;

us. And if, after all, they persist to defame us, we may then despise them."

It is not easy so to place the Reader, so to surround him with the circumstances in which the events and transactions alluded to took place, as to enable him to form a correct opinion concerning them; and some of them, which have had no small influence in this controversy, I am constrained, from particular considerations, to leave wholly out of sight. The following facts and their dates, however, will assist the reader, who knows how to estimate their importance, and consequences, to understand the following doc

uments.

1. Early after my settlement in this place, during the last half of the year 1789, I was insidiously sounded, as to my sentiments concerning the doctrine of the TRINITY; and subsequently gave serious offence to some of my brethren in the Ministry, by preaching a course of sermons on that controverted subject, at the Thursday lecture. This was followed by a concerted plan to attack my Geography, which was partially executed in the Summer of 1793, by the Rev. Dr. FREEMAN, in a pamphlet which he at that time published, containing "Remarks," on that work.* Opposition to this work has since shown itself in many ways, which it is not necessary here to state.

2. The series of great political events, which commenced about this time, (1793) connected as they were with the alarming spread of infidelity in our country, swallowed up many important differences on other points, and combined all good patriots and professed Christians, in one grand effort to save their country, and to defend the great outworks of their common Christianity. During this very interesting period, which lasted till about the year 1804, persecution, from the sources whence it had previously, and has subsequently proceeded, in a great measure ceased. So long as measures of common concern were pursued-measures which were consonant to the views and promotive of the designs of my present opposers, so long I received their support and their civil and respectful treatment. In all this period of ten or twelve years, of constant and intimate intercourse, when it is believed my dispositions and character were the same and as fully disclosed, as they have since been, not a whisper of any thing like the charges which have since been made, ever came to my ear. Judging from the opinions and treatment of my adversaries, there must have suddenly taken place an almost total change in my disposition and habits of life, just at the time, when my opposition commenced to their favourite project of taken possession of the College, for the purpose of making it an engine to establish

* That this public vindication of the Trinity, with some other facts of the same nature, particularly the exposure of a mutilated edition of Watts's Divine Songs, ocoasioned this attack upon my Geography, I had evidence at the time to satisfy my own mind.

"liberal and rational Christianity," on the ruins of the Ortho dox faith. In such circumstances, to attribute to me so sudden and great a change of character, was not indeed very consistent with the theory of liberal men, but is entirely consistent with their practice.

3. In September, 1804, the "Compendious History of NewEngland," which is the ostensible ground of this controversy, was published by Dr. PARISH and myself, in the circumstances stated in their place.

4. About this period commenced, in the newspapers, the controversy on the subject of filling the vacancy in the chair of Hollis Professor of Divinity in Harvard College. The question, which divided the parties in this controversy was, what should be the religious faith of the candidate? One party contended that he must, in conformity to the statutes of the founder, be "sound or orthodox" in his religious faith; or, in other words, of the faith of his predecessors in office, and of the founders of the College; and that other considerations, particularly the existing state of parties in the Commonwealth, imperiously demanded, that a Professor of such a character, should be chosen. The other party gave a different interpretation to these statutes, and contended that a man of different, and more liberal opinions, might consistently be elected, and that it was now expedient to choose such

a man.

5. Professor WARE was accordingly elected to his present office of Hollis Professor of Divinity in Harvard College, Feb. 14, 1805. 6. The Proposals for publishing the PANOPLIST were issued the beginning of April, following, and the first number of that work appeared in June 1805.

7. In August 1805, the story of the manuscript, as it is called, or of my having received and dishonourably used Miss ADAMS's MS. abridgment of her History, originated and began its circulation.

8. In March 1806, Rev. Dr. PEARSON resigned his office of Professor in the University at Cambridge. This was among the first fruits of the Revolution in the religious character of the College.*

9. Immediately after the resignation of Dr. PEARSON, the plan of a Theological Institution at Andover, began to be the subject of conversation, which issued in its final establishment and organization in its present form, in the autumn of 1808. The design of this Institution was mistakenly considered, as unfriend

Among the reasons which he assigned to the Overseers, for resigning his office, were the following

"Such a gloom is spread over the University, and such is my view of its internal state and external relations, and of its radical and constitutional maladies, as to alarm all my fears, and exclude the hope of rendering any essential service to the interests of religion by continuing my connection with it."

ly to the interests and prosperity of Harvard College. On this ground it was opposed, with much zeal and bitterness; and its projectors and patrons were unjustly considered and treated, as hostile to the University, particularly by gentlemen who have since been foremost in the ranks of my adversaries.

With these events and their dates in his mind; and a knowledge, that I took a very deep interest in the success of those plans which have been mentioned; and also of the persons, connections and influence of my accusers, the Reader will readily account for what he will find in the following pages; nor will he be at a loss how to estimate the weight and importance of the complaints and charges herein exhibited against me.

APPEAL, &c.

THE FOLLOWING "APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC," WHICH BRINGS INTO VIEW THE LEADING TOPICS EMBRACED IN THE LONG AND FRIVOLOUS CONTROVERSY, THE DETAILS OF WHICH ARE DEVELOPED IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES, APPEARED IN THE CENTINEL OF MARCH 2d. 1814.

REV. DR. MORSE'S APPEAL.

IN admitting this Appeal into the Centinel, we wish to have it distinctly understood, that we are no party whatever to the subject in dispute. But Dr. Morse, having expressed himself as greatly injured, and appealing to our independence, as well as impartiality, to admit his Appeal, we pledged ourselves to comply with his request; with this understanding, that should any reply, with real names, be made of equal length to his Appeal, it should also appear in the Centinel; and that after these two articles had been given, no more on the subject should be admitted into our pages. These remarks, we trust, will be satisfactory to all, as it respects ourselves; and we doubt not it would be more consonant to the feelings of the great majority of the friends of both parties, should they give their future remarks in the form of a pamphlet. Editor of the Centinel.

TO THE PUBLIC.

IN August, 1805, a story originated in Cambridge from one of the students of the College, who declared he had it from Miss HANNAH ADAMS herself, of the following purport, vis. "That Miss H. ADAMS, having abridged her Summary 8vo. History of New-England, published in 1799, put her MS. into my hands for my inspection, as a friend; that while it was in my possession, I, without her knowledge or consent, made an abstract of its contents, or culled from it such articles as she had obtained from old MS. records with great labour, at the expense of her eyesight; that having done this, I returned her MS. with my approbation of it, and advised her to publish it; that from materials so dishonourably obtained, Dr. PARISH and myself immediately compiled a work similar to her MS. abridgment; and published it before Miss A. was able to put hers to the press, and thus in fact, if not in design, interfered with the sale of hers, thwarting her reasonable expectations of gain, and ungenerously encroaching on her rights."

This story, so injurious to my reputation, though promptly and fully contradicted by Miss ADAMS herself, in her letter to Dr. HOLMES, of Sept. 1805, and very many times by myself and others; strange as it may well seem, has ever since been in circulation extensively through New-England, especially in Boston and vicinity; and is still repeated and believed; and that too,

chiefly among the supporters and particular friends of Miss ADAMS, where, it might have been expected, it would long ago have been effectually contradicted; so inveterate and obstinate is the spirit which prompted, and which has fostered, this convenient and ingeniously contrived calumny. In these circumstances, having tried, in vain, all other expedients, an appeal to the laws of my country only excepted, to vindicate my character, I am reluctantly constrained, at length, in this public manner, to declare, that the story above related is a SHEER FABRICATION; that IT CONTAINS NOT A SINGLE PARTICLE OF TRUTH, The facts concerning this Compendious History of New-England, which the story represents, as for substance a plagiarism from Miss ADAMS's MS. Abridgment, are as follows: The body of this work, at the request of Mr. DOBSON, of Philadelphia, was prepared for his edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, and was published, in a supplement to that work, about the year 1802. At the suggestion of Judge DAVIS, and by the particular approbation and advice of other respectable gentlemen in Boston, with the consent of Mr. DOBSON, it was published the beginning of Sept. 1804, in its present form, to aid the professed design of "The Feast of Shells," viz, to cherish the memory of our pious forefathers, and prompt the rising generation to imitate their virtues. I knew not, until after all this, until about a fortnight after our Compendious History was advertised for sale, that Miss A. had ever contemplated abridging her 8vo. history. She then herself, in the only interview I ever had with her on this subject, informed me, that she had "sketched a plan of such an abridgment for schools; "and asked me," whether I was willing she should publish such a book?" I promptly answered that I was perfectly willing; and she afterward wrote to Dr. PARISH on the subject, and received from him a satisfactory answer. piling our Compendious History, no use was made of Miss ADAMS'S Summary 8vo, history, published four years before, other than was perfectly consistent with the strictest propriety and honour, as the works themselves will evince to any one who will take the pains to compare them. The charge of plagiarism is wholly groundless.

In com

In regard to the MS. abridgment, which the story represents as handed to me by Miss A. for my inspection, it was not written, till more than six months after our work was before the public; she never handed me her MS. it was never in my possession; I never saw it; nor in any way did I ever derive a particle of information from it. So entirely destitute of truth is this story, in every part of it.

If any are disposed to inquire for what purpose this story was fabricated and circulated at that particular time, the public can be informed, if it be necessary, and they shall ask it.

I further state, that for the first fifteen years after my settle. ment in this place, and until the publication of the Compendious