countenance is, I know not; but I wish he gave as good proof of a serious heart, as the missionaries in general do. That religion wore a gloomy and uninviting appearance amongst the puritans there formerly, and now wears a more pleasing one amongst their descendants, and that in part they have learnt this alteration for the better from the members of the church of England, the Doctor, I presume, will not deny, though he will not permit an episcopalian to say it; and Mr. Apthorp did not mean to say more on this head. What he saith in the next place, of the improvements lately made there in the speculative doctrines of religion, the Doctor endeavours to construe into the licentious insult on their " fathers" and teachers, "living and dead * ;" of which Mr. Apthorp had evidently no intention, though he doth use a strong expression or two, which probably were not meant even of the dead teachers at large, but of the wild sectaries with which that country abounded +. At least they cannot be meant of the living fathers, because he both owns and pleads, that the faults, which he blames, are amended. And after abusing him for some time, the Doctor allows, "it was too common a thing for people in New England to express themselves in a manner justly exceptionable upon these points ;" and that they may be "indebted" to the "Society" or their "missionaries” in some "degree," for their doing otherwise now. So that in the main he agrees with Mr. Apthorp, at the same time that he inveighs against him; and probably wishes that far greater changes were made in the speculative doctrines of his brethren, than the Society and its missionaries would approve. * Page 75. + See Humphreys's Account, p. 36, 37, 38. Page 78. Mr. Apthorp adds, that "hypocrisy hath worn off in proportion as men have seen the beauty of holiness:" that is, in proportion as the face of religion hath become truly amiable, and its doctrines have been rationally explained; the two things which he had mentioned immediately before. But the Doctor chuses to misunderstand him of the beauty" of rites, and modes, and forms," in order to get an opportunity of reproaching the church of England again, as placing holiness "in a zeal for these *," which it notoriously doth not. I wish others were as far from placing it in a zeal against them. The last instance of religious improvement, in which Mr. Apthorp thinks the missionaries have been instrumental, is the "exterminating of persecution." On this the Doctor observes, that "no acts of uniformity ever took place in New England †.” Very true, for they could not obtain them: else there was a time when they certainly would. But they made a shift to persecute pretty effectually without them. He adds, that no persecution "had been known amongst them for many years before the Society was in being." But can he prove that they held it unlawful before that time? He represents it as incredible, that "the posterity of those who had persecuted their fathers into America," should "teach" the present generation their "charity and moderation." But why more incredible, than that the posterity of those who had persecuted the Quakers in America, should now be enemies to persecution? The act of toleration was passed by members of the church of England. Mr. Locke, a member of the same church, was, of all English writers, the greatest advocate for toleration. The esteem of it * Page 79. † Page 79. + Page 80. increased continually. The generality of our missionaries, I hope, carried that esteem with them into New England. Their need of toleration there, must recommend it still more to their good opinion; the necessity of allowing it to them must gradually reconcile others to an approbation of that allowance; and better motives, I doubt not, co-operated with these; which had the strongest influence I do not undertake to determine. But surely the Doctor goes too far, when he saith, "Wherever we learnt Christian charity towards those who differ from us, we did not learn it of the church of England." Where else they learnt it, he doth not say; and they certainly might learn it from her, unless they disdained to learn any thing from her. Where he learnt it indeed will be very needless to inquire, till he gives better proofs of his having learnt it at all. For one who uses his pen in such a manner, seems but too likely, notwithstanding a few expressions of gentler import here and there, to use other weapons, if he had the command of them. Yet I do not suspect him of "hoping to shoot" episcopalians "as freely as pigeons;" though he saith it is credibly reported, that "some of the warm episcopalians hope for the time when they may" treat" dissenters" so*. Mr. Beache on the other hand, had actually "heard some of the presbyterians say, that it was pity that all those, who first set up the worship of God according to the church of England in that country, had not been hanged, as the Quakers were formerly at Boston †." Such hot-headed creatures, I am persuaded, say much more than they deliberately think; and are too few, on either side, to deserve the notice of the other. The New England episcopalians in general, so far as Vindication or Address, p. 28. Page 81. I can learn, sincerely desire to live amicably with their neighbours. And amongst the English, with whom my acquaintance hath been pretty extensive, and without whom the others cannot be formidable, I know not a man of the clergy or laity, and do not believe there is one in a hundred, perhaps I might say a thousand, who wishes to overturn the present toleration of the dissenters. I should be glad of an assurance, that they wish no worse to the church establishment. The Doctor saith," they do not in all respects find the kindest usage from" us, "being subject to divers temporal inconveniences *." I suppose he hath principally in view the test act. Now without digressing to inquire whether this be justifiable or not, they who approve of restraining them so far, may heartily disapprove any further restraints; nay, many of them have given the strongest evidence that they do. And perhaps as many episcopalians in New England are excluded from offices without law, as dissenters here by law, on account of their religion. But enough of this. The Doctor argues moreover, that even supposing the missionaries in New England to have done good there, "though it may be some apology, it will not justify the Society, if it hath occasioned the neglect of a much greater good to the heathens," or unprovided "colonies †, who had an exclusive right to the money which hath been sunk in the episcopal gulph." But the exclusive right hath been disproved, and there hath been no designed neglect. The heathens meant must be either the Indians or the Negroes. Now the Doctor owns, that "as to the Indians, there have been, and still are, some great discouragements in attempting to christianize them. Page 92. Page 80. † Page 72. But" he saith that "according to divers appearances, the Society have had this work less at heart than that of propagating episcopacy in New England *." I hope he would not have the complaint made by the Indian sachem in June 1700 †, reckoned amongst these appearances, for the Society was not incorporated till a year after. But he saith, that "the accusation of neglecting the natives in America, hath been in some sort allowed to be just by" the Society "themselves;" and brings for proof of it, Bishop Williams's sermon before them in 1705 t. Now, unhappily for the Doctor, Bishop Williams doth not speak of the Society, in the words which he quotes, but of the English nation. Nor could he speak of the Society, as neglecting the Indians, and yet less as neglecting them to propagate episcopacy in New England; for the Society had not subsisted five years, and had but one, if any, missionary in that whole province. But the bishop's words sounded so plausibly for a charge upon the episcopalians, that he could not forbear misapplying them. He affirms, that “it would not be difficult to justify this complaint by an appeal to any of the later sermons before the Society." I conceive it would, and he hath not attempted it. In one place he expresses a doubt, whether the Society have so much as "begun to use methods of converting either the Negroes or the Indians." But in another he owns, that " they have made some essays from time to time towards the conversion of the savages; but very feeble and sparing" ones; "compared with the zeal of the French to popize the Indians, or with their own zeal to episcopize New England §." Now indeed they have shewn no zeal to episcopize New England; and it is much * ⚫ Page 98. + Page 107. + Page 98. Page 134, 135. |