The  other  was  quite  as  warmly  in  favour  of  call-
ing Mr.  Jedidiah  Morse,  then  a  candidate  for
the  gospel  ministryf.  Both  of  these  gentlemen
preached  several  months  on  probation ;  and  each
of  them  had  numerous  and  zealous  friends.  The
contention  concerning  them  ran  high  during  the

*  Mr.  Wilson,  after  spending  several  years  usefully  and
comfortably  in  Charleston,  returned  to  Scotland,  his  native
country,  where  he  remained  a  year  or  two,  and  then  again
came  to  America.  He  never  took  a  pastoral  charge,  how-
ever, after  his  second  visit  to  this  country  ;  but,  after
struggling  with  ill  health,  for  a  long  time,  died  in  Virginia,
in  the  year  1799,  in  the  48th  year  of  his  age.
f  Now  the  reverend  Jedidiah  Morse,  D.  D.  Pastor  of
the  church  in  Charlestoton,  Massachusetts,  whose  high
character,  and  useful  writings,  are  well  known.
New-York.  263

greater  part  of  a  year,  and  threatened  very  se-
rious consequences.  But  Mr.  Morse,  after  a
time,  declining  to  be  considered  as  a  candidate
for  the  place,  and  retiring  from  the  city ;  and
Mr.  Muir,  soon  afterwards,  receiving  and  ac-
cepting a  call  from  the  city  of  Alexandria,  in
Virginia*,  the  congregations  were  restored  to  to-
lerable quietness  and  harmony,  in  the  spring  of
the  year  1789,  by  each  party  giving  up  its  fa-
yourite.
