A thing which they call a College was prepared accordingly, wherein as I am informed a commencement was made about tliree or four months ago. But notwithstanding their new College here, and old one in Boston, and that every town in that Colony has one, and some, two ministers, and have not only heard them say, but seen it in their prints, that there was no place in the world where the Gospel shone so brightly,

STATE OF RELIGION. 123

nor tliat the people lived so religiously and well as they, yet I dare aver, that there is not much greater necessity of having the Cliristian Religion in its true liglit preached anywhere than amongst tliem. Many if not tlie greatest number among them, being Little better than in a state of heathenism; having never been baptized nor admitted to the commimion.

And that you may be satisfied that what I tell you herein is not spoken at random, nor grounded on careless observation, M'' Muirson's parish is more than three-foui'ths of it composed of two towns, viz: Rye & Bedford wliich were first settled under the Colony of Connecticut, and of people bred and born under that GovernDient, and some time before my coming had a Minister, one Mr. Denham, and had afterwards two more, Woodbridge and Bowers of Rye, and one M"^ Jones at Bedford. And the people of Rye only had of this County the care to provide a parsonage house. And notwithstanding all those great shows of Religion and that at such times as they were destitute of a Minister.