I 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 so justly due to your superior abilities, and long experience, and meritorious zeal for our present happy establishment, and the public welfare. But still I cannot see the scheme, to which it relates, in the same light that you do. And though, if ever he hath conversed with you on the subject since, he hath doubtless said every thing material by way of reply, which I can suggest, and much more: yet as he doth not seem 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 session is not yet begun, you may possibly have some leisure to look upon.

The thing proposed is, that two or three persons should be ordained bishops, and sent into our American colonies, to administer confirmation, and give deacon's and priest's orders to proper candidates, and exercise such jurisdiction over the clergy of the church of England in those parts, as the late Bishop of London's commissaries did, or such as it might be thought proper that any future commissaries should, if this design were not to take place. The questions that arise on this proposal, are: Is it a reasonable one in itself? and if it be, are there any such dangers of its being intended to introduce exorbitant church powers, or of its raising uneasiness abroad or at home, as may notwithstanding, at least for the present, be objections against it?

The reasonableness of the proposal, abstractedly considered, you seem, Sir, to admit. And indeed it belongs to the very nature of episcopal churches, to have bishops at proper distances presiding over them. Nor was there ever before, I believe, in the Christian world, an instance of such a number of such churches, or a tenth part of that number, with no bishop amongst them, or within some thousands of miles from them. But the consideration of the episcopal acts which are requisite, will prove the need of episcopal residence more fully. Confirmation is an office of our church, derived from the primitive ages; and when administered with due care, a very useful one. All our people in America see the appointment of it in their prayer-books, immediately after their catechism. 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 send persons hither to be ordained, or take such as come to them from hence. Sending

their sons to so distant a country, and so different a climate, must be very inconvenient and disagreeable: and taking the small-pox here is said to be peculiarly fatal to them. The expence also must be grievous to persons of small fortunes; such as most are, who breed up their children for orders: yet not sufficient to bring any accession 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 persons of desperate fortunes, low qualifications, and bad or doubtful characters: who cannot answer, as they ought, the end for which they are designed. And it deserves observation, that a great part of them are Scotch. I need not say what chance there is that episcopal clergymen of that country may be disaffected to the government. Now if instead of such, natives of the plantations were bred in their colleges, with a view to orders; notwithstanding which, their young men of fashion would still come to England for polite accomplishments; this would afford convenient opportunities to parents of providing for some of their children handsomely, and encouragement to the inhabitants to build and endow churches, to furnish parsonage-houses, and stock glebes, which now run to ruin for want of it. And clergymen whose families were known, would be more respected, and have a better influence, than vagabond strangers.

As to the matter of discipline and jurisdiction over the clergy, it would stand just as it hath done hithero, only with this difference, that the exhortations and directions of a person invested with the episcopal character, would be more readily and carefully observed by the parish ministers, than those are which proceed from their equals: and misbehaviours might thus be more effectually prevented, than they can afterwards be punished and rectified. Nor is this a point of consequence only to themselves and their hearers, but to the public; as the behaviour of the clergy in general is. And if by reforming them, and introducing better order into the churches of our communion, more of the inhabitants should come over to it, as they naturally will, this would be a further public benefit. For members of the church of England will think themselves more connected with England, than others. And supposing them not to be Jacobites, their acknowledgement of the king's supremacy will incline them to be dutifuller subjects than the dissenters, who do not acknowledge it.

But allowing the establishment of bishops in America to be reasonable in itself, the second question is, Whether the danger of increasing church power by means of such an establishment, be not a sufficient objection against it? Now against things evidently right and useful, no dangers ought to be pleaded, but such as are both very probable and great; and from confirming and ordaining, no danger of this kind, I presume, is apprehended. Yet these are the only new powers that will be exercised. No other jurisdiction is desired for the proposed bishops than the preceding commissaries have enjoyed; and even

that, on this occasion, may be ascertained and limited more accurately, if it be requisite. But here it is asked, How any persons can undertake to promise, that no additional powers shall hereafter be proposed, and pressed on the colonies, when bishops have once been settled? And strictly speaking, indeed, nothing of this nature can ever be promised in any case. But if the dissenters had been asked, on their applying for a toleration, how they could undertake to promise, that when that point was once settled, nothing further, nothing hurtful to the established church, should ever be proposed and pressed on the government by them, surely this would not have been sufficient to defeat their application. And yet what could they have answered? Not more, if so much, as can be answered in the present case: that no such thing is at all intended; and that though it were, there would be no danger, either of the intention taking effect, or causing any disturbance.

But on the former of these assertions our sincerity may be questioned. For it is argued, that bishops doubtless think the powers, which they have in this nation, to be strictly just and reasonable; and consequently must be desirous of their taking place in the colonies. Now for my own part, and I believe my brethren in general are of the same mind, I have no imagination, that bishops are entitled to, or that it would be right to give them, every where, the same powers, and privileges, that we happen, by the particular constitution of this country, to possess here. Several parts of that constitution might perhaps full as well have been formed otherwise. Whether our share of it might or not, I have never set myself to consider; I hope, and am persuaded, it is on the

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