Memoirs of the life of David Rittenhouse, LLD. F.R.S., late president of the American Philosophical Society, &c. : $b interspersed with various notices of many distinguished men : with an appendix, containing sundry philosophical and other papers, most of which have not hitherto been publishedBarton, William
History
Memoirs of the life of David Rittenhouse, LLD. F.R.S., late president of the American Philosophical Society, &c. : $b interspersed with various notices of many distinguished men : with an appendix, containing sundry philosophical and other papers, most of which have not hitherto been published
“The gentleman to whom this was addressed,[201b] as well as some
ministers of other denominations, did, a few months after this, find
it necessary to appear at the head of their people, and were signally
instrumental in preventing some of the frontier counties from being
totally abandoned by their inhabitants.” See the Appendix to
“Discourses on public occasions in America: By William Smith, D. D.
Provost,” &c. who was the writer of the letter. It is dated,
“Philadelphia, August 21, 1755.”
Extract of a letter, dated London, January 10th, 1759, from the Hon.
Thomas Penn, Esq. to the Rev. Thomas Barton:—
“Since I received your last letter, I paid a visit to the present
Archbishop,[201c] and mentioned to him what you wished me to do. I
found he did not approve of your contemplated removal; but he
proposed, that twenty pounds sterling per annum should be added to
your salary: for, his grace observed, that a person so capable as you
are, to advise and assist the people in your neighbourhood,[201d]
could not be spared for any other mission: And, on that consideration,
the society[201e] had agreed to this augmentation of your salary.”
On the 17th of June, 1767, Mr. Penn again wrote to Mr. Barton, from
London; as follows:
“I am much concerned to find, that the missionaries have suffered so
much, and that you are so uneasy in your situation as to have asked
leave to move into Maryland. The society has offered, or intend to
offer, an addition to your salary, or some other encouragement, if you
stay in Pennsylvania: and I have desired Mr. Hamilton,[201f] who is
upon his return, to talk to you on this affair, before you take your
resolution; as I hope and intend to make you a present from me,[201g]
if you do not put that design into execution.”
Footnote 201a:
This letter is contained in a volume of Dr. Smith’s Sermons, &c.
published in England in two editions, in the years 1759 and 1762; and
is also comprehended in an elegant edition of the Doctor’s works,
republished in Philadelphia a few years since.
Footnote 201b:
The Rev. Mr. Barton.
Footnote 201c:
Dr. Thomas Secker, then lately translated from the diocese of Oxford
to the archi-episcopal see of Canterbury: “a name,” as the author of
the _Pursuits of Literature_ has justly observed, “never to be uttered
but with reverence, as the great exemplar of metropolitan strictness,
erudition, and dignity.” This excellent prelate, after most worthily
sustaining the highest station in the English church more than ten
years, died in the year 1768.
Footnote 201d:
Mr. Barton’s residence was, at that time, in Redding township, York
county, then a frontier settlement of Pennsylvania.
Footnote 201e:
The Society for the propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts.
Footnote 201f:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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