| Title: | Charles Beatty's Appeal, viz. Distressed Presbyterians in America |
|---|---|
| ID | 143 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Beatty, Charles/12 |
| Year | 1760 |
| Sender | Beatty, Charles |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | clergyman |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Pennsylvania, USA |
| Destination | Ulster, Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | unacquainted fellow clergymen |
| Source | The Belfast Newsletter, Tuesday, 14th April, 1761. |
| Archive | The Central Library, Belfast. |
| Doc. No. | 9706234 |
| Date | 16/06/1760 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Document added by LT, 25:06:97. |
| Word Count | 2200 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Belfast, June 16th, 1760. The Memorial and Representation of Mr. Charles Beatty, minister of Neshaminy, in name and behalf of the corporation of the relief of poor and distressed Presbyterian ministers in the province of Pensylvania [Pennsylvania?], the counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex upon Delaware; To the Reverend the Members of the Synod of Ulster, and to all pious and charitable Christians Humbly sheweth, THAT Pensylvania [Pennsylvania?], a province distinguished for civil and religious liberty, has been peopled from England, Ireland and Scotland, etc. That those in general who held a parity amongst all gospel ministers, united and formed churches after the Presbyterian plan, both in that and the neighbouring provinces, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, etc. and at length their ministers agreed to hold a synodical meeting once a year, in the city of Philadelphia. As the first settlers were generally in low circumstances, and were obliged to lay out a great part of their little all in making settlements on their frontiers, they were unable, and many of them unwilling, to make any tolerable provision for the support of a gospel ministry; they were highly pleased with the prevailing principles, that ministers should work for their livings, and preach for charity. Many of the lower ranks who flocked there, were ignorant, disorderly and untractable, readier to learn the vices of their Indian neighbours, than to teach them the more perfect ways of God. They were soon dated with the name of planations, though their present wealth was no more than the mere necessaries of life. Thinking too highly of themselves, they were apt to despise the ambassadors of the meek and lowly Jesus. Swayed by their unruly passions, they were not easily brought to the strict and civilized conduct which his gospel requires. Many worthy Protestant ministers, who left Europe with a truly catholic spirit, to promote the kingdom of Christ in that wilderness, and may educated in that country, had those and other great uncommon difficulties to struggle with. They earned their bread, in a great measure, with the sweat of their brows, freely preaching the gospel of the grace of God: but as their stations prevented them from following the more gainful employments of life, their families were frequently left forlorn and destitute. Often have surviving friends seen, with the deepest sorrow and regret, the widows and children of these great and good men, who had been examples of industry, of hospitality, of patience, of every good work to their flocks, reduced to the most pinching straits, while they were unable to afford them any suitable relief. Such hardships and distresses were not peculiar to the servants of our Lord who were first called to labour in that uncultivated part of his vineyard, but were, and still are, sensibly felt by their successors: arising partly from the dispositions of too many who resort to these places, partly from surrounding barbarians, and partly from the situation or low circumstances of their respective congregations. Some congregations, even in the interior parts of the provience, are not able, without assistance from others, to maintain their pastors, and yet are so situated, that unless they have settled ministers amongst them, they must either abondon their profession, after the example of, alas! too many of their neighbours, or become a prey to the erronous sects around them. It is obvious, that the labour of the ministers and the dangers to which they are exposed must be great, while their livings are small, and what is still worse, extremely precarious, because their people are continually shifting their habitations, either from a love of variety, or from the prospect of more commodious dwellings. What a minister enjoys to day, he cannot flatter himself with to-morrow. The most promising settlement of Presbyterians may, in a few years or months, be entirely possessed by Moravians, or any other society, however heretical, if they call themselves Christains. These things have been always great discouragements to pious and good men in the ministry. They have also been great hinderances to parents from educating their children for this necessary and honourable, but laborious office. They may soon bring the gospel ministry into contempt, by its falling into weak hands; and will, if a timely remedy is not applied, deprive many congregations, in that vast wilderness, of the ordinances of divine institution. Great however, as these difficulties are, the Corporation and Synod would not have been burdensome to their brethren in this happy island, if a very afflicting dissensation of Providence had not greatly increased their calamities. An Indian war broke forth; a savage, barberous enemy, prompted by the perfidious French, like prowling wolves, fell on the peaceful habitations of their frontier inhabitants,and time after time plundered and robbed, murdered and scalped, without regard to age or sex. The innocent babes, torn from their mothers breasts, were dashed against the trees, or buried alive in presence of their almost distracted parents; while the unhappy parents durst not vent one groan, or drop a single tear, over their slaughtered little ones, much less find fault, lest they should have shared in the same dreadful fate. As the frontier counties of Pensylvania [Pennsylvania?] and Virginia were mostly settled by people of the Presbyterian persuasion from Ireland, their ministers have felt the blow severely. Several of their congregations were entirely broken up, and numbers of their people led into captivity, many of whom are in bondage among the Heathen to this day, subjected to the cruelest tortures, and in danger every moment of the worst of deaths. The ministers, thus bereaved of their flocks, were obliged to fly from place to place, reduced to the dilemma of seeking shelter in the innermost parts of the province, distressed with war, or to go forth to repel the enemy, with such of their people as had escaped their barbarous hands. The memorialist thought it his duty and honour to take part in their affliction, and accompained to the Honourable Commissioners, employed by the Government, and other Gentlemen, who, animated with love to their country, and zeal for their civil and religious priviledges, exposed themselves to the inclemency of a severe winter, and to all the dangerous incursions of the Indians, till they built forts for the defence of the frontiers. He also continued, with the army of the Provincials till the French were forced to fly from Ohio, and until Fort Du Quesns (now Pittsburgh) was in his Majesty's possession. This he has mentioned, not out of vain glory, or as pretending to any distinguished merit, but that the reader might know he does not speak from heresay, does not retail vague uncertain stories, but narrates undoubted facts; facts no less true than melancholy, of which he had access to the most certain information, or was himself the mournful spectator. The honourable gentlemen, propretaries of the province, being well informed of, and deeply affected with the calamitous circumstances of such of the inhabitants as are of the Presbyterian persuasion, and sensible that their reverend ministers had distinguished themselves by their loyality to the best of kings, had been extremely useful in defending their country, and in promoting religion, virtue and industry, among the people under their care; have, out of their great benevolence and humanity, erected a charitable corporation, by letters patent, for the relief of distressed Presbyterian ministers, and for the support of their widows and children. In the letters patent such gentlemen and ministers were nominated to accept this important trust, as gave the greatest satisfaction to the united synod of York and Philadelphia; who pursuant to the powers, where with they are vested, propose to establish a fund for the support and relief of such ministers as are or may here after be called to preach the everlasting gospel among the benighted Indians, or to such congregations as cannot afford them sufficient maintenance. Both the gentlemen and ministers of the province, who are able, have chearfully set their shoulders to this burden, and will exert themselves to the utmost to promote such a great and good design: but finding that all they can do will go but a short way towards raising the sum which it necessarily requires, they did nominate and appoint the memorialist to apply, in their name, and in their behalf, to their Christian brethren in Ireland, with full powers to receive and transmit such sums and donations as they shall think meet to bestow for this pious, charitable purpose. Though he has given only a few passing hints of the distressed situation of many worthy ministers, and the desolate circumstances of their respective flocks in the province of Pensylvania [Pennsylvania?], the counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex upon Delaware, etc. which, if fully ennumerated, would fill many volumes; he apprehends enough has been said to bespeak the compassionate regards of all the friends of religion and liberty. To relieve such distresses, the society in England for propagating the Christian religion yearly bestow a considerable sum on their missionaries; and the hardy frugal Germans were under a necessity to apply both to England and Holland for relief: they were assisted by charitable donations from the King, many of the nobility and others, and even by a general collection from the church of Scotland. The memorialist may venture to say without offence, and with great truth, that no denomination of ministers on the vast contient are more painful and industrious, or have a juster claim to the charity of the ministers and people of Ireland, than those for whom he pleads. The far greater part of them are their brethren by the ties of nature in the most literal sense; many of them, they trust, by the more endearingties of grace; andd all of them the subjects of the same gracious sovereign; they are the servants of the same great Lord and Master, hold the same doctrines and walk by the same rules: their number is great, their necessities still greater; they and their people are every day at the hazard of their lives, enlarging the bounds of Christ's kingdom, and extending at the same time, the British empire. The far greater part, now in arms, contending for our happy constitution against French and Indians, are of that denomination: none have exerted themselves more, and none have suffered so much in the glorious contest: many of them as above mentioned, are still in bondage among the Heathen; and those who have escaped with their lives are stript of their All; their houses burnt, their fences destroyed, their plantations laid waste, and to speak within bounds, their country for 60 or 70 miles (a few forts excepted) one continued ruin; and, what afflicts them still more, they are deprived of the means of grace. These are the objects that solicite your charity, not to relieve their bodily straits, however great and pressing; but to supply their spiritual wants, to enable them, by giving a little out of your abundance, to maintain those who are called to dispense amongst them the bread and the water of life, which has often refreshened your own souls. The Memorialist shall only add, that his constituents, the ministers and gentlemen of the Corporation and Synod, in whose name he speaks, beg that their Christian friends and brethren would regard them as guardians taking care of an infant church, in great distress, amidst a vast wilderness. They plead for ability to spread the gospel of peace through the dark places of the earth, that have been long the habitations of cruelty. They plead for the faithful ministers of Christ, and zealous asserters of British liberty, who languish amidst misery and want. They plead for many congregations in danger of no more hearing the glad tidings of salvation. They plead also for vast numbers of the rising generation, who, without your friendly aid, may be for ever deprived of the most inestimable blessing, public instruction and gospel ordinances. Charity is a most exalted grace: it is highly beneficial to mankind; will be loudly applauded, and receive an ample reward in the great day of recompence. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, what glory and felicity awaits those who, out of love to God, and concern for the Mediator's kingdom, shall contribute for promoting this Godlike design, of saving souls from death. Great, unspeakaby great, shall be their reward in heaven, when they that have done good, "shall shine as the firmament", and "they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever". The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, held at Edinburgh May 15, 1760, having considered the above representation, together with the certificates produced by the Memorialist, they did authorise and appoint a collection to be made in behalf of the petitioners; but as the money to be expected from the collection will go but a short way towards executing the extensive plan of the Synod and Corporation, the Memorialist plan of the Synod and Corporation, the Memorialist humbly hopes for the kind and charitable assistance of the friends of religion in Ireland, for promoting such pious and necessary purposes. CHARLES BEATTY. |
