A LETTER TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HORATIO WALPOLE, Esq. Written Jan. 9. 1750-1. CONCERNING BISHOPS IN AMERICA. ADVERTISEMENT. HE following Letter was found among the papers THE of the late Archbishop Secker. It was written in confequence of a letter, dated May 9. 1750, from the late Lord Walpole, to the late Dr Sherlock, Bishop of London; which was communicated by the latter to Bishop Secker, Jan. 2. 1750-1. It is now printed in obedience to an order left with it under his Grace's own hand, (dated May 25. 1759) in these words: Let the Letter, written by me to Mr Walpole, concerning Bishops in America, be printed after my death THO. CANT. A LETTER THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HORATIO WALPOLE, Efq. SIR, St James's Westminster, July 9. 1750-1 Return you my humble thanks for the honour you have done me, in communicating to me your Letter to the Bishop of London. I have read it with all that attention and regard, which is fo juftly due to your superior abilities, and long experience, and meritorious zeal for our present happy establishment, and the public welfare. But ftill I cannot fee the scheme, to which it relates, in the fame light that you do. And though, if ever he hath conversed with you on the subject fince, he hath doubtlefs faid every thing material by way of reply, which I can fuggeft, and much more; yet as he doth not feem to have laid any thing further before you in writing, I beg leave to trouble you with what hath occurred to me: which, as the feffion is not yet begun, you may poffibly have fome leifure to look upon. The thing proposed is, that two or three perfons should be ordained Bishops, and sent into our American colonies, to adminifter Confirmation, and give Deacons and Priests orders to proper candidates, and exercife fuch jurifdiction over the cler VOL. IV. 4 G gy gy of the Church of England in those parts, as the late Bishop of London's commiffaries did, or fuch as it might be thought proper that any future commiffaries should, if this defign were not to take place. The queftions, that arife on this propofal, are: Is it a reasonable one in itself? And if it be, are there any fuch dangers of its being extended to introduce exorbitant church powers, or of its raifing uneafineffes abroad or at home, as may notwithstanding, at least for the prefent, be juft objections against it? The reasonableness of the proposal, abftractedly considered, you seem, fir, to admit. And indeed it belongs to the very nature of Epifcopal churches, to have Bishops at proper diftances, prefiding over them. Nor was there ever before, I believe, in the Chriftian world, an inftance of fuch a number of fuch churches, or a tenth part of that number, with no Bifhop amongst them, or within fome thousands of miles from them. But the confideration of the Episcopal acts which are requifite, will prove the need of Episcopal refidence more fully. Confirmation is an office of our church, derived from the primitive ages; and, when administered with due care, a very ufeful one. All our people in America see the appointment of it in their prayer-books, immediately after their catechifm. And if they are denied it, unless they will come over to England for it; they are in effect prohibited the exercise of one part of their religion. Again, if they are to have no ordinations there, they must either fend perfons hither to be ordained, or take fuch as come to them from hence. Sending their fons to fo diftant a country, and fo different a climate, must be very inconvenient and difagreeable and taking the fmall pox here is faid to be peculiarly fatal to them. The expence alfo must be grievous to perfons of fmall fortunes; fuch as moft are, who breed up their children for orders: yet not sufficient to bring any acceffion of wealth to this nation, that would be worth naming, were more of that rank to come. But in fact, very few of them do. Therefore they must be supplied chiefly from hence. And not many in proportion will go from hence, but perfons of desperate fortunes, low qualifications, and bad or doubtful characters: who cannot answer, as they ought, the end for which they are defigned. And it deferves obfervation, that a great pait of them are Scotch. I need not say what |