but happily they are not, and such things as these deserve not the least notice. I cannot well help subscribing to Dr. Geddes, but I should be surprised if his subscription of a thousand be ever full.* If he would listen to me, I would advise him to publish his translation, first, in one volume, and his notes afterwards. However, I shall forbear sending my subscription some time, and may give him my advice along with it; and, if he find that subscriptions do not come in as he expected, he may be the better disposed to listen to me. The first opportunity I have I will send you a letter I have just received from Mr. Hutton, co-pastor with Mr. Taylor, of Dublin,† representing the state of things there with respect to free inquiry. I saw him a year ago, and liked him much. He appeared to me as zealous for the Divine Unity, and every thing good; but, for want of books, he can do nothing where he is. Nothing of mine or yours is to be had in Dublin. I was thinking it might do well to send him some books. I am concerned to hear of Mr. Hammond's illness. Such men are rare, and much wanted. I like Mr. Frend's piece § much, but wish he had deferred the publication till after the issue of his cause. I have heard nothing from Oxford any more than yourself. I thank you for Mr. Palmer's letter, but I had one to the same purport myself.¶ • By July, 1790, "copies subscribed for," 343. Among "Queries," &c., occasioned by the publication of his proposals, Dr. Geddes, for "having allowed Dr. Priestley to be a Christian," was asked, " Sir, are you a Roman Catholic? Sir, are you a Christian ?” Mem. of Geddes, pp. 200, 202. + The decease of "this venerable and excellent man, aged 84," has been just noticed, M. R. (N. S.) V. 789. Of Fenstanton, formerly a clergyman and Fellow of Queen's College. He died, 1830, aged 75. Mr. Hammond, though a strict Unitarian, considered the redemption by Christ in the manner of Wakefield and Tyrwhitt, rather than of Jebb, Lindsey, and Priestley. See W. XX. 309, note; M. R. (N. S.) IV. 475, 476; Dyer's Mem. of R. Robinson, (1796,) p. 320. § "Mr. Coulthurst's Blunders Exposed; or a Review of several Texts which Mr. Coulthurst lately produced, in his Sermons before the University of Cambridge, as Proofs of the established Doctrine of the Trinity." See Appendix to his "Thoughts on Subscription," &c., ed. 2, 1789. TO THE SAME. DEAR FRIEND, Birmingham, Oct. 20, 1788. You will think it a long time since I wrote to you, but I have been to pay Mr. Tayleur a visit at Shrewsbury, from which I returned last night. My wife accompanied me, and I hope we are both the better for the excursion. We found the old gentleman quite as well as I expected, and had, I believe, mutual satisfaction in the interview, though it would have been greatly heightened had you and Mrs. Lindsey been of the party. Mr. Tayleur's generosity has no bounds. He insisted on my accepting another hundred pounds. He seemed much pleased with the preface to my edition of the Life of Marolles, &c.,* which I now send you. When I wrote last I did not care to mention it, as I was in hopes it would be very transient, but I was in great pain, in consequence of passing some gall-stones. However, it kept increasing, and for the greatest part of the week following I was not capable of writing, reading, or any thing. I recovered but, on Tuesday last, I had another fit at my daughter's, on the road to Shrewsbury, and had thoughts of returning; but, happily, it went off, and I was able to pursue my journey. At present I feel tolerably well, and, with care, hope to do well; but I must live chiefly on vegetables. Since my last, I have given almost all the time I could to some experiments relating to Phlogiston, and have drawn up a third paper to send to the Royal Society.† However, I do every day more or less at my Church History, and think I shall easily finish one 8vo. volume to send you, in long hand, against my April visit. At least, I shall do my endeavour. I * "An History of the Sufferings of Mr. Lewis De Marolles, and Mr. Isaac Le Fevre, upon the Revocation of the Edict of Nantz." See W. IX. 19; X. 446-458; XXV. 320. + Objections to the Experiments and Observations relating to the Principle of Acidity, the Composition of Water, and Phlogiston, considered; with farther Experiments and Observations on the same Subject. Read Nov. 27, 1788." (See supru, p. 3, note †) Phil. Trans. LXXIX. 7. want Ruffini Opera, as one of his works is a history, though a poor one. At Shrewsbury I heard an alarming account of Mr. Towgood, who will be as much missed as most people, especially on account of his activity in promoting the New Academy. One account said that he was dead. I send you Mr. Hutton's letter, and should be glad if one of the things to be sent him might be my "History of Early Opinions." Here I receive your favour, and thank you for the various interesting intelligence you send me. I shall be glad to receive the letter, &c., you mention. It often happens that friends give us more concern than enemies. I now fulfil my promise in sending you Mr. Hobson's letter, and my answer. man similar to Mr. Palmer, but without his learning. He is a I am glad there are some hopes of Mr. Towgood,† and that Mr. Lee is so well. Return Marolles. It is not finished. The papers for the Repository‡ to remain with Mr. Johnson. Mr. F. Palmer will send for his. § TO THE SAME. DEAR FRIEND, Birmingham, Nov. 1788. I AM Composing the account of the persecution by Diocletian, which is about twice as much as you will now have seen. In about a fortnight more I shall send what shall be transcribed, if my amanuensis attend, as he promises. A student who had been educated for the ministry among the Calvinists, and had now become a Unitarian. He resided in or near Birmingham at the time of the riots, and soon after emigrated to America. He survived till "January, 1791." Mr. Manning, speaking of Mr. Towgood's venerable father, daily expecting his own decease," in full age and hoary holiness," says, "The strength of his religious principles was severely tried by the death. of his only son, in his 60th year. He was a gentleman of distinguished public spirit and ardour of mind, and zealously engaged in various undertakings, in which the advantage and honour of the Protestant Dissenters were concerned." Life of M. Towgood, (1792,) p. 84. ↑ Which had been now finally discontinued. See supra, p. 8. In return for your account of the proceedings in London on the commemoration of the landing of King William,* I send you a printed account of ours. None of the clergy of the town would attend, because we refused to drink the Church and Constitution. Without Mr. Russell nothing would have been done. I also send you a new edition that I have printed of the Trial of Elwall, with an addition to the preface, which will please you. As the printer has taken the expense upon himself, I wish you could take a few, as you think you can dispose of them. It is cheap enough. 2000 are struck off. I do not know what to say to Mrs. Rayner's kind proposal. As my complaint, without being violent, continues, I must employ an amanuensis, which is some expense, though not great. I thank God that my supplies have always exceeded my wants, which encourages me to do all I can without regard to expense. My time and labour I give with cheerfulness, and am happy in being able to give it. I shall spare no pains with my present work, and hope to finish two octavo volumes, so as to have them ready for the press against April next, if no more difficulties occur than I at present foresee. I thank you for the pains you have taken about Ruffinus. Get me, if you can, Mosheim de rebus Christianorum ante Constantinum.t DEAR FRIEND, TO THE SAME. Birmingham, Nov. 16, 1788. THOUGH I Wrote to you on Friday with a parcel, I write again to inform you, that a few days before, I gave a letter for you to Mr. Moses, a Jew of this town, who had often desired me to introduce him to you. By this time the copies of my edition of the Life of Ma * The Centenary, when the Revolution Society had a public dinner at the London Tavern, the Earl of Stanhope in the chair. I then heard Dr. Rees repeat the accustomed apocryphal "character of King William," (nil nisi bonum,) and Dr. Towers "delivered a short oration." See his Tracts, (1796,) III. 8. ↑ Orig. MS. See Mosheim quoted W. VIII. 189, note ↑. rolles, &c., will be arrived. I should be sorry if Mr. Johnson should be a loser by this publication; and yet such is the unpopularity of myself and this particular subject, that I fear it will be the case. To myself, such books are most of all interesting, and, I think, improving. I shall dwell much on such things in my Ecclesiastical History, as I shall have a particular eye both to young persons and unbelievers, in the composition of it. I have even introduced all the particulars, though abridged, of Eusebius's account of the Martyrs of Palestine.* I am sorry to give you so much trouble about my commissions; but, as you have opportunity, I wish you would quicken the circulation of the copy of my paper for the Royal Society, and then return it, with the MS. of my History, which you may have at the time. This you may always read at your full leisure. As the hand-writing is good, it will not give you much trouble.t DEAR FRIEND, TO THE SAME. Birmingham, Dec. 14, 1788. I AM writing the history of Julian, and in less than a week hope to finish that, and to have transcribed the reign of Constantine, on which I think you will find that I have thrown some new light, particularly with respect to the different stages in the Arian tenet, of which I was not fully aware before. That scheme will appear more and more improbable; but how tenaciously many adhere to it! I am glad that you are sending books to Mr. Freeman. § Do not forget to send the "History of Early Opinions," and the Repository, in my name, and with my compliments, and send several sets of both, for the public libraries, if you please. Distance lessens the magnitude of objects. The subject that interests you you all so much I seldom think of, though you oblige * See W. VIII. 232. ↑ Orig. MS. See Per. viii. Sect. viii., W. VIII. 367. § Unitarian minister" of the first Episcopal Church, Boston, N. E.," ordained (1787) by "the wardens, vestry, proprietors, and congregation," to be "their rector, minister, priest, pastor, teaching elder, and public teacher." See Vindicia Priestleiunæ, I. 31–35; Mem. of Lindsey, p. 238. |