Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/305

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No. 97]
Religion in the Jerseys
277

their public worship, there are some few Churchmen, Presbiterians, Anabaptists, and Quakers settled among them.

Woodbridge was settled from New England and were generally In dependents till about 16 years since, there was a number of Scots Presbyterians amongst them, the People are divided mostly into Presbiterians and Independents, and there is mixt amongst them Baptists, Quakers, Ranters, cum multis aliis.

Piscataway was settled from New England, and is called the Anabaptist Town, from about twenty in that Town that agree in that Persuasion, the rest of the People are of all, or of no religion.

Perth Amboy the Capital City was settled from Europe, and we have made a shift to patch up the old ruinous house, and make a church of it, and when all the Churchmen in the Province are got together, we make up about twelve Communicants, the People of that town are a mixture of all Persuasion.

Freehold was settled from Scotland (Mr. Keith began the first settlement there, and made a fine Plantation, which he afterwards Sold, and went into Pensilvania) and about the one half of it are Scotch Presbiterians, and a sober people, the other part of it was settled by People (some from New England, some from New York, and some from the forementioned towns) who are generally speaking of no religion. There is in this Town a Quaker Meeting-house, but most of the Quakers who built it are come off, with Mr. Keith, they have not fixt yet on any religion, but are most inclinable to the Church, and could Mr. Keith be persuaded to go into those Countrys, he would (with the blessing of God) not only bring to the Church the Quakers that come off with him in East & West Jersey, which are very numerous, but make many Converts in that Country.

Middletown was settled from New York and New England, it is a large Township, there is no such thing as Church or Religion amongst them, they are p'haps the most ignorant and wicked People in the world, their meetings on Sundays is at the Public house, where they get their fill of Rum, and go to fighting & running of races which are Practices much in use that day all the Province over.

Shrewsbury settled from New England, Rhode Island and New York, there is in it ab't thirty Quakers of both Sexes, and they have a meeting house, the rest of the People are generally of no Religion — the Youth of the whole Province are very debaueh'd and very ignorant, and the Sabbath day seems there to be set apart for Rioting and Drunk-