The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg [Va.], 1778-04-24 00:00:00, page 1

The VIRGINIA GAZETTE.
The Freedam of the Pus? i: one of the great Bul'warlu of Liberty, and can neuer be restrained but by despom Gwemmtz.
[APRIL 24, 1778.) WILLIAMSBURG: Printed bnyonCFHUNTER. [No. x41_z.]
so [be CLERGY and LAITY eftbe CHURCH formm') tflablished
in Vt : a lNlA
G : N T :. : m : N,
H ! interefls of religion and morality have induced me to offer you this
short ad Jisiess, it is neither to plead the cause of exclusive cstablish
ment;, nor to vilisy any proseffion different from our own. The author it no
- .fricnd to the former, and a to the latter, rational and moral conduct are the
. m criterions by which we may judge of their purity. The author il, how
over, a friend to those forms of church government which have the unction of
, the hoh' scriptures. It is for this reason- he could wish to see that society of
'Chsiffizml rescued from : total extinction which has episcopal ordination at its
Salt; and which has adopted : non of public worship not only the most
decent, but the most ntlonal and ufeful.
— The Chriflim religion, considered both in : moral and political point of
view. delervet the attention of all partie: in every nate. But at uniformity of
{eminent is : chimera of the brain alone, it becomes the duty of each to en
deavour to maintain that form which they think most useiut and agreeable to
themselves, most likely to preserve order and decency in their public worship,
and most promotive'of lear ing and morality, as sat at such endeavours do not
ssintersere with the eivil lighte of others, "
But how will this be effected with ut unless some mode be adopted for a
eontinuanee of ordination? Circumflancos unavoidable mufl soon leave m
iithout proper or defirable person: for the performance of the dutics os I Cler
- man. it is neither th' irct- crest of (ociety or of religion that such duiies should
ntumpted by the illiteute, much less by the immoral. Daily experience
vincn us that miracles lsc no longer the attendants of that proscfflon.
m.; nfulon, ignorance, and intolerable absurditita, may amu'e H—e vulgar for :
i while, but the mind soon sevohs against them ; it Wishzs to see regularity, of
der. md good sense, assume their deserved rlnlt.
, ,. ;,Bsiut if a continuance of ordination could tffzct so valnzble an end, how is It
wbe obtained? Here in the difficulty. But does it arise from the real nature
si li'th ease, sioi from that aversmn which the mind has to any thing novel in
,. Men of (a r.,sim find isi-smr'm' : mien? Cufl :m and a.:ss.icnt usage: too
ctd'nctcn nsurp the place of justice. But this it the age to attack usurpation over
? R- j'tm rights of mankind in every instance. The attention of tyranny, or
si rega} power, il never confined to one object. Perhapt we shall be nble to
si we that epissopaey, as established in England at present, is one of the many
eneroacnmenu of this power upon thejufl rights of the people, and that afm
dodiu to that office was not only the molt ancient usage of that country, but
, Nso th: true apottolic mode. ,
{( f- ._: At thin is an add- eft to these alone who are already convinced thee epifcopncy
Ne ]! In inflicution warranted by the holy scripturet, it in my deflgn only to shew
'sumghc office in, lltogether dependent upon : [m electiin of the Clergy and
sifflnple. -lf thin can be (hewn, ] doubt not but it will he readily ldmittcd that
Mmay, lt-p tolesited soeiety, not only mninta'm our exiflcncc, but upon
sisiprinciplu much Purer, and more Christian. than formerly
,'-gfflThe {nened Blackstone, in his commentasiet, book :. chlp. n. informs us,
si,_tc'that chain wot, in vtr my]! time:, the usual made of elevation to the cpis
, mal chair throughout al Christendom, and that (says he) was promiscuoufly
,. -. ct med'by the Inity, as well a by the Clergy5" for which he cites very
si.- lvthuitlu. lot afterwards : complaint os tumultuout election, to
- with the supposed royal prerogltive of granting the invcfiituru of ten:
. _ es. served the desigm ot Empemn and Kings a : pretence to invnde
B
ct freedom of election, and the same pretencc os tumuk prnved equally sn—
'* rable to the oppofitc designs of Popes; so that their janing interests seemed,
ct,ss,ldbfler, united in their endezyoun to deprive the church of her ancient sight;
all? therefor. " the policy of the court of Rome at the same time began by
*"" to'excludc the [air] from any than in these eleaions, and to confine
- (say: the learned judge) whony to the ClersY. which at length was cpm
. yeflcded." -
wilt nppean, Mr. Shlrpe inform: us, that the Saxon, or English chulch,
3. though much lest lnclent than the British, lrish. and Scotch churches. did enjoy
Hflp privilege of n'am; Bishop. The Monk Matthew Paris has transmined to
ct memouble example of this in his account n! the election, A. D. 1095, of
_ celebrated Ulshn! " Proceffu autem temporis Ulstanue, unanimi Consensu,
. q'sstsicleri, qimn mia: plzbh, in Episeopum estgimr." And even in later times,
,si he:; the Romst) cossufll'cm had so' far prcv-ulcd as to exckude the laizy lnssm
t ediom, yet the Clergy (till enjoycd the (me right of elcctmg then Prelafca,
Iss siethcr Ahbou or Bishopsi; for the learned judge informs us t! at thus right
.__ 35 ranne", in : charter. " to all the monasterict and cathcdrals in the king
;
LM , ng ]ohn, and also that the grant wu expressfy recogmzad and con
ct fltmed by King ]obn's mgna cbana, and was again eflablishcd by nature 25,
' Edward Ill. Thin (htute, says Mr. Sheeps, first gave parliamentary Iuthori:
.Wa indeed, to the King's cangi- d'g/Iirt (though it was in ulc bong before.)
The right of election was nlso fully eflablished by preceding statutes, shu in
solce, though, unhlppily for this kingdom, continues Mr. Shupe, not in uk,
as. " there shzll be free election: of dignities in the church." 9 Edward th
chap. 14. And again, election: ougbt to be sue. 3 Edward I._ chap. 5. -,
Thus, As it may be,;leesly proved that the churche! of Butcig lndsilsdlnd
have : just end ancient right to elcd their Bishope, and did 08 men that
sigh: for many lges, till the usurpaticm o! Monk: end Popu eve! p'aroehhl
Clergy occzfioned the incerference of Kings, so it it no lefe evident lhlt'dw
present made of election by :ougi d'gflire (agreeable to the lit as,. VllL)
it I ton] perverfion of thatjnst md ancient right nbove mentioned. _ 'o
tice, however, cannot be censnred in stronger terms tlnn those in which it is
expressly condemned by : subsetpient lct of pnrlinment (: Edward VI. chap.
n.) though the former- lctjz supposed to be still in some, viz. " The ssiid
electiom be, in very deed, no election, but only by I writ of in:) cP-sssiri. sihdve
colcun, shzdowu, and pretence: of elections, servmg, nevertheless, to no pus.
pose," &c. :
But it is of more concern to us to consider what wes the primitive apesiolie
mode of filling up this office. The primitive election mentioned in Aaol.
:; to :.6, was not only the eleaion of an Apostle, but elb ofsie Bishop, the
office or charge of : Bishop being lppatently included in the whole dignity,. .
For though Matthin (say: the learned sharpe) on when them fell, we. m.
mediately " numbered zmong the eleven Aposiieo," yet the "cum charge to
which he wn elected wn unqnefliombly Po episec-pal charge. The expression
of the Holy Ghost in the prophecy of the psalnlist (psalm cut. 8. " lctsianother
take his yffice") proves that the said office wn of that nature; so: the Hebrew
word, commonly rendered bis gffice, the szme author continues, propedy signs.
fies i e'i/imtnial office, which cxprefliun, by the ancient author: of the stpiu.
agint version, as well as the Apostle Peter, was conceived to be of the same
general import an In office of jupvintenduq, and theresoie they called 5: m
Epijkcfne. " Let another take his Epistopau. or Bishopriek." Manhiuss
thcr-ct-vore, and the other Apoflles, wells properly Epifiopei, or ;; and
the right as nomimuion to the vacam charge wn not then confined rz'thc Apoflm
aion (as Dr. Hemmond, without authorssity of scripsure, has affirmed) but m
- ' ' . '- '. - . .,.- , ,".*-.w
.,ctpx; ms made to the sense e: th: 'vkhvk- coisictbtsiyduull, 01 crown or [80 pes—
sons, then present, by the Apostle Peter, and fluv eccordmglyqfffi'md.
twsia, end lsteswasdl, joining in solemn prayer, submitted the decifiolI-ct'osissims
election, by lot, to the providence of God. The very learned and'znddou
Erasmus was of the sum cpinion respecting the :}zpointment o! swow by
the congregatioun, or the no Discipfet: " Hec outio, say: he, qoum.sssi '
isset mu/zimdini, shtuerum dnos, lpeakinz of Peter't addrese to 4he_ ' e,
And a little afterwards he gives : commendation of that Prisinitive ample;—
Thus. ] think, it is cleatly shewn, hom the Acts, ther the :} '_ si' .m
the office of Bishop was by the voice of Clergy and lusty. Wine." Why;
concerning the melt ancient custom of the church confirms this opiaiene
] must heg lene to subjoin one argument more to anew tt-e necessnysinf p"
serving the exittence of that telitioos plny in the fine which hue hithettv gero
undts the denomimticn of the church os England. it is en argument Much ct
equsilly effects the good citizen, whether he be attached to Pteshyterielivsim, to
Episcopacy, or whethu he be equally irdifferent to every species of religion;
wosship. Eflnblilhnten.s are, on all harde, confined to beinc0nfilient wuh .
sree government. ]! is therefore necch'u). :o puvent (heir taking piece, that
no particular sea, like Anson's serpent, should swalicw up the reusi. lus n—
thel ahsolntely neceflary th-t. is possible, : proper equiiibnutn snomd he num,
tained between :" partiet. l'olicy would contempltte them a sits ded
upon . lever, the to cium of which it the General Assembly, whoe yea: -
object should he to maintain :: proper equipoise. The depreflion of one must
necessuiy produce the exaltauon of the other. ss -
]: nczw only remdins that a proper method should be proposed whidx woffld
be the must likely to produce the end in view. ] wish, indeed, thi- couid
come from a more abie cnaosellor then I can pretend to be. There can, how.
ever, be no improuslcty in proposmg : convention of laity end Clergy for this
pusi pose. Two laymen and one Clergymln from each parish, delegated by the
people, might form such : convention, wherein they might determine whjkm
Wouid he most effcctu .i to preserve the exisience of their religious society; and
what nine crm (hers. be more [zvourzble ler their design then the ensuing As.
srmhl) ' A msi—ung 0! the Ciergy is expected on the 16th of May. Let this be
as ,uz. as p.;sissr r—lz, am. :here will be little doubt but that they will find nu men
01 sense sin.: wcsich i.:zc'y tv (ucccur their pious endeavours.
! am, ! truR, with all fincerity,
A FRlBND TO EOssUAL LIBERTY.
_____——__—.———_———_———_.____-ct ctss
. 'The bllmsictsio- .-'< ukcx fraud Wbilcbnm paper, 'Zf (5, Ictff 74," si)
] 'L 0 N D 0 4", DMM 79,'30. 7"
1" it said, that Adminl Keppel, early in the spring, will sail so: Amicsiz,
wuhl large squadron under his commlnd; and that Lord Amhem wm
mainlzpe lppoinmd m sh- dnmm-nul :- n....zsi