the people. When he arrived at the Readinghouse, they were assembled in crouds, waiting for the preacher. On his appearance a scene ensued which marked at once the conscientiousness and the simplicity of the parties on both sides. Mr. Morris and his friends, though they had heard a high character of Mr. Robinson from their children and others, thought proper to be more certain as to his testimonials and his creed, before they suffered him to address the congregation which had assembled. They, therefore, took him aside, while the people waited, and not only requested to see his testimonials, which were ample; but also proceeded to examine him as to his views of the leading doctrines of the Gospel. To this Mr. Robinson submitted, not only with meekness, but with affection; and having entirely satisfied his examiners, he went into the house and began to address the people. Mr. Morris himself in a letter to President Davies, thus describes the scene which ensued. "On the 6th of July, 1743, Mr. Robinson preached his first sermon to us from Luke xiii. "3. and continued with us preaching four days "successively. The congregation was large "the first day, and vastly encreased the three "following. It is hard for the liveliest imagina❝tion to form an image of the condition of the "assembly on these glorious days of the Son of "man. Such of us as had been hungering for "the word before, were lost in an agreeable sur"prise and astonishment, and some could not "refrain from publicly declaring their transport. "We were overwhelmed with the thoughts of "the unexpected goodness of God in allowing us "to hear the Gospel preached in a manner that surpassed our hopes. Many that came through 66 66 curiosity, were pricked to the heart; and but "few in the numerous assemblies on these four days appeared unaffected. They returned " alarmed with apprehensions of their dangerous "condition, convinced of their former entire ig"norance of religion, and anxiously inquiring "what they should do to be saved. And there "is reason to believe there was as much good "done by these four sermons, as by all the ser"mons preached in these parts before or since *." These pious people, after formally taking the name to themselves in the presence of the court, * See Mr. Davies' Letter to Mr. Bellamy, of Bethlem, in New-England, dated June 28, 1751, and preserved in Gillies' Historical Collections. Vol. 11. p. 330. steadily called themselves Lutherans. When Mr. Robinson visited them, they inquired of him to what denomination he belonged. On his informing them that he was a Presbyterian, and laying before them the import and reasons of this denomination, they agreed to adopt it. They accordingly took the earliest opportunity of connecting themselves with the Presbytery of NewCastle, which was the nearest body of that kind to the place of their residence; and ever afterwards called themselves Presbyterians. What took place subsequently to the short visit of Mr. Robinson at Hanover, will appear from the following continued account by Mr. Morris, in the same letter from which the former quotation was made. "Before Mr. Robinson left us "he successfully endeavoured to correct some of "our mistakes, and to bring us to carry on the "worship of God more regularly at our meetings. After this we met to read good sermons, "and began and concluded with prayer and singing of psalms, which till then we had omit"ted. The blessing of God remarkably attend"ed these more private means, and it was really astonishing to observe the solemn impressions begun, or continued in many, by hearing good 66 66 "discourses read. I had repeated invitations to "come to many places round, some of them thir"ty or forty miles distant, to read. Considera"ble numbers attended with eager attention and "awful solemnity, and several were, in a judg"ment of charity, turned to God, and thereupon "erected meeting-houses, and chose readers 66 among themselves, by which the work was "more extensively carried on. Soon after Mr. "Robinson left us, the Rev. Mr. John Blair paid 66 us a visit; and truly he came to us in the ful"ness of the Gospel of Christ. Former impres❝sions were ripened, and new ones made on many hearts. One night in particular a whole "house-full of people was quite overcome with "the of the word, particularly of one pun แ 66 power gent sentence, and they could hardly sit or stand, or keep their passions under any proper "restraint. So general was the concern, during "his stay with us, and so ignorant were we of "the danger of apostacy, that we pleased our"selves with the thoughts of more being brought "to Christ at that time, than now appear to "have been, though there is still the greatest reason to hope that severals bound themselves "to the Lord in an everlasting covenant, never "to be forgotten. Some time after this, the "Rev. Mr. Roan was sent us, by the Presbytery "of New-Castle. He continued with us longer "than any of the former, and the happy effects "of his ministrations are still apparent. He was "instrumental in beginning and promoting the religious concern in several places where there "was little appearance of it before. This, to 66 66 gether with his speaking pretty freely about "the degeneracy of the clergy in this colony, 66 gave a general alarm, and some measures were "concerted to suppress us. To incense the in 66 dignation of the government the more, a per"fidious wretch deponed he heard Mr. Roan ut❝ter blasphemous expressions in his sermon. An "indictment was thereupon drawn up against "Mr. Roan, (though by that time he had depart"ed the colony,) and some who had invited him "to preach at their houses were cited to appear "before the general court, and two of them "were fined. While my cause was upon trial, "I had reason to rejoice that the throne of grace "is accessible in all places, and that helpless "creatures can send up their desires unseen, in "the midst of a crowd. Six witnesses were "cited to prove the indictment against Mr. "Roan, but their depositions were in his fa"your; and the witness who accused him of |