The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-02-22

ions in Religion than are to be found IN
this little Corner. The magistrates OF the
Massachusetts who had before bore SO hard
upon the Rhode-IsIdnders, hanged four OF
these first Quake-Speakers. This, with
other seventies, exercised on their Prose-
ltes in that Province, contributed TO sehd
Shoals Of these Secretaries to Rh0de-IS-
land as to a safer Sanctuary. This will
account for the Power and Number of Qua
kers in this Colony, who notwithstanding
did not aim at Civil Authority, until their
Brethren of Pennsylvania had got into the
Saddle of Power and as they were sure of
the major vote, they thought, and they, as
it has proved, thought right they might ex-
ercise these powers by the Connicance,
which their brethren did by the Consent of
the Crown. IT. 100, after Quakerism and
other Heresies had in their turn, ruled over
and tinged all the inhabitants, for the space
of forty six years, the Church of England
that had been lost here through neglect of
the Crown, entered as it were unobseved
and unseen, and yet not without some sue
cess. A little Church was built in Newport,
the Metropolis of the Colony, in 1902, and
that in which | officiate in Naraganset,
since removed to the village of Wexford
and principally rebuilt, in 1907. There
have been two incumbents before me, but
neither of them had resolution enough to
grapple with the Difficulties of the Mission
above a year apiece. Ien,ered on this mis-
sion in 1921, and found the people not a
7'asula RdSd, or clean Sheet of Paper, up
OH which / might make any impressions
pleased but field full of Briars and
/ rhorns and noxious weeds that were all to
| be eradicated before could implant in them
the Simplicity of Truth. However, by
Gods Blessing, have brought over to the
Church, some hundreds, and among the
Hundreds have baptized, there are at least
$50 who receive the Sacrament atmy hands
from twenty years old to seventy or eighty
Ez pede HerculBm. BY this you ma,
guess in how uncultyated a Country my
lot fell. BY my excursions and out labors
Church is built twenty-five miles to the
Westward of me, location not ascertained
but not now under my care. Another, lt
miles to the Northward of me about mile
this side of East Greenwich village, where
an old stone chimney is now standing,
where | olliciae once a month, and and al
a place six miles further off, on the Satur-
day night preceding that monthly Sunday.
| gathered a congregation at place called
Nev Bristol, where now officiates Mis-
sionary from the Society and | was the
/ first Episcopal minister that ever preached
at Providence, where for long time l used
to 90 four times a year, but that Church
has now fixed Missionary of its own.
Besides the members Of our Church,
who l may boast are the best of the Peo-
pie, Being Converts, not from Convenience
or civil Encouragement, but Conscience
and Conviction, there are Quakers, Ana
baptists, of four Sorts, Independents, with
still larger Number than all those of the
Descendants of European Parents, devoid
of all Religion, and who attend no kind of
Publlck Worship. In all the other Colo
nies, the Law lays an Obligation to go to
some sort of Worship on Sunday, but here
Liberty Of Conscience is carried to an ire
ligious Extreme. The Produce ofthis Col
ony is principally Butter and Cheese, fat
Cattle, Wool and fine Horses, that are ex-
ported to all parts Of the English Ameried.
They are remarkable for fleetness and
swift Pacing, and have seen some of them
mace a mile in little more than tUO minutes,
n rood deal less than three There are
above three hundred vessels such as Sloops,
Schooners, Shows, Brigantines and Ships,
from 60 tons and upwards that helong to
this Colony but as they are rather Car
riers for other Colonies than furnished hcre
with Cargoes, you will go neaSto conclude
that we are lazy and greedy Of Gain, since,
instead of cutiyatlng the Lands, we improve
too many Hands in trade. This indeed is
the Case.
There are here, which is no good Symp-
tom a vast many Law Suits, more IN one
Year, than the County of Derry has in
twenty; and Billy N'Erers has been so
long your Fathers and your Honor's Con-
stable, that he would make very good Fig
ure on the Bench of our Courts of Sessions
and Common Pleas, and no very contemp-
tible one on those Of our Courts Of Assize
anL Gnnnral Goal Dellxerx The Nnxan-