Jay’s retirement and relocation to his Bedford estate provided an ideal setting for him to focus on spiritual matters and to lead what he and many of his contemporaries perceived to be a pious and exemplary life. During these decades, Jay devoted himself to the study and discussion of theology and Scripture, to the observances and affairs of the Episcopal Church, and to aiding the religious and reform efforts undertaken by voluntary societies. Jay’s religious convictions are evident in his epistolary exchanges with family, friends, and associates, as they detail both his adherence to the tenets of Protestant Christianity and his steady participation in activities involving the Episcopal Church and charitable institutions committed to religious outreach and moral improvement. Moreover, Jay’s frequent references to Providence and Providential design—a principle asserting the presence of a Christian deity overseeing contemporary human affairs—in his written communications, further reveal the centrality of this concept in shaping how he viewed, understood, and responded to personal and political developments.1

Jay wasted little time in joining the Episcopal Church in his home community. Jay’s father Peter and grandfather Augustus had been members of the Trinity Church vestry. A former Trinity church warden, Jay, with his sons, continued activist roles in the Episcopal Church of New York. Since local congregants lacked a permanent building, he donated $800 to help finance the construction of St. Matthew’s Church in Bedford.2 With the consecration of the Church in 1810, Jay could now regularly attend Sabbath services alongside his fellow worshippers as his health permitted.3 Although Jay opted not to join the vestry, he nonetheless intervened in the management of St. Matthew’s when he deemed it necessary. Such an episode occurred in 1809–10, when Jay drew up a resolution on behalf of the vestry for the purpose of settling a dispute between the minister Nathan Felch and members of the Bedford congregation, an episode that exemplifies the respect shown for Jay’s legal skill, even in retirement.4

Jay’s interest in aiding the Episcopal Church extended beyond the confines of Bedford. When Trinity Church of Manhattan had plans for expansion and therefore wished to acquire three of his family lots located on Broad Street, Jay drew up terms for finalizing this transaction in 1804. Accordingly, Jay arranged for Trinity to purchase two of the lots at market price while the third would be donated with the stipulation that Trinity make payments to the Bedford Church. Trinity’s vestry rejected Jay’s proposition and the matter ended on a sour note, with Jay bristling at the insinuation that his offer was motivated by a desire for profit.5

Jay became involved in another controversial matter involving Trinity Church some six years later. When Benjamin Moore resigned as Bishop of the Diocese of New York, a lengthy conflict ensued over who would be selected as Moore’s successor. The two primary candidates vying for the post, Cave Jones and John Henry Hobart, engaged in a pamphlet war that divided the Diocese and drew in Episcopalians from throughout the region. Although Jay had largely avoided taking an open stance on public matters, he and his nephew, Peter Jay Munro, did not hide their belief that Jones deserved the post. Munro spoke before a gathering in New York City advocating Jones’s right to serve as bishop, and two of Jay’s letters sent to Jones were published in a pamphlet disseminated by Jones’s supporters.6

Jay furthered his philanthropic commitment by subscribing to publications, and by both contributing to and joining voluntary organizations. While in retirement, Jay became associated with several local and state groups, including the New York Protestant Episcopal Society for Promoting Religion and Learning, the New York Sunday School Union Society, and the African Free School,7 as well as national organizations, including the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions,8 and the American Society for Promoting the Civilization and General Improvement of the Indian Tribes within the United States.9

Jay also read numerous religious works that he had either purchased, or that he had received from authors or publishers who solicited his endorsement. As Jay informed one author who unsuccessfully sought his patronage, “From a Desire to promote litterary pursuits I have subscribed for various periodical Publications; and the same motive will induce me to take such others, as that which from being well conducted and well calculated to do good, shall appear to merit Encouragement”.10 Jay read with approval such periodicals as Panopolist and Christian Observer.11 Likewise, he eagerly subscribed for two copies of a history of the British and Foreign Bible Society.12 Jay was not simply content to read the works sent to him. He also engaged with the authors, offering up praise and criticism on selected specific passages and themes. For instance, when the Presbyterian theologian Samuel Miller sent him a copy of his recent publication on Unitarianism, Jay sent him a reply that praised Miller for producing “an interesting work—well written,” but also refuted the author’s description of the Holy Trinity.13

Among the philanthropic journals Jay engaged was the Friend of Peace, founded in 1816 by Noah Worcester writing under the name “Philo Pacificus”. This journal was an outlet for the peace movement that gained a large following, including evangelical advocates, Quakers, and like-minded pacifists, during the War of 1812.14 Jay was sent the first numbers of the journal by both Eleazar Lord, founder of the Sunday School Union Society, and by his old friend John Murray Jr., who, with his uncle John Murray Sr., served with Jay in the New-York Manumission Society. Worcester and the Massachusetts Peace Society (which would merge with the New York Peace Society in 1828) believed in absolute pacifism. Jay corresponded with Murray and Lord, who sought him out for his opinions on pacifism. Jay’s responses, which became more articulated during the exchanges, delineated his concept of just war. At the time of the war of independence, and throughout his earlier diplomatic work, Jay’s reading of Vattel’s Law of Nations, and Jay’s own moral considerations, led him to a strategy of cautious justification of military response to foreign aggression or injustice. His post-1812 interpretation leaned increasingly on scriptural justification, displaying a faith-based argument for the continued validity of Old Testament law, in addition to the legal opinions he shared with his allies during the War of 1812. Word of Jay’s opinions on just war, capital punishment, and scriptural arguments expressed to Lord (and perhaps also Murray) reached Noah Worcester, who begged a clarification from Jay. Jay’s November 1817 answer was published in number XI of Friend of Peace, next to a letter from Thomas Jefferson, and a rebuttal by Worcester, to be followed by a satirical piece in number XII, in which Worcester called the War of Jenkins’s Ear an “Example of a Just and Necessary War.” Jay’s further exchanges with Worcester can be characterized as “agreeing to disagree,” but not without some firm counter-arguments, including discussion of the problem of privateering. Jay also interacted with Noah’s brother Samuel on American Indian philanthropic issues. After Jay’s exchange with Noah Worcester, Jay would go on to give detailed arguments to Murray on the scriptural and legal justifications of war, e.g.:

The depravity which mankind inherited from their first parents, introduced wickedness into the world. That wickedness rendered human government necessary to restrain the violence and injustice resulting from it. To facilitate the establishment and administration of government, the human race became, in the course of Providence, divided into separate and distinct nations. Every nation instituted a government with authority and power to protect it against domestic and foreign aggressions. Each Government provided for the internal peace and security of the nation, by laws for punishing their offending subjects. The law of all the nations prescribed the conduct which they were to observe towards each other, and allowed war to be waged by an innocent against an offending nation, when rendered just and necessary by unprovoked, atrocious, and unredressed injuries.

Thus two kinds of justifiable warfare arose—one against domestic malefactors; the other against foreign aggressors; the first being regulated by the law of the land; the second by the law of nations; and both consistently with the moral law.15

Jay spent much of his retirement reconciling his civic and religious beliefs, including finding justification for various acts in his life as a public servant. Nevertheless, as he grew older, he became more involved in religious causes.16

Jay’s greatest exertions on behalf of Protestant outreach involved his engagement with the American Bible Society. In February 1816, while serving as president of the Westchester County Bible Society, he learned of an upcoming conference to be held in New York City for the purpose of forming a national organization for “^rendering^ the Cooperation of the Christian Community of the U.S. in distributing the Scriptures, that shall be more efficient than the present.”17 Although Jay did not attend this meeting, he fully approved of its stated objective. Jay believed that the widespread dissemination of Scripture would help transform the United States into a true Christian republic. When asked to serve as one of the Society’s vice-presidents in early June, Jay enthusiastically agreed to the request, noting, “I rejoice in the Institution of that national Society, and assure the Board of managers, that I am very sensible of the Honor they have done me, in thus connecting me with it.”18 Sharing his father’s sentiments, William Jay played a leading role in the newly formed Society. After attending the organizing meeting, he went on to serve on the Board of Managers, and an earlier essay he had written on the significance of the organization was published at the behest of the Society.19

With the death of the society founder and president, Elias Boudinot, in October 1821, the Board of Managers sought a worthy successor and asked Jay to take on the responsibility of presiding over the organization.20 Although Jay initially declined the offer, he was eventually convinced to take up the office of president, and was assured that his duties would not be onerous. Jay therefore did not attend the annual meetings of the American Bible Society, but he did submit the presidential addresses that were read before the assembly. Besides William Jay, other family members and associates had or came to have positions in the Society. Peter Augustus Jay, also a member, acted as Jay’s proxy, delivering Jay’s first presidential address. Richard Varick had been the inaugural treasurer, and John Quincy Adams and Robert Troup also served as vice-presidents of the organization. Matthew Clarkson, as vice-president, presided over the annual meetings in Jay’s stead until Clarkson’s death in 1825. DeWitt Clinton, formerly a political foe, worked with Jay while serving as another vice-president of the organization, and presided in Clarkson’s place at the 1825 meeting.21

A common theme in Jay’s addresses to the American Bible Society was Article I of the Society’s constitution, to distribute Bibles “without note or comment,” to freely distribute scripture without missionary activity, using the King James Version of the text. The Society offered a nonsectarian Protestant edition or version of the Bible unmediated by the commentary and notations that appeared in other published versions. Jay’s last address seems to have been inspired by William Jay’s pamphlet war with Bishop Hobart, an opponent of the Society. In this oration, Jay railed against the enemies of the Society, who may have included Hobart and other Bible Societies with sectarian and missionary agendas. Other themes that he espoused included unity among the denominations, and views that echoed his just war arguments.22

Jay’s failing health ultimately caused him to tender his resignation in March 1826.23 Richard Varick, writing on behalf of the Board of Managers, asked that Jay withdraw his resignation and continue in office.24 Jay reluctantly agreed to this request and remained as president for two more years. In the letter accepting his final resignation, his colleagues Richard Varick and Robert Troup, acknowledged Jay’s years of faithful service “in advancing the best Interests of Religion”.25