The Parson's Opinion of the Parson's Cause

What it is

This is a letter written by Reverend James Maury in December 1763, describing the trial known as the "Parson's Cause." Maury, a minister, was involved in a legal dispute over clergy pay in colonial Virginia, and this account describes the proceedings of his case.

Why it matters

This case is remembered as the beginning of Patrick Henry's public career, since Henry argued against the clergy's claim in this trial. Maury's firsthand account, written by the very minister whose pay was at stake, gives a contemporary view of the dispute between church and colonial government that Henry's arguments helped bring to public attention.

Look closer

• Why might Maury, as the losing party, describe the trial the way he does?
• What does this document reveal about the relationship between church and government in colonial Virginia?
• How might Henry's version of events, if we had it, differ from Maury's?