corrupt and putrify it, and if there be not a sufficient discharge of the malignity by the place of incision or elsewhere, it lays a foundation for many dangerous diseases. That the continuing the operation among us is likely to prove of the most dangerous consequence."

"The common people imbibed the strongest prejudices, and such as died by inoculation were no more lamented than self-murderers. Dr. Mather, the first mover, after having been reproached and vilified in pamphlets and newspapers, was at length attacked in a more violent manner. His nephew, Mr. Walter, one of the ministers of Roxbury, have ing been privately inoculated in the Doctor's house in Boston, a villain, about three o' clock in the morning, set fire to the fuze of a granado shell, filled with combustible stuff, and threw it into the chamber where the sick man was lodged. The fuze was fortunately beat off by the passing of the shell through the window, and the wild fire spent itself upon the floor.

"The moderate opposers urged that the practice was to be condemned as trusting more to the machination of men than to the all wise providence of God in the ordinary course of nature, and as tending to propagate distempers to the destruction of mankind, which proved it to be criminal in its nature and a species of murder."

"At length the House of Representatives laid hold of it, Vol. VI.-No. 4.

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and a bill was brought in and passed to prohibit all persons from inoculation for the small pox; but the council were in doubt and the bill stopped.

"Such is the force of prejudice. All orders of men in that day, in a greater or less proportion, condemned a practice which is now generally approved, and to which many thousands owe the preservation of their lives."-Hutchinson's Hist. Vol.11. p. 273, 4, 5.

This portion of history may justly be employed as a warning to people of the present age, to beware of rashly censuring proposed innovations in opinion and practice. Such has been the attachment of mankind to hereditary opinions and customs, that the most useful improvements have had to encounter a flood of obloquy and abuse before they could obtain an impartial hearing.

To show how liable even good men are to be misled by their passions and prejudices, I will quote from Hutchinson some other passages relating to the conduct of our ances

In 1725, "The government increased the premiums for Indian scalps and captives to one hundred pounds!" p. 301.

Thus we see that the same christian people who esteemed inoculation a "species of murder," could offer premiums for Indian Scalps, and try to persuade seven peacea

ble tribes to make war on their brethren by the inhuman proposal of a large bounty on human scalps! Our posterity, however, will not find it difficult to detect as great inconsistency in the conduct of christian rulers of the present day.

MR. Evanson was one of those infidels, with whom our country abounded some few years ago, when the writings of Paine possessed an influence so far beyond their importance. He had learned to abhor priestcraft in its worst forms, and passion prevented him from perceiving in the very name of priest any thing but tyranny, treachery, and deceit. He belonged to a small and peaceful country congregation, which was spiritually fed by a worthy pastor, whom malice itself could not assail for one defect of character. But he was a priest, and therefore appeared to the undiscriminating eyes of Mr. Evanson more like a monster of mythology, than as a model of humanity. By constantly exercising his imagination, our infidel at length began to be lieve what he at first only fancied, till finally he professed himself the open and unrelenting enemy of one of the most innocent men. I believe I am not relating circumstances entirely fictitious. It must be

For the Christian Disciple. within the memory of many of my readers, that the enthusiasm of infidelity has wrought up its votaries to fits of extravagance and zeal, which have rarely been equalled by the warmest bigots. That humble clergyman struggled through his arduous duties amidst persecution so unprovoked, and hostility so undeserved, and at length die in middle life.

"We will have no minister, Mr. Moderator," exclaimed a voice at a town-meeting a few weeks after the decease of the pastor whom we have just mentioned. "The priesthood has always been a curse to the world. Let us try and see if we cannot live without these useless appendages to society. Will our fields produce a better harvest, will our lives be prolonged, will our health be maintained by one or two sermons a week? I wish, sir, that the motion before us might be indefinitely postponed." was the voice of Mr. Evanson. Happily, there was not one person present on whom his

It

arguments or his talents had a ny effect. And without deigning to reply to him, they voted almost unanimously to call a pious young man to the charge of their congregation, whom their late pastor had earnestly recommended as his

successor.

Need I describe the sullenness, the malice, the disappointment which disfigured the countenance of this incendiary? He retired home to wreak on his family that vindictive humour to which his fellow citizens in public were impenetrable. He forbade their attendance on the ordination, and commanded them never to appear at meeting. Strange is the inconsistency of man! He, whose sole God was reason, and who pretended that he could overthrow the whole system of religion by argument, was unable to obtain among the meanest of his dependants a single proselyte, and was obliged almost to resort to physical force in order to ensure their outward acquiescence in his wishes and opinions!

Nature, as I before intimated, had given Mr. Evanson a mind of a respectable order. He had been early fond of books, and was habituated to reflection on certain subjects, respecting which his prejudices had not been unhappily excited. He could be agree able in conversation. He could contribute amusement and information. He was himself delighted to learn. But he was situated in a wilderness, as it respected every thing be

longing to philosophy or literature. There lived but one person near him, who was at at all qualified for such an intercouse as he would gladly cultivate. But that person was his hated minister! How many pangs and struggles would agitate his mind at the thought of this circumstance! How often would he inwardly murmur that his imaginary foe united to the advantages of a public education the worthlessness of piety. "Perhaps," he would say to himself, "this priest might solve many difficulties which nature presents before me. Perhaps he could enlarge and improve my mind by communicating the results of his studies on some of my favourite subjects. But shall I undergo the mortification of retracting? Shall I court his acquaintance? Shall I be on terms of friendship with a, priest?" He lost sight of his virtues, his knowledge, his innocence and worth, and he thought only of the character that he had gathered from books, heightened and aggravated by the ribaldry of Paine, and the workings of his own dark imagination.

These two persons would of course sometimes encounter each other in society The marks of deference, untinged by the least particle of superstition, which were constantly paid to the clergyman, could not but excite the uneasiness and envy of his unaccountable enemy. And yet Mr. Evanson's good sense would often make him perceive the invaluable influence which the pas

Amidst a society of labourers, and mechanics, and tradesmen, he saw one person at least who could think and study for the others. There was a guide for conversation; there was an authority in disputes; there was a source of information; there was an example of deportment, all united in that one person; and yet no assumption of superiority, no interference in debate, no vanity of communication, and no authority of demeanour, to shock, or disgust, or repulse. Thus the idea of the priest would often momentarily slide out of Mr. Evanson's mind, and he would think that he was listening only to the gentleman and the scholar, and if he brought malice and hatred along with him, he certainly carried some knowledge and gratification away.

Nearly in this position did circumstances remain for sevcral years. The pastor grew stronger in the affections of his flock, his usefulness among them increased, and his fame extended more and more through all the surrounding churches. Time and reflection likewise gradually smooth ed away many of the rough parts of the infidel's character. He saw that the most principled men were in general the most religious; he witnessed the different effects of his own mode of bringing up his children and that of his pious neighbours in bringing up 'theirs. Especially, he had opportunity to observe, that owing to different circumstances

con

lence of more correct and enlarged conceptions respecting the institutions of the gospel, the priesthood of modern times are wholly unlike the priesthood of ecclesiastical history. Besides, age was now creeping on apace; the flush and the self-importance of maturity had subsided; the world about him seemed bereft of that stamp of eternity and undecaying vigour, which the sciousness of his own strength had formerly lent to it; the pride of reason had too often been checked and mortified still to believe itself omnipotent; he felt his own helpnessness; he would cling to some higher power if he could; he would cultivate an intercourse with the unseen world, with the Maker of his frame ;' but, who shall be the medium? who shall relieve that cloud of distressing doubts, which had so long darkened his soul, who shall meet all his blasphemous scruples, and crush them? who shall vindicate for him the ways of God to man, and lead him in the way which is everlasting? He knew of but one person, whose manner of life, whose education, whose experience, whose course of thinking, whose character, rendered him a proper confident in this trying season. Oh, how humbled were his feelings! But the complacency of his most intoxicated pride had never given him any thing like the sweet satisfaction which that humility imparted now. He sought the society of him, whom he had leng

had

His

shunned, he scarcely knew why, and long had reproached, he almost knew not how. He was received, as if he been a friend for life. feelings were entered into at once; his doubts were anticipated and met; his views were cleared up and widened by the patient reasoning and the enlightened representations of one, who had made such subjects the themes of his morning, noon, and evening contemplations. Life now began to appear in different colours to our former infidel. heart had a feeling quite strange to it; it was as if a tide of benevolence had gushed in and driven away the turbid humours which had SO long stagnated there. In the mean time, he did not forget to whom, by the blessing of heaven, he was indebted for the happy change that had taken place in his character; and he maintained no that ministers were "useless appendages to society."

His

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Henceforth he became the constant frequenter of public worship. In consequence, he grew more and more attached to one, who led his devotions, who directed his thoughts to proper subjects of religious meditations, who taught him especially how to think, and who, by showing him from time to time, the workings of the human heart, and the faculties of the human soul, communicated to him the invaluable arts of self-knowledge, and self-government. This he found in his own case to be the effect of pulpit ministra

tions; and when he looked upon the small sphere around him, he had no reason to doubt that the same exertions were equally efficacious on the experience of his friends and neighbours. He saw much happiness flowing from the ministrations of the sanctuary; he saw life there under its best and noblest forms, and he saw as well as felt the most undeniable and manifest improvement of character arising from the preaching of one man. He had therefore a right to conclude that such were the excellent effects of the labours of the enlightened clergy throughout the christian world.

By the united misfortune and fraud of a friend for whom he had become responsible to a large amount, he saw very nearly the whole of his estate seized and conveyed from his possession. In declining years, and with a large family around him, he could not but feel this stroke severely. Indeed, according to his own confession, his sensations would have been stung to madness, had it not been for the mild interposition and heavenly advice, and sweet consolations which were lent him by his minister. With what peculiar effect did lessons of fortitude and resignation now come from one, who was himself never immersed in the cares and perplexities and worldliness of this mortal life! How disinterested his sympathy! How powerful his exhortations! Who but a person totally separated from the toilsome routine and the strug