Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

It is not Without great Concern for you y^t I
Write This general Admonition for When I Reflect—
upon y^e hard Censures y^t have passed upon you here in
England, for Yo^r being Drawn into Addresses, & Testimonials
& by What undecent & Irregular Methods procured, how You
Exposed Your Selves in Complying & Coming into Everything
Contrary to y^e Knowledge & Sentiments of Many of you I—
Cannot but be Ashamed for you y^t y^e Gospell should have—
Infused no Better Principles into Yo^r hearts. But God be
Thanked That Temptation is over & Contrary to yo^r Demerits
you have a Gov^r y^t will need none of Yo^r. Testimonials nor
Expect any other Thing from you but a peaceable & Sober
Behaviour y^t. yo^r. flocks may Learn by Yo^r. Examples as well
as precepts how to Demean Themselves, If you Imagine Yo^r.
Late Gov^r. Coll^o. Nicholson has been Injurious to you, forgive
as you would be forgiven & Express no Resentm^t., but part
With him fairly & friendly without Signing papers or playing
y^e fool as you have done formerly. Happy are you now if
it be not Yo^r own faults for I Dare Say Yo^r Gov^r. Comes
w^th an unbyas'd Mind to Serve y^e Queen & y^e Common Interest
of y^e Plantation without Respect of Persons, he Expects all
Grudges & ^private Annimosities, all Factions & parties Should be
Forgotten & y^t all Should forgett & forgive, Look forwards
& Remember y^e Guilt of Lotts Wife. Be ye Therefore y^e first
My Dear Brethren in Setting a good Example to This happy
Revolution; Lett Yo^r. Gov^r. be Witness of Yo^r Good Behavi^r.
Yo^r Comis^ary of y^e faithfull Discharge of Yo^r Duty & God
Almighty of Yo^r Sincerity. Let This Moment Shut y^e Door upon
all y^t is passed let no Complaints Come to me but What are
dated after y^e hour you Read This & Let y^e Remembrance of all Things: by-gone be as if they never had been let us now
begin upon a new Acco^t. & Cancel all y^e olds ones. for my part
I Will not hear nor Remember w^t. has befallen before This Time
I shall be perfectly Deaf to all y^t is passed & Expect to hear—
From you for y^e future as if you had never Seen nor Known
one another Before, I Pray God Bless & Direct you & give
you a Right understanding in all Things it is y^e hearty prayer
of

The Occasion of Convocating you at y^e. Time was to
Impart you y^e Letter w^ch you have heard from our R^t. Rever^d.
Diocesan he so fully Spoke his own Sence, y^t I have nothing
to add but only to Assure you y^t I am fully Resolved for my part
to Comply w^th his most prudent Christian & peaceable admonition
The World knows I have been Strangely Assualted & Accused
of Countenancing y^e precariousness of y^e Clergy, & Some other
ill Things, W^ch I am so far from being Guilty off y^t I have—
Expressed in all times & under all Gov^rm^ts. a Distinguishing Zeal
ag^st. y^m. both here & in England. But thô I am y^e person Wrong-
fully Tax'd & Accus'd I shall Lay My hand upon my Mouth
& Draw a Veil upon all y^t is past; I hope This will not be
so Miscontrued, as if I were any way Conscious to my Self y^t I
^can't answer Wh^t has been laid to My Charge. So far from y^t That
if any Real Scruple Remains w^th any of you, I Shall Take it
as y^e Greatest Kindness if you will give me an Oppertunity
of Sattisfying it in private without Exposing our Selves by
our publick Differences; & if y^t won't Do, Then make it as pub-
lick & Complain of me in Gods name to my Superiours as—
Much as you please; I Desire no favour upon y^t Acco^t. If—
any Man is Weary of y^e Late unhappy Divisions & Annimosities
W^ch have been Among us, he Shall find me Ready to for-
give & forget & to be perfectly Reconciled, to y^t Degree
y^t I will never So Much as put him in Mind of What is
past. But if any Man has a Mind to Accuse me of any
Crime or Misdemeanor Whatsoever if Instead of Doing
it by y^e Way of Backbiting in holes & Corners he will do
it in any Way either of publick justice or private. Arbi-
tration he Shall find Me Ready to give him Sattisfaction
ye have heard a great Deal to Day for Peace & Quietness
Pray Remember y^t our Divisions will be nuts to y^e
Adversaries of y^e Church & of y^e profession of y^e Ministry
The Atheists, y^e Papists y^e Quakers, y^e Loose & Ungo^dly livers
& Several other who have no great Respect for our func-
tion, it Requires our joynt Labours to Withstand all
These, But how glad will They be to see y^t Zeal W^ch
Used to be Spent ag^t. y^m. now Employed in Worrying &
Devouring one Another, I for my part am Ready to pass
by all provocations being well Sattisfied ye have not been
y^e principalls but only Accessarys in y^m. If ye for yo^r parts
are as amicably & peaceably Disposed, I hope we shall mutu-
ally Reap y^e Blessed fruits of union & Concord, & y^e Service
of y^e Church will be so much y^e better promoted. But if
any are Still Desirous to Blow up y^e Coales of Contention
I am Affraid I must tell you They y^mselves may have Occasi-
on to Repent it, When it is too Late. The Case is Much altered
Now from What it was Some time ago, God be Thanked we—
have now a Gov^r. Who is as Studious of union & Quiet as Some
others have been of party & faction, & notwithstanding y^e Idle
Stories Wh^ch are Industriously Spread all over y^e Country to y^e
Contrary; we Who have been neer y^e fountain head of business
know y^t. he is a Gentleman of y^t Established good Character
& y^t firm Interest, y^t we are like to be Long happy und^r his
Gov^rm^t. & They will find y^t They do but kick ag^st y^e pricks. Who
go about Directly or Indirectly to Undermine him or make him
uneasy, to Conclude let us Thankfully acquiesce in her Maj^ts.
Choice of a good Gov^r. a Gentleman fitted to heal our breaches.
& Compose our Difference & make us all easy & happy & let us Comply with y^e Wise & Christian admonitions of ou^r Excelent
Bishop, & Endeavour to live friendly & brotherly w^th one another
keeping y^e Unity of y^e Spirit in y^e Bond of peace. I do again
Assure you it shall not be Long of me if our Differences be
Long Lived, And as to You I Shall Take my Characters of—
you not from What you Were when under y^e strong Influences
of a Mighty over Swaying power of W^ch I have been many times,
an Eye & Ear Wittness but from What you will Show Your
Selves hereafter When fairly Left to y^e freedom of Your
own Choice.

I am Sensible y^e I am very Unequal for y^s. Charge Wherein
Through y^e providence of God I am Continued, But I hope
Through Gods Blessing upon my honest Endeavours & Yo^r.
good Council & Assistance, W^ch. I intend Duly to Ask & take
along with me in Every Thing of Moment y^t y^s poor Infant
Church may yet prosper & flourish Especially if every
one of us is Carefull Not only to Mantain Brotherly Love
but Likewise to Adorn y^e Truth of his Doctrine with an
Exemplary Life & Conversation in pastoral Dilligence &
all other Christian Virtures.

Whereas you have been pleased to propose ^it to me as a
Doubt Whether notwithstanding a Certain order of y^e Queen
in Council Dated May y^e 3^d. 1705., you Can own me as
Com^sry. of Virg^a. & are pleased to say you will submit to my
own opinion ofⁱⁿ y^e Case given under my hand, I do here
not only give you my opinion of yo^r being Safe in so
Doing but shall further Sattisfy you in y^e Reasons of
y^e S^d Opinion.

1. There is not one Word in y^t order of Council (were it never
so Regular) tending in y^e Least to Lay me Aside from my office
of Com^sry. & w^th Submission I judge it not proper for you
to Draw any such Consequence Till y^e Queen her Self or
My L^d. Bp of London or y^e Gov^r or Gov^r & Council of Virg^a.
have Signifyed it as to you. on y^e Contrary I Doubt not
it would be Construed as a Medling w^th Things not w^thin
Yo^r province if you Should go to Interpose yo^r judgement
before her Maj^ty., y^e Bishop or Gov^r. have Inter Interposed Theirs

I Do Likewise Acquaint you y^t I had good advice in Law & That
my Lord Bishop of London was Throughly Acquainted w^th my Case
after y^e S^d order was made, & did not offer in y^e Least to w^thdraw
or Suspend my power as Com^sry. Though he knew of my Coming
with y^e fleet, & y^t. I had likewise made a full answer to y^e said
Order W^ch I Doubt not is Sattisfactory, W^ch I shall be very Willing to Show any of you in private thô for y^e Reasons above
Mentioned you Must not take upon you to prejudge concerning
y^e Merrits of y^e Cause but to Abide her Maj^tes Determination.
In y^e Mean-time y^t I am Com^sry. of Virg^a. (as you have it
allready from my Lord Bishop of London & his Excly ou^r. Gov^r.
So Seeing you Desire it under my own hand & y^t you are
Safe & Act According to Yo^r Duty in owning me as Such
I put my Name to These pn^ts.

First, that as to y^e Manner of procureing it ^it was very—
Irregular upon y^e following Accots.

• 1st. That y^e Meeting Where it was Signed was a Clandestine
  Meeting Called by no Authority civil nor Ecclesiasticall
• 2.That y^e S^d Meeting was held without y^e Knowledge—
  Privity or Consent of y^e Bishops Com^ry.
• 3.That This way of Drawing papers & gathering of hands
  in Private is Inconsistent w^th y^e Usual Way of proceed-
  ing in all Regular Conventions, Which is by Motions
  Debate, Question, vote & Resolution.
• 4.That y^e only Psons Call'd to This Meeting (excepting one
  newly Arrived) were Such of y^e Clergy as had by former
  Addresses & Subscriptions preengaged y^mselves to Gov^r.
  Nicholson, & Not y^e Whole Clergy.
• 55 That all Such preengaging of Psons by Subscription
  before they Come to y^e Regular Meetings of y^e Clergy is
  utterly Destructive to all freedom of Deliberation and
  Debate, W^ch is Essentially necessary to all Lawfull—
  Conventions.

Secondly. As to y^e Matter & form of y^t paper (excepting
What is allready Sattisfyed in y^e Answer to y^e above
Mentioned Case) it Contains Several false & Scandalous
Reflections upon my Self. as if I had Left England und^r.
Suspicious & Scandalous Circumstances, as if I now Stood
in Contempt & Disobedience to her Majty., and as if I Lay
under y^e Gen^ll Odium of y^s. Country all w^ch are so many
gross Abuses & Calumnies most undeservedly thrown upon me.

Lastly Because y^e. Design of y^t paper Seems to be Exceeding
Suspicious & to Look w^th a bad Aspect not only upon
y^e Ecclesiasticall but also y^e Civil Gov^rnm^t. of y^s. Country
w^th Relation to his Excly Edward Nott Esq^r. our present
Gov^r., in whose Sweet Temper & peaceable Disposition y^e
Country is Exceeding happy.

The Reasons of this Suspiciousness are

• 1st1^st That I am Informed some of These Clergymen who Signed
  This paper were Invited to Come to Town y^e night before
  y^e Gen^ll Meeting of y^e Clergy by y^e Late Gov^r. Nicholson's—
  Messages & Letters after he was out of his Gov^rm^t.
• 2.That Their Meeting was at M^r Youngs house Where
  y^e S^d Late Gov^r Lives.
• 
• 3.That y^e S^d Gov^r Nicholson was Acquainted w^th. & had Seen
  A Monitory Letter Written by my Lord Bishop of London
  to y^e Clergy of y^s Country Wherein his Lordship guards—
  y^m ag^st. Such Subscriptions & addresses, W^ch Letter had it
  been first Communicated to y^e Clergy before They drew
  This paper, it is to be presumed They would not have—
  drawn nor Signed it, being an Express acting contrary
  to y^e Bishops admonition in y^e S^d Letter, & all this by his
  Knowledge & privity if not advice & Insignation.
• 4.Because before y^s. Meeting of y^e Clergy y^e Late Gov^r.
  had sent all over y^s. Country Copys of her Maj^tes. Letter
  & y^e Right hon^ble. S^r Charles Hodges his Letter to him to-
  gether w^th y^e Petition of M^r. Geo. Willcox his Solicitor
  ag^st me & y^e order of Council Thereupon by all Which
  w^th y^e Storys & Comments upon y^e S^d papers published
  by his Emissarys (viz) y^t he was much in favour with
  her Maj^ty. and y^t he was only going home to Clear—
  himself & Would Return hither Gov^r. hither in a Little
  time, y^t I had Fled from publick justice in England &
  Was to be sent home in Irons, it is probable Those of
  y^e Clergy who adher'd to his party were prepared to draw
  up this Strange paper.
• 5.Because it is Insinuated in y^s paper y^t I Lye under
  y^e Gen^ll. Odium of y^e Country & tho y^e Reason is not—
  Exprest yet it is Talkt here & Doubtless will be Confidently
  Reported in England, y^t is because I have been So Instru
  Instrumental in Proving y^e Complaints ag^st. y^e S^d.
  ^late Gov^r. and it looks as if this address were to be made—
  use of In England to Countenance a Story of the—
  Dissattisfaction of y^s Country w^th y^e Change of y^e Gov^r.

Upon all W^ch Acc^ts. as I can by no means approve of.
This paper my Self, So I hope Several of My Brethren
who have been Unwarily Led into y^e Clandestine Subscrip-
tion of it, may now Still withdraw Their hands as being
Innocent of y^e Sinister uses that may be made of Their
Subscriptions.