147. Fears of Episcopacy (1767)
BY REVEREND CHARLES CHAUNCY
Chauncy was pastor of the First Church in Boston from 1727 to 1787, and, with Jonathan Mayhew, was a champion against any form of Episcopalian establishment. The fear here expressed was one of the main causes of the uneasiness of New Englanders at the outbreak of the Revolution. — Bibliography: Tyler, American Literature, II, 199-203; Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, VI, 70-71; Channing and Hart, Guide, § 133.
HIS Lordship now comes to the last and greatest inconvenience, "the want of Bishops in our Colonies." "This" says he, pag. 22. "Besides other disadvantages attending it, appears, in particular, to be the fundamental cause of the want of native Ministers. The one removed ; the other, it seems, would cease of course. For can it be imagined, could orders be had on the same terms there as elsewhere, that a number of the natives sufficient for the service of the Church, would not offer themselves in those, as they do, in all other parts of Christendom.
The want of "native ministers," if this is really the case, is not, I believe, owing to any of the causes his Lordship has mentioned, not excepting that of there being "no Bishops in the Colonies." If I may speak here with the same freedom that I think, I would say, there is, in one respect, an obvious difference between our people, and those who profess themselves Church-men. The former generally send their sons to one or other of our Colleges with a view to their being educated for the ministry ; this is rarely done by the latter. Should any ask the reason of this ;— it must be plainly said, our Churches are numerous for a new Country, many of them large, and well capable of providing for their ministers ; and, by a swift increase of inhabitants and new-settlements, they are daily growing both in number and ability to support their Clergy. There is herefrom the prospect of a tolerable provision for our sons, if educated to serve in the ministry. Whereas, there are very few Episcopal churches that "stand upon their own legs" ; — and by far the greater part of the other are small in number, weak in ability, and insufficient to maintain their own ministry, unless assisted by the Society at home. It is this that discourages the Church-people from bringing up their sons for Clergymen. They chuse rather to provide for them some other way. And as to proselytes from us, the temptation ordinarily is so small, that few are overcome by it until
