Memoirs of the Maxwells of Pollok > Correspondence

1712.] FAMILY AND DOMESTIC LETTERS. 363
imposed upon as to send over missionaries to them and support them ; and
instead of providing for ungospellized places, rather furnish little crews of ill
men with tools, to disturb the churches which are in more evangelical circum-
stances than any part of the church of England as by law established can
pretend unto.
The supply of our churches has been from our colledge, but how long that
may continue, after high church governours come to manage it, God only
knowes. An' Act of the Assembly did once incorporate the colledge, and in that
year, before or after which the colledge has never had power to do such a thing,
they presented my father with his doctorate. The King repealed that Act,
with a direction to renew it with more power left for the royal visitation. One
retardation fell out after another, so that it was never done, but the colledge
has a subsistence altogether precarious, with about fifty students in it ; and
tho' it holds commencements, wherein the degrees of Bachelour and Master are
dispensed, yett it has been rather by a connivence of the present governour
affording his presence at them, than with any legitimate proceedings.
Many of our candidates for the Ministry prove serious and hopeful young
men ; but I could wish more of them were more qualified and inclined for
evangelical undertakings at places which are at some distance from us, where
there is a want of such desireable instruments. In this your students begin to
sett an excellent exemple. I have been in extreme distress for the colonies of
North America, which are to the southward of ours ; that is to say, New York,
Jersey, Pensylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Our glorious Lord has a pre-
cious harvest there, but the labourers are too few, and the enemies pretty
powerful. The ministers who are labouring there are very valuable men, and
the late accession of Mr. George Gillespie to them doubtless gives them no little
consolation. I have written to him, and to the people there, as much as I can.
for his encouragement ; but if a fund could be settled for the support of, sup-
pose two missionaries, for a year or two, and then for a succession, it being
supposed that the predecessors will in that time have gathered a church and
become settled in the charge of it, it would unquestionably be attended with
excellent consequences. In the mean time we are alarumed with an advice that
the French of Canada (who, by the base treachery and cowardice of the expedi-
tion which miscarried a year ago, are left in a condition which threatens the