The Present State of Virginia

by Hugh Jones

In North Carolina and several Parts of Virginia Children are often neglected to be baptized till they are grown up, and then perhaps may never know or never mind that they want to be christen'd; and many esteem it unnecessary.

The Clerks upon several Occasions performing too great a Share of divine Services, expose the Church to Shame and Danger, and often bring Contempt and Disdain upon the Persons and Function of the Ministers.

Ministers are often obliged to bury in Orchards, and preach Funeral Sermons in Houses, where they also generally marry and christen; and as for Weddings there is no Regard to the Time of the Day nor the Season of the Year; and in North Carolina the Justices marry.

Now to remedy all these Grievances and Deficiencies, with all Evils of the like Kind, there is an absolute Necessity for a Person whose Office upon this Occasion should be somewhat uncommon, till a Bishop be established in those Parts; who might pave out a Way for the Introduction of Mitres into the English America, so greatly wanting there. This Person should have Instructions and Power for discharging such Parts of the Office, of a Bishop, of a Dean, and of an Arch-Deacon, as Necessity requires, and the Nature of those sacred Functions will permit; and from a Medium of these three Functions he might be called Dean of Virginia; under whose Jurisdiction North Carolina might fall for the present, till the Constitution in Church and State there be better advanced.

This Person should reside in some Parish in Virginia, and be obliged to make a Progress (for the People will not approve of a Visitation) each Spring and Fall in Virginia and North Carolina, as his Discretion shall best direct him.

As for a Salary for his travelling Expences 100 l. per Ann. would suffice; and that this might not bring any new Charge upon the Publick, there should be no Fees upon any Account, neither should he put them to any Expence. This Person should be one that is popular, universally acquainted with the People, their Temper and Manners, and one respected and beloved by them; and as a farther Encouragement for him, and to support the Dignity of his Office, he should have a good convenient Parish in Virginia; and in his Absence the Clergymen there should be obliged to officiate in his Church in Turns, according to their Seniority in the Country; for the Detriment that the Parishes would suffer by the Loss of Service in their Churches one Sunday in several Years would be nothing, when compared with the Advantage they would receive in Lieu of it.

As a farther Addition to his Salary and Honour, he might be one of the Masters of the College, particularly Divinity Professor would be most suitable with his Character and Office, and more convenient for him, since he might contrive to make his Progress in the Vacation Time.

This Salary of 100 l. per Ann. might certainly be easily obtained from the Government out of the Quit-Rents, or otherwise, as the Commissary's was; which Office and Name has not appeared well-pleasing to the People and Clergy, for Reasons I can't account for: neither has it obtained the Power and good Effect as might have been expected.

This Office of Dean might be try'd for a few Years, and the Dean should be obliged to transmit Home yearly to his Diocesan the Bishop of London attested Copies of his Proceedings in his Progress; setting forth the Particulars of the Attempts that he has made, and the Good he has done, signed by the Justices and Ministers of the Place or County. The Expence of this Tryal would be but little, but the Good that might arise from hence might be unspeakable, and there can be no Hurt in it; no Incroachment upon the Privilege of the People, nor the Rights of the several Incumbents.

His Office and Duty should be to register all Letters of Orders and Credentials of Ministers, sent over by the Bishop of London, and also all Collations to Livings. To examine and confirm all Persons before they be admitted to the Lord's Supper, which Confirmation (or rather Approbation) might be done without Imposition of Hands in a peculiar Form, proper for the Circumstances of this Occasion; and the Ministers should admit none to the Sacrament without his Certificate of this their Confirmation.