The Massachusetts Spy, Or, Thomas's Boston Journal

For the Massachusetts Spy.

To Mr. AARON DAVIS, jun.

SIR,

Having in the last Evening Post, &c. given my sense of your becoming a cat's paw to a traiterous and designing faction, who with the words, government, religion and christianity continually in their mouths, are incessantly endeavouring to rob their fellow citizens of every blessing those salutary institutions were intended to secure to them: I shall now go a little further into the consideration of that rancorous libel palmed upon the world as the production of Mr. Aaron Davis, jun. of Roxbury.

But even here, Mr. Davis, you are not so fortunate as to expect to find yourself lashed, mauled and exposed with that severity to which your behaviour has laid you extremely open: I shall rather make your apology, and honestly inform the public how this strange farce originated. Mr. Aaron Davis, jun. without many advantages from fortune or education, pretty early in life engaged in trade, where by his honest industry and obliging attention, he has obtained a fair reputation, and probably a competent estate.

Respecting religion, the matter now so much in question, I verily believe him to have a sincere regard for its honour and advancement at heart; but in common with many other conscientious christians, I fear his zeal for some particular modes of faith too much diverts his attention from that charity, forbearance and gentleness, so repeatedly inculcated in the gospel.

However, as an honest and worthy member of society, Mr. Davis, by a diligent use of the talents God had bestowed upon him, gained money and esteem. I will further suppose that in the late glorious revival of a military spirit in this province Mr. Davis caught a spark of the rising flame, and became more than indifferent towards the honours of a commission.

It is well known to what kind of gentleman our candidates for military preferment must apply, what powers of address, representation and persuasion he possesses, and what terms he requires of those he confers those mighty favours upon. In all candor, I would have it constantly borne in mind that this Roxbury-meeting, with Mr. Davis, was the critical period, the peculiar hour of temptation. A measure was ripening from whence the very existence of ministerial tyranny in this province was threatened: If it could not be checked in Roxbury, the chance was a million to one but it prevailed through the colonies. Mr. Davis might really be so far imposed upon as to imagine no good could come of a measure in the planning of which one or two unconverted men were concerned; but unless he had been imprudently urged to it, no one believes he would have proceeded so far as publicly to reproach gentlemen by their names. But thus it happened, and no doubt the mild expostulation, rather aimed to afford than require a public satisfaction, was represented to him, as an insolent attack upon his honour, which at all adventures it behoved him to repel with vehemence.

The adversary was believed under great disadvantages from prevailing prejudice, and the opportunity was really inviting. But unpractised in the exercise of poetic artillery himself, he was necessitated to look out for auxiliaries; the means of the first to whom he applied, were found on review to be so weak as by no means to pass muster; the latter now under consideration is violent enough, and charged sufficiently with charcoal; but miserable stuff to reclaim gainsayers to a cordial affection for the species of christianity it holds up to the public.

The very introduction, Mr. Davis, is mere Billingsgate. It is no vanity in me, Sir, to think myself important to the public. The public has demonstrated I am so, by your own confession, if we had no other evidence of it; and how you can believe there is no person with whose character the interest of the country is less connected than with mine, you are left to explain at leisure, as it is certainly dark at present how you or any one else can believe so.

Your insinuation of my palming myself on the vulgar for a christian or any thing else, is villainous, Mr. Davis; for of all men that breathe in air, there is none whose universal character is freer from disguise. The fault, if any there be in that respect, lying all on the other side.

Your oracle (no doubt a gentleman of keen optics, much above the vulgar and incapable of any bias from party zeal) sees nothing in my creed to distinguish me from the most thorough paced infidels and virulent opposers of your holy religion. If a virulent opposer of any religion can be conceived to be doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with his God; to be doing unto others as he would they should do unto him, the while he is carrying on this virulent opposition, he must be miserably mistaken respecting the holiness of the religion he thus virulently opposes. This gentleman must know that men of my persuasion are the downright reverse of the virulent opposers of any religion, saying with the catholic Mr. Pope,

For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight,
His can't be wrong whose life is in the right.

The following train of interrogatories is impudent, insidious and intended to ensnare me. Things no honest man denies are artfully blended with others, concerning which the most orthodox daily withstand each other to the face; and which respect no man's conduct in civil life. But it is easily perceived that your party would be highly gratified to change our present political into a religious scuffle. Puritans as my fellow citizens are, and honourably as their good sense, fervent zeal for virtue and true piety, maintain that character, they are not to be cajoled by the craft of all the bugbears among you, to discard a man as little zealous and determined in defence of their religious liberties as the warmest of themselves; and fill his place even with an apostate whose religion and patriotism too can very conveniently yield to the mallet overtures from the adverse party.

Nothing has distinguished me more than my constant defence of the Magna Charta of Heaven, in matters of faith, entire liberty of conscience. We have no business Mr. Davis, with any man's creed, further than its peculiar articles plainly threaten the peace of society. Whoever cannot be contented to worship the author of his being and giver of all his enjoyments, in the manner most agreeable to his own understanding and conscience, and quietly suffer his neighbour to enjoy the same privilege, may pretend what he will, but I will aver and maintain, that his temper is as opposite to the spirit of true religion as that which would countenance robbery and murder.

I own, Sir, my language but too frequently transgresses the bounds I would willingly confine it to; but whoever considers the innumerable occasions administered by the right execrable conspirators to remove the landmarks of our happy constitution, and thereby plunge ourselves and posterity into all the miseries of slavery, will readily pardon the sallies of a mind as impatient to these measures as every thinking freeman ought to be.

I ever thought the preservation of ourselves and the society we belong to, were principal duties, and in order to this, I concluded that the expulsion or destruction of the inveterate enemies of such society was indispensable.

I never could become master of those high trained measures of loyalty or christianity, some preach up so strenuously, as to suffer myself to be hand-cuffed and plundered by any one, be their pretensions in these matters just as they might be. The man who would deprive me of one ace of my constitutional liberty, would rob me of that blessing which gives worth to all the rest, and I am a conniver, at least, at my own destruction, if I neglect to oppose him to the utmost of my power.

Your personator does not think a set of Atheists and Deists, men of profligate manners and profane tongues, are fit persons to be entrusted and suffered to lead in the interesting concerns of public liberty and happiness. I beg leave to ask, him, if he knows who does think so? If trees are to be judged by their fruit, Atheism and profligacy of manners are chargeable on quite another set of people than the indefatigable supporters of the rights of mankind. If a man love not his brother whom he hath seen, how shall he love God whom he hath not seen. To acknowledge God in words, and in works to deny him, so barefacedly as to deprive his creatures of the enjoyment of their birth-right, is such aggravated impiety, that real Atheism (if such stupidity be possible) is in comparison of it a mere foible!

My account of my parentage is far from pompous, Mr. Davis, and it was inserted, as is the sketch of your history, to let our readers into some acquaintance with their men. You know what pains have been taken by the party, and even by the colourer whose writing you adopt, to represent me as a very mean and insignificant fellow, culled from the very dregs of human nature; void of every species of worth that could entitle one to any measure of respect from the good and sober part of mankind. And to put an end to this villainous train of falsehood, slander and unsufferable defamation, in addition to what I have already said; know further, Mr. Davis, that, of choice, I never kept other than the best of company. It is such, Sir, I now daily associate with, and were I the common curser and blasphemer you pretend, 'tis probable Boston would by this time have been as well knowing to it as some very knowing and conscientious gentlemen in Roxbury are. Some of my nearest neighbours who have familiarly known me from my first settlement here, were first informed of any thing of this kind by the celebrated Major Joseph May, whose promotion pretty quickly succeeded the notable trial of Capt. Preston, for the massacre in King-street.

But could a convenient change be wrought in my politics, I doubt not in the least, I should be as agreeable company to the gentleman whose eminent piety has furnished abundant matter for the harangues of your late meeting, as Mr. Chaise or any other gentlemen, at a chance oath, in whose conversation no exception would have been taken, even by the precise Mr. Davis.

The serious turn I contracted in youth, I have carried through life, and do on all occasions speak reverently of God and religion, when those sacred subjects are the topics of conversation. I am tender of the consciences of all men, and would not designedly disturb any man in his way of worship.

How it comes that my solemn appeals to God seem to any man to savour of profanity. I know not; but thus much I know, that the author of this paragraph has here discovered a temper which no honest man will emulate.

I greatly mistake, if the imputation of Apostacy be not one day retorted with the general consent of all men.

Had a sufficient number of my countrymen been of my mind, you should long ere now have had proof of my courage, sans on this side Canada. But if you feel much interested in the question, and please to dispute it in Boston, and in consequence give or receive a drubbing, I am positive no impartial gentleman will think either of those circumstances, a whit more incongruous with your profession, general character and deportment, than the abusive vindication you have adopted of a proceeding, yourself nor any one for you can justify, or tolerably excuse.

However, Mr. Davis, we are at present out of all manner of apprehension, respecting the success of the offensive measure, notwithstanding all the force of the Governor's raw troops and all the informations of thin meetings, so industriously propagated by the Court Gazette, whose credit, by the way, is so low that a neighbouring town dared not to confide in its relation of so small a matter as the list of the committee.

The measure you were so unlucky as to oppose, Mr. Davis will speak for itself; and speak such truths, such moving and important truths, that all the tools of despotism will labour in vain to discredit them, or any way materially frustrate their effect. You must then of consequence cure your ill-fated stars, which cast you into the sink bucket the very moment the one you must wish to be in was beginning to rise. Retract Mr. Davis, be still the man and the christian!

Characters unfeignedly revered by your friend and humble servant,

THO. YOUNG