many years in New York, Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina, the growth of the Presbyterian Church was checked by persecution and intolerance. We cannot do justice to the spirit of the first Presbyterian ministers and their noble vindication of religious. liberty, without a brief review of the conditions of their fields of labor.

For a long period Virginia rivalled the mother country in the hardships with which she treated all but Episcopalians. The Established Church was exclusively tolerated and sustained by law, and every form of dissent was accounted obnoxious. For three-quarters of a century it was suppressed by the most rigid laws, and for another three-quarters of a century it was at best but barely tolerated, and in some cases altogether interdicted. In the earlier period the laws against those who did not conform were peculiarly rigid. By the Act of 1618, absentees from the parish church were punished by a fine and a night in the stocks, and for the third offence by being made slaves to the colony for a year and a day. In the revisal of 1642 the Act for Conformity was made more severe on ministers. The Governor and Council were directed to send away any who did not comply with this enactment. Nor was the law suffered to remain a dead letter.

There was already in Virginia a Puritan leaven long before the arrival of Makemie. In 1607, Rev. Henry Jacobs fled with the celebrated John Robinson to Leyden. He subsequently returned to England and organized the first Congregational Church in that country in 1616. In 1624, he emigrated to Virginia'

1 Prince's Chronology.

* In 1624 Henry Jacob, who had been the pastor of the Southwark Congregational Church, London, left his charge and removed to Virginia, where he died. The scene and duration of his labors are uncertain, but in 1642 (May 24) Richard Bennet, Daniel Gookin,

with thirty members of his congregation. He was succeeded in his labors in this country by Rev. Mr.

John Hyll, and others, to the number of seventy-one persons, wrote to the ministers of New England, speaking of themselves as "inhabitants of the county of the Upper Norfolk in Virginia," and as having prepared an address to the ministers in an appeal for help in the previous year. At the later date they speak of "the present incumbent" being determined to leave them, so that they are forced to provide for themselves. The county, they say, is of large extent, and it had been found necessary to divide it into three parts, each of which was willing to support a pastor. Philip Bennet was agent for the applicants, who desired to obtain three ministers, such as should on trial be found "faithful in pureness of doctrine and integrity of life."

The Virginia letters were read publicly, and a time was appointed to consider them. Phillips of Watertown, Tompson of Braintree, and Miller of Rowley, were designated. The first declined, and his colleague Knowles consented to take his place. Miller's health forbade his compliance. Knowles and Tompson set out, and at New Haven were joined by James, formerly of Charlestown. They were eleven weeks in reaching their destination; but when they reached their field of labor they were greatly encouraged.

Their labors were greatly prospered; but the authorities silenced them, and they returned in less than a year. But Thomas Harrison, the chaplain of the Governor, had been brought under their influence, and had adopted and begun to preach their evangelical views. Virginia renewed its application to Massachusetts for help. William Durand of Upper Norfolk wrote also to New Haven urging John Davenport (Felt, i. 515) to advance the sending of ministers to Virginia. He states that his friends had thought of applying in England for pastors, but had concluded that those of best qualifi cations were to be found in New England.

Knowles, Tompson,-whose wife died on the mission,-and James, had scarcely left Virginia when the Indians rose and massacred a large number of the settlers. A "mortal sickness" also prevailed, and the Governor likewise ordered those who would not conform to Episcopacy to leave the jurisdiction. Harrison was left alone,pastor of a church at Nansemond gathered by the missionaries and composing "a large congregation," but in 1648 he also left for

Lathrop. Congregationalist Dissenters were thus introduced into Virginia at an early period.

In 1641, a gentleman from Virginia by the name of Bennet visited Boston with letters from Virginia residents to New England ministers, "bewailing their sad condition for want of the glorious gospel," and entreating that they might thence be supplied. The letters were openly read at Boston upon a lecture-day, and the subject was taken up in earnest. Tompson and Knowles, colleague-pastors at Watertown and Braintree, were selected for the mission, and on their way were joined by James of New Haven.

Their voyage was slow and difficult. They began "to suspect whether they had a clear call of God to the undertaking," but their success on their arrival soon dispelled their fears. The magistrates, indeed, gave them little encouragement, but from the people they received a warm welcome. In several parts of the country "there were many people brought home to God." But they were not long left unmolested. The Episcopal clergy were far from exemplary in the discharge of their duties. They felt the rebuke of a better example, and at their instance, or at least with their sanction, the laws against dissent were enforced against the New England ministers. They were "discharged from public preaching in Virginia," but they continued their labors in private, "and did much good." They were at length, however, forced to leave.

In 1648, the Virginia Puritans were still numerous. About one hundred and eighteen were associated under

New England, and his people, to avoid persecution, thought of removing to the Bahamas. Thus 66 dissent" was rooted out of the colony just so far as intolerance could effect it.-Felt's New England, i. 216, 471-7, 487, 496, 515, 526-7; ii. 7.

1 Bishop Meade's Churches of Virginia.

the pastoral care of Harrison, who had been the Governor's chaplain, but who, from the moment he showed a leaning to the Puritans, was looked upon with disfavor. He, too, withdrew to New England, and the congregations were scattered. During the time of Cromwell (about 1556), we still find traces of the Puritans. A certain people congregated into a church, calling themselves "Independents," was found to be "daily increasing," and "several consultations were had how to suppress and extinguish them." These consultations bore fruit. "The pastor was banished, next their other teachers," while of the people some were imprisoned or disarmed, till "they knew not in those straights how to dispose of themselves." It was estimated that the number of this class of Dissenters amounted at this period to about a thousand.

In 1662, the laws were made still more rigid against Non-conformists. The Quakers, as well as Puritans, experienced harsh treatment. It seems probable that, in spite of adverse legislation, quite a number of Presbyterian or Independent Dissenters still remained in the colony; but they were scattered and disorganized, and subject to many disabilities. It was in these circumstances that Makemie first visited the region. On the borders of Maryland, but within the Virginia line, was the place of his residence; yet it was ten years after the toleration edict of 1689 before he could procure a legal license to preach in Virginia. And even then he had no light difficulties to encounter. The spirit of the preceding period still survived, and for half a century longer Presbyterians were regarded with great disfavor.

Meanwhile, efforts were made, in the face of great difficulties and discouragements, to extend the Presbyterian Church in other directions.1 The town of Ja

1 Ministers were sent from New England to New York, 1685, at

maica on Long Island had been largely settled by Presbyterians. In 1702, they numbered over a hundred families, "exemplary for all Christian knowledge and goodness." They had a church valued at six hundred pounds, and a parsonage at more than double that amount. In 1702, the town chose Presbyterian churchwardens and vestrymen, and settled as their pastor John Hubbard, a native of Ipswich, Mass., and a classmate of Andrews of Philadelphia. But High-Church intolerance was in the ascendency in the colony, and the Presbyterians were ejected to make room for the Episcopalians. Bartow, the church-missionary of West Chester, in Hubbard's absence, took possession of the church and began to read the Liturgy. Hubbard arrived, and, finding what was the state of things, withdrew, and assembled the congregation, who furnished themselves seats and benches from the church, in a neighboring orchard. Bartow meanwhile concluded his services, locked the door of the church, and gave the key to the sheriff. The people demanded it, but were refused. The Governor, Lord Cornbury, thanked Bartow for what he had done, but summoned Hubbard, with the heads of the congregation, before him, and forbade him any more to preach in the church.1

Nor was this all. He added meanness to injustice. During the great sickness of 1702, in New York, Cornbury entreated Hubbard, in a friendly manner, for the use of the parsonage. It was granted; but Cornbury requited the favor by putting the house, when he

the desire of Governor Andrews. Pierson and Bishop of Stamford wrote to I. Mather of Boston and Shepard of Charlestown, that they had conversed with the Governor, and that he expressed the wish that several plantations might be supplied with honest and able ministers, promising them encouragement.-Felt, N. England, ii. 679.

1 See N. Y. Doc. Hist. and McDonald's Hist. of the Church of Jamaica.