boarded and cloathed for several Years: I had no
Money; and my Father having three Sons, had done as much for me, in the Expences of my Education as his Estate and Circumstances
could justify and as my Reason or my honor would allow me to ask. I therefore
gave out that I would take a School, and took my Degree at
Colledge undetermined whether I
shouldstudy Divinity, Law or Physick. In
the publick Exercises at Commencement, I was somewhat
remarked as a Respondent, and Mr. Maccarty of
Worcester who was empowered by the Select Men of that Town to
procure them a Latin Master for their Grammar School engaged me to undertake
it. About three Weeks after commencement in 1755, when I was not yet twenty
Years of Age, a horse was sent me from Worcester and a Man to
attend me. We made the journey about Sixty miles in one day and I entered on my
Office. For three months I boarded with one Green at the Expence of the Town and by the Arrangement of the Select
Men. Here I found Morgans Moral
Phylosopher, which I was informed had
circulated, with some freedom, in that Town and that the Principles of Deism
had made a considerable progress among several Persons, in that and other Towns
in the County. Three months after this the Select Men procured Lodgings for me
at Dr. Nahum Willards. This Physician had a large Practice, a
good reputation for Skill, and a pretty Library. Here were Dr.
Cheynes Works, Sydenham and others and Van
Sweetens Commentaries on Boerhave. I read a good deal in these Books
and entertained many thoughts of Becoming a Physician and a Surgeon: But the
Law attracted my Attention more and more, and Attending the Courts of justice,
where I heard Worthington, Hawley,
Trowbridge, Putnam and others, I felt myself
irresistably impelled to make some Effort to accomplish my Wishes. I made a
Visit to Mr. Putnam, and offered myself to him: He received me
with politeness and even Kindness, took a few days to consider of it, and then
informed me that Mrs. Putnam had consented that I should board
in his House, that I should pay no more, than the Town allowed for my Lodgings,
and that I should pay him an hundred dollars, when I should find it convenient.
I agreed to his proposals without hesitation and immediately took
Possession of his Office. His Library at that time was not large: but he had all the most essential Law Books: immediately after I entered with him however he sent to England for a handsome Addition of Law Books and for Lord Bacons Works. I carried with me to Worcester, Lord Bolingbrokes Study and Use of his History, and his Patriot King. These I had lent him, and he was so well pleased with them that he Added Bolingbrokes Works to his List, which gave me an Opportunity of reading the Posthumous Works of that Writer in five Volumes. Mr. Burke once asked, who ever read him through? I can answer that I read him through, before the Year 1758 and that I have read him through at least twice since that time: But I confess without much good or harm. His Ideas of the English Constitution are correct and His Political Writings are worth something: but in a great part of them there is more of Faction than of Truth: His Religion is a pompous Folly: and his Abuse of the Christian Religion is as superficial as it is impious. His Style is original and inimitable: it resembles more the oratory of the Ancients, than any Writings or Speeches I ever read in English.
Possession of his Office. His Library at that time was not large: but he had all the most essential Law Books: immediately after I entered with him however he sent to England for a handsome Addition of Law Books and for Lord Bacons Works. I carried with me to Worcester, Lord Bolingbrokes Study and Use of his History, and his Patriot King. These I had lent him, and he was so well pleased with them that he Added Bolingbrokes Works to his List, which gave me an Opportunity of reading the Posthumous Works of that Writer in five Volumes. Mr. Burke once asked, who ever read him through? I can answer that I read him through, before the Year 1758 and that I have read him through at least twice since that time: But I confess without much good or harm. His Ideas of the English Constitution are correct and His Political Writings are worth something: but in a great part of them there is more of Faction than of Truth: His Religion is a pompous Folly: and his Abuse of the Christian Religion is as superficial as it is impious. His Style is original and inimitable: it resembles more the oratory of the Ancients, than any Writings or Speeches I ever read in English.
In this Situation I remained, for about two Years Reading Law in the night
and keeping School in the day. At Breakfast, Dinner, and Tea, Mr.
Putnam was commonly disputing with me upon some question of Religion:
He had been intimate with one Peasley Collins, the Son of a
Quaker in
Boston, who had been to
Europe and came back, a Disbeliever of Every Thing: fully
satisfied that all Religion was a cheat, a cunning invention of Priests and
Politicians: That there would be no future State, any more than there is at
present any moral Government.Putnam could not go these whole
Lengths with him. Although he would argue to the extent of his Learning and
Ingenuity, to destroy or invalidate the Evidences of a future State, and the
Principles of natural and revealed Religion, Yet I could plainly perceive that
he could not convince himself, that Death was an endless
Sleep. Indeed he has sometimes said to me, that he fully believed in a future Existence, and that good Conduct in this Life, would fare better in the next World than its contrary. My Arguments in favor of natural and revealed Religion, and a future State of Rewards and Punishments, were nothing more than the common Arguments and his against them may all be found in Lucretius, together with many more.
Sleep. Indeed he has sometimes said to me, that he fully believed in a future Existence, and that good Conduct in this Life, would fare better in the next World than its contrary. My Arguments in favor of natural and revealed Religion, and a future State of Rewards and Punishments, were nothing more than the common Arguments and his against them may all be found in Lucretius, together with many more.
There were two other Persons in the Neighbourhood, Doolittle and Baldwin, who were great Readers of Deistical
Books, and very great Talkers. These were very fond of conversing with me. They
were great Sticklers for Equality as well as Deism: and all the Nonsense of
these last twenty Years, were as familiar to them as they were to
Condorcet or Brissot. They were never rude
however or insolent to those who differed from them. Another
excentric Character was Joseph
Dyer, who had removed from
Boston and lived on a Farm of Mr. Thomas
Handcock, Uncle of the late Governor, and kept a Shop. He had Wit and
learning of some Sorts, but being very sarcastic, and very bitter against
almost every body, but especially the Clergy, he was extreamly unpopular. An Arian by profession, he was far
more odious among the People than the Deists. He had written many Manuscripts
especially upon the Athanasian Doctrine of the Trinity, which he lent me: but
though I read them all, having previously read Dr.
Clark and Emlin as well as Dr.
Waterland, I found nothing new. He was also a very profound Student in
the Prophecies, and had a System of his own. According to him Antichrist
signified all Tyranny and Injustice through the World. He carried his Doctrine
of Equality, to a greater Extremity, or at least as great as any of the wild
Men of the French Revolution. A perfect Equality of Suffrage was essential to
Liberty. I stated to him the Cases of Women, of Children, of Ideots, of Madmen, of Criminals, of Prisoners for Debt or
for Crimes. He could not give me any sensible Answer to these Objections: but
still every limitation of the right of Suffrage, every qualification of
freehold or any other property, was Antichrist. An entire Levell of Power, Property, Consideration were essential to
Liberty
and would be introduced and established in the Millenium. I spent the more Evenings with these Men, because as they were readers and thinking Men, though I differed from them all in Religion and Government, because there were no others in Town who were possessed of so much litterature, Mr. Maccarty and Mr. Putnam excepted. With Mr. Maccarty I lived in Harmony and social Conversation. The Family of the Chandlers, were well bred and agreable People and I as often visited them as my School and my Studies in the Lawyers office would Admit, especially Colonel Gardiner Chandler with whom I was the most intimate. The Family of the Willards of Lancaster, were often at Worcester, and I formed an Acquaintance with them, especially Abel Willard who had been one Year with me at Colledge, who had studied the Law under Mr. Pratt in Boston. With him I lived in Friendship and once made him a Visit in Lancaster in the Lifetime of his venerable Mother, with whom he then lived. The Family of the Greens in Boston, connected with the Chandlers, were often at Worcester where I became acquainted with many of them of both Sexes. They were then a Family of considerable Wealth and agreable manners. Their descendants, who have generally pursued the same mercantile Employments are now become numerous, have formed powerful connections and have accumulated Riches.
and would be introduced and established in the Millenium. I spent the more Evenings with these Men, because as they were readers and thinking Men, though I differed from them all in Religion and Government, because there were no others in Town who were possessed of so much litterature, Mr. Maccarty and Mr. Putnam excepted. With Mr. Maccarty I lived in Harmony and social Conversation. The Family of the Chandlers, were well bred and agreable People and I as often visited them as my School and my Studies in the Lawyers office would Admit, especially Colonel Gardiner Chandler with whom I was the most intimate. The Family of the Willards of Lancaster, were often at Worcester, and I formed an Acquaintance with them, especially Abel Willard who had been one Year with me at Colledge, who had studied the Law under Mr. Pratt in Boston. With him I lived in Friendship and once made him a Visit in Lancaster in the Lifetime of his venerable Mother, with whom he then lived. The Family of the Greens in Boston, connected with the Chandlers, were often at Worcester where I became acquainted with many of them of both Sexes. They were then a Family of considerable Wealth and agreable manners. Their descendants, who have generally pursued the same mercantile Employments are now become numerous, have formed powerful connections and have accumulated Riches.
While I was at
Worcester, three great Personages from
England passed through that Town: Lord
Loudoun was one. He travelled in the Winter from
New York to Boston and lodged at
Worcester in his Way. The Relations We had of his manners and
Conduct on the Road gave Us no great Esteem of his Lordships qualifications to
conduct the War and excited gloomy Apprehensions. The Young Lord
Howe, who passed from
Boston to
New York, was the very reverse and spread every where the most sanguine hopes, which however were
too soon [illegible] disappointed by his melancholly but Heroic Death. The third was
Sir Geoffery Amherst, afterward Lord
Amherst and Commander in Chief of the English Army.