66 Assembly Proceedings, October 6-November 4, 1724.

U. H. J.

from the Apprehension the Clergy expressed in their Repre-
sentation They indeed set forth that they were informed that
a motion was made to erect a Jurisdiction for the better Gov-
ernment of the Church and Clergy We indeed thought it neces-
sary to do Something that might Influence some of the Clergy
to Govern themselves more like Moralists and Christians than
they do the more is the Pity and tho we never had any Intent
to Infringe the Ecclesiastical Laws yet we found by com-
plaints from most parts of the Province that the misconduct
of the Clergy and their pretending to a General Exemption
of their Persons from all Punishment by the temporal Laws
loudly call'd for our Endeavours to enforce those Laws
against them & we beg leave to Observe that as the Clergy
signing the Representation grant there is a Necessity for the
Enforcement of an Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction as the only
proper method to redress the Grievances of the Church we
should have been Glad that the Clergy had Given us their
opinion what those Grievances were for we frankly declare
tho sorry for the cause that we think the Immorality and
prophaneness of some of their Brethren the Greatest that we
know of & if they would by their Representation be under-
stood that it would be opposite to their ordination Vow to
Submit to a temporal Punishment for their Immoralities we
should be Glad they would recommend it to their Brethren as
tenderly to consider whether their conduct be not more Con-
trary to that Vow than their submitting to the Laws of their
Country for such Offences as they cant but know are an evil
Example and the Common Hurt of Christianity
We have heard of the Case of Carolina and have likewise
been told that the Act for establishing 40 p Pole can't be
touch'd by the Legislature & we doubt the Gentlemens Se-
curity renders them careless but we hope your Honours will
Joyn with us in letting these Gentlemen know that this Legis-
lature may as well Propose the Repeal of that Law as they at
first proposed the making of it and (perhaps for the unhappy
causes they too plainly Give) might find as Good Interest to
Obtain as they might to oppose the Royal Favour In the

p. 151

Repeal of it If your Honours Giving them a necessary caution
might have so desirable an effect as that their future conduct
might Induce the Legislature to forget all thoughts of this
Kind we are of opinion that it would be [a] much better way of
arguing than to insist on their establishments which have their
Foundation on the Laws of England & this province and not
of the Medes and Persians.
We shall not now trouble Your Honours further than to
enforce our former Message and to say we shall think it our