The people seemed to love to hear us more than ever. The weekly Tuesday evening lectures at the church in Brattle street were much crowded and not sufficient. April 17, 1741, another lecture was therefore opened every Friday evening at the South Church; and soon after, another lecture every Tuesday and Friday evening was opened at the New North, three of the most capacious houses of public worship in town, the least of which I suppose will hold three thousand people; besides the ancient lecture every Thursday noon at the Old Church, and other lectures in other churches.

Nor were the people satisfied with all these lectures: But as private societies for religious exercises, both of younger and elder persons, both of males and females by themselves, in several parts of the town, now increased to a much greater number than ever, viz., to near the number of thirty, meeting on Lord's day, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings; so the people were constantly employing the ministers to pray and preach at those societies, as also at many private houses where no formed society met: and such numbers flocked to hear us as greatly crowded them, as well as much than usually filled our houses of public worship both on Lord's days and lectures, especially evening lectures, for about a twelve month after.

Some of our ministers, to oblige the people, have sometimes preached in public and private at one house or another, even every evening, except after Saturday, for a week together; and the more we prayed and preached, the more enlarged were our hearts, and the more delightful the employment. And O, how many, how serious and attentive were our hearers! How many awakened and hopefully converted by their ministers! And how many of such added soon to our churches, as we hope will be saved eternally! Scarce a sermon seemed to be preached without some good impressions.

In this year 1741, the very face of the town seemed to be strangely altered. Some, who had not been here since the fall before, have told me their great surprise at the change in the general look and carriage of people, as soon as they landed. Even the negroes and boys in the streets surprisingly left their usual rudeness. I knew many of these had been greatly affected, and now were formed into religious societies. And one of our worthy gentlemen expressing his wonder at the remarkable change, informed me, that whereas he used with others on Saturday evenings to visit the taverns, in order to clear them of town inhabitants, they were wont to find many there, and meet with trouble to get them away; but now, having gone at those seasons again, he found them empty of all but lodgers.

And thus successfully did this divine work, as above described, go on in town, without any lisp, as I remember, of a separation, either in this town or province, for above a year and a half after Mr. Whitefield left us."

Text-Tracy: The Great Awakening, pp. 114-120.

II. CONTROVERSY AND SCHISM

It was to be expected that in certain quarters criticism would be launched against the irregularities of this campaign. The following "Testimony," although adopted by a bare majority after prolonged and heated debate, seems to indicate the lines along which controversy at first, and cleavage later proceeded.

The TESTIMONY of the Pastors of the Churches in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, in

New England, at their Annual Convention in Boston, May 25, 1743, against several Errors in Doctrine and Disorders in Practice, which have of late obtained in various Parts of the Land; as drawn up by a Committee chosen by the said Pastors, read and accepted, paragraph by paragraph, and voted to be signed by the Moderator in their name, and printed.

We, the pastors of the churches of Christ in the province of Massachusetts Bay. in New England, at our Annual Convention, May 25, 1743, taking into consideration several errors in doctrine and disorders in practice that have of late obtained in various parts of the land, look upon ourselves bound, in duty to our great Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, and in concern for the purity and welfare of these churches, in the most public manner to bear our testimony against them.

I. As to errors in doctrine; we observe that some in our land look upon what are called secret impulses upon their minds without due regard to the written word, the rule of their conduct, that none are converted but such as know they are converted, and the time when, that assurance is of the essence of saving faith; that sanctification is no evidence of justification; with other Antinomian and Familiastical errors which flow from these; all which, as we judge, are contrary to the pure doctrines of the Gospel, and testified against and confuted in the Acts of the Synod of August, 1637; as printed in a book entitled 'The Rise, and Reign, and Ruin, of Antinominaism, &c., in New England.'

II. As to disorders in practice, we judge,

1. The itinerancy, as it is called, by which either ordained ministers or young candidates go from place to place, and without the knowledge, or contrary to the leave of the stated pastors in such places, assemble their people to hear themselves preacharising, we fear, from too great an opinion of themselves, and an uncharitable opinion of those pastors, and a want of faith in the great Head of the churches, is a breach of order, and contrary to the Scriptures, I Pet. 4:15; 2 Cor. 10:12, to the end and the sentiments of our fathers expressed in their Platform of Church Discipline, Chap. 9, sect. 6.

2. Private persons of no education and but low attainments in knowledge and in the great doctrines of the gospel, without any regular call, under a pretence of exhorting, taking upon themselves to be preachers of the word of God, we judge to be a heinous invasion of the ministerial office, offensive to God, and destructive to these churches; contrary to Scripture, Numb. 16: 1 Cor. 28, 29, and testified against in a "Faithful Advice to the Churches of New England" by several of our venerable fathers.

3. The ordaining or separating of any persons to the work of the evangelical ministry at large, and without any relation to a particular charge, which some of late have unhappily gone into, we look upon as contrary to the Scriptures, and directly opposite to our Platform, chap. 6. sect. 3, and the practice of the Protestant churches: as may be seen in "The Order of the Churches Vindicated," by the very Reverend Dr. Increase Mather.

4. The spirit and practice of separation from the particular flocks to which persons belong, to join themselves with, and support lay exhorters or itinerants, is very subversive of the Churches of Christ, opposite to the rule of the gospel, Gal. 5:19, 20; Jude 19; 1 Cor. 12:25; 1 Cor. 3:3, and utterly condemned by our Platform, chap. 13, sect. 1, 5, and contrary to their covenant engagements.

5. Persons assuming to themselves the prerogatives of God, to look into and judge the hearts of their neighbours, censure and condemn their brethren, especially their ministers, as Pharisees, Arminians, blind and unconverted, &c., when their doctrines are agreeable to the gospel and their lives to their Christian profession, is, we think, most contrary to the spirit and precepts of the gospel, and the example of Christ, and highly unbecoming the character of those who call themselves the disciples of the meek and lowly Jesus. John 13:34, 35; 1 Sam. 16:7; Mat. 7:1; Rom. 14:10.

6. Though we deny not that the human mind, under the operations of the Divine Spirit, may be overborne with terrors and joys; yet the many confusions that have appeared in some places, from the vanity of mind and ungoverned passions of people, either in the excess of sorrow or joy, with the disorderly tumults and indecent behaviour of persons, we judge to be so far from an indication of the special presence of God with those preachers that have industriously excited and countenanced them, or in the assemblies where they prevail, that they are a plain evidence of the weakness of human nature; as the history of the enthusiasms that have appeared in the world, in several ages, manifests. Also, 1 Cor. 14: 23, 40. At the same time, we bear our testimony against the impious spirit of those that from hence take occasion to reproach the work of the Divine Spirit in the hearts of the children of God.

Upon the whole, we earnestly recommend the churches of this country to the gracious care and conduct of the great Shepherd of the sheep, with our thankful acknowledgments for his merciful regard to them in supplying them with faithful pastors, and protecting them from the designs of their enemies, and advancing his spiritual kingdom in the souls of so many, from the foundation of this country to this day; and where there is any special revival of pure religion in any parts of our land at this time, we would give unto God all the glory. And we earnestly advise all our brethren in the ministry carefully to endeavour to preserve their churches pure in their doctrine, discipline and manners, and guard them against the intrusion of itinerants and exhorters, to uphold a spirit of love towards one another, and all men; which, together with their fervent prayers, will be the most likely means, under God, to promote the true religion of the holy Jesus, and hand it, uncorrupt, to succeeding generations.

In the Governor's speech (May 13, 1742) there appeared the following: "The unhappy Circumstances of our Colledge which for want of supporting due Order and Regulation has dispersed ye Students at an unusual Season should be rectifyed before y Return least it suffer a fatal Dissolution." A Committee appointed to take under advisement this reference reported as under:

The Comte, appoynted to take into consideration that paragraph in his Honours Speech (made to this Assembly) relateing to the unhapie ciercomstances of the Colege, pursuant to the order of this assembly, have made Inqueiery of the Reuerd Rector of

sd Coledge, and of others likelie to Inform us respecting the State thereof, and after deliberation, take leaue to report to your Honour, & to this Honourable Assembly, as followeth.

That Sundry of the Students of sd Colege, haue as the reuerd Rector Informeth us by the Instigation perswation & example of others, fallen into Seueral Errors in principal and disorders in practice, which may be uerry hurtfull to Relegion, and Some of them Inconsistant with the good order, & gouerment of that Societie.

Perticulerly, Some of the Students haue fallen into the practice of Rash Judgeing & censureing others, euen Some of the Gouernours, teachers & Instructors of the Colege, as being unconuerted, unexperienced & unskillfull guids, in matters of Relegion, and haue thereupon contemtuously refused to submit to theire authoritie, and to attend upon & harken to theire Religious Exercises & Instructions, but rather to attend upon the Instructions & directions of those to whome the care of Instructing ye Students is not committed.

Some under-Graduate Students haue made it theire practice by day & night, & Some times for Seueral days together, to go about in the Town of Newhauen, as well as in other Towns, and before greate Numbers of people, to teach & Exhort, much after the same maner, that ministers of the Gospel do, in theire publick preaching.

That much pains hath been taken, to prejudice the minds of the Students, against our Eclesiastical constitution and to perswade them to dissent & withdraw from the way of Worship & ministry Established by the Laws of this Gouerment, and to attend on priuate & Seperate meetings and that Sundry of the Students haue so don, in contempt of the Laws & authoretie of the Coledge.

that these things haue occationed greate expence of precious time, by disputs among the Scholers, and Neglect of theire Studies & exercises at Colege, and haue been a hinderance to the florishing of Relegion & uital pietie in that Societie, and if Tolerated, may defeate the good ends & designs of it's Institution.

Your Comtee. thereupon are humbly of opinion, that it is of greate Importance, both to our Ciuil & Ecclesiastical State that the true principals of Relegion & good order be maintained in that Seminary of Learning.

and that it be Recommended to the Reuerd. Rector, Trustees & others concerned in the Gouerment & Instruction of the Colege, to be uerry carfull to Instruct the Students in the true principals of Relegion, according to our confession of faith & Eclesiastical constitution; and to keep them from all Such errors as they may be in danger of Imbibeing from Strangers & foraigners, and to use all proper measurs, as are in theire power, to preuent theire being under the Influence & Instruction of Such as would prejudice theire minds against the way of worship & Ministry Established by the Laws of this Gouerment, and that order & authorety be duly maintained in that Societie; and that those should not Injoy the preueledges of it, who contumatiously refuse to submit to the Laws, orders & Rules thereof, which haue been made, or shall be made, according to the powers & Instructions giuen in theire Charter, but we thinke it highly reasonable, that all proper meanes be first used with such Scholers, that they may be reclaimed & redused to order, before they be dismissed the Colege as Incorageable.

Your Comtee, are also Informed, that at a late meeting of the Trustees, they concluded, that in order to the remoueing the diffeculties of the Colege, it was proper that Some experienced Graue Devins repayer to Newhauen, and there to Instruct the Scholers by theire Sermons, that may be by them prepared for that end; and forasmuch as such devines must be taken from other pulpits, and the Trustees not haveing

money in theire Treasury, suffetient to hire a person, to suply such pulpit or pulpits; we therefore recommend it to this assembly to Grant to the Trustees a suffetient sum, to enable them to hire a meet person to suply such pulpit or pulpit. All which is Submitted by your humble Seruts.

James Wadsworth

Jos. Whiting

Jer. Miller

E. Williams

Sam". Hill

Jonth, Hait

Jno. Griswold

Even' Gray

Text-Dexter: Documentary History of Yale University, pp. 356-58.

IV. THE ACT FOR REGULATING ABUSES AND CORRECTING DISORDERS IN ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS

The ministers of Connecticut, determined to avert the disorders of the revival, were able to secure from the Assembly in May 1742 the following act.

1. Be it enacted by the Governor, Council and Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That if any ordained minister, or other person licensed as aforesaid to preach, shall enter into any parish not immediately under his charge, and shall there preach or exhort the people, shall be denied and secluded the benefit of any law of this Colony made for the support and encouragement of the gospel ministry, except such ordained minister or licensed person shall be expressly invited and desired so to enter into such other parish and there to preach and exhort the people, either by the settled minister and the major part of the church of said parish, or, in case there be no settled minister, then by the church or society within such parish.

2. And it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any association of ministers shall undertake to examine or license any candidate for the gospel ministry, or assume to themselves the decision of any controversy, or as an association to counsel and advise in any affair that by the platform or agreement above mentioned, made at Saybrook aforesaid, is properly within the province and jurisdiction of any other aasociation, then and in such case, every member that shall be present in such association so licencing, deciding or counselling, shall be, each and every of them, denied and secluded the benefit of any law in this Colony made for the support and encouragement of the gospel ministry.

3. And it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any minister or ministers, contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act, shall presume to preach in any parish not under his immediate care and charge, the minister of the parish where he shall so offend, or the civil authority, or any two of the committee of such parish, shall give information thereof in writing, under their hands, to the clerk of the parish or society where such offending minister doth belong, which clerk shall receive such information, and lodge and keep the same on file in his office; and no assistant or justice of the peace in this Colony shall sign any warrant for the collecting any mini