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ton, under Doctors Conder, Gibbons and Fisher. At his leaving the academy, he settled with a congregation at Hertford, from whence he removed to London, to succeed Mr. Stephens, at Little St. Helen's. Here he preached with some acceptance for the space of eight years, when he was removed by death, in the midst of his days, Feb. 4, 1790, aged but 35 years. He is said to have possessed but slender talents, and to have affected too much of the fop.* His remains were interred in Bunhill-Fields, and with his death, the church over which he was pastor, may be said to have died also. The succeeding revolutions that the meeting-house underwent, till it was entirely taken down, have been noticed at the commencement of this article.

CAMOMILE-STREET.

INDEPENDENT,

IN a former article, we have given a copious account of

the rise and progress of the ancient congregational church, of which that in Camomile-street is a branch. The Society in Lime-street being obliged to quit their meeting-house upon the expiration of their lease, at Christmas, 1755, and Mr. Richardson, their pastor, having relinquished his charge, the church divided. That which was considered the largest branch, and who retained possession of the church books,

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removed to the meeting-house in Miles's-lane, with which they were accommodated on the morning of the Lord's-day, by Mr. Jollie's congregation. Within a few months after their removal, Mr. William Porter was chosen pastor, and continued to preach in Miles's-lane for about ten years. At the expiration of that period, the congregation erected a new . meeting-house in Camomile-street. It was opened in the year 1766, and is a good brick-building, of a moderate size, with three galleries. In 1795, Mr. Coward's Fridaymorning lecture was removed to this place from Little St, Helen's. In 1802, Mr. Buck's congregation assembled here for a short time, on the afternoon and evening of the Lord's-day, while their new meeting-house was building. The church in Camomile-street is upon the Independent plan, and before the settlement of the present minister, was at a very low ebb; but is now in a flourishing condition.

The following have been pastors of this Society since the division above-mentioned.

WILLIAM PORTER, the first minister of this Society, was born in the neighbourhood of Royston, in the county of Kent. He received his education at Mile-End, under Doctors Conder, Walker and Gibbons. Not longer after he finished his academical studies, he was chosen pastor of this church, and ordained at Miles's-lane, August 7, 1756. For the space of ten years, he divided his labours between two places; preaching in the morning at Miles's-lane, and in the afternoon at an ancient meeting-house in Hoxton

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square, to the same congregation. But the distance between the two places being very inconvenient, and the latter by far too small to accommodate the people, they erected a new meeting-house in Camomile-street, which was opened in the year 1766. In this new situation, Mr. Porter continued about seven years, when his faculties became somewhat disordered; which being attributed by some persons to a different circumstance, occasioned a ferment in the church, and obliged him to leave the place. He, in consequence, resigned his charge, in a letter to the church, dated Feb. 4, 1773. After this, Mr. Porter removed to Chesham, Bucks, but did not, we believe, undertake any ministerial charge. younger life, he possessed a very handsome person, and striking address. As a preacher, he was lively and agreeable, and, at one time, amazingly popular. But he was never remarkably judicious, not taking sufficient pains with his sermons; by which means he contracted a loose and lazy habit of composition.* Mr. Porter published, a sermon occasioned by the death of Robert Cruttenden, Esq. preached at Miles's-lane, Aug. 7, 1763, on Psa. xxxi. 5. To this sermon were affixed some poetical composures by the deceased (Y)

In

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(y) Mr. Cruttenden was nephew to the Rev. Robert Bragge, pastor of the congregation in Lime-street. He was educated for, and called to the ministry; and preached frequently in his uncle's pulpit. At this time he received offers of a handsome provision in the established church; but these he declined. However, being destitute of the spirit of his office, and finding that his conscience would not permit him to believe the truths which he from time to time delivered from the pulpit, he had the honesty to desist from preaching, and betook himself to a secular employment. This he pursued with considerable success, and in process of time, was chosen the Lord Mayor's Common Hunt, a place of considerable profit. But, losing a great part of his substance in the South Sea bubble, he sold his place, and lived in a private manner, upon the property he had left, and the profits of a place in the Post-office. In this situation, and in the fifty-second year of his age, the Lord was pleased to pluck him as a firebrand out of the burning. In what manner he himself informs us, in the

JOHN REYNOLDS.-This respectable minister was born in London, in the year 1739. Being designed for trade, he was apprenticed to a watch-maker, and became a member of Mr. Hitchin's church, in White-row, Spitalfields. It seems that he had no regular education for the ministry, but the want of this was, in some measure, compensated by intense application to study; by which means he acquired a respectable acquaintance with the languages, with natural philosophy, theology, and other branches of science. After his entrance upon the ministry, he preached a short time at Newport, in Essex, but did not settle there. Afterwards, he had a call from the Dissenting congregation at Haverhill, in Suffolk, where he succeeded the Rev. Thomas Mildway. He continued there till September 1773, when he removed to London, to succeed Mr. Porter, at Camomile-street. He was set apart to the pastoral office in that place, March 2, 1774. In this situation, he laboured upwards of thirty years, till he was removed by death, December 7, 1803, in the 65th year of his age. Mr. Reynolds's health had been declining for at least a year or two before he died. He was able, however, though somewhat indisposed in body, to preach and administer the Lord's-Supper, the Sabbath before his death. On the Monday following, he went to Denmark-hill, to baptize a child of Captain James Wilson. In the evening, he returned in a carriage to Shoreditch church, and in walking from thence to his house in Hoxtonsquare, the cold seized his lungs. All efforts to restore accustomed heat proved in vain; and he departed about two

narrative of his experience, delivered before Mr. Richardson's church, at the time of his being admitted a member, June 4, 1743, and afterwards published, with a recommendation by the Rev, George Whitefield. He survived his conversion upwards of twenty years, and during that time, bore a noble testimony to the truth and power of religion. After the division in the church at Lime-street, Mr. Cruttenden adhered to the branch in Miles'slane. He died happily June 23, 1763, aged 73.————Mr. Porter's Sermon on the Death of Robert Cruttenden.

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o'clock on the Wednesday morning. On Wednesday, December 14, his remains were interred in Bunhill-Fields, when Mr. Brooksbank delivered an address at the grave; and on the ensuing Lord's-day, Mr. Thorpe preached the funeral sermon, to the bereaved church in Camomile-street, but did not publish it.

As a

Mr. Reynolds was in person about the middle size, rather stout built, and of an agreeable countenance. preacher, he was extremely unpopular, and the congregation sunk under his care. His sermons, however, discovered marks of labour, were well composed, and stored with suitable ideas. On these accounts, though his preaching never attracted a croud, yet it was esteemed by the more judicious. To a clear judgment he united a sound understanding, and retentive memory; and his mind being enriched by habits of reading and reflection, he proved an agreeable and instructive companion. His judgment concerning the great truths of the gospel coincided with those of Calvin, and to those doctrines he expressed a zealous attachment. His inquisitive mind was directed to various objects of curious and interesting research; and he left behind him at his death, a well chosen library of books, and other curiosities, which he had diligently collected. In early life, he cultivated a close intimacy and friendship with the learned Mr. Samuel Pike. Mr. Reynolds had also formed an intimate friendship with the late celebrated Robert Robinson, of Cambridge; and notwithstanding their difference upon some points, frequently met together when the latter was in London, and debated their sentiments with much temper and good humour.* Mr. Reynolds, we believe, never appeared before the public, in the cha racter of an author.

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