11729+ MR THOMAS BOSTON. 353 exercifed, with cold entertainment met with in that matter, at the hands of all the men of note into which the effäy fell ; Pro- feffor Gordon only excepted; But it could make little impreffion on me to the difadvantage of the thing itfeif ; finding, that none of them but he had ftudied the fubject, nor believed the divine authority of the accentuation. May 31. My wife's fever being carried off, I got in unto the affembly, on Tuefday May 6. being the fecond week of their meeting : however, I had much difficulty in it, both with refpe& to her cafe and my own. By the way I found Providence dealt favourably with me, in refpedt of my low circumftances, thofe with whom I lodged the Monday's night having, unknown to me, provided for my coming. I came juft to the beginning of Mr Simfon's weighty affair ; which extraordinary cafe could only have carried me thither in mycircumftances.. I waited on the affembly punctually, and on the private meeting of thofe againft Simfon at the Spread Eagle. Though the major part of the affembly were clear for depofing him, I found it neceffary to propofe one night to that meeting,, what we fhould do- in cafe it were carried againft us ? But they feemednot inclined to con- fult about that. They feemed to me to be inclined to oppofe the committing of that affair to a committee, as what might tend to break us. But at length that was the iffue in the affembly, to refer it to a committee to bring in an overture about it. This I oppofed in the affembly ; but was feconded by none but Colonel Erfkine. The affair was in agitation whole eight days, managed with as great gravity as ever I was witnefs to in an affembly. The night before it was determined; being at the private meeting aforefaid, and obferving how they were difpofed, 'I ¡tole away with a forrowful heart, and left them. I went to my chamber, and therealone confidered what courfe I was to take ; and- on the morning drew up a' paper in fhort hand, to be .ufed or not, as the cafe should appear to me to require. That morning I had an appintment with Profeffor Gordon at the Spread Eagle, at eight o'clock : and coming thither at that time, I was conveyed into that very room where the meeting aforefaid was always kept. While I waited there alone, I put the writing forefäid, being a diffent, in mundo, in long hand. And no body at all coming near me, by the time I was done it was time for me to go to the affembly ; and fo I went off: Favourable and kind was that Providence, that Mr Gordon kept not the appointment; as-it was remarkable, that I behoved to come to that room for writing that diffent, where alfo I was left alone. In the affembly, the corrmitt.ee's overture was produced'- the putting it to a vote was carefully guarded againfl, and the affair was brought to a pufh, by the propoting to the affemblyan acquiefcing : and though feveral had declared, they were for depolition, yet all feeried, for peace's Fake, ,to acquiefee. Finding durit not acquiefce, I arofe, and Paid, ' T X. x2
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