Adams Papers

15th.

15th.

Amory, and Thompson went upon a dancing party yesterday. They invited me to join them, but I did not feel disposed. This afternoon I went with Townsend, and attended Mr. Spring’s1 lecture. I was much better pleased than I expected to be with this gentleman’s preaching. His sentiments are extremely contracted, and illiberal, and he maintains them with the zeal, and enthusiasm of a bigot, but his delivery is very agreeable, and I believe his devotion sincere; although I shall never be a convert to his principles, I will not condemn them as impious and heretical. Little, Putnam, and I, spent the evening with Thomson, at his father’s. A letter from W. S.2 was canvassed; it was stiff, inelegant and trivial. I gave this as my opinion, and although they charged me with being prejudiced against the writer, yet I found, their sentiments on this point agreed perfectly with mine.

1Rev. Samuel Spring, minister of the Third Religious Society in Newburyport (Sprague, Annals Amer. Pulpit, description begins William B. Sprague, Annals of the American Pulpit; or Commemorative Notices of Distinguished American Clergymen of Various Denominations, New York, 1857-1869; 9 vols. description ends 2:85).

2Presumably from William Stedman.

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