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not fo aptly provide for fome Circumftances under 
which our way of living hath put us. 
The Church of England, God be praifed, is pretty 
firmly Eftabliflied among us. Churches are built and 
there is an Annual Stipend allow'd to every Minifter 
by a perpetual Law, which is more or lefs according 
to the number of Taxables in each Parirti, every Chri- 
ftian Male above Sixteen years old, and Negroes Male 
and Female above that Age pay forty Pound of To- 
bacco to the Minifter, which is Levied by the Sheriff 
among other Publick Levies , which makes the Re- 
venues of the Minifters , one with another, about 
twenty thoufand Pound of Tobacco, or one hundred 
Pound Sterling fcr ann. It hath been the unhappinefs of 
this Country that they have had no Proteftant Mini- 
llers hardly among them till Governour Nicholfons 
time vvvho has been a great Promoter and Encouragec 
of the Clergy) but now and then an Itinerant Preacher 
of very loole Morals, and fcandalous Behaviour ; fo 
that what with fuch Mens ill Examples, the Roman 
Priefls cunning, and the Quakers Bigotry, Religion was 
in a manner turned out of Doors- But God be praifed 
things now (land better, and our Churches are crov^^ded 
as full as they can hold, and the People are pretty fen- 
fible of the Roman Superfticion, and the Quakers 
'Madnefs; fa that their Parties both joyned toge- 
gether are very inconfiderable to what ours is. Indeed 
the Quakers ftruggle hard to maintain their footing, and 
their Teachers (efpecially the Female Sex, who are the 
moft zealous) are very free of their Taunts, and Con- 
tumelies againft us, but it is to little purpofe, unlefs to 
make their own way more ridiculous and odious. As 
for our part, I think we take the moft effedual Me- 
thod,, under God, to ftop their fpreading, viz. By not 
minding them^ fof I believe that to oppofe a Herefieby 
Dilputes 
