sured, he informed a certain woman, withal telling her of his own suspicion, viz. that he believed Brainerd said this of some one or other of the rulers of the college. Whereupon she went and informed the rector, who sent for this freshman and examined him; and he told the rector the words that he heard Brainerd utter, and informed him who were in the room with him at that time: upon which the rector sent for them. They were very backward to inform against their friend, of that which they looked upon as private conversation; and especially as none but they had heard or knew of whom he had uttered those words: yet the rector compelled them to declare what he said, and of whom he said it.

'Brainerd looked on himself as greatly abused in the management of this affair; and thought that what he said in private was injuriously extorted from his friends; and that then it was injuriously required of him, as it was wont to be of such as had been guilty of some open notorious crime, to make a public confession, and to humble himself before the whole College, in the hall, for what he had said only in private conversation. Not complying with this demand; and having gone once to the separate meeting at Newhaven, when forbidden by the rector; and also having been accused by one person of saying concerning the rector, that he wondered he did not expect to drop down dead for fining the scholars who followed Mr. Tennent to Milford, though there was not proof of it (and Mr. Brainerd ever professed that he did not remember his saying any thing to that purpose): for these things he was expelled the College.

'How far the circumstances and exigencies of that

day might justify such great severity in the governors of the college, I will not undertake to determine; it being my aim, not to bring reproach on the authority of the college, but only to do justice to the memory of a person, who I think to be eminently one of those whose memory is blessed. The reader will see, in the sequel of the story of Mr. Brainerd's Life, what his own thoughts afterwards were of his behaviour in these things, and in how Christian a manner he conducted himself, with respect to this affair: though he ever, as long as he lived, supposed himself much abused, in the management of it, and in what he suffered in it.'

In order to bring this subject under view at once, we shall anticipate a little the course of the narrative, and extract the document to which the president alludes. It was presented by him to the rector and trustees of the college, on the 15th of September, 1743, about a twelvemonth after his expulsion. He had, during that interval, entered on his missionary life, under the correspondents in America of the Society in Scotland for propagating Christian Knowledge.

In May preceding, he had waited on a council of ministers convened at Hartford, and stated to them the proceedings of the rector and tutors of Yale College against him. The ministers, in consequence, interceded for him with the rector and trustees; and entreated them, but without success, to restore him to his privileges in college.

On occasion of a visit, a few months after, to Newhaven, he records the following circumstances in his diary:

Wednesday, Sept. 14, 1743.—This day I ought to

have taken my degree; this being commencement day but God sees fit to deny it me. And though I was greatly afraid of being overwhelmed with perplexity and confusion, when I should see my classmates take theirs; yet, in the very season of it, God enabled me with calmness and resignation to say, The will of the Lord be done. Indeed, through divine goodness, I have scarcely felt my mind so calm, sedate, and comfortable for some time. I have long feared this season; and expected my humility, meekness, patience, and resignation, would be much tried; but found much more pleasure and divine comfort than I expected.

Thursday, Sept. 15. By the advice of Christian friends, I offered the following reflections in writing to the rector and trustees of the college; which are for substance the same that I had freely offered to the rector before, and entreated him to accept: and this I did, that, if possible, I might cut off all occasion of stumbling and offence from those that seek occasion. What I offered is as follows:

6.6

Whereas, I have said before several persons, concerning Mr. Whittelsey, one of the tutors of Yale College, that I did not believe he had any more grace than the chair I then leaned upon; I humbly confess, that herein I have sinned against God, and acted contrary to the rules of his word, and have injured Mr. Whittelsey. I had no right to make thus free with his character; and had no just reason to say what I did concerning him. My fault herein was the more aggravated, in that I spoke concerning one that was so much my superior; and one that I was obliged to treat with special respect and honour, by reason of the relation I stood in to him in the college.

Such a manner of behaviour, I confess, did not become a Christian: it was taking too much upon me; and did not savour of that humble respect that I ought to have expressed towards Mr. Whittelsey. I have long since been convinced of the falseness of those apprehensions by which I then justified such a conduct. I have often reflected on this act with grief; I hope, on account of the sin of it; and am willing to lie low and be abased before God and man for it; and humbly ask the forgiveness of the governors of the college, and of the whole society, but of Mr. Whittelsey in particular. And whereas I have been accused by one person for saying, concerning the reverend rector of Yale College, that I wondered he did not expect to drop down dead for fining the scholars that followed Mr. Tennent to Milford; I seriously profess that I do not remember my saying any thing to this purpose. But if I did, and I am not certain, I utterly condemn it, and detest all such kind of behaviour; and especially in an undergraduate towards the rector. And I now appear to judge and condemn myself for going once to the separate meeting in Newhaven, a little before I was expelled, though the rector had refused to give me leave. For this I humbly ask the rector's forgiveness. And, whether the governors of the college shall ever see cause to remove the academical censure I lie under or no, or to admit me to the privileges I desire; yet I am willing to appear, if they think fit, openly to own, and to humble myself for those things I have herein confessed."

The governors of the college were so far satisfied by this confession, that they appeared willing to admit Mr. Brainerd again into college; but they

would not give him his degree till he should have remained there at least a twelvemonth. The correspondents of the society, to whom he was now engaged, not consenting to this condition, he did not return. He wished his degree, under the idea that it might tend to his becoming more extensively useful ; but when denied his wish, he betrayed no disappoint

ment or resentment.

Indeed it is manifest, as he himself professes, that God had given him grace to submit to any thing consistent with truth, for the sake of peace, and that his conduct might not be a stumbling-block and offence to others.

His biographer makes the following pertinent observations on this painful event of Brainerd's Life,

Nothing so puffs men up with a high conceit of their own wisdom, holiness, eminency, and sufficiency, and makes them so bold, forward, assuming, and arrogant, as ENTHUSIASM. But Mr. Brainerd's religion constantly disposed him to an abasing sense of his own sinfulness, deficiency, unprofitableness, and ignorance; looking on himself as worse than others; disposing him to universal benevolence and meekness, and in honour to prefer others, and to treat all with kindness and respect. Indeed, at the time before mentioned, when he had not learned well to distinguish between enthusiasm and solid religion, he, joining and keeping company with some that were tinged with no small degree of the former, for a season partook with them in a degree of their dispositions and behaviours: but it is not at all to be wondered at, that a youth and a young convert, one that had his heart so swallowed up in religion, and so earnestly desired the flourishing of it, but had had