The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-06

De
was sent to Newport, and remained there
nearly half a century. Throughout New Eng
| land the society's missionaries had reason tc
| complain OF oppression. members Of the
| Anglican community being called upon to pay
| taxes to the dissenting ministers When these
| taxes were refused. the dissenters would some.
| times take possession OF the church and de-
spoil Il OF It's ornaments vestments and
books. Nevertheless. many conversions were
mado from the ranks OF tho Nonconformists.
OF the eighty-throe missionaries on the
soclety's list In New England more than
one-fourth were brought up rs dis
senters. Among these were Samuel Sea-
bury. father OF the first American Bishop;
Timothy Cutler. President OF Yale College. and
Edward Bass. afterward Bishop of Massachu-
setts. The personal and social sacrifices i'm
posed by conformity we're such as to exclude
all persons but those actuated by the highest
motives. Henoe. those who conformed were a
positive gain to tho Anglican community.
which gradually came to exert rower and
influence out OF all proportion to her numeri-
cal strength II should DO noted that In New
Hampshire the difficulty OF organizing
churches was eventually lessened by the ac-
ton OF Gov. Wentworth. who made over to the
society 100 town lots OF land OF about 300
acres each. and also set apart church globes In
each town. The efforts OF the Anglican mis-
sionaries for the conversion Of negroes and
Indians In New England also met with more
opposition than encouragement from the col
onists.
During the American Revolution tho society
received rltiable accounts OF the sufferings OF
their missionaries in New England. who were
naturally loynists. number OF them were
driven from their posts The Rev. J. Wiswall
OF Falmouth. after being taken prisoner.
greatly insulted and abused. and in danger
OF being shot to death" made his escape to
Boston after losing oil his personal property.
as we'll as his real estate His wife and family
were permitted to follow him. with only two
days provisions her wearing apparol and bed
ding" but fcw days after reaching Boston
she and his only daughter died. Many other
examples OF persecution are given in this
digest. but it is not easy to distinguish how
far the i'll treatment Of Anglican clergymen
may have been due TO political rather than re-
ligious reasons. The Rev. f. Winslow reported
in 17T6 that all the churches in Connecticut
and Rhode Island were shut up except Trinity
Church. where the prayers for the King ara
omitted" Nevertheless in 1881. the society
was able to announce that the Church had
rather increased than diminished in New Eng
land. and that the condition OF the clergy was
not so distressing as 1t had been: especially In
Massachusetts, and New Hampshire had there
been n great multiplication OF church people.
even where there had been no minister. The
fact seems to prove that during the early years
OF the war Anglican clergymen had suffered
rather for their political sympathies than for
their religious opinions
III.
It was not until 1897 that church was built
by Trinity parish In the city OF New York: the
vestry appointed Mr.. Vesey rector on condi-
ton OF his obtaining ordination In England.
lie fulfilled the condition and for fifty years
continued rector OF Trinity Church. during
much of which time he was also tho Bishop OF
London's commissary for the province. Out
side of the city OF New York. however. in 1901.
there seems to have been no Anglican church
on tho mainland OF tho province OF New York
or in Long Island. Iowas In pursuance OF n
request made by Mr.. Vcsey that the Society
for the Propagation OF the Gospel decided in
1902 to send six missionaries to Now York.
Tho missions so fourished and multiplied
that IT. 1745 Commissary Vesey reported
to the society TINT within his jurisdiction
.here were twenty-five churches. most
,i them commonly filled with hear
,rs." good dcnl OF missionary work
was clso dono by tho society among tho ne
.roes. and among tho Indians in the interior OF
pie aid from many Of the early colonial Gov
,rnors. as we'll as from other laymen. includ-
nG conspicuously Col. Hoathcote Col Doug
ass. Mr. st. George Talbot, and Sir William
Johnson. Mr.. Talbot beauenthed the greater
part OF his cstHte to tho society. and Sir VIII |
lam Johnson made n conveyance to It OF |
~. 900 acres OF land, subject to his Majesty's |
grant" which docs not seem to have been OBJ |
ainod. On tho outbreak Of the Revolution all |
he soc!ety's missionaries In New To:k showed |
themselves loyal and Jealous subjects OF the |
Irown. and consequently experienced much |
,arl treatment ut the hands OF tho patriots.
We turn to tho work Of the association In |
he Jerseys and Pennsylvania. In 1701 Col |
Norris represented to the society that the
'outh OF the provinces OF East Jersey and
Vest Jersey was very debauched and very
gnoraat." This report was confirmed By one
Il tho FIRST travelling missionaries the Rev.
ieorGo Keith. who. after stating that tho in
lnbitants OF the two provinces numbered
bout rlaven thousand. declared that. except
n two Or three towns there was mo place
II public worship OF any Sort but people
lied "verT moan. like Indians" In February.
1C2. tho society rame to a resolution that
hrec missionaries should be sent to tho Jor-
Hys with all convenient speed" and that tho
Governor should be asked Ito divide tho
govern ments into parishes aud to lay
nut glebe lands In each parish" This
eauest does not seem to have been
omplied with but such churches as were
organized received considerable endowments
Il land from private persons. and the incum-
cents were supported partly by voluntary con-
rbutions and partly by the funds Of the
ociety. Just before tho outbreak OF tho Revo-
war. DR.. Chandler OF EliZabethtown
cportnd that. although but for the society.
here would not have been one Episcopal con-
reGation In tho Jerseys. thore were now no
ess than eleven missionaries. while some OF
he congregations we're provided with credit
bic church buildings. particularly at Burllng-
on Shrewsbury. Now Brunswick. and Newark.
'efore the close OF 1776 however. all the An
lican churches In New Jersey were shut I'D,
nd both pastors and hocks were scattered.
In Pennsylvania the Anglican communion
nd no place OF worship until 1895 when
nrist's Church. Philadelphia. was built. The
rst resident missionary sent by the Society for
he Propagation OF the Gospel arrived In 1903
nd WAS stationed at Chester. Encouraged by
he reception given to this pioneer the society