Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-07-12
TO TIE EDITOR OF TIE ENQUIRER

EPISCOPAL CHURCH-BRUTON PARISH.
In locking The Enquirer, my mind was arrested
hy an article which contained account o! meeting ct
the V"stry Of Brulon Parish, with resolutions con
Getnning the Of the last Episcopal Convention IN THIS
State, which required that in future all the Lay Dele
gates shall be commandments. was struck Win The
a!ar anr language used and the fearful measures pro-
posed and, as may well he supposed my mind has been
not little uneasy since them for the Fesry who GER
lanly ought to be good judges are of opinion ha, this
is only one step to the " entire cx!ingnshmsnt oil oil
religious liberty and The substitution Of the most grind
ing religious tyranny that dsgraccd the annals OF
tie Church. They think arc in danger of losing nil
our rights; that nonconmuncants are actually IN fair
way be denied the sacred rites Of sePultnre and to hc
turned oct Of the Churches not TO he allowed 10 hear
the ord Of Life, and in fact, to be denied every re!
eous privilege; and in order 10 avert these approaching
ca!arnts the -cnG;Duncants summoned 10 rise
up in all their strength and Tndlcate their rights THIS is
indeed an are Of wonders II is impossible osay what will
happen had idea that we were all IN such danger
But some wiser than others to "reser the remote
tendencies Of things, and ought To thank them tor the
timely wurniny Oar liberties sometimes gene be-
fare we dream of such thing and shnnld therefore
keep good look cut have been looking and examining
all around inc, since read the awful warning OF these
scunels the wa'chlower, 10 see 1t we were moi al
reodv enclosed by the enemies of liberty though living
in this land Of boosted freedom; and does appear 10
me- that we arc lost already. AS the Episcopal! Church
is but one and that small one, amidst the Churches Of
our land have been. since read the warnings oil The
Veslrv ruon Parish looking nn the other Churches 10
sec whether they have not been undermining The glorious
TEMPLE Of libeTty-and TO my disnav, lind that they
have been working away unnoced, until the noble
structure is ready to fall upon our heads and crush our
Eoascd r;phs to the caT;h-Judge of my establishment
and horror when found that the Methudists had gone
far ahead Of long since in this evil course, and that
they actually had Lay Delegates in their religious
assemblies. wondered how it was possible they could
be tolerated in This land of liberty Even the Preshye-
rians those fast friends Of civil and religious liberty,
whom MIR. Jefferson sometimes nPmenis, though at
others lie stands in doubt Of he'nthry also have JON
ed in the unhaIowcd warfare against The rights OF nom
communicates for they admit only Deacon: with their
Ministers into the PeshycTes; and we all Know they
are kind of amphbious animals half Laymen, hall MI
psters And even the Barlisls whu sonlrtDest 10
think they arc the only persons who understand any
lhnr argh, of religious liberty and who did more than
all others 10 pull down The old Church-hey admit none
but Layncn in full communion to their religious bodies
Now unless the fears Of the Vesly OF Bruton Parish be
1roundess, under what religious tyranny must The
State OF Virginia. and indeed the whole United States te
ly this time How this tyranny must have operated so
~ TO pre vent the baptism Of countless thousands Of chill
dren How many thousands must have been denied
Christian burial !-lIo" many hundreds OF thousands
nave hren refused the privilege OF entering the temples
of public worship! cannot say that kno" this to be
fact: On the contrary, have never seen any person
cas-, on the highway and buried the burial OF al no.
have ever heard ofany person being turned away from
hearing Word bacaurc they were not
but think have great numbers OF sinners nockng
to their necngs;sbu eraps may be otherwise IN iu'
turc and the principle has not yet come into iui opera
| ton
Ihave also been thinking since read those rcsolii;
tons whether ought not to louk little INTO our civil
matters. Perhaps not so free as we think for
We VrEinians think very highly Of ourselves on this
account and apt IN imagine That none understand II
as we'll as do But perhaps, while with our accus-
toned PATRIOTISM attending to The affairs OF The
nation and establishing great principles, with noble
negligence we have suffered interests to he in
jurcd. am not sure but ought TO have another State
Convention called examine into this matter Our
last Convention acted nobiy, indeed, IN extending The
right. Of suffrage 10 let in great many more OF the
sovereign people to the elections and they helped
on the old General great deal by it, but sill: they left
something behind, which, like cankerworm, may De
eating out the vals of our liberty. They did not, az
they should nave done, throw open the doors OF our le-
ceplion. BY slam Of the door, they rudey shut out
all the ladies and the clergy They required that
in order to be legislator, should have some
little of that vile pef which every true patriot desrlses
some property, mcan.-He must at any rate DC
pot boiler, and perhaps have few acres of poor lana-
Yes, and with minded policy d'sgracclui u ''t
State they actually, am told, excluded Tor uhe al
least, all those noble, patriotic foreigners, "ho oul Oh
pure dsnteresed 1--we TO country have come over
to help Yes blush 10 mention it. even the D=ioV
ed peaceful of Erin, fresh from the sod must DC
excluded from legislature, until they have oecn #oFk
nr at least one wear OH The rail road canal and ga
| tlcred little fuel make the pot boil Yes, ana
worse than all lhis-cven though all The voters IN a
county should send delegate to the house, and though
| he should be carried in trump, on fence rail,
| he is not allowed open his lips and say aye or
nav 10 any law, until the Bible he has sworn
to do his duty and support the Constitution; and IT he
has been 30 bravs and honorable as to tight duel,