being elected members of the legislature, and of course of being
appointed to offices, both civil and military in their respective
districts. Over youthful minds, fond of power, pomp and military parade,
such advantages have great weight. Dissenters indeed had the free choice
of their ministers, but even this is often the cause of division. When
differences happen in a parish, the minority must yield, and therefore
through private pique, discontent or resentment, they often conform to
the establishment. It is always difficult, and often impossible for a
minister to please all parties, especially where all claim an equal right
to judge and chuse for themselves, and divisions and subdivisions seldom
fail to ruin the power and influence of all sectaries. This was evidently
the case in Carolina for many of the posterity of rigid Dissenters were
now found firm adherents to the church of England, which had grown
numerous on the ruins of the dissenting interest.

[Sidenote] The association of Presbyterians.

However, the emigrants from Scotland and Ireland, most of whom were
Presbyterians, still composed a considerable party of the province, and
kept up the Presbyterian form of worship in it. Archibald Stobo, of whom
I have formerly taken notice, by great diligence and ability still
preserved a number of followers. An association had been formed in favour
of this mode of religious worship, by Messrs. Stobo, Fisher, and
Witherspoon, three ministers of the church of Scotland, together with
Joseph Stanyarn, and Joseph Blake, men of respectable characters and
considerable fortunes. The Presbyterians had already erected churches at
Charlestown, Wiltown, and in three of the maritime islands, for the use
of the people adhering to that form of religious worship. As the
inhabitants multiplied, several more in different parts of the province
afterwards joined them, and built churches, particularly at Jacksonburgh,