Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. III
Wee submitt to yo'^ Lordships Judgement the consequences of M' Vesey's Conduct in proclaimeing ' in the ears of a dissenting world such as this is that the fitting up of the Queen's Cliappel in a decent manner which before was a Bear yard for the worship of Almig'nty God according to the usage of the Church of England was a Scliism ; how proper it is for any man that has the interest of our Church at heart to break through our Constitution, and by the help of a Vestry chiefly composed of the meaner sort of people (fur what other purposes God knows) trample upon our Rights, Whether any but an avowed Enemy could have done so much towards making an unhappy division between our Communicants as M"^ Vesey did the last Election of Chui-ch Wardens and Vestrymen, Saying as beforemenconed publicly in the Church, I hope you dont think to bring the officers of the ffort upon us ; it is true some of us have the honor to serve her Majesty, and there have been few years in which some of the officers have not been in the Vestry, but why that terme of Distinction was used wee doe not understand ; there were then in the Church not above three or four {our selves excepted) that were not of Mr. Veseifs former vestry -- these he separated to himself and those must be the persons intended by Mr. Vesey'^s us so that whoever else of the Communicants thought fit to come and give their votes must be lookt upon as men of a contrary interest; a hard censure if the interest they had in view was that of the Church. We are unwilling to Imagine that Mr. Vesey has any of the old Leven of hidependency yet lurking within him, God forbid that Interest should be the motive to any mark's Conformity -- but we wish he would act m,cre circumspectly that he would think better of those who have been bred up in the Church of England and have always shewn a zealous affection for her.