The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-02

leaving the choice of a minister TO
some public body liFe the yestry; and
once this right had been secured by
that it would pass to separate 'ndlyid-
uals resembling the patrons Of thel
English benefices, however wealthy and
influential, Each vestry acquired the
power to appoint it's own minister;
the next step was to appoint him.
should they 50 desire. only from year
to year, AND THIS every vestry WAS
able to accomplish ly refusing to pre-
sent him to thu Governor for induc-
ton, for as soon as inducted, this min
lister cou,d claim IL life tenura m his
pulpit, and, likc tbs English c'ergy-'
man occupying 'iving by mis- patrons
gift, he became at once, from u legal
point OF view, Independent OF his con-
grcgaticn's. favor or dsfavor. Us could
be suspended by the Governor and
Council, sitting as an ecclesiastical
court, for neglectful and unbecoming
lconduct. but could only be removed by
| an act of the General Assembly. There
can be no doubt that the probutional
! tenure of most of the clergynlen IN the
Seventeenth century was the chief rea-
son for a TACT which often appears
lnexplicable In the light OF -he subs
/ stantial advantages the colony had to
offer throughout that period. namely.
the reluctance Of the English iivines
| to emlgrate to Virginia. The pr!nci-
pal reason. for the growth of the Gus
tom Of employing a minister from year
to year on salary annually agreed
on, instead of presenting him at once
| for induction, was that the vestry was
thus able to protect the parish against
1.-THE appointment OF men who might,
4 after short experience, prove either
4 intellectually unfit or morally I'M
/ worthy. 1t should be remembered that
4 the persons filing the pulpits during
\ Virginia, but of England; and that
4 when they settled over sea, they had
4 still their personal regulations to make
. there. A very large proportion, when
they left the mother country. We're still
i SO young that they had hardly had
time to attain a standing which. be-
fore their arrival, might have beer
favorably reported in the colony by
yirginians returning home from Eng
land. AS matter of fact, the whole
character of the probational tenure
e was well adapted to foster in a clergy
man all those qualities most urgentl,
required In a man in his position. III,
was mace Dy IL more NlOFS
faithful and more circumspect In hi
conduct; and when a pastor on tria
r exhibited all these qualities, there i
no reason to think that he had an.
!, ground of complaint. &
III we consider as body the minis
; tors who performed the various dutie
|, LOT their calling In Virginia during TIL
: seventeenth century, there Is no groun
], for thinking that they fell below tn
STANDARD Of conscientlousness govern
. ing the conduct of the English clergy
men in The sann age. Tho early his
tory of the Sow World was adorne
by no noblar t.getp Of divines tina
that group which gives SO much dis
tinction, from tile point OF view {
character and achievement alike, to tf
years In which the foundation OF I'll
colony at Jamestown was, permanantl
K laid. That group consisted OF sue
9 linen as Robert Hunt Richard Bucl
hi Alexander whtHkSr anu Rev. NJ
III Glover. Wen n>Eht the eloquent CIR,