We learn, however, from some letters* addressed by Eliot, who has been surnamed "the Apostle of the Indians," to Mr. Boyle, that the governor sent over to him considerable sums of money, 400l. at one time, 4607. at another, to enable him to complete his translation of the Bible into the Indian language. This work was finished, and many hundred copies of it circulated, in the year 1686. Mr. Boyle's own tract, "the Practice of Piety," was also translated for the use of the natives.

By Eliot's indefatigable exertions many companies of Indians in Massachusets, Plymouth, Martyn's Vineyard, and Nantucket, had been so far instructed in the faith as to assemble themselves regularly every Sunday for common prayer and thanksgiving, and to be able "to practise and manage the whole instituted public worship of God among themselves, without the presence or inspection of any English among them." It is impossible not to feel regret that the church at home took no measures to bring these promising converts within her fold, and to retain them for her own after their zealous pastor was called away.

Boyle, who had during his life-time devoted so much of his attention and of his wealth to the spiritual improvement of the native Americans, bequeathed at his death the sum of 100%. to the society of which he had been governor, to be set aside and employed as stock for the relief of poor Indian converts. And, moreover, after settling an annual "salary for some learned divine to preach eight sermons every year for proving the Christian religion against notorious infidels; he requires that the said preacher shall be assisting to all companies, and encouraging them in any undertaking for propagating the Christian religion in foreign parts."+

Another eminent instance of zeal for the Colonial church shall be added. Sir Leolyne Jenkyns, in his last will, proved the 9th of Nov. 1685, provided that two additional fellowships" be founded and endowed at his cost and charges in Jesus College, Oxford, on condition that the said two fellows respectively, and their respective successors for ever, may be under an indispensable obligation to take upon them holy orders of priesthood, and afterward that they go out to sea in any of H. M.'s fleets, when they or any of them are thereto summoned by the Lord High Admiral of England; and in case there be no use of their service at sea, to be called by the Lord Bishop of London to go out into any of H. M.'s foreign plantations, there to take upon them the cure of souls, and exercise their ministerial function."§

It is scarcely probable, that, after a lapse of a century and a half from the date of this foundation, her Majesty will be advised to demand the services of Sir Leolyne's fellows as naval chaplains; but, as there is not a single one of her "foreign plantations" in which more

Printed in the Appendix to the life of the Hon. Robert Boyle, prefixed to the 4th edit. of his works. † Letter to Hon. Robt. Boyle. 1684. Account of the S. P. G. London, 1706, p. 9.

§ Ibid., p. 5.

clergy are not wanted, it might, perhaps, be still worth while to inquire whether this noble endowment might not yet be reclaimed for its original purpose.

As the mode of their first settlement serves in a great degree to account for the comparatively slight hold which the church has retained on the American states, it may be as well briefly to refer to the origin of two other plantations.

Maryland-so called in honour of Henrietta Maria, consort of King Charles I., was first colonized by Lord Baltimore, a Roman catholic, who, anxious to escape from the popular odium which attached to his communion, obtained from the King a grant of land on the two sides of Chesapeak Bay; and accompanied by about 200 persons, mostly of good families, formed there a new settlement. An act of their assembly gave free and unlimited toleration for all who professed the Christian Religion," and, in consequence, the colony, which was at first wholly Romanist, soon lost its exclusive character. Mr. Burke, speaking of the Church of England, in Maryland, says, "here the clergy are provided for in a much more liberal manner [than in Virginia], and they are the most decent and the best of the clergy in North America."*

Pensylvania-originally colonized by the Dutch and the Swedes, was granted by charter to William Penn, in 1680, and became the new home of a sect which arose in the early part of the seventeenth century, commonly known by the name of "Friends," or Quakers. This body, following the doctrine of their founder, George Fox, would admit neither of civil rank nor spiritual function. Their simple appeal was to the "inward light." They were thorough-going democrats, both in politics and religion. Proclaiming a universal toleration and the equality of all men, they attracted to their settlement persons of the most different and incompatible creeds, as well from Germany as from England.

Thus, then, of four important and extensive provinces peopled from our shores during the seventeenth century, three were settled by colonists hostile to the church of England; Massachusets by Puritans, Maryland by Romanists, and Pensylvania by Quakers. No wonder, therefore, that America exhibits such a fearful preponderance of non-conformity. The fruit which has ripened is the natural produce of the seed which was sown. And while new societies were forming themselves on the other side of the Atlantic, what was the condition of our own communion in those countries? Not a single church existed in the whole of the New England settlements till the year 1679, when, upon an address from several of the inhabitants of Boston, the Lord Bishop of London (Dr. Henry Compton) prevailed upon King Charles II. to give orders for the erection of one in that town, and King William III. was afterwards pleased to settle an annual bounty of 1007., for the endowment of it.

The same Bishop, finding by inquiry that there were not at that

It is assumed that Mr. Burke was the author of an "Account of the European Settlements in America."

VOL. XXV.-Jan. 1814.

D

time more than four Episcopal clergymen in the whole continent of America, made proposals to the several colonies to furnish them with chaplains, and receiving from them encouragement, induced King Charles to allow to each clergyman or schoolmaster that should go over the sum of 207. for his passage. He procured also from his Majesty the gift of a Bible, Prayer-book, the Articles, Homilies, and Canons for each parish, to the value of 12007. Soon after the erection of a church at Boston, one was built by the people at Rhode Island, and "Colonel Fletcher, the Governor of New York, induced the Assembly to set out six churches, with allowances from forty to sixty pounds a-year for the maintenance of ministers."

In the years 1691 and 1692 the Governor and Assembly of Maryland divided the province into parishes, established a legal maintenance for the respective ministers, and memorialized the Bishop of London to send them over some experienced clergyman as ecclesiastical commissary. The person selected for this honourable office was Dr. Bray, a man highly to be honoured and had in remembrance for his zealous and self-denying exertions in behalf of the church, both at home and abroad. Dr. Bray at once set about the duties of his office, and directed his first attention to two important objects-the selection of well-qualified Missionaries, and the means of supplying them with theological libraries.

Among other Missionaries sent at this time, Dr. Bray "procured and sent two men as pious and happy in their conduct as could have been found: one Mr. Clayton, sent to Philadelphia; the other Mr. Marshal, sent to Charles Town. Neither found at their entrance above fifty of our communion to make up their congregation; and yet within two years the congregation at Philadelphia, the metropolis of the Quakers, was increased to 700, and that at Charles Town to near as many." A church, too, was built in both places. Both of these excellent missionaries died about two years after their arrival, of diseases caught in visiting the sick.+

So disinterested was Dr. Bray in the acceptance of the office of Commissary that he was actually compelled to sell his effects, and raise money on credit, to pay the expense of his voyage to America. He sailed in December, 1699, and reached Maryland in the following March; thus taking three months for a voyage which is now accomplished in less than a fortnight. While there he promoted in various ways the interests of the Church, and was ultimately induced to return in order to gain the royal assent to a bill for its orderly constitution— an object in which, by his perseverance and address, he was fortunately successful. On his return he renewed his proposals for a protestant congregation, or Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge, which he laid before the Bishop of London in the year 1697. On this plan, a society was constituted; and though at the time a charter could not be procured, yet they subsisted and acted as a voluntary society. But their number and benefactions increasing, a different con

* Humphrey's Account of S. P. G. London, 1706.

† Public Spirit Illustrated in the Life and Designs of Dr. Bray. London, 1808.

stitution and more extensive powers appeared necessary for the success of the undertaking; a petition therefore was presented by Dr. Bray to King William III. for his Royal charter, and being supported by all the weight and influence of Archbishop Tenison and Bishop Compton, was graciously received by his Majesty. Letters patent under the great seal of England were granted for creating a corporation by the name of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The charter bears date June 16th, 1701.

Christmas, 1843.

E. H.

(To be continued.)

ANTIQUITIES, ETC.

THE TOWER OF TRUSTINESS.

THE poem thus entitled is a small, black-letter octavo, of which the writer does not recollect to have seen any notice. The extracts are made from two sheets used as fly-leaves to a volume of Becon's works, published in 1560, and bound in wooden boards, in the taste of that period. The spelling is more modern, and the versification more correct, than might have been anticipated under such circumstances. There is no title-page, but a heading of a division of the poem, which runs thus:

Christianitie being instructed by reason and experience, having taken possession of the fortress of Faithe is assaulted of his enemies.

The glittering glare of golden hewe

that worldly thinges do beare

Are nothing els but vanities

(as time) away they weare

Before me straight there did appeare
a champion stout and bolde
In complet armour to his foote
and all in glittering golde
So ritchly deckt that erst before
the like was never seene
Of stature such that sure I deemde
god Mars that he had been.

His Harrault unto me he sent
commanding me to stay

And yielde my fortresse unto him
and that without delay.

Or els quoth he my Lorde is prest
perforce for to constrain:

Loe thus my message have I tolde
now answere him againe

36

Then did I of the Harrault crave
what hight his liege and lorde:
Who presently to my request
did willingly accorde.
Infidelity his name is hight
Mistrust his Harrault I:

Now annswere me againe with speede
if thou his force wilt trie.

Go Harrault straight and tell thy lorde quoth I to him againe :

That spite of him and all his power

this fortresse ile retaine.

My hope is in my captaine loe
under whose flag I fight:
And while that breath in body is
I will defende his right.
By him I do this fortress holde

this is my castle strong:

He wyll me sheelde in fort and fielde
that I shall have no wrong.
(Which sayde) unto his lorde he went
this annswere to declare :
Who presently then towardes me
To fight did him prepare

And when he came the fortresse nye
he sounded straight defiaunce
With courage bold of his demaundes
I made a stout deniaunce.
Then arrogantly he did attempt

the fortresse to assaile:

But all his labour was in vaine

his force could not prevaile.

For what can Infidelity do

when Faith doth holde the shielde?

Or how dares Mistrust shew his face

when Hope is in the fielde.

For Faith made Infidelity

perforce for to go backe

And Hope that was my helmet styll

brought Mistrust unto wracke.

So 'twixt Faith and Hope the victory

unto my share did fall

For Mistrust and Infidelity

could not prevaile at all.

When Reason and Experience both
had their conjectures made

I boldly stepped unto the walls
and unto Treasure sayde