The Virginia Gazette

To Messrs. PURDIE & DIXON.

Gentlemen,

As Doctor Chandler's Appeal to the Publick may not be frequent in Virginia, the following Extracts therefrom may be serviceable to inform the Minds, and remove the Prejudices, of some who otherwise would be fond of the Plan which the Doctor therein recommends.

"It may be proper, in a Work of this Nature, to make the following Declaration to the Publick (and I appeal to every Reader who is acquainted with the Matter for the Truth of it) that it has been long settled by our Friends and Superiors at home, and the Clergy of this Country have often signified their entire Approbation and Acquiescence therein. That the Bishops to be sent to America shall have no Authority but purely of a spiritual and ecclesiastical Nature, such as is derived altogether from the Church, and not from the State. That this Authority shall operate only upon the Clergy of the Church, and not upon the Laity, nor Dissenters of any Denomination. That the Bishops shall not interfere with the Property or Privileges, whether civil or religious, of Churchmen or Dissenters. That in particular they shall have no Concern with the Probate of Wills, Letters of Guardianship and Administration, or Marriage Licences, nor be Judges of any Cases relating thereto; but that they shall only exercise the original Powers of their Office, as before stated, namely, ordain and govern the Clergy, and administer Confirmation to those who shall require it."

This, without any Reservation or Equivocation, is the exact Plan of an American Episcopate, which has been settled at home, and is the only One on which Bishops have been requested here, either in our general or more particular Addresses.

As to Tithes, of which many Americans have had formidable Apprehensions, there could be no Reason to fear the Payment of them here, even should the Authority of our Bishops be as full and extensive as it is in England. Tithes cannot be demanded by Bishops in this Country, because there are none belonging to the Church. They are demanded in England only because they are due to the Church. They are due to the Church there, because they have been freely given to it by the ancient Proprietors of the Lands; and the Laws relating to them do not convey them to the Church, but make them recoverable as its Property, to which it had a previous and complete Right. This Right was vested in the Church by King Ethelwulf, with the Consent of his Barons, in the Year 854. At that Time, all the Lands in England were properly the King's Domain; and he had as good a Right to dispose of them in this Manner as any Proprietor or Owner of Lands in this Country has to dispose of them to such Persons, and for such Purposes, as he thinks proper, &c.

But it may be inquired whether new Laws will not be made, in Case of an American Episcopate, to subject us to the Payment of Tithes. But of this there can be no more Reason to be apprehensive than if Bishops were not to be sent hither. Tithes are not paid in England to Bishops, but to the Incumbents of Parishes; and the Clergy in this Country will have no greater Need of Tithes after the Arrival of Bishops than they now have, and have had always. In several Provinces on this Continent, the Clergy are regularly and well supported; and in the others, we have no Prospect but still to depend, in a great Measure, upon the Charity of our Benefactors at home, until God shall either enable or dispose our Friends in this Country to do more for us. But it may farther be asked, shall we not be taxed in this Country for the Support of Bishops, if any shall be appointed? I answer, not at all. No Tax is intended; nor, I trust, will be wanted. It has been proposed, from the very Beginning, that the American Bishops should be supported without any Expense to this Country. A Fund accordingly has been established, for this particular Purpose, for more than Half a Century past, under the Influence and Direction of the Society for Propagation of the Gospel, and many worthy Persons have contributed generously and largely to the Increase of it; and if the Stock is not sufficient for the Support of a proper Episcopate in America, I imagine the Difficulty in making it sufficient will not be great, for as many have given liberally on the remote Prospect of its being needed, it is not to be doubted but Benefactors will be raised up when Assistance shall be called for by a present Necessity."