General Notes

[coosa1.ged]
Andrew Spradley (spelt Spradly in the below) took a stance against paying
taxes to the Church of England in Virginia by signing the below
Dissenters Petition. This was a perilous stance to take because it could
be perceived as a treasonous action against the King George III of
England.  Especially since the Declaration of Independence had been
issued and proclaimed in Philadelphia.
"VIRGINIA LEGISLATIVE PAPERS
FROM THE ORIGINALS IN THE VIRGINIA STATE ARCHIVES.
DISSENTERS PETITION,* ALBEMARLE, AMHERST AND BUCKINGHAM - NOVEMBER 9th,
1776
Ref'd to Comm. upon the State of the County -
To the Honourable, the Delegates and Senators, Representatives of the
several Counties and Corporations of the Commonwealth of Virginia,
assembled at the City of Williamsburg.
The Memorial & Petiion of the Desenters from the Church of England
and others in the Counties of Albemarle, Amherst & Buckenham, humbly
sheweth.
That your Memorialist have never been on any equal Footing with the
other good people of this Colony in respect of religious Priviledges,
having been obliged by Law, to contribute to the support of the
Established Church, while at the same Time, they were moved from a
Principle of Conscience to support that Church of which they called
themselves members; Yet, in as much as this was the Form of Government
established, either when they came into the Colony, or being natives,
when they became Disenters from the Church of England for the sake of
good order, they have patiently submitted to their Grievances, continuing
to be peasable & loyal subjects, always ready & willing to stand up with
the foremost in the support of Government, & in the Defence of the just
Right & Property of the subjects.
That when it became necessary that the Form of Government should be
new moddled, in consequence of our having thrown off our Dependance on
the Crown & Parliament of great Britan, your Memorialists flattered
themselves, that, that Form of Government, that w'd secure just and equal
Right to the subject would be the chance of every Individual, has from
the Consideration of justice & good Policy that would be contained in it,
and also from the Constitution, that by the joint and strenous Endeavours
of every one, our Liberty, our all must be defended against the unjust
Violaters thereof and that therefore all should enjoy equal Priviledge -
That your Memorialist cannot disguise their real concern to observe,
that instead hereof there are many who are still violent for a
reestablishment of the Episcopal Church and to have been informed that
there are sundry Petitions about to be preferred to the undersigned by
the Bulk of the People, nor can they forbear signifying to this
Honourable House there sence of the great Injustice contained in the
establishment of any one religious Denomination of People, worshiping the
same God, and all strugling in same common cause of Preference of all
others, and that all and every other religious Sectary should be obliged
to contribute to the support of that Church thus established, while it
with the greatest Difficulty that they can support Publick Worship in
that way and manner that they rather choose.
Your Memorialist judge, however, that they may rest quite easy on
referring it to the known Wisdom, Candour, & Integrity of this Honourable
House, how far such Petitions should be heard and granted, and also how
far such Petitions should be heard and granted, and also how far such a
mode of Government should be established.
Your Memorialist conceive, that to put every religious Denomination
on equal Footing, to be supported by themselves, independent of one
another, would not only be a just and reasonable mode of Government, but
would most certainly have an happy Influence of the greater Purity of the
several Churches; on their more free and friendly Intercourse with one
another; on suppressing anything