Anecdote: Meeting someone in hell [Was: You shall either die upon the gallows or of a social disease]

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The anecdote was printed in 1815 in a book from the Massachusetts
Historical Society. The book was reviewed in "The North American
Review" in November 1815 and the anecdote was reprinted. These cites
are still rather late.

Book Title: Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society
Volume: 3 of the Second Series
Year: 1815
Article: A Description of Kingston, in the County of Plymouth
Start Page: 204
Quote Page: 211
Publisher: Printed for John Eliot, Boston, Massachusetts
(Google Books full view)
http://books.google.com/books?id=t6syAQAAMAAJ&q=%22in+hell%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
In a company of gentlemen, where Father Flynt, who was a preacher, and
many years a tutor at Cambridge, was present, Mr. Whitfield said: "It
is my opinion, that Dr. Tillotson is now in hell for his heresy."
Father Flynt replied, "It is my opinion, that you will not meet him
there."
[End excerpt]


Journal: The North American review and miscellaneous journal
Date: 1815 November
Article: Review of Collections of the Massachusetts
  Historical Society, Volume 3 of the second series,
  Boston, John Eliot.
Start Page: 109
Quote Pages: 123 and 124
Publisher: Wells and Lilly, Boston, Massachusetts.
(Google Books full view)
http://books.google.com/books?id=d6dKAAAAcAAJ&q=%22in+hell%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
In the description of Kingston, which follows that of Plymouth, there
is a repartee to an illiberal remark of the famous Whitfield, that is
worth transcribing.

In a company of gentlemen, where Father Flynt, who was a preacher, and
many years a tutor at Cambridge, was present, Mr. Whitfield said: "It
is my opinion, that Dr. Tillotson is now in hell for his heresy."
Father Flynt replied, "It is my opinion, that you will not meet him
there."
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Sun, Oct 28, 2012 at 2:47 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Anecdote: Meeting someone in hell [Was: You shall either die
>               upon the gallows or of a social disease]
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 10/28/2012 01:27 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole wrote:
>>A: You, sir, will certainly either die upon the gallows or of a
>>social disease.
>>B: That depends, sir, upon whether I embrace your principles or your mistress.
>
> I am reminded by this of an anecdote told of Harvard Tutor Henry
> Flynt.  When George Whitefield was in Boston in 1740, he criticized
> the Harvard tutors "who read 'bad books' such as the works of
> Tillotson and Clarke".  When he met Flynt, Whitefield remarked, "It
> is my opinion, that Dr. Tillotson is in hell for his heresy." Flynt
> replied, "It is my opinion, that you will not meet him there."
>
> The earliest I have for this tale is 1846, and it was repeated in
> 1946 by Samuel Eliiot Morison.  The Harvard Archives have nothing
> earlier.  I invite additional investigation.  :-)
>
> Joel
>
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