I Have read the Pamphlet, intitled, " The State of Religion in New-England, since the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield's Arrival there, in a Letter from a Gen­tleman in New-England to his Friend in Glasgow"—I think the Contents no Way answer the Title-Page—It rather ought to be intitled, The State of Religion falsly Stated—For I am perswaded some Things are therein asserted without sufficient Evidence to prove them, and many more Things set in a very wrong Light:—The Design of the Pamphlet itself is base and wicked—It's intended if possible, to eclipse the late great and glorious Work, begun and carried on for some Time in New-England, to invalidate the Testimonies that have been given of it, and thereby of Consequence to bring a Re­proach upon, and to hinder the spreading of a like glo­rious Work, which GOD of his infinite Mercy has for some Time been carrying on in this Land—Give me [Page 4] Leave to send you a few Observations upon this Anony­mous Pamphlet. I call it Anonymous, because the Pub­lisher has not thought proper to put down the Name of the Writer of the first Letter Mr. A. M. at length, which I think he was bound in Duty to do—The Pub­lisher indeed in the Advertisement prefix'd to the Let­ter tells us, ‘The Reader may depend upon it, that the following Letter is Genuine, from a Gentleman who hath always had a good Character for sound Under­standing, Integrity, Sobriety of Manners, Piety, and notwithstanding his Engagements in secular Affairs, has never been an unconcern'd Spectator of any Thing that might affect the State of Religion.’ But I must beg the Publisher's Pardon, if I tell him▪ That I am one of those Readers who cannot depend upon all this merely upon his desiring me to do so.—For really there is one Thing in the Letter which makes me shrewdly suspect, that the Letter itself is not Genuine, at least that there has been some Additions made to it since it came to Scotland—For the supposed Writer of this Letter, Page 15, says, ‘In the Preface to the Ser­mon published by Mr. Edwards of Northampton, which I see is reprinted among you.’ Now, how this Gentleman May 24 th could see at Boston, that Mr. Ed­wards's Sermon was reprinted in Scotland, which was not done 'till the June following, I know not. If it be said, that by the Words among you he means in Britain, I see that the printed Advertisement in the London Weekly History, of the Publication of Mr. Edwards's Sermon in England, is dated May 1 st, and says, "This Day is published"—I myself was one that was chiefly con­cern'd in publishing of it—I sent the first Copy to Scot­land, and to my certain Knowledge it was never pub­lished in Britain 'till May 1st.—Is it probable that Peo­ple [Page 5] at Boston should know of this May 24?—What a Character this Gentleman has always had for "sound Understanding, Integrity, Sobriety of Manners and Piety," I will not take upon me to determine; nor does the Publisher give us Opportunity to know what Cha­racter the Gentleman really has had, since he does not publish his Name: But however that be, I fear he has forfeited his good Character "for found Understanding, Integrity and Piety," by writing this Letter. And tho' he may not be altogether an "unconcern'd Spectator of any Thing that might affect Religion," yet, I fear he has been so taken up with his Engagements in secular Affairs, that he hath not given himself sufficient Time to enquire into Matters of Fact, has heard with others Ears, and seen with others Eyes, and has not himself attended as he ought, to the one Thing needful.

He says in the Beginning of his Letter, Page the 3d, ‘I am sorry you have had such Accounts of Persons, and Things transmitted you from this Country, as you mention in your Letter; they are far from being true, & must come from Men of narrow Minds, and great Bigotry, or from such as basely affect Populari­ty, or well-meaning weak Christians, of little Know­ledge of human Nature, or the History of Mankind.’ What Accounts this Gentleman refers to I know not—If he means the Accounts in the Weekly History, as I suppose he does; I think this Gentleman is sadly mista­ken. Most of the Accounts were transmitted by the Honourable Mr. Willard, Secretary of the Province—The Rev. Dr. Colman—The Rev. Mr. Prince—The Rev. Mr. Cooper: Persons I am intimately acquainted with, and who are by no Means ‘Men of narrow Minds, great Bigotry, or little Knowledge of hu­man Nature, or the History of Mankind: But have [Page 6] deservedly had a good Character for sound Under­standing, Integrity, Sobriety of Manners & Piety.’

Now whether they, or this anonymous Writer are to be credited most, I leave any reasonable Man to judge. Indeed he boldly asserts, That these Accounts are not true: But what Proofs does he bring of the Falsity of them? None at all—Let us but know who this Writer is, I am perswaded my honoured Friends at Boston will soon bring him to the Test of these Assertions.

He goes on thus, ‘Indeed, says he, some Persons of very good Sense were once inclined to think GOD was doing Wonders in this Place’ viz. Boston—And I am perswaded these very same Persons have not alter'd their Opinion yet, but actually believe that GOD has done Wonders, if turning People from Darkness to Light, and making them new Creatures, is doing Wonders.

‘But that was a Time when a superstitious Pannick run very high, and bore down every Body, that was not well fix'd and establish'd; either by a natural Steddiness of Temper, or by strong Reasoning and Reflections—But as soon as the Passions of the Peo­ple subsided, and Men could cooly and calmly con­sider, almost every one of but tolerable Sense & Un­derstanding in religious Matters, in great Measure changed their Opinions of the Spirit that prevailed here, and had been raised by Whitefield and Tennent.’

What! Had been raised by Whitefield and Tennent! GOD forbid that either Mr. Tennent or I should ascribe any of that Work to ourselves.—No, it was raised by the Holy Spirit of God—It was no superstitious Pannick, but a plentiful Effusion of the Holy Ghost. It's true, it did run high; Glory be to GOD for it! and did bear down every Body, except those who would not submit [Page 7] to the Redeemer's Scepter, through Self-righteousness and Unbelief; which I am afraid this Writer terms, Natural Steddiness of Temper, strong Reasoning and Reflection. ‘Nor is it true that almost every one of but tolerable Understanding in religious Matters, in a great Measure have changed their Opinions of the Spirit that prevail'd at that Time.’ No, dear Sir, They yet believe it to be a glorious Work of GOD, as is evident from the late Writings of some of these emi­nent Ministers in New-England, mention'd in the Title-Page of the Pamphlet.

What the Writer says of me in the following Para­graph, p. 4 th, is not worthy Notice. He is welcome to make as free with my Character as he pleases, and I freely forgive him—However I thank him for doing me the Justice to say, "That I collected Money for the Orphan House in Georgia—It was not then for myself: Nor does he charge me with embezzling the 5 or 600l. He could not do this justly, because before the writing of this Letter an Account came to Boston how I had ex­pended it. And as for being "a bold and importunate Beggar", I acknowledge that I learn'd that from the wise Man who tells me, Whatever thou findest in thy Hand to do, do it with all thy Might; and from the Apo­stle Paul, who in the second Epistle to the Corinthians, Chap. viii. 9. sh [...]ws himself to be the most bold, insinu­ating and importunate Beggar for pious Uses that I ever yet met with.

I think I am much oblig'd to the Writer for what he says concerning me in this Respect. But I wish he had not made so free with the Character of my honoured Friends. He cries out against Slander in others, at the same Time thro' the whole Letter, he is guilty of the most palpable Slander himself—He is pretty favourable [Page 8] to the Rev. Mr. Webb, and the Rev. Mr. Cooper of Boston. He only calls them, p. 7 th, "Two great Ad­mirers of Whitefield and Tennent, flaming Zealots, for certain favourite Opinions and Tenets."—And so indeed they are blessed Champions, I know them well, for cer­tain favourite Opinions, and Tenets of the Church of Scotland—Such as Original Sin, imputed Righteousness of Christ, Election, and other glorious Gospel Truths. But as for Mr. Tennent he seems quite angry with him.

Never was a Man more wrongfully represented. This Letter-writer says, "He has often heard that Mr. Tennent had always been remarkable in the Jerseys, for his Uncharitable and divisive Courses," But does the hearing of this prove the Truth of it? I have the Hap­piness of being personally & very intimately acquainted with Mr. Tennent. I scarce know a Man of a more catholick Spirit. "He is a Man of no Learning." His Writings prove the contrary. His Antagonists abroad dare not say they have found it so. ‘His great Business in his Sermons is either to puzzle, or to fright the Hearers, but especially the last, which he did by roaring out, and bellowing Hell and Damna­tion, Devils, and all the dreadful Words he could think of.’ Indeed, to the Honour of the Grace of GOD be it spoken, he is a Son of Thunder, especially in his Application, and when he is preaching the Law; at such Times, under him, People cannot easily sleep: But with [...] he is a Workman that needs not be ashamed, and is taught of God rightly to divide the Word of Truth. As for puzzling his Hearers, I fear that Mr. A. M. thinks he did so, because he generally insists much on the New-Birth, Imputed Righteousness, Divine Faith, and the other peculiar Doctrines of the Gospel. These Things are all Foolishness to the natural Man, and puzzled [Page 9] Nicodemus himself, when discoursed of by our blessed Lord. John iii. 9. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these Things be? ‘Ministers in general, he calls Carnal, Unconverted, Blind-leaders of the Blind, Rational, Moral, Dry, Husky Preachers, that were leading the People to Hell.’ I suppose Mr. Tennent said, That carnal blind Preachers who preach Morality, without due Regard to Gospel Grace and Motives; who do not preach Justification by Faith, Regeneration, &c. they who do not preach Christ as All in All, were Blind-leaders of the Blind, and were leading the People to Hell. But it is absurd to suppose he thought that all Ministers in general were such. I know a great Body of Ministers, that he thinks most highly of. But, ‘he exhorted People to leave them, to go about exhorting one another, and telling their Experiences.’ This I cannot believe is truly re­presented; for I have now a Letter by me published by Mr. Tennent, against Persons going about in the Cha­racter of Exhorters. But if he only exhorted Christi­ans not to for sake the assembling of themselves together, to provoke one another to Love, and good Works, and to tell one another what GOD had done for their Souls, he did no more than what every Gospel Minister should do. He says, "He was followed by all sorts of Peo­ple." This I think was a Proof that he was of a catho­lick Spirit, and not of a divisive uncharitable Temper. "As much as Whitefield was"— ‘And I pray GOD he may be followed a thousand Times more! And by many preferred to him—Very justly—"He was most Censorious and Uncharitable, every one that was not exactly of his Mind he damn'd without Mercy.’—This is Calumny indeed.—I know many Ministers who do not think as Mr. Tennent does in all [Page 10] Respects whom he notwithstanding highly values. But I suppose the Writer was angry with him, because he pronounced all damn'd that were not born again, and that did not believe in, and lay hold on the imputed Righteousness of Jesus Christ.—His Master authorizes him to pronounce such damn'd— He that believeth not shall be damn'd.— ‘His Sermons were sometimes as con­fused and senseless as you can imagine’—It is well they were not always so. ‘He seem'd to have a par­ticular Quarrel with Reason, Learning and Morali­ty; for he seldom finished a Sermon without saying something against them’—Never I believe, but when these Things are magnified to the Prejudice of divine Revelation, Illumination, or Christ's imputed Righte­ousness—For Mr. Tennent is a solid, learned, rational, and not only a moral but truly holy Man. The Rev. Doctor Colman in a Letter to me, published in the first Weekly Paper printed at Glasgow, writes thus of him— ‘We received him just as we did you, as an Angel of Christ—He was abundant and fervent in Labours, and GOD has been pleased to own his Labours with abundant Success’—The honourable, and truly pious Secretary Willard, writes thus, ‘There has been so evidently the Finger of GOD in directing you into this Province, and (after your Departure) the Rev. Mr. Tennent, through your earnest and importunate Request to him, and in the wonderful Success that has attended both his and your Ministry; as also the Labours of our own Ministers for some Months past, that many that like not the Work are sadly put to it, to keep their Eyes shut against the Evi­dences of it.’

The Rev. Mr. Cooper in a Letter printed in the Weekly History No. 2d, which the Printer has mistaken [Page 11] for Colman, calls him, "Dear Mr. Tennent—He came" says he, ‘In the Fullness of the Blessing of the Gospel indeed. He was with us several Months. Many Thousands were awakened, and I believe many truly converted. There is quite another Face of Religion in this Town, as well as in many Places in the Coun­try. Many Ministers as well as People greatly quickened. Blessed be God who put it into your Heart to move him to come, and inclined his Heart to come, and help us.’ I could bring a Cloud of Witnesses to testify the Falseness of the Character giv­en Mr. Gilbert Tennent by this Letter-Writer: The Account which he gives of himself to me in a Letter published in the Weekly History No. is admirably sweet. His Book intitled the Presumptous Sinner detected, and his many printed Sermons, and his Preface to his de­ceased Brother's Treatise upon the New-Birth, which is now in the Country, which I wou'd recommend, shew him to be a Man of great Learning, Solidity and Piety. And I am not without some distant Hopes that, the People of Scotland will have an Opportunity of hear­ing him ere long, and then they may judge for themselves.

After such a false and scandalous Character given of that great Man of God Mr. Gilbert Tennent, I think I may justly suspect the Truth of all that this Writer says in the subsequent Part of the Letter. From such a Letter-Writer as this, What Truth can we expect?

The Writer himself gives me Leave to speak in this Manner—For he seems to make the Validity of what follows to depend on the Character he gave of me and Mr. Tennent p. the 6 th, ‘From such Men as these ( Whitefield and Tennent) and such Doctrines and Ways of Preaching as theirs, says he, What Fruit can you expect?’ Now all he says about me is, [Page 12] ‘That I collected in New-England 5 or 600 £. Sterl. for the Orphan-House in Georgia. That I was a bold and importunate Beggar’ &c. This could have no Influence upon the People's Minds, to raise a bad Spirit among the People. And as for the Character he gives of Mr. Tennent, I have proved it to be absolutely False: Consequently whatever he builds upon the Foun­dation of Mr. Tennent's bad Character, amounts to no­thing at all, since he has not proved the Character given of him to be true.

But suppose Mr. Tennent was the Man he is represen­ted to be; Does it therefore follow that all the great and glorious Work carried on in New-England, by other Ministers, and in other Places where Mr. Tennent and I never were, is Enthusiasm and Delusion? By no Means; and yet this is the whole Drift of the Pamphlet.

Surely the Writer knows not what Spirit he is of: In the 6, 7, 8, 9 th and 10 th Pages, he represents Things in a most ridiculous Dress, and takes upon him to con­demn all the Converts to a Man, tho' he could not possibly be acquainted with the hundredth Part of them, as ‘Self-conceited, superstitious, enthusiastick, cen­sorious, Slanderers.’ At the same Time he seems to ridicule the Concern the People were under when they were brought to cry out, What shall we do to be saved". He laughs at them for asking one another ‘How do you feel? Have you seen Christ? He boldly asserts that the boasted Converts, not one in a Hundred ex­cepted, make Religion consist, in the Feeling of in­ward Impulses, Impressions, and in an inexplicable Faith, Joys, Extacys, hearing of Sermons, and such like.’ In short he by this and the whole Drift of his Letter, seems to me to be far from deserving the Cha­racter given him in the Advertisement affixed to the Title-Page of the Pamphlet.

[Page 13] Page the 11 th, He falls foul of Mr. Moorhead, and speaks almost as freely of him as of Mr. Tennent—I can­not say I was very intimate with Mr. Moorhead when at Boston: But the Letters that have come from him, and from others concerning him, bespeak him to be a Man of a good Spirit, and one whom God has blessed with Success. And I have great Reason to believe that he is a Man not over credulous: Because I have heard from his Friends here, that he did not overmuch favour the Work of God that was at Northampton in New-England some Years ago, and therefore probably would not readily favour the late Work in Boston and other Parts, had he not sufficient Evidence that it was a Work of God.

Page 14 th, The Letter-Writer takes upon him to assert that a Pamphlet publish'd in Scotland intitled, Christ's riding in the Chariot of Salvation, is stuffed with abominable Lies. As a Proof of it, he urges That the Students in Boston, got nothing by White­field and Tennent but Enthusiasm, Pride, a Contempt of their Betters, &c. What they got by me I know not, but I have great Reason to believe they got something that was good, under God, by Mr. Tennent. For Dr. Colman in a Letter to me which was printed in the Glasgow Weekly History No. 1 st, writes, ‘At Cam­bridge the College is a new Creature; the Students full of God, and like to come out Blessings in their Generations, and to be so now to each other. Many of them are now we think truly born again, and several of them happy Instruments of Conversion to their Fellows. The Voice of Prayer and Praise fills their Chambers; and the Sincerity, Fervency, and Joy, with Seriousness of their Heart, sits visibly on their Faces. I was told Yesterday that not seven of [Page 14] a Hundred remain unaffected. I know how the good Tidings of this will affect and please you. God give you like Joy every where in the Fruit of your Labours.’

And the honourable Secretary Willard about the same Time writes to me thus: ‘But that which forebodes a more lasting Advantage, is the new Face of Things at the College, where the Impressions of Religion have been, and still are very general, and many in a Judgment of Charity brought home to Christ; and divers Gentlemen's Sons, that were sent there only for a more polite Education, are now so full of Zeal for the Cause of Christ, and of Love to Souls, as to devote themselves entirely to the Studies of Divinity.’

The same Page he would fain tax Mr. Gilbert Tennent with a Lie; for it was he wrote the Account in the Weekly History No. 1 st. In the above-mentioned Pamphlet, says he, ‘It is said, When Mr. Gilbert Ten­nent preached at Marblehead and Charlestown, his Voice had like to have been drown'd with their Out­cries.’ But he mistakes: It is not said so: For I have search'd narrowly into the Pamphlet and Weekly History, and find no Mention of an Outcry but only a great Shock given at Marblehead. It was at Portsmouth where Mr. Gilbert Tennent writing to his Brother says, ‘That there were, viz. at Portsmouth & Charlestown, in Time of Sermon such Outcries that his Voice had like to have been drown'd.’ I think Mr. Tennent is the best Judge of what he heard with his own Ears. Mr. A. M.'s living near Charlestown, and having never heard a Word of this from the Minister with whom he frequently conversed, is no Proof it was not so. It might have been so, and yet might not come into the Minister's Mind to tell Mr. A. M. of it.

[Page 15] In the same Page he finds Fault with the Accounts given of some young Children ‘who talked of the Things of GOD as if they were People of 70 or 80 Years. Alas! says he, How easily are Mankind deceived? How fond are they to impose on them­selves and others? Some of these I have conversed with’: But did he converse with all, or with these mentioned in the Pamphlet? If not, How can he urge this as another Lie in the Pamphlet? I take Mr. Abercromby, who sent the Account of the Children, and who is a Preacher of good Character, to be a bet­ter Judge of the Matter than Mr. A. M. But this anonymous Letter-Writer seems resolved to condemn every Thing in the Gross. Indeed he does speak fa­vourably of the Church of England. ‘I must do Justice, says he, to the Church of England, p. 16 th. There are three Congregations of that Way in Boston: They all live in Love and Peace; their Ministers speak against Enthusiasm and Bigotry every Day; not above three or four at most, of some Thou­sands that are of the Episcopal Persuasion, are taken with this New-Light, as they call it. They all, says be, stand fast to the Church, and their Numbers in­crease very fast.’

One would imagine by this Mr. A. M. is a Church of England Man, and it should seem a bigotted One too: And then no Wonder he speaks against the New-Light. Their Ministers I believe do preach against what I fear he terms Enthusiasm, viz. The powerful feeling Operations of the Holy Ghost. But I cannot think they preach so much against Bigotry. For the Head of them, in a Conference ^* I held with all three of those Mini­sters [Page 16] in Boston, to prove that we ought all to be of the Church of England, brought this Text, Father, I will, that they may be all One, even as thou O Father and I are One. They assert baptismal Regeneration, deny Per­severance and free Justification by Faith without Works, and seem to think of Mr. Gilbert Tennent just as this Letter-Writer does. No Wonder then he is so friendly to them.

But why should I say more? It would be endless, as well as take up too much of my precious Time, to be more particular in my Observations upon Mr. A. M.'s Letter. There are some Matters of Fact mentioned in it, such as "a blind Lad's preaching in Connecti­cut, p. 12. Mr. D—'s Manner of Preaching in a hot Day, p. 13," and some other Things which I cannot take upon me to make Replies to, and which if true, will by no Means prove the late Work of God in New-England to be only Enthusiasm and Delusion. Ere long I hope to see Boston. Then I will endeavour to send an impartial Account. Indeed Mr. A. M. p. 17 th, seems not to care for my Return to Boston. But I hope to have a prosperous Journey to them in some Months, by the Will of GOD, and see how they do.

In the mean while give me leave to observe, that the Publishers of this Pamphlet (for I believe there are more than one concern'd in it) have almost saved me the Trouble, and have taken an effectual Way to confute themselves. For they have annex'd to this Letter an ‘Appendix containing Proofs for the Facts in the foregoing Letter, extracted from Sermons preached by some of the most eminent Ministers in New-England, lately printed at Boston.’ But these Ex­tracts by no Means contain Proofs of the Facts recorded in the foregoing Letter, consequently all the Facts in [Page 17] the foregoing Letter which are not proved by these Extracts, we have Reason to doubt of. I have not an Opportunity of getting all the Sermons of the Rev. Mi­nisters mentioned in the Title-Page: But it grieved me when I saw Extracts taken out of their Writings, to prove that the Work lately begun and carried on in New-England was Enthusiasm and Delusion. This was the chief Reason of my writing you this Letter. It will grieve them to hear that their Writings have been used to so bad a Purpose. The Compilers of the Pamphlet have deal with their Sermons, as the Devil dealt with the Scripture when he tempted our Lord in the Wilderness, I mean marred and wholly misapplied them. The Publishers stile them at the Head of the Appendix, some of the most eminent Ministers in New-England. They depend much upon their Authority, to prove the Facts of Mr. A. M.'s Letter. And I desire no other Authority than these very eminent Ministers Sermons out of which the Extracts are taken, to prove that the Work lately begun and carried on in New-England is not Enthusiasm and Delusion, but a great and marvellous Work of the Spirit of God.

The Compilers indeed in order to make the World believe they had been impartial, have publish'd a Sen­tence or two wherein Dr. Colman has written favour­ably of the Orphan-House in Georgia, and says ‘the Order of it is admirable, &c.’ but this is only a Dis­guise. For they have been far from acting fair in this Respect. The Doctor complains in the P. S. of that Letter, p. 44. ‘That some of my Friends have made too free with my Letters in printing only Part of them, and mixing them with Part of others with­out Distinction.’ I think it is my Duty to take all the Blame from off my Friends as to printing only Parts [Page 18] of his Letters, upon my self; for I was the only Per­son concern'd: But as for mixing them with others without Distinction, I know nothing of it. The Let­ters were sent to me from the Doctor. I thought it would be improper to publish any other Parts of the Doctor's Letters than what respected the Success of the glorious Gospel, and that I thought he would gladly have published: But if the Doctor found Fault with my Friends, I am sure he justly may blame these Compi­lers who have published only Part of this Letter of his. One would have thought they should have taken a Cau­tion from this very P. S. But they were afraid as it would seem, of the Contents of it; for a Friend who has seen and read the whole Letter sends me the follow­ing Extract out of it. ‘I hope we are retrenching our Superfluities and Luxury; our young People have thrown by much of their Finery and Gaiety, and seem to have Eye and Heart on Things spiritual and heavenly; and if God build them up into Fa­milies with their present prudent pious Dispositions, it promises greatly for the next Generation; That Glory will dwell in our Land, and his Work appear to Children's Children.’ And in that very Part of it they have printed, the Doctor says enough to overthrow the whole Design of the Pamphlet. ‘All this, P. 42, notwithstanding, there has been a great and glorious Work of God going on among us, from the Day of Mr. Whitefield's Visit to us.’ I have a Sermon of the Doctor's now before me intitled, ‘ The Word of God magnified by him, preached April 29. 1742, wherein his Testimony is humbly given for the great and wondrous Work of GOD's Grace manifest in many Parts of the Land.’ The last Paragraph of that Sermon begins thus, ‘I close with giving Glory [Page 19] to GOD for the great and good Work of his Grace which he hath so visibly begun, spread, and is carry­ing on in every Part almost of our Provinces.’ This very Sermon I believe has been in the Hands of the Compilers of this Pamphlet. How then could they be so bare-fac'd, and so injurious, to the good Man's Character, as to print any Part of his Letter, to subserve so base a Design? I believe they will not have the Doctor's Thanks for this.

The like Treatment they have given the Revd. Mr. Turell, another of the eminent Ministers from whom they have taken Extracts to prove the Facts of Mr. A. M.'s Letter. I am persuaded Mr. Turell will be much concern'd to find any Part of his Sermon thus misused; and how the Compilers of this Pamphlet could dare to make this Use of his Writing I cannot imagine; for, in the very first Page of the Preface to that very Sermon out of which they have taken their Extracts, he speaks of himself ‘as one of the Friends and zea­lous Promoters of the good Work’: Nay he begins his Preface with these Words, ‘The Occasion of my publishing this brief Direction to my People, is partly to vindicate my Character which has been in­jured by a Report spread, that of a zealous Promo­ter of the glorious Work of GOD's Grace and Spirit appearing, I am become an Opposer’: Which shews that Mr. Turell would not care to be represented as an Opposer of that Work, and consequently would not chuse that his Writings should be produced to prove the principal Facts in this Letter of A. M.'s, who would represent the whole as Enthusiasm and Delusion.

What Opinion Mr. Turell had of Persons of this Gentleman's Spirit is evident from the 4th Page of the same Preface, which the Compilers of the Pamphlet [Page 20] could not but see. His Words are these, ‘As for the profane Triumphs of the Opposers; (of such I mean) who attribute the Whole of this glorious Scene to the Devil, or wild Enthusiasm, a heated Ima­gination, &c. I detest their Opinion, tho' I am far from judging their State. I am confident that of the many that I have discoursed with under the com­mon Impressions (two or three excepted) they have been all wrought upon in a Way agreeable to the Gospel: And just as I should have desir'd some Years ago. And I must testify to the Glory of GOD and his sovereign rich Grace, that I do behold the dis­tinguishing Marks of GOD's Spirit on many: My Brethren, let us pray for the Preservation, Revival, Progress, and universal Spread thereof.’ In p. 14 th of his Directions, he says, ‘I charitably believe some Scores in this Place have been seriously wrought up­on; and the far greater Part of them have declared, God has made me the happy Instrument of their Awakening. And P. 18 th, says he, The Names of Whitefield and Tennent (tho' liable to err) I have once and again mention'd to you with Honour; they have been raised by God to do abundance of Good.’ How does this agree with the Account Mr. A. M. gives of the Spirit raised by us, and with that scandalous Character he gives of Mr. Tennent in particular: And when these Quotations are Parts of one of the Treatises out of which one of the Extracts mentioned in the Appendix is taken, and are written by one of those eminent Ministers whose Writings are re­ferred to, to prove the principal Facts recorded in Mr. A. M.'s Letter.

But what surprizes me most of all is, That they should extract any Thing from Mr. Parsons to prove [Page 21] Mr. A. M.'s Matters of Fact. Indeed in the Passage cited from him, see Page 41 st of the Pamphlet, to use the Words in the Glasgow Weekly History, No. 35. I see only a Warning, against rashly concluding Persons to be in a converted State, because some who have been thus well judged of do afterwards full away into Errors, or appear to be deluded or Impostors; and the Warn­ing inforced by an Instance, and indeed but by one In­stance, of a Person who was Visionary. Mr. Parsons's Caution to others against concluding too rashly that People are converted, is a Presumption that he is cauti­ous in that Matter himself; yet in this very Sermon of Mr. Parsons, out of which the Extract mention'd in the Appendix is taken, He says Page the 44 th, ‘I hope not less than an hundred and fifty Souls are converted in about nine Months past’: Tho' his Parish is small, consisting only of 120 Families. I could heartily wish that the whole Sermon was printed. It is directly levelled in many Parts of it against Per­sons of Mr. A. M.'s Spirit and Sentiments, and is in­tended as a needful Caution for those lately converted to avoid Extreams, and take Care to walk consistently. He has all along been a great Promoter of this Work: In a Letter dated Decemb. 16th. 1741, to Dr. Colman, and which is printed in the Weekly History, he mentions a most wonderful Effusion of the Holy Ghost in his Congregation: In that Letter he makes an honourable Mention of Mr. Tennent. ‘I have Reason, says he, to bless the Lord that he sent him for our Help; and indeed by an Inquiry since, I find his Labours were blessed to give a more general Shock than ap­pear'd at the very Time.’

The other eminent Ministers Sermons I have not yet met with: But I have great Reason to believe they [Page 22] have been treated in the same Manner. The Time would fail me, dear Sir, to send you all the Vouchers that might be produced for the glorious Work in New-England. Messirs. Prince, Webb and Cooper, in a Pre­face to a Sermon by Mr. M'Gregere, a Presbyterian Minister, and which I hope also will be Re-printed, speak nobly of it. Mr. Edwards's Sermon I think is most admirable, and answers all the Objections that Mr. A. M. or Others can make against it. In short, if any Work had all Marks of a divine Signature, this undoubtedly has.

When I consider how Mr. A. M. so quarrels with it, and endeavours to represent it in so ridiculous a Light, I cannot but wish he may consider Rom. viii. 7. 1 Cor. ii. 14. That the carnal Mind is Enmity against God, and the natural Man discerneth not the Things of the Spirit of God, because they are spiritually discern'd. The Sum of the of the Matter seems to be this; There has been a great and marvellous Work in New-England, but, as it should seem, by the Imprudences of some, and the overboiling Zeal of others, some Irregularities have been committed in several Places, which Mr. Ten­nent himself in a Letter to Mr. Parsons printed in the Boston Gazette, has born his Testimony against, as strongly as any of these eminent Ministers. This, dear Sir, is nothing but what is common. It was so in Old-England some few Years ago. Many young Persons there ran out before they were called. Others were guilty of great Imprudences. I checked them in the strictest Manner my self, and found as they grew ac­quainted with the Lord Jesus, and their own Hearts, the Intemperance of their Zeal abated; and they be­came truly humble Walkers with God. After a gathering there will always be a sifting Time. And the Church [Page 23] is generally shaken before it is settled. But must the whole Work of God be condemn'd as Enthusiasm and Delusion because of some Disorder? No, I wish with all my Soul, that those who had extracted from Mr. Parsons had observed what he says Page the 41st, and 42 d. It is very much to be feared, says he (speaking to Persons who cried down a whole Work of God because of the Imprudencies and Miscarriages of a few) ‘That you are Strangers to the sanctifying Influence of the Holy Ghost, when you can so easily pass over the Table of the rich Dainties which God spreads for his own Children, which while they feast upon, their Souls are drawn out in Rivers of Pleasure and Love; and like the Crow light upon, and greedily pick up, every Bit of filthy Carrion you can meet with.’

Dear Sir, as I allow you to publish my Letter, out of Compassion to the Compilers and Publishers [...] the Pamphlet, I cannot but express my Concern, that they may seriously consider, whether this mention'd by Mr. Parsons be not directly their Case: And that they may take heed lest the God of this World may have blinded their Eyes. Since they had this and the other Sermons before them, they must sin against Light and Knowlege in publishing such a Tract. And therefore to use the Words of Mr. Parsons in his Sermon Page 42 d. ‘It is not possible that you should be innocent, but on the contrary plunge yourselves under amazing Guilt by such a dreadful Conduct. Whilst you stand a­mazed at the Rings of the Wheels as Things too high and dreadful for you; whil'st you know not what to make of the Effusions of the Holy Spirit, but are blun­dering at every Thing amiss, when God is working a Work of his astonishing Grace before your Eyes which you will not believe; Beware lest that come [Page 24] upon you, which is spoken of in the Prophets, Behold ye Despisers and wonder and perish! Dear immortal Souls, say he, I beseech and persuade you, by the Mercies, of God and the astonishing Love of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you would not sacrifice the Operations of the blessed Spirit to your own Prejudice, arising from our Imperfections: I beseech and charge you by the coming of the great▪ Jehovah in the Word of his Grace, that you do not despise his glorious Name, and the Riches of his Mercy now offer'd you. I charge and admonish you by the Dignity and Worth of your immortal Souls; by the powerful Impressi­ons of an approaching Change; by the certain tre­mendous appearing of the great Judge▪ by the inexpressible Agonies of Hell, and in conceiveable Joys of an everlasting Heaven, that you do no longer re­ject, nor once more cavil against the glorious Interest and Kingdom of the blessed Jesus triumphing at this Day, and inviting the miserable Slaves of the Devil, to become the happy Subjects of it. I warn and charge you before the great God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Angels, upon your Peril, that you take diligent Heed to these Things. And if you reject to hear, if you dare reject or boldly despise the Admonition, remember you are answerable at the great Tribunal, and must expect a most fearful Share of Torments among the damn'd World, for such unspeakable Guilt.’

Thus speaks this worthy Man: My Heart warm'd, dear Sir, whilst I was reading his Discourse; 'tis close, succinct and powerful: How could the Publishers after reading such a dreadful Warning, print any Thing out of his Sermon, to prove the Work in New-England Enthusiasm? I would heartily join with him and the [Page 25] other Ministers in New-England, was I there, in bear­ing a faithful Testimony against any Thing that I might judge to be inconsistent with the precious Rules of the holy Scriptures. At the same Time, I pray that even the Ministers themselves may act with the same Caution they recommend to their People, and then I doubt not but we shall see a happy End put to what may now be irregular or disorderly. The dear Redeemer has assured us, that the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against his Church. He will cause that all Things shall work together for her Good. The Wrath of Man shall turn to his Praise, and the Remainder of it shall he re­strain. He will bring Order out of Confusion, and the Church shall be more than Conqueror thro' his Love. I will therefore conclude this long Letter with the Words of the Psalmist in the second Psalm.

Upon this Assurance I rest in Peace, and am, Reverend and dear Sir, in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus.—