THE first who undertook to patronize their cause by a formal defence was the Rev. Mr. Whitefield; and certainly it was very proper that He should be their advocate, who may be juftly reputed the leader of their fect; that He fhould be their champion, under whose banner they are enlifted.· I confefs it gave me fenfible pleasure to see him step forward in their vindication, as it strongly marks the complexion and characters of these young men, discovers the principles by which they part are actuated, and muft convince the fober of mankind of the propriety and expedience of that cenfure, which they have incurred.

WITH this obfervation I leave his performance to the admiration of those, whofe applause it courts, whofe fentiments it flatters, and for whose judgment and tafte it is calculated. Neither fhould I have thought myself obliged to pay any regard to what you have advanced either in favour of them, or to the prejudice of the ViceChancellor and his affeffors, had you brought only a general charge against them, and been contented to complain of the feverity, or even iniquity of a fentence, by which you may fancy the Church will be deprived of fo many godly teachers, and yourself perhaps of the fruit of your labours.

BUT fince you

have thought proper to fix a particular charge of a diffimulation and prevarication

a

on the Vice-Chancellor; of partiality, impertinence, and want of integrity, on me; as well as the general one of cruelty, oppreffion, and injuftice, on all; filence may now be interpreted into a confeffion of guilt: a regard therefore to our private characters, thus openly attacked, and personally vilified, requires that a charge so injurious to our reputation fhould be as publicly refuted. Tho' this may effectually be done by barely ftating the facts alleged against us, placing them in their true light, and clearing them from the artful misrepresentation by which You have disguised them; yet for the fatisfaction of the public, who have been greatly abufed, and impofed upon by your "full and impartial account," I chufe to enter more largely into the fubject, and to attend you thro' the whole progress of your work; from a fair examination of which the world will be able to judge "how far these fix members have, or have not, deferved the punishment inflicted upon them;" and whether in the defence of their cause you have been guided by that "Spirit of wisdom, truth, love, and candor," by which alone you profess to be actuated. And if I enter into a difcuffion of the doctrinal points, it is with a view to bring back to the profession of the true faith those deluded perfons, who are now carried away with every wind of vain doctrine by the fleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive.

a P. 64. 85.

b Dedic. vi,
A 2

c P. 2.

Το

To begin with your dedication.

Had your

book been written in defence of the established rules and ordinances of the church of England, or in fupport of the laws and difcipline of the University of Oxford, you might with the greateft propriety and confidence have dedicated it to the Protection and Patronage of the Chancellor; whofe illustrious character, diftinguished abilities, and zealous attachment to the true interefts of both, reflect the highest honour on himself, and these ancient feats of learning and religion, over which he prefides. --But to folicit his patronage and protection, while you are undermining his authority, and expofing to ridicule and contempt the venerable body over which he prefides; to claim the fanction of his name, in order to fix a mark of infamy on those, who have acted by his commiffion, and with his approbation What is this, but to tread in the fteps of the old puritans, who moft dutifully addressed the King, and made the most folemn profeffions of loyalty and obedience to his perfon and government, while they were meditating the deftruction of both? Nor is it to be wondered at that you should imitate the conduct of men, whofe principles you have adopted, and whose tenets you so strenuously maintain.

AFTER this very extraordinary addrefs to the Chancellor, you proceed to inform his Lordship,

❝a that

"that however the late fentence may have the appearance of an University-Act, yet it is the highest injuftice to that ancient and respectable feminary of true piety and learning to look upon it in this light." The Chancellor was before too well acquainted with the nature and circumstances of the whole proceeding to want this information: Nor is there any danger that "bit may pass for such in history, when children's children shall read the dire account," unless they are misled by your representation of it. For it was never pretended to be an UniversityAct; to constitute it fuch, it must have had the fanction of convocation, to which this complaint was not, nor indeed could with any propriety be fubmitted. The depofitions of Mr. Higfon were made before the Vice-Chancellor as Vifitor of Edmund-Hall, and he pronounced the fentence by his vifitatorial authority, in which capacity alone he acted by the advice of the Heads of Houses, and with the affistance of three of them, to whom was afterwards added the then senior Proctor. That I happened to be one of that number was not the effect of my own inclination, or the Vice-Chancellor's appointment, but merely in compliance with the request of Dr. Dixon, the Principal of St. Edmund-Hall; for whom I then had, and still retain, the fincereft regard; and who, I am perfuaded, when he defired me to appear on that occafion, never meant that my friendship for him

a Dedic. P. v.

A 3

b Ibid.

fhould

fhould warp my judgment, or influence my determination: and on the other hand I folemnly declare that no motives but those of truth and juftice; no affection, but for the welfare of the Church and Univerfity, directed my opinion, and determined my fentiments. Nor do I apprehend that any 66 a great and eminent men in the Univerfity have teftified their disapprobation of what was then done," but on the contrary have reafon to believe that had all the Heads of Houses, and every man of eminence in the University been prefent, they would have confirmed the fentence by their unanimous voice. I farther declare that in a converfation with the Principal fometime before the vifitation, He affured me that, if any of the young men accused appeared to be improper members of his fociety, tho' he gave them all a good character, he should readily acquiefce in their removal. Had he not given me this af furance, I fhould certainly have declined an invidious office, in which friendship and duty could not be united, but must one of them be facrificed to the other.

WHAT I have here faid of myself, may with equal truth be applied to the Provost of Queen's, who also became one of the affeffors by the defire of Dr. Dixon, in confequence of a long intimacy and friendship which had fubfifted between them; and who, as Patron of Edmund-Hall, was himself inte

a Dedic. v.

rested