[from Memoirs of Bishop Hildesley]

No. X.

Address of the Clergy of Mann to their Diocesan, Oct:. 26, 1762, respecting the Manks Version, and other matters.

To the Right Rev. Father in God, MARK, by Divine Permission, Lord Bishop of SODOR and MANN.

MAY IT PLEASE your lordship to permit us, the clergy of your diocese, to express our most grateful acknowledgements and thanks, for your lordship’s paternal and truly Christian endeavours to promote and set forward the spiritual and temporal advantages of the people in general ; particularly for your earnest zeal in laying a foundation, and disposing others to concur in railing contributions towards printing the Liturgy of the Church, with some portion of the Holy Scriptures, and other useful and good books—such as " The Christian Monitor" —in the Manks tongue.

And, as your lordship has repeatedly heretofore, and his grace, our most reverend provincial, has of late (in his grace’s most kind and affectionate letter to your lordship¹) recommended an uniformity of expression the Liturgy, to be used by all the clergy of his diocese ; so we, as well from a sense of its expediency and great utility, as from the duty which we owe to his grace’s and your lordship’s recommendation, have unanimously agreed to undertake a plain translation of a large portion of the Liturgy yet remaining untranslated, into the mother tongue ; to be revised by such of us as your lordship shall think proper to appoint for that purpose ; and we are now, severally, engaged in performing our respective allotments thereof ; and hope, in a little time, by the Divine assistance, to be able to present them to your lordship ² : which method, or such other as your lordship shall be pleased to propose, we will also take, as speedily as may be, in translating the Christian Monitor.

The favourable account your lordship was pleased to give of us to his grace, our most reverend and revered metropolitan ; and the paternal and affectionate notice his grace has condescended to take of us, in his letter to your lordship ; fill our hearts with the warmest sentiments of that filial duty which we owe to both : and impel us, with all submission and deference, to desire that his grace will accept our most humble and unfeigned thanks ; and that your lordship, among your many other favours, will signify the same unto his grace.

We also crave leave, with the highest sense of dutiful affection, to acknowledge your lordship’s kindness, in devising a method for the good purpose of enlarging some of our churches; several of which, as your lordship well knows, are not sufficient for the reception of one half of our congregations, to perform their devotion with such decency of posture, and composure of mind, as befit Christian worshippers in the House of God. And herein we request your lordship will be pleased, in our behalf, to present our very humble and grateful thanks to their graces, the most reverend the archbishops of Canterbury and York, for their hearty concern for the benefit of this church ; and to all others, who, after their graces’ example, have either countenanced or encouraged so good a work ; and likewise to all such piously disposed personages, as have contributed towards the laudable and beneficial undertaking of publishing the Liturgy, and other useful books, in the Manks tongue~ Particularly to our most generous and liberal benefactors, the worthy members of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge ; the Rev. Dr Thomas Wilson ; Sir John Thorold ; and the Worshipful Board of the Clothworkers’ Company.

We should be unmindful of our duty, did we not also render the tribute of thanks so justly due to your lordship, for your truly Christian labours, not only in composing your excellent Catechetical Conferences, heretofore circulated among us in manuscript, for our perusal and assistance in the great and useful work of preparing the youth of our respective charges for Confirmation ; but also for the great expence your lordship has been at, in printing those Conferences, so judiciously calculated to preserve and increase the fear of God, and a due sense of piety and true devotion among us ; and likewise the Manks Catechism, with the list of contributions collected by the ever-memorable bishop Barrow, for the better support and maintenance of the poor clergy and schoolmasters of this diocese : In like manner, for expediting the new edition of our late right reverend lord bishop’s Exposition of the Church Catechism, printed by order of the late Mrs. Catharine Halsal’s executors.

Your lordship’s truly apostolical concern and unabated vigilance for the welfare of this diocese, have not been confined to spirituals only, but most generously extended to the temporal interests thereof ; in endeavouring to open a door of charity, for the relief of our poor clergymen’s widows and orphans, from the corporation of the Sons of the Clergy in our mother country ; in trying whether there was not some possible room for the augmentation of our poor livings from her Majesty Queen Anne’s bounty ; in having our annuity, payable by lord Derby, received with little or no expence, through your lordship’s influence ; in settling several of our publick charities on a clear and easy foundation ; and in having others of them augmented beyond what they have been for some ages past.

For these, and the many other accumulated instances of your lordships paternal concern, both. for the spiritual and secular interest of this church and diocese, We once more request your lordship would be pleased to accept our most profound and dutiful thanks ; humbly imploring the Almighty to prosper and succeed your labours.

That we may long enjoy the blessing of your example, and imitate that living pattern of true primitive Christianity ; that orthodoxy may constantly be preserved, and true piety more and more increase and flourish among us ; and that, after your lordship has long and successfully laboured in the vineyard of Christ, you and we may enjoy the happiness of those, who have turned many to rightiousness is the hearty and earnest prayer of,

Your Lordship’s

Most dutiful and obedient Sons and Servants,

WM. MYLREA, Archdeacon.
ROBERT RADCLIFFE, Vicar-General,
MATTHIAS CURGHEY, Vicar.General, and Rector of Ballaugh.
PHILIP MOORE, Rector of Kirk-Bride, and Chaplain of Douglas.
PAUL CREBBIN, Vicar of Kirk-Santan.
NICHOLAS CHRITSTIAN, Vicar of Kirk— Christ,, Rushin.
JOHN MOORE, Vicar of Kirk-Arbory.
JAMES WILKS, Vicar of Kirk-Michael,. and Ep. Register.
JOHN GILL, Vicar of Lezayre, and Ar. Register.•
WM. CREBBIN, Vicar of Jurby.
THO. W. J. WOODS, Vicar of Kirk. Maughold.
SAMUEL GILL, Vicar of Kirk-Lonan.
THO. QUAYLE, Vicar of Kirk-Onchan.
JOSEPH COSNAHAN, Vicar of Kirk-Braddan.
JOHN CHRISTIAN, Vicar of Kirk-Marown.
HENRY CORLETT, Vicar of Kirk-German. *
DANIEL GELLING, Vicar of Kirk-Malew.
JOHN CRELLIN, Chaplain of Ramsay and Vicar of Kirk-Patrick.

1 See their letters of July, and of 14. Aug. 1762, in tle .Appendix No. XVII.
2 [greek] 2 Cor. i. 24.