precariousness,
(the Governor never making use of the lapse,) and partly by
the exceeding largeness of the parishes and other inconvenient circumstances
of the country.
Immediately before dissolving the Convention, Mr. Hugh Jones moved
something to this effect,—that, in regard a major part doubted of Mr.
Commissary's Orders, the Governor should be required to suspend him
from officiating as a minister of this country, and the Bishop desired to
send another Commissary. This proposal was with a general voice exploded
and cried out upon, and they asked him if he was not ashamed to
offer any such thing. When nobody backed his motion, he desired it might
be entered on the minutes. But the whole Convention rejected it with
great indignation.
The above account, consisting of ten pages, is a true narrative, to the
best of our remembrance
