Newbern, North-Carolina, Committee

v2:1697

Newbern, North-Carolina, July 21, 1775.

Agreeable to an order of the honourable the Continental Congress, yesterday, the twentieth instant, was observed here as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, to humble ourselves before God, and to deprecate his impending judgments now held over this land for our sins and offences. Divine service was performed in the church, and a very animating and spirited discourse, suitable to the occasion, was read by a member of the Committee, to a very crowded audience, who were assembled on the occasion. A deputation from the Committee had been ordered, previous to the day, to wait on the Reverend Mr˙ James Reed, Minister of the Parish, to request and entreat him to perform divine service in his church on the fast day, and deliver a sermon; but their entreaties were vain, he giving as a substantial reason, that as he was one of the missionaries of the honourable Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, he should render himself obnoxious to the Ministry, and of course lose his mission.