By way of P. S. to this letter, give me leave to send you a copy of the preface to Mr. _M‘Gregor_’s sermon, to which I have referred in my letter, and which is signed by three eminent ministers of _Boston_. Dated, _Boston_, _January 12, 1742_. This will give you a clear insight into what body of doctrines is professed and taught by the promoters of this work: how far they are from bigotry, and also may explain how the remaining violent opposers of those doctrines came to be so much exasperated.
The PREFACE to Mr. M‘GREGOR’s Sermon.
AS all the protestant churches in _Europe_, both _Episcopalian_ and _Presbyterian_, happily agreed at the time of the Reformation in the scripture doctrines of grace, as appears by the published harmony of their confessions; in particular, the church of _Scotland_ in 1560, the church of _England_ in 1562‒3, and the church of _Ireland_ in 1616; so it must be owned that the Presbyterians have generally persevered in a steady adherence to the original doctrines of the Reformation, to the present day.
And as the Assembly’s shorter catechism has been all along agreeable to the known principles of the _New-England_ churches, and has been generally received and taught in them, as a system of christian doctrine agreeable to the Holy Scriptures, wherein they happily unite; it is a great pleasure to us, that our Presbyterian brethren who come from _Ireland_ are generally with us in these important points, as also in the particular doctrines of experimental piety arising from them, and the wondrous work of GOD agreeable to them, at this day making its triumphant progress through the land; all now happily combining to illustrate and confirm each other in so glaring and strong a manner as is irresistible to serious and unprejudiced beholders; and has already forced many men of clear minds, strong powers, considerable knowledge, and firmly riveted in Arminian and Socinian tenets, to give them all up at once, and yield to the adorable sovereignty and irresistibility of the Divine Spirit in his saving operations on the souls of men.
For to see on the one hand, such men as these, some of them of licentious lives, long inured in a course of vices, and of high spirits, coming to the preaching of the word, some only out of curiosity, others with a strong antipathy and meer design to get matter of cavilling and banter; all at once, in opposition to their inward enmity, resolutions and resistances, to fall under an unexpected and hated power; to have all the strength of their resolution and resistance taken away; to have such an inward view of the horrid wickedness not only of their lives, but also of their hearts, with their exceeding great and immediate danger of eternal misery, as has amazed their souls and thrown them into distress unutterable, yea forced them to cry out in the assemblies with the greatest agonies: and then in two or three days, and sometimes sooner, to have such unexpected and raised views of the infinite grace and love of GOD in CHRIST, as have enabled them to believe in him, lifted them at once out of their distresses, filled their hearts with admiration, and joy unspeakable, and full of glory, breaking forth in their shining countenance and transporting voices to the surprise of those about them: and to see them kindling up at once, into a flame of love and praise to GOD, an utter detestation of their former courses and vicious habits, yea by such a detestation the very power of those habits at once receive a mortal wound: in short, to see their high spirits on a sudden humbled, their hard hearts made tender, their aversion from the Holy GOD now turned into a powerful and prevailing bent to contemplate upon him as revealed in CHRIST, to labour to be like him in holiness, to please and honour him by an universal and glad conformity to his will and nature, and promote his holy kingdom in all about them; loving them, forgiving them, asking forgiveness of them, abounding in acts of justice and charity, in a meek and condescending carriage towards the meanest, and aspiring after higher sanctity.