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Review-Wilson's Dissenting Churches.

prejudice sufficient to bias my researches,
or to prevent my embracing truth as it
hath appeared to me. If I am really mis-
taken in any point, I can most truly say,
that those my errors have been taken up
amidst an impartial desire to know the
truth as it is in Jesus: they were always
ready to be given up upon conviction of
their being errors; and that conviction I
thankfully accepted at any hand. What I
believed to be the truths of the gospel, I
never dissembled upon all just and prudent
occasions of declaring them, and as I found
those I ministered to could bear them, how
different soever they were from a public
faith, synodical determinations, or (0
monstrous absurdity!) from religious sen-
timents established by law. All such
usurped, self-exposing power, I live, I die
disclaiming."-" There is no truth about
which I am more clear than this, that God
will not condemn any man for mere error.
I can no more think that any shall be pu
nished for involuntary mistakes, than I
can think that God is unjust. Though I
am convinced that many of our sentiments
will appear mere blunders in a future state,
yet this does not in the least affect my
hopes of future acceptance with God. I
bave no more fear of suffering for any sen-
timents that I have embraced, though they
were deemed fundamental errors by men,
than I have a doubt that God is righteous
and merciful: nor dare I indulge any sus-
picion of that kind, any more than of
cruelty and tyranny in the all-perfect God."
-II. 151, 152.

This noble passage excites the historian's displeasure, who denounces the pernicious sentiment of the innocence of mental error, in a passage of nearly two pages in length. We submit to him, however, that all his assertions and quotations of Scripture are unavailing, unless he can prove that it is in every man's power to believe what he chooses. But, whatever may be thought of Mr. Wilson's argument, it will be allowed by all his readers that it wasa work of supererogation to correct the sentiments of such a man as Mr. Newman.

Mr. Newman is still known as an author, by his Sermons (2 vols. 8vo.) on Happiness, and on the Progress of Vice, and his Essay on the Case of the Penitent Thief.*

Any reader possessing this pamphlet would much oblige the Editor by the loan of it. The Editor takes this opportunity of making the same request with regard to Dr. Bullock's Two Discourses on Alonement mentioned in Bishop Law's Letter, extracted in the last Article, p. 669.

Mr. Edward Pickard, the assistant and successor of Mr. Newman, has left an imperishable monument of his generosity and piety in the Dissenters Orphan School, in the City Road, which owes its existence to his public spirit, wisdom and activity. There is a brief memoir and a well-drawn character of this gentleman in Mr. Belsham's Memoirs of Mr. Lindsey, pp. 63-66. Mr. Pickard, according to the reluctant admission of our historian, was "in his views of some doctrines," an Arian, but happily he was a High Arian, and still more happily,

he was want to express himself in terms of strong disapprobation of the writings of Dr. Priestley and other Socinians" (II. 159). In balancing the account, however, our orthodox biographer should have recollected that Mr. Pickard preached and published Dr. Benson's Funeral Sermon, in which he praises the vir tue and good sense and Scriptural labours of the deceased heretic as if he had forgotten that he was a "Socinian."

John Tailor, was for some time an assistant to Mr. Pickard: he was previously minister at Stow Market, where" he had been called a Tillotson, and went by the name of the Suffolk Orator," and where "he was the intimate acquaintance and cordial friend of Dr. Priestley, who, in his younger days, was settled at Needham, three miles from Stow Market" (II. 160).

The singular custom formerly prevailed at Carter-lane, of repeating the Apostles' Creed, every Sunday, after the reading of the Scriptures. Mr. Tayler, the successor of Mr. Pickard, who is still living in a venerable age and a truly Christian reputation, first discontinued the practice (11. 163). In early life, Mr. Tayler was the chap lain of Mrs. Elizabeth Abney, whose family name is associated so honourably with that of Watts.

In an account of the Swedenborgians (II. 170) it is stated that the proposition for abolishing the Slave Trade originated in that denomination.

Mr. Wilson attributes the existence of any General Baptist Church in London at the present day to the estate which Capt. Pierce Johns bequeathed in 1698 for the use of that branch of the Baptists, Six churches were originally supported on this foundation,

Review.-Wilson's Dissenting Churches.

there are now only five, one (Dunning's Alley) having become extinct: these we believe, are the churches under the pastoral care of Messrs. Evans, Gilchrist, Moon, Dan Taylor and Shenston. The question of the influence of endowments upon Dissent ing congregations is difficult of decision; most readers will think, we believe, that our author has in this case pronounced an opinion (11. 175) for which he was not qualified.

A large space is properly allotted by Mr. Wilson to the biography of Dr. Daniel Williams, the great benefactor to the Dissenters, especially of the Presbyterian denomination. In one instance the biographer censures, where he ought, in our judgment, to have commended him. We extract the passage as far as it is historical:

"During the troubles of Ireland, at the latter end of the reign of King James the Second, he was driven from thence, after escaping some threatening dangers by the tyrannical and violent proceedings of a popish administration. He returned to England in 1687, and made London the place of his retreat. Here he was of great use upon a very critical and important occasion. Some of the court agents at that time, endeavoured to bring the Dissenters in the city, to address the king upon his dispensing with the penal laws. In a conference at one of their meetings, upon that occasion, in the presence of some of the agents, Mr. Williams declared, That it was with him past doubt, that the severities of the former reign upon the Protestant Dissenters, were rather, as they stood, in the way of arbitrary power, than for their religious dissent: so it were better for them to be reduced to their former hardships, than declare for measures destructive of the liberties of their country; and that for himself, before he would concur in an address which should be thought an approbation of the dispensing power, he should chuse to lay down his liberty at his Majesty's feet. He is said to have pursued the argument with such clearness and strength, that the company present rejected the motion, and the emissaries went away disappointed. There was a meeting at the same time of a considerable number of the city clergy, waiting the issue of their deliberations; who were greatly animated and en-. couraged by this brisk resolution of the Dissenting ministers.”—II. 199, 200.

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Mr. Wilson says it was absurd, infinitely absurd in the Presbyterians to quarrel with their liberty, on account of the quarter from whence it came. We

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see not the absurdity: we see on thei contrary a wise and constitutional jealousy of the court. Had the dispensing power been admitted, what security would the Dissenters or any other class of the community have had. for liberty, property or even life? The decision adopted by the Dissenters at the instance of Dr. Williams, is virtually justified by Mr. Fox, who shews (Hist. of James II. passim) that the liberty granted to Nonconformists was merely a pretext for granting liberty to Papists, and that that was ultimately designed to introduce and establish arbitrary power. As Dissenters, we should have blushed for our forefathers, if they had truckled to a mean and treacherous tyrant, and, for the sake of a momentary peace, a merely sectarian advantage, had bartered away the antient liberties of Englishmen.

"New Broad Street, Petty France, Presbyterian, Extinct," enjoyed the services of several respectable ministers, of whom Dr. Daniel Williams! was the third in succession, and Mr.. : John Palmer the last.

"JOHN PALMER.-This gentleman was' born in London, in the year 1729. His father carried on the business of an undertaker, in Southwark. Both his parents were serious persons, of the Calvinistical persuasion, and members of the Independent' church in Collier's Rents, Southwark, under the pastoral care of the Rev. John' Rogers. They devoted their son to the ministry, and after giving him a school education, placed him under the care of the learned Dr. David Jennings, under whom he pursued his theological studies. Epon the death of Mr. James Read, in 1755,' Mr. Palmer was chosen assistant to Dr.' Allen, at New Broad-street; and upon his removal to Worcester, in 1769, succeeded" to the pastoral charge.

"Mr. Palmer's first publication, we be lieve, was A Sermon occasioned by the Death of King George II. preached at New Broad-street, Nov. 2, 1760, on 1 Chron. xxiv. 27, 28.' In 1766, be revised, corrected, and prepared for the press, a post-" humous work of the Rev. John Alexander, of Birmingham, with whom he had been upon terms of peculiar intimacy. It was entitled, ' A Paraphrase upon the fifteenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinth- " ians; with Critical Notes and Observations, and a preliminary Dissertation. A Commentary, with Critical Remarks upon the sixth, serenth, and part of the eighth Chapters to the Romans: To which is added, a Sermon on Eccles. ix. 10, composed by the Author the day preceding his

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Review-Wilson's Dissenting Churches.

Death. London. 1766. Quarto. In 1769, Mr. Palmer published an Oration at the interment of the Rev. Timothy Laugher, of Hackney; which was annexed to Dr. Kippis's funeral discourse upon the same occasion. His next publication, we believe, was a small octavo volume, entitled, 'Prayers for the Use of Families, and Persons in Private.' This little work passed to a second edition, in 1785, and has been rhuch esteemed by those who are called rational Dissenters. In 1779, he pub

for the abolition of subscription to the Thirty-nine Articles. Though he was bred up and educated in Calvinistical principles, yet he gradually relinquished then, and, at length, imbibed the Socinian scheme. He died at his house in Islington, June the 26th, 1790, aged 61 years. Mr. Palmer was for many, years one of the trustees for Dr. Williams's charities."—II. 227— 229.

There was another Dissenting milished, Free Thoughts on the Inconsis-nister of the same name, John Paliner, tency of conforming to any Religious of Macclesfield, and afterwards of BirTest, as a Condition of Toleration, with mingham, who was also an author and the true Principles of Protestant Dissent. an Unitarian. He corresponded in the It was in this year that he was called to Theological Repository with Dr. Priestlament the loss of an intimate friend in the ley, who has given an account of him Rev. Caleb Fleming, D. D. whose death in that work, VI. 217, 224. he attempted to improve, in a sermon at New Broad-street, August the 1st, in that year. This discourse was afterwards printed, together with an oration at the Doctor's interment, in Bunhill-Fields, by Dr. Towers. The text of Mr. Palmer's sermon is, 2 Cor. i. 12. In the same year he published, in octavo, Observations in Defence of the Liberty of Man, as a Moral Agent; in Answer to Dr. Priestley's Illustrations of Philosophical Necessity. This is a judicious and able piece upon the subject; and in the following year, he published a defence of it in An Appendix to the Observations;' occasioned by Dr. Priestley's letters to the author, in defence of the doctrine of Necessity. Mr. Palmer's last publication, which was printed in 1788, was, A Sum mary View of the Grounds of Christian Baptism; with a more particular Reference to the Baptism of Infants: containing Remarks argumentative and critical, in Expla

nation and Befence of the Rite.'

"Some years before the publication of the last piece, Mr. Palmer had desisted from any ministerial work. The lease of his meeting-house expiring about 1780, the congregation, which was in a very reduced state, did not judge proper to renew, it, and the society dissolved. After this, Mr. Palmer wholly left off preaching, and Tetired to Islington, where he lived privately to the time of his death. He married a lady of considerable property, and during the latter years of his life, kept up but little connexion with the Dissenters. He

was a man of considerable talents, and, accounted a very sensible and rational. preacher. His pulpit compositions were drawn up with much perspicuity, and delivered with great distinctness and propriety. He allowed himself great latitude in his religious sentiments, and was a determined enemy to any religions test whatsoever. In this particular, he differed from several of his brethren, who, notwithstanding, favoured the application to parliament

In the history of “ Pinners' Hall, Ixdependent, Extinct," our author encounters the unwelcome names of Dr. James Foster and Dr. Caleb Fleming. He says" of the former (11 280) that "he rejected those doctrines which are purely matters of revelation," and without meaning it, unsays this slander again and again; and of the latter, (II. 286, 287) that most of the doctrines of revelation "afforded him subject of ridicule," that he "discovered enmity to those doctrines which are the peculiar glory of the gospel," and that" he set down for fools and enthusiasts all who were not Socinians." Dr. Foster's reputation and Christian character are so well established that it has long seemed unnecessary to protect him either against the spiritual Bucchanals who dance over the graves of heretics (M. Repos. II. 63, 64,] or the Sicurii who of creeds different from their own, strive to wound the good name of men when conscience or cowardice restrains them from more honest persecution ; but Dr. Caleb Fleming is less known and therefore less respected and less secure from the attacks of bigotry. It is sufficient however for his vindication that his life was unblameable; that he made considerable temporal sacrifices for conscience sake; that he was inces santly employed in promoting, according to his own persuasions, the interests of truth and freedom; that by Dr. James Foster, whose assistant he had been, he was recommended to his congregation as his successor; that between his flock and himself there subsisted great hatmony and friendship; that he enjoyed the esteem of the most respected of his brethren, one of whom, Mr. John Palmer, pronounced the highest eulo

Review.-Wilson's Dissenting Churches.

gium upon him in his funeral sermon; and especially that he was for years the confidential friend of Dr. Lardner. The list of his publications is enough to prove both the impartiality and the activity of his mind. His theological system was of his own framing from the Scriptures. He was the zealous advocate of revealed religion, of Protestant ism, of nonconformity, and of some doctrines which are accounted orthodox, such as the immortality of the soul, the sanctity of the Sabbath, and the liberty of the will. His Unitarianism only was against him. But for that, the present historian, who reports the opinion and feeling of a large body of theologians, would not have termed his "specimens of divinity" "wretched," or his interpretations of Scripture perverse; nor would he in a virtual comparison of him with "Mr. John Dove, a member of Mr. Pike's congregation," who was known by the name of "The Hebrew Tailor," have given the seeming preference to that learned artificer. Mr. Wilson has, however, made some amends to Dr. Fleming, by inserting in his work a handsome engraving of him, from a Portrait in Dr. Williams's library, and ‣ a full and tolerably correct list of his publications. The number in this list is sixty, and there are several in our possession not included.

A life of Dr. Fleming was looked for at the hands of the late Dr. Towers, who came into possession of his papers, including, according to Dr. Kippis (Life of Lardner, p. xcvi.), " a series of letters written to Dr. Fleming by Dr. Lardner, in which he freely disclosed his thoughts concerning men and things." Why will not the representative of Dr. Towers, who is so capable of doing justice to the characters of the friends of truth and freedom, gratify our wishes? If he had not considered this gentleman as the proper biographer of Dr. Fleming, the late Dr. Toulinin would have communicated a memoir of this decided, intrepid, zealous and laborious Unitarian teacher, to the Monthly Repository. Notices of him are scattered through this work [III. 485-487. IV. 151. VI. 44. VIII. 339. X. 283], which we refer to in the hope that they may excite suitable attention to a neglected character. It is right to add that should a complete memoir of Dr. Fleming be prepared for the press, the compiler will find. Mr. Wilson's

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account, with all its faults, of no small use.

In a History of Dissenting Churches we did not expect an account of a fanatical Deist who delivered lectures at Carpenters' Hall [11. 290, 292]. This was Jacob Ilive, a printer and letter-founder. He published several pamphlets, for one of which “Remarks on the Bishop of London's (Dr. Sherlock's) Discourses" he was imprisoned in Clerkenwell Bridewel' two years. During his confinement he appears to have written "The Book of Jasher,” which he procured to be privately printed, and which purported to be a translation from the original of Alcuin, a British monk. It is a small folio. live died in the year 1763. There is an account of him in Gough's British Topography, 1. 637.

The Old Jewry is rich in Dissenting biography, having been always celebrated for the number and respectability of its congregation and the eminence of its ministers. At the beginning of this article, the historian notes down, what from the specimens lately given the reader might not have observed, that "the words Calvinist and Arian he uses as terms neither of honour nor reproach, but for the sake of convenience" (11. 305).

We cannot even enumerate all the ministers that as pastors, assistants or lecturers have rendered the Old Jewry so distinguished a Dissenting station, but must content ourselves with a few notices and remarks.

Mr. Wilson relates a very striking anecdote" (11. 322-326), of John Rogers, one of the Bartholomew confessors, and father of Timothy Ro gers, minister at the Old Jewry. The anecdote is, in substance, that Mr. Rogers was on the point of being sent to jail for his Nonconformity, by Sir Richard Cradock, a persecuting Jus tice of the Peace, but was delivered by Sir Richard's grand-daughter, a headstrong girl of six or seven years of age, who took a liking to the Puritan preacher and threatened to drown herself if he were ill-used. Mr. Timo thy Rogers once related this story at the house of a Mrs. Tooley, where lie was dining in company with Mr. T. Bradbury; when the hostess revealed that she was the grand-daughter of Sir R. Cradock, and the person to whom the story referred. Her guests were anxious to learn her religious history,

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Review-Wilson's Dissenting Churches.

and she proceeded to narrate by what and, as I think, with very good reason, means she had been converted; these that it is an infringement of Christian li were the artifices of a religious apothe-berty, to use compulsive methods, to oblige cary who laid her under an involun- men to do even what they take not to be tary obligation to read the New Testa- sinful, or to subscribe all that they believe: ment, and a dream eventually realized forasmuch as this is confining where God in a Sermon from Mr. Shower at the has left at liberty, and making necessary what he has left indifferent.'— How bap Old Jewry. Py

The story is "striking" enough, and may also be true; but Mr. Wilson has omitted his authority for relating it. We read it in our boyish days in the Spiritual Magazine, the wrapper of which was rendered awful in our eyes by the head of John Calvin, in a wood-cut. It is in the Number for March, 1784, and is thus headed, with an appearance of authority, "The substance of a letter from Mr. Davidson, of Braintree, to Mr. Archibald Wallace, Merchant, in Edinburgh, dated 12th Oct. 1767.”

A very interesting account is given, (II. 338-358,) of Simon Browne, whose peculiar malady has procured him a degree of fame which his talents and virtues, though great, would not alone have obtained. Dr. Hawkesworth has described the case with all his usual fascination of style in No. 88, of the Adventurer. Browne imagined that Almighty God had annihilated his thinking substance; yet whilst he was under this melancholy delusion he composed works which discovered remarkable strength and acuteness of mind. There are various accounts of the origin of his disorder. Dr. Percival suggests [Works, 11. 80.] that it might be owing to his study of the Platonic writers, who represent most perfect worship of the Deity as consisting in self-annihilation.

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It is recorded to the honour of Simon Browne that he was one of the non-subscribing ministers at the Salters' Hall synod. He appeared before the public and encountered present reproach as their advocate. Mr. Wilson has furnished us with two admirable extracts from his pamphlet on that occasion :

"Upon the subject of subscribing he expresses himself thus: For my own part, I always took it, that subscriptions of all kinds, whether to liturgies or articles, had been a grievance to our fathers, as well as to us; though rather than be rendered utterly incapable of public usefulness, they and we have submitted to the hardship, and subscribed to some of the 39 articles. But there are many that judge,

had it been for the church and world, if this method of subscribing, had never come into the mind of men, more than into the mind of God! If, as that holy man, Mr. Baxter, expresses it, the devil had Dever put on his gown, stept into the infallible chair and in a fit of reverend zeal, taken upon him to preserve and perfect the faith of the church! This was opening Pandora's box. Had not Satan turned orthodox, and tempted Christian ministers to make, and meud, and enlarge creeds, and prevent and care heresy by subscrip tion, to their own terms and forms, peace and truth had been much better preserved than they have been, or ever will be, till the engine of the devil, as that wise and good man called it, be overthrown.”II. 340, 341.

Browne's publications were nume rous. He was one of the authors of “The Occasional Papers," and also one of Matthew Henry's Continuators; the part assigned to him was the first Epistle to the Corinthians.

The life of Chandler must occupy a large space in any history not merely of the Old Jewry but likewise of the Dissenters. His fame as a preacher has not yet died away; and his writings will be ever valued by the biblical student. He possessed extensive and correct learning, a penetrating and comprehensive intellect and a sound judgment. The memoir of him, which is here given, is creditable to Mr. Wilson's liberality. The following notice may be useful to fu ture translators and commentators on the Scriptures:

"Dr. Chandler left in his interleaved bible, a large number of critical notes, chiefly in Latin. They are drawn up in the manner of Raphelius, Bos, Elsner, and other writers of the like kind. Those on the Old Testament are thinly scattered, excepting in a few particular` places. But those on the New Testament are very copious and display a close study of the Holy Scriptures, and an extensive acquaintance with ancient authors. They were purchased for a small consideration by Dr. Amory, Mr. Farmer, Dr. Furneanx, Dr. Price, Dr. Savage, and Dr. Kippis, with an intention of committing them to the press, if any bookseller could be found

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