Nathaniel Neal, Million Bank, to Philip Doddridge, Northampton, 15 October 1743.

Million Bank

Oct. 15th 1743.

Rev. & Dear Sir

         The candid reception you gave my last of the 11th instant, I impute principally to your own condescending & friendly disposition, & next to ye credit you gave to that simplicity of intention with wch it was wrote, & wherein alone I can be any ways sure it was not very defective.

         I am not insensible Sir, that the respect of many of ye people bore to Mr W. [Whitefield] & yr own former intimacy with him, must have made it a matter of some difficulty to you entirely to have avoided showing him some regards on his coming to Northampton; and I greatly rejoice in being furnished with so particular an account of the circumstances attending his visit; that may enable me to say, you were so far at that time from seeking his preaching in your pulpit, that you took several steps (and all that you thought you could prudently venture on, & such as might, if they had succeeded, have been sufficient) to have prevented it: Which I doubt not will, & I am sure ought to have some weight with those who censure this step on ye foot of imprudence: I could only wish I were able to make these circumstances known as far a yt censure may be likely to extend.

         I shod be very sorry, Sir, if you had any just reason to apprehend That what has or may be wrote ^written^ you by any of yr friends on this subject is intended to have any weight on ye foot of authority. They ought to be ashamed of wishing any greater influence over you, then what their argumts, back’d by ye affection yt ^which^ all who deserve ye name of yr friends so justly have for you will give them. And it is in confidence yt you will not think me so vain or weak to wish any greater for my self, yt I venture to write another word to you on this subject.

         And there is one thing wch your letter gives me an occasion to suggest for your present consideration with regard to yr apprehensions of ye growth of infidelity, (wch I am abundantly satisfied are too well founded) & that is, Whether the Enthusiasm & Extravagancies of weak Xtians have not furnish’d out some of ye most specious pleas as well as splendid triumphs of Infidelity? The Pamphlett of Xtianity not founded on Argument <–> alone sufficiently convinces me they have: In as much as yt pamphlett was calculated to serve ye interests both of Methodism & Deism; actually made both Methodists[1] & Deists, & raised a doubt, (not as yet as I apprehend fully cleared) whether ye world was obliged to ye one or other of these parties for that excellent performance.

         If Methodists therefore, by their principles; are laying a foundation of Deism (however they might, abhor it in their intention,) it behoves us surely to see to it, yt we give them no assistance in yt work: And ye rather as Deists are watching every possible advantage of this kind. A remarkable instance of wch, was accidentally mentioned to me a few days before I heard of Mr W’s having preach’d at Northampton.[2] That in a late conversation in a mixed Company of Deists, some Doubters, & some Xtians, the countenance you had given the Methodists was mentioned by one of ye Deists in support of this position,[3] That ye most learned & consible among Xtian Divines (who were really honest men) were Enthusiats. This relation you may certainly depend on ye truth of.

         These are in my opinion, some innocent, nay Candid designs, yt ye providence of God permits to be so weekly conducted; that a Xtian, however he may approve ye main design, cannot consort with ye wisdom of ye Serpent (expressly recommended by our Blessed Saviour to his disciples) [or] afford any assistance to [it], For it is not ye proposing a good end, nor ye rightness of intention in those who are pursuing it (I speak this subject to correction) yt will alone justify me in concurring with or countenancing them in it, if ye methods they take are improper, liable to offend some of the best friends, or give an advantage to ye Enemies of Religion. These must be weighed in the balance agt expected advantages; And even if some of their methods are right, yet if they are so blinded with using ones, yt ye world wod not distinguish between approving some, & approving all, prudence may justly say I ought not to intermeddle. This surely wod be a right way of reasoning in matters of a temporal nature. I am not aware, that God has given us any other maxims to go by in matters of higher importance. In all cases, we can only seek it, yt our own conduct be right, leaving events to God & if some men, aiming well, take not ye right methods of promoting religion, if it is [paper torn] his cause, he will raise up such in his own time yt shall [paper torn] are bound to wait with submission till his time comes.

         Whatever might be ye case in ye Coutnry, we in the City shod be swallowed up in a sea of Deism, if ye enthusiastic notions of ye Methodists prevail: And I meet with many persons who begin (among those who reason upon these points) that begin to question, whether their own serious Impressions are any thing more than impressions on their imagination, & a taint of Enthusiam, when they see ye lengths yt other people have gone in it, who set out on ye same principles with themselves. And nothing seems to me a more powerful preservative to some weaker Christians, than the seeing here & there a regular prudent Xtian steady to his principles & conduct amidst ye prevailing extravagance of Enthusiam & ^ye^ wiles of Infidelity.

         Nothing wod make me forgive myself this daring presumption of venturing to expose my own Sentimts on such a difficult subject to so able a Casuist as I esteem you to be, but ye belief, yt if in any thing I am right, God can make occasionally make ye meanest Xtian of use to the strongest; & wherein I am wrong I am sure of ye gentlest correction, most likely to meet with a return of juster Sentimts. I can truly say this, That wherein I ever differ from you, I think my self to have much greater reason to suspect my own notions, than to despise yours. My paper compels me to add conclude without any other addition yn yt I am with ye sincerest friendship & Esteem

                     Rev: & Dear Sir,

                                 Mrs Doddridge’s & yr very faithfull humble Servt

                                         Nath: Neal

Address: To | The Revd Dr Doddridge | at his house | at Northampton

Postmark: 15 OC

Endorsed: 1743 Oct ye 15 | Mr Neal

Notes

[1] Throughout this letter, at some point an editor altered “Methodism” and “Methodists” to “Enthusiam” and “Enthusiasts.”

[2] The closing phrase, “a few days before I heard of Mr W’s having preach’d at Northampton,” was altered by the editor to “very lately.”

[3] The phrase “some Xtians, the countenance you had given the Methodists was mentioned . . .” was altered by the editor to the following: “some Xtians, which a certain serious divine had given to some reputed enthusiasts, was mentioned . . .”

Text: MA 514.19 (2), Isaac Watts Letters, The Morgan Library, New York.  The MS of this letter was not known to Nuttall; he cites the printed version that appeared in J. D. Humphreys, ed., Correspondence and Diary of Philip Doddridge (1829-31), vol. 4, p. 277, and one other printed source.