276

PAPERS RELATING TO THE SIX NATIONS.

SIR \VM. JOHNSON TO REVD CHS INGLIS.

Johnson hall March 27 th 1771.

Good Sir, I have had the favor of yours of the 8th Inst, and I thank you as well for the par-ticulars you Communicated to me, as for the kind manner in which your friendship has Inducedyou to speak of myself on the Subject I have so much at heart.

I am persuaded from D r Burtons Letter that the Society would willingly do all in their power, forcarrying so important a plan into Execution, and Esteem it an honor to receive so many assurancesof their favorable opinion of my little endeavors. But I have great Reason to apprehend thatthe Generality of the men of Rank are but Cool in matters of Religion, otherwise, I should thinkthat a plan of that sort would come with great Weight & strict propriety from His Grace of Canter-bury, or the Bishop of London , in their Ecclesiastick Capacity, and I am really concerned atreading that part where you say That similar applications from the Society first, have been fre-quently postponed and neglected because it is a proof that my apprehensions are but too well foundedotherwise I cannot see why a Religious Society in which are some of the Greatest Men in Englandshould not meet With all Imaginable Countenance on any Religious Subject, where the Objectappeared so meritorious, whilst every species of Dissenters finds favor, and Support on the applicationof the meanest Engines that can be found out—This extraordinary lukewarmness in matters of thisnature, may I believe in some measure be attributed to the peculiar cast of Modern politicks, It beingfirst forged by the Dissenters & echoed by every Scribler, as now to be too generally believed, Thatthe Missionaries busy themselves mostly in Converting worthy & pious Dissenters, and that thesepious people will be alarmed.

I remember to have read of a king of France , forbidding a neighbouring state to build a singleGalley as his fleet was sufficient to scour their seas, and I am certain the Conduct of the Dissentersgreatly resembles that of the Monarch, but that their power is as yet less than his. For those ofConsequence amst them, tho’ many of them are Libertines in their sentiments, yet all of them arestrongly interested in whatever regards their profession, and in this Country they foresee that if theEstablished Church is encouraged, its Comeliness may with* much Efforts of our Missionariesdraw many of their people to it as well as regain sev* of its old Members who for want of anyother places of Worship in some parts have become Dissenters, But as Pride & policy forbid theirdiscovering the True Causes, they affect apprehensions that our Church may pursue unwarrantablemeasures to acquire a Dominion over their tender Consciences and In America presume even to takeoffence at any additional Establishments in our fav r . That Their party is not to be disobliged at allIn England seems to be a maxim amongst the Great, which is a plain Confession of the strengthof their Union, Whilst from this Country, they endeavor to persuade men in power of the generalprevalence of their opinions, and the great Dread of a people Jealous of their Rights who fledfrom Religious persecution. Tho’ in truth they can boast of no superiority if tire members of theChurch, The Foreign Protestants, Quakers &c. are taken together as they may be for these have nodesign agt us, Do not in fact Joyn them in opinion or entertain any apprehensions so Injurious tothe Chh of England, so that as I formerly observed this artfull false representation should beenlarged on at home, and Eradicated for untill that is done I do not see much prospect of encour-agement, and I believe the great are so much afraid of the imputation of being priest ridden, thatthey dare not give the Church that Countenance, or the injoyment of all its rights and Ceremonies,which is so highly necessary & reasonable in a Land of Liberty accords to the Dissenters ownarguments, if the members of our Church are allowed to have any Conscience at all.