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pools and reservoirs, where, from their stagnant state, they acquire feculence and pollution!"

With respect to "the holy and devout" Doddridge being involved, along with Messrs. Ashworth and Robins, in the impeachment of their judgment as tutors, the following testimony is at once full and decisive: it shews the folly of the charge, whilst it ought for ever to set the clamours of bigotry at rest. It must be remembered that the pious and sensible Job Orton was, for several years, an assistant of Dr. Doddridge in his Academy, so that he possessed every possible means of forming an accurate opinion on the subject. "He never expected nor desired, (says Mr. Orton, in his Memoirs of Doddridge,) that his pupils should blindly follow his sentiments, but permitted and encouraged them to judge for them selves. To assist them herein, he laid before them what he apprehended to be the truth, with all perspicuity, and impartially stated all objections to it. He never concealed the difficulties which affected any question, but referred them to writers on both sides, without hiding any from their inspection. He frequently and warmly urged them not to take their system of divinity from any man or body of men, but from the word of God. The Bible was always referred and appealed to upon every point in question, to which it could be supposed to give any light. Of his honesty and candour in this respect, the world has had a sufficient proof in his Theological Lectures. He resolutely checked any appearances of bigotry and uncharitableness, and endeavoured to cure them by shewing the guilty persons the weakness of their understandings, and what might be said in defence of those principles which they disliked, reminding them, at the same time, of the great learning and excellent character of many who had espoused them."

This upright mode of tuition was adopted by Dr. Ashworth, and his successor, Mr. Robins, as well as by their successors, the Rev. Thomas Belsham, who, on his change of sentiment, honourably relinquished the theological chair, and also by the Rev. John Horsey, who has presided over the beloved flock of Doddridge for near half a century. Against this

latter gentleman, indeed, the senseless cry of heresy was most unjustly and wickedly raised, whilst his pupils bore an irrefragable testimony to his candour and fidelity. In the same admirable manner, the venerable Dr. Abraham Rees, and the late Dr. Andrew Kippis, himself a pupil of Doddridge, conducted their academical institution at Hoxton. Neither their heads nor their hearts could foster a narrow spirit within the breasts of young ministers, nor did they dare to betray the cause of their Divine Master by an odious and intolerant bigotry. DR. DODDRIDGE was calumniated for his liberality during his lifetime, but the more intelligent of the Independents, to which denomination he belonged, held his labours in due estimation. In his last illness a most affecting letter was addressed to him, where his distinguished merits as a tutor are thus happily recognized:

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Stay, DODDRIDGE! O stay, and strengthen our hands, whose shadows grow long. Fifty is but the height of vigour, usefulness and honour.Don't take leave abruptly. Providence hath not directed thee yet on whom to drop thy mantle. Who shall instruct our youth, fill our vacant churches, animate our associa tions, and diffuse a spirit of piety, moderation, candour and charity, through our villages and churches, and a spirit of prayer and supplication into our towns and cities, when thou art removed from us? Especially, who shall unfold the Sacred Oracles, teach us the meaning and use of our Bibles, rescue us from the bondage of systems, party opinions, empty, useless speculations and fashionable phrases, and point out to us the simple, intelligible, consistent, uniform religion of our Lord and Saviour?" Well might Dr. Kippis remark, that with this letter Dr. Doddridge was so affected, that there was reason to be apprehensive that his tender frame would have sunk under the emotions of his gratitude and joy.*

The author of this incomparable letter was his beloved friend the Rev. Salters' Hall. He left behind him two John Barker, then a popular minister at excellent volumes of Sermons, and was usually styled the silver tongued Barker, from his fascinating delivery. In his correspondence with Doddridge, eulogiz

Such a tutor was Dr. Philip Doddridge, revered by all denominations for his erudition, candour and piety. With bigots, his truly Christian liberality is the stumbling-stone and the rock of offence. However high their pretensions to Orthodoxy, these religionists forfeit all clain to the name of Protestant Dissenters. Their conduct is glaringly offensive. Catholics and Churchmen look down upon them with contempt. More odious than legitimate Popery, away with this bastard Protestantism from off the face of the earth! Give me back Popes and Councils, Bulls and Anathemas, with all the paraphernalia of proud Infallibility! They have, at least, the praise of consistency! But we who pride ourselves on free inquiry, on candour and on liberality, when we contend with our adversaries either of the Church of Rome or of the Church of England, ought never to turn our backs upon the first principles of our profession. Shame, shame on such professors of Christianity! The name of Protestant Dissenter should be resplendent in the annals of the Cross, never for a moment suffer ing its lustre to be tarnished by the foul breath of intolerance and bigotry. Pre-eminent, indeed, are the obligations to gospel charity! Even that haughty prelate Samuel Horsley, though reclining upon the downy couch of preferment, yet knowing that he had sinned grievously against her claims in his controversy with the formidable heresiarch Priestley, pacified his perturbed conscience at the close of the contest with this memorable declaration : "Whatever of intemperate wrath and carnal anger hath ́mixed itself on either side with the zeal with which we have pursued our fierce contention, may it be for given to us both, is a prayer which I breathe from the bottom of my soul, and to which my antagonist, if he hath any part in the spirit of a Chris tian, upon his bended knees will say,

Amen."

The reader will excuse my taking leave of this subject, by mentioning my much-respected relative, the late Dr. Caleb Evans, President of the

ing the exercise of candour, moderation, and free inquiry among Protestant Dissenters, he adds, "We must come to this or come to nothing !"

Baptist Academy at Bristol. Under him I had the felicity to be educated. As theological tutor, he trod in the footsteps of Doddridge, whose liberality was the theme of commendation to all his students in divinity. I well recollect his checking some pupils in whom he discerned symptoms of uncharitableness and bigotry. When a worthy brother minister published an Hudibrastic Poem, entitled, The Socinian Champion, which was admired by many in his connexion, he disapproved both of its design and tendency, wisely reprobating the infidel maxiin of Shaftsbury, that ridicule was the test of truth! Indeed, the best controversial piece Dr. Evans ever wrote, was a Reply to Dr. Priestley's Address to the Professors of Christianity; yet he never failed to speak of his talents and virtues in terms of the warmest admiration. And in his last publication, on the Doctrine of the Atonement, he has these words in the Dedicatory Address to his Congregation:

"It has never been my custom, as you well know, to give hard names to those that differ from me even on subjects of the highest importance, and you will not, therefore, expect any thing of the kind in this publica, tion. The wrath of man will never work the righteousness of God, and I hope I have learned to tremble at the word of my Divine Master. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? Railing accusations may be as easily applied to the support of error as of truth, and can only tend in either case to inflame, never to convince or persuade. We ought as sincerely and cheerfully to admire the virtues of those that may differ from us the most widely, as we would wish to detect and avoid their errors."

Upon these enlarged principles, Dr. Caleb Evans conducted the Particular Baptist Academy at Bristol, which, under him, in conjunction with the Rev. James Newton and the Rev. Robert Hall, attained to an unexampled prosperity.

Sincerely do I hope and trust that the theological tutors of our academical institutions may imitate the illustrious Doddridge in his career of candour and impartiality, which formed the glory of his character and rendered him a blessing to the religious world. He kept pure and translucent the

streams which make glad the city of our God. If aught of good hath accrued from the humble labours of the writer of this article, either as minister or as tutor, especially of those whom, during a period of upwards of twenty years, were trained up by him to the Christian ministry, it is under the blessing of heaven ascribed to his having been early smitten with the admiration of this excellent man, distinguished as he was for unwearied diligence, diffusive benevolence and ardent piety. His bust, recently executed by his great-grandson, he esteems the choicest ornament of his habitation. Endeared by the transcendant worth of the original, and emanating from the skill of an immediate descendant excelling in that department of the arts, he not unfrequently contemplates it with an affectionate veneration. Indeed, he bequeaths it to his children and to his children's children, and, should the frail memorial endure, to his latest posterity! Righteousness alone is immortal!

I conclude with the avowal of that truly Christian prelate, the late Dr. Richard Watson, Bishop of Llandaff: "An intolerant spirit has abated much of its violence amongst ourselves. We pray God that it may be utterly extinguished in every part of Christendom, and that the true spirit of Christianity, which is the spirit of meekness, peace and love, may be introduced in its stead! If different men in carefully and conscientiously examining the Scriptures, should arrive at different conclusions, even on points of the last importance, we trust that God who alone knows what every man is capable of, will be merciful to him that is in error. We trust that he will pardon the Unitarian if he be in an error, because he has fallen into it from the dread of becoming an idolator, of giving that glory to another which he conceives to be due to God alone. If the worshiper of Jesus Christ be in an error, we trust that God will pardon his mistake, because he has fallen into it from a dread of disobeying what he conceives to be revealed concerning the nature of the Son or commanded concerning the honour to be given him. Both are actuated by the same principle, the fear of God, and though that principle impels them

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SIR,

Bolton, March 16, 1824. AM desirous to correct a mistake which has crept into the last number of the Monthly Repository, (p. 120,) respecting the congregation assembling in Bank Street, Bolton, which is there called Presbyterian. Whatever was the import of the word in the last century, it denotes, in the present day, the profession of sentiments very nearly allied to the unintelligible opinions of Calvin. So far from such tenets being now entertained by the Society, they have pleasure in the recollection, that they were among the first congregations in Lancashire who declared themselves in favour of the Unitarian doctrine; and in such belief they have continued ever since. As long as nearly a century ago they were favoured with the services of an excellent preacher, whose name and opinions have been long known to the Unitarian public, by his admirable little treatise on "The Sovereignty of the Divine Administration." I allude to the Rev. Thomas Dixon. He was succeeded by the Rev. Philip Holland, whose two volumes of Discourses sufficiently shew that his sentiments were the same as those of his predecessor: and those also of his colleague, in the latter two years of his ministry, the late Mr. Hawkes, of Manchester. After this period, for more than thirty years the Rev. John Holland, unceasingly continued to advocate and enforce the doctrines of Unitarianism. A precarious state of health, from which he has now, in a great measure, happily recovered, induced him to resign the pastoral office, under a conviction that he could no longer attend satisfactorily to its various duties; and his place was filled, during a short period, by my immediate predecessor, the Rev. Noah Jones.

It is only necessary to mention these circumstances to remove an impression which has lately become somewhat prevalent, from circumstances to which it will be needless to allude, and to shew that the Society is still the same as it has been, for almost a century, decidedly Unitarian. FRANKLIN BAKER.

REVIEW.

"Still pleased to praise, yet not afraid to blame."-Pope.

A Memoir of the Rev. T. N. Toller. By Robert Hall, A. M. London, Published by Holdsworth. 8vo. Pp. 71. 1824. THIS Memoir is prefixed to a posthumous volume of Mr. Toller's Sermons, which we hope to notice in some future number. A biographical narrative, having such a subject, and proceeding from such an author, may well be considered as meriting a distinct review.

Thomas Northcote, son of John and Mary, Toller, was born at South Petherton, in Somersetshire, in the year 1756. Both his parents were eminently pious: and, like many Christians, and Christian ministers, of high attainments, he always thought himself indebted, under God, for his first religious impressions, to the tender solicitude of his mother for the promotion of his eternal welfare. At the early age of fifteen, he was sent to the academy at Daventry, in Northamptonshire: here he passed five years; four of them, under the tuition of Dr. Ashworth-the last, under that of Mr. Robins. He began to supply on October 1, 1775, a Dissenting congregation at Kettering: and his services proved so acceptable, after repeated visits, that he was invited to take up his permanent residence with them; with which invitation he complied in June of the ensuing year, and was ordained pastor, May 28, 1778. On this office, the weight and responsibility of which were not a little increased by some dissensions among the people for a short time before his visits to Kettering, he entered with fear and trembling, and with that unfeigned distrust of his own sufficiency, and heartfelt conviction of the importance of his charge, which are the surest omen ⚫ of success.

Little variety must be looked for in

Mon. Repos. Vol. XVII. 196, 198. XVIII. 605. Mr. Robins was successor to Dr. Ashworth, as theological tutor at Daventry; not his "assistant.” Mon. Repos. V. 362, &c.

the subsequent sketch of Mr. Toller's life. As he seldom travelled, or mingled in the scenes of public business, as his habits were domestic, and his

disposition retired, years glided away without presenting an occurrence of sufficient magnitude to entitle it to a permanent record. Through a long series of years, he persevered in the exemplary discharge of his spiritual functions, among a people, who, in proportion as his talents unfolded themselves, regarded him with increasing love and veneration, as well on account of his ministerial qualifications, as his amiable, prudent and consistent deportment.

In the year 1793, he entered into the married state with Miss Elizabeth Gale, of Cranford, in the neighbourhood of Kettering. By this lady he had two children, John, who died in his infancy, and Thomas, who still survives him, and, under the most pleasing auspices, succeeds his father in the pastoral office. This happy union was of short duration. long after the birth of her second child, Mrs. Toller betrayed symptoms of consumption, and, after a lingering illness, expired on the 15th of September, 1796.

Not

For some time previously to this event, the health of Mr. Toller himself had been much impaired: and serious apprehensions were entertained of his being far advanced in a decline. By an excursion to Cambridge, however, in the course of which he met with the most flattering attentions from all quarters, his spirits were revived, and from that time the indications of disease gradually vanished. He continued a widower till the year 1803, when he took for his second wife Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of Mr. William Wilkinson, of Northampton: by her he had five sons, all of whom, together with their mother,

survive him.

In the year 1799, the congregation assembling in Carter Lane, Doctors' Commons, London, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Thomas Tayler, wanting a supply for one part of the day, applied to Mr. Toller, and offered

him, for one service only, a salary considerably beyond what he then enjoyed. To this invitation he gave a decided negative. In the beginning of the following year, the congregation at Clapham gave him a similar invitation, which he also declined. The two congregations then united their invitations, offering a large salary, on condition of his undertaking a single service at each place. This joint application he refused. The people of Kettering, hearing of these repeated attempts to remove him, became justly alarmed: a few of them waited upon him, informing him of the uneasiness they felt at these attempts to effect a separation. They assured him of his entire possession of the hearts of his people, and declared that, though their situation did not permit their making such proposals as the other parties, they would do all in their power, and most gladly rectify any circumstance which gave him uneasi ness. His reply was, that if he found his services still acceptable, no pecuniary advantages should ever tempt him to relinquish his charge. At the same time, he intimated that, as the two congregations still persisted in their application, he wished his people publicly to express their sentiments. on the subject, that he might be armed with conclusive reasons for declining invitations so earnestly and repeatedly urged. This gave occasion to three separate addresses, from the young people, from the members of the Benevolent Society, and from the congregation at large, each expressive of the high esteem they entertained for his character, their sense of the benefit derived from his ministry, and their extreme reluctance to resign advantages which they so highly prized. To these addresses a most affectionate and appropriate reply was made by their pastor, in which he assured them of his unalterable attachment, together with his final determination to

accede to their wishes; and thus ended the last attempt to remove Mr. Toller from his station.

It was during the year 1813, that his friends determined to carry into effect an idea which had before been suggested, that of raising a sum of money to be presented as a testimony of their esteem, as well as with a view to lay the basis of a permanent pro

vision for his family. As soon as he had intelligence of the design, he naturally and freely suggested some objections to the measure. The apprehensions and scruples, however, which arose from his extreme delicacy, were overruled; and a sum amounting to nearly a thousand pounds was contributed, with a promptitude and alacrity, which did equal honour to those who conferred, and to him who received, the favour.

Through the larger portion of his life he was occasionally liable to great depression of spirits; but about seven years previously to its close, in con sequence of a sudden interruption of the profuse perspiration which had constantly attended his public exercises, and which was thrown back upon the system, he sunk into such a state of despondency as disqualified him, for some time, for the discharge of his ministerial functions. He survived this affliction several years: but from that time the circulation of his blood appears to have been less regular, and the depression of his spirits more frequent than before. Symptoms of a tendency to apoplexy, made their appearance. Near the close of the year 1820, one attack of this nature left him so weak and shattered in constitution as to convince him he should never be able to resume his full pastoral duties again: and his son was, accordingly, chosen as his assistant. On Sunday, February 25, 1821, Mr. Toller preached in the morning, with all his usual animation, from Isaiah, lxiii. 7-13, and remarked, at the end of the sermon, what encouragement this passage affords the widow and the fatherless to put their trust in God; finishing his last public discourse with these words:

"To thee our infant race we leave,

Them may their father's God receive; That ages yet unborn may raise Successive hymns of humble praise.” by his family, and conversing with his He spent the evening surrounded children in a strain of cheerful piety, and after a night of sound repose, arose as well as usual the next morn

ing. About noon, leaving the parlour, he was found a few minutes after in an apopletic fit, or a seizure resem

* Mon. Rep. XVII, p. 196.

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