What opinion Mr. _Turell_ had of persons of this gentleman’s spirit, is evident from the fourth page of the same preface, which the compilers of the pamphlet could not but see. His words are these, “As for the profane triumphs of the opposers, (of such I mean) who attribute the whole of this glorious scene to the devil, or wild enthusiasm, a heated imagination, &c. I detest their opinion, though I am far from judging their state. I am confident that of the many that I have discoursed with under the common impressions (two or three excepted) they have been all wrought upon in a way agreeable to the gospel: and just as I should have desired some years ago. And I must testify, to the glory of GOD, and his sovereign rich grace, that I do behold the distinguishing marks of GOD’s spirit on many. My brethren, let us pray for the preservation, revival, progress, and universal spread thereof.” In page 14. of his directions, he says, “I charitably believe, some scores in this place have been seriously wrought upon; and the far greater part of them have declared, GOD has made me the happy instrument of their awakening.” And, page 18, says he, “the names of _Whitefield_ and _Tennent_ (though liable to err) I have once and again mentioned to you with honour; they have been raised by GOD to do abundance of good.” How does this agree with the account Mr. _A. M._ gives of the spirit raised by us, and with that scandalous character he gives of Mr. _Tennent_ in particular; and when these quotations are parts also of one of the treatises, out of which one of the extracts mentioned in the appendix is taken, and are written by one of those eminent ministers whose writings are referred to, to prove the principal facts recorded in Mr. _A. M._’s letter.
But what surprises me most of all is, that they should extract any thing from Mr. _Parsons_ to prove Mr. _A. M._’s matters of fact. Indeed, in the passage cited from him, page 41 of the pamphlet, to use the words in the _Glasgow Weekly History_, No. 35. I see only a warning against rashly concluding persons to be in a converted state; because, some who have been thus well judged of do afterwards fall away into errors, or appear to be deluded, or turn out impostors; and the warning enforced by an instance, and indeed but by one instance, of a person who was a visionary. Mr. _Parsons_’s caution to others against concluding too rashly that people are converted, is a presumption, that he is cautious in that matter himself; yet in this very sermon of Mr. _Parsons_’s, out of which the extracts mentioned in the appendix are taken, he says, page 44, “I hope not less than an hundred and fifty souls are converted in about nine months past:” though his parish is small, consisting only of 120 families. I could heartily wish that the whole sermon was printed; it is directly levelled in many parts of it against persons of Mr. _A. M._’s spirit and sentiments, and is intended as a needful caution for those lately converted, to avoid extremes, and take care to walk consistently. He has all along been a great promoter of this work: in a letter dated _December 16, 1741_, to Dr. _Colman_, and which is printed in the _Weekly History_, he mentions a most wonderful effusion of the Holy Ghost in his congregation. In that letter he makes an honourable mention of Mr. _Tennent_: “I have reason, says he, to bless the LORD that he sent him for our help; and indeed by an enquiry since, I find his labours were blessed to give a more general shock than appeared at the very time.”
The other eminent ministers sermons I have not yet met with: but I have great reason to believe they have been treated in the same manner: the time would fail me, dear Sir, to send you all the vouchers that might be produced for the glorious work in _New-England_. Messrs. _Webb_, _Cooper_ and _Prince_, in a preface to a sermon by Mr. _M‘Gregor_, a presbyterian minister, and which I hope also will be reprinted, speak nobly of it. Mr. _Edwards_’s sermon I think is most admirable, and answers all the objections that Mr. _A. M._ or others can make against it. In short, if any work had all marks of a divine signature, this undoubtedly has.