to confer with him and his small society, at Mitcham, as those at Manchester told me. I send you the minutes of our first meeting at Birmingham, which was conducted with perfect harmony. We meet again on Wednesday, Mr. Russell having copies to deliver to the several congregations, seven in all; then to have them printed.* I wish you would send me, before Sunday next, a dozen of Mr. Toulmin, Junior's, "Addresses to the Unitarians attending Trinitarian Worship," and also a dozen copies of my "Address to Masters of Families."+ DEAR FRIEND, TO THE SAME. Birmingham, Oct. 21, 1789. I SENT you, by Mr. Russell's parcel, the preface to my Defences, and the beginning of the Address to the Bishops. I wish you would at your leisure put down hints for it, and especially extracts from the sermons, &c., of late bishops, unfavourable to liberty and reformation. There are many things of this kind that I have not seen, especially Halifax's sermon before the House of Lords. I also want all Bishop Horsley's sermons, except on the Incarnation, and the last before the Humane Society. These I have. I have got the Westminster Magazines that I wanted. It contains some curious articles of Mr. Badcock's. The Prince has given leave to dedicate my work to him, in the handsomest manner, saying, as I am informed, that he should think himself honoured by it. It was Mr. Fox that spoke to him about it. Please to return the Dedication with your freest remarks. On Monday, Mr. Belsham called on me, and I was very happy to spend a good part of it with him. He confirmed every thing you had said of the pleasure he has in his prospects. As he will soon give his Lectures in Ecclesiastical History, I promised him the first volume of my work, which * See supra, p. 4, note ¶. + Orig. MS. See supra, p. 19. I now send. I mentioned to him my design of giving away a good part of the impression of the "History of Early Opinions," and in this he will assist me. The sooner they are disposed of, the better. You will have seen what we have been doing here as Dissenters. It is all Mr. Russell's. He drew up the Resolutions and Letter; and by an admirable address, and conciliating manner, carried it through to universal satisfaction. Whatever he may say, I had no merit in the business, but that of approving and concurring. I inclose what we think proper for the papers, as you and Mr. Heywood* shall direct. I had not heard of Mr. Watson's pamphlet, and wish you would send it me. I thank you for Mr. Lloft's.† All these things draw attention. Your account of the sermon of the Bishop of Peterborough is most curious. Mr. Belsham had heard of it, and will get me such an account as I may quote. I thank you for the sight of Mr. Turner's letter.‡ DEAR SIR, To MR. ADAM WALKER.S Birmingham, Oct. 21, 1789. I AM exceedingly mortified to find that we are not to have your Tour so soon as I hoped; but I would not have you by any means give up the idea of publishing it. You need not fear a sale, and you will oblige many of your friends and admirers. I shall think myself greatly obliged to you for the rain-gage, and like much your plan in the construction of it. When I receive it, I shall write again. I am also glad to hear that your air-pump answers so well. When I come to London I shall have the pleasure of seeing it. In the mean time, I inclose a letter for a projector, whom I wish you would call upon with my compliments, and hear what he will think proper to * Who wrote the "Protestant Dissenters' Right to a complete Toleration." Serjeant Heywood, who became one of the Welsh judges, died, 1828. "Observations on the first Part of Dr. Knowles's Testimonies from the Writers of the four first Centuries." See W. XIX. 90, note. ↑ Orig. MS. || See`supra, p. 25. § George Street, Hanover Square. say on the subject. It gives one pain to discourage ingenious men, especially if they be in low circumstances, and yet it is injuring them more to encourage them. Put a wafer into the letter before you deliver it. I am printing a new and improved edition of all my six volumes of experiments, and hope to bring them to three. If you please, I will send them, volume by volume, as they are printed, rather than all together. My son and brother-in-law were in Paris during all the great scene, so that I had very minute accounts of all that passed. There is indeed a glorious prospect for mankind before us. Flanders seems to be quite ripe for a similar revolution; and other countries, I hope, will follow in due time; and when civil tyranny is all at an end, that of the church will soon be disposed of. You saw what is now taking place in Flanders when you were there; but I hope the revolution will be less bloody than you then foreboded. Our court and courtiers will not like these things, and the bishops least of all. Mrs. Priestley joins me in respects to Mrs. Walker and yourself.* TO REV. JOSEPH BRETLAND.† DEAR SIR, Birmingham, Oct 24, 1789. I SHALL SOON send to the press my Defences of Unitarianism for this year. I reply to Bishop Horsley, Mr. Barnard, Mr. J. Knowles, and Mr. Hawkins. 1 take it for granted that this will be the last publication of the kind that I shall have occasion to make, as I see no prospect of any thing material coming out. I shall therefore close the controversy with an Address to the Bishops, &c., the next year. Let others then take it up. I have just heard by Mr. Lindsey that Mr. Watson has published an excellent Letter to the Bishop of St. David's. I have desired him to send it to me. I am glad that young men are so ready and so well qualified to exert themselves in the cause of truth. I hear of many that promise well. Orig. MS. among the late Mr. Parkes's autographs. + Exeter. Among the ministers Mr. Belsham's example has had a great effect, at least in lessening the confidence of some of the stoutest Arians. You had heard nothing of Mr. Kenrick's becoming a Unitarian, but I hear of it from other quarters, and believe it. If it be so, and he can keep his ground, would it not be better for the two congregations to separate? It is an awkward kind of connexion. My Ecclesiastical History will hardly be out of the press. before Christmas. As soon as it is printed I shall send you a copy. I am now sitting down to the business of translation, and shall stick to it all the winter.* TO REV. T. LINDSEY.t DEAR FRIEND, Birmingham, Oct. 29, 1789, I THANK you for Mr. Garnham's letter, and still hope that he will undertake Ecclesiastes, as he seems to have no great objection to it. Give my compliments to him again, and request it of him. I perceive that he was the author of the Letter to the Bishop of Norwich. I thank you for sending me the Letter to Bishop Horsley. It is clever; but it does not enter sufficiently into the argument. I wish you would get for me, as opportunity may present, La Croze's Hist. de Christianisme dans les Indes; and Gavin's "Master Key to Popery," 4 vols. I much admire the former, which I have of yours. I see but few catalogues here, and never very early. Is not the conduct of the Bishop of St. David's liable to censure, as a member of the Upper House, interfering in the election of the lower? What does Mr. Heywood say of it in this respect? Mr. Russell is from home. When he returns I will deliver your message. If you could call on Mr. Nicholls, I wish † Essex Street. See supra, p. 32. * Orig. MS. § "For Carmarthen," by a circular to the clergy of his diocese," dated “Aug. 24, 1789." See W. XIX. 46, note. This interference was censured by Fox. See his Speeches, (1815,) IV. 67 ; N. An. Reg. XI. 88. you would hasten the copies of my last paper* for the Philosophical Transactions. Keep self a dozen, and send me the rest.† DEAR SIR, TO REV. JOSEPH BRETLAND.‡ Birmingham, Nov. 10, 1789. I AM glad that you approve of the Psalms in the main. As to the particular passages you object to, I for my part think them sufficiently intelligible and just. The language of these things must be popular. I thank you for what you have done in the Gentleman's Magazine. I thought it pertinent and useful. You will see what I have inserted in that publication of Mr. Badcock's, and think what you propose may be as proper as any thing from myself. You will see, however, that I intend to send something more to the same purpose. § I gave no credit to the report of Mr. Badcock's having been the writer of White's Sermons, till I saw Dr. Gabriel's pamphlet. I see an answer is advertised, and shall hear both sides; but I think nothing very material can be alleged in Dr. White's favour. Mr. Lindsey is preparing the second volume of his Vindicia, and I expect it will be out the next spring. TO REV. T. LINDSEY. DEAR FRIEND, Birmingham, Nov. 10, 1789. I RECEIVED the MS. very safe the day after my last was sent off, and I thank you for your attention to it. I cannot say that I see the force of your reasons for not sending my packet to Mr. Nicholls.** However, I am not sorry that it is "Experiments on the Transmission of the Vapour of Acids through an hot earthen Tube, and further Observations relating to Phlogiston. Read July 2, 1789." Phil. Trans. LXXIX. 289. ↑ Orig. MS. + Exeter. § See supra, pp. 32, 33. Facts relating to the Rev. Dr. White's Bampton Lectures." See W. XVIII. 276. Essex Street. ** Probably, in reference to the complaint, supra, p. 33. |