IT is well known that a Cause oftentimes suffers more from the Unskilfulness of its Advocates, than from the Strength and Num­ber of its Enemies. For this Reason, it has been a Method with some Persons to disguize themselves under fictitious Names, and appear outwardly in Defence of that which, in their Hearts, they are endeavouring to destroy. And these, by a designedly weak and injudi­cious Management of the Controversy, have many times with ease, ef­fected that which it would have cost them much Labour and Pains to do by an open and avow'd Opposition.

Upon reading a Pamphlet subscribed William Hobby, entitled, A Defence of the Itinerancy, and the Conduct of the Rev. Mr. Whitefield, which was the last Week shov'd into the World, I readily imagin'd it to be a Stratagem of this Kind; and should have thought it tolerably well executed, had I not discovered too much Rancour and Malice in some Passages of it, and too much Profaness in others.

In this my Mistake I should probably have continued, had I not been informed, that there was really a Person of the Name subscribed to the Pamphlet; that he was Pastor of a Parish in a small Town some few Miles from Boston, and that he was far from any Design to hurt Mr. Whitefield's Interest by the Publication of his Piece, though it might in reality have that Effect. Upon this Information, I could not help pity­ing Mr. Whitefield, whose Cause I now look'd upon as at the last Gasp, since it stood in Need of such wretched Stuff to keep it alive. But at the same Time, Sir, I must own, I felt some Indignation against the Vanity and Presumption you have discovered, by engaging in a Contro­versy for which you are so little qualify'd, and with the very Grounds [Page 4]and Foundation of which, your Letter plainly shows you are altogether unacquainted.

GOD, we are told, requires no more of us than we are able to perform. His Expectations from us are in Proportion to the Talents he has given us. So that, it seems, your Stage of Duty is inclosed in a very small Circle, in which, if you had confined yourself, and been content to have remained unknown beyond the Limits of your own Parish, you might, like many others, have silently pass'd through the World unnoticed and uncensured. But alas, the Vanity of some Men! who had rather be known to be bad, than not known at all. Since therefore you have broke through your Bounds, and thus openly proclaimed your Igno­rance and Wickedness to the World, it may not be improper, in this public Manner, to tell you of your Faults, and give you some gentle Reproof.

I know very well, the general Opinion of your Performance is, that it rather deserves the Chastisement of the Cudgel, than the Confutation of the Pen. But when I consider that the End of Punishment, in this World, ought to be not so much to afflict the Offender, as to deter others from the Offence, I can't but think this Way the most likely to have a good Effect, that others may hear and fear and do no more any such Wickedness.

It would certainly have been not a little for your Credit, since it ap­pears that you are not yourself much skill'd in Language, to have em­ployed some Person who understood English, and was acquainted with the Rules of Grammar, to overlook and correct your Letter before you offered it to the Public; for I think no Man has a Right to trouble the World with any thing so stuff'd with Blunders as this Performance of yours. You tell us in pa. 4. "The Apostle Paul did not, nor would not preach."—But do you not know the Force of two Negatives, and that the Meaning of this Expression is directly contrary to what you design? So in p. 11. speaking of the Itinerancy you say, Mr. Whitefield is peculiarly form'd for such a Design. But how does the Itinerancy ap­pear to be a Design? There may, for ought I know, be a Design in it; but that the Thing itself is a Design, we should, perhaps, never have found out, if you had not told us. Again, pa. 24. you speak of some­body having been all the Week o'running Goods, and afterwards tell us of three Hogsheads of Sugar that weigh heavy with Guilt. But what the poor Hogsheads had done, that such a heavy Load of Guilt should hang upon them, you have not been kind enough to tell us. I have heard of [Page 5]many Sorts of Sugar, but never heard of Guilty Sugar till now. But to repeat all the Instances of false Grammar and bad English, would be to transcribe the whole Book; a Task which I am sure it would be un­reasonable to impose upon any one who has already undergone the Penance of reading it. Should a School Boy commit such Blunders, we know well enough, what his Punishment would be. A little Birch duly apply'd would bring him to a Sense of his Faults, and make him more careful for the future. But you, Sir, are like to escape with Im­punity, since your Rev. Breech is exempt from this Kind of Correction, and it is highly probable you will be insensible to any other. I will only add here, that if the Rev. Mr. M.—d designs ever again to fa­vour the World with any of his Labours, now is his Time, or never; for if he lets this Opportunity escape, he can never hereafter hope to meet with another Pamphlet to keep his own in Countenance. I shall go on now, and take Notice of some of your Faults of another Kind.

You set out with endeavouring, in the first place, to desend Itine­rancy. But it seems you have been so unlucky here, as intirely to mis­take the Question in Dispute. For who has ever affirmed, that Itine­rant Preaching is in it self so unlawful, as not to be allow'd upon any Account at all? or, that a Minister ought never to preach out of his own Pulpit? Upon this Supposition, however, you bestir your self most notably for about a dozen Pages, to prove what nobody ever yet thought of denying. The greatest Opposers of Mr. Whitefield's Itinerancy will readily allow, that there may be and often are Reasons and particular Cir­cumstances that will make Itinerant Preaching not only lawful but ex­pedient; and should he direct his Zeal where these Circumstances take Place, they would never either condemn or oppose his Conduct. Should he journey to Maryland, Virginia or Carolina, where Preachers are scarce, and the Inhabitants scatter'd, or take a Voyage to some Parts of the West-Indies, where Religion is little known and less practised, he might not only escape Censures but deserved Applause. By this he would con­vince the Gain-sayers, that his Design was the same with his Profession, the Glory of his Master, and the Good of his Neighbour, without any worldly Considerations of his own. So that it is not Itinerancy barely as such, that is condemned, but Mr. Whitefield's Itinerancy: And unless this can be defended, you do nothing; for you have as yet only beat the Air, and sweated hard to defeat a Phantom of your own raising.

You go on to enquire whether the Itinerancy, by which I suppose you mean Mr. Whitefield's, may not probably subserve some good and valuable [Page 6]Ends? And if so, you ask, why it should not be countenanced? I answer, because it certainly disserves more and better and more valuable Ends. Of this there are as many Witnesses as there are mournful Spectators of the Dissentions and Disorders that have torn so many Towns, Churches, and even private Families in pieces. We have seen Malice and Hatred treading upon the Neck of Charity, and every Man's Heart and Tongue set against his Brother. We have seen Religion's lovely Form metamor­phosed into the most ugly Monster, Religious Assemblies turn'd into frantic Tumults, and the Beauty of Holiness into the Confusion of Bedlam. And are these no Evils? Or are they Evils so light as to be overbalanced by the throwing a few silly Girls into Hysterics?

You sometime after say, you ‘really believe, that the Gospel is as faithfully preached in New England, as in any part of the World, in the Generality of our Churches.’ What Value the Clergy may set upon this Testimony, I know not; but for my own Part, considering from whence it comes, I cannot look upon it as any great Complement, You add, ‘tho' God knows it is preached but poorly enough in many of them.’ I am apt to think that the People of Reading know this too; otherwise they would not have discovered so great a Readiness to part with their Pastor, as they did on a late Occasion. A little on ward you come to lament, that ‘proper Watchsulness over the Pulpits of New-England has been greatly decaying—In Consequence of which Re­misness many have admitted into the Ministry, of inferior Knowledge,’ &c. This, I am of Opinion, is not Matter of so great Lamentation to you, as to many others, since you have been so great a Gainer by the Consequence. For had this Watchfulness over the Pulpits of New England been kept up, and none admitted into the Ministry of in­ferior Knowledge, loose Principles or of poor Lives, you might, beyond all doubt, have engaged in the present Expedition, provided you had escaped the last, without the Formality of applying for the Consent of a Parish. You pursue this Subject, and add, ‘or rather shall I say, that some have been admitted into Christ's Pulpits, who perhaps were not fit to be received into his Church? Instances of this Nature might easily be produced in too great Plenty, and I need not go far for some of them neither.’ Here indeed you have spoken the Truth; for if we may judge of the Tree by its Fruit, every Page of your Let­ter is an ample Proof that you were furnished with ONE Instance of this, without stirring a Step for it.

But it seems, the Expediency and Lawfulness of the Itinerancy further [Page 7]appears from this, that some of the greatest Opposers of it have themselve been benefitted by it. And it it such a strange Thing that good Men should be benefitted by the Faults and Miscarriages which they observe in the World? They may and will reap Advantage to themselves from the Wickedness of others. This puts them upon lamenting the Depra­vity and Weakness of Human Nature, and excites in them a greater Vigilance over their own Conduct. It shows them the Need they have of divine Restraints, and raises up their Soul in Gratitude to that God who maketh them to differ. Every Instance of Perjury or Murder that comes within their Notice, works these good Dispositions in them; but who, for this Reason, ever argued that Perjury and Murder were either expedient or lawful?

You go on to tell us another good Effect of the Itinerancy, that ‘Things that were weak in many Places have been strengthened, and those which were ready to die are in a Measure revived.’ This alas! is a melancholy Truth. The Fueds and Contentions that had so long reigned among us were subsiding, and Brethren began to look kindly one upon another. That censorious, uncharitable Spirit which had raged with so much Fury was sickning apace, and would, in all Proba­bility, before now have given up the Ghost, had not this second Itinera­tion revived and strengthned it. For, whether you know it or not, every Man who views things with an unprejudiced Eye, and is able to trace Effects up to their Causes, will easily discover ‘that these things necessarily, in the Nature of Things, flow from the Itinerancy, and that this is properly causal of them.’ You however are bold enough to say, ‘whatever be the Judgment of others, I shall EVER give it as mine, that 'tis not the Itinerancy but the Opposition to it, that has made the Confusions of the present Day.’ Well determin'd for a youngster, truly! But how do you know that this will always be your Judgment? Wiser and better Men have changed their Opinions, as to this very Matter; and may it not be possible for you to do so too? Is your impe­netrable Scull Proof against the Force of the strongest Arguments? Or does the triple Brass round your Heart make it impossible for Conviction to enter? But if so, have you ever learned, with all your Divinity, that Obstinacy and a seared Conscience are christian Graces? Why then do you make this public Boast? Why do you thus glory in your Shame?

A little onward you advise us to a Conduct with Regard to Itincrants, which is indeed highly reasonable. "Thy, say you, the Spirits by the Word of God."—Agreed—This is the very Test to which the [Page 8]Opposers would bring them; and by the Decisions of this they are willing to stand or fall. You add, "and the everlasting Reason of Things." How these Words came into your Mouth, I cannot imagine. Why do you thus toss upon your Tongue Terms of which you have no Understanding? For knowest thou not, O vain young Man, that if the everlasting Reason of Things is once appeal'd to, thy Cause must vanish in a moment, like a thin Vapour before the Noon-day Sun?

I cannot forbear taking Notice, how manfully you beat down an Objection raised against Mr. Whitefield, that he has appropriated Money which he has collected, to other Uses than those for which it was de­signed. This you tell us cannot be, because he has not bought either Houses or Lands; and run on with this Argument with wonderful Vo­lubility for about half a Page. But here you really seem, if possible, to sink even beneath yourself. For it is no more than saying, Mr. White­field can't be suppos'd to have embezzled any Money, because he has not been weak enough himself to prove to all the World that he has done so. For my own Part, I never thought there was sufficient Ground for this Objection against Mr. Whitefield; but if this is all that can be said in his Defence, I may, perhaps, change my Opinion for the future, since to me it looks more like owning the Charge, than vindicating him from it.

Another Objection against Mr. Whitefield, which you have thought fit to encounter, is the injurious Reflections he has thrown upon the Col­lege. And here having given your Opinion of the Testimony which the Heads of that Society have published against him and his Conduct, you add, ‘I cannot find that Circumcision availeth much, or Uncircumcision, to the Proof of the Charges alledged against Mr. Whitefield;’ by which you have discovered no great Regard for that Gospel you profess to preach; otherwise you would never have sacrificed it to such a pitiful low Pun, and proved to the World, that you are equally destitute of Religion and Wit. You go on, however, and ‘declare, that Mr. White­field's Expression has been ever disagreeable to you, as it tended to discourage the Growth of the College;’ and yet presently after give us to understand, that it might be ‘a Piece of Service beneficial to the College.’ But how that which tends to discourage the Growth of the College, can be said to be beneficial to it, I confess I am not able to comprehend. In like Manner you say, ‘that unless real and substan­tial Godliness was better understood and practiced within a few Years after I left the College, than when I was there, the College in general [Page 9]might justly be said to be in Darkness.—We dwelt much upon the Shell of Religion, but little regarded the Pearl of great Price.—All this is to be understood of the Society in general.’—And presently after, "Religion was at a low Ebb among the Students in general." And was this same College at this Time one of the Glories of the Land? You had just before declared, that it ever was, and you hoped ever would be so. "However, cry you, I am no Judge in this Matter," and then very modestly proceed to give Judgment, and pronounce Mr. Whitefield "greatly excusable, if not intirely justisiable." Really, Sir, here is a Cluster of Inconsistencies, which it will require the utmost Skill of some new Apologist to reconcile.

In order to prove the Truth of the Charge Mr. Whitefield has brought against the College, you say, ‘ for my own part, had I no more Reli­gion after I left the College than I had there, I might have sold my Right to Heaven for a Mess of Pottage, and been a Gainer by the Bargain.’ I am very sorry we have so much Reason to judge, from the Spirit and Temper of your Pamphlet, that you might make the same Bargain now, and be no Loser by it. But, because you was a graceless wicked Wretch when you was at College, does it therefore fol­low, that the generality of the Students must be so too? If this be just Reasoning, you have it equally in your Power to prove, that the College was likewife overwhelm'd with Ignorance and Stupidity.

Another Argument you bring to prove the dark State of the College, is, that "one Tutor and one Professor were discarded for Immoralities." Here you have unluckily blabb'd out a Truth against yourself, which in a great Measure overthrows all you have said upon this Subject. Had the College encouraged these Persons in their Immoralities, and continu­ed to hug them in her Bosom, this indeed would have been a sad Symptom of her Degeneracy. But the casting them out from her up­on this Account, surely is a strong Proof, that Discipline was not at such a very low Ebb, nor the College immersed in such thick Darkness as you would have us believe. To these two Instances, which you have brought, in Favour of the College, however you designed them to the contrary, I will add a Third. That when a young Man made Application for the Place of a Tutor, which was then vacant, and was supported by the Recommendation of no lefs a Person than a Governour, the College re­jected him with Disdain, well knowing that his inferior Knowledge, loose Principles, and to say no worse, poor Life, render'd him altogether unfit for such a Station. This Instance surely you have not forgot. I rather [Page 10]think it was fresh in your Mind while you was writing, and that it was the Remembrance of it that push'd you on to your irreverent and scurri­lous Behaviour towards the College. You go on and say, ‘another Tutor declares himself a Stranger at that Time to any true vital Piety.’ Here, tho' you do not mention his Name, it is well known who you mean. And much Good may his Testimony do you. He once for­merly, and now again has run into such wild Freaks and Extravagan­cies, that Mr. Whitefield himself dare not countenance him.

But endeavour, if you can, impartially to recollect the State of the College while you was there; and then, if Shame and Sorrow will suit a Constitution like your's, be covered with Confusion for, what you have wrote. The Gentleman at the Head of the Society, when you entered, was a stanch Calvinist in Principle, of strict Morals, and exercised the severest Discipline. His Successor was renowned thro' the whole Land for his Piety; his Name is, upon that Account, mention'd among us with the utmost Honour, and his Memory will live for ever. The Tu­tors and Professors were, while you belonged to the Society, of virtuous Lives and Conversations, and of unblemish'd Characters; and all of them, except the two discarded by the College, do at this Day make a distinguish'd Figure in Church or State. Morning and Evening Pray­ers wee constantly kept up; the holy Scriptures read, and a strict At­tendance required. None were allow'd to absent themselves from the public Worship on Lord's Days, without some necessary Hindrance. Vice and Immorality of all Kinds were forbidden upon the severest Pe­nalties, and when detected, were sure to be punished. And now, what Sign of Darkness in all this? Why, say you, ‘we dwelt much upon the Shell of Religion, but little regarded the Pearl of great Price.’ That is, in other Words, the Students did not, as the Fashion is among some sort of People at this Day, tell one another how often they said their Prayers, and how good they felt themselves. What Pity is it, that a Practice, so suited to gratify a vain Temper, was not then in Vogue? If it had been, I doubt not we should have had a much earlier Date to your Conversion.

I say nothing of the present State of the College, because you have con­fined your Reflections to your own Time, and the Gentlemen now con­cerned in the Government there, have their Characters too well establish­ed to fear any Injury from such Pens as yours.

If an Attempt upon the Life of a Parent, could once untie the Tongue of a dumb Son, it may perhaps seem strange to some, that the Sons of [Page 11]the College should all sit so long silent, when they see such vile Assassins stabbing at the Reputation of their venerable Mother. But when we consider the Obscurity of these Persons, for Mr. Whilefield, it la allow'd, had his Information from some secret Whisperers, I say, if we consider their Obscurity, and the Feebleness of their Attack, it will really be doing them too much Honour to take the Alarm. Would a Man draw a Sword against a Louse, or think it necessary to discharge a Cannon to kill a Fly? Whenever any shall appear against her, whose Character may seem to give Credit to their Cause, it will soon be found, that among her Sons there are wanting neither Tongues nor Pens sufficient for her Defence. She will and must flourish as long as Religion, Vertue and Learning have Charms to attract our Esteem. Supporting these, and supported by them, she may sit safe and unconcerned amidst all the leaden then, ye spightful Curs, do ye look up and bark and howl, the Object of your Malice is placed high above your Reach, nor shines the less bright for all your Yellings.

From this Head you pass to consider another Article against Mr. Whitefield, which is, his having represented the Generality of the Mi­nisters of this Land as unconverted Men. Upon this you say, ‘Has Mr. Whitefield and where pronounced this the real State of the Mi­nistry? No, but has only said, that he fears it, as (if I mistake not) the Expression is.’ But you do mistake, young Man; for the Expres­sion is not, that he fears it, but that he is VERILY PERSUADED of it; which, however you understand it, I take to be a pretty round Asser­tion. So that all you have said here, to excuse him as tho' he had only just hinted his Fears, being built upon a false Supposition, must of it self fall to the Ground. You go, on, ‘But if Mr. Whitefield has insinuated any thing as if many Ministers were unconverted, what need they by the Umbrage taken at the Insinuation, pave the Way to the Proof of it?’ A most extravagant Piece of Arrogance this! Here we have a new Standard set up, whereby we may judge of our own State, and that of others. But shall the taking Umbrage at the most exceptionable Step in Mr. Whitefield's Conduct, a Step which very few of his warmest Advocates would pretend to justify, and which he himself has condem­ned as rash and unwarrantable, I say, shall the bare taking Umbrage at such a Step be sufficient to prove a Man's Unconversion? Alas, poor deluded young Man! if the not taking Umbrage at this Behaviour of Mr. Whitefield be all the Evidence you have of your own Conversion, [Page 12]and I greatly fear you have no other, you are in a very miserable Con­dition indeed.

You come now to tell us in your 24th. pa. about o' running Goods, and three Hogsheads of Sugar weighing heavy with Guilt. This, as I have already observed, being rank Nonsense, may be neither true nor false. But the base Insinuation that you would couch under it, and the Temper and Spirit visible in it, evidently discover that it proceeded from a Heart swoln with Malice. What is now become of your Passage of Scripture that could give such a fatal Blow, or rather blast like a Flash of Lightning? Has it so suddenly lost all its Force? Or, have you not since you wrote your Pamphlet, ever once look'd into your Bible?

You go on and inform us, that you ‘have said nothing about the Inconsistency of Mr. Whitefield's Conduct with his Obligations as a Minister of the Church of England.’ And, it seems, the Reason of it is, because ‘this Objection is crush'd to Death by the late Apology for Mr. Whitefield, against the Exceptions of L. K.’ But alas! un­luckily for you, this Apology has been long since confuted, and so uni­versally exploded, that he fecret Contrivers of it, to save their sinking Reputation, have been obliged to disown it. But it seems you have been so busy in writing your Letter, and so wrapt up in the Contem­plation of the Applause it would heap upon you, that you knew no­thing of this. The Maul, heavy as it is, has not been able, in the least, to blunt the Edge of the Razor; no, this remains keen and bright as ever, and is like to do so, while the other, with us owr Weight, is sink­ing a-pace into the Earth.

You are willing, however, after all, ‘to allow Mr. Whitefield has his Foibles and Imperfections, and that he is a Man of like Passions with others.’ Wonderful Condescention indeed! You go on and say, ‘I would do by him as God himself doth by sinful Man, damn the Sin and glorify the Sinner.’ Alas, to what a Height of Impiety are you arrived! The Parallel has often been run beteen our Saviour and Mr. Whitefield: You yourself have done it several Times in your Letter; and it is now become so familiar to us, that our Ears seem to be no longer shock'd at it. But here you rise a Step higher. And do you know, poor young Man, the Meaning of these Expressions you so wan­tonly throw out? Surely if you did, you would never talk thus of your damning the Sin, and GLORIYYING the Sinner. In short, nothing but the most profound Ignorance can acquit you from the Guilt of the highest Prophaneness.

[Page 13] There is one Thing more I will just take Notice of, as a Proof of your exquisite Faculty of Discernment. Speaking of Mr. Whitefield's Design of bringing over a Number of Ministers from Scotland and other Places to settle among us, and having told us there can be no Harm in this, you go on to ask, "Are there not two Pulpits at Boston supply'd and adorned with the Produce of Scotland and Ireland?" Had these two Pulpits been thus coupled together by any Body else, we should immediately have known it was done with a Design that they should set off each other by way of Contrast: But as it comes from you, it must be looked upon as a strange confounding of Characters, a motly Mix­ture of Light and Darkness; and you might as well have jumbled toge­ther, as Ornaments of the Mathematics, Sir Isaac Newton and Whittemore the Almanack maker. And is the Rev. Mr. M.—d such an Ornament to the Pulpit? This, among many others, is one Instance of the Solidity of your Judgement, which may hereafter be remember'd to your Honour. It is no unusual Thing for Persons, from their general Character, or some particular Circumstance of their Lives, to have prefix'd to their Names some honourable Epither, without which they are seldom or never men­tion'd. Thus we say, the wise Solomon, the venerable Bede, the incom­perable Newton; and who knows but that future Ages may add you to the illustrious Roll by the Name of the JUDICIOUS HOBBY?

But it would be endless as well as needless to enumerate all the Faults of your Letter. I have spent too much Time with you already, and shall therefore only add, that if you are wise enough, from this gentle Rebuke, to shrink back again into that Obscurity, for which Nature and Providence seem to have designed you, it is probable you may es­cape any further Correction for your past Folly; as the Snail (for I would not be too unequal in my Comparison) from the lightest Touch, retires into its Shell, and lies there safe and unseen. But if you are ever hereafter caught out of your Line, or shall again presume to trouble the World with your Malice, Profaneness and Nonsence, know, young Man, that there are those, who want neither Inclination nor Power to chastise you with the utmost Severity your Offences shall deserve.