THERE is not a Man, in the Country, in the sober Exercise of his Understanding, but will acknowledge, that the late religious Stir has been attended with many Irregularities and Disorders. These, some are pleased to call, Imprudencies, human Frailties, accidental Effects only, such as might be expected, considering the Re­mains of Corruption in good Men, even among those in whom a remarkable Work of Grace is car­rying on: Others are in the Opinion, they make a main Part of the Appearance that has been so much talk'd of, and have arisen unavoidably, in the natural Course of Things, from the Means and Instruments of this Appearance; and that it could not reasonably be suppos'd, it should have been otherwise.

I shall particularly show what these bad and dan­gerous Things are; making such Remarks (as I go along) as may be thought needful to set Mat­ters in a just and true Light.

[Page 36] Among the bad Things attending this Work,

I shall first mention Itinerant Preaching. This had its Rise (at lest in these Parts) from Mr. WHITEFIELD; though I could never see, I own, upon what Warrant, either from Scripture or Rea­son, he went about Preaching from one Province and Parish to another, where the Gospel was al­ready preach'd, and by Persons as well qualified for the Work, as he can pretend to be. I cha­ritably hope, his Design herein was good: But might it not be leavened with some undesirable Mixture? Might he not, at first, take up this Practice from a mistaken Thought of some ex­traordinary Mission from GOD? Or, from the undue Influence of two high an Opinion of his own Gifts and Graces? And when he had got into this Way, might he not be too much encou­raged to go on in it, from the popular Applauses, every where, so liberally heaped on him? If he had not been under too strong a Biass from something or other of this Nature, why so fond of preaching always himself, to the Exclusion, not of his Brethren only, but his Fathers, in Grace and Gifts and Learning, as well as Age? And why so ostentatious and assuming as to alarm so many Towns, by proclaiming his Intentions, in the publick Prints, to preach such a Day in such a Parish, the next Day in such a one, and so on, as he past through the Country; and all this, without the Knowledge, either of Pastors or Peo­ple in most Places? What others may think of such a Conduct I know not; but to me, it ne­ver appeared the most indubitable Expression of that Modesty, Humility, and prefering others in Love, which the Scriptures highly recommend as [Page 37] what will adorn the Minister's, as well as the Chri­stian's Character.

And what became of his little Flock all this while? This Gentleman (if I don't mistake) ex­presses a very contemptuous Thought of NON­RESIDENTS and PLURALISTS, when he makes that Remark, in one of his Journals ^†, ‘The Towns through CONNECTICUT, and the Province of the MASSACHUSETTS-BAY—are well-peopled.—Every five or ten Miles you have a Meeting-House, and I believe there is no such Thing as a PLURALIST or NON-RESIDENT-MINISTER in both Provinces.’ And what is the mighty Dif­ference (so far as a particular Flock is concerned in its Pastor's Labours) between an ITINERANT PREACHER, absent from his Charge seven Eights of his Time, and a NON-RESIDENT-MINISTER? Or, between a PLURALIST, and one that acts as though all the Parishes in a Country were his pro­per Cure? 'Tis true, your NON-RESIDENTS and PLURALISTS have their worldly Encouragements; And some are in the Opinion, it han't been to Mr. WHITEFIELD's Disadvantage, on temporal Ac­counts, that he has travelled about the World in Quality of an Itinerant Preacher. He has certain­ly made LARGE COLLECTIONS: And if, in the do­ing of this, he had a Fellow-Feeling with the Or­phans, 'tis no more than might be expected. No one, I believe, besides himself, can tell the Amount of the Presents, he received in this Town, as well as in other Places, for his own proper Use.

The next Gentleman that practised upon this new Method was Mr. GILBERT TENNENT, who came [Page 38] in the Middle of Winter, from NEW-BRUNSWICK (a Journey of more than 300 Miles) to BOSTON, ‘to water the Seed sown by Mr. WHITEFIELD;’ the Ministers in the Town, though a considerable Body, being thought insufficient for that Purpose. I shall not think it amiss to insert here Part of an expostulatory Letter sent to him, after he had been preaching among us for some Time. ‘Pray, Sir, (says the Writer^*) let me put it to your Conscience; was not the Reason of your travelling so many hundred Miles to preach the Gospel, in this Place, founded on the Insuffici­ency of the Ministers here for their Office? Why travel so far, in such a rigorous Season, to preach the Gospel, if the Gospel was really preach'd by the Ministers here? Did you not fear^†, ‘that notwithstanding they pretend to water what Mr. WHITEFIELD, by the SPIRIT, had planted, had set up a Lecture, and the like, they would build with untempered Mortar, would build Wood, Hay, Stubble, &c.?’ Had you not some suspicion, that, either they had not a true Knowledge of the Doctrines of Grace, or if they had, that it was only a Head Knowledge, that they were not converted, and of Conse­quence not likely to be made Instruments of much good? If this be the natural Construc­tion to be put upon your coming hither, can you think, you are in the Way of your Duty? Can you think, the bringing the standing Mini­stry of a Place into Contempt, the Way to promote the Interest of Religion, and the Sal­vation of Souls? But perhaps, you did not [Page 39] think, nor would have any Body else think, quite so hardly of the Ministers here? Per­haps, you only thought, that if they did a little Good, you might do a great Deal more. Is not this approaching too near to Vanity? Is it not thinking more highly of your self than you ought? Is it not contrary to the Scripture Rule of preferring others in Love?’ The An­swer to this Letter I never look'd upon as satis­factory: And I have the more Reason to think, there was a Propriety in these Questions, as I now know what Opinion Mr. WHITEFIELD entertain'd of the Generality of the Ministers in Town. I shall only say, I have had personal Conversation with one, who join'd in the Prayers previous to this Journey to BOSTON.

Mr. TENNENT tarried in Town a great Part of the Winter; in all which Time, he never exprest a Desire (so far as I can learn) of being assisted by any of the Ministers: But seem'd as fond, as Mr. WHITEFIELD before him, of preaching e­very Day himself; and did so, willingly taking from the other Ministers even their own Turns in the stated Lectures: And if, by their Submission to him herein, they fell in the Opinion of the People, who can wonder at it? It would indeed have been a Wonder, if they had not. For ei­ther the Circumstances of the Town were such as to require Preaching every Day in the Week, or they were not: If they were not, why did they encourage such a Practice? If they were, I don't see how they could answer it to GOD, their own Consciences, or their People, to fit still, and let one Man have [...]the sole Trouble of that which was the proper Business of their Office. Such a Conduct as this naturally taught People to [...] [Page 40] upon them as idle Shepherds: And if this was the Reflection, some cast upon them, it was no other than might be expected.

Mr. TENNENT went from BOSTON to PISCATAQUA in the Path of Mr. WHITEFIELD; and, in some Places, appear'd very forward in tendring his Ser­vice to preach, though he knew it was not (as to Time) agreeable to the Ministers. Upon his Return home, he preach'd in most, if not all the Towns as he past along: And if, in all the Pa­rishes, he had the Consent of the Pastors, it was, I am ready to think, by Constraint. They might give into it to prevent Difficulties among their Peo­ple; not that they approved this Manner of Con­duct, the Construction of which seemed to be, that upon him lay the Care of all the Churches.

From this Time, the Method of Itinerant Preaching became common. Many, in various Parts of the Land, took upon them to visit the Churches; preaching from Place to Place, wherever they went. Sometimes, contrary to the known Judg­ment of the settled Ministers, and in Opposition to them; and sometimes, where their Consent was only a Matter of Necessity to keep Peace among their People. Sometimes, they have come into Pa­rishes of their own Accord; and sometimes, by Application made to them from a few disaffect­ed persons. Sometimes, in order to get the Li­berty of the Meeting-Hourse, they have us'd mean and indirect Arts; and sometimes, when they could not get into it, they have gone into pri­vate Houses, or gathered Assemblies in the Fields. Nay, Lay-Exhorters, Men of no Capacity, nor Learning; yea, some of them of a suspicious Character for their Virtue. (not to say any Thing [Page 41] worse) have travell'd about from Town to Town, calling Assemblies, and sometimes exciting Prejudi­ces in People against their Ministers, for not let­ting them into their Pulpits, or not encouraging them in their disorderly Practice. I cannot better describe the Manner of these Itinerants, than in the Words of a Friend in his Letter to me. ‘The Itinerant Ministers that have been among us, have been (as I think) very irregular and dis­orderly in their Proceedings. It hath been their Manner to estrange themselves, in a great Mea­sure, from me, and to associate with a disaffect­ed Party. They appoint and warn Lectures without my Consent or Knowledge, and just before the Time of Exercise they have com­monly sent for my Approbation: And upon my manifesting a Dislike of their Manage­ments, they have preach'd sometimes in private Houses; sometimes in a Barn; sometimes in the open Air’

The Inconveniences, which have arisen from this Method of acting, more especially in CON­NECTICUT, have been so great, that the GOVERN­MENT there have taken the Matter into Conside­ration, and come into an Act, whereby they have restrained, both ordained Ministers, and licensed Can­didates, from preaching in other Men's Parishes, without their and their Church's Consent; and wholly prohibited the Exhortations of illiterate Lay­men ^‡

It is not my Business to consider, how far an Irregularity, in this Kind, may properly fall under [Page 42] the Cognisance of the civil Magistrate: What I have to do with, is the Thing it self; which I can't but reckon among the Disorders of the present Day.

I see not but those, who make it their Practice to go about gathering Assemblies, in other Men's Parishes, properly come under the Character of Busie-Bodies. These were common, in the first Days of the Gospel; and there seems to have been two Sorts of them.

Some were idle, not doing their own Business; but wandring about from House to House, talking, and speaking the Things they ought not. This is the ve­ry Character of some idle Persons, who have late­ly risen up among us. And what is the Tho't of the great St. Paul concerning them? Why, he says,^† They are disorderly Walkers; and commands, that a Mark be set upon them, that they be with­drawn from, and admonished.

But besides these, there seems to have been an­other Sort of Busie-Bodies; such as went out of their own Line, intermeddling in other Men's Matters. 'Tis observable, the Original Word, answering to that Scripture Phrase,^‡ a Busie-Body in other Men's Matters, is, allotrio-Episcopos; one that plays the Bishop in another's Diocess, takes up­on him the Inspection of another's Charge. The Person described is one, who officiously employs himself about the Business that does not belong to him; acting in the proper Sphere of others, as tho' [Page 43] it was his not their's. This is the Conduct the Apostle points out: And he has an ill Opinion of it, or he would not have rank'd it with some of the greatest Crimes.

It appears indeed to be a Fault of the same Kind with that, which the Apostle PAUL blames in the false Teachers, who had crept into the Church of CORINTH, to their great Disservice. Remarkable are his Words upon this Head. I shall set them down at large. ‘We dare not, says he^†, make ourselves of the Number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: But they measuring themselves by themselves, and com­paring themselves among themselves are not wise. But we will not boast of Things without our Measure. but according to the Measure of the Rule, which GOD hath distributed to us, a Measure to reach even unto you. For we stretch not ourselves beyond our Measure, as tho' we reached not unto you; for we are come as far as to you also, in Preaching the Gospel of CHRIST: Not boasting of Things without our Measure, that is, of other Men's Labours; but having Hope, when your Faith is encreas­ed, that we shall be enlarged by you, according to our Rule abundantly, to preach the Gospel in the Regions beyond you, and not to boast in another Man's Line of Things made ready to our Hand.’ Three Things are suggested to us as faulty in these Teachers.

The first is, their commending themselves so much. We dare not, says the Apostle, compare ourselves with [Page 44] some, who commend themselves. The Language is satyrical, setting forth, in the strongest Light, the undue Praises these Teachers heap'd upon them­selves. They were vainly puffed up in their Minds, glorying in themselves, as though they were extraordinary Persons, out-doing even the A­postles. Such was their Pride and Self-Conceit, that they took all Occasions to proclaim their own Goodness; which they, no Doubt, did, with such Art and Cunning, as hereby to insinuate themselves into the good Opinion of the People, to the pre­judicing them against the very Apostles. They are therefore called, in the next Chapter,^‡ deceitful Workers; and represented,^† as transforming them selves into the Ministers of Righteousness, according to the Example of Satan, who can transform him­self into an Angel of Light. Mr. BURKITT's Note here is very just, and may be worth transcribing.^* ‘It is very possible, says he, for Men to be real­ly Satan's Instruments, animated and taught by him, to do his Work against the Interest of CHRIST and his Truth; and yet, at the same Time, to pretend to excell and go beyond CHRIST's faithful Ministers, in preaching Truth and Holiness: So that the highest Pretences to Truth, Orthodoxy, free Grace, Purity and Unity, are no sufficient Evidences of a true Ministry. Satan and his Instruments, who love to transform themselves sometimes into an An­gel of Light, may pretend to all these; and notwithstanding, be the sworn Enemies of CHRIST and his Kingdom.’

Another Thing insinuated to be Blame-worthy in these Teachers is, their entring into other Men's [Page 45] Labours, and making their Boast of Things made ready to their Hands. This Method of acting, the Apostle condemns by his own Example to the con­trary. It was not his Practice to bestow his La­bours chiefly on the Places where the Gospel had been settled, and was now preach'd by faithful Men set apart for that Purpose: He chose ra­ther to be the first Founder of Christianity where­ever he went. He did not neglect ungospelized Places, to go to those where the Gospel was al­ready preach'd; [This was the Practice of the false Teachers he is arguing against] but on the contrary, he past by the People, who enjoyed the Gospel, in the stated Preaching of it by settled Pas­tors, that he might make known the LORD JESUS CHRIST, to those who had not heard of his Name. very express are his own Words to this Effect,^† Yea, so have I strived to preach the Gospel, not where CHRIST was named, lest I should build upon another Man's Foundation: But as it is written, to whom he was not spoken of, they shall see; and they that have not heard, shall understand. And if those, in this Day, who would be thought more zealous than their Neighbours to promote the Interest of Re­ligion, instead of going, from Place to Place, where the Gospel is already preach'd, and by Persons much better qualified for the Work than they are; I say, if instead of this, they would carry the Gospel to the People sitting in Darkness, and that see no Light, (Multitudes of whom there are upon our Borders) they might discover as much truly Chri­stian Zeal, and do as great Service to the King­dom of CHRIST.

[Page 46] The last Thing the Apostle blames in these Tea­chers is, their not keeping to Rule, their going be­yond their Measure. If this had not been a Fault in them it would not have been to the Commen­dation of the Apostle, that his conduct, in this Matter, has been contrary to their's. And yet, this he glories in: He seems to exult in it, that it could not be said of him, as of these false Teachers, that he had transgressed his Line, ex­ceeded his Measure. Says he, comparing himself with them, we stretch not our selves beyond our Measure. And again, Not boasting of Things with­out our Measure, that is, of other Men's Labours. And yet again, Not to boast in another Man's Line of Things made ready to our Hands.

This Language of the Apostle appears singu­larly beautiful, as well as expressive, to those who have Acquaintance with the GRECIAN AGONES, to which it evidently alludes. One of these was RACING; concerning which, two Things may be taken Notice of: The Stage of Ground they were to run; and the white Lines, which mark'd out the Paths for the Racers to run in. These were as many as the Racers: Each Man had his Path chalk'd out to him, out of which if he stept in­to the Path of another, he went out of his Line, and lost the Prize. To this the Apostle alludes in these Words. His Apostleship ^†, his preaching the Gospel, is his running in a Race; the Province assign'd him to gospelize, is the Measure distribu­ted to him, his Stage or Compass of Ground, which GOD, as it were, by the Line in a Race, had mark'd out for him to exercise himself in: And [Page 47] to this he had kept. He had not, like these false Teachers, gone beyond his Measure; he had not stept out of his own into the Line of another.

The obvious Import of all which is, that such are unlike to the holy Apostle PAUL, and [...] condem'd by his Example, who keep not within their own Bounds, but go over into other Men's Labours: They herein intermeddle in what does not belong to them, and are properly Busie-bodies; especially, when they concern themselves in the Affairs of others uncalled, and so as to introduce Disorder and Confusion into the Church of GOD.

And if, in the first Days of Christianity, when the State of Things was such as to require the travelling of the Apostles and others, from Place to Place, to preach the Gospel; I say, if, in these Times, even an Apostle thought it disorderly to go out of his own Line, and enter upon other Men's Labours, 'tis much more so in the present settled State of the Church. The Pastor has now his spe­cial Charge. He is devoted to the Service of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, in a particular Place, and o­ver a particular People. His Work, as a Minister, does not lie at large; but is restrain'd within certain Boundaries. I don't mean, that he may'nt use his Office, in other Places, within the Rules of Order, upon special Occasions, and where there may be a just Call: But his stated, constant Bu­siness is with his own People. These have been committed to his Care; these, he has solemn­ly engagd, before GOD, and the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and holy Angles, to do all the Duties of a Pastor to. And can he be faithful to his Ordina­tion Vow, or the Command of GOD, which says, Feed the Flock over which the HOLY GHOST hath [Page 48] made thee an overseer ^*, while he leaves his Peo­ple one Week and Month after another, bestow­ing his Labours upon those, he has no particular Relation to? Are not the Souls of his own Peo­ple as precious as the Souls of others. Han't he Work enough, among his own People, that he need seek for it elsewhere? That Man knows little of the Work of a Minister, that does not know how to employ all his Time, & Strength, and Tho't, for the Good of those of his own Charge. He may here spend all his Zeal, and be as abun­dant in Labours, in Season and out of Season, as he judges proper. And I should think, extraordinary Pains are as suitable among a Minister's own Peo­ple, as Strangers; and would be as evidential of his Love to Souls, and Desire of their Salvation.

It was, in my Opinion, far from being exemplary in Mr. WHITEFIELD, his taking so little Care of his own Flock. When he went from these Parts to GEORGIA, notwithstanding his frequent Prayers for them, and Expressions of a more than ordinary Love to them, and longing after their Salvation, he was not longer than Part of two Days at SA­VANNAH; nor did he preach there more than two Sermons, if we may believe his own Account.^† It appears strange, he should allow his own Charge so small a Share of his Labours, as he was so la­vish of them elsewhere! And 'tis observable, as soon as he had left GEORGIA, and arrived at CHARLES-TOWN in CAROLINA, his Journal again ap­pears with pompous Accounts of his Preachings. He writes, Sunday, Jan. 4. "Preach'd twice this [Page 49] Day, and expounded to large Auditories." And, Saturday, Jan. 10. "Preach'd twice every Day this Week, and expounded frequently in the Even­ing".^* If this is watching for Souls, I mean, the Souls, of our particular Charge, as those that must give an Account; it is not a Matter of so much Difficulty as I always imagined.

And as to others, who are so forward in going into other Parishes, to preach there perpetually, I can't learn that they do more among their own People, than those who make no such Excursi­ons? Nay, they have, some of them, greatly neglected their own, from a Zeal to take Care of other Minister's People: And they have been complained of on this Head, and fallen under publick Censure.

One of the Charges exhibited by Mr. D—T's People against him, and laid before a Council of Ministers, Oct. 7. 1742, was, ‘His leaving his Congregation, at several Times, for a great while together, at his Will and Pleasure, with­out Leave or Consent of the Church, or So­ciety:’ Upon which, the Council gave it as their Judgment, ‘We think that his Congregati­on have just Cause to complain of his leaving them, at several Times, for so long a Space as he has done, without their Consent: Whereby he has not only left them destitute of Gospel Ordinances; but has been too un­mindful of the Obligation he lies under, by his pastoral Relation, to them who are his pecu­liar Charge.’

[Page 50] Another of these Itinerants was complain'd of, by a considerable Number of his People; and one of the Articles they objected to him, before an [...] Council, convened, June 15. 1742, was, ‘We are uneasy with his wandering from Town to Town, to the great Disturbance of Towns and Churches, and neglecting his own Church at Home.’ Upon which, the Council came into the following Result, ‘It appears to us, that the Rev. Mr.—hath been too ready to wander from Town to Town, and invade the [...] prick and Office of his Brethren, and ad­minister Occasion to Disturbance in several Places (and we fear) to the Neglect of his faithful Discharge of his Duty, among his own Flock, and to give too much Encouragement to Lay-Persons exhorting publickly; All of which, are so contrary to the Laws of CHRIST and his Gospel, as upon no Pretence to be coun­tenanced.’ I could mention some other Instances in this Kind: But these shall suffice for the present.

And what is the Language of this going into other Men's Parishes? Is it not obviously this? The settled Pastors are Men, not qualified for their Office, or not faithful in the Execution of it; They are either unfit to take the Care of Souls, or grosly negligent in doing their Duty to them: Or, the Language may be, we are men of greater Gifts, superiour Holiness, more Acceptable­ness to GOD; or have been in an extraordinary Manner sent by him. Some of these Itinerants, 'tis evident, have travelled about the Country preaching, under the full Perswasion of an imme­diate Call from GOD: And as to most of them, it [Page 51] may be feared, the gra [...] Excitement, at the Bot­tom, has been an [...] Opinion of themselves, and an unchristian one of their [...]. It has therefore been their Practice, too commonly, not only to boast of their own superior [...], where­ever they have gone; but to [...] suspeci­ons against the fixed Pastors, If not to [...] against them, and pray for them as [...], [...], uncon­verted Men: Nay, meer [...] for the Mi­nistry; yea, illiterate Exhorters, [...], weak young Men, or Lads, have too frequently taken up on them, openly to judge and [...] their Ministers; as I shall have Occasion, afterwards, to show at large.

Moreover, what is the Tendency of this Prac­tice, but Confusion and Disorder? If one Pas­tor may neglect his own People to take Care of others, who are already taken Care of; and, it may be much better than he can take care of them: I say, if one Pastor may do than, why not ano­ther, and another still, and so on, 'till there is no such Thing as Church Order in the Land? One Minister has the same Right to enter into other Men's Parishes as another; and may vin­dicate his Conduct upon the same Principles: And if this should become the general Practice, what might be expected, as the Effect, but an intire Dissolution of our Church State? This Itinerant Preaching, it is my firm Perswasion, na­turally tends to it in the Course of Things; yea, and the Principles, upon which it is sup­ported, will disband all the Churches in the World; and make the [...] between Pas­ [...] and People, a meer [...] a [...] without Meaning.

[Page 52] It will not be thought a needless Digression to insert here, the Sentiments of the First Fathers of this Country, upon this Point of Order in the Churches. This justly lay with great Weight upon their Minds; For it is indeed the Strength as well as Beauty of the Creation. Next to Faith, they esteemed Order, a Matter of Necessity to the Well Being of these Churches. And to this it was owing, that they held a Synod at Cambridge, Anno 1648, consisting of all the Churches of the MAS­SACHUSETTS-PROVINCE, by their Elders and Messen­gers; when they agreed upon that Rule of Church Order, commonly called, our Platform of Church-Discipline. Here it is declared as their uni­ted Judgment,^† ‘That Elders are appointed to feed, not all Flocks, but the particular Flock over which the HOLY GHOST hath made them Overseers; and that Flock they must attend, even the whole Flock: And one Congregation being as much as any ordinary Elder can at­tend, therefore there is no greater Church than a Congregation, which may ordinarily meet in one Place.’

And again,^* ‘Church Officers are Officers to one Church, even that particular over which the HOLY GHOST hath made them Oveseers; insomuch as Elders are commanded to feed, not all Flocks, but that Flock which is com­mitted to their Faith and Trust, and dependeth on them: Nor can constant Residence at one Congregation be necessary for a Minister, no, nor yet lawful, if he be not a Minister to one [Page 53] Congregation only, but to the Church univer­sal; because he may not attend one Part on­ly of the Church to which he is a Minister, but is called to attend unto all the Flock.’

And 'tis observable, though they allow of a Communion of Churches, yet it is only in such Ca­ses, and under such Limitations, as may consist, with the Rights both of particular Churches and their Pastors; yea, and with the Duties too they mutually owe to each other.

On the one Hand, they concede to Ministers officiating in other Churches besides their own; but then, it is upon Supposition of a mutual Con­sent, not only between the respective particular Churches, ^* but their Elders ^‡ also: Nor is even this allow'd, but occasionally, and as the Circum­stances of other Churches may call for the As­sistance of neighbour Ministers. If the Minister of one Church be sick, the Minister of another (if desired) may administer Baptism in his Room.^† In like case^§, ‘such Churches as are furnish­ed with more Ministers than one, do willingly afford one of their own Ministers to supply the Place of an absent or sick Minister of another Church, for a needful Season.’ 'Tis evident from these Passages, and indeed from the whole Scope of the Platform, that our Fathers never ima­gin'd it warrantable, either from Reason, or the Word of GOD, for Ministers to act in any Church [Page 54] besides their own, unless with the Consent, not of a Party only in the Church, but the Body of the Church; yea, and with the Concurrence also of its Elder, if any it had. A Conduct contrary to this, they would have testified against, with all Severity; as being opposite to Order, an In-let to Disturbances, and tending to Confusion.

On the other Hand, they allow that the Bre­thren of a particular Church may occasionally, and as there may be real Need of it, communicate with other Churches in any Acts of Church Fel­lowship; but then, they particularly give it as their Judgment^†, That ‘Church-Members may not remove or depart from the Church, and so one from another, as they please, nor with­out just and weighty Cause; but ought to live and dwell together, forasmuch as they are commanded not to forsake the Assembling of themselves together. Such Departure tends to the Dissolution and Ruin of the Body, as the pulling of Stones and Pieces of Timber from the Building, and of Members from the natural Body, tends to the Destruction of the Whole.’ And again,^* ‘To separate from a Church, either out of Contempt of their holy Fellowship,—or out of Schism, or Want of Love, and out of a Spirit of Contention, in Respect of some Unkindness, or some evil on­ly conceived, or indeed in the Church, which might and should be tolerated and healed with a Spirit of Meekness, and of which Evil the Church is not yet convinced, (though perhaps himself be) nor admonished: For these, or [Page 55] the like Reasons to withdraw from publick Communion in Word, or Seals, or Censures, is unlawful and sinful.’

Had these Paragraphs been wrote, on Purpose to describe the disorderly Separations of the present Day, they could not have done it more exactly: And, at the same Time, they clearly exhibit the Opinion of our Fore-Fathers, as to the probable Issue of these Things; that they tend to break the Church to Pieces. And what indeed can be expected but Confusion, when Church Members will forsake their own Pastors for every wandring Stranger; and, rather than not hear them, will break away from their own Church, forget their Duty to him that has been set over them in the LORD, and treat him with Anger and Wrath, if not with Contempt and Insult.

But notwithstanding all that has been said a­gainst this Itinerant preaching, 'tis a Practice migh­tily pleaded for; and many are the Things that are offered in its Vindication.

'Tis said, much Good has been done by it. And han't there been much Evil likewise? Han't it been the Occasion, not accidentally, but in the na­tural Course of Things, of uncomfortable Heats, Animosities and Contentions? Han't Christians, hereby, been divided into Parties, One saying, I am of PAUL; another, I am of APOLLOS; ano­ther, I am of CEPHAS, to the disturbing the Peace of Churches? Han't People, by this Practice, been led to glory in Men? And han't they had some Men's Persons so much in Admiration, as to throw unjust Contempt upon others? But, if more Good had follow'd upon this Kind of Preaching [Page 56] than really has, it would not hereby be justified; unless it can be made to appear, that Evil may not, by the alwise and gracious GOD, be over­ruled for Good. The Question ought not to be, whether Good has been done in this Way? But whether the Way it self is countenanced in the Bible, or can be vindicated upon the Principles of uncorrupted Reason? If not; 'tis, in it's Nature, bad, and unalterably so, let its Effects be what they will.

It is further pleaded, they are good Men that go into this Practice: Their Hearts are fir'd with a holy Zeal to serve the Interest of Souls; and 'tis to forward their Salvation, that they thus tra­vel about Preaching. And are not the Ministers, into whose Labours they enter, good Men also? Have they not a Love to the Souls of Men, and ardent Desires of their Salvation? Or, must they be thought selfish and carnal, because they are steady, and keep within the Rules of Order in their Endeavours to do good? I know, 'tis a speci­ous Thing for Ministers to go about from Place to Place, professing a compassionate Concern for Sinners, a Readiness to do, or suffer any Thing, to promote their Conversion; especially, if this is accompanied with a bitter Zeal against all who can't come into their Measures: And they may be flock'd after, on this Account, and held in great Reputation, as more holy than their Bre­thren, more like to CHRIST, and his Apostles: But for my self, I have liv'd too long in the World, and seen too much of the Wickedness of it, to be over-pleased with high Professions; es­pecially, when they are rewarded with as high popular Applauses. Pride of Heart; an Itch to come out of Obscurity, and to be thought some­body; [Page 57] a secret Pleasure arising from the Hosan­nas of the Multitude; an undue Self-Love, in some Shape or other, may urge on (as it actually has done in Hundreds of Instances) to as zeal­ous Pains in preaching the Gospel, as any in these Times, can pretend to; and from as great a seeming Regard to the Good of Men's Souls.

I mean not by what I here say, to reflect upon ALL those, who have gone up and down the Coun­try, making a more than ordinary Shew of Zeal for the spiritual Welfare of their Neighbours; as though they were SOLELY acted, in this Matter, from mean, and base Motives. They may, SOME OF THEM, be as good as they profess to be, for all that I know: But this Conduct of theirs, is not, in my Opinion, the strongest Evidence of their being so: Nor can it be collected from their Zeal to preach in other Men's Parishes, that they are better than their Neighbours; or that the Practice they are in, is such as it ought to be. They may be good Men, and yet do that which is Evil: They may have a Zeal for GOD; and yet, act without sufficient Know­ledge or Prudence. Meerly their being good Men, or zealous for the Good of Souls, won't war­rant this Conduct of theirs: If it can't be jus­tified from other Considerations, it must be con­demned.

'Tis again urg'd in Favour of these Itinerants, That ‘when the Time of Reformation was come on, one of the most effectual Things done to­wards the Reformation in ENGLAND, about the Middle of the former Century, was to send a­bout the Kingdom certain Itinerant Preachers, with a License to preach the Fundamentals of [Page 58] Religion, instead of the Stuff with which the Souls of the People had formerly been famished.’ This, which is a Quotation from Dr. MATHER'S Magnal. Chris. American, we had printed in the BOSTON Weekly News-Paper ^†, "to give Check (as is said in the Letter introducing it to the Publick) to the great Out-cry, and the bitter and harsh Reflections made by many against Itinerant Preachers," To which I would answer, by giv­ing a brief Account of the Times and Itinerants here referred to, together with the present Times and Itinerants.

As to the Times and Itinerants here refer'd to, a just Account has been given of them, in the Letter to the Author of the above Quotation, in the following Words^*, ‘At the Time when the Reformation came on, which began with the Reign of King EDWARD the VI, and was carried on by gradual Steps, through the long Reign of Q. ELIZABETH, the whole Land was overspread with Darkness and Superstition: The common People, almost every where, were stupidly ignorant. This may be fairly gather­ed from your Quotation, which supposes they knew little or nothing of the great Doctrines and Truths of Christianity, the very Fundamen­tals of Religion: And indeed, it was scarce possible to be otherwise, when they were de­priv'd of the Key of Knowledge; the Scrip­tures, which are able to make wise to Salvation, being lock'd up from them in an unknown Tongue, in which the publick Offices of the [Page 59] Church were also performed. And whatever Articles of Belief the People held, they receiv'd from their Priests, by an implicit Faith, which naturally produces a blind Obedience. Nor was the State of Things much better with the Clergy, who were, the greater Part of them, grosly ignorant, and blind Leaders of the blind. The chief Learning they had, was from Acquaintance with School Divinity, and the Wri­tings of the ancient Fathers, which, however it might pass for Science, in those Times, was falsly so called. In short, the Clergy were so ignorant, that few of them were able to com­pose their Sermons; to supply which Defect, certain Homilies were set forth by publick Autho­rity, and enjoin'd to be read, instead of Ser­mons, to the People.’

‘As to their Mission, it was from proper Autho­rity. They did not follow the blind Impulses of a wild Imagination, or run before they were [Page 60] sent; no, your Quotation tells us, that they were licens'd: They had a regular Call and Commission to enter on so great a Work.’ ^†

[Page 61] In the same Letter, we have also a just Account of these Times and the present Itinerants. The Words are, ‘I shall now proceed to say something of the State of Religion in NEW-ENGLAND, about two Years ago, when the Itinerant Way of Preaching began to be practised among us. And if we look into our Church at that Time, we shall find them professing the true protestant Re­ligion, in the Power and Purity of it, and walking in the Faith and Order of the Gos­pel. The Generality of our People were well instructed in divine Things, and acquain­ted with the Truths and Principles of the Chri­stian Religion: Great Numbers of them were Righteous, Walking in all the Ordinances and Commandments of the LORD blameless. As to the Ministers in this Land, I believe, it may be truly said of the greatest Part of them, that they were Men of sound Learning, and serious Godliness; they were skilful in the Word of Righteousness, wise Master-Builders in the House of GOD. Accord­ingly, whatever you may think, their Sermons were not empty Stuff, tending to starve Men's Souls; but plain, and practical; and there­fore profitable. They took Pains to feed their respective Flocks with Knowledge and Un­derstanding, and went before them in a blame­less, holy Conversation.’

And as to the present Itinerants, it is remark'd, ‘as certain and obvious, that the most, if not all of them, are swollen and ready to burst with spiritual Pride. As to their Mission, they have none, except from their own fond Ima­ginations. They indeed tell us of an immediate Call, and Assistances from Heaven; but can we believe them, while the Divisions and Dis­orders they create, wherever they come, a­bundantly [Page 62] confute their Pretences. As to their Furniture for Preaching, the most of them are Babes in Knowledge, meer Novices in spiritual Things, Workmen that have great Reason to be ashamed, because they cannot rightly divide the Word of Truth. In one Word, they are so far from being able to instruct Mankind, in the fundamental Doctrines of Christianity, that, as the venerable Dr. COLMAN, speaking con­cerning them, elegantly expresses it, They can only give some uncertain Flashes out of Clouds and Darkness.’

‘From all which (as the same Writer adds) it plainly appears, that this Quotation from Dr. MATHER cannot serve the Purpose; that no­thing can be drawn from it in Favour of our Itinerants, and their disorderly Practice: And therefore it can be no CHECK to such, as, with great Reason, speak freely against them. I believe Dr. MATHER could never have thought, that this Passage, in his History, would ever be wrested to serve such a wretched Design: For whoever reads the History, and other Works, of that venerable Person, will find, that he forever insists on the vast Importance of a learned Mi­nistry, and always sets his Face against such ignorant, and mischeivous Itinerants, as are now caress'd and encouraged; speaking of those Vagrants, with a just Severity of Language, and in Terms of the highest Indignation.’

'Tis still pleaded, from 1 Cor. 3. 21, 21, where it is said, All Things are your's, whether PAUL, or APPOLLOS, or CEPHAS, that^† "Ministers, with their various Gifts and Labours, are for the Use and [Page 63] Benefit of the Church and People of GOD." And who ever disputed this? The Question is not, Whether GOD had instituted a Ministry; and this, for the Good of his Church, i. e. The whole Collection of Believers. This is acknow­ledged on all Hands: But the Question is, in what Sense, particular Churches that make up the Catholic Church, have a Propriety in all Mini­sters; so as that it may be said, they are your's. 'Tis only talking at Random, and to a­muse People, to tell them, PAUL and APOLLOS and CEPHAS are your's, i. e. All Ministers are your's, without saying, at the same Time, according to some determinate Meaning, How they are so.

The Apostle, in this same Text, says, ALL THINGS are your's. But does this destroy private Property, and make all Things common? This, I know, has been pleaded for from this, together with some other Texts; and a Liberty here­upon taken to have Communion, not only with other Men's Goods, but Wives also. All THINGS are your's 'Tis a Truth as to particular Christi­ans, or Churches, in no Sense but what will con­sist with every Right, which GOD has given to one Man, in Distinction from another: Nor may they lay Claim to any Thing, but in that Way, and according to those Rules, which are laid down in Scripture, or pointed out by the Laws of Nature and Reason. Notwithstanding these Words of the Apostle, all THINGS are yours; particular Men have their own Wives, and parti­cular Women their own Husbands; this Man has his own House or Field, and so has that: Nor can they invade one another's Property with­out sinning against GOD. Christians can be said to have a Right in all THINGS, only so far, and [Page 64] under such Restrictions, as GOD has been pleas'd to give them a Title to them.

So when it is said, PAUL and APOLLOS and CE­PHAS, i. e. all Ministers are your's; the meaning cannot be, that every particular People have a Right to every particular Minister, in any Sense but what shall consist with the Order, GOD has set­tled in his Church. They can have a Propriety in them, only in Subordination to prior Rights; and so as that there may be an Harmony among them all. Though it be a Truth, when spoken of par­ticular Churches, all Ministers are your's; yet each particular Church has its own Pastor, and each Pas­tor his own particular Church: And in Vertue of this Relation that subsists between particular Churches and Pastors, each Church has its special Rights with Respect to its particular Pastor, and each Pastor the like Rights with Respect to his particular Church; Nor may these Rights, either of them, he broke in upon, under the Pre­tence that all Churches have a Propriety in all Ministers. Their Propriety is restrain'd within certain Limits, beyond which, if they extend their Claim, it interferes with other Rights, which can't, without Sin, be invaded.

The Churches, upon this Principle, For all Things are your's, whether PAUL, or APOLLOS, or CEPHAS, have been lately exhorted,^† ‘To hear and im­prove for their Benefit, not only the Minister that is ordained over them, and fix't among them, but as they have Occasion and Oppor­tunity other Ministers also.’ And have been told,^‡ ‘If any should attempt to deprive them [Page 65] of this their Christian Priviledge, they are guilty of Robbery: They rob them of a very great Priviledge, which the LORD has pur­chased at the dearest Rate; and which he has, in Love to their Souls, confered on them:’ Whereupon they have been war­ned^†, "To stand fast in this Liberty of their's wherewith CHRIST has made them free." If the Thing meant by this Exhortation, which was "apprehended most needful and seasonable at this Day",^* be only this that particular Churches have a Propriety in other Ministers, their Gifts and Labours, according to Gospel-Order, and so as not to Infringe on the Rights of their own Pas­tors, or other particular Churches, 'tis what all, so far as I know, are agreed in; And 'twas per­fectly needless to found an Alarm, as though this Liberty of the Churches was in Danger. But if the Thing aimed at is, To give Countenance to that rambling about from Parish to Parish, which some Ministers have come into, to the Uneasiness of their own People, to the raising Factions among o­ther People, and to the Invasion of the just Rights of the Pastors among whose People they have gone: I say, if this be the Thing intended, the Scripture upon which this Exhortation is founded, has been grosly abused: Nor indeed could an Exhortation, to this Purpose, have had its Rise from it, but in a mistaken and perverted Sense.

I complain not of People's hearing Ministers that are not their own, as they may occasionally happen among them; Nay, I object not against one Minister's coming among the People of ano­ther, [Page 66] on Purpose that they might have the Bene­fit of his Gifts and Labours; provided there be a mutual Agreement between all the Parties concern'd, and the Case such as may properly call for such an Expedient: But for Ministers to make a Business of going out of their own, into other Men's Parishes, unask'd; or, at the Desire of only some disaffected People; And this, in known Opposition to the settled Pastors: it's contrary to all Reason, as well as Scripture, and subversive of all Order in the Churches; Especially, when they carry the Matter so far as to creep into private Houses, when they can't any longer force themselves into the Pulpits, and in­sinuate such Things against the fixt Ministers, as tend to leaven the Minds of their People with Prejudices against them, and hinder their further Advantage from their Labours. Some may think highly of this Manner of Conduct, and "bless GOD for the many Sermons that have been preach'd by such Ministers"^*; but for my Part, I have not so learned CHRIST, nor the Order of his Gospel. And I shall be much mistaken, if the bad Effects of this Method of Conduct, don't make some Men see with other Eyes than they do at present.

'Tis granted in this Exhortation^† ‘That Ministers ought to be well perswaded concern­ing these Strangers that come among us, that they are Men of Knowledge, Prudence and Piety; Men of good Principles and Morals, and that they have a Call to visit us, before we invite them to preach to our People.’ [Page 67] And will any have the Face to Pretend, that suf­ficient Care has been taken upon this Head? Nay, where 'Ministers have not been satisfied a­bout, either the Knowledge, or Prudence, or call, some Persons have had to come into their Parishes, have they not thrust themselves in notwithstand­ing? And han't the Ministers, instead of being well thought of for their Caution, been reproach­ed as OPPOSERS of the Work of GOD? And what is it but to upbraid Ministers, to tell them, ‘they ought to be well satisfied about these Strangers that come among them,’ when, if they an't satisfied, they shall be call'd all the bad Names that can be thought of? Han't this commonly been the Case? Can it be denied?

Those Ministers, I should think, who don't see through the Propriety, or Reasonableness, or Ad­vantage, of Ministers going about into other Men's Parishes, have just the same Right not to invite them into their Pulpits, as those have to take them in, who think well of this Practice: And why should their Christian Liberty be invaded? Why should strange Ministers force themselves upon them? Is it not an Usurpation on their Rights as Pastors to particular Churches? Does it not lead to Alienations and Contentions? Does it not naturally tend to hinder the Usefulness of such Ministers among their own People?

It may be insinuated, as though their not ap­proving these Itinerants was owing to the Influ­ence of "a Spirit that lusteth to envy." And might it not as justly be insinuated, as though this Itinerating Disposition might have its Rise from a Spirit too much puffed up with Pride [...] But however this be, I do not think, those who [Page 68] are for Order in the Church of GOD, and keeping Things from running into Confusion, have any great Reason to envy those, who, from among our selves, have been most noted for their travelling up and down the Country to preach. We gene­rally know who they are, and what Character they bear in the World; and if dispos'd to Envy, these are some of the last Men who would excite it. And I am clearly of the Mind, that if ‘the Spirit and Disposition of the holy and humble Apo­stle PAUL more universally prevail'd among Mini­sters’, they would not so often imagine them­selves to be Men of so much more Importance than they really are; nor would they, from this vain Conceit they have of themselves, so often go out of their own, into the Line of others; boasting of Things beyond their Measure, and made ready to their Hand.

I had thought here to have left this Head; but can't do it without first expressing my Surprize at the late Ordination of a Person to go about the Coun­try as an Itinerant Preacher. The Account we have in the Boston Evening-Post ^†, ‘We have lately heard from YORK, that on, or about the 13 of July last, one Mr. D—L R—s, a New­Methodist, so call'd, summon'd together a so­lemn (and we think) unlawful Assembly, con­sisting of the Elders, and pretended Messengers, of some of the neighbouring Churches, to or­dain the said R—s at large, to be a vagrant Preacher to the People of GOD in this Land;—in which Transaction we hear, that the Rev'd Messieurs M—Y, W—E, J. R—S and G—N [Page 69] resolutely proceeded, although some other of the neighbouring Ministers bore their Testimo­ny against such an irregular Action.’

That late venerable Man of GOD, whose Praise is in all our Churches, Dr. INCREASE MATHRR, has given the World his Thoughts at large upon such a Transaction as this; which I shall here present to the Reader.

In his Order of the Churches in NEW-ENGLAND vindicated, he proposes this Question^*, ‘May a Man be ordained a Pastor, except to a particu­lar Church?’ In Answer whereto, he as­serts, that ‘no Man ought to be ordain'd a Pas­tor except to a particular Church.’ And for these Reasons.

I shall add to what the Doctor has said, That there has appear'd, in all Ages, more or less of a Disposition, in some Persons, to think themselves qualified, and called, to act as tho 'they were Pastors, not to particular Churches only, but all the Flocks in a Neighbourhood, or Province.

The learned VOETIUS makes Mention of ‘a Circumambulation of Ministers^†, the running a­bout, or rather the wandring and walking about of Men, who, without any certain Call and Af­fixion to any particular Church, frequently preach Sermons, expecting COLLECTIONS or PRESENTS from the People. Such as these (says he) were formerly call'd walking Levites, in Allusion to the Story in Judges 17. 7. 8. Such there are (he adds) among the PAPISTS, who appear at the Heads of Streets, and in the most publick Places of Resort, and offer themselves to celebrate Mass.’

The famous HOTTINGER, writing about the Times of the Reformation gives an Account,^* [Page 74] of some famous Itinerants, who distinguished them­selves by preaching abroad in the open Air, and by many uncouth Ways of Management; such as wearing a CHAIN ABOUT THEIR NECKS, and some­times THROWING OPEN THEIR BREAST, and vehe­mently beating on it, and crying out with a MIGHTY VOICE, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! and some Instan­ces he here mentions of those, who pretended to VISIONS and REVELATIONS: And these he speaks of as some of the worst Sort of People.

But however prevalent this Itinerating Disposi­tion may have been, more especially at certain Times, it was always ill thought of by the best Men, and the best Churches: They have ever e­steemed it an Argument of Pride and Self-Conceit, and as tending to Strife and Schism, and every e­vil Work; and accordingly laid the Restraints of Ecclesiastical Authority upon it, so far as they could.

The united Brethren in LONDON declare, ‘That ordinarily none shall be ordained to the Work of the Ministry, but such as are called, and chosen thereunto by a particular Church.’ ^*

One of the Articles of the ecclesiastical Discipline of the French Protestants is, ‘Ministers shall not be ordain'd without assigning them a particu­lar Flock. ^†’

The seventh Article in the Order of the Dutch Churches is, that^§ ‘no one shall be called to the [Page 75] Ministry of the Word, without Employment in some certain Place; unless he be sent to preach to Churches under Persecution, or otherwise to ga­ther Churches.’

In the Church of SCOTLAND, some of the Con­clusions agreed upon, in several of their Assem­blies, after sundry Conferences and often-Dispu­tation and Reasoning, are these^† ‘All Of­fice-Bearers should have their own particular Flocks, among whom they excercise their Charge.’

And the like Ecclesiastical Rules were made in the more primitive Times of the Church, to give Check to the Humour that then prevailed in many, of going beyond their own Bounds.

The XIVth, XVth and XXXVth canons, called Apostolical; the XVth and XVIth Canons of the Council of NICE; the IId and IIId of the first Council of CONSTANTINOPLE; the Xth of the Council of CALCEDON, with others that might be mentioned of these, and other Councils, strongly testify against this Practice of Minister's invading the Parishes of one another. ^*

It may, as the Practice with us is new, carry with it a good Face, and be readily encourag­ed; especially, for the Sake of some Men, who may be tho't more holy than their Brethren; but 'tis the same Evil now, it always has been, and will be productive of the like bad Effects; some of which we have already seen and felt: And I pray GOD, they may not prepare the Way for still greater.

The next Thing I shall take Notice of, as what I can't but think of dangerous Tendency, is that Terror so many have been the Subjects of; Ex­pressing [Page 77] it self in strange Effects upon the Body, such as swooning away and falling to the Ground, where Persons have lain, for a Time, speechless and motionless; bitter Shriekings and Screamings; Convulsion-like Tremblings and Agitations, Strug­glings and Tumblings, which, in some Instances, have been attended with Indecencies. I shan't mention: None of which Effects seem to have been accidental, nor yet peculiar to some particular Places or Constitutions; but have been common all over the Land. There are few Places, where there has been any considerable religious Stir, but it has been accompanied, more or less, with these Appearances. Numbers in a Congregati­on, 10, 20, 30, would be in this Condition at a Time; Nay, Hundreds in some Places, to the opening such a horrible Scene as can scarce be de­scribed in Words.

The Account, those, who have been under these Circumstances, give of themselves is vari­ous. Some say, they were surprized and astonish­ed, and insensibly wrought upon, they can't tell how: Others, that they had presented to their View, at the Time, a Sight of their Sins, in all their Number and Desert: Others, that they saw Hell, as it were, naked before them, and Destruction without a Covering; and that it seemed to them as though they were just falling into it: Others, that they imagined the Devils were about them, and ready to lay hold on them, and draw them away to Hell. The more general Account is, that they were fill'd with great Anx­iety and Distress, having upon their Minds an o­ver-powering Sense of Sin, and Fear of divine Wrath.

[Page 78] But whatever was the Cause, these bodily Agi­tations were, at first, highly thought of by many; yea, look'd upon as evident Signs of the extraordi­nary Presence of the HOLY GHOST. Hence, it was common in one Congregation, to tell of these wonderful Things, as they had appear'd in ano­ther, to pray for the like Testimony of the divine Power, to give GOD Thanks when they had it, and lament it when religious Exercises were at­tended, and no such Effects followed: And too much Encouragement has been given People, to depend on these Things as sufficient Tokens of that Sense of Sin, which is of the Operation of the SPIRIT of GOD.

I have now Letters by me, from different Parts of the Country, all concurring in this Account; and wrote by Persons of as good Character as most among us, and upon their own Knowledge. One, after he had given a Narrative of the Strange Appearance he had been present at, in all the A­gitations and Out-cries above describ'd, con­cludes in these Words, ‘But what appear'd to me most dangerous and hurtful was, that Mr.—(the Minister through whose Manage­ment these Things were effected) laid very much Stress on these Extraordinaries, as though they were sure Marks, or, at least, sufficient E­vidences of a just Conviction of Sin, on the one Hand: or, on the other, of that Joy there is in Believing, and so of an Interest in the Fa­vour of God.’ Another, after an Account of the Groaning, crying out, falling down and scream­ing, he had been a Witness to, in one of our Places of Worship, among other Things, ob­serves, ‘That these Things were encouraged by Mr.—(a travelling Preacher) and the [Page 79] Minister of the Town, who esteemed them un­doubted Evidences of the Operation of the BLESSED SPIRIT; which appeared by all their Discourse.’ A third, having exhibited a Relation of the like Effects, adds upon it, ‘I perceived by the Preacher's Discourse, that he suppos'd all these Things, the Effect of a strong Sense of Truth im­press'd upon the Minds of the Auditors, by the HOLY GHOST.’

And these Accounts perfectly harmonise with the Pleas, which have been made, both from the Press and Pulpit, in Justification of this Appearance in Religion. We have been told of the falling down of the JAILOUR, and of SAUL, afterwards PAUL; we have been minded of the Trembling of FELIX, and of the Three Thousand in the Acts, who were pricked in the Heart by PETER'S Sermon: And the State of unconverted Sinners has been represented to be such, that it ought to be wondered at, these Effects are not universal, rather than that some of them have been seen among us.

But these Pleas notwithstanding, I could never yet see Reason, I confess, to entertain a good O­pinion of these religious Fears, with their Effects visible on Men's Bodies, considered by the Lump. I mean not by what I here say, to express a Dis­like of that Fear, excited from a just Sense of Sin; which, in Respect of adult Persons, is or­dinarily previous to their Conversion. The first Operation of the blessed SPIRIT upon the Minds of such Sinners usually is, to awaken their Fear from a Perception of Sin, and Consciousness of Guilt, as I have largely exprest my self, upon this Mat­ter elsewhere: But then, it ought to be care­fully [Page 80] remembred, the Passion of Fear may be excited, not only from a just Represen­tation of Truth to the Mind by the SPIRIT of GOD, but from the natural Influence of awful Words and frightful Gestures. Even where the Torments of another World are the Object of Fear, the Passion it self may be mov'd, and to such a Degree too, as to appear in all the vio­lent Effects of Horror and Surprize; and yet, the Origin of it be no other, than a mechanical Im­pression on animal Nature: And this, I am in­clin'd to think, has been too generally the Case, in Respect of those Fears, and the Effects of them, which have been so much talk'd of among us. A good Number, I trust, have been wro't upon by the proper Influence of Truth, duly im­pressed upon their Minds by the Divine SPIRIT; but in Regard of a far greater Number, I have no other Thought of their religious Fears, disco­vered in their Cries, and Shrieks, and falling down, than a mere sensitive Commotion; such a Sort of Surprize and Astonishment as is affected, not by a rational Conviction of Truth, but a sud­den and strong Impression on the animal Oecono­my. My Reasons are these that follow,

'Tis with me, an Objection of some Weight a­gainst the Divinity of these bodily Effects, that they have been, in all Ages, so rare among sober and solid Christians; while among others, of a contrary Character, they have, all along, been common. So it was with the MONTANISTS of old; with the GERMAN-ENTHUSIASTS, in the beginning of the Reformation; and with the FRENCH-PRO­PHETS, within the Memory of many now living: And so it was with the QUAKERS. They had their Name indeed from the trembling and shaking [Page 81] ordinarily fell into, as though they were all over convulsed: Nor can there be given more re­markable Instances of Groaning, and Foaming, and Roaring, than from these People; Whereas, if we turn our View to the more sober Part of Christians, we shall be at a loss to find Examples in this Kind.

A noted Writer on the Times^† seems to have been at a pritty Deal of Pains to collect Instan­ces: But how few has he been able to produce, though he had the whole Christian World before him, for more than Seventeen Hundred Years? Nor are those he has brought to View so much to the Case as might have been expected.

The first Instance is of a single Person, the exellent Mr. BOLTON,^* ‘who being awakened by the Preaching of the famous Mr. PERKINS, was subject to such Terrors as threw him on the Ground, and caused him to roar with An­guish; and the Pangs of the New-Birth in him were such, that he lay pale and without Sense, like one dead; as we have an Ac­count, in the Fulfilling of the Scripture, the 5th Edition, Page 103. 104.’ These are the Words of this Gentleman. How it came about, I know not; but he has very much mis-under­stood his Author, in representing from him Mr. PERKINS as the Person, by whose Preaching Mr. BOLTON was subjected to Terrors that threw him to the Ground; for it is not so much as insinuated in the Fulfilling of the Scripture, either that Mr. [Page 82] PERKINS was the Instrument of Mr. BOLTON'S Terrors, or that he was ever thrown into them in the Time of Preaching; unless the Edition I use (the Second) is different from that, this Gen­tleman has in his Hands, which I question, be­cause I have now before me the Life of Mr. BOLTON, from whence the Author of the Fulfilling of the Scripture took his Account: In which, one Mr. PEACOCK is spoken of as the Instrument of his Conversion; and 'tis ascribed to his Ac­quaintance with this godly Man, and not to his Preaching, or the Preaching of any other Person whatever, that he was awakened to a Sense of his Sins.

Nor is it so clear to me, that Mr. BOLTON, literally speaking, was thrown to the Ground, or reared out, or lay like one dead. The Fulfilling of the Scripture has given the World, not the very Words, but what he took to be the Sense, of the Writer of Mr. BOLTON'S Life; and this Gentle­man has done the same by the Fulfilling of the Scripture. The best Way therefore of judging, in this Case, will be from the very Words of the original Writer himself; which are these, ‘The first News he heard of GOD, was not by any soft and still Voice, but in terrible Tempests and Thunder; the LORD running upon him as a Giant, taking him by the Neck, and sha­king him to Pieces as he did JOB; beating him to the very Ground, as he did PAUL, by laying before him the ugly Visage of his Sins, which lay so heavy on him, as he roared for Grief of Heart, and so affrightened him, as (I have heard him say) he arose out of his Bed in the Night, for very Anguish of Spirit. And to augment his spiritual Misery, he was [Page 83] exercised with foul Temptations, horribilia de DEO, terribilia de fide.’ And these are repre­sented to have been so vehement upon him, that, with LUTHER, ‘The very Venom of them drank up his Spirits, and his Body seemed dead, that neither Speech, Sense, Blood, or Heat appeared in him. And this, it's said, Continued for many Months.’

'Tis obvious at first Sight, that some of the Language here used is figurative, and to be inter­preted as such, and not literally; as where the LORD is said to have run upon him as a Giant; where he is said to have been taken by the Neck and shaken to Pieces: As also where his Body is represented as seemingly dead, without Sense, Blood, or Heat. The Idea intended to be conveyed is not, ‘That the Pangs of the New-Birth in him were such, as that he lay pale, and without Sense, like one dead.’ i. e. According to the Letter of these Words, and as is commonly the Case in these Times. The Meaning is evidently this, and only this, that his Distress was so great, and of such Continuance, that it had a visible Effect on his Body, to make him look pale, and like one in a languid State. And if any should be dispos'd to think, the Spirit of this Author's Words is ra­ther to be regarded than the Letter, when he speaks of Mr. BOLTON, as beat to the very Ground, and roaring for Grief of Heart, I don't know that they would be to blame; especially, as such a Construction of his Words is the only one, that would, perhaps, have been thought of, if it had not been for what has happened among ourselves. He, no Doubt, design'd to exhibit this Gentleman as an Instance of one, who was in great spiritual [Page 84] Distress; but that he mean't any Thing further, is not, to me, so evident as to be beyond Dis­pute.

Nor is this Kind of spiritual Trouble uncom­mon, in Respect of Persons of a like Character with Mr. BOLTON, before his Concern for his Sins. For 'tis observable, and particularly remark'd by the Fulfilling of the Scripture ^†, that he was ‘e­minently prophane; a horrid Swearer; and much accustomed to mock at Holiness, and those who most shined therein; particularly, that excel­lent Man of GOD Mr. PERKINS.’ The Writer of his Life adds^*, that ‘he loved Stage-Plays, Cards and Dice; was a Sabbath-Breaker, a Boon-Companion, and one that for the Sake of Mo­ney had actually accepted of a Motion to go over to the Church of ROME.’ And has it not been usual, in all Ages, for such great Sinners, when brought to a Sense of their Sins, to be greatly pained in their Minds? There is nothing singu­lar in the Case of Mr. BOLTON, unless, accord­ing to the Letter of the Words, he roared out, and was thrown down to the Earth; which, as I said, can't certainly be collected from the Man­ner of speaking us'd by the Writer of his Life: Though if it could, it ought to be remembred, his Concern lasted for many Months; and by this continued Pressure on his Spirit, his Body was reduced to an ill State, and it might be thus with his Mind also. And under these Circumstan­ces, though his Trouble was of a divine Origin, there might be a Mixture in it of human Weak­ness. It might be owing to himself, and not to [Page 85] the SPIRIT of GOD, its arising to an undesirable Ex­cess: Which is quite different from what is supposed to be the Case in these Times; viz. That 'tis by the immediate Power of the HOLY GHOST, that such Fears are excited in the Minds of Persons, as that they are, at once, struck to the Earth, or forc'd to scream out.

Mr. GEORGE TROSS ("who of a notoriously vi­cious, profligate Liver, became an eminent Saint, and Minister of the Gospel") is the next Instance of a Person in "Terrors, occasioned by Awa­kenings of Conscience;" and these are said^‡ "to have been so over-pouring to his Body as to deprive him, for some Time, of the Use of Reason." I have carefully read over the Life of TROSS, written by himself; and he was not only "for a Time depriv'd of the Use of his Reason," but to a great Degree; and it was thrice repeat­ed! Nor does it appear, that his Distraction was occasioned by Terrors too great for his Brain; but seems rather to have had Rise from an ill Habit of Body, and this, perhaps, bro't upon him by his own Follies:^† Nor do I remember, he was ever in any extraordinary Terrors, unless where 'tis evident, from his own Account, that he was not himself. And very observable are the Words, in which he relates his Deliverance out of his horrid State of Mind.^*" But at Length, ‘through the Goodness of GOD, and by his Blessing upon Physick, a low Diet, and hard keep­ing, [Page 86] I began to be somewhat quiet and com­pos'd in my Spirits; to be orderly and civil in my Carriage and Converse, and gradually to regain the Use of my Reason, and to be a fit Companion for my Fellow-Creatures.’

I shall add here, though somewhat out of Place; this Mr. TROSS, in the Time of his De­liquium, often heard Voices, and was much given to strange Impulses; upon which he makes this Remark^† ‘I am persuaded, that many of the Quakers, formerly, were deluded by such Voices and Impulses, from the impure Spirit, which they mistook for the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD; many of them having been grosly ignorant, and so fitted to entertain such Delusions of the Devil, as I then was.’

And besides hearing Voices, it was no uncom­mon Thing with him to see Visions; which, says he^‡ ‘I mention, the rather, because I am ve­rily perswaded, that the many Visions and Voi­ces among the Papists, which gave Occasion to the Belief and Establishment of their Purgatory came from the same Author, or Cause; viz. a disturbed Brain, influenced by a deceitful and lying Devil.’

But these extraordinary, external Effects are said ‘to have been found, not only in here and there a single Person; but there have been Times, wherein they have appeared in Con­gregations, in many at once. So it was, says this Gentleman ^* in the Year 1625, in the [Page 87] West of SCOTLAND, in a Time of great Out­pouring of the SPIRIT of GOD. It was then a frequent Thing for many to be so extraordinarily seized with Terror in hearing of the Word, by the SPIRIT of GOD, that they fell down, and were car­ried out of the Church, who afterwards prov'd most solid and lively Christians: As the Author of the Fulfilling of the Scripture informs us, Pa. 185.’ I should have been glad, if this Author had been a little more particular in his Informa­tion; because so far as I can find, (and I have been at the Pains to consult all the Writers I could meet with, in some of the best and largest Libraries in NEW-ENGLAND, upon the religious Affairs of SCOTLAND) He only has recorded this Story; and he has done it so generally, that lit­tle can be argued from it. He has said, 'tis true, it was in hearing the Word, they were seiz'd with this extraordinary Terror: But how the Word was preached, either as to Matter, or Manner, he does not declare; which is a weighty Circum­stance in Effects of this Nature, as we shall pre­sently see, from what I have to say upon the like Effects among our selves. He has likewise said, "They afterwards prov'd solid and lively. Christians:" But how were they at the Time? This is a material Question. For if they were like others, among whom these same Effects have appear'd, at other Times, and in other Parts of the World, they may justly be rank'd with them; at lest, while under the Influence of these Things. And there is the more Reason for such a Question as I have put, because this Au­thor has himself given an Intimation, as though these Effects, at the Time when they happened, were, by some attributed to another Cause than [Page 88] that which is divine. His Words are these^*, ‘This, by the prophane Rabble of that Time, was called, the STEWARTON SICKNESS; for in that Parish first, and after, through much of the Country, it was remarkable.’ If the same Temper prevailed then as does now, the best, Men in the Kingdom might have been rank'd among the prophane Rabble. I don't affirm, this was the Case: But I think, there ought to be good E­vidence that it wan't; and the rather, because 'tis a known Fact, that censoriously speaking of others, to a very high Degree, has been an insepa­rable Concomitant of these extraordinary Seizures, in all Ages, and in all Places.

This Gentleman goes on, ‘The same Author informs of many in FRANCE, that were so won­derfully affected with the Preaching of the Gospel, in the Time of those famous Divines, FAREL and VIRET, that, for a Time they could not follow their secular Business.’ I doubt not, there was the Prevalence of real Christianity in these Times: But was there not a vast deal of Enthusiasm also? These were the Times, in which Visions and Voices, extraordinary Missions and Revela­tions, extatick Raptures and Swoonings, were at their Height; and gave the greatest Shock to the Progress of the Reformation of any Thing that happened in that Day. And though I deny not, that "many were wonderfully affected under the Preaching of FAREL and VIRET," yet I must be excused, if I han't the best Opinion of the whole of this Affection; Especially, as excited by FA­REL: For he was a Man zealous even to Fury; [Page 89] and his Preaching such, that it was rather called Thundering than speaking. ^* ERASMUS, a good Judge of Men, and his Contemporary, has not given the best Character of him^†: Or, if any should think he might be prejudic'd against him, OECO­LAMPADIUS, his fast Friend, plainly describes him as a Man violent in his Temper, dispos'd to pro­nounce his Anathemaes upon others, and to treat Mankind with Imperiousness ^‡ And if under the [Page 90] Administration of a Man of this Turn of Mind, there were like Effects with those among us, they might arise from the same Cause. His Charac­ter indeed seems to have been very like to the Character of some Gentlemen, thro' whose intem­perate Zeal, we have been thrown into great Disorders.

The next Account is from IRELAND, in 1628; But as the Fulfilling of the Scripture has taken no Notice of any strange bodily Effects, unless those may be so called, which relate to the People's making little Use of Meat, Drink, or Sleep, and not feeling the Need thereof, through a Sense of GOD; These only are mentioned, but in a more advan­tagious Manner, than by the original Writer. For he speaks of some only whose Case this was, not many. And he tells us, in general, how long it was they went without a full Supply of these Recruits, and does not leave the Matter at large. It was, in that Day, according to him, a sweet easy Thing for Christians to go 30, 40 Miles, to the solemn Communions, and to continue there from the Time they came, till they returned, with but little of these Supplies; and this, in Regard of SOME, without their feeling the Need thereof, their Souls were so filled with a Sense of GOD; [Page 91] which is no incredible Account, unless they tar­ried longer, or eat, or drank, or slept, in a less Pro­portion, than need be supposed.

The Story of CATHERINE BRETTERGH, I pass o­ver with this Remark only, that if nothing had appear'd in these Times, but what is here record­ed of her, I believe no serious Person would have cried out of Wildness and Distraction; tho' perhaps, they might have thought, there had been, in such Instances, some Mixture of that which is Humane.

These are the Instances brought from the Fulfilling of the Scripture: And I should have had, I own, a much better Opinion of them, if the Author had not betrayed, by many of the Stories contain'd in his Book, a Turn of Mind, too easily disposing him to a Belief of such Extra­ordinaries, as few besides himself would have re­lated to the World: Nor can I account for it, that, among all the wonderful Things he has recorded as Examples of a prophetical and apostolic Spirit, not so much as one is mentioned; unless it was thought, the mentioning of these might have lessen'd the Credit of the whole.

This Gentleman now presents us with a Letter from his honoured Father, wherein we are told, from a Letter he saw, which came from SCOT­LAND, that at the Preaching of a Sermon in EDIN­BURG, the People were so affected, that there was a great and loud Cry through the Assembly. And if the Fact be allow'd, is it possible, from such a general Account, to form a Judgment, as to its true Origin? That there have been Out­crys, in Congregations, in diverse Parts of the [Page 92] World, and at diverse Times, every Body knows that is acquainted with the History of the Church.

The Author of the wonderful Narrative has mentioned a considerable Number of such; but an Account of those Out-crys are here expected, which may justly be supposed to be of a Divine Rise. And can this be determined, unless we know something in particular, of the Means, Manner, and after-Effects? 'Tis impossible. And the same may be said of what is further related a­bout the famous Mr. ROGERS of DEDHAM in ENG­LAND; tho' he was such a Speaker, that if, under his Preaching, People had sometimes cried out, it ought not to be at once concluded, that it was owing to the extraordinary Power of GOD. For this is an Effect, Voice and Action may some­times produce, as we shall see by and by.

The Account from Mr. FLAVEL, I leave as it stands, with only saying, that good Men may differ in their Sentiments as to the Cause of such Effects; and if any should think, they are not to be wholly ascribed to a divine Influence, I would not be too peremptory in saying, their Judgment was not according to Truth.

The Persons "in NORTHAMPTON, and some of the neighbouring Towns, who formerly cried out, and fell down," I never heard of 'till now: Nor of those, "whose Flesh waxed cold and benum­med, whose Hands were clinch'd, and their Bo­dies set into Convulsions:" Neither do I think, that such Accounts tend much to the Credit of Religion.

[Page 93] But these Instances notwithstanding, and the most that can be made of the foregoing ones, it must be own'd, that such bodily Effects as have prevail­ed in the Land, have always been rare among sober Christians: Whereas, They are the very Things, by which, those of another Complexion have ever been distinguished. Whole Volumes have been wrote containing Accounts in this Kind: And whatever strange Effects, upon Men's Bodies, have been common among us, the same have been common also among this Sort of Persons, in all Parts, and Ages, of the World: Nor is there any Fact more notorious in the History of the Church. But this I mention only as a Circumstance worthy of Consideration with some others, that are to follow. Wherefore to go on,

The Way in which these Fears have been excit­ed, in many Places, is not, in my Opinion, the best Evidence in Favour of them. People have been too much applied to, as though the Preacher rather aimed at putting their Passions into a Fer­ment, than filling them with such a reasonable Sol­licitude, as is the Effect of a just Exhibition of the Truths of GOD to their Understandings. I have myself been present, when an Air of Seriousness reigned visibly through a whole Congregation: They were all Silence and Attention; having their Eye fastned on the Minister, as though they would catch every Word that came from his Mouth: And yet, because they did not cry out, or swoon away, they were unbraided with their Hardness of Heart and rank'd among those who were Sermon-proof, Gospel-glutted; and every Topic made Use of, with all the Voice and Acti­on the Speaker was Master of, to bring forward a general Shriek in the Assembly: Nay, in or­der [Page 94] to give the People a plain Intimation of what he wanted, this same Preacher sometimes told them of the wonderful Effects wrought by the Sermon, he was then preaching; how in such a Congregation, they were all melted and dissol­ved, and in another so over-poured, that they could not help screaming out, or falling down, as though they had been struck dead. Nay one of the Preachers, in this new Way, was so open some Months ago, as in plain Words, to call upon the People to cry out, and plead with them to do so: This he did three several Times in one Sermon, and had upon it so many loud Cries. And 'tis too well known to need much to be said upon it, that the Gentlemen, whose preaching has been most remarkably accompanied with these Extraor­dinaries, not only use, in their Addresses to the People, all the terrible Words they can get toge­ther, but in such a Manner, as naturally tends to put weaker Minds out of Possession of themselves. A Friend in the Country, in a Letter to me, up­on these Matters, expresses himself in these Words, ‘Under the Preaching and Exhortati­ons of these Itinerants and Exhorters, (the Manner of which is frequently very boisterous and shocking, and adapted to the best of their Skill to alarm and surprize the Imagination and Passions) 'tis no unusual Thing for Per­sons to be plunged into the utmost Anxiety and Distress, which is often attended with a Trembling of the Body, fainting, falling down, &c. The Preacher now frequently grows more tempestuous, and dreadful in his Manner of Address, and seems to endeavour all he can to increase, and spread the rising Consternati­on, and Terror of their Souls; which, by this Means, is sometimes spread over a great Part [Page 95] of an Assembly, in a few Minutes from its first Appearance. I have seen the struck (as they are called) and distressed brought toge­ther, from the several Parts of the Assembly, into the square Body by themselves, and two or three Persons at Work upon them at once, smiting, stamping and crying out to them with a mighty Voice, in the most terrible Manner and Language; the poor Creatures fainting, screach­ing and bitterly crying out under them. You may easily think, what Terrors of Imaginati­on, Distraction of Passions, and Perplexity of Thoughts, they endur'd. I was last Summer at an Evening Lecture, at a neighbouring Pa­rish, at which, one of the most famous Preach­ers in the new Method carried on. He had en­tered but a little Way in his Sermon, (which was delivered in a Manner sufficiently terrible) when there began to be some Commotion a­mong the young Women. This inspir'd him with new Life. He lifted up his Voice like a Trumpet, plentifully poured down Terrors up­on them. About half a Score of young Wo­men were presently thrown into violent histeric Fits. I carefully observed them. When he grew calm and moderate in his Manner, tho' the Things deliverd were equally Awakening, they by Degrees grew calm and still; when he again assum'd the terrible, and spake like Thunder, the like violent Strugglings immediately returned upon them, from Time to Time. Sometimes he put a mighty Emphasis upon lit­tle unmeaning Words, and delivered a Sentence of no Importance with a mighty Energy, yet the sensible Effect was as great as when the most awful Truth was brought to View.’ This Account may be relied on. For it is given [Page 96] by one capable of making Observation, and who bears as unblemish'd a Character as most Ministers in the Country.

Agreable whereto is the Account we have printed in the BOSTON Post-Boy ^†; in which the Writer, speaking of the Itinerant Preachers, among other Things, observes, ‘Their main Design in preaching, seems not so much to inform Men's Judgments, as to terrify and affright their Ima­gination; by awful Words and frightful Repre­sentations, to set the Congregation into hideous Shrieks and Out-cries. And to this End, in every Place where they come, they represent that GOD is doing extraordinary Things in other Places, and that they are some of the last hardened Wretches that stand out; that this is the last Call that ever they are likely to have; that they are now hanging over the Pit of De­struction, and just ready, this Moment, to fall into it; that Hell-fire now flashes in their Faces; and that the Devil now stands ready to seize upon them, and carry them to Hell: And they will oftentimes repeat the awful Words, Damn'd! Damn'd Damn'd! three or four Times over.’

'Tis well known, no Preacher, in the new Way has been more noted for his Instrumentality in pro­ducing these Schriekings and Faintings and Trem­blings, than the Rev. Mr. JAMES DAVENPORT of SOUTHHOLD; and yet, one of the Ministers of this Town, (who has always been a great Friend to that which he esteemed, the good Work of GOD going on in the Land) having been, one [Page 97] Night, a Witness to his inexpressible Manage­ment among the People, and the terrible Effects consequent thereupon in their Screaming and Crying­out, and the like, thought himself obliged in Con­science to go to him the next Day, and declare against such a Method of acting: And according­ly went, and told him to his Face (as he himself inform'd me) that in the Appearance of the last Night, he was persuaded, there was no Hand of the SPIRIT of GOD; and that it was no other than might have been expected, if a Man raving mad from Bedlam, had gone among the People, and behaved as he had done. And one of the Charges exhibited and prov'd against this Mr. DAVENPORT, when brought before the General Assembly of CONNEC­TICUT, was, ‘That he endeavoured by unwar­rantable Means to terrify, and affect his Hear­ers.’ And that,

N. B. This same Impression, he told the People at BOSTON, he had lately had upon his Mind, and was as sure the Day of Judgment was at the Door; as of the Things he then saw with his Eyes; and made Use of this accordingly, as an Argument to work upon their Passions.

An Account of Mr. D—T's Preaching, not al­together unlike this, a Gentleman, in CONNECTI­CUT, wrote to one of the Ministers in this Town, upon his own Knowledge, in these Words,—‘At length, he turn'd his Discourse to others, and with the utmost Strength of his Lungs ad­drest himself to the Congregation, under these and such-like Expressions; viz. You poor un­converted Creatures, in the Seats, in the Pews, in the Galleries, I wonder you don't drop in­to Hell! It would not surprise me, I should not wonder at it, if I should see you drop down now, this Minute into Hell. You Phari­sees, Hypocrites, now, now, now, you are go­ing right into the Bottom of Hell. I wonder you don't drop into Hell by Scores, and Hun­dreds, &c.’ And in this terrible Manner, he ended the Sermon. 'Tis then added, ‘Af­ter [Page 99] a short Prayer, he called for all the Dis­trest Persons (which were near twenty) into the foremost Seats. Then he came out of the Pulpit, and stripped off his upper Garments, and got up into the Seats, and leapt up and down sometime, and clapt his Hands, and cri­ed out in those Words, the War goes on, the Fight goes on, the Devil goes down, the Devil goes down; and then betook himself to stamping and screaming most dreadfully.’

And what is it more than might be expected, to see People so affrightned as to fall into Shrieks and Fits, under such Methods as these? Espe­cially, when they have first been possest of the Notion, that the Persons who make Use of them, are Men of GOD in an extraordinary Sense; as being sent immediately, as it were, to deliver his Messages to them. The Mind is now pre­pared to receive almost any Impression from this Kind of Persons; and 'tis no Wonder, if, by their terrifying Voice and Action, People are thrown into Agitations and Convulsions.

I doubt not, but the divine SPIRIT often ac­companies the preached Word, so as that, by his Influence, Sinners are awakened to a Sense of Sin, and filled with deep Distress of Soul: But the blessed SPIRIT must not, at Random, be made the Author of all those Surprises, operating in strange Effects upon the Body, which may be seen among People. They may be produced other Ways; yea, I trust, that has been already said, which makes it evident, they have actually been produced, even by the wild and extravagant Conduct of some over-heated Preachers.

[Page 100] It will, doubtless, be here said, these Out-cries have sometimes arisen, when no other than the great Truths of the Gospel have been urg'd up­on the Consciences of Sinners; and this, in a becoming Manner, and by Preachers who have not been noted, either for the Loudness of their Voice, or the Boisterousness of their Action.

In Reply whereto, I deny not but this may have been the Case: But, at the same Time, think it worthy of Notice, that these bodily Ef­fects were, at FIRST, produced, so far as I can learn, ONLY by such Preachers as were remarkable for their terrible speaking, both as to Matter, and Manner: Nor do I remember an Instance, in the Country, of Out-cries, by any other Sort of Preachers, 'till the Noise of such extraordinary Ef­fects, as Arguments of an immediate divine Power, in one Place and another, had alarmed the People, and made many of them think, it was necessary they also should be in like Circum­stances.

Besides, when these Out-cries have been effec­ted by your more moderate Preachers, (which, by the Way, comparatively speaking, has been a rare Thing) have they not begun with one or two only, and from them been propagated to o­thers? Nay, have not these, from whom they took Rise, usually, been such as were before ac­customed to the Way of screaming out? And were they not, at first, brought to it, under a more terrible Kind of Preaching? I believe, upon Examination, this will be found to be nearly the Truth of the Case.

[Page 101] I shall only add further, that however distin­guished the Minister who has preached has been, for his exemplary Piety, and shining Gifts; however agreeable to the Mind of CHRIST he has delivered the Truths of the Gospel; and however warmly he may have addrest him­self to the People's Passions, if he wan't before known to have been a Favourer of these Outcries, he has not produced them: Nor do I believe, an Instance can be given in the Country, of their being brought forward by any Minister, of whom the People had a Suspicion, that he did not like them: Which to me, is not the best Argument of their being so wholly owing to the divine Power, as some may be too ready to imagine. But to proceed,

Another Thing that very much lessens my Opi­nion of these religious Fears, with the strange Ef­fects of them is, that they are produced by the Exhorters; and this, in all Parts of the Land; and it may be, in more numerous Instances, than by the Ministers themselves. And if these bodily Agitati­ons arise from the Influence of the SPIRIT, when produc'd by the Ministers, they are so when pro­duced by the Exhorters. The Appearance is the same in both Cases; the like inward Distress is effected, and discovers it self in like Cryings and Swoonings: Nor is there any Reason to think well, in the general, of the one, and not of the other. And yet, some of the best Friends of this Work, both among the Clergy and Laity, think ill of these Things, as brought forward by the Ex­horters: Nay, one of the greatest Friends to the good Work, among the Ministers in Town, freely declar'd concerning one of these Exhorters, who came into this Place, and began the Out­cries [Page 102] we were before Strangers to, that he feared the Hand of Satan was in his coming here to throw Disgrace on the Work of GOD; sug­gesting, that the Wonders wrought by the Magi­cians in Egypt were, to all Appearance, like the Miracles wrought by MOSES. I see no Reason for such a Remark. The visible Effects of this young Man's exhorting here, and in the neighbouring Town of Dorchester, were just the same that are wrought by the most famous Preachers in the new Way: And where there is no discernable Dif­ference, there is no Ground, in Reason or Scrip­ture, to speak well of the one, and ill of the o­ther. Such are certainly inconsistent with them­selves, who attribute these Extraordinaries, as bro't forward by the Exhorters, to a Spirit of Delusion, or Enthusiasm, or any other inferior Cause [...]; while they can't bear to hear a Word said against them, when they are the Produce of those who are call­ed Ministers. For my self, I put them both on the same Foot, as supposing they both arise from the same Cause: Only, the Appearance of these Things, in the same Kind and Degree, when the Exhorters are the Carriers on, administers just Ground of Fear, whether they are, in general, so much owing to the extraordinary Influence of the divine SPIRIT, as some may be too ready to i­magine. If they are not owing to the wonderful Operation of the HOLY GHOST, when the Exhorters are the Occasion of them, they may easily be ac­counted for, when produced by others: And it can't well be supposed, there should be the ex­traordinary Concurrence of the blessed SPIRIT with these Exhorters. For who are they but such, concerning whom the inspir'd Apostle has said, Not a Novice lest he be lifted up with Pride, and fall into the Condemnation of the Devil? Who [Page 103] are they but such, of whom the same Apostle says, they walk disorderly, working not at all, but are Busie­Bodies? With Respect to whom, he gives Com­mandment by the LORD JESUS CHRIST, that with Quietness they work and eat their own Bread. Who are they but such, as set themselves up in Opposition to their Pastors, though sound in the Faith and of a good Conversation, contrary to the Order of the Gospel, and to the Disturbance of the Churches? And can it be thought, that GOD would countenance the Conduct of this Kind of Persons, by extraordinary Testimonies of his Pre­sence from Heaven; and this, while they are in a Method of acting that directly contradicts his own Appointments? Besides, may it not be said of these Exhorters, in the general, that they are very Babes in Understanding, needing themselves to be taught which be the first Principles of the O­racles of GOD? That they are over-forward and conceited; taking that upon them, they have neither a Call to, nor Qualifications for? Yea, is it not too true of some of them, that they have acted under the Influence of an over-heated Ima­gination; or what is worse, from low and base Views? This is now so evident, that there is no Room for Debate upon the Matter. And of all Men, these, I should think, are the most un­likely to be distinguish'd with the extraordinary Presence of the HOLY GHOST.

There is yet another Thing that makes it look as though these Terrors might arise from a lower Cause, than that which is Divine; and that is, their happening in the Night. I don't mean, that there han't been Out-cries in the Day Time; but the Night is more commonly the Season, when these Things are to be seen, and in their greatest [Page 104] Perfection. They are more frequent, and more general, and rais'd to a higher Degree, at the Night Meetings, when there are but two or three Candles in the Place of Worship, or they are wholly in the dark. I have often, in Conversa­tion, heard this Remark made by those, who have been in the Way of these Things; and the same Observations I find in the Letters that have been sent me. Says one, speaking of these Extraordinaries, "They are more in the Night than in the Day:" Another, "They operate most strongly in their Night Meetings;" Ano­ther still, "They never happen'd [this must be understood of the particular Place, he is giving an Account of] to any considerable Degree, 'till the Darkness of the Night came on." And why should these strange Effects be more frequent, and general, in the Gloominess of the Night, if they were produc'd by the Agency of the Divine SPI­RIT? Does he need the Advantage of the dark to fill Men's Hearts with Terror? This is certainly a shrew'd Sign, that there is more of the Humane in these Things, than some are will­ing to own. We know every Thing appears more dismal in the Night: Persons are more apt to be struck with Surprise and Consternati­on: And as this is a good Reason, it may be the true one, why a doleful Voice, and fright­ful Managements may take Effect more in the Night than at other Times.

The Subjects also of these Terrors may lead us to make the like Judgment about them; and these are Children, Women, and youngerly Persons. Not that others han't been wrought upon. In­stances there have been of Men; and these, both middle-aged, and advanced in Years, who have [Page 105] both cried out, and fallen down: But 'tis among Children, young People and Women, whose Passions are soft and tender, and more easily thrown into a Commotion, that these Things chiefly pre­vail. I know, 'tis thus in those Places, where I have had Opportunity to make Inquiry. And from the Accounts transmitted to me from Friends, in other Places, it appears to have been so among them also. The Account I have from one Part of the Country is, "The Operation is principally among Women and Girls;" From an­other, "The Persons wrought upon were gene­rally Women and Children;" From another, "These Effects have been most frequent in Wo­men and young Persons." And are not these the very Persons, whose Passions according to Nature, it might be expected, would be alarmed? If young People are, in a moral Sense, more like­ly to be wrought upon by Divine Grace, than old, I see not that this is the Case with Respect to Women in Distinction from Men. Men may as easily be overcome by the Power of the HOLY GHOST, as Women; and are as likely, in a mo­ral View of the Matter, to be so: And what should then be the Reason that they should be, as it were, overlook'd, and Women generally the Persons thrown into these Agitations and Ter­rors? It certainly looks, as tho' the Weakness of their Nerves, and from hence their greater Lia­bleness to be surpris'd, and overcome with Fear, was the true Account to be given of this Matter.

Moreover, the Way in which these Terrors spread themselves is a Circumstance, that does not much favour their divine Origin. They seem to be suddenly propagated, from one to an­other [Page 106] other, as in a great Fright or Consternation. They often begin with a single Person, a Child, or Woman, or Lad, whose Shrieks set others a Shrieking; and so the Shrieks catch from one to another, 'till the whole Congregation is alarmed, and such an awful Scene, many Times, open'd, as no Imagination can paint to the Life. To this Purpose is that in the BOSTON-Post-Boy ^*, when af­ter an Account of the terrible Language made Use of by the Itinerants, 'tis added, ‘This frequently frights the little Children, and sets them a Screaming; and that frights their tender Mo­thers, and sets them to Screaming, and by Degrees spreads over a great Part of the Con­gregation: And 40, 50, or an 100, of them screaming all together, makes such an awful and hideous Noise as will make a Man's Hair stand an End. Some will faint away, fall down upon the Floor, wallow and foam. Some Wo­men will rend off their Caps, Handkerchiefs, and other Clothes, tear their Hair down about their Ears, and seem perfectly bereft of their Reason.’ ^†

Appearances in this Kind, I have often had an Account of from those who have been present at them; and as begun by one or two Persons at first: And where this has been the Case, there is no great Difficulty in finding out the [Page 107] Cause: 'Tis far more reasonable to look for it in Nature, than in Grace.

It may not be amiss to observe still further, that these Terrors, with their Effects, are uniform all over the Country; operating upon all in whom they take Place, much in the same Way and Man­ner, be their moral Character what it will. Whe­ther the Subjects of them be great or small Sin­ners, whether the Sins they have committed be more or less, whether they have continued in Sin a longer or shorter Time, there is no Difference as to their Fears, and the Operation of them; but they are all indiscriminately thrown into the like horrible Circumstances; which it is not reason­able to think would be the Case, if they were put into this Condition by a divine Influence: Whereas, its the very Thing that might be ex­pected, where Nature is suddenly surpris'd, and over-come, as in a Fright.

In fine, it's a Circumstance no Ways fa­vouring the divine Rise of these Out-cries, that many People now commonly make them, not as urg'd hereto from an over-pouring Sense of their own Sins, but the Sins of others. Having been converted themselves, their Distress, under the Preaching of the Word, is now raised to such a Height for the unconverted Sinners in the Congregation, that they can't help screaming out; and so many of them, sometimes at once, as that the Worship is interrupted, or greatly disturb'd. A Concern for others, whom we have Reason to fear, are in a State of Sin, is, no Doubt, reason­able; and there will be more or less of it, in the Heart of every sincere Christian. But are Shriekings a suitable Expression of this Concern; [Page 108] especially, in the House of GOD? And can it be suppos'd, the GOD of Order, would, by the Exertment of his Power, raise this Concern to such a Height, as that his own Worship should be broke up upon the Account of it? 'Tis impossi­ble. I never heard one sober, solid Person speak a Word, in Favour of these Out-cries; and am heartily sorry, any Thing has been printed, encouraging so gross an Extravagance. I hope none, from the meer Sound of some Texts, will justify this same Distress for others, as it be­gins now to discover it self, among some Persons, in another Form, in Travail-Pains and Throws. Of this, I have now an Account by me, in a Letter from a Friend, upon the Evidence of his own Eyes and Ears; which yet, I should not have mentioned, but that I have since personally conversed with a Minister in the Country, who informed me of one, who had been in Travail two or three Times successively for him. i. e. Under all the Signs of Distress, that appear in Wo­men upon such Occasions.

These are the Reasons, why I can't entertain so high an Opinion as some others do, of the Terrors appearing in strange bodily Effects, which have been so common of late in this Land.

It will, possibly, be said, I have, in saying these Things, reflected Disgrace upon the Work of Con­viction. If I had had such a Thought of the Matter, I should have suppressed what is here of­fered. Those, in my Opinion, do the greatest Dishonour to the blessed SPIRIT, and his Influ­ence upon the Hearts of Sinners, in the Business of Conviction, who make no Distinction between those Fears that are the Effect of Truth duly im­prest [Page 109] upon the Mind, and those that arise from an af­frightned Imagination. And to speak freely, I am clearly in the Sentiment, that the great Stress that has been laid upon such Terrors, as have evidently been produced by the mechanical Influence of aw­ful Words and frightful Gestures, has been a great Disservice to the Interest of Religion: Nay, I am not without Fear, least the tremendous Threat­ning of GOD have, by some, been prophanely made Use of, while, under the Pretence of Awakening Men's Consciences, they have thunder'd out Death and Damnation, in a Manner more fit for the Stage than the sacred Desk, and so as to asto­nish the Imagination rather than possess the Mind of a reasonable Conviction of these awful Truths of GOD. I am not against the Preaching of Ter­ror; but whenever this is done, it ought to be in a Way that may enlighten the Mind, as well as alarm the Passions: And I am greatly mista­ken, if this has been the Practice, among some Sort of Preachers, so much as it ought to be And to this it may be owing, that Religion, of late, has been more a Commotion in the Passions, than a Change in the Temper of the Mind: Not but that, I think, a lasting Change has been wrought in a Number; though I could wish I had Reason to say, it was so great a Number as some pretend: Nay, I am not without Hopes, that some even of those who have been frighten'd into Shrieks and Fits, are become new-Men; but then, I have no other Thought, in the general, of the Surprise they were thrown into, than of the Surprise by a terrible Clap of Thunder, or the Shock of an Earthquake: They might hereby be awakened to Consideration, and put upon waiting upon GOD in his own Way, 'till a Work of Grace has been effected in them.

[Page 110] I shall conclude this Head with two general Cautions.

The first is, to beware of being prejudiced a­gainst the real Work of Conviction, from the strange Appearance, in a Way of Terror, there has been lately seen among us. Many, I have Reason to fear, have herefrom been led, both to think and speak, very unsuitably of this Work of the HOLY SPIRIT: But they are herein greatly to Blame. There certainly is such a Thing as a Sense of Sin, expressing itself in bitter Remorse of Conscience. 'Tis indeed impossible, that Sinners should have upon their Minds a just Apprehension of themselves, and their real Character, as Children of Wrath, and not be fill'd with uneasy Sensations: Nay, it may be fear'd of all, who have liv'd to adult Years, thoughtless of their Souls, that they know not the Grace of GOD in Truth, if they have had no Experience of the Troubles of an awa­kened Conscience: Nor is it any Objection a­gainst either the Reality or Necessity of this Con­viction, that there may be a Resemblance of it in the Workings of that Fear which is not excited by the Influence of the HOLY GHOST: And in­stead of being prejudiced herefrom against the SPIRIT's Operation, in convincing Sinners, we should take Occasion to be wisely cautious in distin­guishing between those Fears, with their Effects, that are from the SPIRIT, and those that may have Rise from other Causes.

Very serviceable for our Direction in this Matter, are the Words of that experienced Christian, as well as noted Divine, Mr. CHARNOCK. Says he,^† [Page 111] pointing out the Difference between those Con­victions that are from Nature and the SPIRIT, the former ‘are sudden Frights and Startings, which soon settle again; as in a sudden Fright and Start, Nature is speedily reduced to its former Temper, and the Blood that was put on a sud­den into another Motion, is quickly brought to its former Consistence. They are usually like a Land-Flood, which causes an Inundation, but sinks not into the Roots of the Soul.—It is a Work, not so much upon the Judgment as up­on the Affections: Therefore it is like a Fire falling upon Flax and other combustable Matter, which flames and expires; and you see its Death almost as soon as it begins to be: Whereas those Convictions that arise from the SPIRIT, settle upon the Judgment, and like a Fire in a Log of Wood, are kept alive in the Soul, eat into the Soul, dive into the Bottom, produce serious and lasting Affec­tions. Conscience is staggering and unfixt; therefore whatsoever ariseth from it, partak­eth of the uncertain Nature of the Cause. We shall be moveable in our Affections; unless first stedfast in our Judgment.’ And again, shewing the Difference between those Convicti­ons, in which Satan may have a Hand, and those that are from the SPIRIT, he says,^* ‘Satan works violently and suddenly, and most by the Passions and Humours of the Body, rather than by Rea­son; but the SPIRIT works upon the Mind, therefore he is an enlightning SPIRIT. Satan works upon the Reason by the Passion; the SPIRIT upon the Passion by Reason; He first [Page 112] enlightens the Mind, and brings Light into the Heart, and the rational Faculties, the proper Subjects of Light; and by this Means winds up the Passions to what Pitch and Tune he thinks fit. Satan first works upon the Humours of the Body, as melancholy, and the like. Sa­tan works violently, as upon Passion, as he buf­fetted PAUL; boxes a Man to and fro, so that he hath no Time to do any Thing but consider his Misery; whereas the SPIRIT proposeth the Object, helps the Soul to consider, and by Degrees leads to a further Knowledge of the Light of the Gospel, from a glimmering to a shining Light, 'till the Knowledge of the Lord break in, in its full Glory.’ And his first Inference from what he had said about Con­viction of Sin is,^‡ ‘The Gospel doth not destroy Reason and rational Proceeding.—The working of the SPIRIT is according to the Nature of Man, moves not in Contradiction to, but in an Elevation of Reason.—He doth not, extin­guish Reason, the Candle of the LORD, but snuffs it, and adds more Light, reduces it to its proper Manner of Operation, and sets it in its right State towards GOD; brings first Light into the Understanding, and new Moti­ons into the Will: He doth not dethrone Rea­son and Judgment, but applies it to its proper Work, repairs it, sets it in its true Motion.—The Arguments the SPIRIT uses, are suited to the Reason of Men, otherwise Conscience could not be mov'd; for Conscience follows Judg­ment: IT IS NOT AN ACT OF JUDGMENT, BUT IMAGINATION, THAT REASON DOTH NOT PRECEDE. [Page 113] As the Service GOD requires, is a rational Ser­vice; so the Method he uses in Conversion is a rational Method.’

The other Caution I would give is, to take heed of Mistakes about the passionate Part of Convicti­on, i. e. The sensible Workings of the Affections. There are two Mistakes, in this kind, People have been ready to fall into.

Some, and great Multitudes, it may be fear'd, have plac'd their Religion too much in this extra­ordinary Terror; trusting to it, and making a Righ­teousness of it: putting it in the Place of CHRIST, or of that real Change of Heart and Life, without which they can't be qualified for an Admission into the Kingdom of GOD. Holy Mr. BAXTER'S Words are very pertinent to such Persons as these. Says he, ‘Think not that you can satisfy the Justice of the Law, or merit any Thing of GOD, by the Worth of your Sorrows; tho' you should weep even Tears of Blood. It is not true Humiliation, if it consists not in the Sense and Acknowledgement of your Unwor­thiness, and Desert of Condemnation; and if it do not lead you to look out for Pardon and Life from CHRIST, as being lost and wholly in­sufficient for your selves. And therefore it would be a plain Contradiction, if true Humili­ation should be taken as Satisfaction, or Merit; or trusted on, instead of CHRIST.’ To the like Purpose are those Words of the pious Mr. BOL­TON. Says he,^† ‘Once for all, take this Ca­veat [Page 114] and Forewarning: If any should think of these precedent Acts, these preparatory Workings of the Law and Gospel, which make Way for the Infusion of Faith, as any merito­rious Means to draw on CHRIST; it were a most false, rotten, foolish, execrable, popish, absurd, Luciferian Conceit; and might justly merit, never to obtain Mercy at GOD's boun­tiful Hands; not part in the Merits of CHRIST.’

Others, from what they have seen, or heard of the dreadful Terrors, some have been in, discover­ing themselves in Shriekings and Swoonings, have been ready to question their good Estate, meerly because they han't experienced in this Respect, as they have done. But this is a wrong Way of Judging in the Case. Hear how the famous Dr. OWEN expresses himself upon this Matter. Un­der the Work of Conviction there will be, says he,^* ‘disquieting and perplexing Affections in the Minds of Men; nor can it be otherwise, where it is fixt and prevalent. As, (1) Sorrow and Shame, for and of what they have done. (2) Fear of eternal Wrath. This keeps the Soul in Bondage, and is accompanied with Tor­ment. (3) Perplexing unsatisfactory Enquiries after Means, and Ways for Deliverance, out of this Distress, and from future Misery. What shall we do to be saved, is the restless Inquiry of such Persons.’ He goes on,^† ‘The Sub­stance of these Things is ordinarily found in those who are converted unto GOD, when grown up unto the Use of Reason, and capa­ble [Page 115] of Impressions from external Administrati­ons: Especially, are they evident in the Minds and Consciences of such, as have been engag'd in any open sinful Course, or Practice.’ He then immediately adds, ‘But yet, no certain Rule or Measure of them can be prescrib'd as ne­cessary in, or unto any, antecedaneously unto Conversion. To evince the Truth whereof, two Things may be observed; (1.) That Perturbations, Sorrows, Dejections, Dread, Fear, are no Duty unto any; only, they are such Things as sometimes ensue, or are e­mitted into the Mind, upon that which is a Duty indispensible; namely, Conviction of Sin. They belong not to the Precept of the Law, but to its Curse. They are no Part of what is required of us, but of what is inflicted on us. There is a Gospel-Sorrow, and Humiliation after believing that is a Duty, that is both command­ed, and hath Promises annext to it: But this legal Sorrow is an Effect of the Curse of the Law, not of its Command. (2.) GOD is pleas'd to exercise a Prerogative and Sovereign­ty in this whole Matter, and deals with the Souls of Men in unspeakable Variety. Some he leads by the Gates of Death and Hell un­to Rest in his Love. And the Paths of others he makes plain and easy to them. Some walk and wander long in Darkness; in the Souls of others, CHRIST is formed in the first gracious Visitation.’

In a few Pages onwards^†, He speaks of it as an entangling Temptation Persons under Conviction should beware of; Namely, ‘that they have not [Page 116] attain'd such a Degree of Sorrow for Sin, and Hu­miliation, as is necessary to them who are call­ed to believe in JESUS CHRIST.’ And says up­on it, ‘There was indeed more Reason of giv­ing Caution against Temptations of this Kind in former Days, when Preachers of the Gospel dealt more severely, I wish I may not also say more sincerely, with the Consciences of convin­ced Sinners, than it is the Manner of most now to do: But yet, 'tis possible, that herein may lie a Mistake; seeing no such Degrees of these Things, as some may be troubled about, are prescrib'd for any such End, either in the Law or Gospel.’ And of the same Mind was the celebrated Mr. SHEPARD, Mr. WILLARD, and others, I have elsewhere mentioned.

The Words of the pious Mr. BAXTER are so observable, I can't help transcribing them, for the Conclusion of this Head. A Mistake, says he,^† to be carefully avoided is, ‘The placing your Humiliation, either only, or principally, in the passionate Part, or in the outward Expressions of the Passions. I mean either in pinching Grief, and Sorrow of Heart, or else in Tears. But you must remember, that the Life of it is in the Judgment and the Will. It is not the Measure of passionate Sorrow and Anguish, that will best shew the Measure of your sincere Hu­miliation; much less is it your Tears, or out­ward Expressions. But it is your low Esteem of your selves, and Contentedness to be vile in the Eyes of others; and your Displicency with your selves, and Willingness to mourn, [Page 117] and weep for 'Sin as much as GOD would have you, and the rest of the Acts of the Judgment and Will.’

‘Two great Dangers are here before you to be avoided. (1) Some there be that have ter­rible Pangs of Sorrow, and are ready to tear their own Hair; yea, to make away themselves, as JUDAS, in the Horror of their Consciences; and these may seem to have true Humiliation, and yet have none. And some can weep a­bundantly at a Sermon, or in a Prayer, or in mentioning their Sin to others, and therefore think they are truly humbled; and yet, it may be nothing so. For it, at the same Time, their Hearts are in Love with Sin, or have not an habitual Hatred of it, and a predominant su­perlative Love to GOD, their Humiliation is no saving Work.—(2) Another Sort there are, much better and happier than the former, that yet, to their great Trouble, are mistaken in this Point; and that is, they that think they have no true Humiliation, because they find not such Pangs of Sorrow, and Freedom of Tears as o­thers have; whereas their Hearts are con­trite, even when they cannot weep a Tear. Tell me but this, are you vile in your own Eyes because you are guilty of Sin, and that against the LORD, whom you chiefly love? Do you loath your selves because of your A­bominations? And could you heartily wish you had been suffering when you were sin­ning? And if it were to do again, would you choose to suffer rather than to sin? Have you a Desire to grieve, when you cannot pas­sionately grieve? Do you think meanly of your own Sayings and Doings, and better of [Page 118] others, wherethere is any Ground, than of your selves? Do you justify GOD's Afflictions, and Men's Rebukes, and think yourselves unwor­thy of the Communion of the Saints, unwor­thy to live upon the Face of the Earth? Yea, would you justify GOD, if he should condemn you? This is the State of an humbled Soul. Find but this, and you need not doubt of GOD's Acceptance, tho' you were unable to shed a Tear. There is more Humiliation in a base Esteem of ourselves, than in a thousand Tears; and more in a Will or Desire to weep for Sin, than in Tears that come through Force of Terror, or Moisture of the Brain, or passionate Tenderness of Nature. If the Will be right, you need not fear. It is he that most hateth Sin, and is hardliest drawn to it, that is truliest hum­bled for it.’ He proceeds, a little onwards, to observe, ‘That that Part of Humiliation, which consisteth in the Acts of the Understanding, and Will, can't be too much, as to the Intention of the Act. To have too clear an Apprehension of the Evil of Sin, and his own Vileness, this a Man need not fear. And in the Will it is more clear: No Man can be too willing to be rid of Sin, in GOD's Time and Way; nor be too much averse from it, as it is against the LORD. But then, the other Part of Humilia­tion, which consisteth in the Depth of Sorrow, or in Tears, may possibly be too much.’ And in se­veral Particulars, he directs Persons how to discern when it is so. As, ‘First, When your Sorrow is greater than your Brains can bear, without ap­parent Danger of Distraction, or a melancholly Disturbance and Diminution of your Understand­ing, then it is certainly too much, and to be restrained. For if you overthrow your Reason, [Page 119] you will be a Reproach to Religion, and you will be fit for nothing that's truly Good, ei­ther to your own Edification, or the Service of GOD.’ Again, ‘When Sorrow is so great as to discompose your Mind, or enfeeble your Body, so as to unfit you for the Service of GOD, and make you more unable to do Good, or receive Good, you have Reason then to mo­derate and restrain it.’ Likewise, ‘When the Greatness of your Sorrow doth overmatch the necessary Measure of your Love, or Joy, or Thanks, and keep out these, and take up more of your Spirit than its Part, having no Room for greater Duties, then it is excessive and to be restrained. There are some that will strive and struggle with their Hearts, to wring out a few Tears, and increase their Sorrow, that yet make little Conscience of other Affections, and will not strive half so much to increase their Faith, and Love, and Joy.’ So ‘when your Sorrow, by the Greatness of it, doth draw you in­to Temptation, either to despair, or think hardly of GOD, and his Service, or to undervalue his Grace, and the Satisfaction of CHRIST, as if it were too scant and insufficient for you, you have then Cause to moderate and restrain it.’

The next Thing to be considered, as what I can't but look upon to be of dangerous Tendency is that sudden Light and Joy so many, of late, claim to be the Subjects of. Not that I questi­on, whether there is such a Thing as religious Joy. The Bible often speaks of rejoicing in GOD, and in Hope of the Glory to be hereafter revealed. The Kingdom of GOD is said to consist in Joy, as well as Peace and Righteousness; And Joy is reckon'd among the Fruits of the SPIRIT: And [Page 120] this Joy is said to be unspeakable, and full of Glory; yea, his called the Peace of GOD which passeth all Understanding. But then, there is a false, as well as true Joy; the Joy of the Hypocrite, as well as of the real Christian; a Joy that has its Rise in animal Nature, as well as from the HOLY GHOST. And though I would hope, a Number, of late, have been made Partakers of true Joy, the Joy there is in Believing; yet, there may be Reason for bear, lest the Joy that has been so much boasted of, should be no other, in the general, than the Joy, those may experience, who are Christians more in Appearance than Reality, in Word than Deed.

I shall here take Liberty to examine this Joy; and shall do it with all the Impartiality I am able, as being a Matter in which 'tis exceeding dangerous for Men to deceive themselves, or be deceived by others. And,

Three Things are observable with Reference to true Joy; the Foundation of it, its Cause and Effects: And these are the Things by which I shall try the Joy of the present Times.

The Foundation of true Joy is always laid in such a Faith, as embraces the SAVIOUR upon Gos­pel-Terms; a Faith that purifies the Heart, and is a living, active, powerful Principle of all holy O­bedience to the Commandments of GOD. The new Creature, the Man that has upon him the I­mage of CHRIST JESUS, is the Subject of this Joy. A Stranger to the Work of the SPIRIT, in Regene­ration, intermeddles not with it: And however he may pretend to it, or seem to be in Transports of it, 'tis nothing more than Pretence, or the [Page 121] Effect of a deluded Imagination. And this is a plain Case: For where there is not a Work of Grace in the Heart, 'tis impossible a Man should think justly of himself, while he thinks there is; and his Joy therefore from the Apprehension of his being a Child of GOD, and in a State of Fa­vour with him, must be a Delusion.

And now, can it be pretended of all that have, of late, been in great Light and Joy, that they are among the Sanctified in CHRIST JESUS? Would to GOD it were thus! Some have made it evi­dent by their after-Lives, that their Joy was only a sudden Flash, a Spark of their own kindling: Nay, some have been made sensible, their Joy was no­thing more than a meer sensitive Passion, and have own'd they were under a Delusion, while they imagin'd it was of a divine Origin. And if the Foundation of Joy, in the Multitudes who have had the feeling of it, was a renewed Heart, this they would have made evident by their walk­ing in Newness of Life: They would have ap­pear'd new Men, being better in their whole ex­ternal Conduct, both towards GOD and Man, in all the varying Conditions and Relations of Life. And has this generally been the Case? I believe few will have the Face to pretend it has; and we shall presently see what Reason there is to fear it has not.

The Cause of true Joy is another Thing that must be considered; by which I mean here, the immediate Occasion or Reason of the Excitement of this Passion. And this is the Man's Perception of his being a true Believer, a real Saint; and as such, interested in the Promises of the Gospel­Covenant. A Man must not only be a sanctified [Page 122] Person, but discern that he is so, before he can rationally have the Joy of Religion. The Spring of his Joy, is the View he has of himself as a Per­son qualified, according to the Tenor of the New­Testament, for the Forgiveness of Sins, and an Inheritance among the Saints in Light. Hence that Direction of the Apostle, ^* But let every Man prove his own Work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself. Agreeable whereto we read,^‡ This is our Rejoicing, the Testimony of our Conscience, that is Simplicity and godly Sincerity, not by fleshly Wis­dom, but by the Grace of GOD, we have our Conver­sation in the World. The immediate Reason of true Joy, according to the Apostle PAUL, is the Witness of Conscience to the Work of Grace in our Hearts. There is, no Doubt, the concurrent Witness of the Divine SPIRIT with the Chris­tian's Spirit, that he is a true Believer, a Child of GOD by Regeneration; and from hence he triumphs in GOD as his Portion and Happiness.

Is this now the Way in which Persons, in these Times, come by their Joy? Is it not rather, in some, a sudden, strange delightful Kind of State, arising they can't say whence, or where­fore?^† I know it has been thus with some I have convers'd with; and I have Reason to [Page 123] think, it has been the Case with others also. And are there not Multitudes, whose Joy has sprung from sudden Impressions, that their State was good, without the Discernment of a special Work of GOD, wrought in their Hearts? Has it not been secretly and strongly suggested to them, that they are GOD's Children, that CHRIST died for them, and that they are interested in his Me­rits? And han't they been sure of this, rather from a direct Light shining in their Minds, than from the Evidence they have had, from the Word of GOD, that they were possest of such Marks of Regeneration as no Hypocrite ever came up to? Nay, is it not an avowed Principle, that Assurance is to be had from the immediate Witness of the SPIRIT, telling a Man that he is a true Belie­ver, and not from the Perception of a real Work of GOD, effected in him? Those that don't know, that the Joy of these Times is too gene­rally the Effect of this sudden Light, and not of a strict and thorow Examination, and herefrom the Witness of a Man's own Spirit, with the Testimony of the SPIRIT of GOD, to a Work of Sanctifica­tion wrought in his Soul, are very much Stran­gers to the religious State of Affairs in the Land.

This may seem a glorious Way to Assurance and Joy, but 'tis infinitely dangerous for Men to trust to this Light, and depend upon the Joy ari­sing from it, without the concurring Testimony of their own Conscience, upon clear and full Evi­dence. [Page 124] And in this Sentiment do the most expe­rienced, and judicious Divines perfectly agree. Says the pious Mr. BOLTON,^* ‘That which the SPIRIT reveals to our Consciences, we our­selves may collect and conclude out of GOD's Word, upon the Conscience of our Faith, Re­pentance, and other saving Endowments and holy Graces, shining in our Souls, and uprightly exercis'd in our whole Conversation. When we by these Means have assured our Souls, that we are the Children of GOD, which is the Testi­mony of our own renewed Spirit, the SPIRIT of GOD, as another Witness, secondeth and con­firmeth this Assurance by Divine Inspiration, and by sweet Motions and Feelings of GOD's special Goodness, and glorious saving Pre­sence; and so according to the Apostle's Phrase, Rom. 8. 16. Beareth Witness with our Spirits. Wherefore, if any Man presumes upon, or pretends any immediate Suggestions or Revela­lation for his spiritual Safety, and everlasting Well-being; and yet, wants utterly the Testi­mony of his renewed Conscience to the same Pur­pose, the Testimony of Universal Obedience, of not lying wilfully and delightfully in any one known Sin, of crucifying the Affections with the Lusts; I can give him none but this cold Comfort, he is cursedly coozened by the Devil's counterfeit Glory of an Angel, cast­ing into his absurd Imagination such groundless Conceits, which, in Time of Trial, will vanish into nothing, and fly away as a Dream.’ To the like Purpose are those Words of Mr. BAXTER, [Page 125] ‘Some I have known, who have wanted Assu­rance; and falling among the ANTINOMIANS, were told by them that they undid themselves by looking after Signs and Marks of Grace, and so laying their Comforts upon some Things in themselves; whereas they should look only to CHRIST for Comfort, and not at any Thing in themselves at all. And for Assurance, it is ONLY THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT, without any Marks that must give it them; and to fetch Comfort from their own Graces and Obe­dience, was to make it themselves, instead of CHRIST, or the HOLY GHOST, and was a legal Way. No sooner was this Doctrine received, but the Receivers had Comfort at Will, and all was sealed up to them presently by the WIT­NESS OF the SPIRIT, in their own Conceit. Whence this came, judge you. Sure I am, that the sudden Looseness of their Lives, answer­ing their ignorant, loose, ungospel-like Doctrine, did certify me that the SPIRIT OF COMFORT was not their COMFORTER; for he is also a SPIRIT OF HOLINESS, and comforteth Men by the Means of a holy Gospel, which hath Pre­cepts, and Threatnings, as well as Promises.’ ^*

The last Thing, is the Influence of true Joy; and it operates in various Effects upon those who are the Subjects of it.

One of its Effects is, a Heart and Tongue to praise GOD. It expresses itself in fervent Adora­tions of divine Mercy, in thankful Acknowledge­ments to the GOD of all Grace. And this, it [Page 126] must be own'd, is the Operation of the Joy of the present Day: But then, is it not just Mat­ter of Complaint, that its Praises of GOD have been too ostentatious, too much favouring of a Desire to be seen of Men? Has it been content with silent Admirations of the Loving-Kind­ness of GOD in JESUS CHRIST; venting it self in secret Breathings of Love, and Returns of Gra­titude to the Father of Mercies? No, but the Houses of Worship, the Places of Concourse, are those in which it has generally broke forth, in Acknowledgements to GOD: Nay, han't it been common in some Parts of the Land, and among some Sorts of People, to express their re­ligious Joy by singing through the Streets, and in Ferry-Boats? And has not this Joy almost uni­versally shown it self in Raptures and Transports? Nay, in Swoonings, and Out-cries, and Screamings, so like to these same Effects under Terror, that it han't been known, whether Persons were in Joy or Sorrow, but by asking them the Reason of the Commotion their Passions have been in? Yea, has it not been a usual Thing to shew this Joy by clapping of Hands, by jumping up and down, by Congratulations in the Way of Kissing, by breaking out into hearty loud Laughter? It may seem like a Banter upon this Joy to speak these Things; but they are the exact Truth of the Case, with­out a Figure: And known to be so; and this, not in a single Instance or Place, but in Multitudes of both; yea, this has been the Appearance, more or less, in all Parts of the Land, where People have been in great Light and Joy.

This of Laughing, so far as I am acquainted with the History of the Church, is a Method of expressing religious Joy peculiar to the present [Page 127] Times: Nor can I think from whence it should take Rise, unless from Mr. WHITEFIELD and TENNENT. The former of these Gentlemen was sometimes observed to speak of the Affairs of Salvation, with a Smile in his Countenance; but 'tis generally known of the latter, that he could searce hear of a Person's being under the slightest Conviction, but he would laugh. And if told of any that were in great spiritual Distress, he would fall into a broad Laugh. This always appear'd shocking to some who were Witness of it, as I have often heard them say: But as it was the Gentleman's Practice, he might be imitated by others in this Imperfection, and from them by others still, and so the Humour be propagated 'till it became general. I can't, for myself, give an Account of the Rise of this Practice from any other Cause. But from whatever Cause it sprang, 'tis certainly one of the most incongruous Ways of expressing religious Joy. It favours of too much Levity, as it has to do with Matters of infinite and eternal Moment. It discovers the Want of a due Reverence towards the divine Majesty; and seems inconsistent with that holy Fear and Caution, which must be thought reasonable, where the Salvation of the Soul is the Thing it is con­versant about.

Nor is this all, but these Raptures and Extasies have, in too many Instances, come to Visions, and Trances, and Revelations. There are few Places, where this Joy, in all its Height, has pre­vailed, but it has ended, in a greater or less Number of Persons, in these Things. I could fill many Pages with the Accounts I have had of the Trances Persons have been in, from different Parts of the Country; but shall confine [Page 128] my self to a double Instance, and give it in the Words of a Friend, in his Letter to me. Says he, ‘The most remarkable Thing which has happened since Mr. D—T's Departure (from NEW-HAVEN) is Visions and Trances, which have befell sundry Persons in this Place. I will endeavour to give Account of two Wo­men, who fell into a Trance together. It was sometime in November last. The beginning of it was at a Conference Meeting, or private Fast, kept by a Number of the New-Light Party (as it was said) to pray that the gene­ral Council of Ministers, who were then sitting at GUILFORD, might be restrained from doing any Thing that should be detrimental to the Work of GOD, or (shall I be too uncharitable, if I say) in other Words, to their Cause. At this Meeting, two young Women were ex­ceedingly fill'd with Zeal, and their Affections rais'd very high: They were, in some De­gree, depriv'd of their bodily Strength; but yet, were by Turns able to speak, which they did, in Addresses and Exhortations to, and Prayers for, those present, who they supposed were unconverted. Their Minds remained very full of Zeal and Affection that Night, and the next Day. The next Evening, as they were together walking the Street, they were both so overpowered by some Thing or other, that they fell down unable to walk, and so continued, for some Time, lying in the Street like Persons dead or asleep. At length, one recovered herself so far as to be able to go to the next House, which was within a few Rods, and inform'd the People of the Condition of her Mate, who thereupon went and brought her into said House; and thus [Page 129] they continued in a Sort of Extasie, either lying as though in a Sleep, or uttering extatic Ex­pressions of Joy, of the Love of CHRIST, and of Love to him; of Concern for the Souls of Sinners, and the like. Many People resort­ed to see them, for whom, and especially for those they suppos'd were out of CHRIST, they would frequently pray with great Earnestness, and, to all Appearance, Engagedness of Mind; to whom they would also address themselves in awful Warnings, moving Perswasions, and pathetic Exhortations, in which they would use some Expressions, from whence it seem'd that they suppos'd themselves to have a special Commission, or endow'd with some special Autho­rity; such as CHRIST has sent me, CHRIST has bid me say, and do, so and so. And indeed many People, especially those of their Party, seemed verily to believe that they were inspir'd, and did ever pretend to justify the Separation from the Authority of their Word, as though divine. And they not only us'd many unwarrantable Expressions, but made strange Declarations, as that they had been to Heaven, had seen the Book of Life, the Names of many Persons of their Ac­quaintance wrote in it; that they had seen the Seats of the Blessed, and their own Seats empty, and the like. Many more Things they said and did of the like kind, which the Time will not allow me particularly to relate. In the Condition described, they remained about a Week, and then they came to themselves, or to their former Condition by little and little.’

The Light and Joy that has operated in the above Extasies, and Swoonings, and Laughings, and at Length come to Visions and Trances, has been [Page 130] highly spoken of by some; Nay, it has been thought prophane so much as to question its divine Origin: But the most experienced, and celebra­ted Divines have always had other Sentiments of this Kind of Illumination, as well as the Exultings proceeding from it. They have carefully cauti­oned against it, as what ought not to be depend­ed on; yea, they have esteem'd it a Reproach to have it said, they had a good Opinion of it. Hear the Words of the pious and learned Dr. OWEN. Says he,^* ‘The Work of the HOLY SPIRIT, in Regeneration, doth not consist in en­thusiastical Raptures, Extasies, Voices, or any Thing of the like Kind. It may be, some such Things have been, by some deluded Persons, apprehended or pretended to. But the coun­tenancing of any such Imaginations is falsly and injuriously charged on them, who main­tain the powerful and effectual Work of the HOLY SPIRIT in our Regeneration.’ And in the next Page, ‘The HOLY SPIRIT, in this Work, doth ordinarily put forth his Power in and by the Use of Means. He worketh also on Men suitably unto their Natures, even as the Faculties of their Souls, their Minds, Wills and Affections, are meet to be affected and wro't upon. He doth not come upon them with in­voluntary Raptures, using their Faculties and Powers, as the evil Spirit wrests the Bodies of them whom he possesseth: His whole Work therefore is rationally to be accounted for, by and unto them who believe the Scripture, and have received the SPIRIT of Truth, whom the [Page 131] World cannot receive.’ It follows a few Lines onwards, ‘This great Work therefore, neither in Part, nor whole, consists in Raptures, Extasies, Visions, enthusiastic Inspirations, but in the Effect of the Power of the SPIRIT of GOD on the Souls of Men, by and according to his Word, both of the Law and the Gospel: And those who charge these Things on them who have asserted, declared and reached it according to the Scriptures, do it probably to countenance themselves in their Hatred of them, and of the Work itself.’ He still adds, ‘Where by Reason of Distemper of Mind, Disor­ders of Fancy, or long Continuance of distress­ing Fears and Sorrows, in and under such pre­paratory Works of the SPIRIT, which sometimes cut Men to their Hearts in the Sense of their Sin, and sinful lost Condition, any do fall into Apprehensions or Imaginations of any Things extraordinary in the Ways before-mentioned, if it be not quickly and strictly brought to Rule, and discarded thereby, it may be of great Danger to their Souls, and is never of any solid Use of Ad­vantage. Such Apprehensions for the most Part are either Conceptions of distempered Minds, and discomposed Fancies, or Delusions of Satan trans­forming himself into an Angel of Light, which the Doctrine of Regeneration ought not to be ac­countable for.’ Very observable also are the Words of our famous SHEPARD to the like Pur­pose. Says he,^*, ‘There may be in a false Heart, a strange Knowledge of CHRIST without Scriptures, which may ravish a Man's deluded Heart strangely, which is usually the first Temp­tation [Page 132] of the Virgin Churches, that are of much Knowledge and little Love, 2 Cor. 11. 2, 3, 4. Wherein Satan doth not seek to pull away Men to forsake the Gospel, but from the Simplicity of the Gospel.—And hence we have heard, that some have heard Voices; some have seen the very Blood of CHRIST dropping on them, and his Wounds in his Side; some have seen a great Light shining in the Chamber; some wonderfully affect­ed with their Dreams; some in great Distress have had inward Witness, thy Sins are forgiven, and hence such LIBERTY and JOY that they are ready to LEAP UP AND DOWN THE CHAMBER. O [...] adulterous Generation! Wo to them that have no other manifested CHRIST, but such an one!’ But to go on,

Another Effect of true Joy is Humility. It abas­es a Man in his own Eyes. He is herefrom led into a low Apprehension of himself, and his own Worthiness. He admires the divine Grace dis­play'd towards such a Worm, such a Wretch! With holy PAUL, he is ready to say, By the Grace of GOD, I am what I am: And instead of en­tertaining a high Conceit of himself in Compare with others, he is rather dispos'd to prefer them in Love; esteeming himself less than the least of all Saints.

Is this now the Influence of the Joy of these Times? I hope it is so in Respect of some; but of how many may the Reverse be justly said? And of those too, who have been in high Rap­tures. Who more vain and proud than many of the Converts of the present Day? Who more puffed up with a fond Conceit of their own su­perior Attainments? Why else so forward and [Page 133] forth-puting? Why so ready to think themselves fit to be Teachers, and to thrust themselves into the Places and Offices of others? And who more apt to despise others, while they trust in themselves that they are righteous? How else should that be so often the Language of their Practice, if not of their Lips, Stand off, I am holier than thou? These Things are too well known to be called in Question: They are indeed common all over the Land.

That wonderful Man, Mr. BAXTER mentions one Thing as an Argument of the want of due Humiliation, which I can't help giving a Place here. ‘When you begin, says he,^* to be leavened with Pride, and think highly of your selves, and have good Conceits of your own Parts and Performances, and would be noted and taken for some Body among the Godly, and cannot bear to be overlook'd, or past by; when you think meanly of other Men's Parts and Duties in Comparison of your's, and think yourselves as wise as your Teachers, and be­gin to hear them as Judges with a majesterial Spirit, and think you could do as well as this your selves; when you are finding Fault with that which should nourish you, and in every Sermon are most nothing the Defects, and think that this you could have mended; when you itch to be Teachers yourselves, and think your­selves fitter to preach than to learn, to rule than be ruled, to answer than to ask for Resolution; when you think so well of your selves, that the Church is not good, or pure enough for your Com­pany, tho' CHRIST disowneth it not, and they force you not to sin; when you grow censorious, [Page 134] and aggravate the Faults of others, and extenuate their Graces, and can see a Mote in another's Eye, but will discern none of their Graces, if they be not as high as Mountains, and none can pass for Godly with you but those of the most eminent Magnitude; when you are itching af­ter Novelties in Religion, and setting your Wis­dom against the present or ancient Church, and affecting Singularity because you will be of no common Way; when you cannot hear this Minister, nor that Minister, though the Ministers of CHRIST, and you are harping upon that, Come out from among them, and be ye seperate, as if CHRIST has called you to come out of his Church, when he calleth you to come out of the Company of Infidels: All this cries aloud for further Humiliation; you have a Tympany that must be prick'd, to let out the Wind that puffs you up. If you be not for Perdition, and to be forsaken, and given over to yourselves, you must be fetch'd over again, and humbled with a Wit­ness. When God hath turned you inside outward, and shewed you that you are poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked, and that you are empty Nothings, who thought so well of yourselves, he will then make you stoop to those that you despis'd, and think your selves unworthy the Communion of those that before you thought unworthy of yours. He will make you think you are unworthy to hear those Ministers, that you turn'd your Back upon: and he will take down your Teaching, talking vain, and make you glad again to be Learners: In a Word, he will make you by Conversion, as little Children, or you shall never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.’ This I look upon to be so exact a Description of these Times; yea, and of those [Page 135] Persons, who have made Pretences to the greatest Light and Joy, and in the most extraordinary Ways, that I can't but think the Consciences of all must fall in with it. Upon which let me add the Words of the same Author that immediately follow, as a Warning admirably suited to the Cir­cumstances of this Day, ‘This spiritual Pride is a most lamentable Disease, and the Issue usually exceeding sad. For with many, 'tis the Fore­runner of damnable Apostacy, and GOD gives them over to their own Conceits, and the Wisdom which they so esteem, 'till it hath led them to Perdition. And those that are cured, are many of them cured by the saddest Way of any Men in the World. For its usual with GOD to let them alone, 'till they have run themselves into some abominable Error, or fallen into some shameful scandalous Sins, 'till they are made a Hissing and By-word among Men, that Shame and Confusion may bring them to their Wits, and they may learn to know what it was that they were proud of, and see that they were but silly Worms.’

Another Effect of true Joy is a becoming Modesty and Caution in the Affairs of Salvation. If it makes Persons bold in their GOD, they are also jealous over themselves with a godly Jealousy: Their Boldness is tempered with a holy Fear that keeps them upon their Guard, and restrains them from being over-positive and confident. They rejoice in Hope, but with Trembling also; as being aware of the Treachery of their own Hearts, as well as the subtle Devices of Satan.

And is this generally the Character of those who have been in Joy, in these Days? Aro [Page 136] they not rather too certain of their good Estate, too peremptory in their Assurance? Have they not allow'd themselves, some of them at lest, in speaking too unguardedly upon this Head, being as confident of their Title to Heaven, as tho' they were actually in Possession of it? I believe, it will not be pretended, but that many have been wrought up, even to an Extravagance in the Opinion they have had of their Interest in CHRIST, and the Purchases of his Blood. And is this the Temper of those in whom the Peace of GOD reigns? It looks more like the Spirit of those who have been remarkable for the Warmth of their Imaginations.

In fine, 'Tis ever the Influence of true Joy to make Men better Christians, more like to GOD and the LORD JESUS CHRIST, more eminent for their Faith and Holiness; and in a Word, the real Substance and Power of Religion: Which does not consist only or mainly (to use the Words of Mr. BOLTON^†) ‘in outward Shews, Profes­sion, Talking; in holding strict Points, de­fending precise Opinions, contesting against the Corruption of the Times; in the Work wrought, external Forms of religious Exercises, set Tasks of Hearing, Reading, Conference, and the like; in some solemn outward extra­ordinary Abstinences, Forbearances, censuring others, &c. But in Righteousness and Peace, as well as Joy in the HOLY GHOST; in Meek­ness, Tender-heartedness, Love; in Patience, Humility, Contentedness; in Mortification of [Page 137] Sin, Moderation of Passion, holy Guidance of the Tongue; in Works of Mercy, Justice, and Truth; in Fidelity, Painfulness in ones Callings, conscionable conversing with Men; in Reverence to Superiors, Love of our Ene­mies, an open-hearted, real, fruitful Affection­ateness, and Bounty to GOD's People; in Heavenly-Mindedness, Self-Denial, the Life of Faith; in Disesteem of earthly Things, Con­tempt of the World, resolute Hatred of Sin; in approving our Hearts in GOD's Presence, a sweet Communion with him, comfortable Longing for the Coming of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, &c.’

And is this the Effects of the Joy that has been so common in these Days? I cannot suppose, any will venture to say, it has generally been so. The contrary hereto is evident to all who have Eyes to see; and if they don't see, 'tis because they shut their Eyes against the Light. This, in Part, has been made to appear already: And 'twill be more undeniable, the further we go on in this Discourse.

I shall only add, upon the whole, two Passages, which are well calculated for the Instruction and Warning of those, who pretend to high Joy in these Times. The one is from the great Mr. HOWE. Says he,^* speaking of the Joy of the true Christian, ‘It is a modest humble Exaltation, a serious severe Joy; suitable to his solid, sta­ble Hope. His Spirit is not puffed up, and [Page 138] swollen with Air; 'tis not big by an Inflation, or a light and windy Tumor; but 'tis really fill'd with effectual Pre-Apprehensions of a weighty Glory. His Joy exceedingly exerts it self with a steady lively Vigor, equally remo­ved from vain Lightness and Stupidity, from Conceitedness, and Insensibleness of his blessed State. He forgets not that he is less than the least of GOD's Mercies, but disowns not his Title to the greatest of them. He abases him­self to the Dust, in the Sense of his own Vile­ness; but in the Admiration of divine Grace, he rises as high as Heaven. In his Humilia­tion, he affects to equal himself with Worms, in his Joy and Praise with Angels. He is never unwilling to diminish himself, but afraid of detracting any Thing from the Love of GOD, or the Issues of that Love.’

The other is from the celebrated Mr. BAXTER. ‘GOD, says he^*, must give us Joy itself, as well as afford us Matter for Joy: But yet withall it must be remembred, that GOD doth work upon us as Men, and in a rational Way doth raise our Comforts. He enableth and exciteth us to mind and study these hea­venly delightful Objects, and from thence to gather our own Comforts, as the Bee doth ga­ther her Honey from the Flowers. Therefore he that is most skilful and painful in this ga­thering Art, is usually the fullest of this spiri­tual Sweetness. Where is the Man that can tell me from Experience, that he hath solid and usual Joy in any other Way but this, and that GOD worketh it immediately on his Affec­tions [Page 139] without the Means of his Understanding and Considering? It is by Believing, that we are fill'd with Joy and Peace, (Rom. 15. 13.) and no longer than we continue our believing. It is in Hope that the Saints rejoice; yea, in Hope of the Glory of GOD, (Rom. 5. 2.) and no longer than they continue hoping. And here, let me warn you of a dangerous Snare, an Opinion which will rob you of all your Comfort. Some think, if they should thus fetch in their Comfort by believing and hoping, and work it out of Scripture Promises, and ex­tract it by their own thinking and studying, that then it would be a Comfort only of their own hammering out, (as they say) and not the genuine Joy of the HOLY GHOST. A desperate Mistake, raised upon a Ground that would overthrow almost all Duty, as well as this, which is their setting the Workings of GOD's SPIRIT, and their own Spirits, in Opposition, when their Spirits must stand in Subordination to GOD's. They are conjunct Causes, co-operating to the Producing of one and the same Effect. GOD's SPIRIT worketh our Comforts by setting our own Spirits a work upon the Promises, and raising our Thoughts to the Place of our Comforts.—GOD useth not to call in our Joys while we are idle, or taken up with other Things. It is true, he sometimes doth it suddenly, but yet usually in the foresaid Order; leading it into our Hearts by our Judgment and Thoughts.—GOD seed­eth not his Saints as the Birds do their Young, bringing it to them, and putting it into their Mouths, while they be still in the Nest, and only gape to receive it. But as he giveth to Man the Fruits of the Earth, the Increase of the Land in Corn and Wine, while we plow, [Page 140] and sow, and weed, and water, and dung, and dress, and then with Patience expect his Bles­sing: So doth he give the Joys of the Soul. Yet I deny not, that if any should so think to work out his own Comforts by Meditation, as to attempt the Work in his own Strength, and not do all in Subordination to GOD, nor per­ceive a Necessity of the SPIRIT's Assistance, the Work would prove to be like the Work­man, and the Comfort he would gather would be like both; even meer Vanity: Even as the Husbandman's Labour, without the Sun, and Rain, and Blessing of GOD.’

The next Thing that is amiss, and very much so, in these Times, is that Spirit of rash, censorious and uncharitable Judging, which has been so pre­valent in the Land. This appear'd, first of all, in Mr.—W D, who seldom preach'd, but he has something or other, in his Sermon, against uncon­verted Ministers: And what he delivered; espe­cially, at some certain Times, had an evident Tendency to fill the Minds of People with evil Surmisings against the Ministers, as tho' they were, for the most Part, carnal, unregenerate Wretches. He often spake of them, in the Lump, as Phari­sees, Enemies of CHRIST JESUS, and the worst Enemies he had: And in Truth, the Spirit of his Preaching, upon this Head, was unhappily calcula­ted to leaven the Minds of People with Prejudices against the standing Ministers; alienating their Hearts from them, and by this Means, in the most effectual Manner, obstructing their Useful­ness. And as though he had not done enough, in Preaching, to beget in People an ill Opinion of the Ministers, he expresses his Fear, in his Journal ^† [Page 141] of NEW-ENGLAND, left ‘many, nay, the most that preach do not experimentally know CHRIST.’ This Reflection he immediately levels against the Mi­nisters, in this Land: And its the more rash and uncharitable, as he past through the Country in Post-Haste, having neither Opportunity nor Ad­vantage, to know the real Character of one tenth Part of the Ministers, he thus freely condemns. I don't think this Gentleman had it in his Intention, by his thus preaching and writing, to do an Injury to the Interest of Religion in these Churches; but if this had really been his Design, what more effectual Method could he have taken, than to represent the Body of the Clergy as out of CHRIST. i. e. carnal and unconverted? And if so, as unfit, according to his other Doctrine, to be the Instru­ments of converting spiritually dead Souls, as a naturally dead Man is to beget living Children. What is the Tendency of such a Conduct at this, but to set People against their Ministers as not fit to preach to them, and in this Way, to sow among them the Seeds of Contention and Sepa­ration?

I freely confess, had the Ministers of NEW­ENGLAND lost their Character as Men of Religion, by a Deportment of themselves contradictory to the Gospel, I should have found no Fault with any Representations of them as bad Men; nay, dangerous Enemies to the Kingdom of CHRIST: For I am clearly of the Mind, that a visibly wick­ed Minister is the greatest Scandal to Religion, and Plague to the Church of GOD: Nor is it a Hurt, but a real Service to the Cause of CHRIST, to ex­pose the Characters of such, and lessen their Power to do Mischief. But the Case is evidently different, where the Profession of Ministers, and [Page 142] their Character, so far as appears, agree with one another: 'Tis now an Abuse of them, and an Injury to the Church of GOD, to insinuate Sus­picions against them; much more, plainly to speak Evil of them. And may it not be said of the Body of the Ministers, in NEW-ENGLAND, that they are a Set of Men, as sound in the Faith, and of as good a Life, as any Part of the Christian World are favoured with? Hear the Opinion of that eminent Man of GOD, Dr. COTTON MATHER upon this Head. Says he,^* in Answer to a Slander of GEORGE KEITH'S, upon the Mini­sters of NEW-ENGLAND, ‘There is not that Spot of Ground upon the Face of GOD's Earth, which can proportionably match NEW-ENGLAND for Ministers, that not only have, and use all true Piety, but are also most exemplary for it. No Man becomes a Minister in our Churches, 'till he first be a Communicant; and no Man becomes a Communicant, until he hath been se­verely examin'd about his Regeneration, as well as his Conversation. If any Minister do misbe­have himself, he soon hears of it, and becomes either a Penitent, or a deposed Man. Let this wicked SHIMEI find so much as one ungodly Man, allow'd as a Minister, in any one of our Church­es!—Neighbours, you are blest with Mini­sters that excel in Piety; and you are very unjust, if you do not support and honour them.—You have Reason to be thankful for such holy, humble, able, painful and prayerful Mi­nisters, as GOD has generally blest these Churches with: And I exhort you, as you would [Page 143] approve your selves worthy to wear the Name that was begun at ANTIOCH, that you do not forget that Command of our LORD, Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your Souls.’

There are yet other Instances of uncharitable Judging in this Gentleman. The same Spirit ap­pears in his Journals, which are gone forth into all Parts of the Land; but especially, in his Letters, representing Arch Bp. TILLOTSON, as hav­ing no more true Christianity than MAHOMET. It would be going too much out of my Way, or I could easily show, wherein he has greatly abused the A.Bp; more especially, in some Things he has given the World from Dr. EDWARDS, without care­fully reading (as I charitably hope) the Passages quoted, as they lie in the A. Bp's Writings. But supposing the A.Bp. did not in all Things think exactly with Mr. WHITEFIELD, must he at once be as bad as a TURK? As ignorant of the Fun­damentals of Religion? As much without GOD and CHRIST, and beyond Hope? Will Mr. WHITE­FIELD so far assume to himself the Prerogative of the SON of GOD, as to determine, that the Things contained in the A.Bp's Writings are ab­solutely inconsistent with an upright Heart, a sin­cere Desire to know and do the Will of GOD? And that 'tis impossible, the all-merciful GOD, should, according to the Tenor of the Gospel, ad­mit him to Favour? It appears to me shocking Boldness, in any meer Man, thus to place him­self, as it were, in the Throne of CHRIST, and denounce the Anathemas of GOD against his Fel­low-Christians: Nor can I conceive how this should be, where there is, in Exercise, a just [Page 144] Sense of a Man's own utter Insufficiency to fit in Judgment upon the State of others.

The only Thing I can say in Excuse for Mr. WHITEFIELD is, that he was young in Years, and Christian Experience, as well as of raw Acquaintance with Divinity, when he wrote these Letters: And as it has been common for Persons, in these Cir­cumstances, to speak and write with Rashness and Indiscretion, and so as to do Mischief to the In­terest they would serve; so when they have come to riper Years and Judgment, and a better Knowledge of the Difficulties in many Points of Divinity, they have often seen their Error, and repented of their Conduct: And to this, I believe; this Gentleman will be brought, as he has been in some other Instances, if he ever thinks upon the Matter as he ought.

Let me add here, as a further Representation of that monstrous Spirit of censorious Judging that has been let loose upon the World, a few of the Words of Mr. SEWARD; which I the rather chuse to insert, because they are the Words of one of the dearest and most intimate Friends Mr. WHITEFIELD had, and relate to the Case of the A.Bp. Says he in his Journal ^†, ‘I wrote se­veral Letters.—I told him, some few of the Clergy admitted our Brother into their Pulpits, but that most of them were violent Opposers, especially since our Brother has so openly con­demned A.Bp. TILLOTSON; that, blessed be [Page 145] GOD, that DECEIVER was at last discovered, and our Age must have been grosly wicked, or his Works could never have passed thus long for current Gospel; but that I trusted in the LORD JESUS, he was about to deliver his Church from such BLIND GUIDES.’

A little onwards, ‘concerning A.Bp. TILLOT­SON I observed, that our Brother had wrote a second Letter against him, which I believed would surprise most People to see such base Coin should pass for Current for so many Years; but that, blessed be GOD, the TRAITOUR was discovered. JUDAS sold his LORD for thirty Pie­ces of Silver, the A.Bp got a better Price, per­haps, THIRTY BAGS OF GOLD, or more: That's all the Difference; for the A.Bp was actually bred in the Schools of the Prophets, was join'd with many (as I believe) faithful Ministers in the Morning Lecture at Cripplegate;—But the Love of Money is the Root of all Evil, and he CHOSE HIS GOOD THINGS HERE, a TEMPORAL ra­ther than an ETERNAL CROWN.’ And yet again, ‘Inclos'd I sent him our Brother's Letters against that PLAUSIBLE DECEIVER A. Bp. TILLOTSON, whose Books have so long bewitched the World.—Blessed be GOD, the IMPOSTOR is discovered; nevertheless our Brother expects for this to suffer many Things, and be set at Nought by the Rabbies of our Church, and perhaps at last be killed by them.’

I can scarce conceive wherein rash judging can be carried to a greater Height than in these Pas­sages. The Gentleman is not content with con­demning the Doctrines the A.Bp. preached, but must judge his State, condemn his Person; which [Page 146] is the more surprising, because he was now dead, and actually gone to be judged by him, who has said, Why dost thou judge thy Brother? Or why dost thou set at Nought thy Brother? For we shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of CHRIST.

I believe it will not be denied, by the more so­ber Men among us, but that those venerable Di­vines, the late Dr. INCREASE MATHER, and the present Dr. BENJAMIN COLMAN, might know as much of the Nature of real Christianity, and be as able to make a true Judgment of the Preachers of it, as either Mr. WHITEFIELD, or SEWARD: I shall therefore subjoin here the Sentiments of these Gentlemen concerning A.Bp TILLOTSON; which may serve, so far as human Judgment is of Weight in the Case, to wipe off the Reproach that has been injuriously cast upon him.

The first of these Gentlemen Expresses himself in these Words^†, ‘That EMINENT Person, Dr. TILLOTSON (the late A.Bp of CANTERBURY) did, not above four Years ago, sometimes express to me his Resentments of the Injury, which had been done to the first Planters of NEW-ENGLAND, and his great Dislike of A.Bp LAUD's Spirit towards them: And to MY KNOWLEDGE there are Bishops at this Day (Anno 1695) of the same CHRISTIAN TEMPER and Moderati­on with THAT GREAT AND GOOD MAN LATELY DEAD.—Had the Sees in ENGLAND, fourscore Years ago, been fill'd with SUCH A.Bps and Bishops as those which KING WILLIAM has pre­ferred [Page 147] to Episcopal Dignity, there had never been a NEW-ENGLAND.’

The other speaks in that Language,^* ‘We have seen the most venerable Men in the Church of ENGLAND for Learning, Piety, La­bours, Usefulness, Prudence, Meekness and Hu­mility, insulted and outrag'd while they lived, pelted to their Graves, and their Names per­secuted after their Decease, for their Spirit of Moderation, and faithful Services to the Church. So were A.Bp. TILLOTSON and Bp. BURNET, Men of whom the Age was not worthy; of CONSPICUOUS SANCTITY, abundant in Labours, Steady in their Conduct, of UNSPOTTED INTE­GRITY, of an APOSTOLICAL SPIRIT, and ready, I believe, to have died either for their Country, or for CHRIST: Yet these GREAT AND GOOD MEN have been loaded with Obloquy: but their Names must needs live in the History of the Church, if TRUTH do not perish from the Earth.’ To go on,

Sometime after Mr. WHITEFIELD's Departure from us, we had the Discovery of the like uncha­ritable Spirit in Mr. GILBERT TENNENT. His Preaching in this Town was censorious beyond what can be easily imagined. Says the Author of the Letter, in the BOSTON-Evening-Post, Numb. 365, ‘I have several Times heard Mr. TENNENT de­clare, that the greatest Part, by far, of the Ministers in this Land, were carnal unconver­ted Men, and that they held damnable Armi­nian Principles; and have heard him pray, [Page 148] that the LORD would either convert them, of turn them out of his Vineyard.’ I have my self been several Times present, when he exprest him­self much to the same Purpose: Nay, I have often heard him publickly declare, that those who were the Opposers of the Work he was carrying on, were the Enemies of GOD, and would have oppos'd the Apostles; nay, CHRIST JESUS himself, and stood it our against all the Miracles they wro't, had they lived when they were on Earth: Yea, I have sometimes heard him openly say; and this, without any cautionary Limitations, that they were Blasphemers of the HOLY GHOST, and in Dan­ger of committing, if they had not already com­mitted, that Sin, concerning which our SAVIOUR has said, it shall never be forgiven to Men, nei­ther in this World, nor in the World to come. But the Spirit in which this Gentleman preach'd, particularly when he got upon Ministers, can't be better conceived of than by reading his printed Sermon, entitled, The Danger of an unconverted Mi­nistry; than which I never saw a Piece more filled with Censoriousness, or unhappily fitted to pro­mote Discord and Schism. 'Tis, in the general, a continued Strain of bitter Reflections on the Stand­ing Ministry of the Land. This is plainly insinu­ated in the Text placed on the Title-Page; viz. Jer. 5. 30, 31. A wonderful and horrible Thing is committed in the Land; the Prophets prophesy falsly, and the Priests bear Rule by their Means, and my People love to have it so: And what will they do in the End thereof? But the Thing it self is di­rectly exprest in the strongest Language, in the Improvement of the Subject; the first Head where­of is, ‘If it be so, that the Case of those, who have no other, or no better than Pharisee-Teach­ers, is to be pitied, then what a Scrole and [Page 149] Scene of Mourning and Lamentation, and Wo, is open'd! because of the Swarms of Locusts, The Crowds of Pharisees, that have, as coveteously, as cruelly, crept into the Ministry, in this adul­terous Generation! Who as nearly resemble the Character given of the old Pharisees, in the doctrinal Part of this Discourse, as one Crow's Egg does another. It is true, some of the mo­dern Pharisees have learned to prate a little more orthodoxly about the New-Birth, than their Pre­decessor Nicodemus, who are, in the mean Time, as great Strangers to the feeling Experience of it as he. They are blind who see not this to be the Case of the Body of the Clergy of this Generation. And O! that our Heads were Waters, and our Eyes a Fountain of Tears, that we could Day and Night lament, with the utmost Bitterness, the dolefnl Case of the poor Church of GOD upon this Account.’—But this Gentleman, I would hope, is now become more charitable. His Letters, in the publick Prints, cer­tainly avow such Principles as are a virtual Retrac­tation of a great Part of this Sermon; though I could wish he had mentioned the Sermon by Name, and own'd his over-Zeal when he wrote it. This he has done to a private Friend in this Town; and if he had done it to the World, I am sure, he would hereby have honoured himself, and might have given Check to those uncomfortable Hearts and Animosities, Which this Sermon has had some Influence in fomenting, in one Place and another.

After Mr. TENNENT, there arose a considerable Number of other Itinerants, who went forth in the Spirit of Bitterness, sowing the Seeds of Dis­cord and Uncharitableness all over the Land. The [Page 150] Writer of the Letter in the BOSTON-Evening-Post, Numb. 365, observes of them, ‘that the Engine which they artfully manage is that of Detrac­tion: Accordingly, in every Place where they come, in the Course of their Perigrination, their grand Business is to perswade the People, that their Ministers are unconverted, to alienate their Affections from them, and thereby utterly to destroy their Usefulness among their Hearers. From which Practice it is very just to infer, that there is a Design carrying on to subvert and eject the standing settled Ministers.’ He goes on in the next Paragraph, ‘The Ministers of this Land, I have often said, and continue still of the same Opinion, are a Set of Gentle­men, as sound in Principle, and exemplary in their Conversation, as any of the like Number, in the Christian World: And I confess, it has some­times rais'd in me the highest Indignation, to hear them revil'd in so publick and outragi­ous a Manner, even in the Presence of some of the most grave and eminent Divines among us.’ He still adds, ‘It has been no small Surprise to me, when I have sometimes seen in these Assemblies, a Number of grave and serious Men, Members of our Churches, who could hear these unjust and hard Speeches belch­ed out against their own proper Pastors, not only with Patience, but with Pleasure. At the same Time, if you were to ask these Men, they would tell you that they highly esteem aud value their own Ministers: But can this be possibly true? Will any one believe them, while they not only caress, and adore the Itinerants, but continually pamper their Bodies, clothe their Backs, and fill their Pockets.’

[Page 151] I have my self been Part of a crowded Assembly, when one of these Itinerants has mention'd the present Bp of LONDON by Name, and uttered it with a Voice like Thunder, "That if the People of his Diocess should come up to all that he pre­scribes in his pastoral Letters to them, and be the very Persons he would have them, they would not­withstanding as certainly be damn'd as the Bible he then had in his Hand was the Word of the e­ternal GOD." At the same Time, I heard him pray for the Ministers of BOSTON, some of whom he as freely intimated in his Prayer to be in an unconverted State, as if he had been their authoris­ed Judge. And in a Letter to me, giving an Ac­count of the Conduct of this same Gentleman, the worthy Writer mentions some Things, he was an Ear-Witness to, which exprest the grossest Uncha­ritableness, not only towards the Colleges in gene­ral, but the Governours of them in particular: And, at the same Time, he heard him publickly say of A.Bp TILLOTSON, ‘That when he wrote his printed Sermons, GOD knew he had not a Spark of saving Grace: And if he was not con­verted afterwards, he was now weltering under the scalding Drops of GOD's Wrath in Hell, there to remain a Monument of his Vengeance throughout Eternity.’

But the most remarkable Instance, in this Kind, is the Rev. Mr. JAMES DAVENPORT of SOUTHOLD. ‘He travelled, says the Letter to the BOSTON-Post-Boy, Number 391, from STONINGTON to NEW-HAVEN, about 80 Miles, and condemn'd almost all the Ministers; particularly, that shining Example of Piety, and Pillar of our Chur­ches, the aged and venerable Mr. ADAMS, and commanded his People to withdraw from him: [Page 152] And accordingly a Number of the Communi­cants withdrew from him, as being a carnal, old Pharisee.’ This was objected to him by the Ministers in BOSTON, when he came to this Town, some Months ago, as sent by GOD, to preach here. He own'd the Fact; as also, that he had bad but a few Minutes Conversation with Mr. ADAMS before he publickly exprest his Fears of his being an unconverted Man; and that the Ground of his Judgment of him as unconverted was, ‘his not finding that he had bad Experience of a Hatred of GOD, and of extraordinary Comforts and Joys.’ When that had been observed to him, by one of the Ministers, which tended much to the Honour of Mr. ADAMS; another took Oc­casion to ask him, whether he had felt no Unea­siness in his Mind, when he reflected on the un­happy Effects of his condemning Mr. ADAMS, and advising the People to separate from him, in the Contention and Division it had brought forward in NEW-LONDON: His Reply was, ‘That he had of­ten thought of the Matter with Thankfulness of GOD, who had made him faithful,’ and gave Glory to GOD for this his notorious Uncharitable­ness, in the Face of all the Ministers.

I have now by me Accounts of the strange Spirit of rash and uncharitable Judging, this Gentle­man has discovered in many Places where he has been. Some of them I shall think fit to insert here.

The first is dated, SAY-BROOK, August 25. 1741. And is in the following Words,

Another Account from the same Place, bearing Date August 26. 1741. runs thus,

The Account from another Part of the Coun­try, as I have it in a Letter to me, is thus, ‘Of all (i. e. the Itinerants) that have been here, Mr. DAVENPORT hath been the most irregular and disorderly in his Conduct. When he came first to Town, he called at my Lodgings, and let me know that some of the People had de­sir'd him to preach that Evening, and asked my Consent to his Preaching in the Meeting­House: I reply'd, that before I resolv'd him, I must desire of him Satisfaction in two Points; viz. by what divine Warrant he left his own People, and travelled through the Country, ac­ting the Super-Intendant over the Churches? And how he justified his censoriously judging Men, and especially Ministers, as he had done? To which Queries, he gave me no satisfactory An­swers; and thereupon was denied the Liber­ty of the House. He then proceeded to inquire [Page 157] into my spiritual State; but an Account there­of was refus'd him, until he shewed his right to demand it: And thereupon he expressed his Fears that I was a Stranger to CHRIST; and said, that my refusing to give him an Account was a dark Sign thereof. After this, he soon departed the House: And having mounted his Horse, with his Company at the Door, they set a Tune, and rode singing through the Town, all the Way to his Lodgings, which was near a Mile. He preached at the Place where he lodged that Evening, and the next Forenoon; and the following Evening, in his public Exer­cises, he declar'd the Minister of the Place un­converted, and prayed for him, sundry Times, that he might be either converted or confounded. He warned the People to withdraw from my Ministry; declaring, that to attend it would be as dangerous to their Souls, as Bowls of Poi­son to their Bodies.’

The like Spirit he discovered at NEW-HAVEN. Says the Letter in the BOSTON-Post-Poy, ^† ‘Mr. DAVENPORT, in almost every Prayer, vents him­self against the Minister of the Place, and of­ten declares him to be an unconverted Man; says, that Thousands are now cursing him in Hell for being the Instrument of their Damnation. He charges all to pray for his Destruction and Confusion: He frequently calls him, a Hy­pocrite, a Wolf in Sheep's Cloathing, and a Devil incarnate: And uses such vile and opprobri­ous Language, as that, had it been done by any other Man, he would have been immediately [Page 158] sent to the Work-House. I think that few or none of his greatest Admirers undertake peremptorily to justify these Things; but they have conceiv­ed such an extraordinary Opinion of his Ho­liness and Success, as that they seem to suppose that he has some extraordinary Assistance, or Com­mission to do that which may'nt be done by any other Man.’

Agreeable hereto is the Account in the same Paper. Numb. 392.

The same uncharitable censorious Spirit, this Gen­tleman brought with him to BOSTON. I cannot give a better Idea of it then by inserting, at large, [Page 162] the Account in the BOSTON-Evening-Post, Number 370. It runs thus. ‘The late Prosecution of Mr. JAMES DAVENPORT, being somewhat extra­ordinary (as was also his Offence which procur­ed the same) has doubtless occasion'd various Speculations, not only in this Town, but thro' the whole Country. And inasmuch as many hard and unjust Censures have been plentifully bestow'd on the Grand Jury, and Witnesses con­cern'd in that Prosecution, by weak, ignorant and enthusiastical Persons; it may not be im­proper to publish the Presentment, exhibited by the Grand Jury to the Court against Mr. DA­VENPORT, with the several Facts that were par­ticularly sworn to, by the Witnesses before the grand Jury; that so every rational, sober and unprejudic'd Person may see clearly, on what Grounds the Jurors (who were 23 in Number, and only 6 of BOSTON) proceeded in this Af­fair: Wherein 21 of them were fully agreed; and of the two that dissented, one was an ig­norant Exhorter, and the other profest himself of the People called Quakers, and therefore could not in Conscience vote in such an Affair, but said the other Jurors were entirely right in what they did.’

It ought also to be observed, that it was ‘so­lemnly given in Charge to the Grand Jury, to enquire strictly into Disorders of an ecclesiasti­cal Nature, and that upon giving in this Pre­sentment they receiv'd the Thanks of the Court for that particular Service.’

‘There is one Thing more to be taken Notice of in this Introduction, and that is, a groundless [Page 163] and malicious Calumny, industriously spread a­broad by Mr. DAVENPORT'S Adherents,—that the Grand Jurors of BOSTON were chose on Pur­pose to bring on this Prosecution; than which nothing is, or can be more untrue; for at the Time of the Choice, Mr. DAVENPORT was preaching at IPSWICH, and it was given out by his Followers, that he would not return any more to BOSTON.’

The Witnesses for the KING declar'd on Oath ‘before the Grand Jury (August 18.) as follows, viz.’

‘Mr. H. G. says, This Day three Weeks he was on the Common, and heard a Woman cry­ing out very much, and seemed to be in Pain, and he went to help her; and Mr. J. D—T charged all Men not to touch her, as they would answer it at the great Day of Judg­ment: And he then heard the said D—T cry out against the unconverted Ministers of the Town of BOSTON.’ And another Time he heard said D—T in Prayer say, ‘The greatest Part of the Ministers of the Town of BOSTON were un­converted;’ and he heard said D—T on the 30th of July say, ‘The greatest Part of the Ministers of BOSTON were unconverted, and were leading their People to Hell.’

Mr. J. S. says, He heard Mr. D—T ‘pray for the unconverted Ministers of the Town of BOS­TON,’ and say, ‘Good LORD, thou knowest the greatest Part of them are unconverted.’

Dr. E. E. says, he heard Mr. D—T say, ‘the great­est Part of the Ministers of the Town of BOSTON were unconverted, and were leading their People blind­fold [Page 166] down to Hell’ It was in July: And he said, ‘The greatest Part of the Ministers thro' the Province were unconverted.’ He heard him more than once on the Common, and he said, ‘Good LORD, convert these unconverted Ministers, or remove them and put others in their Office.’

Mr. P. O. says, he heard Mr. J. D—T say, (on Monday last) ‘That most of the Clergy of the Town of BOSTON were unconverted, and that if there were a Bowl of Poison which would destroy their Bodies, he would advise any of his dearest Friends to drink it, as soon as to go and hear them, or either of them.’ This was at STRAUGHHAN'S House.

Mr. E. W. says, he heard Mr. J. D—T say, on Monday last, at Mr. STRAUGHHAN'S House, ‘I am sure the greatest Part of the Ministers of the great Town of BOSTON are unconverted;’ and said, ‘Dear Souls, if there were a Bowl of Poison on that Table, I would as soon advise you to drink it off, which would destroy your Bodies, as to hear them which would destroy your Souls.’ And he heard said D—T say, ‘The unconverted Ministers were leading People blindfold to Hell by Thousands and Millions.’

Mr. H. V. says, he heard Mr. D—T say, (in July last, on COPP'S Hill) in his Address to the Almighty, ‘Good LORD, (or oh LORD) I will not mince the Matter any longer with thee, for thou know­est that I know, that the most of the Ministers of the Town of BOSTON and the COUNTRY are unconver­ted, and are leading their People blindfold to Hell.’ AND at DORCHESTER, he heard said D—T advise [Page 167] the People there ‘not to go to hear their Minister, for he was an unconverted Man.’

Mr. N. T. says, he heard Mr. D—T, at Mr. WELCH'S, say, in his Prayer, ‘LORD, thou know­est the most of the Ministers of the Town of BOS­TON are unconverted.’ In a Sermon on the Com­mon, he said, ‘Good Lord, thou knowest, the most of them are unconverted; pull them down, turn them out, and put others in their Places.’

Mr. R. A. says, he heard Mr. J. D—T (at Mr. WARDELL'S, August 1.) say in his Prayer, ‘LORD GOD, thou knowest, that the greatest Part of the Ministers of this great Town are in an un­converted State, and leading poor Souls on to De­struction; and therefore LORD, we pray thee to turn them out of the Ministry. And you, dear Children of GOD, that are here present, I would advise you never to go near them to hear them, for their Preaching to your Souls is as Poisonous to them, as Rats-Bane is to your Bodies.’ This was LORD'S-DAY Afternoon, about an 100 present to hear him in the House and Shop, in Service­Time.

Mr. R. H. says, he heard Mr. J. DAVENPORT say, at Mr. WARDELL'S House, in BOSTON, on the Sabbath-Day in the Forenoon, in July last, ‘He blessed GOD, he had so many come out from among the unconverted Ministers.’ Near an Hundred present.

And one of the Grand Jury declared to his Fel­lows, that he heard Mr. JAMES DAVENPORT say last Monday, ‘That the Ministers of the Town of BOSTON knew nothing of JESUS CHRIST; and [Page 168] that they were serving the Interest of Satan.’ But this wan't sworn to in Court."

I may add, that since the Date of the above Presentment, and the Oaths relative to it, Mr. DAVENPORT has often spoken of ALL the Ministers in Town, as in a Combination against the LORD and his Anointed, meaning, I suppose, himself; And as though this wan't enough, he has, in his publick Prayers and Preachments, mention'd the most, if not all of them by Name, as unconverted Men, and solemnly warned People to separate from them, and not dare to attend on their Ministry: And this he did, after having the Vanity to go to them all, one by one, to enquire into their spiritual State: Though I am glad, I am able to declare, that they all, except two or three, were so far from entring into Conversation with him upon that Head, that they chastis'd his Insolence, and se­verely testified against such an unheard of Con­duct. 'Tis a Rule with this Gentleman, if a Man won't give him an Account of his Christian Experiences, to look upon that alone as a dark Sign, if not a sure Evidence, of his being in a carnal State. No Wonder then the Ministers in Town were condemned by him.

But enough has been said, and some, perhaps, may think, a great Deal too much, upon the Un­charitableness of some of the chief Instruments of the religious Stir there has been in the Land.

I go on to observe, that this same Spirit has been generally propagated all over the Country, a­mong the common People; insomuch, that I shall not exceed the literal Truth, when I say, that there never was a Time, since the Settlement of [Page 169] NEW-ENGLAND, wherein there was so much bitter and rash Judging; Parents condemning their Children, and Children their Parents^†; Husbands their Wives, and Wives their Husbands; Mas­ters their Servants, and Servants their Masters; [Page 170] Ministers their People, and People their Ministers. Censoriousness, to a high Degree, is indeed the con­stant Appendage of this religious Commotion. Where­ever it takes Place the Subjects of it, too gene­rally, are uncharitable to Neighbours, to Brethren of the same Community, to Relatives, to Ministers in an especial Manner; yea, to all the World that are not in their Way of thinking and speaking: And what may be worth a Note, the Places where this Appearance has been most remarkable, have common­ly been most filled with Uncharitableness, in all the Expressions of it.

It would take up too much Room to relate the hard Speeches, the monstrous Sayings which have been uttered among us; and this, not in a sin­gle Place only, but in most Towns throughout the Provinces, where there has been any Thing con­siderable of this Commotion: Nay, to such an a­bominable Height have some suffered their Unchari­tableness to rise, that they have declared, they would as soon have Communion with the Devil, as with many, both Ministers and People, against whom they have yet nothing to say, but that they don't judge as they do about the present Times. Some of the most valuabe Ministers in the Country, meerly on this Account, have been call'd all the bad Names one can easily think of: Nor have even those escaped, who, for 20, 30, 40 Years, have so caused their Light to shine before others, as that they have seen their good Works, and might have learn't from their good Example to glorify our Father in Heaven.

And as the Effect of this Spirit, there is a very great Appearance of Contention and Strife, which, if GOD don't mercifully interpose, will endanger a [Page 171] Breach in all the Churches in the Land: Nay, separate Meetings are already begun in one Place and another. Two have been set up in this Town of BOSTON; another, at NEWBURY; another, at NEW-LONDON; another, at NEW-HAVEN; another at MILFORD; and others still in some other Places: And there are a Number in CHARLES­TOWN, in DORCHESTER, in MILTON, and elsewhere, who han't Charity for their own Pastors so much as to hear them preach; though they have ob­tain'd a universal good Character, not only for their ministerial Gifts, but for being Examples to their Flocks, in Word, in Conversation, in Charity, in Spirit, in Faith, in Purity: Nay, I verily believe, there is not SO MUCH AS ONE MINISTER IN THE WHOLE LAND, but the Minds of many are so prejudiced against them, on one Account, or another, as that their Power to do good is hereby greatly lessened.

The Things I have here mentioned are no Se­crets: They are notorious, and must be evident to all who have Eyes to see, and Ears to hear: And so far will the more zealous among our new Converts be from disowning them, that they will ra­ther glory in having it said, that they have come out from unconverted Ministers and Churches; imagin­ing, they have herein complied with the Com­mand of GOD, which says, Come out from among them, and be ye separate; and ye shall be my People, and I will be your GOD.

Some may, if they please, call this Spirit of Censoriousness, operating in Clamour, and Strife, and Schism, an accidental Effect only of the Revival of a good Work; but from what has been said, de­scriptive of the Temper and Conduct of the main [Page 172] Instruments in beginning, and carrying on this Work, it appears with a Meridian Lustre, that it is no o­ther than their Spirit, wherein it was bad, propa­gated to others. And such Effects may always be expected from such Causes; They are no other than their natural and genuine Produce: And 'tis, to me, one of the strangest Things, that any should be at a Loss to determine otherwise.

But let these Effects be produced how they will, they are certainly very pernicious ones; and must be accounted so by all, who make an Estimate of them from the Scripture. Our SA­VIOUR is not more express in cautioning against any Vice whatever, than this of uncharitable Judg­ing. JUDGE NOT, is his peremptory Prohibiti­on;^† and weighty is the Argument with which he backs it; viz. That if we judge, we shall be judged. Men will judge us, who are seldom want­ing in this Kind of Retribution, but dispos'd rather to give full Measure, pressed down and running over. But what is much worse, GOD will judge us. And don't we need his Pity and Mercy? Shan't we otherwise be cast in the Judgment? And can we expect any other, while we are hard and severe in our Treatment of our Brother, and ready, without due Allowances, to condemn him? And very solemn is that Chal­lenge, the Apostle makes to all who are given to rash Censure, ^* Who art thou that judgest another Man's Servant? Our Brother, we judge, is GOD'S Servant; not our's. While therefore we call him to the Bar of our Judgment, we invade GOD'S Prerogative, exercise an unjust Jurisdiction over [Page 173] his Servant; a Power we have no Right, nor Business to use. Who art thou that judgest another Man's Servant? What Pretence hast thou to do thus? Who made thee a Judge? Who gave thee this Power over another Man's Servant? He standeth or falleth to his own Master. He only can acquit or condemn him; the Right of thus judging is his, and belongeth not to another. Thou art therefore inexcusable, O Man whoever thou art, that judgest thy Neighbour; for herein thou takest that upon thee, which thou hast no Claim to; herein thou settest thy self up, as it were, in the Room of the Almighty, and art guilty of the Arrogance of acting as tho' thou wast in his Stead.

I know, in some Cases, it may admit of Dis­pute, what is uncharitable Judging: And so it may, what is Intemperance, or Injustice, or Oppression, and the like. But this does not argue, but that in o­ther Instances, the Intemperance or Injustice may be so evident, as to leave no Room for Debate upon the Matter. And this is the Case with Re­spect to the Judging that now prevails. If there is any such Vice, it now takes Place: Nor can it easily be imagin'd, wherein Men could be more grosly guilty of it. This Prohibition of our SAVIOUR was never, I believe, more outragiously trampled upon, than it now commonly is by Multitudes of those, who call themselves good Christians. In Respect of many, 'tis as plain, they live in the Breach of this Law of GOD, as that any do in the Breach of the Law of Temperance or Righteousness. And it ought to be considered with all Serious­ness, that uncharitable, censorious Judging is a Sin as well as Intemperance or Injustice; and, per­haps, as bad a Sin, if not a worse: And it ought [Page 174] not therefore to be excused. The same Law-giver and Judge who has said, thou shalt not steal, or get drank, has also said, thou shalt not judge; and the Law is guarded with the like Sanction of Death and Hell. 'Tis therefore dangerous to Men's Souls, to speak of this mischeivous Vice as a humane Frailty only, a meer Imprudence, that will well enough consist with a Work of GOD in their Hearts. 'Tis true, good Men may be betrayed into this Sin; and so they may into Drunkenness, or Injustice; but if they allow themselves in it, if they live in the habitual Practice of it, it will as certainly damn them as if they liv'd in the Practice of any other Sin. And they ought to be told the plain Truth. I am sure, the great St. PAUL plainly tells the Corinthians, when there appear'd the Want of Cha­rity among them, that nothing else, while they were destitute of this, would avail to their Sal­vation. He does not tax them with Imprudence only, but solemnly assures them, in the Name of the great GOD of Heaven, that all their other Attainments were nothing, that no Work of GOD could be wrought in their Hearts, if they were without Charity; that Charity, of which he has given a large and beautiful Description, in the 13th Chapter of his first Epistle to them. And I leave it with the Conscience of every Man acquaint­ed with the State of Things at this Day, whether this Charity, the genuine Effects of which, the Apo­stle has here enumerated, is not as not oriously want­ing among us, as it can be suppos'd to have been among the Corinthians.

And is there any one Thing, in all the Reve­lations of GOD, that is more particularly and so­lemnly cautioned against, than this Uncharitableness, discovering it self in Strife, Sedition and Schism? [Page 175] Are not these Effects of an uncharitable Spirit reck­on'd up among the Fruits of the Flesh ^†? And are not such as do these Things expresly, and as it were by Name, excluded the Kingdom of GOD^*? Is it not peremptorily declar'd, that if we have bitter Envying and Strife, this Wisdom descendeth not from above; but is earthly, sensual, devilish ^§? How earnest, and frequently repeated are the Calls in Scripture, To put away all Bitterness, and Wrath, and Clamour, and Evil-speaking ^‡! How importu­nately are Christians besought to be kind one to an­other, forgiving one another; to live in Love, with all Lowliness and Meekness, with Long-suffering and Forbearance; endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace ^††! And are not all the Arguments made Use of to enforce these In­treaties, that can be fetch'd either from Earth, or Heaven, or Hell?

And what is worthy of particular Notice, this Law of Charity is the Law of Christianity by Way of Eminence. This is MY COMMANDMENT (says our SAVIOUR)^* that ye love one another, as I have loved you. And again^† A NEW COMMANDMENT give I unto you, that ye love one another: As I have loved you, that ye also love one another. And 'tis by this, in a distinguishing Manner, that Men are to be known to be Christians. Says our SAVIOUR^§ By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples, if ye have Love one to another. Nay, if Men do not love one another, neither do they love GOD. The Apo­stle is express in this.^‡ If a Man say, I love GOD, [Page 176] and hateth his Brother, he is a Liar: For he that lov­eth not his Brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love GOD whom he hath not seen? Yea,^†† In this are the Children of GOD manifest, and the Children of the Devil: Whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of GOD; neither he that loveth not his Brother.

And shall it be thought, after all this, a Mat­ter of slight Consideration, whether Men, profes­sing themselves Christians, dwell together in Love and Peace? And if they are hard and cruel in their Censures and Reproaches of one another, and fall into Strife, and carry it to such a Height that they can't have Communion with one ano­ther, shall this be made so little of, that they may notwithstanding be remarkably good Christians?

There may, 'tis true, be an Appearance of Re­ligion, even in the grossest Uncharitableness; and Men may pretend a Zeal for GOD, while they are trampling upon the Christian Law of Love: But their Zeal in this Case, is not a Fire kindled at GOD's Altar; nor will it atone for their Guilt. If they are censorious and uncharitable, and habitu­ally so, be their Pretences what they will, and their Professions ever so pompous and glorious, they are nothing in Point of that Christianity, which will serve them at the great and last Day.

I cannot better close this Head than in those observable Words of the Apostle PAUL,^* Now I beseech you, Brethren, mark them which cause Divi­sions and Offences, contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such, serve not our LORD JESUS CHRIST; but [Page 177] their own Belly: And by good Words, and fair Speeches, deceive the Hearts of the Simple: Which are glossed upon, by the Continuators of Mr. HEN­RY'S Expositions, in a Manner well worth our No­tice in these Times. ‘Those, say they, who introduce and propagate dividing and offending Notions, which are most erroneous, or justly suspected; who, out of Pride, Ambition, Af­fectation of Novelty, or the like, causelesly se­parate from their Brethren, and by perverse Disputes, Censures and evil Surmisings, alienate the Affections of Christians from one another;—these cause Divisions and Offences, contrary to, or different from, the Doctrines which they have learn'd. Now, Mark those that thus cause Divi­sions; observe them, the Method they take, the End they drive at. There is Need of a piercing, watchful Eye to discern the Danger we are in from such People: For commonly the Pretences are plausible, when the Projects are very pernicious. Do not look only at the Divisions and Offences; but run up these Screams to the Fountain, and mark those that cause them; and especially that in them which doth cause these Divisions and Offences; those Lusts on each Side, from whence come these Wars and Fightings. And avoid them. Shun all unnecessary Communion, and Communication with them, lest you be leavened and infected by them. Do not strike in with any dividing Inter­ests, nor embrace any of those Principles or Practices, which are destructive to Christian Love and Charity, or to the Truth which is accord­ing to Godliness.—Such serve not our LORD JESUS CHRIST. They do not aim at his Glory, promote his Interest, or do his Will, what ever they pretend. But they serve their [Page 178] own Belly. i. e. Their carnal, sensual, secular Interests. 'Tis some base Lust or other they are pleasing; Pride, Ambition, Coveteousness, Lasciviousness: These are the Designs they are really carrying on. And what is the Method they take to compass their Designs? By good Words and fair Speeches, they deceive the Hearts of the Simple. Their Words and Speeches have a Shew of Holiness and Zeal for GOD. Thus by good Words and fair Speeches the Ser­pent beguiled EVE. We have great Need there­fore to keep our Hearts with all Diligence; especially, when seducing Spirits are abroad.’

Another Thing, I can't but think of danger­ous Tendency, is, that Regard to Impulses and Impressions, which has prevail'd among too many; their Aptness to take the Motion of their own Minds for something divinely extraordinary, or to put those Constructions upon common Occurrences, which there is no Ground for but in their own Imaginations. Mr. WHITEFIELD had evidently a Turn of Mind too much disposing him this Way. This appears in him all along from his being a Lad, according to the Account he has given the World of him­self. One of the first Things he thought wor­thy of publick Notice is,^† ‘That his Mother was us'd to say, even when he was an Infant, that she expected more Comfort from him than any other of her Children.’ And adds upon it, ‘This, with the Circumstance of my being BORN IN AN INN, has often been of Service to me, in exciting me to make Good my Mother's Expectations, and to follow the Example of my dear SAVIOUR, who was BORN in a Manger, be­longing [Page 179] to an INN.’ He observes, when at BRISTOL, tho' in an unconverted State at that Time,^* ‘That GOD gave him great Foretasts of his Love, and fill'd him with such unspeakable Rap­tures in St. JOHN'S Church, that he was carried out beyond himself;;—But in the midst of these Illuminations (he adds) something SECRETLY WHIS­PERED, this would not last.’ In the next Page, he has this Remark, ‘One Morning, as I was reading a PLAY to my Sister, said I, I believe GOD intends some Thing for me, which we knew not of. As I have been diligent in Business, I believe, many would have me for an Appren­tice; but every Way seems to be barred up, so that GOD, I think, will provide for me some Way or other. How I came to say these Words, I know not.—GOD AFTERWARDS SHEWED ME THEY CAME FROM HIM.’ A more observable Note we have a little onwards,^‡ ‘As I was go­ing one Night on an Errand for my Mother, an UNACCOUNTABLE, BUT VERY STRONG IMPRESSION WAS MADE UPON MY HEART, THAT I SHOULD PREACH AND PRINT QUICKLY.—When I came Home, I innocently told my Mother what had befallen me.—But she (like JOSEPH'S Parents, when he told them his Dream) turning short, upon me, cried out, What does the Boy mean? Prithce, hold thy Tongue, or something to that Purpose. SINCE GOD HAS SHOWN HER FROM WHOM THESE IMPRESSIONS CAME.’ A still more surprising (and, as I think, very sinful) Account, we have in the 29th Page, in these Words, ‘One Day perceiving an uncommon Drought, and a noisome Clamminess in my Mouth, and using Things to allay my Thirst, but in vain; IT WAS SUGGESTED [Page 180] TO ME, that, when JESUS CHRIST CRIED OUT, I THIRST, his Sufferings were near over.—Up­on this, I threw my self upon the Bed, CRYING OUT, I THIRST, I THIRST. Soon after I perceiv­ed my Load to go off; a Spirit of Mourning was taken from me, and I knew what it was truly to rejoice in the LORD. At first, after this, I could not avoid singing Psalms wherever I was; but my Joy gradually became more settled, and, blessed be GOD, has abode, and increased in my Soul saving a few casual In­termissions, ever since.’ There are numerous other Instances of this Turn of Mind, both in this History of his Life, and all his Journals. I shall turn to only one or two more. The first is that, where, having made Mention of BURKETT'S and HENRY'S Expositions, he goes on,^* ‘Many Months have I kneeled to study and pray over these Books, as tho' I had been sitting at my Mas­ter's Feet. The HOLY SPIRIT, from Time to Time, has let me into the Knowledge of divine Things; and I HAVE BEEN DIRECTED, by watch­ing and reading the Scriptures, in this Manner, EVEN IN THE MINUTEST CIRCUMSTANCES, as plain­ly as the JEWS, who consulted the URIM and THUMMIM at the HIGH-PRIEST'S BREAST.’ The other we have in the next Page, ‘At my first coming to GLOUCESTER, being us'd to visit the Prisoners at OXFORD, I prayed most earnestly, that GOD would open a Door for me to visit the Prisoners here also.—Quickly after, I DREAM'D, that one of the prisoners came to be in­structed by me.—The DREAM WAS IMPRESSED MUCH UPON MY HEART.—In the Morning, I went to the Door of the County-Goal, I knocked, no [Page 181] Body came to open it; I THOUGHT THE HOUR WAS NOT YET COME. I waited still upon GOD in Prayer; and in SOME MONTHS, came a Let­ter from a Friend at OXFORD, desiring me to go to one PABWORTH, who had broken out of OXFORD-Goal, and was retaken at GLOUCESTER.—As soon as I had read this Letter, it was SUGGESTED to me that my Prayer was now ans­wered. Immediately, I went to the Person, AS­SUREDLY GATHERING THAT THE LORD CALLED ME THITHER.’

I have not transcrib'd the above Passages from Mr. W—D with a View to reflect Disgrace upon him; but because I really believe, the Spirit dis­covered in them (as well as in an hundred others of the like Import, in his Writings; more espe­cially, his Life and Journals) has been of great Disservice in propagating the like fanciful Dispo­sition to others. I have all along encourag'd a Hope of this Gentleman as a real Christian: And he has certainly been zealous and active be­yond most of his Brethren. But has he not, thro' the Inexperience of Youth, and an Intemperature of Zeal, been betray'd into such Things as cannot but be condemned? I always had, I consess, a bad Opinion of his Conduct in many Articles; as judging it led, in the natural Tendency of Things, to produce Mischief. And, in particular, I was always afraid, lest People, from him, should learn to give Heed to Impulses and Impressions, and by Degrees come to Revelations, and other Extra­ordinaries, in this Kind. His so frequently writing after such a Manner, as to lead People to think, he imagined he was under the immediate, extraor­dinary Guidance of the HOLY GHOST, in almost [Page 182] all that he said or did, ^‡ never appear'd to me in the same Light it did to some others: Nor do I think his Preaching about inward Feelings was so guarded as it ought to have been. I doubt not, the SPIRIT may be felt. i. e. Christians may have an inward real Perception of those Things which are the Effects of the SPIRIT's Influence; but this quite differs from an immediate Feeling of the SPIRIT himself, which, if I mistake not, is the Thing always meant by this Gentleman: And while he insisted upon this Kind of Feeling, he to­tally neglected giving People warning of the Danger of a deluded, or over-heated Imagination; which I could not but wonder at, considering how many, in all Ages, have impos'd upon themselves, thinking they felt the Divine SPIRIT acting in them, when it was apparent to every one else, that it neither was, nor could be any other than the Motions of their own Fancies, or the Sugges­tions of Satan; and herefrom my Fears, from the first, rose high, as to the unhappy Influence of this Conduct upon many Sorts of Persons: Nor are the extraordinary Pretences to the Spirit in Revelations, Impressions, and the like, which have been common at this Day, any Thing beyond what might have been expected.

But besides this Gentleman, others have paid an undue Regard to Impulses and Impressions, and given [Page 183] given too much Heed to the Fancy of their be­ing, in an immediate and extraordinary Manner, guided and assisted by the HOLY SPIRIT. The Rev. Messieurs BARBER^† and DAVENPORT claim Pre­cedence of all others.

I have received a particular Account of these, Gentlemen, upon the Head we are considering, from an able and faithful Friend, which I shall gratify the Publick with. It is as follows; ‘—with Regard to Messieurs BARBER and DA­VENPORT;—When Mr. WHITEFIELD'S Fame, and the wondrous Successes of his Preach­ing in ENGLAND, first reach'd us, they receiv'd him in their Minds as an Angel of GOD and thought surely the Time was at the Door, when the Glory of the LORD should fill the whole World, and the People be turn'd to him as one Man; not doubting but that Mr. WHITEFIELD was a chosen eminent Instrument in this Work. When he first came to NEW-YORK, you know he was receiv'd and admir'd, and what a mighty Influence he had upon the Pas­sions of his Hearers. These Gentlemen hearing of these Things, were abundantly confirmed in this Thought, that vital Religion was beginning to have a glorious Revival, and astonishing Spread thro' the whole Land; and that Mr. W—D, whom they esteemed a wonderfully holy Man, would be an eminent Promoter thereof. Here­upon they apply'd themselves, in an extraor­dinary [Page 184] Manner, to seek of GOD the Out-pour­ing of his Spirit upon the Land, to bring for­ward the expected happy Day; and particu­larly, that he would please more fully to in­struct them, what he was about to do, and give them a great Share of his Spirit, and improve them as eminent Instruments in promoting this glorious Work, in the Expectation and Hope of which, their Minds were now swallowed up.’

Accordingly, Mr. DAVENPORT call'd an ‘Assem­bly of the People, in which Mr. BARBER declar­ed the same Things, which he had done before at the OYSTER-PONDS; and exhorted them in like Manner. From thence he went forward [Page 187] through all the Parishes of that Town, saying, for Substance, every where the same Things.’

Before I go on with my Friend's Narration, I would just remark, that this Gentleman brought this same Spirit along with him to RHODE-ISLAND. Mr. WHITEFIELD relates,^† ‘that he told him, he came to RHODE ISLAND, under a full Con­viction, that he should see him there, and had been waiting for him eight Days; for he said, these Words were MIGHTILY IMPRESSED ON HIS HEART, Is not AARON the Levite thy Brother? I know he can SPEAK WELL; and also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee, and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his Heart: And I will be with thy Mouth, and with his Mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.’ But what is more wor­thy of Notice is the Letter he sent to Mr. WHITEFIELD, which concludes with this unheard of Paragraph.^* ‘I shall omit writing any Thing, [Page 189] and only hereby present my hearty Love; and let you know, that I am now waiting at the Post of your Door for Admission. Tho' I AM UNWORTHY, MY LORD IS WORTHY, IN WHOSE NAME, I TRUST, I COME.’ How Mr. WHITEFIELD could think so well of this Part of the Letter, as to publish it to the World, I am at a Loss to conceive. It appears to me to be an Act of downright gross Idolatry. He makes Use of the GREAT SAVIOUR as a Medium of Approach to a frail mortal Man. I trust Mr. W—D did not see it in this Light; but it's the genuine Construction of the Thing: And I wish it may be blotted out of every one of these Journals, as not fit to be seen among Christians. I now proceed,

This Account I received from the Revd. Mr. WILLIAM HART of SAY-BROOK, who stands ready to justify every Article contained in it. It may seem indeed to some like a Romance, and be scarce thought worthy of the least Credit. I shall there­fore, to give Countenance to it, present the Read­er with some Part of Mr. D—T'S Conversation with the Body of the Ministers in this Town, and the Ministers of CHARLESTOWN, who, upon his coming here, sent to him to desire to have some friendly Discourse with him: In which Conver­sation, will be seen (if I mistake not) the same Spirit, operating in the same Manner, as has been above described, however extravagant it may appear to the World. It is as follows,

The other Story he told was this. ‘The LORD COMMANDED him to go to a Town, the Name of which I have forgot, to preach to the People. As he rode along, he became very uneasy and troubled in his Thoughts, because he knew not what he should say to the People, to whom he was going. He prayed to the LORD, and these Words were brought to his Mind, and made a strong Impression on him, Take no Thought what you shall say, for it shall be given you in that Hour. Upon this his Trouble vanished, and he was [Page 198] as firmly perswaded GOD would assist him, as he was of the Truth of his own Existence. [This Way of speaking he generally us'd in such Ca­ses] When he began to preach, he had neither Words nor Thoughts enough to go on; but very soon, GOD all at once darted a great Light into his Mind, so that for one Thought he was able to utter (and he said he spoke very flu­ently too) GOD put ten into his Heart.’

[Page 199] N. B. This Fellow-Traveller is a Lay Man, of no Education, and but small Capacity. We had often heard of him before he came to Town with Mr. D—T: And though he was always spoken of in the Style of his Armour-Bearer, it was gene­rally thought to be only in a Way of Ridicule. But when Mr. D—T came to Town, it was soon seen to be the real Truth of the Case; for he went no where without this Man, and he so far regarded the SOUND of his Character as his Armour­Bearer, that, wherever he walk'd with him, he would have him under one of his Arms, to be, as it were, a Support to it. And in this Form he al­ways went to the Place where he was to preach, and in like Manner returned from it: And all, no Doubt, in his own Imagination, by the Di­rection of the SPIRIT.

I have said so much about this Mr. D—T, that I fear, I have been too tedious. But I chose to be thus particular, as he has all along had so great a Hand in the religious Stir, as it has ap­pear'd, more especially, in most Places in CONNEC­TICUT, and LONG-ISLAND. 'Twas he that began the Out-cries, Swoonings, Raptures, and the like Extraordinaries, in those Parts: Nor has any Man been more successful this Way than he. He ought indeed to be always mentioned as the most noted Instrument, in the Production of those Re­markables, which have made so much Noise in the Land. And he has been as well spoke of by some of the famous Men in the new Way, as any among them all. Mr. CROSSWELL says, Mr. WHITE­FIELD declar'd it as his Tho't of him,^* "That of all Men living he knew of none, who kept a closer [Page 200] Walk with GOD;" and that "Mr. TENNENT, in his Hearing, gave him the character of being one of the most heavenly Men he was ever acquaint­ed with." And for himself, "he prays GOD to bless and prosper this wondrous Man, whom he hath made strong for himself." And giving an Ac­count of his Preaching at STONINGTON, he says,^† ‘The first Day he preach'd, he believed, near a Hundred were struck with deep Distress almost in a Moment, enquiring what they should do to be saved? Many of his Opposers, among the rest, came trembling, and asking Forgiveness of GOD, and him, for all their hard Speeches, which they, ungodly Sinners, had ungodly spoken against him. The Hand of the LORD was with him also, the following Days, so that a considerable Number believed, and turned to the LORD.’

He adds, ‘To be brief, the Number of those who were thought to have received the KING of GLORY into their Souls, in eight Days, in three Towns, was computed to be about one Hundred; among which, some were Negroes; and, I think, about twenty Indians; besides a vast Multitude, who were left under hopeful Convictions.;’

But from the Accounts I have given of Mr. D—T is it possible, these Gentlemen should think justly of him, or of his Success in Preaching. And if the Converts of his making are of the like Spirit with himself, (as is commonly the Cafe) what must be the Opinion of the World concerning them? I believe, in general, they will entertain a just Thought of them, while they imagine them [Page 201] to be such Sort of Persons as Mr. D—T has himself been described to be.

And notwithstanding these high Encomiums of this Gentleman, by Mr. W—D, T—T, C—L, and others that might be mentioned, he has been actually pronounced non compos mentis by the whole Government of CONNECTICUT.^* The same Opinion 12 Men, under Oath, had of him, here at BOSTON.^† And the Ministers in this Town and CHARLESTOWN have declared it to the World as their Judgment,^§ ‘That he is a Gentleman much acted by sudden Impulses, upon such Explications of the Holy Scriptures to himself and his particular Friends, Designs and Purposes, as they can by no Means approve of, or justify; but must needs think very dangerous and hurtful to the Interest of Re­ligion;’ For which Reason, among others, they were united to a Man in refusing him their Pulpits.

After all, I deny not, but that Mr. D—T may have been the Means of Good to Souls. i. e. Ac­cidentally, and as the Tendency of his Temper and Conduct may have been overruled in GOD'S Govern­ment of the World; for in the natural Course of Things, it led directly to Confusion and every evil Work; And this has, in Fact, been the Effect, more or less wherever he has gone.

I pass now to some other Preachers of the same Spirit I have been describing; among whom, if I should again mention Mr. D—T, I hope the [Page 202] Reader will forgive me; especially, when he [...]ees it to be a Matter of Necessity, in order to my carrying his Thoughts up to the true Source of this Quakerish Turn of Mind, in all these Gentle­men, as well as those to whom, by their Means, it has been propagated. The Gentlemen I have in View, besides Mr. D—T, are Messieurs POM­ROY, WHEELOCK, ALLEN, BLISS; all of whom, it is generally known, are of one Soul, and have gone into the same Method of Conduct: Tho' I believe Mr. D—T has outdone them all. These are the Ministers (excepting Mr. BLISS whose Re­sidence now is in these Parts) who have had the chief Hand in raising the Commotions in CONNECTI­CUT; where sudden Impulses and extraordinary Pre­tences to the Spirit, have been more general (in Pro­portion) and Extravagant, than in any of the other Governments.

I have been at no small Pains to trace this Spirit in these Gentlemen up to its true Origin: And as, I think, it will reflect great Light upon the pre­sent religious State of Things in the Land, and be of publick Service, to communicate the Informations I have received upon this Head, I shall here do it, without any further Apology.

I shall first transcribe a Letter from NEW­MILFORD, dated Nov. 16. 1742. This may seem at first View to be remote from the Business in Hand; but the Close of the Letter, together with what may follow, will open its Design, and evidently shew forth the Rise of the Enthusiasm of the abovenamed Gentlemen. It is as follows,

The Gentleman to whom this Letter was sent, in his Letter conveying it to me, speaks of the Author as the Minister of the Place where these Things happened, and a worthy, honest, valuable Person; and adds, that he desir'd him to write nothing but what might appear in public, and be­lieves that I may, if Need be, affix his Name with­out Offence: For which Reason I have ventur'd to do it.

The Reader will easily observe, how the un­happy Turn of Mind that prevail'd at NEW-MIL­FORD got into the College; and who the particu­lar Gentlemen were, that were led aside by it: Though these Things will more fully appear in the next Letter I shall insert; which is as follows.

The Gentleman in the Ministry, thro's whose Hands, this Letter came to me, does not permit the publishing the Name of the Writer; but says,‘The Facts you may depend upon as certain.—He was not only of the same Class at College, but boarded and lodged with FERRIS a considera­ble Time:—And he may be believed.’—I shall add in further Confirmation of the above Ac­count, that, for Substance, 'tis the same with what I had myself from, at lest, half a Dozen Gentle­men last Commencement, when I was at Tale-Col­lege. The Affair indeed is well known in CON­NECTICUT. But to those not acquainted with it, it may not be amiss to subjoin the Narrative of this Matter, as I Penn'd it down from the Mouth of a Gentleman in the Ministry, of unblemish'd Cha­racter, who was contemporary at College with Mess. DAVENPORT, WHELOCK, and was himself, in a Measure, beguil'd by this FERRIS, and had the Honour, at Times, of making one of his religious [...]. It is thus,

‘DAVID FERRIS came from a Nest of Quakers at NEW-MILFORD, deeply ting'd with their Spi­rit. He made a great Shew of Sanctity, while at [Page 213] the College; by Means whereof, he was under Advantage to propagate his quakerish Notions, and did do it, among a Number of the Students. Mr. POMROY, WHELOCK, ALLEN, DAVENPORT, BLISS, were familiar with him, and led aside by him. They made a Club, and often met together. They did not open their Principles to all, but to those whom they imagined they could work upon.—They laid great Stress upon Impressions and Impulses; particularly, upon any Sense of Scripture that was suddenly and strongly suggested to their Minds.—They were strangely unchari­table; expressing themselves censoriously of most others: They had indeed no Opinion of any but themselves on a religious Account.—They pleaded for the SPIRIT'S immediate, extraordinary Guidance in the Manner 'tis now pleaded for; and were in most Respects then as they have ap­peared since. FERRIS left College before he took his Degree, professing himself a Quaker; and its said to be now a Quaker-Preacher.’

But, as a further Testimony to the Truth of the Account that has been given of the Corrup­tion of these Gentleman, at College, I shall still add a Letter that was sent from Mr. ALLEN. when a Student at College, to Mr. BLISS then at a Distance from it; wherein is discovered the very Spirit of their Father FERRIS, as well as the Spirit, these Gentlemen have been remarkable for in these Times. It was intercepted in its Progress, and brought to a Gentleman, who acquainted the Governors of the College with it, and preserved it, and allow'd me to take a Copy of it; which, so far as the present Affair is concerned in it, is as follows,

This TIMOTHY ALLEN was, for a while, the Paster of the Church at WEST-HAVEN; but his old Spirit, reviving and operating in the late Times, in a Manner too extravagant to be born with, his People enter'd their Complaints against him, and he was, after a fair Hearing of the Case, dismist from them according to the Method of Discipline, in the CONNECTICUT Churches. Among the many Articles exhibited against him, I shall single out one; and this I chuse to mention rather than any other, because it is so clearly descriptive of the dangerous Length, this giving Heed to Impulses, and the Notion of the SPIRIT'S immediate extraor­dinary Guidance will carry Men. It is in these Words of a Letter from a Friend,

[Page 216] But leaving this Head of Impulses, and Immediate divine Revelations, as the Instruments in the late Com­motion are concerned in it; I proceed to observe,

That the same Things are become prevalent among the common People, in one Place and ano­ther, all over the Land. After the Example of the Preachers they admire, they too commonly mistake the Motions of their own Minds for divine Suggestions, and look for those Communications from the HOLY SPIRIT, which are proper only to INSPIRED Persons. They talk not of the SPIRIT's Instuence in the Language good Christians have been us'd to; but more in the Strain of those, who, in the Apostles Days, were under his imme­diate, extraordinary Guidance. They have many of them, a low Opinion of studied Sermons, as not savouring of the SPIRIT's Help; while they will gladly hear any who will venture to speak to them without previous Preparation, whether learned or unlearned (if converted); imagining they are wonderfnlly assisted by the SPIRIT, as to Matter as well as Manner: Nay, to such a Height have many got, that they not only see Visions and hear Voices; but are enabled to such a Discernment of the internal State of others, that, in a few Mi­nutes, they will six their Character, whether they are Ministers, or People, and speak of them, and act towards them, accordingly. And what is still of more dangerous Consequence, the Notions many entertain of the SPIRIT's Influence are such, as reflect great Dishonour on the written Word. Their Expressions, on this Head, have been strange­ly extravagant; as we may have Occasion to ob­serve in another Place: And so numerous are the Persons who give Heed to Impulses and Im­pressions, and such have been the evil Consequences [Page 217] hereof, that some of the warmest Contenders for the good Work, have been alarmed publickly to speak against this Spirit.