The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-01-10

piN' Noi'' pOSNo vi 'iit'' f.siN W. ''iNi-i "h'
belonged to other denominations and
those who belonged to no religious Sc
ciety at all. were opposed to the payment
of tax for the maintenance Of HE
Grchy that many Of them dcspiscd. the
clergy i'll this way incurred the displeas-
ure of the classes before referred to. and
no doubt added to their intense desire for
the severance of the ties that bound them
to the mother country. In this case. as
in many others. the zeal Of the clergy i'll
iured the cause they espoused, and added
very much to the patriotic "rdor Of those
through whose efforts the people Of the
colony was made to perform such a bril-
liant part in the struggle that commenced
a few years later. Another cause of the
appropriately Of the clergy of the estab-
lishcd church may be found in the man
ner of their appointment which, how
ever nicely it may have been used, savored
too much Of ttespotism. to have been sat
isfsctory 10 the people, thirsting. as they
then were, for the full fruition OF the
liberty they were destined I few years
later to enjoy.
The patronage and advowson, which
means the right to appoint the ministers
for the various parishes in the State, was
vested in the Governor. who was gener-
ally appointed by the Lord Proprietary,
nd h,j,,,y l,l, tot :,
pie. too often set their wishes at defiance
The Rev. William Duke published a pam
phlet in 195 on the state OF religion in
Maryland. Speaking of the condition of
society and the clergy at the time of the
introduction Of Methodsm. he says:
They did not generally. discover any re-
ligiouS zeal, OF concern themselves either
with the principles or morals of the peo-
pie: they were regarded very little in these
respects even by their own hearers: and
what influence they pretended to, they
maintained rather as scholars, gentlemen
and men Of at,iuence. than as Christian
divines. When any Of their hearers be-
came scrioualy thoughtful about ligiun
one would suppose it natural for them to
consult their stated pastors: but when
tha oon,se If sn many. VOWS al ii, no+ cd II
ministered them any sufficient instruc-
ton. they resented the imposition. and
neglected them in turn. They found the
way they were in was not likely to issue
in any thing like the design Of the Cos
pei. and therefore did not hesitate to take
the chance of a change. Orc circum-
nnrali,, 49, nr.'t,, 10 J1,H go :
+ha I;sreSnon7 t,,t +,cr arc t,:o,+,J r1,;.I,
II, ,,,,,r ,,,.;.,,e. a.,,,, nr thatra,,-,, 'aa
PIE ,niiilstGlS vi o'iiGr denominations ,,
naonIe Of . different nrofsss;nn. n,rs ,re
chiefly culaznniafcd and h0yassed bv Mrir
ovn. Churchmen not only exclaim against
the lmposi''ohS oil inc late establishment,
,i,,it ,"a+,-- h,t ,"'t t','a,
nothing sacred in the clerical character,
and pass sentence upon the religious and
moral prlicipieS Oh thelr o"" pastors with
tL,nl ~ ~ r ;,,G,inI " "''''' "f'''
III ser'ho" preached at the or"lia'ioh
vi M AS""lS at h''itlliorc' Ill l'0f, ny
lhohiaS ohe' ,heh 9uperll'enteht OF
'ae ''e1honisl 'h'reh' nc uses lA's IAN
Seasei
"Thc churches had in general been
filed by the parasites and bottle compan-
ions OF the rich ana great: me n"mhle
,,.oesoJ H,.l1,s ,v.,,o -n1+sn,,ad a,'d ~
>pised The dr,lnkard, the iorpicator
and the eXtortioncr. trumphed over bleed
ING Alon, because 'hey We're faithful abet-
WI VI WV '''= p''N'
Without any disposition to elucidate
the ecclesiastical history of the province
before the Revolution, We have deemed
it important for the better understanding
Of the moral and religious condition of
the people Of this county, both before
and after that period, to refer thus briefly
to the subject. Now let us glance at the
religious condition of the county for a
short time previous to the Revolution.
Rev. Hugh Jones, who was rector of
North Sassairas parish for many years.
there Is reason to believe, was both ans
tocratlc ana naughty. lie was strong
partisan Oh lhe Lof" proprietary, ana
dled possessed oil so hiuoh Oh thlS world ;
goods, tila1, 10 put II as fhlfltahiy as pos
slule, he must have occupied much OF his
time III accommodating them, The records
OF that parish cannot no" be found, but
we have been assured Ivy those who have
peruscd them many years ago, that they
disclosed amentaole want 81 virtue
ana morailly among the people, VI the
ean"ltlon oil 1t, AugustiEe's parish at
that time, we know very little; but 1t is
certainly nothing to Its credit, that So
much Of 1t was characterized by the name
OF Sodo'n' Tins implies mucll-so very
much, indeed that we would not II we
could, remove the veil that covers It,.
we "'e oilail'a''ie enough 70 Hotie 'iia'
the name may not have been deserved,
or may have been misapplietl. With the
sniritu,l c,nd;ti,n of the ne,nIe of Nor+b
r,,. ,;.,, ;..1
lin l'''' is'i VIC ''ie oe''ei ''lo''i''e"'
The book containing the record of the
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