crying grievance of the Church in the colonies—a grievance which it is to the dishonour of this country not to have redressed. After speaking of some services which he had performed at a distance from his own Mission, he goes on"Alas! it is but little that so few of us can perform to what is greatly wanted. It is really melancholy to observe how many serious and very religious people of late, in these parts, profess themselves of the Church of England, and earnestly desire to worship God in that way, yet are as sheep without a shepherd. The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; which might be greatly helped if holy Orders could be obtained in this country. But I encourage myself with the hope that the Lord, whose harvest it is, will soon bestow on this land that so much and so long wished-for blessing."

In truth, the British government seems to have been visited with something like judicial blindness in regard to its own nearest interests; otherwise it could not so long have resisted a measure which, while it was essential to the well-being of the Church in America, would, at the same time, have contributed most powerfully to the maintenance of the connexion between England and her colonies. The State as well as the Church had an obvious interest in the establishment of Bishoprics.

"If I may presume to speak," says Mr. Beach, April 14th, 1768, "what falls under my observation, the Church people in these parts are the best affected towards the Government of Great Britain, and the more zealous Churchmen they are, by so much the stronger affection they discover for King and Parliament upon all occasions. But dissenters here greatly exceed in number. It is very probable that, if there were a Bishop among us to ordain and confirm, it would greatly increase the number of the Clergy

and the Church people. And the fear and dread of the growth of the Church, if I mistake not, is the real source of the opposition which in these parts is made to it. If any of us of the Clergy in America discover an aversion to it, it must be an additional argument for its necessity."1

The history of Mr. Beach's patient and consistent course cannot better be concluded than in his own simple and touching words. Writing from New Town, May 5, 1772, he says

"As it is now forty years since I have had the advantage of being the venerable Society's Missionary in this place, I suppose it will not be improper to give a brief account how I have spent my time, and improved their charity. Every Sunday I have performed divine service, and preached twice, at Newtown and Reading alternately. And in these forty years I have lost only two Sundays through sickness; although, in all that time, I have been afflicted with a constant colic, which has not allowed me one day's ease or freedom from pain. The distance between the churches at Newtown and Reading is between eight and nine miles, and no very good road, yet have I never failed one time to attend each place according to custom, through the badness of the weather, but have rode it in the severest rains and snow-storms, even when there has been no track, and my horse near mining down in the snow banks,-which has had this good effect on my parishioners, that they are ashamed to stay from church on account of bad weather, so that they are remarkably forward to attend the public worship. As to my labours without my parish, I have formerly performed divine service in many towns where the Common-prayer had never been heard, nor the Scriptures read in public, and where now are flourishing congregations of the Church of England, and in some places where there never had been any public worship at all, nor any sermon preached by any preacher of any denomination.

"In my travelling to preach the gospel, once was my life remarkably preserved in passing a deep and rapid river. The

1 Original Letters, vol. xvii. 1. 47.

retrospect on my fatigues, as lying on straw, &c., gives me pleasure, while I flatter myself that my labour has not been quite in vain; for the Church-of-England people are increased much more than twenty to one; and what is infinitely more pleasing, many of them are remarkable for piety and virtue; and the Independents here are more knowing in matters of religion than they who live at a great distance from our Church. We live in harmony and peace with each other, and the rising generation of the Independents seem to be entirely free from every pique and preudice against the Church."

A short extract from a letter of the following year will show how, by the emigration of families, the good principles which this active and excellent clergyman had first planted at Newtown became gradually diffused over the surrounding districts.

"Ever since the last peace, our people are continually removing to settle in the back country, whither they carry with them a zeal for that religion which they learned while here; and where they make a new settlement, they set up the worship of the Church of England.

"They who set up the worship of God according to our Liturgy at Lanesborough, at Nobletown and Arlington, proceeded chiefly from my parishes. But, notwithstanding those frequent emigrations, my congregations increase."

A similar report of the increase and spread of his people, and through them of the Church, is made by the Rev. Roger Viets, of Simsbury, in 1773.

Again, several years after this, Mr. Beach, towards the close of his long career, and in the midst of much trouble and affliction, sends the following, which is his last letter to the Society :

Newtown, October 31, 1781.

"It is a long time since I have done my duty in writing to the venerable Society, not owing to my carelessness, but to the impossibility of conveyance from here; and now do it sparingly. A narrative of my troubles I dare not now give. My two congregations

are growing; that of Reading being commonly about 300, and at Newtown about 600. I baptize about 130 children in one year, and lately two adults. Newtown, and the Church of England part of Reading, are (I believe) the only parts of New England that have refused to comply with the doings of the Congress, and for that reason have been the butt of general hatred; but God has delivered us from entire destruction.

"I am now in the eighty-second year of my age, yet do constantly alternately perform service and preach at Newtown and Reading. I have been sixty years a public preacher, and, after conviction, in the Church of England fifty years; but had I been sensible of my insufficiency, I should not have undertaken it. But now I rejoice in that I think I have done more good towards men's eternal happiness than I should have done in any other calling. I do most heartily thank the venerable Society for their liberal support, and beg that they will accept of this, which is, I believe, my last bill, which, according to former custom, is due.

pray

"At this age I cannot well hope for it, but I God I may have an opportunity to explain myself with safety; but must conclude now with Job's expression-' Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends.'

Six months after this Mr. Beach died, fairly worn out. He was a man of primitive faith, a true soldier of the cross; one who, through a long life, and in troublous times, never forgot his obligation to the Divine law, which directs to "Fear God and honour the King." His death is thus spoken of by the Rev. Bela Hubbard, himself an active and exemplary Clergyman :

"July 19, 1782.

"We have to lament the loss of the great and good Mr. John Beach, who, for half a century, hath been a most worthy and dutiful Missionary from the Society at Newtown and Reading, where he deceased on the 19th March, 1782, in the 82d year of his age."

1 Original Letters, vol. xvii. 1. 50.

CHAPTER X.

NEW ENGLAND.

CONNECTICUT-RHODE ISLAND-MASSACHUSETTS.

Rev. Roger Price-Enumeration of Churches in New England-Number of Bishops and Clergy in 1844-Mission of Hebron-Loss of MissionariesRev. Peter Bours-Rev. Edward Bass-Mission of Salem-Rev. C. Brockwell-Whitfield and his Followers-Rev. J. Macsparran-Rev. S. Palmer -Rev. Mr. Macclenaghan-Rev. John Graves-Rev. W. Macgilchrist— Rev. E. Thompson-Allotment of Glebes-Endowments-Rev. Jacob Bailey-Rev. E. Punderson-Opposition of Dissenters-Rev. E. Winslow -Convocation at Boston.-Rev. Richard Mansfield-Vast extent of his Mission-Rev. Alexander Murray-Neglect of the Sacraments-Rev. John Tyler-Rev. Samuel Peters-Missionary Tour-Rev. E. Dibblee-Rev. Bela Hubbard-Political Troubles-Rev. M. Browne-Dispersion of the Clergy Rev. Dr. Caner - Rev. J. W. Weeks Rev. Mather Byles Death and Character of Mr.Thompson-Letter of Colonel Peters-State of New England Churches-Rev. R. Cossit.

THE subject matter of the present work hardly admits of being treated in a very regular or systematic way, and this will account for the fragmentary and discontinuous character of our history. With this apology, we proceed to record a few brief notices of the other New England Missions. And here it may be convenient to insert the following enumeration of churches in New England, which was sent home in 1748 by the Rev. Roger Price, who held the office of Commissary to the Bishop of London for a period of twenty years; till increasing age, and an indisposition to public business, made him glad to accept the Society's Mission of Hopkinton :

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