1747 July 1 (Wednesday). Mr. Smith and I rode to Cambridge. I went over to Mother Champneys. N.B. They tell me Brother Champney has Sold the Place to one Mr. Fletcher, Merchant in Boston. Remarkable and Joyfull News again this Third Commencement. What we have now is that the Admirals Anson and Warrin had destroy’d 11 Sail of French Men of Warr, and it comes with such Tokens of probability that most Gentlemen believe it. N.B. What We had last Year was the Defeat of the Rebels by the Duke of Cumberland: and what we had the Year before was the Taking of Cape Breton. I din’d at Dr. Wigglesworths.[1] N.B. Mr. Searing[2] Minister of Rhode Island there, as also Mr. Bours, a very well bred, pleasant, free Gentleman of the Same place. P.M. at Meeting. N.B. Mr. Abraham Williams[3] disputing against the Respondent Mayhew,[4] and advancing that the Christian Religion was opposite to Reason because of its maintaining the Doctrine of original Sin, Mayhew though newly ordain’d at Boston answer’d Utraque pare, Domine, Vera est. Lodg’d at Mother Champneys and was very much indispos’d. Perhaps Evening air in my walk over the Causey after the Days Melting Heat might be the Cause of my Disorders.
[1]Edward Wigglesworth, Professor of Divinity at Harvard College.
[2]James Searing (Yale 1725), the minister of the Second Congregational Church at Newport, 1728-1755. Dexter, Biographical Sketches, p. 318
[3](Harvard 1744). The son of Colonel Abraham Williams of Marlborough.
[4]Jonathan Mayhew (Harvard 1744), the minister of the West Church in Boston, 1747-1766.