Two Letters Cited by Mr Clap

I Have lately had a Sight of a printed Letter from the Rev. Mr. Clap, Rector of the College at New-Haven, to his Friend in Boston, concerning that he has declared that he heard me say, that Mr. Whitefield told me, of a Design he had, of turning out the Generality of the Ministers in the Country, &c. —wherein he cites two Letters that I sent to him about that Affair. The Representation he makes of what I said in those Letters, make it necessary, in my Opinion, that those Letters should be published at large. I therefore here send you a Copy of each of them; and would pray you to publish them as soon as may be.

The LETTERS are as follows:

These Sir, are the Letters that Mr. Clap mentions, and cites, in what he has lately published about this Affair. These are some of the Letters that have passed between us, (and those of 'em which he cites as most to his Purpose) considering which, he tells the World, that it was very unexpected to him, to hear that I should write a Letter to Boston, to be printed, wherein there is a Denial of some Things which he had reported: insinuating to the World, that in these Letters, I had in Effect owned all. Whereas it appears that I have owned no Part of his Report, but have most solemnly denied every Article of it. These are the individual Letters, of which he says expressly, that in these Letters; though' I have not used exactly the same Terms with him; yet I have used a Variety of those which are equally full and strong: And if we still differ, it is only about some particular Terms, and inconsiderable Circumstantials, which are not worthy of any Dispute. These are the Letters in which Mr. Clap▪ plainly insinuates, that I in a Manner had conceded to all that he had reported, by sundry fair and ingenuous Concessions to him, as he expresses himself; slightly adding these Words, Indeed Mr. Edwards seems not willing to allow that he mentioned Ireland; because he never heard of any Interest Mr. Whitefield had there &c. Just as though' this was almost the only Circumstance wherein he and I differed; and as though' I scarcely denied that; though' (as he says) I seemed not willing to allow it; because I never heard of any Interest Mr. Whitefield had there. Now dear Sir, you have Opportunity to compare these Letters with what he has published to the World about them. And I am willing to leave it with you, and everyone that pleases, to judge how full his Paper is of Artifices, entirely to mislead the Minds of his Readers, as to their Conception of the whole Import and Drift of these Letters; not only in what has been mentioned, but in his Manner of introducing and intermingling broken Scraps of these Letters, and his Manner of joining together distant Sentences, and broken Pieces of Sentences, (that have no Connection in the Letters themselves) as though' they were a continued Discourse, and his Manner of discanting on them.

I am willing that every Reader, who has read his Paper, should judge for himself, whether in reading it his own Mind was not lead to conceive of these Letters, as Things extremely diverse from what he finds them to be. Doubtless Mr. Clap trusted to it, that I had kept no Copies of my Letters; otherwise he would never have so exceedingly exposed himself: I am willing that you and others should judge for themselves, how far, one whose Conscience will not restrain him from making such Representations of Letters written, that he may destroy others Characters, and render 'em odious to the World, is capable of unfair dealing in representing private Conversation; where there are no Witnesses, or written Words, that can be produced to confute him. And who can be safe in human Society, if such Liberties are taken, in order to ruin their Fellow-Creatures and Brethren, by Gentlemen from whom so different Things might be expected? If it had been true, that I had said just as Mr. Clap has reported, yet how vehemently has that Practice been cried out of, by Gentlemen on that Side of the Controversies of the present Day, of publicly making Use of private Conversation, and the Report of single Persons, to destroy the Characters of others? And especially how ill does this become Rector Clap, after he knows that that single Person that he says thus reported to him, does so strongly and solemnly deny it, entreating of him therefore to forbear? What a Treatment is this of Christian Brethren!—This dear Sir, is a Specimen of the Manner and Spirit, in which the Controversies of the present Day are carried on against Mr. Whitefield, by many Persons (for I am far from thus charging all his Opposers) the Persons frequently hiding themselves, & concealing their Names. And though' I think it but to little Purpose, to carry on a Controversy with these Persons from the Press, unless when forced to it by gross Slanders; yet I cannot but say on this Occasion, that it seems to me worthy greatly to be lamented, by all true Lovers of the Christian Religion, which consists so much in Love & Forgiveness, that Mr. Whitefield should be pursued with so much Violence, and Appearance of inveterate Opposition, and indefatigable Endeavors to blacken him to the utmost; and with such Artifices, as it would be mean to use, with Respect to the basest Miscreant; and that for former Errors, which are not at all to be wondered at, considering his Youth, and the Circumstances of his Education &c—; when there seems to be so little Appearance of Obstinacy and Incorrigibleness in him, and so much of the contrary; and when so little can be found, by his most watchful Enemies, now, to blame him for. I think this is a proper Occasion, for the meek Followers of the Lamb of God, to lie low before God, and lament the Corruption of human Nature, and the Sin and Shame of their dear Country, and cry humbly to Christ, that he would ride forth prosperously, because of Truth, Meekness, and Righteousness.

And with Respect to the Affair that is the Subject of the preceeding Letters, doubtless so great a Contradiction between Mr. Clap and me, in such a State of Things as the Country is now in, and relating to a Person, concerning whom the Country is so much divided in their Sentiments, with Spirits so deeply, and contrarily engaged, will cause a Variety of Reflections and Censures; and everyone will say as he is disposed. However, I think myself now called openly to make this DECLARATION: That ever Mr. Whitefield said any Thing to me, or I to him, of any Design of his of turning out the bigger Part of the Ministers of New-England, or anywhere else, or ever so much as hinted, either he or any of his Company, any Thing of that Nature; or of his bringing over any Minister, or Candidate for the Ministry, from Scotland, or Ireland, into any Part of America, or from any one Country in Europe, into New-England; or that I ever reported any such Thing to Mr. Clap, or any other Person, or that ever any Thought of Mr. Whitefield's saying, or hinting, any Thing like either of these Things, ever entered into my Heart, 'till I heard 'em as coming from Mr. Clap; or that Mr. Whitefield ever intimated to me, any Design of his going to Scotland, or making any Interest there; or that he ever mentioned the Name of Ireland in my bearing; I say that any of these Things ever were, I have no Remembrance: God is my Witness who searches my Heart, and will bring to Light the hidden Things of Darkness, and make manifest the Counsels of the Heart. And whether it be probable that I should wholly forget all these Things, if they indeed had been; especially those remarkable, great Things, that Mr. Clap has reported that I said, after I had well remembered them for two Years and an half, so as to give Him a distinct Account of them, I leave others to judge. And whether I have a Conscience sufficient to restrain me from Lying with this Solemnity or no; yet, I must also leave it to others to judge, whether it be likely that when I had so grand a Secret committed to me, of a Scheme to bring about so great a Revolution, as the turning out most of the Ministers in the Country, and bringing over four or five Hundred from Europe, to settle in their Places, I should carefully keep it secret from every Mortal for two or three Years, and declare it freely to Mr. Clap, and never to any other Person before or since. For I now publicly Challenge the whole World besides Mr. Clap to declare, if they ever heard me report any such Thing.

Mr. Clap says, he and I well agreed to condemn many Errors &c.—: That might be; for all the Land knows that I ever condemned many Errors. But there was little in our Conversation, in the Journey Mr. Clap speaks of, to draw me to such a Confidence in him, as to choose him above all the World, to reveal my greatest Secrets to: For he immediately fell upon me, as he knows, as soon as ever we began to ride the Road together, about some Passages in my Book, concerning the Revival of Religion, greatly blaming me, earnestly disputing 〈◊〉 suppose, for Hours together. After this we had 〈◊〉 Dispute about Connecticut Laws. And these Disputes were about the same Part of the Journey, in which he says I told him this about Mr. Whitefield.

Thus dear Sir, I have endeavored to set forth this latter as it is▪ Public Controversy from the Press, 〈◊〉 especially public Contradiction, is not, for it's 〈…〉 desirable, but much otherwise; and is 〈…〉 a great Aversion to. But Mr. Clap has 〈…〉 to carry Things to that Length, that I 〈…〉 rendered it my indispensible Duty, publicly to contradict him. I therefore desire that you 〈◊〉 publish what I now send you, as soon as may be herein you will oblige.