papers were printed at New-York, in the years 1767 and 1768, and had the ill effect of fetting the minds of the people of America in general, but particularly of the people in that city and province, of the two oppofite fects of Epifcopalians and Prefbyterians, very much upon the fret against each other, so as to destroy all Chriftian love and affection in them towards each other. And it was, probably, in confequence of the ferment caufed by thefe papers, and of the apprehenfion of having a bishop eftablished in America, which had occafioned the writing them, that the House of Reprefentatives of the province of the Maffachusetts-Bay inferted the above-recited paragraph in their letter to Mr. De Berdt, their agent, defiring him to use his utmost efforts to prevent fo dangerous an eftablifhment.

But, if the publication of Dr. Chandler's pamphlet was sufficient to alarm the Americans with the apprehenfion of having a bishop established amongst them, how much more would they be alarmed (if they were again fubject to the Crown) at the declaration contained in the sermon of the Archbishop of York, that fuch a measure was become. indifpenfably neceffary? Such a declaration from fuch a perfon (who has been many years preceptor to the heirapparent of the Crown, and has fince been promoted to the second station of dignity in the church, as a mark of his Majefty's approbation of his conduct and principles) would be confidered by them as an authentick, publick, notification that a design of this kind was deliberately refolved-on in the cabinet, and would of itfelf, if every thing elfe was fettled to their fatisfaction, be almoft fufficient to drive them into a new rebellion. The paffage in which his Grace makes this declaration concerning the establishment of bishops in America, is as follows:

Dr. William Markham, in a Sermon preached before the Society for propagating the Gospel, on the 21st day of February, 1777.

"We

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"We may now perhaps difcover a ray of brightness. But for the continuance and increase of it we muft rely ໄດ້ on the wifdom of our governours, in confidence that "neceffity will at laft provide thofe remedies which foreσε fight did not that the dependance of the colonies may be no longer nominal. And for our fpiritual interefts, "we hope the reafoning which was fo juft in the cafe of

Canada, "that, if you allowed their religion, you mus "allow a maintenance for their clergy,"" will be thought, "at leaft, equally ftrong when it pleads for our own "church; that thofe who are difpofed to worship God "in peace and charity, may be thought entitled to a regular and decent fupport for their minifters; that "they may not continue to want the important office of "Confirmation, without the benefit of which even a Tole"ration is not compleat; and that thofe who have a call "to the ministry, may not be obliged to feek Ordination "at an expense which is very grievous, and with the "hazard of a long voyage, which has been already fatal "to many of them. We have, furely, a tight to expect "that the only Established church fhould not, againft all

example, remain in a ftate of oppreffion, and that, "whatever encouragements may be afforded, they should "rather be for the profeffing it than against it.”

This paffage, I prefume, cannot poffibly be understood in any other fenfe than as a declaration that, in the first place, the Governments of the American colonies must be new-modelled, and made lefs popular, and more dependant on the Crown, than they now are; and likewife that a powerful ftanding-army must be kept in them, to fecure their future obedience, or to the end that their dependance may be no longer nominal; and 2dly, that tythes, or fome other tax, ought to be impofed on the laity in America for the fupport of the church-of-England

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Clergy, in the fame manner as has been done in Canada. for the maintenance of the Romish clergy; and 3dly, that one or more Proteftant Bishops ought to be established in America, who should be conftantly refident there, to Ordain clergymen, and adminifter the office of Confirmation. Now either of these measures, taken feparately, would have been fufficient to excite the Colonists to rebellion, if they had been in perfect peace with Britain before they had been undertaken. It is therefore neceffary to give the Americans the fullest parliamentary fecurity that they never will be attempted; and more particularly the last measure, of fettling a bishop amongst them, because that is a measure that has been mentioned by many other persons of weight and influence in England before the Archbishop of York, and has given the Americans great uneafinefs.

A FRIEND TO RECONCILIATION,

F. M.

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A PARAPHRASE ON A PASSAGE IN A SERMON PREACHED BY THE MOST REVEREND DR. WILLIAM MARKHAM, ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, BEFORE THE SOCIETY FOR PROPAGATING THE GOSPEL, ON THE 21st OF FEBRUARY, 1777;

WHEN IT WAS EXPECTED BY THE PERSONS WHO HAD ADVISED THE AMERICAN WAR, THAT THE REVOLTED COLONIES IN AMERICA WOULD SOON BE INTIRELY SUBDUED, AND REDUCED TO THE OBEDIENCE OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

THE paffage itself, which is here intended to be paraphrafed, is in these words. "Our profpects indeed have "been long dark. We may now, perhaps, difcover a ray t of brightness. But for the continuance and increase of it "we must rely on the wisdom of our Governours; in confi"dence that Neceffity will at last provide those remedies

which Forefight did not; that the dependance of the "colonies may be no longer nominal. And, for our Spiri "tual interefts, we hope the reasoning which was so just in "the cafe of Canada, " That, if you allowed their religion,

you must allow a maintenance for their Clergy," will be "thought at leaft equally firong when it pleads for our own "Church: that thofe who are difpofed to worship God in peace and charity, may be thought entitled to a regular " and decent support for their minifters ;—that they may not " continue to want the important office of Confirmation; with" out the benefit of which even a Toleration is not compleat; "—and that those who have a call to the miniftry may not "be obliged to feek Ordination at an expence which is very

grievous, and with the hazards of a long voyage, which "has been already fatal to many of them. We have furely a right to expect, that the only Eftablished Church Should "not, against all example, remain in a flate of oppression,

" and

"and that, whatever encouragements may be afforded, "they should rather be for the professing it than against

" it.

66 As to what relates to the delinquents, we, for our "parts, fhould wish to fay, "Gb, and fin no more." But "the Interefls of great States require fecurities that are not "precarious."

This paffage is expreffed in smooth and plaufible language: but it contains a variety of moft bitter propofitions. I prefume it may be fairly paraphrased in the following man

ner.

"Our profpects of reducing the rebel Americans to an "unconditional fubmiffion to the authority of the mother"country, fince the breaking-out of the prefent troubles, "have, till lately, been but gloomy. Their armies had in"vaded and reduced all Canada to their obedience, in the "winter of the year 1775, except the single town of Que"beck ;—and had blocked-up General Howe, with all the "British troops that were then in New-England, within "the town of Bofton during the fame winter, and had at "laft obliged him to abandon it in the month of March of "the following year 1776, and fly with his army to Halifax "in Nova Scotia ;-and they had repulsed the British fleet ❝and army under the command of General Clinton and "Sir Peter Parker, in an attempt they made in the fame "year to poffefs themfelves of Charles-Town in South "Carolina :-infomuch that, about half a year ago, "neither his Majefty's troops, nor thofe fubjects of his Majefty in America who had preserved their allegiance to him, poffeffed a fingle foot of land throughout all the thirteen revolted colonies. But now of late the fortune of the war has begun to change. A ray of bright"nefs has broke-forth in the fucceffes of the army under "Sir William Howe in New-York and New-Jersey, and