Taunton Sept. 1762 Revd. Sr.,

I take the Liberty to write to you1 on a Subject in which I am no further interested than by the Bonds of Humanity & Freindship, & wth. which I purpose no further to concern my Self than I should wish some freind of mine to do did my Circumstances require it. 'Tis the Unhappy Scituation of Mr. Leonard2 that now induces me write, whose illness is of such a Nature as deprives him of Any Consultation & throws him intirely upon the Care & discretion of Freinds to use the most likely means for his Recovery. I do not doubt the tender Concern & sincere Endeavours of all who know him for his Welfare but unless there be a Uniformity of practice the good attempts of some may counteract those of some others & so upon the whole produce no good Effects. The greatest & most experienced Physicians, I believe are all agreed that, Strict Regimen, a total confinement from all Company, & sometimes to a Dark Room, Severe Discipline & Subjection to the degree of Fear, with some Perticular use of Medicine are the most Effectual & indeed the only233Method of treating Persons in his Case. which This has been practised for a long time in England & for this purpose Bedlam was built, But tho' this Method seems pointed out by Providence by the success that has attended it, yet I do not Advance it independant of the Blessing of that Being who governs all Second Causes, & therefore you will not understand me as Making Any Objection to the day of Prayer which I understand is set apart by his Freinds, but only to desire that Mr. Leonard may not be present at it, & that it may not be held at the house where he is, for tho' he is most truly a Subject of our Prayers Yet he is utterly uncapable of joining in them & therefore they it can afford no Benefit to his Mind to be present & moreover the Meeting of Company & the manner in which he would be treated on Such An Occasion are directly opposite to the regular Method of his Case & as we are to expect no Blessings but in the Course of Nature & regular Means, this would seem to be distroying the very thing we pray for, & it sems needless he should be present seeing the Divine Blessing is not confind to time or place. All this I mentioned to Mr. Crocker3 who agrees with me, & proposed the Meeting house as a Suitable place upon this I observed, that besides the inconvenience of drawing together Numbers without any Advantage, it seems to be making too public a Matter of a thing wch. does Not concern the Public & which in the Nature of it one would desire to be kept more Secret & if not atended with any perticular advantages, I believe we should all desire might be more concealed. Not doubting your Concern for his best Welfare I beg Sr. that Some private house may be pitched upon & that he may Not be present, & that he may be restored to established usefulness & all Means therefor be directed & blessed I most heartily join with you in yr. Prayers, hoping yr. Welfare & that of yr. Family I am with respect, yr. hble.,

R T PAINE

Dft .; addressed: "To Revd. Jos. Palmer, Norton"; endorsed: "To Revd. J: P."; further endorsed by Charles C. Paine: "Mrs. Leonard Sept. 1762. Joseph Palmer, Norton."

1.

Joseph Palmer (1729–1791), the second minister of the First Parish of Norton (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 12:197–199).

2.

Abiel Leonard (1740–1777). See RTP to Eunice Paine, June 1762.

3.

Josiah Crocker (1719–1774), minister of the First Congregational Society of Taunton from 1741 until 1765 when he was dismissed due to alcoholism. His second wife was Hannah Cobb, RTP's future sister-in-law (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 10:277–282).