form the Church-"as neere as may be to the forms and ceremonies of the Church of England. There is no intimation given by historians of any persons in the colony to whom this law could apply but the Puritans. Cotton Mather in his Magnalia, vol. 1st, pp. 538, 539, tells us-"In the year 1741, one Mr. Bennet, a gentleman from Virginia, arrived at Boston, with letters from well disposed persons there, unto the ministers of New England, bewailing their said condition, for the want of the glorious gospel, and entreating that they might hence be supplied with ministers of that gospel. These letters were openly read at Boston, upon a lecture day; whereupon the ministers agreed upon setting apart a day for fasting and prayer, to implore the direction of God about this business; and then the churches of Watertown, Braintree and Rowley, having each of them two ministers apiece, Mr. Philips of Watertown, Mr. Thompson of Braintree, and Mr. Miller of Rowley were pitched upon for the intended services, whereof the General Court so approved, that it was ordered the Governor should recommend these persons by his letters to the Governor and council of Virginia. Mr. Philips being indisposed to the voyage, Mr. Knowles went in his room; and Mr. Miller's bodily weakness caused him also to decline the voyage. But the two churches of Watertown and Braintree, though they loved their ministers very well, yet cheerfully dismissed them unto this great concern; accounting it their honour that they had such desirable persons, by whom they might make a mission of the gospel, unto a people that sat in the region and shadow of death. On October 7th, 1642, they began their voyage: at Rhode Island they lay long wind bound; and they met with so many other difficulties, that they made it eleven weeks of dangerous passage before they arrived at Virginia; nevertheless they had this advantage on the way, that they took in a third minister for their assistance, namely Mr. James then at New Haven.

"Though their hazardous retardation in this voyage, made them sometimes to suspect whether they had a clear call of God unto their undertaking, yet the success of their ministry, when they came to Virginia, did sufficiently extinguish that suspicion. They had little encouragement from the rulers of the place, but they had a kind entertainment with the people; and in the several parts of the country where they were bestowed, there were many persons brought home to God. But as Austin told mankind, the devil was never turned Christian yet; the powers of darkness could not count it for their interest, that the light of the gospel powerfully preached, should reach those dark places of the Earth. The rulers of that province did not allow of their publick preaching; but instead thereof

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an order was made,-That such as would not conform to the ceremonies of the Church of England, should by such a day depart the country. By which order, these holy, faithful, painsful ministers, were driven away from the Virginia coast. But when they returned, as they left behind them not a few seals of their ministry, so they brought with them some who afterwards proved blessings to New England." Mr. Winthrop tells us, that two years previous some Emigrants from Massachusetts had sought a residence in Virginia. It is not improbable that the messenger Mr. Bennet was one of these. might have been sent in their behalf. He also remarks"that though the state did silence the ministers, because they would not conform to the order of England, yet the people resorted to them in private houses to hear them." mission from Massachusetts took place about the time of the last war of Opechankanough, which resulted in his capture. About this time also a great sickness prevailed in the colony, which Mather connects with the driving away of the missionaries.

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Mr. Calamy in his life of Baxter tells us-in a sketch of the life of Mr. Knowles-that in Virginia, "Mr. Harrison, that was the Governor's Chaplain, openly moved they might have full liberty, but secretly endeavoured they might be dismissed, as he owned afterwards with concern and sorrow. that Mr. Harrison that was afterwards so useful a man in England and Ireland. Mr. Knowles and Mr. Thomson being discharged from public preaching in Virginia, continued a while preaching, privately and did much good." After having referred to the massacre in the Indian war that followed-he says-"five hundred are reported to have been murdered on this occasion. Among those that escaped this miserable massacre, some were gathered into church order by Mr. Harrison, who became quite another man after this providence than he was before. But the Governor dismissed his chaplain who

was now grown too serious for him."

In 1648, as Mr. Holmes tells us in his annals, the Puritans were still numerous. About one hundred and eighteen were associated in church fellowship under the Pastoral care of Mr. Harrison. The greatest numbers were in Nansemond County. This year Mr. Harrison, being driven from the colony, went to New England and thence to England. Mr. Durand one of its Elders having been banished by the Governor, retreated to North Carolina and took his abode on a neck of land which still bears his name. The Congregation was scattered, and nothing more is heard of any puritan preacher from New England, or elsewhere, unless some that came over in the time of Cromwell were such. John Hammond, the author of a

pamphlet called Leah and Rachel, published in 1656, says"And there was in Virginia a certaine people Congregated into a church calling themselves Independents, which daily increasing, severall consultations were had by the State of that colony, how to suppress and extinguish them, which was duely put in execution; as first their pastor was banished; next their other teachers; then many by information clapt up in prison, then generally disarmed (which was very harsh in such a country where the heathen live round about them) by one Colonel Samuel Matthews, then a Counsellor of Virginia, so that they knew not in those straights how to dispose of themselves. Mr. Winthrop tells us that Mr. Harrison reported that many of the council were favourable to him and his opinions, and that by conjecture about a thousand of the people were of a similar mind. Mr. Hubbard tells us that Mr. Harrison after spending a year or two in New England, went to England and received the degree of Doctor of Divinity, and finally settled in Ireland. These events signalized the early part of Sir William Berkeley's administration.

During the protectorate of Cromwell the legislate of Virginia made efforts that were in part successful, to obtain a supply of proper ministers. Act 5th 1656 declared-" Whereas many congregations in this colony are destitute of ministers whereby religion and devotion cannot but suffer much impairment and decay, which want of the destitute Congregations ought to be supplied by all means possible to be used, As also to invite and encourage ministers to repaire hither and merchants to bring them in, Bee it therefore hereby Enacted for the reasons aforesaid that what person or persons soever shall at his or their proper cost and charge transport a sufficient minister into this collony without agreement made with him shall receive for satisfaction of his or their said charges of him the said minister or they that shall entertain him for their minister, twenty pounds sterling by bill of exchange or two thousand pounds of tobacco, and also for what money shall be disbursed for them besides their transportation to be allowed for." By act 1st the power of managing the affairs of the parish was lodged in the hands of the vestry. This was productive both of good and evil. The vestry were supposed to consult the wishes of the parishioners, and thus was there an approach to freedom of conscience. But the power of oppressing the whole parish in the choice of a minister was lodged in the hands of the vestry. "Be it enacted by this present Grand Assembly concerning church Government as followeth, that all matters concerning the vestry, their agreement with the minister, touching the Church Wardens, the poore, and other things concerning the parishes or parishioners respec

tively be referred to their owne ordering and disposeing from time to time as they shall think fit."

These efforts to bring over proper ministers were in part successful. Berkeley says "the persecution in Cromwells tiranny drove divers worthy men hither." But in general the clergy were little better than before. Hammond in his Leah and Rachel, says "Many came such as wore black coats, and could babble in a pulpit, roare in a tavern, exact from their parishioners, and rather by their dissolutenesse, destroy than feed their flocks. Loath was the country to be wholly without teachers, and therefore rather retain them, than be destitute; yet still endeavours for better in their places, which were obtained and those wolves in sheeps clothing by their assemblies questioned, silenced, and some forced to depart the country."

Stith tells us, p. 173—that the company as early as 1620 "had ordered an hundred acres of land, in each of the Burroughs, to be laid off for a glebe." In 1656, Act 9th says— "Whereas there are many places destitute of ministers, and like to coltinue soe, the people content not payinge their accustomed dues, which makes them negligent to procure those which should teach and instruct them, soe by this improvident saving they loose the greatest benefitt and comfort a Christian can have, by hearing the word and use of the blessed sacraments, therefore be it enacted &c. that all countys not yet. laid out into parishes shall be divided into parishes &c.—and that all tithable persons in every parish within this collony, respectively, in the vacancy of their minister, pay 15 lbs of tobacco per poll yearly &c.-this to go to building a parish church and purchasing a glebe and stock-for the next minister that shall be settled there." After this particular care was taken by the Legislature that glebes should be provided for all the parishes.

By the revisal of 1662 the uniformity of worship was guarded with much circumspection. By act 2d, "twelve of the most able men were to be chosen as vestry men in each parish. None shall be admitted to be of the vestry that doe not take the oath of allegeance to his Majesty and subscribe to be conformable to the doctrines and discipline of the Church of England." By act 3d, glebes were to be laid out in every parish, "and a convenient house built upon them for the reception and abode of the minister; and that such provision be made for his maintenance in the valuable and current commodityes of the country as may be really worth at least fourescoure pounds per annum, besides his perquisites and glebe. Act 4th says "Noe minister be admitted to officiate in this country but such as shall produce to the Governour a testimo

niall that he hath received his ordination from some Bishopp in England; and if any person pretending himself a minister shall contrary to this act presume to teach or preach publiquely or privately, the Governour and councell are desired and impowered to suspend and silence the person soe offending, and upon his obstinate persistance to compell him to depart the country with the first conveniency, as it hath been formerly provided by the 77th act made at James Citty the second of March 1642." By act 9th, persons absent from the prayers. and preachings of the parish churches on the Sabbath and the four holidays were subject to a fine of fifty pounds of tobacco. By act 4th, December 1662-"Whereas many scismaticall persons out of their aversenesse to the orthodox established religion, or out of the new fangled conceits of their owne hereticall inventions refuse to have their children baptized, be it &c. that all persons that, in contempt of the divine sacrament of baptisme, shall refuse when they may carry their child to a lawfull minister in that county to have them baptized, shall be amerced two thousand pounds of tobacco; halfe to the informer, halfe to the publique.

Governor Berkeley in 1671, in answer to the inquiry, "What course is taken about the instructing the people within your government in the Christian religion?" says We have forty-eight parishes, and our ministers are well paid, and by my consent should be better, if they would pray oftener and preach less. But of all other commodities, so of this, the worst are sent to us, and we had few that we could boast of since the persecution in Cromwell's tyranny drove divers worthy men hither.'

There is an excuse however, or rather a palliation for the condition of the established church. The executive officer of the Episcopal Church did not reside in Virginia; nor till after the revolution in England, in 1688, did a commissary reside in the province. Proper discipline therefore could not be kept up. Multitudes of cases, that could not be judged in England, required attention on the spot; and in their neglect the church suffered.

The Quakers came in for their share of legislative opposition. Uniformity in religion, after the manner of the Church of England, was the determined purpose of the majority of the colony. The estimation in which the Qakers were held, by the Legislature, can be best understood from the preamble of Act 6th, 1659, 60-" Whereas there is an unreasonable and turbulent sort of people, commonly called Quakers, who contrary to the law do dayly gather together unto them unlaw'll assemblies and congregations of people, teaching and publishing lies, miracles, false visions, prophecies and doctrines, which