Paul,

Besides the matter of allegiance to the pope, I believe an important issue
between protestants and Roman Catholics in Colonial Virginia was
transubstiantion. A Frederick County parish record, 1761-1763 (in Frederick
County record section in Library of Virginia), required this test:

"I do declare that I do believe there is not any transubstantiation in the
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and in the Elements of Bread and Wine, at or
after the Consecration thereof by any Person Whatsoever."

An inspection of signatures in the Parish Register reveals people of German,
Irish, English, and probable Scots and Dutch origins. For example, Joseph
Glass, John McKenzie, John Kennedy and others were no doubt Presbyterians. I
see signatures on the list who were known to be German Reformed.

You are right about the signatures representing persons who were in or
seeking to be within the poswer structure of the Parish. The 1761-1763 list
contains signatures such as Dr. James Craik (Washington's physician), John
Neaville, Morgan Morgan, Gabriel Jones, Adam Stephen, Burr Harrison, Angus
McDonald, Charles Smith, Thomas Rutherford, Peter Hog, Richard Paris
(Pearis), James Keith, David Shepherd, Thomas Bryan Martin, Edward Rogers
Jr., John Hite, Archibald Wager, et al. The Register contained only one name
that was signed with an X (his mark) and that was John Shealy.

In conclusion, the test for taking communion wasn't any particular
Protestant denomination versus the Anglican Church, but a repudiation of the
doctrine of transubstiantian (which says the bread and wine are literally
the body and blood of Christ). It didn't matter if you believed in
consubstiantiation as a Lutheran or in the doctrine of commemoration as a
German Reformed or Signs and Seals as a Calvinist.

Wilmer l. Kerns

-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Horatio Paul McAfee
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2001 10:55 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Catholics in post-reformation England and Virginia


[log in to unmask] stated in his post that...

 "Hence the Test Act and taking of communion as pre-requisites for holding
office in England AND Virginia - the idea being that if you could swear
allegiance to the king and take communion in an Anglican church, you could
not simultaneously be loyal to the pope - so you were, in essence, vouched
safe for participation in public office, parliament, whatever."

I would be surprised to find that one of my ancestors, William McMachen of
Frederick County, a Presbyterian, ever submitted to taking communion in an
Anglican Church in order to qualify for holding public office.  Old William
was one of the Scots Irish who brought his family from Pennsylvania in the
1740's into the Shenandoah Valley. In 1743 he was appointed as one of the
justices of the Frederick County Court and held the office until his death
in 1749. I believe Old William's fellow justices were also Prebyterians and
Scots Irish as well.

The Scots Irish were flooding into the Shenandoah in great numbers and the
colonial authorities of Virginia (some surmise) were all too happy to have
the usually unruly Presbyterians forming a barrier between the Indians and
the already settled parts of Virginia.

Interestingly enough, old William McMachen's great-grandson, Samuel Doak
McMahon (McMachen was changed to that new spelling earlier) did have to
face a religious test when he came, in 1831, to live in a territory of
Mexico (now known as Texas). The Mexicans ran hot and cold on the issue of
Anglo immigration but did require immigrants be Catholic. Only occasionally
was there any enforcement, but in 1835 (one year before Texas Independence)
a census was taken and residents of Sabine County were asked to state their
religion. Samuel D. McMahon, the descendant of Old William, allowed as how
he was a Methodist but his son, James, said his religion was Catholic, as
did most of the persons the census talked to, although it is doubtful that
a single resident of the County was Catholic. James later became a
Methodist preacher, as did his father and several brothers-in-law.

Paul McAfee

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