No 18. APPENDIX. 467 that temptations within, and troubles from without, tryfting together, make a very heavy cafe ; yet it is feriptural too, that without be fightings, and within be fears. You have been par- ticularly honoured of God to contend for the faith ; and it is no wonder Satan's malice prompt him to difpute it with you im- mediately : and the wifdo :n of the God of truth appears in per- mitting it to be fo, to teach dependence on himfelf in managing the contending otherwife. The ftrong champion oftruth, Luther, found himfelf hardly bettead in the feveral conflia&s with his own breaft. I delire to maintain a cordial fyrbpathy; with you in all your trials; being yours very affectionately. No 18.A letterfrom do eminent Denting Minifier- in E(J'ex, to the Author's grandfon. [As this letter contains a minute and circumfiantial narrative of Mr Bofton's appearance before the General Afembly in Prof. Simfbu's procefs, and records fome circumfiances omitted in the Memoirs, itjzftly deferves a place here.] March 6. 1776. My very dear Sir, SINCE the receipt of your laft, I have been thinking of what I hinted to you relating to the appearance your worthy grand- father made at the Affembly 1729, when Profeffor Simfon's af- fair was concluded. I could have whiled, indeed, that the ac- count I wrote of it to Mr Davidfon had been preferved ; for I wrote it immediately after it happened, when it was frail in my memory, and had made great impreffion on me ; for it was the moft folcmn and affecting fcene I ever was witnefs to before any judicatory. It is not to be fuppofed, that now, at the diftance of near forty-feven years, I can remember every particular ; but, to the belt of my remembrance; when the act, was read, and the Moderator afked, if theAffemblyacquiefced in it ; there was profound filence all over the houfe for the fpace of a minute or íb ; and then your grandfather rofe, and fpoke to this effect : ' Moderator, I find myfelf laid under a neceffity of de- claring my diffent from this decifion of the Affembly, as I think the cenfure inflidted by it on Profeffor Simfon, is not adequate to thF offence he has given, as to the points of doctrine that have been proved he taught the ítudents under his care, and have been found relevant to infer cenfure. I cannot help think- ing, Sir, that the caufe of Jefus Christ, as to the" great and of fential point ofhis fupreme Deity, has been at the bar of this,
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