The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

384 LETTERS, TRACTS, ':S'c\the city, whofe company almoU all univerfity menhad ever hitherto avoided. By degrees he learned that,thefe fervile and ignorant people \Vcre hounded outto inflame the city againll him, to raife what w^ascalled a Jhma cLiniofa, and to prepare matters for aprecognition. This- he looked' upon in the tremendousview of a determined and mercilefs inquifition ;He v/as alarmed and terrified in a very high degree,anxious and diiTipated by day, and in the night couldneither fleep nor reft. In this unhappy fituation heoften threw himfelf in the way of the mofl furious oftlie profeiibrs ; but they looked on him v/ith difdain,and declined to converfe with him : He, therefore,once and again, wrote letters to them, in a very fubmifllveflrain, explaining the terms that he now heardwere thought oiFenfiye, and difclaiming any wrongbelief with refpecSl to religion, or any difrefpedl toany of tlie fciences. But thefe letters gave the maftersno fatisfaclion : He then went round to the houfe ofevery profefTor, declared he was forry he had givenoffence, and offered, that if they would lay afide thethoughts of expelling him, he would fubmit to anyadmonition or rebuke which they fhould judge reafonable.One of his friends aifo waited on all thepiofeflbrs, and m^ade the fame offer :But all their offerswere equally fruitlefs ; fevere meafures were alreadyagreed to •, a criminal trial, by the iffue of whichit was refolved to ftrip the ftudent of his DurfaryAnd it was impofhble, by any fubmifTion or repentance,to bring tliefe teachers of benevolence and humanityto relent in the flighteft degree. 4Chap. 13. I have related above, that much artificeand pains had been employed to inflame the city ofClutha againll the young logician ; and as in one ofhis fpeechcs he had uied fome. unpremeditated exprefhons,which were conftrued in a bad fenfe, andalleged to refer to that people, it was no doubt expe