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James Bowles Esqr from the Upper House delivers Mr
Speaker the following Message viz.
By the Upper House of Assembly Octr the 31st 1724.
We the very Sorry to hear that some of the Clergy (tho'
we hope but few) of the Established Church of England
within this province have so Misbehaved themselves as to
produce the ill Effects menconed in your Message of the 27th
Instant and shall always be very ready to Join with your
House in taking proper measures for preserving the purity
of that holy Religion we profess It was for that end that we
referred to your Consideration a Representation made by
Severall of the Reverend Clergy of this province as a proper
foundation to proceed upon to remedy the aforesd Evills, but
it seems to us by the purport of your message that you have
rejected the said Representation, and would recommend to
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us the Erecting a lay Judicature for the Establishment of
Ecclesiastical Discipline, a thing we can by no means consent
to as being Contrary to the Constitution in England to which
we are obliged to Conform as near as may be both in Church
and State. If the Misbehaviour Complained of in the Clergy
only respects their Moralls, We have many good Laws in force
which may be put in Execution agt them as well as agt any
lay person, But if they have misbehaved themselves in the
discharge of their Sacred ministeriall ffunction, We know no
Remedy more proper than by a Joint Representation of it by
both Houses of Assembly, with such of the Reverend Clergy
as shall think fit to Joyn with us in it, To the Lord Bishop of
London under whose discretion these American Collonies
with respect to Ecclesiasticall affairs are said to be, who
Doubtless with the Concurrence of our Legislature will take
care to Establish an Ecclesiasticall Judicature to reform the
Irregularities of our Clergy. But Should we proceed to
take any other method to accomplish it, We have reason to
feare we should incurr the same Censure which our neigh-
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