his native country, to resign the rectory of St. Philip's; and the Vestry, on announcing his resignation to the Bishop of London, concluded their letter with the following honourable testimony to his character:-" We should be greatly wanting in duty should we omit to say, that Mr. Garden, during his residence of thirty years and more among us, has behaved with becoming piety, zeal, and candour, in his sacred character and function, which he hath exercised with unwearied labour and diligence, to the glory of God and the edification of souls; and we can with truth aver he hath been a good shepherd of Christ's flock." 1

But it would seem like an omission to conclude without some reference to his official conduct as Commissary.

The exercise of anything like discipline in the Colonial Church was, unhappily, very rare; yet Mr. Garden felt that it was his duty to cite Mr. Whitfield before the Ecclesiastical Court, for performing Divine Service without using the forms prescribed by the Church. After an appeal had been made, from the jurisdiction of the Court to the Lords Commissioners, as no prohibition from further proceedings was interposed, and Mr. Whitfield refused either to appear or put in any answer, a decree was passed for suspending him from the exercise of his functions.

Whatever be the right estimate of his zeal and earnestness as a preacher, it is plain that, as a Clergyman of the Church of England, he was bound, by the most solemn obligations, to conform to the Book of Common Prayer; and that no pretence of spiritual illumination could justify him in the violation of an ordinary duty. Nevertheless, he continued his eccentric course just as if no sentence had been passed.2

1 Dalcho, p. 166. 2 Spirit of Missions for October, New York, 1844.

But Mr. Garden was not content with condemning him in court. He was also ready to meet him in controversy, and accordingly published able replies to two of his letters; in the one of which Whitfield had attempted to vindicate his assertion, that "Archbishop Tillotson knew no more of Christianity than Mahomet ;" and in the other had attacked what he considered the fundamental error of "The Whole Duty of Man.”

Those who are desirous of fuller information on the subject of the rise and progress of the Church in this province, will, of course, consult a work to which we have more than once referred; namely, Dalcho's Historical Account of the Church in South Carolina. We may be permitted to conclude our brief notices in the words of that historian, referring to the labours of the Society in the North American colonies generally. He says:-"The exertions of this Society in the service of religion, deserve the warmest praise of every Christian, and the gratitude of every churchman in America."2

1 Spirit of Missions for October, 1844.

2 Dalcho, p. 194.

CHAPTER IV.

NORTH CAROLINA.

General Account of the Province-Commissary Blair-Classification of the People-Mr. Henderson Walker-Rev. John Urmston-Governor EdenRev. Giles Rainsford-Rev. W. Gordon and Rev. J. Adams-Rev. Thos. Newnam-Rev. John Boyd-Rev. James Moir-Rev. Clement Hall-His great Labours and Success-Rev. Alex. Stewart-Want of a BishopRev. N. Christian.

THIS Province, 430 miles in length, by about 118 of average width, and containing, therefore, an area equal to that of all England, was but little explored, and but very thinly peopled, at the beginning of the last century. Indeed, the population of European descent, in 1702, is said not to have exceeded six thousand. They lived widely apart, scattered over the face of a country intersected by swamps and inlets of the sea. Roads, properly so called, there were none; and those who were compelled to pass from one part of the country to another, made their way as best they might, over rivers and through forests-happy, if at night they could find shelter in the rudest hut. Frequent notices will be found in the subjoined reports of the vast distances which the Missionaries were compelled to travel, and the hardships and privations which they had to endure.

The Rev. John Blair, who was originally employed as an itinerant Missionary by Lord Weymouth, and was afterwards appointed by the Bishop of London, Commissary for North Carolina, with an allowance of 50l. a-year from the

Society, gives the following account of his labours in that Province:

"I was ordained in order to go to the Plantations, 12th April, 1703. I landed in Virginia, 14th January, 1704, and as soon as I could conveniently travel, I waited upon the governor, and immediately after made the best of my way into the country where I was bound.

"I arrived amongst the inhabitants, after a tedious and troublesome journey, on the 24th ditto; I was then obliged to buy a couple of horses, which cost me fourteen pounds; one of which was for a guide, because there is no possibility for a stranger to find his road in that country, for if he once goes astray (it being such a desert country) it's a great hazard if ever he finds his road again. Besides, there are mighty inconveniences in travelling there; for the roads are not only deep and difficult to be found, but there are, likewise, seven great rivers in the country, over which there is no passing with horses, except two of them; one of which the Quakers have settled a ferry over for their own conveniency, and nobody but themselves have the privilege of it, so that at the passing over the rivers I was obliged either to borrow or hire horses, which was both troublesome and chargeable, insomuch that, in little more than two months, I was obliged to dispose of the necessaries I carried over for my own use to satisfy my creditors.

"I found in the country a great many children to be baptized, where I baptized about 100, and there are a great many still to be baptized whose parents would not condescend to have them baptized with godfathers and godmothers.

“I married none in the country, for that was a perquisite belonging to the magistrates which I was not desirous to deprive them of. I preached twice every Sunday, and often on the week days, when their vestries met, or could appoint them to bring their children to be baptized. They have built in the country three small churches and have three glebes.

"The country may be divided into four sorts of people:-1st. The Quakers, who are the most powerful enemies to church government, but a people very ignorant of what they profess; a

F

second sort are a great many that have no religion, but would be Quakers, if by that they were not obliged to lead a more moral life than they are willing to comply to; a third sort are something like Presbyterians, which sort is upheld by some idle fellows that have left their lawful employments, and preach and baptize through the country, without any manner of orders from any sect or pretended Church; a fourth sort, who are really zealous for the interest of the Church, are the fewest in number, but the better sort of people, and would do very much for the settlement of the church government there, if not opposed by these three precedent sects; and, although they be all three of different pretensions, yet they all concur together in one common cause, to prevent anything that will be chargeable to them, as they allege church government will be, if once established by law. And another great discouragement these poor people have, is a Governor who does not in the least countenance them in this business, but rather discourages them.

"Besides such a solitary, toilsome, and hard living, as I met with, there were very sufficient discouragements. I was distant from any minister 120 miles, so that if any case of difficulty or doubt should happen, with whom should I consult? And, for my travelling through the country, I rid, one day with another, Sunday only excepted, above thirty miles per diem, in the worst roads that ever I saw; and have sometimes lain whole nights in the woods.

"I will now endeavour to shew you how ineffectual a single man's labours would be amongst so scattered a people. In the first place, suppose him minister of one precinct, (whereas, there are five in the country,) and this precinct, as they are all, bounded with two rivers, and those rivers at least twenty miles distant, without any inhabitants on the roads, for they plant only on the rivers, and they are planted in length upon these rivers at least twenty miles. And to give all these inhabitants an opportunity of hearing a sermon, and bringing their children to be baptized, which must be on the sabbath, for they won't spare time of another day, and must be in every ten miles distance, for five miles is the farthest that they will bring their children, or willingly

1 The original is followed verbatim.