THE TOWN OF SCARSDALE. 2 1 9 



hope, will, in their instructions, have laid down such rules as they won't fail 

 coming at it without being imposed on. Mr. Urquhart, minister of Jamaica, has 

 the most difficult task of any missionary in this government ; for although he has 

 not only the character of a very good man, but of being extraordinary industrious 

 in the discharge of his duty, yet he having a Presbyterian meeting house on the 

 one hand, and the Quakers on the other, and very little assistance in his Parish, 

 except from those who have no interest with the people, that his work can't but 

 go on very heavily, as I understand it does : but Mr. Thomas, of Hempstead, 

 having better assistance, the leading men in his parish not being disgusted, are 

 helpful in the work ; and having no other sectaries to oppose him by their meet- 

 ings but the Quakers, makes very considerable progress, as I have been told by 

 some of the most sensible of his parish. As for Mr. Mackenzie, he has a very 

 good report from the people of Staten Island ; and I shall not fail making further 

 inquiry concerning him, and let you know it in my next. 



But when all is done, what I can tell j r ou concerning any minister, except in 

 this county, is only by information from others, which is often very uncertain ; 

 for some gentlemen may many times, and very deservingly, have a fair and good 

 character by the generality of their neighbors — and yet at the same time, by one 

 misfortune or other, not perform much of the service of the Church, in which I 

 will give you this plain instance. 



There is not any gentleman whom the Society have sent over, that is clothed 

 ■with a fairer character than Mr. Bartow, of Westchester, and truly he is a very 

 good and sober man, and is extremely well liked and spoken of by his parishion- 

 ers in general ; yet, although he has been three years in that parish, not many are 

 added to the communion, nor baptized, and few catechised; and if he is directed 

 to send an account how he has advanced on each of these heads, annually since 

 his coming there, it will be found accordingly. For this and many other reasons, 

 I can't help still to be pressing that the Society should lay the gentlemen which 

 are sent over under exact rules ; and methinks it is no difficult matter to have it 

 ordered, so as to know almost as well what is done as if the} r were present in 

 \every parish. 



The people of Westchester were very angry with me because I was for having 

 this county divided into three parishes, and every minister to have 70?. instead of 

 50Z. ; and I had brought the county, except that place, to a willingness to have it 

 so, as I formerly acquainted you — and had they permitted that projection to have 

 taken place, it would have been a great ease to the Society ; for first, what Mr. 

 Bartow had more than the 507. he now hath, might reasonably have been deduct- 

 ed at home. Secondly, Mr. Bondet would have been provided' for. And third- 

 ly, one Mr. Morgan, who was minister of Eastchester, promised me to conform ; 

 that there would not have been occasion of another being sent to us, and by that 

 means have saved 50?. a year more at home, and wholly out of all hopes of any 

 dissenting minister getting footing amongst us, and it will never be well until we 

 are in three parishes ; and I shall not fail, when I have a fair opportunity, to push 

 for it again. And to satisfy you of the reasonableness in what I offer, I believe 

 there has not six public taxes been laid out on this county by the Assembly this 

 fifteen years past ; but I have been at the proportioning of, and when the places 

 in Rye parish pay 50?. the towns in Westchester parish were allotted 120? ; and 

 there are two places more, which, both together, are one third part as big as Rye 



