APPENDIX.

APPENDIX A. p. 17.

Charter of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.

WILLIAM the Third, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all Christian People, to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting.

Whereas Wee are credibly informed, That in many of our Plantacons, Colonies and Factories beyond the Seas, belonging to Our Kingdome of England, the Provision for Ministers is very mean; and many others of Our said Plantacons, Colonies and Factories are wholy destitute, and unprovided of a Mainteynance for Ministers, and the Publick Worshipp of God; and for Lack of Support and Mainteynance for such, many of Our Loveing Subjects doe want the Administration of God's Word and Sacraments, and seem to be abandoned to Atheism and Infidelity; and alsoe for Want of Learned and Orthodox Ministers to instruct Our said Loveing Subjects in the Principles of true Religion, divers Romish Priests and Jesuits are the more incouraged to pervert and draw over Our said Loving Subjects to Popish Superstition and Idolatry.

And whereas Wee think it Our Duty, as much as in Us lyes, to promote the Glory of God, by the Instruccon of Our People in the Christian Religion; and that it will be highly conducive for accomplishing those Ends, that a sufficient Maintenance be provided for an Orthodox Clergy to live amongst them, and that such other Provision be made, as may be necessary for the Propagation of the Gospell in those Parts.

And whereas Wee have been well assured, That if Wee would be gratiously pleased to erect and settle a Corporacon for the receiving, manageing, and disposeing of the Charity of Our Loveing Subjects, divers Persons would be induced to extend their Charity to the Uses and Purposes aforesaid.

Know yee therefore, That Wee have, for the Consideracons aforesaid, and for the better and more orderly carrying on the said Charitable Purposes, of Our speciall Grace, certain Knowledge, and mere Mocon, Willed, Ordained, Constituted, and Appointed, and by these Presents, for Us, Our Heires, and Successors, doe Will, Ordaine, Constitute, Declare, and Grant, That the most Reverend Fathers in God, Thomas Lord Archbishopp of Canterbury, and John Lord Archbishopp of Yorke; The Right Reverend Fathers in God, Henry Lord Bishop of London, William Lord Bishop of Worcester, Our Lord Almoner, Simon Lord Bishop of Ely, Thomas Lord Bishop of Rochester, Deane of Westminster; and the Lords Archbishops of Canterbury and Yorke, the Bishops of London and Ely, the Lord Almoner and Deane of Westminster for the Time being; Edward Lord Bishop of Gloucester, John Lord Bishop of Chichester, Nicholas Lord Bishop of Chester, Richard Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells, Humphry Lord Bishop of Bangor, John Mountague, Doctor of Divinity, Clerke of Our Closett, William Sherlock, Doctor of Divinity, Deane of St. Paules, William Stanley, Doctor of Divinity, Arch Deacon of London, and the Clerke of the Clossett, of Us, Our Heires and Successors, the Dean of St. Pauls and Arch Deacon of London for the Time being; The two Regius and two Margeret Professors of Divinity of both Our Universities, for the Time being; Earle of Thannet, Thomas Lord Viscount Weymouth, Francis Lord Guilford, William Lord Digby, Sir Thomas Cookes of Bentley, Sir Richard Bulkley, Sir John Phillipps and Sir Arthur Owen, Baronetts; Sir Humphrey Mackworth, Sir William Prichard, Sir William Russell, Sir Edmund Turner, Sir William Hustler, Sir John Chardin, and Sir Richard Blackmore, Knights; John Hook, Esquire, Serjeant at Law, George Hooper Doctor of Divinity, Deane of Canterbury, George Booth Doctor of Divinity, Archdeacon of Durham, Sir George Wheeler Prebendary of Durham, William Beveridge Doctor of Divinity, Arch Deacon of Colchester,

Sir William Dawes Baronett, Thomas Maningham, Edward Gee, Thomas Lynford, Nathaniel Resbury, Offspring Blackhall, George Stanhope, William Heyley, and Richard Willis, Doctors of Divinity, and Our Chaplaines in Ordinary; John Mapletoft, Zacheus Isham, John Davies, William Lancaster, Humphrey Hodey, Richard Lucas, John Evans, Thomas Bray, John Gascorth, White Kennett, Lilly Butler, Josiah Woodward, Doctors in Divinity; Gideon Harvey and Frederick Slare, Doctors of Phisick; Rowland Cotton, Thomas Jervois, Maynard Colchester, James Vernon Junr. Joseph Neale, Grey Nevill, Thomas Clerk, Peter King, Rock, John Comins, William Melmoth, Thomas Bromfeild, John Raynolds, Dutton Seaman, Whitlock Bulstrode, Samuel Brewster, John Chamberlaine, Richard King, and Daniel Nicoll, Esquires; Benjamin Lawdell, John Trimmer, Charles Toriano, and John Hodges, Merchants; William Fleetwood, William Whitfeild, and Samuel Bradford, Masters of Art, and Our Chaplains in Ordinary; Thomas Little, Batchelor in Divinity; Thomas Staino, Henry Altham, William Loyd, Henry Shute, Thomas Frank, and William Meeken, Clerks, and their Successors; to be elected in Manner as hereafter directed, be, and shall for ever hereafter be, and by Vertue of these Presents shall be one Body Politick and Corporate, in Deed and in Name, by the Name of, The Society for the Propagation of the Gospell in Forreigne Parts: And them and their Successors, by the same Name, Wee doe by these Presents, for Us, Our Heires, and Successors, really and fully Make, Ordaine, Constitute, and Declare One Body Politick and Corporate, in Deed and in Name.

And that by the same Name, they and their Successors shall and may have perpetuall Succession.

And that they and their Successors, by that Name, shall and may, for ever hereafter, be Persons Able and Capable in the Law to Purchase, Have, Take, Receive, and Enjoy to them and their Successors, Mannors, Messuages, Lands, Tenements, Rents, Advowsons, Liberties, Privileages, Jurisdictions, Franchises, and other Hereditaments whatsoever, of whatsoever Nature, Kind and Quality they be, in Fee and in Perpetuity, not exceeding the Yearly Value of Two Thousand Pounds beyond Reprizalls; and alsoe Estates for Lives and for Yeares; and all other Manner of Goods, Chattells,

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and Things whatsoever, of what Name, Nature, Quality, or Value soever they be, for the better Support and Maintenance of an Orthodox Clergy in Forreigne Parts, and other the Uses aforesaid: And to Give, Grant, Let, and Demise, the said Mannors, Messuages, Lands, Tenements, Hereditamts. Goods, Chattells, and Things whatsoever aforesaid, by Lease or Leases, for Terme of Yeares, in Possession at the Time of Granting thereof, and not in Reversion, not exceeding the Terme of One and Thirty Years from the Time of Granting thereof; on which, in Case noe Fine be taken, shall be Reserved the Full Value; and in Case a Fine be taken, shall be Reserved at least a Moyety of the full Value that the same shall reasonably and Bona Fide be worth at the Time of such Demise.

And that by the Name aforesaid they shall and may be able to Plead and be Impleaded, Answer and be Answered unto, Defend and be Defended, in all Courts and Places whatsoever, and before whatsoever Judges, Justices, or other Officers of Us, Our Heires and Successors, in all and singular Actions, Plaints, Pleas, Matters and Demands, of what Kind, Nature, or Quality soever they be: And to act and doe all other Matters and Things, in as ample Manner and Forme as any other Our Liege Subjects of this Our Realme of England, being Persons able and capable in the Law, or any other Body Corporate or Politique within this our Realme of England, can, or may have, purchase, receive, possesse, take, enjoy, grant, sett, let, demise, plead and be impleaded, answer, and be answered unto, defend and be defended, doe permitt and execute.

And that the said Society for ever hereafter shall and may have a Common Seale to serve for the Causes and Businesse of them and their Successors: And that it shall and may be lawfull for them and their Successors to change, breake, alter, and make New the said Seale from Time to Time, and at their Pleasure, as they shall think best.

And for the better Execucon of the purposes aforesaid, We doe give and grant to the said Society for the Propagation of the Gospell in Forreigne Parts, and their Successors, That they, and their Successors for ever, shall, upon the Third Friday in February, Yearely, meet at some convenient Place to be appointed by the said Society, or the major Part of them, who shall be present at

any Generall Meeting, betweene the Houres of Eight and Twelve in the Morning; and that they, or the major Part of such of them that shall then be present, shall choose one President, one or more Vice-president or Vice-presidents, one or more Treasurer or Treasurers, two or more Auditors, one Secretary, and such other Officers, Ministers, and Servants, as shall be thought convenient to serve in the said Offices for the Yeare ensueing: And that the said President and Vice-presidents, and all Officers then elected, shall, before they act in their respective Offices, take an Oath, to be to them administred by the President, or in his Absence by one of the Vice-presidents, of the Yeare preceeding, who are hereby authorized to administer the same, for the faithfull and due Execucon of their respective Offices and Places during the said Yeare.

And Our further Will and Pleasure is, That the first President of the said Society shall be Thomas, by Divine Providence, Lord Arch Bishop of Canterbury, Primate and Metropolitan of all England: And that the said President shall, within Thirty Dayes after the passing of this Charter, cause Summons to be issued to the severall Members of the said Society herein particularly menconed, to meet at such Time and Place as he shall appoint: And that they, or the major Fart of such of them as shall then be present, shall proceed to the Eleccon of one or more Vice-president or Vice-presidents, one or more Treasurer or Treasurers, two or more Auditors, one Secretary, and such other Officers, Ministers, and Servants, as to them shall seem meet; which said Officers, from the Time of Their Eleccon into their respective Offices, shall continue therein untill the Third Friday in February, which shall be in the Yeare of Our Lord, One Thousand Seaven Hundred and One, and from thence forwards untill others shall be chosen into their Places, in Manner aforesaid.

And that if it shall happen, that any of the Persons at any Time chosen into any of the said Offices shall dye, or on any Account be removed from such Office at any Time between the said yearly Dayes of Election, that in such Case it shall be lawfull for the surviving and continueing President, or any one of the Vice-presidents, to issue Summons to the severall Members of the Body Corporate, to meet at the usuall Place of the Annuall