Remarks on the anonymous tract, entitled An answer to Dr. Mayhew's Observations on the charter and conduct of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. Being a second defence of the siad Observations. By Jonathan Mayhew, ... 1764
Mayhew, Jonathan.
Theſe — 9 * 2 e > RAE” 4 ng "0 OF — — 2 2 - — —— — 3 * —— 9 „ „% — — * — . of — CHO —„—- — l 4 = — —- 3 . ** r > — cn KT * — 4 - : — = = _- . 4 * - — - 4 — - 8 "x" — ay - - - 3 - Ia — T_T ed — —— a_—_— — — I Faw —_ ES * Py - | --— — — —ꝑ— — 4 * — — 2 ̃ ̃ — — —. * — <_ — 2 1 0 - ** — _ - zz  8o A ſecond Defence of the Obſervations Theſe and ſome other of his compliments, however a- eeable they may be to others, I own, I do not very well reliſh myſelf ; and the leſs, becauſe they may poſſi- bly ſerve, in ſome meaſure, to keep in countenance my American antagoniſts in this controverſy; who have ob- ſerved no meaſures in their abuſes and invectives. But I can bear, without returning, ſuch language as this; eſpe- cially as this courtly gentleman intimates, that theſe free. doms' ſhould * not be imputed to any unkinder motive?,* than that of ſewing me to myſelf ; and that, if 1 * Wot upon admonition,* ſo tenderly adminiſtred, I may be en- titled to ſome reſpect. I defire to amend all my faults, Which are far, very far, too many. Nor will I deny, but that I am in ſome meaſure deſirous to procure reſpect, by fair and honorable means; eſpecially reſpect from a per- ſon, for whom J have fo ſincere a one my ſelf, as I have for my kind admoniſher. The gentleman, after having ſpoken of me in ſuch terms as the aforeſaid, is ſo charitable as to make an apo- logy for me, by obſerving, that I /eem to have naturally a moſt vebement ſpirit, and to have imbibed, perhaps in my early days, equally vebement prepoſſeſſions againſt the very name of biſhops, and every thing connected with them. — © I am ſenſible,” adds he, that theſe things plead in his * excuſe,” &c. T My natural temper is perhaps too warm: And J own, that early in life, I imbibed ſtrong prepoſſeſſions againſt dioceſan biſhops 3 i. e. if a full perſua- ſion, the reſult of free enquiry and reading, that their order itſelf is unſcriptural, and that they have generally been a pernicious ſet of men, both to church and ſtate, may properly be called prepoſſeſſion. And if theſe things plead in my excuſe for any unwarrantable expreſſions uſed by me, I am much oblized to the gentleman for his can- dor in ſuggeſting it. What his own early prepoſſeſſions | might poſſibly be, in favor of epiſcopacy, and ſome things connefed with it, I forbear to conjecture ; leſt 1 ſhould Fall * Page 67. + Ibid. * wa. "9" ._ n,, , Re Woe on the Charter and Conduct, &c. 81 fall into a miſtake that might be œFenſtve to him: Which I chuſe w a 30id. If the gentleman labors under any natural foible, ſimilar to that which he ſuppoſes in me, I am ex- tremely deſirous that he ſhould reap all the advantage from it, as a plca in his cactſe, that he charitably propoſes I ſhould reap from mine; and fo, while he is far happier in many excellencics, may alſo have more cauſe to glory in hrs onfirmities,* Eut if, on the contrary, he is naturally of a cool, diſbnfſicnate lemper ; tho? I ſincerely congratulate him on his felicity in that reſpect, yet I cannot but expreſs my ſorrow, that this puts it out of my power to return his civility, by making as handſome an apology for ſome expreſſions that have eſcaped him, as he has made for ſome of mine. | , I am indeed, even literally a * poor man,” as this gen- tleman calls me, I ſuppoſe, in another ſenſe: And in that reſpect I have been publicly upbraided by ſome of the very decent writers againſt the Oer vations; nor has even the honeſt, irr eproachable memory of my Father wholly eſcaped their inſults, However, thro' the goodneſs of God, and the gencroſity of his people, I have a com- fortable ſubſiſteuce, with contentment : Which, if but attended wich integrity and gedlineſs, is all the gain that my foul aſpircs after in this world. „. * 2 Cor. zii. & 10. This | [i 82 A Second Defence of the Obſervations The good gentleman concludes his performance in ſuch 2 ſenſible, candid and charitable way, as does him great honor ; and ſhews the amiable ſpirit of chriſtianity in an advantageous light. I can, however, hardly ſuppoſe, that if he had ever ſeen certain outrageous publications of the American epiſcopalians againſt me, relating to the Society and the church, he would have expreſſed himſelf in fo cautious and tender a manner as he has there done, after having reproved and admoniſhed me, with ſome ſeverity, the only for my good: Since he is doubtleſs as 4indly dil- oſed towards them, as towards me. IF any writers on * our ſide, ſays he, have been /efs cool, or leſt civil, than they ought, and deſigned ['to be ſure] to have been, we * are ſorry for it, and exhort them to change their ſtile, * if they write again. f Methinks, One that appears partly in the character of a moderator and peace-maker among warm diſputants, ought, not only to abſtain from all ſuch contemptuous and opprobrious language as he blames in them, but to be impartial in his reproofs and admonitions. For which reaſon I conclude, this worthy gentleman was an utter ſtranger to ſome late writings of the epiſcopalians here ; which would, no doubr, if he had ſeen them, have extorted even from a perſon of his mild, meek and gentle diſpoſition, a ſharp rebuke, inſtead of ſuch a gingeriſb exhortation. Tho? Mr. Apthorp kept to his prudent reſolution, © once for all,” and has been dead as to this diſpute, ever ſince he began it in form; this gentleman has revived the remembrance of him, by ſometimes mentioning him, endea- vouring to defend divers of his moſt unjuſtifiable poſitions, and blaming me for treating him © unmercifully,” &c. All which I conſider as the effect of his great humanity, rather than the reſult of his deliberate judgment. And tho” T have had frequent occaſions, yet I have, as much as poſſible, avoided ſpeaking of that gentleman ; leſt, in my own vindication, I ſhould have been almoſt obliged to tranſgreſs the old maxim, De mortuis nil niſi bonum. & Plauſible + P. 68 lee on the C burter and Contduff Nc. 833 Plauſible colors may be put upon almoſt any thing, how- ever falſe or wrong in itſelf, by men of great ingenuity, and fine ſenſe. But plain, common ſenſe, with a competent know- ledge of facts and circumſtances, (which, to be ſure, is the utmoſt that I can pretend to) and much more, an equal ca- pacity on the fide of truth and right, will ever have the ad- vantage in an argument. This will, commonly at leaſt, be able to ſhew, that round is not ſquare, or black white ; to ſtrip a bad cauſe of the ingemous gloſſes put upon it; to puff away the duſt, and bruſh off the flimzy, cobweb reaſonings that are ſpread over it, to keep it from appear- ing what it is. Spin all your cobwebs o'er the eye of day! The muſe's wing ſhall bruſh them all away. All, all but truth, drops dead-born from the pres, Like the laſt Gazette, or the laſt Addreſs.--- Not Waller's wreath can hide the nation's ſcar, Nor Boileau turn the FEATHER to a STAR. T That which is crooked cannot be made „rait.“ I will not apply this; it will be done by others, if it is in any mea- ſure applicable to the caſe in hand. But to draw to a cloſe of theſe Remarks : Having, for ſome years, been not un- acquainted with the religious ſtate of New-England, nor un- knowing to many tranſactions relative thereto; I have ſin- cerely aimed at ſetting things in a true light, as to the miſ- lions here. A child may hold a candle to a man, or a weak and ſimple man to a wife one; and thereby be of {ſervice ro him, while employed about matters of grcat importance and difficulty. If any thing has been offered by me, which, from the nature of it, juſtly claims atten- tion, J hope it will not be entirely diſregarded, on account of any diſagreeable appendages. If I have ſaid nothing that deſerves any regard, I beg the venerable Society candidly to excuſe my well-meant officiouſneſs; as alſo to pardon any expreſhons uſed by me, which may ſeem not ſufficiently reſpe&ful. I think, whatever faults I may have, (would to God they were much fewer!) I am not of a temper 'deliberately to juſtify any thing, too haſtily L 2 {aid + Pope, | 84 A Second Defence of the Obſervations faid or done by me, after being convinced of the error. 'Tho' I may be thought to have ſaid ſome harſh things about the members of the church of England, and am often blamed in that reſpe& by my worthy Auſwerer; I have repeatedly declared, and again declare, that I highly reſpect and honor many of them, as perſons of great probity, piety and good- neſs; particularly among thoſe who were educated in \ that way. Whatever my opinion may be of the conſtitution and worſhip of ſaid church, I ſhould be extremely glad to ſee a friendly, obliging intercourſe preſerved berween her members among us, and people of our own perſuaſion : And notwithitanding I am taxed with being uncharitable to, and vehement againſt them; I can ſay, with the ſince- rity becoming a chriſtian, that whenever I happen to have any concern with any of them, who appear to me to be perſons of principle and candor, not over-bearing and aſſuming, but willing to treat non-conformilts as their fellow-chriſtians and brethren ; I take a very particular pleaſure in ſhewing them all the tokens of aſſection, eſteem and honor. But, I ſay it at once with grief and reluftance, I have much ſeldomer found perſons of this charactet among them, than I could have wiſhed to do; and con- tempt t and diſdain on one fide, very often produce the ſame on the other. However, I recollect a very juſt obſerva» tion of the gentleman, to this purpoſe, That people of different religious ſects and parties may thin much too if of, without at all wiſhing ill to, each other. Both theſe are faults, which ought to be carefuliy guarded againſt ; If I have ever fallen into the fir/?, J hope I am not chargeable with the ſecond ; which is far the moſt crimis nal and inexcuſeable. I likewiſe hope, we (hall on all hands, as far as poſhble, put on that charity which thmk- eth no evil; which fuffereth long, and is find: which envieth not, vaunteth not itſelf, is not Prffed , Which doth not behave itſelf unſeemly ; rejciceth nat in iniquity; but rejoiceth in the truth. No one can read the ſacred oracles, unleſs he is ſpiritually blind, without clearly ſeeing, that tho we had al faith, as well as all knowledge, {o O chat We on the Charter and Conduct, Re. as preſiding over the church of England, [ See page 10, 11, of theſe Remarks] For this, doubtlets, gives his Grace ſome pre- eminence above the Archbiſhop of York, who is {tiled only, Me- tropolitan and Primate of England. And this ſeems to have been long a ſettled point; tho' in former ages there was much graceleſs contention between their Graces predece ſſors, for the higheſt ſeat in the ſynagogue, and the uppermoſt room at feats: psſcr rank and precedency in the CHURCH and COURT. $5 A Second Defence of the Obſervations if he will be ſo ingenuous as to own, that he writes for that end. The author is not ſolicitous, on whoſe fide the Ja word is, if barely the truth is on his. If, by any thing 1 hereafter publiſhed, he ſhould be convinced that he has deen materially in the wrong, he will publickly acknow- | | ledge it; and give the venerable Society all the ſatisfaction | | | | in his power: But One who has written fo much upon the ſubject already, may ſurely be contented hereafter with only ner, | himſelf in the right, without again 4 telling the world his opinion. And if he had uſed as _ much art on one ſide, as ſome perſons have on the other; = and play'd the hero as ſucceſsfully as they ſeem'd very ſure | They had done, he might not improperly put a period to this Second, and, as he hopes, Laſt Defence, with, — [lic Victor cæſtus artemque repono. But inſtead of that, he ſubmits the whole, with all proper deference, to the judgment of the reader. CORRECTIONS, Page, line, from, Read, 42, 16, Top, about foleration, $2; 3, Top, opinions 56, 14, Bot. biſhops) THE. END. J Advertiſement. HE. foregoing Remarks may poſſibly fall into the hands of ſome public-ſpirited gentlemen of ample fortunes, abroad ; who heartily wiſh well to New-England in all reſpects, and particularly as to the encouragement and increaſe of Learning here. The Avthor therefore, not without the ad- vice and requeſt of ſome gentlemen among us, whoſe opinion has much weight with him, takes this opportunity juſt to mention the very grievous loſs which Harvard College in Cambridge, near Boſton, New-England, lately ſuſtained in the en- tire deſtruction of one of its buildings by fire, to- gether with the whole and valuable Apparatus tor experimental Philoſophy ; and alſo the whole public Library (a very valuable one) excepting a few books which happened to be out of it at that time. The friends of Learning and of New-England, | who may be both able and charitable, need not be informed how gratefully and reſpectfully any ex- preſſion of their good-will to ſaid College, to- wards repairing ſo heavy a loſs, would be received. Boſton, June J. Mayhew. 20, 1704, 1 a 2 8 1 _ —_— ww — * — ER + <4 1 0 — — +I - 2 - 5 * 8 — « IE. rn 1 * Oo . = - (I = ” — — TEC ICE nn 2 _ —S > 2 — * — —— — Wl. — — —ůä— —ð—:w: oo or 4 — o » 4 — 2 — =_. 