Glimpses of Christian History Presents Pastwords #63: Seasonable Thoughts on the State of Religion in New England by Charles Chauncy ©2007

CHAUNCY, CHARLES. Seasonable thoughts on the State of Religion in New-England… Boston, Printed by Rogers and Fowle, for Samuel Eliot in Cornhill, 1743, octavo.

Charles Chauncy (1705-87) was a Boston clergyman and the leader of the liberals in his generation. Born on Jan. 1, 1705, he graduated from Harvard in 1721. Six years later, he became the colleague of Thomas Foxcroft in the First Church of Boston and remained as its pastor until his death. When Jonathan Edwards wrote Some Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival of Religion in New England (1742), Chauncy replied with a sermon against "Enthusiasm" which condemned the Great Awakening as merely an emotional outbreak. He followed this with his Seasonable Thoughts on the State of Religion in New England (1743). Chauncy's other publications include: Salvation for All Men Illustrated and Vindicated as a Scripture Doctrine (1782) and Five Dissertations on the Fall and Its Consequences (1785). He died in Boston on Feb. 10, 1787.

f the following Treatise is, in any tolerable Measure, adapted to serve the Ends of Religion, by guarding People against the Errors in Doctrine, and Disorders in Practice, which have, of late, obtain'd in many Parts of the Land, there can be no need of an Apology for its Publication: If it is not, the usual Excuses upon such an occasion are well known; and I may claim the Benefit of them, in common with others.

Instead therefore of saying any Thing upon this Head, I shall look back to the first Times of this Country, when there was the Prevalence of an erroneous, enthusiastic

Spirit, beyond what has been known from that Day 'till the late Appearance, in some Places, in New-England : And I the rather chuse to insert here some brief Account of the religious State of Affairs in those Days, because of its surprising Agreement, in many Instances, with what has happened in these Times ; which, if duly attended to, will not only prepare the Reader for what he may meet with in the following Sheets, but powerfully tend to undeceive him, if he has entertain'd a good Opinion of such Things as have, once already, raised Disturbances in the Country, to the Grief of our first Fathers, who may justly be rank'd among the most pious and valuable Men, who have yet liv'd in it.

Not many Years after the Settlement of our Progenitors in this Land, some, who, through an Excess of Heat in their Imaginations, had been betrayed into various unsound and dangerous Opinions, came over to them from England. They had not been here long, before they freely vented their Notions among the People, Multitudes of whom, both Men and Women, Church-members and others, were soon led aside, to the Hindrance of the Gospel, and throwing these Churches into great Confusion.

My Purpose is to show distinctly, though briefly,

What these Opinions were,
How they spread so fast, and prevailed so suddenly.
How they did rage and reign when they had once gotten Head.
How they fell and were ruined, when they were at highest.

As for the Opinions: They were such as these, viz.
1. He that hath the Seal of the Spirit may certainly judge of any Person, whether he be elected or no.
2. Such as see any Grace of GOD in themselves, before they have the Assurance of God’s Love sealed to them, are not to be received Members of Churches.
3. The due Search and Knowledge of the Holy Scripture, is not a safe and sure Way to finding Christ.
4. There is a Testimony of the SPIRIT, and Voice to the Soul, meerly immediate, without any Respect to, or Concurrence with the Word.
5. The Seal of the Spirit is limited only to the immediate Witness of the Spirit ; and doth never witness to any Work of Grace, or to any Conclusion by a Syllogism.
6. No Minister can teach one that is anointed by the Spirit of Christ, more than he knows already unless it be in some Circumstances.
7. No Minister can be an Instrument to convey more of Christ unto another, than he by his own Experience hath come up to.
8. A Man is not effectually converted, 'till he hath full Assurance.
9. A Man cannot evidence his Justification by his Sanctification, but he must needs build upon his Sanctification, and trust to it.
10. The immediate Revelation of my good Estate, without any Respect to the Scriptures, is as clear to me as the Voice of GOD from Heaven to Paul.
11. It is a Fundamental and Soul-damning Error, to make Sanctification an Evidence of Justification.
12. The Spirit giveth such full and clear Evidence of my good Estate, that I have no Need to be tried by the Fruits of Sanctification : This were to light a Candle to the Sun.
13. Sanctification is so far from evidencing a good Estate, that it darkens it rather; and a Man may more clearly see CHRIST when he seeth no Sanctification, than when he doth : The darker my Sanctification is, the brighter is my Justification.
14. If a Member of a Church be unsatisfied with any Thing in the Church, if he express his Offence, whether he hath used all Means to convince the Church or no, he may depart.
15. If a Man think he may edify better in another Congregation, than in his own, that is Ground enough to depart ordinarily from Word, Seals, Fastings, Feastings, and all Administrations in his own Church, notwithstanding the Offence of the Church often manifested to him for so doing.
16. Where Faith is held forth by the Ministry, as the Condition of the Covenant of Grace on Man's Part, as also evidencing Justification by Sanctification, and the Activity of Faith, in that Church is not sufficient Bread.*

These are a few of the Errors, with which many began to be infected ; I say a few, because their whole Number amounted to upwards of fourscore. I should willingly have presented the Reader, with a List of them all; but, not having Room, choose to confine myself to those only which might be thought to bear a Resemblance to the unsafe Tenets of the present Day. The rest may be seen in the Book, entitled, The Story of the Rise, etc, of Antinomianism, etc, in New-England. And let me add, the Account there given of these Errors may be depended on; for having had Opportunity to compare it with an ancient Manuscript Copy of the Proceedings of the Synod, in 1637, I find it to be a very exact Catalogue of the Opinions condemned by that Assembly of Churches.

It may, at first, View seem strange, how these Errors (many of them being so gross) should spread so fast, and prevail so generally ; but the Wonder will cease, if we "consider the Slights they used in fomenting their Opinions: Some of which I shall set down; as,

10----11. But the last and worst of all, and which mast suddenly diffus'd the Venom of these Opinions into the very Veins, and Vitals of the People in the Country, was Mrs.----double weekly Lecture" This Mrs.----, to give some Account of her, from the Author of the Rise and Reign of Antinomianism in New-England, Pag. 33, 34.was a Woman of a nimble Wit and active Spirit, and a very voluble Tongue, more bold than a Man, though in Understanding and Judgement, inferior to many Women. She had discovered some of the Opinions in the Ship as she came over, which occasion'd some Delay of her Admission, when she first desir'd Fellowship with the Church of Boston; but by colouring her Opinions, she got admitted into the Church and soon went to work; and being a Woman very helpful in the Times of Child-Birth, and other Occasions of bodily Infirmities, and well-furnish'd with Means for those Purposes, she easily insinuated her self into the Affections of many; and the rather, because she was very inquisitive about their Spiritual Estates, and in discovering to them the Danger they were in by trusting to common Gifts and Graces, without any such Witness of the SPIRIT as the Scripture holds out for a full Evidence; ----all which was well, and suited with the public Ministry : But when she had thus prepared the Way by such wholsome Truths, then she began to set forth her own Stuff, and taught, that no Sanctification was any Evidence of a good Estate, except their Justification were first cleared up to them by the immediate Witness of the Spirit ; and that to see any Work of Grace (either Faith or Repentance, etc) before this immediate Witness was a Covenant of Works: Whereupon many good Souls, that had been of long-approv'd Holiness, were brought to renounce all the Work of Grace in them and to wait for this immediate Revelation. Then sprung up also the Opinion of the indwelling of the Person of the Holy Ghost, and of Union with Christ, and Justification before Faith, and a denying of any Gifts or Graces, or inherent Qualifications; and that Christ was all, and did all, and that the Soul remained always as a dead Organ, and other gross Errors.---It was indeed a Wonder, upon what a sudden the whole Church of Boston (some few excepted) were become her new Converts, and infected with her Opinions : And many also out of the Church, and of other Churches, yea, many profane Persons became of her Opinion ; for it was a very easy and acceptable Way to Heaven, to see nothing, to have nothing, but to wait for Christ to do all. After she had thus prevail'd, and drawn some of eminent Place and Parts to her Party, she kept open House of all Comers, and set up two Lecture-Days in the Week, when there usually met at her House threescore of fourscore Persons. The Pretence was to repeat Sermons, but when that was done, she would comment upon the Doctrines, and interpret all Passages at her Pleasure, and expound dark Places of Scripture, so as whatsoever the Letter held forth (for this was one of her Tenets, that the whole Scripture in the Letter of it held forth nothing but a Covenant of Works) she would be sure to make it serve her Turn, for the confirming her main Principles, whereof this was another, that the darker our Sanctification is, the clearer is our Justification. And indeed most of her Tenets tended to Slothfalness, and quench all Endeavours in the Creature. And now there was no Speech so much in Use as of vilifying Sanctification, and all for advancing Christ and free Grace.----All indeed that opposed this Woman (being near all the Elders, and most of the faithful Christians in the Country) she spoke of as under a Covenant of Works, that she might with the more Credit disclose and advance her Master-piece of immediate Revelations, under the fair Pretence of the Covenant of free Grace: Wherein she had not fail'd of her Aim, to the utter Subversion both of the Churches, and the civil State, if the most wise and merciful Providence of the LORD had not prevented it, by keeping so many of the Magistrates and Elders free from the infection.

These were the cunning Sleights used for the spreading of Error, not only in the Church of Boston, where most of these Seducers lived, but also in almost all Parts of the Country. Besides which the Sectaries (to use the Words of Mr. Johnson) "had other pretty Knacks to delude with all; such as the telling of rare Revelations of Things to come from the Spirit, and the weakening the Word of the LORD in the Mouth of his Ministers, by putting ignorant and unlettered Men and Women in a Posture of preaching to a Multitude, that they might be praised for the able Tongue. Come along with me, says one of them, I’ll bring you to a Woman that preaches better Gospel than any of your blackCoats that have been at the University; a Woman of another Kind of Spirit, who hath many Revelations of Things to come : And for my Part, saith he, I had rather hear such a one that speaks from the meer Motion of the Spirit, without any Study at all, than any of your learned Scholars, although they may be fuller of Scripture; ay, and admit they may speak by the Help of the SPIRIT, yet the other goes beyond them.---By which, and divers other such like Matters, which might be here inserted, you may see how these Sectaries, love the Preheminence, and for this End seek to deprive the Ministers of Christ, inveigling as many as they can in the Head, that they take too much upon them, scoffing at their Scholar-like Way of Preaching, wherein the gross Dissimulation of these erroneous Persons hath appear'd exceedingly.”

"Now, you might have heard one of them preaching a most dangerous Sermon, in a great Assemby, when he divided the whole Country into two Ranks, some (that were of his Opinion) under a Covenant of Grace, and those were Friends to Christ ; others, under a Covenant of Works, whom they might know by this, if they evidence their good Estate by their Sanctification: Those (said he) were Enemies to Christ, Herods, Pilates, Scribes and Pharisees ; yea, Antichrists: And advis'd all under a Covenant of Grace to look upon them as such, and did with great Zeal stimulate them to deal with them as they would with such ; and withall alledging the Story of Moses that killed the Egyptian, barely left it so."

*Observable are the Words of Mr. Johnson, concerning the religious State of Things at this Time. Says he, "There was among all Sorts of Persons a great Talk of New-Light ; but verily it proved old Darkness, such as sometime overshadowed the City of Munster.-- --The better Part of the People stood still many of them, gazing one upon another, like Sheep let loose to feed on fresh Pasture, being stopped and startled in their Course by a Kennall of devouring Wolves. The weaker Sort wavered much, and such as were more grown Christians hardly durst discover the Truth they held, one to another, The Fogs of Error increasing, the bright Beams of the glorious Gospel of our Lord Christ, in the Mouth of his Minister, could not be discerned, through this thick Mist, by many ; and that sweet refreshing Warmth, that was formerly felt from the Spirit's Influence, was now turn;d (in these Errorists) to a hot Inflammation of their own conceited Revelations, ulcerating and bringing little else than Phrensy or Madness to the Patient. The Congregation of the People of GOD began to be forsaken ; and the weaker Sex prevailed so far, that they set up a Priest of their own Profession and Sex, who was much throng;d after, abominably wresting the Scriptures to their own Destruction."

It may not be amiss to observe here, as the Church of which I am a Pastor, was the only one in Boston, in the Times I have been speaking of, so this was the Church to which most of the grand Opinionists belong'd : And from hence it was, that Disturbance went forth into the Country.----Many of its Members depended upon the immediate Witness of the SPIRIT for an Assurance of their good Estate, so as to renounce Sanctification as any Evidence in the Case ; which indeed was the Root of most of the Errors and Confusion in that Day.---Their beloved Teacher, Mr. Cotton, though a Gentleman of considerable Parts, and Learning, and exemplary Piety, was yet not altogether free from Blame. The famous Mr. Norton intimates as much, while yet he speaks honourable of him. His Words are these. "Though his Forebearance was both observable, and very imitable, in the Things which concerned himself 'yet he could not forbear them whom he knew to be Evil. An Experience whereof we saw concerning some Heterodox Spirits, who, by their specious Discourses of free Grace, and subdolous concealing of their Principles, so far deceived him into a better Opinion of them than there was Cause, as that, notwithstanding they fastened their Errors upon him in general, and abused his Doctrine, to the countenancing of their denying of inherent Grace in particular; yet, he was slow to believe these Things of them, and slower to bear Witness against them :"

"All the Churches unanimously consented to the Condemnation of them, except diverse of Boston, one or two at Charlestown, one at Salem, one at Plymouth, one at Duxbury, two at Watertown : And although Mr. Cotton set not down his Hand as the rest of the Elders did; yet he thus expressed himself, in Disrelish of them, that some were blasphemous and heretical, many erroneous, and all incongruous." Manuscript Copy. p. 46.

I expect to be further loaded with Names: And so far as this may tend to render me less useful to those I would be glad to serve, I shall be sorry : But otherwise, ‘tis with me a small Matter to be judged of Man's Judgment : Nor shall I regard the little Squibs that may be thrown at me by those, who think the Cause of Truth will be better serv'd by railing, than arguing. I shall not mispend my Time to take Notice of what may be said by such; but if any will be at the Pains to give what I have offered the public a fair and Christian Examination, I shall think myself obliged to make them some sutable Acknowledgment.

PART I

Particularly pointing out the Things of a bad and dangerous Tendency, in the late religious Appearance in New England.

There is not a Man, in the Country, in the sober Exercise of his Understanding, but will acknowledge, that the late religious Stir has been attended with many Irregularities and Disorders. These, some are pleased to call, Imprudencies, human Frailities accidental Effects only, such as might be expected, considering the Remains of Corruption in good Men, even among those in whom a remarkable Work of Grace is carrying on : Others are in the Opinion ; they make a main Part of the Appearance, that has been so much talk'd of, and have arisen unavoidable, in the natural Course of Things, from the Means and Instruments of this Appearance; and that it could not reasonably be suppos'd, it should have been otherwise.

I shall particularly show what these bad and dangerous Things are; making such Remarks (as I go along) as may be thought needful to set Matters in a just and true Light.

I shall first mention Itinerant Preaching. This had its Rise (at lest in these Parts) from Mr. Whitefield ; though I could never see, I own, upon what Warrant, either from Scripture or Reason, he went about Preaching from one Province and Parish to another, where the Gospel was already preach’d, and by Persons as well qualified for the Work, as he can pretend to be. I charitably hope, his Design herein was good : But might it not be leavened with some undesirable Mixture? Might he not, at first, take up this Practice from a mistaken Thought of some extraordinary Mission from GOD? Or, from the undue Influence of two high an Opinion of his own Gifts and Graces ? And when he had got into this Way, might he not be too much encouraged to go on in it, from the popular Applauses, every where, so liberally heaped on him? If he had not been under too strong a Biass from something or other of this Nature, why so fond of preaching always himself, to the Exclusion, not of his Brethren only, but his Fathers, in Grace and Gifts and Learning, as well as Age? And why so ostentatious and assuming as to alarm so many Towns, by proclaiming his Intentions, in the publick Prints, to preach such a Day in such a Parish, the next Day in such a one, and so on, as he past through the County; and all this, without the Knowledge, either of Pastors or People in most Places? What others may think of such a Conduct I know not; but to me, it never appeared the most indubitable Expression of that Modesty, Humility, and prefering others in Love, which the Scriptures highly recommend as what will adorn the Minister's, as well as the Christians Character.

And what became of his little Flock all this while ? This Gentleman (if I don’t mistake) expresses a very contemptuous Thought of Non-Residents and pluralists, when he makes that Remark, in one of his Journals, "The Towns through Connecticut, and the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay ---- are well-peopled. ----Every five or ten Miles you have a Meeting House, and I believe there is no such Thing as a Pluralist or Non-Resident Minister in both Provinces." And what is the mighty Difference (so far as a particular Flock is concerned in its Pastor's Labours) between an Itinerant Preacher, absent from his Charge seven Eights of his Time, and a Non-Resident-Minister? Or, between a Pluralist, and one that acts as though all the Parishes in a Country were his proper Cure? "Tis true, your Non-Residents and Pluralists have their worldly Encouragements: And some are in the Opinion, it han't been to Mr. Whitefield's Disadvantage, on temporal Accounts, that he has travelled about the World in Quality of an Itinerant Preacher. He has certainly made Large Collections: And if, in the doing of this, he had a Fellow-Feeling with the Orphans, 'tis no more than might be expected. No one, I believe, besides himself, can tell the Amount of the Presents, he received in this Town, as well as in other Places, for his own proper Use.

The next Gentleman that practiced upon this new Method was Mr. Gilbert Tennent, who came in the Middle of Winter, from New-Brunswick (a Journey of more than 300 Miles) to Boston, "to water the Seed sown by Mr. Whitefield ;" the Ministers in the Town, though a considerable Body, being thought insufficient for that Purpose. I shall not think it amiss to insert here Part of an expostulatory Letter sent to him, after he had been preaching among us for some Time. "Pray, Sir, (says the Writer) let me put it to your Conscience; was not the Reason of your travelling so many hundred Miles to preach the Gospel, in this Place, founded on the Insufficiency of the Ministers here for their Office? Why travel so far, in such a rigorous Season, to preach the Gospel, if the Gospel was really preach'd by the Ministers here? Did you not fear, "that notwithstanding they pretend to water what Mr. Whitefield, by the Spirit, had planted, had set up a Lecture, and the like, they would build with untempered Mortar, would build Wood, Hay, Stubble, etc.?" Had you not some Suspicion, that, either they had not a true Knowledge of the Doctrines of Grace, or if they had, that it was only a Head Knowledge, that they were not converted, and of Consequence not likely to be made Instruments of much good? If this be the natural Construction to be put upon your coming hither, can you think, you are in the Way of your Duty? Can you think, the bringing the standing Ministry of a Place into Contempt, the Way to promote the Interest of Religion, and the Salvation of Souls? But perhaps, you did not think, nor would have any Body else think, quite so hardly of the Ministers here? Perhaps, you only thought, that if they did a little Good, you might do a great Deal more. Is not this approaching too near to Vanity ? Is it not thinking more highly of your self than you ought ? Is it not contrary to the Scripture Rule of preferring others in Love?" The Answer to this Letter I never look'd upon as satisfactory: And I have the more Reason to think there was a Propriety in these Questions, as I now know what Opinion Mr. Whitefield entertain'd of the Generality of the Minister in Town. I shall only say, I have had personal Conversation with one, who join'd in the Prayers previous to this Journey to Boston.

Mr. Tennent tarried in Town a great Part of the Winter ; in all which Time, he never exprest a Desire (so far as I can learn) of being assisted by any one of the Ministers: But seemed as fond, as Mr. Whitefield before him, of preaching every Day himself : and did so, willingly taking from the other Ministers even their own Turns in the stated Lectures : And if, by their Submission to him herein, they fell in the Opinion of the People, who can wonder at it ? It would indeed have been a Wonder, if they had not. For either the Circumstances of the Town were such as to require Preaching every Day in the Week, or they were not : If they were not, why did they encourage such a Practice? If they were, I don't see how they could answer it to GOD, their own Consciences, or their People, to sit still, and let one Man have [the sole Trouble of that which was the proper Business of their Office. Such a Conduct as this naturally taught People to look upon them as idle Shepherds: And if this was the Reflection, some cast upon them, it was not other than might be expected.

Mr. Tennent went from Boston to Piscataqua in the Path of Mr. Whitefield; and, in some Places, appear'd very forward in tendring his Service to preach, though he knew it was not (as to time) agreeable to the Ministers. Upon his Return home, he preach'd in most, if not all the Towns as he past along: And if, in all the Parishes, he had the Consent of the Pastors, it was, I am ready to think, by Constraint. They might give into it to prevent Difficulties among their People ; not that they approved this Manner of Conduct, the Construction of which seemed to be, that upon him lay the Care of all the Churches.

From this Time, the Method of Itinerant Preaching became common. Many, in various Parts of the Land, took upon them to visit the Churches; preaching from Place to Place, wherever they went: Sometimes, contrary to the known Judgment of the settled ministers, and in Opposition to them; and sometimes, where their Consent was only a Matter of Necessity to keep Peace among their People. Sometimes, they have come into Parishes of their own Accord; and sometimes by Application made to them from a few disaffected Persons. Sometimes, in order to get the Liberty of the Meeting-House, they have us'd mean and indirect Arts; and sometimes, when they could not get into it, they have gone into private Houses, or gathered Assemblies in the Fields. Nay, Lay-Exhorters, Men of no Capacity, nor Learning ; yea, some of them of a suspicious Character for their Virtue, (not to say any Thing worse) have travell’d about from Town to Town, calling Assemblies, and sometimes exciting Prejudices in People against their Ministers, for not letting them into their Pulpits, or not encouraging them in the disorderly Practice. I cannot better describe the Manner of these Itinerants, than in the Words of a Friend in his Letter to me. "The Itinerant Ministers that have been among us have been (as I think) very irregular and disorderly in their Proceedings. It hath been their Manner to estrange themselves, in a great Measure, from me, and to associate with a disaffected Party. They appoint and warn Lectures without my Consent or Knowledge, and just before the Time of Exercise they have commonly sent for my Approbation: And upon my manifesting a Dislike of their Managements, they have preach'd sometimes in private Houses; sometimes in a Barn; sometimes in the open Air."

The Inconveniences which have arisen from this Method of acting, more especially in Connecticut, have been so great, that the Government there have taken the Matter into Consideration, an come into an Act, whereby they have restrained, both ordained Ministers, and licensed Candidates, from preaching in other Men's Parishes, without their and their Church's Consent ; and wholly prohibited the Exhortations of illiterate Lay-Men.

It is not my Business to consider, how far an Irregularity, in this Kind, may properly fall under the Cognisance of the civil Magistrate: What I have to do with, is the Thing it self ; which I can't but reckon among the Disorders of the present Day.

I see not but those, who make it their Practice to go about gathering Assemblies, in other Men's Parishes, properly come under the Character of Busie-Bodies. These were common, in the first Days of the Gospel; and there seems to have been two Sorts of them.

Some were idle, not doing their own Business; but wandring about from House to House, talking and speaking the Things they ought not. This is the very Character of some idle Persons, who have lately risen up among us. And what is the Tho't of the great St. Paul concerning them? Why, he says, They are disorderly Walkers; and commands, that a Mark be set upon them, that they be withdrawn from, and admonished.

But besides these, there seems to have been another Sort of Busie-Bodies ; such as went out of their own Line, intermeddling in other Men’s Matters. "Tis observable, the Original Word, answering to that Scripture Phrase, a Busie-Body in other Men's Matters, is, allotrio-Episcopos; one that plays the Bishop in another's Diocess, takes upon him the Inspection of another's Charge. The Person described is one, who officiously employs himself about the Business that does not belong to him; acting in the proper Sphere of others, as tho' it was his, not their's. This is the Conduct the Apostle points out: And he has an ill Opinion of it, or he would not have rank'd it with some of the greatest Crimes.

It appears indeed to be a Fault of the same Kind with that, which the Apostle Paul blames in the false Teachers, who had crept into the Church of Corinth, to their Great Disservice. Remarkable are his Words upon this Head. I shall set them down at large. "We dare not, says he, make ourselves of the Number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: But they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. But we will not boast of Things without our Measure, but according to the Measure of the Rule, which GOD hath distributed to us, a Measure to reach even unto you. For we stretch not ourselves beyond our Measure, as tho' we reached not unto you ; for we are come as far as to you also, in Preaching the Gospel of CHRIST: Not boasting of Things without our Measure, that is, of other Men's Labours; but having Hope, when your Faith is encreased, that we shall be enlarged by you, according to our Rule abundantly, to preach the Gospel in the Regions beyond you, and not to boast in another Man's Line of Things made ready to our Hand." Three Things are suggested to us as faulty in these Teachers.

The first is, their commending themselves so much. We are not, says the Apostle, compare ourselves with some, who commend themselves. The Language is satyrical, setting forth, in the strongest Light, the undue Praises these Teachers heap’d upon themselves. They were vainly puffed up in their Minds, glorying in themselves, as though they were extraordinary Persons, out-doing even the Apostles. Such was their Pride and Self-Conceit, that they took all Occasions to proclaim their own Goodness ; which they, no Doubt, did, with such Art and Cunning, as hereby to insinuate themselves into the good Opinion of the People, to the prejudicing them against the very Apostles. They are therefore called, in the next Chapter, deceitful Workers: and represented, as transforming themselves into the Ministers of Righteousness, according to the Example of Satan, who can transform himself into an Angel of Light. Mr. Burkitt's Note here is very just, and may be worth transcribing. "It us very possible, says he, for Men to be really Satan's Instruments, animated and taught by him, to do his Work against the Interest of Christ and his Truth ; and yet, at the same Time, to pretend to excell and go beyond Christ's faithful Ministers, in preaching Truth and Holiness : So that the highest Pretences to Truth, Orthodoxy, free Grace, Purity and Unity, are no sufficient Evidences of a true Ministry. Satan and his Instruments, who love to transform themselves sometimes into an Angel of Light, may pretend to all these : and notwithstanding, be the sworn Enemies of Christ and his Kingdom."

And if, in the first Days of Christianity, when the State of Things was such as to require the travelling of the Apostles and others, from Place to Place, to preach the Gospel; I say, if, in these Times, even an Apostle thought it disorderly to go out of his own Line, and enter upon other men's Labours, "tis much more so in the present settled State of the Church. The Pastor has now his special Charge. He is devoted to the Service of the Lord Jesus Christ, in a particular Place, and over a particular People. His Work, as a Minister, does not lie at large ; but is restrain'd within certain Boundaries. I don't mean, that he may'nt use his Office, in other Places, within the Rules of Order, upon special Occasions, and where there may be a just Call: But his stated, constant Business is with his own People. These have been committed to his Care ; these, he has solemnly engagd, before GOD, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and holy Angels, to do all the Duties of a Pastor to. And can he be faithful to his Ordination Vow, or the Command of God, which Says, Fed thee Flock over which the HOLY GHOST hath made thee an Overseer, while he leaves his People one Week and Month after another, bestowing his Labours upon those, he has no particular Relation to? Are not the Souls of his own People as precious as the Souls of others. Han't he Work enough, among his own people, that he need seek for it elsewhere? That Man knows little of the Work of a Minister, that does not know how to employ all his Time, & Strength, and Tho't, for the Good of those of his own Charge. He may here spend all his Zeal, and be as abundant in Labours, in Season and out of Season, as he judges proper. And I should think, extraordinary Pains are as suitable among a Minister's own People, as Strangers ; and would be as evidential of his Love to Souls, and Desire of their Salvation.

It was, in my Opinion, far from being exemplary in Mr. Whitefield, his taking so little Care of his own Flock. When he went from these Parts to Georgia, notwithstanding his frequent Prayers for them, and Expressions of a more than ordinary Love to them, and longing after their Salvation, he was no longer than Part of two Days at Savannah; nor did he preach there more than two Sermons, if we may believe his own Account. It appears strange, he should allow his own Charge so small a Share of his Labours, as he was so lavish of them elsewhere! And 'tis observable, as soon as he had left Georgia, and arrived at Charles-Town in Carolina, his Journal again appears with pompous Accounts of his Preachings. He writes, Sunday, Jan. 4. "Preach'd twice every Day this Week, and expounded frequently in the Evening". If this is watching for Souls, I mean, the Souls, of our particular Charge, as those that must give an Account; it is not a Matter of so much Difficulty as I always imagined.

And as to others, who are so forward in going into other Parishes, to preach there perpetually, I can't learn that they do more among their own people, than those who make no such Excursions? Nay, they have, some of them, greatly neglected their own, from a Zeal to take Care of other Minister's People: And they have been complained of on this Head, and fallen under publick Censure.

Another of these Itinerants was complain'd of, by a considerable Number of his People; and one of the Articles they objected to him, before an Ecclesiastical Council, convened, June 15, 1742, was, "We are uneasy with his wandering from Town to Town, to the great Disturbance of Towns and Churches, and neglecting his own Church at Home". Upon which, the Council came into the following Result, "It appears to us, that the Rev. Mr.------ hath been too ready to wander from Town to Town, and invade the Bishoprick and Office of his Brethren, and administer Occasion to Disturbance in several Places (and we fear) to the Neglect of his faithful Discharge of his Duty, among his own Flock, and to give too much Encouragement to Lay-Persons exhorting publickly; All of which, are so contrary to the Laws of Christ and his Gospel, as upon no Pretence to the countenanced." I could mention some other Instances in this Kind: But these shall suffice for the present.

Moreover, what is the Tendency of this Practice, but Confusion and disorder? If one Pastor may neglect his own People to take Care of others, who are already taken Care of ; and, it may be much better than he can take care of them: I say, if one Pastor may do thus, why not another, and another still, and so on, 'till there is on such Thing as Church Order in the Land ? One Minister has the same Right to enter into other Men's Parishes as another ; and may vindicate his Conduct upon the same Principles : And if this should become the general Practice, what might be expected, as the Effect, but an intire Dissolution of our Church State? This Itinerant Preaching, it is my firm Perswasion, naturally tends to it in the Courte of Things ; yea, and the Principles, upon which it is supported, will disband all the Churches in the World; and make the Relation, between Pastors and People, a meer Nothing, a Sound without Meaning.

It will not be thought a needless Digression to insert here, the Sentiments of the First Fathers of this Country, upon this Point of Order in the Churches. This justly lay with great Weight upon their Minds; For it is indeed the Strength as well as beauty of the Creation. Next to Faith, they esteemed Order, a Matter of Necessity to the Well-Being of these Churches. And to this it was owing, that they held a Synod at Cambridge, Anno 1648, consisting of all the Churches of the Massachusetts-Province, by their Elder and Messengers ; when they agreed upon that Rule of Church Order, commonly called, our Platform of Church-Discipline. Here it is declared as their united Judgement, "That Elders are appointed to feed, not all Flocks, but the particular Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers; and that Flock they must attend, even the whole Flock: And one Congregation being as much as any ordinary Elder can attend, therefore there is no greater church than a Congregation, which may ordinarily meet in one Place."

And as to the present Itinerants, it is remark'd, "as certain and obvious, that the most, if not all of them, are swollen and ready to burst with spiritual Pride."

The Account Bishop Burnet gives of the Occasion and Rise of these Itinerants, in the beginning of the Reformation, is very observable. "The Fryars, says he, used all the Force and Skill of their Industry to raise the People into Heats by passionate and affecting Discourses, that both inflam'd a blind Devotion, and drew Money:--But there was not that Pains taken, to inform the People of the Hatefulness of Vice, and the Excellency of Holiness, or the wonderful Love of Christ, by which Men might be engaged to acknowledge and obey him. And the Design of their Sermons was rather to raise a present Heat, which they knew afterwards how to manage, than to work a real Reformation on their Hearers. They had also intermixt, with all divine Truths, so many Fables, that they were become very extravagant; and that Alloy had so embased the whole, that there was great Need of a good Discerning, to deliver People from those Prejudices, which these Mixtures brought upon the whole Christian Doctrine. Therefore, the Reformers studied with all possible Care, to instruct the People in the Fundamentals of Christianity, with which they had been so little acquainted.----And much Pains was taken to send eminent Preachers over the Nation; not confining them to particular Charges, but sending them with the King's Licence up and down to many Places." It follows, "Because in that ignorant Time, there could not be found a sufficient Number of good Preachers; and in a Time of so much Jugling, they would not trust the Instruction of the People to every one: Therefore, none was to preach except he had got a particular Licence for it, from the King, or his Diocesan. But to qualifie this, a Book of Homilies was printed, etc." The whole Account is worth reading. Vid.Burnet's History of the Reformation. Vol. I. Page 302-303.