Investigator and Friendly.

Investigator.—Good morning, sir.

Friendly.—Good morning.

Investigator.—How is your health, and your mind?

Friendly.—Why, sir, much as usual; God has blessed me with tolerable health and spirits, which I consider great mercies, amidst so many exercises of body and mind: I am, at times, weak in my nerves, but most wonderfully upheld, and sometimes dejected in mind, through the variety of inward and outward conflicts which God has given to me, to be exercised with beneath the sun: both body and mind are affected with the fretting leprosy, and though often healed by a look from the Great High Priest, and by the application of his all-cleansing sacrifice, and the oil of his comforting and sanctifying spirit; yet the plague frequently breaks out again, and it will be the case, I suppose, till this leprous house is pulled down, the stone, the timber and the mortar, and carried to the grave.—Leviticus, xiv. But may I be permitted to ask the reason of your calling this morning?

Investigator.—Why, sir, I hope I am not intruding on your time, but I have long desired an interview with you; for having occasion to travel much, for many years, I have frequently heard your name mentioned, both in public and private, sometimes with credit, honour, and pleasure with pity and commiseration. I have also met with some persons who are, I believe, very spiritual and consistent, God-fearing persons, who have heard you preach, both in town and country, and read your publications with profit and pleasure; but, alas! I have also heard your name treated with the utmost scorn and contempt, stigmatized as the vilest miscreant, the most abominable wretch, advancing the most dreadful antinomianism, living the most dissolute life, and as industriously circulating the most licentious doctrines, totally subversive of all morality and common honesty.

Friendly.—Well, sir, really these are awful charges, and as they have been so many years propagating, I almost wonder these calumniators are not tired of talking about one so unworthy of their notice; but I guess who that ever-restless agent is, who them, going about; (1 Peter, v. 8.) this is the roving commission he has received; and he must fulfill it.

Investigator.—But is it not strange, sir, so many pretended advocates for morality, holiness, and the moral law, should exert all their influence to suppress the truths you preach; and employ so many hands to write, print, publish, and circulate your history in the most degrading manner possible?

Friendly.—It is so, but there is no new thing under the sun; various indeed, are the motives of such calumniators; some degrade me to cover their own infamy; some from pharisaic principles; some to exalt themselves upon my ruin; some to please those above them, and some to gain money by it, which they have, and to which I have no objection, had they not filled their pages with so many palpable falsehoods, which have disgraced the writer, and shewn the malignity of their spirits. These infamous squibs have been sent to the four winds of heaven, to Wales, Ireland, Scotland, America, the East and West Indies, and to almost every county and village in England, in twopenny, fourpenny, and sixpenny pamphlets; each containing from one to two hundred well-known falsehoods.

Investigator.—Yes, I believe that not less than twenty thousand such scandalous pamphlets have been published, and circulated.Friendly.—But can you form any idea who were the ringleaders of so much infamy?

Investigator.—I have heard say they were persons who are perpetually pleading for the moral law, as the rule of their lives, although that holy law strictly forbids such conduct, because it is a violation of these two prohibitions: “Thou shalt do no murder;” “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour;” and its language is, owe no man any thing, but love for love is the fulfilling of the law. But I think I could give you an intimation of some of the persons; one was the Rev. Dr. Diotrephes. (2 John)—another was Alexander, the coppersmith, who is always currying favour with the above doctor: these, I know, were very industrious, in writing, publishing, and running about from house to house, or rather, like hawking pedlars, with their bad ware, which conduct is strictly forbidden. Lev. xix. 26.

Friendly.—But as it was zeal for holiness, I pardon it; they were mistaken men, and though they have done me much injury, I believe God has resented their conduct, by mortifying their pride. All public characters that God has blessed, must expect evil surmising, ill-grounded jealousies, awful insinuations, vile aspersions, whisperings, and back-bitings; and why should I escape? In whatever I have offended, I am willing to acknowledge it: but surely, I have no just right to acknowledge their lies.

Investigator.—My heart has been grieved to read the vile publications which have been circulated under the title of, the life of J. C. I have thought, at times, none could know so much of his history as himself; and have frequently wished to know something, in reality, of your eventful story.—In this wish, I believe, many hundreds concur; therefore, to oblige your friends, and to confound your foes on that subject, it would be gratifying their desires to make your life public.

Friendly.—Why, it might, in some sense, be so to them; and especially, as I trust it would be magnifying the grace of that great God, who has done so much for me, which I hope will be my principal motive; but it will expose me to the contempt of fools, and perhaps add additional persecution to my friends.

Investigator.—Suppose it does; your enemies cannot say worse of you than they have said; they have gone to the very utmost in scandal, and no further than the infamous name given to your Master, who was holy, harmless, and undefiled. They said he had a devil; yea, that he was the prince of devils. There is another advantage in your compliance with the request of your friends; it will confute the falsehoods which have been fabricated about your history, and prevent your enemies from adding sin to sin, by any further false statements of the matter: therefore, like the memoirs of most gospel preachers, it must expect all sorts of mis-statement. Some will rejoice in what God has done for you; others will say it is lies; some, more candid, will wish you had omitted many parts, and others will wish you had not mentioned many circumstances; but write TRUTH, and leave the consequences.

Friendly.—Well, I promise, through mercy, so to do. I will write the bad as well as the good, as far as prudence dictates.

Investigator.—The Lord be thy helper, and kind remembrancer, and give his approbation to the work, by blessing it to his own people.—Farewell.

And though pretended friends have aim’d to wound thy heart,
And household friends in that have borne a part;
Yet, each appointment came to thee for good,
To make thee joyful in thy Saviour God.

Friendly.—I thank you; I will send a few particulars of my history in letters to my friends.—

Farewell.