Boston May 8th, 1766 Dear Sir,

I take the Liberty to Send you inclosed Excn. of Hawxhurst vs. Crandon to your Care & to beg the favr. of you to Commit it to some proper Officer to Serve who will do it faithfully. Crandon was of Plymouth but lately removed with his Family (as I am informed by Mr. Sheriff Warren1) to Dartmouth in your County. Pray engage the officer to whom you deliver it to Serve it as soon as possible & to Send my money. Excuse this Trouble from Sir your very humble Servt.

SAML. FITCH

RC ; addressed: "To Robert Treat Pain Esqr. Councilr. at Law In Taunton"; endorsed.

1.

James Warren (1726–1808) succeeded his father as sheriff of Plymouth County in 1756 (Whitmore, Mass. Civil List, p. 98).

Raynham June 9: 1766 Sir,

I Lately Saw at Mr. Crockers your Book by Dr. Taylor Entitled A Paraphase & Notes on the Epistle to the Romans &c.1 I have a desire to Read Said book. The Said Doctor Published another Book on original Sin. Said Books I have not Read. Therefore I Desire you to Lend your said book to me. I am willing to Lend any of my books to you. I have Read Limborch's Compleat body of Divinity, in a vollum, and Supposing that you have not Seen Said volum. I will Transcribe the Title page and a Few other Lines.

A Compleat System, or Body of Divinity, Both Speculative and Practical founded on Scripture and Reason: written originally in Latin. by Philip Limborch Professor of Divinity. with Improvements from Bishop Wilkins Arch Bishop Tillotson, Dr. Scott, and Several other Divines of the Church of England.2

In 2 volums By William Jones, a Presbyter of the same church

The Second Edition corrected.

To which is Prefixed Mr. Leclerc's Funeral Oration on Mr. Limborch.

Biblioth. choisie. Tom. 24.p.2. Page 367.

At the end of the Oration I have added some verses of Grotius taken368from a copy he wrote upon the Death of Arminius: they Describe the mischiefs and the ill consequences of the Divisions among Christians, and the Duties of Divines upon that occasion, in so Just and Lively a manner, that I have Read nothing Comparable to them, In such Sort of Compositions. They are not a dull Imitation of the Ancients who have never written any thing like them, but are a noble Enthusiasm, as I may say, of a heart full of Love to virtue, Charity and peace, and of a Soul thorowly convinced of the vanity of all Human Knowlege.

These from the Sorrows of this life Relea'sd, of Perfect Ease and Perfect Joy Posses'd, The Science you so long pursu'd be low, you large by now obtain, and truely know, From that Irradiance of Celestial day, you look, and see unhappy mortals stray, In Ignorance Involv'd and miss the way; How vain the thing which knowlege here we name, An empty vapour and an Idle Dream: yet puff d with this we others Provedly spurn, And are again Insulted in our turn. &c—

This from your real Friend

EDMAIN WILLIAMS

RC ; addressed: "To Esqr. Robert Pain at Taunton"; endorsed.

1.

John Taylor, A Paraphrase, with notes on the Epistle to the Romans (London, 1745, 1747, 1754). RTP had purchased this volume for 6s.4d. at "Jno. Gerrish vendue," 28 May 1762, according to his cashbook. It was still in his library in 1805 when he reworked the catalogue to that collection.

2.

This second edition of Philipp van Limborch's Compleat System or Body of Divinity was published in London in 1713. It was edited by William Jones and included "improvements" by John Tillotson, archbishop of Canterbury; John Wilkins, bishop of Chester; and Dr. John Scott, as well as the funeral oration by Jean LeClerc.