My Lord

When I find Quakers & Baptists flourish amongst the No Carolinians, it behoved me that am the Govr here to enquire & look into the Original cause, which on the strictest examination & nicest scrutiny I can make, find is owing to the want of Clergymen amongst us. We in this great Province have never a one, & truly my Lord both Quakers & Baptists in this vacancy are very busy makeing Proselytes & holding meetings daily in every Part of this Govt. Indeed one New County next Virginia is well supplied by the Indefatigable Pains & industry of the Revd Mr Jones of Nansemond who has the Character of a Pious, Good & Worthy man but he is old & infirm. My Lord, when I came first here, there was no Dissenters but Quakers in the Govt & now by the means of one Paul Palmer the Baptist Teacher, he has gained hundreds & to prevent it, tis impossible, when I have a Secretary, one John Lovick, that makes a jest of all religion & values not noe God, man, nor Devil a true enthusiast: when I promoted building the Church, he was the only man that hindered it, laid so many stumbling blocks in the way, it was impossible to go about it then, & I very much fear whilst he is in the Govt none will be built, he may truly be called the Remora to all religion & goodness. His original was a footboy to the Former Govr Mr Hyde, & by making friends got also to be recommended to Mr Eden who in the affair of Thatch the Pirate, made him act the Part of an affidavit man, but that being before my time, don't personally know it, but have it credibly attested by Honest Living Evidences of good veracity, this is the Man that at Present rules everything, Yea even our Religion &c, but hope thro' your Lordship's assistance to throw off this heavy yoke & banish him to a place where he may have less power to Perpetrate his rogueries & we have the free liberty of a good Clergy & our religion & freedom, which is the sincere & hearty Prayer of. My Lord