The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-03-08
St. Peters Church,
Freehold and It's Reciors
By MAxcY APPLEGATE. SIR.
REV. GEORGE KEITH, FOUNDER OF
FREEHoLD-
ToPANEMUS.
By MAxcY APPLICABLE. SIR.

Revolution of 1853 that there were any
successful attempts to establish par
ishes of the Church Of England In the
centers of population in the Northern
Colonies (Norfolk. Baltimore. Phila-
delphia and the little town Of YORK,
Boston and Salem)
There had been at New York since
the occupation Of the English in 1904,
a chaplain of the garrison, with ser
vices held in small chapel within
the Fort, very near the present Castle
Gardenl Boston had in 1856 organic
ed parish, the King S Chapel, with the
Rev. Robert Radcliffe as the first Rec
tor. VINO arrived from England in the
English Frigate Rose on Saturday,
March 10Th, in that year. In Philadel-
phia church had been built in 1895,
known as Christ Church with the Rev.
Thomas Clayton as Rector
In 1895 eighteen members of the
church high in authority in the Prov
ince of New York, petitioned the
Royal Governor. Benjamin Fletcher,
for land upon which to build a church
and erected in 1696-97 the first Trinity
lchurch. The contemporary accounts Of
Idisinterested observers like Chaplain
Millerof New York, Col. Dudley. of
Massachusetts, Col Morris OF New
Jersey, and others, represents the State
of the Northern Colonies as sad in
the extreme There was open violation
of the lords Day rioting and drunken
ness, profanity and other vices in every
town and village. The ministers OF
auv kind were few. Their support
scanty and their influence small. 1t
was under these circumstances at this
season of great spiritual darkness that
on the application Of a few clergymen
of Maryland, the Rev Thomas Bray
was appointed Commissary by the Rt.
Rev. Henry Compton, Bishop OF
/ London, man of excellent Judgment
| to whom by a speciaPcommission had
been given the oversight OF the
church in the Colonies, Provinces and
plantations Of England.
DR. Bray accepted the position in 1886
and soon learned the destitute state
and isolation Of the clergy and the pow
i erty Of the people. He came to the con
clusiou that formation of parochial
libraries was the greatest need. that
without books the clergy could not do
their best work He laid his plan be-
fore the Bishop who approved it, and
then before the Princess Anne Of Den
lmark afterwards Queen of England
who received him graciously and gave
| a liberal donation in aid of the project.
THE capital of Maryland, Annapolis.
lhad recently been named in her hon
Tor. Mr.. Bray was untiring in his efforts
to arouse interest in the poor churches
in the plantations and sought from all
quarters aid for the proper presenta-
ton Of the truth in theAnerican wilder
ness. BY him the Rev. Thomas
: Clayton was sent to Philadelphia. He
asked from the government aid in the
: work, but received none. he then
turned his attention to the deveut
laymen, the faithful clergy and devot-
ed Bishops, and saw that the only
hope of securing base of supplies for
the church in America was by a vol
untary association In 1897 the Society
for Promoting Christian knowledge
was chartered by King William, with
the primary object of furnishing suit
able literature for the proposed Ii
braries i'm the plantations.
J How much the concentrated energy
of one man has accomplished, for that
Society still continues its good work
after an existence of two hundred
years.
The Maryland clergy met at Annap-
: oils on May 23d, gath and 25th, 1900,
in the old Treasury [stiil standingl, he
formulated plans for tie extension of
the Church, proposing among other
important suggestions tnat the Mary
land clergy contribute out of their
salaries for the sending of clergy
man to the Quakers of Pennsylvania,
and heading the subscription with a
sum nearly equal to nearly all the other
I subscriptions. This is the first mis-
sionary offering in America. Rev. Mr..
Bray reluctantly departed from Mary
land. but thought he could better
serve his poor flock at home and he
never returned.
He gave to his friends and especial
E ly to Archbishop Teunison of Canter-
bury; Archbishop Sharp of York.
, Bishop Compton of London; Bishop
Wilson, DR.. White Kenett, Dean
Stanhope, John Evelyn and, Robert
Nelson such accounts as led them tc
see that not only religious knowledge
( as gathered from books was needed in
America. but clergymen of piety and
. zeal. The government was unwilling
: to do more than maintain their few
! chaplaincies. After many consulta
tions, The Society for the Propaga-
ton Of the Gospel in Foreign Parts
: was organized ana received the sane
ton of King William. who on June
16, A. d., 17ul, gave to it a charter Of
incorporation. Its first meeting after
its incorporation was in the library Of
Lambeth Palace, where there were
letters and statements from Gov. bud.
, ley, Gov. Morris and George Keith.
i George Keith's letter deeply moved
these men with pity for their brethren
in America.
Thomas Bray, above mentioned as
the first appointed missionary Of ths
Episcopal Church to the American Col,