The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

The following Piece was sent to the Press three Weeks ago, but for want of Room was deferred, which we now venture to communicate

TO THE PUBLIC.

In the Massachusetts-Gazette of the 26th of last Month, we find a Writer attempting to justify the Design of the Rev. Association of Ministers in Boston, with the Assistance of Mr. Morehead, relating to Mr. Murray, in their Publication of the Minutes of the Synod of Ulster, &c.--This mighty Advocate, without giving any further Light into the Affair, charges the New-Hampshire Writer with Impiety and being guilty of invidious Guesses, and not laudable, for no other Reason but only in presuming to frustrate their Design against Mr. Murray, who he undertakes to say, is a Man of infamous Character; and seems to wonder that an Attempt should be made against such a Number of Reverend and learned Gentlemen, whom HE (in his great Wisdom and Piety) has had abundant Reason to believe, had no other Design than to prevent that Dishonor which might be cast upon their holy Religion, and the real Injury which might accrue to the Churches of Christ.

There was nothing said which reflected on the present Character or Piety of those Gentlemen, and as to their real Design it was only guessed at, as if they wanted to get rid of this preaching Impostor ;--and to complete their Character of him, boldly say, "with all the many other notorious Instances of Dissimulation and Falsehood" &c. Here this Writer has swallowed, for real Truths, all they have suspected, or surmised he was guilty of, and laboured as some others have done, to make him a Man of Straw, and then most unmercifully to fall foul of him, and vainly triumph in an imaginary Victory ; and no Doubt with a Sneer, ask the following Questions. "Is it consistent with Christianity, to encourage and hold Communion in the Ministry with a Man of known & proved immoral Conduct ?"-Or "is any Form of immoral Conduct consistent with Christianity?" -This Writer answers these Queries, without allowing others to reply, & says, No, by no means :"-And to complete his Design, if possible, he makes no Scruple of perverting the Scriptures, when he says,-" I think with good Reason, that the more orthodox Such a Man is, the more Zealous and oratorical his Addresses, and the higher his Pretensions to a strict and spiritual Religion, the more dangerous it is to the Churches of Christ, to encourage him, because by these very Qualifications, he is more thoroughly furnished unto every Evil Work:"--

He seems by this Perversion to be more unfair than even Satan himself, for when that arch Adversary to the Truth quoted the Scriptures with a Design to tempt our Saviour, to throw himself down from the Pinnacle of the Temple, he only left out a Part ; he did not pretend to leave out the most emphatical Word, and insert another directly contrary, as this Writer has done, and even put it in CAPITALS, for fear his Readers might mistake his Meaning-Well, for Argument sake we will allow all these Qualifications he has mentioned, makes a Man more dangerous to the Churches of Christ, and more thoroughly furnished unto every Evil Work, or to do the Work of the Devil ; may we not draw this natural Consequence, without straining the Point too far, that according to his Doctrine, or Assertion, The less orthodox a Man is, the less zealous he is in his Master's Cause, the meaner & duller his Address, the more lukewarm, lifeless & inactive he is, the less Pretensions he has to a strict & spiritual Religion, or if he has no Pretensions at all, or Religion either, he is better qualified to be a Preacher in the Churches of Christ, and better furnished unto every good Work.

I shall not now charge this Calumniator with Impiety but leave it to his own Conscience, whether he has given any great Evidence of his Christianity, and good Standing in the Churches, tho' he seems to imagine Mr. Murray was too wicked two Years ago to preach the Gospel, but don't pretend to any Charge since he. One Thing, by the Way, lies very heavy upon his Mind, he has so sincere a Regard for the Promotion of Truth, the Honor of pure Religion, & the Peace & scriptural Order of the Churches"-Poor Gentleman, he is to be pitied -and what is this, Why he thinks "'tis great Pity Mr. Murray was allowed to preach in any of the Churches in Portsmouth"--O! strange !-

But notwithstanding, in the midst of his Distress, comforts himself with a pleasing Hope, "that should Mr. Murray return that way again, the Ministers of that Place, will act more safely, and afford a Testimony of their real Regard to the Interest of Religion, by refusing him any further Admittance into their Pulpits" -This Man seems to think if he could but be shut out of the Pulpits, he should gain his Point--Well, suppose he should be shut out, or kept in We hope the Religion of the People of Portsmouth is not confined to the Pulpits--And should he be shut out of all the Pulpits in the Country, that would be no Argument, or real Evidence of his being shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven, though this invidious Writer, to use his own Words, seems to think he is only qualified to herd with some of the infernal Crew, by the Character he has given him-Oh ! severe !-=Is this the meek and humble Spirit he would propagate, as an Evidence of his good Standing in the Churches, to bring his Brother to a sense of what he supposes are his great Failings ?--We have nothing to say to the Ministers Charge here, who fail not to exhort us, with the noble Bereans, to search the Scriptures, and judge for ourselves-We are not exhorted to fly to Associations or Ecclesiastical Inquisitions, to ask Advice, Whether we shall hear such and such Men preach the Gospel, being fully persuaded the Truth will at last prevail, notwithstanding the greatest Opposition--We are not terrified with great Names, however renowned in the Churches, as many Times the greatest Errors have been committed by the greatest Bodies of Men, and palmed upon the People for Truth--We profess ourselves the true born Sons of Liberty and Freedom, and intend not to be imposed upon.

How this Advocate's Imagination work'd when he was writing his Vindication I cannot say, but he seems to think he had got to Portsmouth, for he says,-- I cannot but presume, that did those his Friends either here or in Boston but once cooly and conscientiously consider the pernicious Tendency of the Support and Encouragement they afford him, they would immediately refrain."-I may venture to assure this Calumniator, there is no Body here regrets their hearing Mr. Murray preach, notwithstanding he is under such Concern-- For where is the Danger to our holy Religion if this Man preaches the Truth ?--Does the Efficacy of the Word depend entirely upon the Goodness of the Preacher ?--The Apostle Paul was quite of a different Way of Thinking--for he Says in the First Chapter of Philippians, 15-18, "some indeed preach Christ even of Envy and Strife, and some also of good Will; what then ?-notwithstanding every Way, whether in Pretence, or in Truth, Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice and will rejoice."

Had these Gentlemen been as tender of Mr. Murray's Character as Christianity obliges them to be, or only taken the Method the Scribes and Pharisees did (who brought to our Saviour a Woman taken in Adultery) and set him in the midst of his Accusers ; and had the most pious of them proclaimed, --He that is without Sin among you, or only equal in Guilt with this Person, let him first cast a Stone at him -its questionable, whether, being convicted in their own Consciences, they would not have gone away-one--by one-- beginning at the eldest-even unto the last.— -and left the Gentleman alone to shift for himself-- but directly contrary to this, have published his Name to the World as a Person guilty of notorious Instances of Dissimulation, Falsehood and gross Immoralities ; -when they ought in the first Place to have convicted him ; and if he confessed, cast a Mantle of Love over his Failings- they then might have ventured, in Imitation of their meek and heavenly Master, to Say, 'Go and Sin no more- which would have more Effect on an ingenious Mind, than all the corrosive applications that could have been invented.

Pray let us not be so severe on the Failings of others, but look more at home, we shall find enough there to correct : Human Nature is Full of Imperfection -We must not take up a rash Prejudice, or entertain a sinister Apprehension of any upon slight Grounds--A Man's good Name is like a Looking-Glass, nothing is sooner cracked, and every Breath can sully it-- They that ramble too much abroad, are commonly out of Order at home--And generally those who are the most Eagle-eyed in spying the Faults of others, take great Pains to conceal their own, and are very dexterous in straining at Gnats and swallowing Camels--Does this Writer imagine that We in this Place are for encouraging a Man in any bad Conduct? -What if Mr. Murray was guilty of some Imprudences seven Years ago, he may now be a very good Man, and a sound Divine? What if the Presbytery had delivered him over to Satan to be buffeted, must he be always pelted at ?--Has he been guilty of the unpardonable Sin?--This Writer professes himself to be a Friend to Gentlemen of Capacity and orthodox Principles, and he does not pretend but Mr. Murray is sound in the Faith- I can assure him from good Authority, it was Orthodoxy in Christendom two hundred Years ago, to have no Religion, but a blind Obedience to the arbitrary Constitutions and Injunctions of the Court of Rome, all Enquiry being then looked upon as Heresy or Insideliity :- But certain intrepid Heroes arose to demolish this usurped Authority that oppressed and enslaved Europe by Power and Craft. The Foundation upon which they erected their Battery, Was the Right of Enquiry, and the Duty of every Man to hear and examine before he believes and judges--No Body has a Right of determining for another what the Scriptures delivers as Articles of Faith, and that whoever pretends to do it, puts himself in the Place of the Scriptures. If the common People, before the Reformation, were ever questioned about their Religion, they could only answer, (they were so very ignorant) they believed what their Priests believed, that their Priests believed what the Church believed, and that the Church had the same Belief as the Pope--It may be asked, " Shall all sorts of Opinions be permitted, and every Man left to choose his Religion ?"--I answer. Information and Instruction are to be used ; but not Power or Penalty ; Faith cannot be compelled--Pains and Penalties may oblige Men to act, but cannot oblige them to think. Mr. Murray, it is hoped, will bear this with Christian Patience and Meekness, in Imitation of his Master, whom he serves, who when he was reviled, reviled not again, but committed his Cause to him who is the Judge of allThe greatest Opposition since the Apostles Days, has been most commonly from the Priests, or at least some of them ; and how far it is so at this Day, I would leave others to judge, as I would not be uncharitable ; but should have some Tincture of it still remaining, it is now understood. Perhaps it may be said, all this is Prejudice against the Association of Boston Ministers - so far from it, that many of them have been looked upon as very worthy Gentlemen--but how far this Conduct will redound to their Honor, must be left to the impartial Public ; --- but perhaps the most favorable Construction that can be put upon their Proceeding is, that they were under a Cloud, which its hoped ere now, is broke away. Had they taken the Advice of their Head, whose Piety has been so conspicuous in the Churches for a great Number of Years, perhaps their Minds would be more at Rest, than they are now like to be, who would not join with them, as we hear, for Fear he should be found Fighting against God. Although I could with Ease enlarge upon this Subject, and shew wherein the Conduct towards Mr. Murray is contrary to the Scriptures. & the Christian Practice of Professors in general,yet I must for the present conclude, and desire these Gentlemen, as they profess they are set for the Defence of the Gospel, to turn their Artillery against Mr. Sandeman's Doctrine, who represents the Clergy in general as very deficient in propagating true primitive Christianity, and here they may find Matter enough to work upon and display their Talents : and should they find him deeply entrenched, perhaps he may be taken by Storm, and bombarded out of the great City.

Plain Dealer.