PAPERS RELATING TO THE SIX NATIONS.

235

REY D M R CHAMBERLAIN TO SIR W M JOHNSON.

Conajohare 29 th Dec br 1766.

May it please your Honour

I but lately received your Honours Letter of the 8 th instant, am sorry tho have been the occasionof so much Trouble to your Honour whose Indulgence and Condescention I have so often experi-enced, and stand corrected with Pleasure.

I am surprised that the Rev d Brown should suspect that by privatly informing him of what hewas said to have done I intended to intimate the misconduct of those in whose Presence It was saidhe did it. I never doubted may it please your Hon r but that his Exelency the Govenor had a Rightto ask and obtain M' r Browns assistance in Conferring his Name upon whome he pleasd and thiswithout transgressing the strictest Rules of Christianity , and was far from thinking that his Exe-lency or any Gentleman in the Civil Government would interpose his authority with a clergymanto oblige him to rebaptize Children because they were first baptized by ministers of another Denomi-nation. Nor was I may it please your Hon r suspicious that the Gentlemen of the establishd ChurchClergy gave themselves or others too mueh Trouble to bring into Disrepute other religious Persua-sions. I treated this Report or at least aimd to like what was false and only wrote M r Brown for hisauthority to say it was false. I gave a greater Latitude to some Expressions than I should otherwisethat M r Brown might give me a direct answer which would stop the mouths of those who can seenothing significant in arguing what men will do from their Character—but never once supposed theRev d Gentleman would make so great an affair of it as to have me answerd as he has in a mannerwhich gives me the ■ greatest Pain. I mentiond the Presence of his Exelency the Govenor , theHon ble Sir William Johnson and other Gentlemen and the Indians with no other view than to givethe Report the airs with which I several Times heard it told not suspecting that the Letter would beproposed to any one as what was designed to fault the conduct of my Rulers, for to this I dont givemyself a License in any case but especially should not with your Honour to whom I am so muchindebted must therefore may it please your Honour beg the continuance of your Honours favoursto be without which will be itself a mark of ungratfull and will soon render me intirrely useless.In hopes to obtain this I conclud and beg Leave to subscribe myself

May it Please your Honour your Hon rs most obediant humble servant

Theophlus Chamberlain.

REV. MR. BROWN TO SIR WM. JOHNSON.

S r T'ie Bearers hereof are going up the Mohawk River to try to collect money to finish off aChurch at Great-Barrington, where they have suffer’d every 7 Hardship from the Presbaterian Party;And designing to call at y r House I have taken the Liberty of requesting y advice. They beg of meto return with them to Barrington for a Sunday, but as my Duty call’s me to the Mohawks cannotthink of going without your consent. A Line from you will Determine the Case. I hope you willnot let y r Fondness for master Peter keep him too long from his Studies as a misapplication of hisTime will make him forget what he has learnt. 1 am S r with Respect y r most obedient Servant

Albany Jan 30 th 1767. T: Brown.

If I do not go to Barrington a number of Brother’s propose paying you a Visit on Saturday.

To Hon bl « S r W m Johnson.