There is no comparison in our numbers and they can on the death of the Incumbents call persons of their own persuasion in every place but the City of New York and if by force the Salary is taken from them and paid to the minister of the Cliurch it may be the means of subsisting those ministers but they wont make many converts among a people who think tliemselves very much injured -- Whereas let this matter be once regularly determined and then their mouths are for ever stopped and they'l live in [peace and] then the Chiu'ch will in all probability flourish & I believe [it J liad at this day been in a much better condition had there been no Act in her favor for in the Jersieg

PAPERS RELATING TO CHURCHES IN QUEENS COUNTY. 247

& Pensylvania where there is no Act iu her favor there is four times the number of Chiu'chmen than there is in this province of New York and they are so most of them upon principle.

Whereas nine parts in ten of ours will add no great credit to whatsoever Chm-ch they are of, nor can it be well expected otherwise for as New England excepting some families was the scum of the old so the greatest part of the English in this province was the scum of the new, who brought as many opinions almost as persons but neither Religion or Virtue and have acquired a very little since It is with the rising Generation the work is to be done k Schools will be one great means of doing it but of that I shall give you my thoughts by another conveyance having I fear too much tired you with the length of this I thought it my duty to do the Governor Justice and speak what I know to be true of him had he proved an enemy instead of a friend to the Church I should not have scrupled to have wrote the truth of him with the same freedom I did of his predecessor --