to preach gratis in America for some time, till there be sufficient numbers of Converts to bear the charge & I presume that may be accomplish'd this way.
Let the King, the A Bishop, ye Bishops & great Men admit no Man for so many years to any great Benefice, but such as shall oblige themselves to preach three years gratis in America, with part of the living let him maintain a Curate, & the other part let him apply to his own use. By this means we shall have the greatest & best men & in human probability such men must in a short time make a wonderful progress in the Conversion of those Countries, especially when its p'ceived the good of Souls is the only motive to this undertaking.
New Jersey Historical Society, Proceedings, 1849-1850 (Newark, 1850), IV, 118-121.
98. A Quaker's Arguments with Orthodox Ministers (1704)
BY THOMAS STORY
Story was an English Quaker who came over in 1697. He visited all the colonies, and remained some time in Pennsylvania. — Bibliography: Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, V, 243; Channing and Hart, Guide, § 215. — For earlier accounts of the Quakers, see Contemporaries, I, Nos. 140-142.
DURING all this Time the People were generally attentive, and seemingly pleased ; but, just in the Close of the Matter, I was attacked, all of a sudden, by a jolly brisk Person, who brake into the Crowd behind me on Horseback, and, by his Garb, look'd like a Pastor of the People, (and, upon Enquiry afterwards, I found he was so) whose first Salutation was after this Manner : "Are you not ashamed thus to delude the People, imposing upon them false Glosses on the Scripture? I am a Stranger on the Road, and, drawing near this Multitude to know the Occasion of it, cannot but appear in defence of Truth against your Perversions : Tis true, you have a smooth Way, a gaining Countenance, and advantageous Mein ; but, Sir, you look, in all this, the more like an Emissary."
This, being sudden, was a little surprizing at first ; but, Truth being uppermost, I quickly replied, " That he rather look'd like a false Teacher of the People ; and challenged him to instance any Particular wherein I had imposed upon them."
