Indian Town, Port-Royal, and Williamsburgh. The first clergymen having
received their ordination in the church of Scotland, the fundamental
rules of the association were framed according to the forms, doctrines,
and discipline of that establishment, to which they agreed to conform as
closely as their local circumstances would admit. These ministers adopted
this mode of religious worship, not only from a persuasion of its
conformity to the primitive Apostolic form, but also from a conviction of
its being, of all others, the most favourable to civil liberty, equality,
and independence. Sensible that not only natural endowments, but also a
competent measure of learning and acquired knowledge were necessary to
qualify men for the sacred function, and enable them to discharge the
duties of it with honour and success, they associated on purpose to
prevent deluded mechanics, and illiterate novices from creeping into the
pulpit, to the disgrace of the character, and the injury of religion. In
different parts of the province, persons of this stamp had appeared, who
cried down all establishments, both civil and religions, and seduced weak
minds from the duties of allegiance, and all that the Presbytery could do
was to prevent them from teaching under the sanction of their authority.
But this association of Presbyterians having little countenance from
government, and no name or authority in law, their success depended
wholly on the superior knowledge, popular talents and exemplary life of
their ministers. From time to time clergymen were afterwards sent out at
the request of the people from Scotland and Ireland; and the colonists
contributed to maintain them, till at length funds were established in
trust by private legacies and donations, to be appropriated for the
support of Presbyterian ministers, and the encouragement of that mode of
religious worship and government.

[Sidenote] Remarks on paper-currency.