the Fountain-Head the evil Reports that flew about as thick as Hail, where I had Opportunity. Some of them I found to be wholly groundless; others were grofs Mifrepresentations 3 the bad Circumftances of a Story were pick'd up and related, and the good all suppress'd; and fometimes when one only was guilty, the whole Body were charged: And when any particular Perfon had really faid or done amifs, and was foon bro't to a Senfe of it and to a Repentance for it, I found that the Repentance did not fly an hundredth Part fo faft as the Sin: People did not appear fo zealous to tell of this.

In fhort, Molehills were turned into Mountains; every little Indiscretion was aggrandized and render'd monstrous, and fome Things that were innocent were ftrangely perverted and diftorted, and made to appear in dreadful Colours. And when any have endeavoured to wipe off fuch Afperfions, and to declare the Truth from their own certain Knowledge, People were by of hearing it; they feem'd loth to have the Report contradicted; by their Management it appear'd that they had rather it fhould be true than falfe. I could fay a great deal here in order to fet the Difingenuity of Men in a proper Light, but I must not be too lengthy. Only I think it neceffary to obferve further, that those that have been moft oppofite to this Reformation, have all along betray'd an utter Averfion to examine Things to the Bottom; they have from the Beginning avoided the Company and Converfation of fuch as have been under Concern, or of fuch as are capable of folving their Difficulties; yea, when urged over and over to go and difcourfe with the young Converts, and that not only with one or two, but with many of them, and examine thoroughly into their Cafe, they could not be prevailed with to do it, but ftill keep aloof: So that fome that live in Places where this Refor mation has been moft prevalent, know as little of it as if they had lived Scores of Miles off. Is this a rational Way of act ing? Are these the Men that fo highly pretend to Reafon? that laugh at every Body elfe as Fools? If this be Reason to judge of Things before they know them, may I for ever be delivered from Reafon. It feems to me that those that talk most of Reafon are generally the moft unreasonable; as thofe that talk moft of free Will are generally the moft wicked. With these reasonable Men a Jeft or Sneer or cunning Turn are fufficient to baffle the most authentic Accounts, and make them appear ridiculous.

(To be finished in our next. )

THE

Christian History;

Containing Accounts of the Propagation and Revival of Religion in England Scotland and America.

Saturday OCTOBER 22. 1743.

§ No. 34.

The Account of the late Revival of Religion at Hallifax in the County of PLIMOUTH finished.

T

Here were not many among us that received Comfort before the Spring of the Year: But then a confidera→ ble Number did; they had as we have Reason to hope Soul-faving Discoveries made to them; They had, as they declare, fuch a Senfe of CHRIST's Ability, Sufficiency, and Readiness to help, as drew out their Souls to him; they were made his willing People in this Day of his Power; They were enabled to clofe with him in all his Offices, upon the Warrant of the Word, as far as we can judge; and the Effect of this was Love and Joy in the Holy Ghost: And in about three Months Time there were forty four added to the Church ||.

We had little or no outward Manifestations of Joy in the publick Affembly, viz. being overcome, fainting, crying-out, till fome time in the Summer. In the Fall and Winter it increased pretty confiderably, tho' never to fuch a Degree as to break up the publick Worship. I was filent on this Head for fome time, being at a lofs what to fay: But understanding that there was One that belonged to a neighbouring Town that was endeavouring to inftil this Doctrine into my young People, "That the more they cry'd out, the better, fuppo

The whole Number that were added before the Clofe of the Year 1742 were fixty two, and fince this Year came in, Seven.

fing

fing it were done in fincerity:" I thought it time to fpeak And upon it ftrictly caution'd them on thisHead: I told them if they could refrain from it, they acted finfully if they did not; but in Cafe they could not, after all their ftriving, I had nothing to fay &c. &c. Since this they have more endeaAoured to lay a Reftraint on themselves; and I believe have not made fuch Manifeftations, when they could avoid it.

Some few that have been under strong Conviction we have Reason to fear are fallen away, and become as bad or worse than ever: but we defire to bless GOD there are no more. And a few that we charitably hoped had received the SPIRIT of Adoption, have given us too much Ground to think, that they never went farther than common Illumination, Heb.6.4. miflaking Conviction for Converfion. There is one notorious Inftance of this: But the much greater Part continue stedfaft to this Day, and bring forth the Fruits of Holinefs.

As to Errors and Disorders, of which there is fuch a Cry in the Land, I am forry that I have fo much Occafion to obferve, that the greatest Cry proceeds from those that are of Arminian Principles, and of irregular Lives; tho' I am far from thinking that all are chargeable in this Refpect, who have not feen through the present Reformation: There are no doubt, fome Nathanael's among them, who are ready to cry out, Can any good Thing come out of Nazareth? There are one and another, who I hope are good Men, that are too much under the Influence of Prejudice, not having Opportunity of obferving, or not improving thofe Opportunities that they have had, or being too much led by thofe they have an Esteem for. But however I would fay, that I am not for fmothering any thing that is really erroneous or diforderly Let the bad be born Teftimony against in the Places where it prevails, and the Good be acknowledged; Let the Chaff be feperated from the Wheat, but don't let us caft away both together. For my Part, I frankly acknowledge that I adhere clofely to the Confeffion of Faith drawn up by our venerable Fore-fathers in their Synod 1680: Not as it is their Confeffion, or a meer human Teft, but because I think the Scripture Doctrine is there plainly and faithfully ftated. And I have Reason to think that this is the Scheme of Religion that all the hearty Friends of the Reformation receive and embrace. Some have indeed too much verged towards Anting

Antinomianifm* in leffer Points, especially when their Eyes were first opened and the Change was new; they were too apt then in Deteftation of Arminianifm to run into the oppofite Extreme: But further Experience ferves to correct this. But ftill the Cry of Antinomianifm has been greater than there has been real Occafion for. Thofe that are converfant with the modern Arminian Writers know that they brand all with this odious Name that hold the Doctrines of Calvin; they deny any Medium between Arminianifm and Antinomianifm. If People were but aware of this, this Ward would not do fuch Execution as it has done. I believe not one fingle Perfon at this Day has imbibed the grofler Tenets of Antinomianifm, particularly that the divine Law is not the Rule of Life; this I am fatisfied can't be prov'd upon any. And wherever any have harmonized with the Antinomians in other Points, it is no more than Luther, and Zanchy, and Beza, and many of the ancient Reformers from Popery did; who seem to make Affurance one effential Ingredient in Faith. But I forget that I am writing a History, and not an Apology.

As to Disorders among us, we are free from Separations, and from Trances and Visions; tho' at firft there was one or two that was fomething Vifionary, but I han't heard any Thing of that Nature this twelve Month. We allow not of Lay-Exhorters; and indeed there has been very little of public Exhortations in this County. Some have carried the Matter of knowing the State of others to too great a Length; but the Generality are free from it. Some have been too cenforious, especially at firft when they were in the Joys of Faith ; they were for bringing all Chriftians to their Standard, and were apt to look upon all as dead and graceless that did not appear as full as they: But after-Clouds and Darkness, makes them more modeft and moderate. For my Part, I don't

*Here I would obferve, that not only fome of the Friends, but fome of the violent Oppofers of the prefent Reformation have too much fymboliz'd with the Antinomians; There are fome of that Stamp in a neighbouring Town, that flifly deny that ever an elect Perfon is a Child of the Devil; which is the fame Thing as to fay that they are juftify'd from Eternity.

L12.

call

call it Cenforioufnefs to think thofe unconverted, that appear by their Difcourfe to be wholly ignorant of the experimental Part of Religion, or that are of fcandalous Lives; These are the Fruits by which we are to know them, Mat. 7. 20. Three or four run into wrong Notions & Apprehenfions about some other Things; but being foon convinced of their Miftake, I think it needless to mention Particulars. There was one young Girl laft Winter that endeavoured to counterfeit the Joy of others, but she was foon detected by the Friends of the Reformation to her Shame and Confufion.

As to Oppofition, there are a few Families that have stood out all along the greater Part of whom never made any Profeffion But thro' the Bleffing of GOD, we have had as great Peace in the Town fince this religious Stir, as any Time fince my Settlement.

Ever fince laft Fall, the SPIRIT feems to be withdrawn with Respect to his convincing Influences; there being no new Convictions among us that I know of; tho', fome that were under Concern before remain fo ftill. And true Chriftians, the greater Part, feem not fo lively as they have been: I frequently hear Complaints of Darknefs, Unbelief, Hidings, Doubtings &c. Some have been too much led into Difputes, which tend to eat out the Vitals of Religion, and to draw away the Heart from the main Concern. But yet my People's Love to God's Houfe continues. May God yet again revive his Work among us: May He who is our Light and our Life return, and breathe upon the dry Bones: May he go on conquering and to conquer, till he has fubdued the Land. Amen.

'Tis melancholy to think of the prefent Situation of Religion in the Land May it not be faid of the People in NEWENGLAND as of the Ifraelites; They fang his Praife, but they foon forgat bis Works! Manna grows taftelets and infipid after a Year or two's Enjoyment; and too many are for making a Captain, and returning to Egypt; they prefer the fermer Days of Security before the prefent Times. Oh what will be the End of thefe Things.

But I must stop; and fhall fhut up with one Reflection. If thefe Things, which come fo confirmed by Teftimonies on all Hands are not to be received as l'erities, human Proof is at an End, and all Alen are Lyars. For my Part, I muft fay

with