This is the unliappy state of the Church of Jamaica in the Colony of New York and since it plainly appears that the claim of the independents is nothing but their rates towards the building of the Church and are more in number & now also in power (the magistracy Churchwardens & vestrymen being all of that persuasion) we say, since we have no other >claim nor ever had any possession according to the Estabhshments made by the Acts of Assembly it is also submitted to your Lordship k to other impartial unprejudiced and judicious persons to judge of a right to a Church thus built and thus establishetl as before at large set forth.

And now because that upon so firm a foundation it may be expected that M^ Poyer the present worthy incumbent of this unhappy place should by law endeavour to obtain his Salary together with the parsonage house and lands detained from him by the Independents to which method his Excellency Col^i Hunter has encouraged him by promising him to be at the expense of the suit, We humbly crave leave to ofter that we cannot at this juncture think it at all advisable for him, because we are humbly of opinion that a matter of that consequence ought not to be i]i such a manner undertaken without the express directions of your Lordship and the Honorable Society and also because such suit must be commenced before Judges who are professed implacable enemies to the Established Churcli -- Judges who were lately advanced in the room of others, .who were men of character and true friends of the Church, at an unlucky time when they were actually doing Justice to the Church in this particular, and we could heartily have wished that his Excellency would have been pleased to have favoured M^ Poyers petition by writing to those new officers to enforce them in their duty and hope such admonitions would have had a good inHuence on them tho' indeed justice from these new judges may scarcely be expected after the acting of tlu-ee oJf