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mental. Upon thorough conviction in his own mind, he was a Dissenter and a Trinitarian; yet, from an intrinsic liberality of heart, and from always allowing to others the same claim to private judg ment which he exercised for himself, he succeeded in living on terms of the closest friendship with several clergymen of

found himself wholly incapable of fulfil- spicuous rather than Bowery; and his ling any longer the duties of his station. style rather argumentative than sentiIn his walk he was so feeble as to require a staff in each hand to support him, his voice was extremely debilitat ed, and his hearing was imperfect; and with much grief of heart he announced to his congregation his necessity of relinquishing his pastoral office among them, and provided them with an able and worthy successor. It was his inten- the established and Roman Catholic tion to have taken a formal leave of them, and of his ministerial functions, from the pulpit, by a farewel sermon he had prepared for the occasion; but the sensibility of his heart was well known; and his congregation, conceiving such an effort would have been fatal to him, dissuaded him from the attempt; and his sermon, instead of being preached, was only circulated among them. He retired to Charmouth very soon afterwards, where he sedulously dedicated the remainder of his days to the private exercises of devotion. His increased deafness, and difficulty of walking, rendered him incapable of attending on the public services, or ordinances of the church. By way of amusement, he composed, occasionally, at this period, several little pieces of sacred or moral poetry, having always possessed a turn for poetic composition; many of these have a conside rable portion of merit, and the world may yet, perhaps, be favoured with them in some form or other. At this period, St. Austin's Meditations appear to have been studied by him with a particular degree of pleasure, and some of the poetry with which they are interspersed, he took much delight in rendering into English verse, and accomplished with success. Towards the close of the last year, he was again attacked with violent spasmodic affections, that extended by degrees from the chest over the whole region of the abdomen; and his feeble frame being incapable of resisting so severe an assault, he died on January 1, 1807, in the seventieth year of his age. He was twice married; having a year or two after the death of the niece of the Rev. John Mason, who died in childbirth about the year 1766, re-married to Miss Baker, daughter of Mr. J. Baker, of Cannon-street, London, who now survives him.

churches, as well as of a variety of other communities. With him, the Christian religion was a system of love and harmony; and he hence always preferred adverting to those points on which all Christians agreed, to points on which they differed. On this account, he con stantly endeavoured, in all less important matters, to assimilate as nearly as possible his own mode of conducting public worship to that of the Church of England. He uniformly wore a gown, commenced the service in the desk, and strongly inculcated by precept, as well as example, that very decent and reverential act of addressing a short prayer to the Supreme Being on entering into the pew. By this happy system of conciliation, he never failed in producing harmony and marked esteem among Christians of all parties in the different towns in which he resided, although, in more than one instance, he found them in his first entrance among them divided by the bitterest animosities. For the same reason, he was always adverse to the custom of itinerary preaching, or licen sing private or other houses for the purpose of diffusing different religious opinions, which has of late years been becoming so common. He was ready to admit that some benefit might result from it; but in the party spirit, divisions and jealousies it introduced, he was con vinced that the benefit was by no means equal to the mischief. He was also one of the very few Dissenters who disapproved of the late petitions to parliament for a repeal of the Test Act. By the excellence of the constitutional code, and the liberality of the present times, he conceived that Protestant Dissenters were already in possession of all the liberty that is necessary to their acquisition of wealth or honours, and especially to that of their eternal well-being; and he was fearful that if this grand partywall were once broken down, Dissenters would, by degrees, become so much in terwoven and amalgamated with the established church, as that the very of

In his person, he was rather below the common stature; but in his manner, and especially in the pulpit, dignified and commanding. His discourses were well studied and arter nge per

der itself would soon be extinguished in the community. The friends with whom he appears to have lived on terms of the closest intimacy, beyond those of his own personal connexions, were the late Rev. Dr. Wren, of Portsmouth, justly celebrated for his benevolent attention to the wants of the American prisoners during the colonial war; the Rev. Mr. Renaud, rector of Havant, a most worthy and exemplary clergyman, with whom during the whole period of his residing at Havant, he lived on the footing of a brother, rather than of any other character; the Rev. Dr. Hussey, a highly celebrated member and ornament of the Roman

Catholic church, and the most popular preacher of his day; and the Rev. Dr. Toulmin, who has lately removed from Taunton to Birmingham. In his literary acquisitions, he was well acquainted with the French and the Hebrew languages, which last he always read with the points, and deeply and critically skilled in the Latin and Greek tongues. His printed productions never amounted to more than a few single sermons, preached on particular occasions. The vanity or ambition of becoming an author, having always yielded to the desire of being useful in a more retired, but, perhaps, more important capacity.

F.

RELIGIOUS, LITERARY, AND POLITICO-
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

RELIGIOUS.

UNITARIAN SOCIETY.-The Second Report of the Committee of the Unitarian Society, appointed to consider of the best means of obtaining and pubFishing an Improved Version of the New Testament :

"THIS Committee have the satisfaction to report, that as far as their inquiries and their means of information have extended, the plan which the Unitarian Society have proposed of publis!: ing an Improved Translation of the New Testament, meets with universal approbation and the method which the Society have recommended, of takng the late Archbishop Newcome's excellent Version as the basis of their own, with no other variations than such as may appear to be necessary, has been very generally approved, as being most practicable, and at the same time the feast liable to cavil and objection.—The Committee acknowledge with gratitude, that they have received many valuable communications and hints from persons of great learning and judgment, who are desirous of promoting the object of the undertaking, and they trust that they shall be furnished with further communications of a similar kind, from the same, or other quarters in the progress of the work. Having thus digested the plan upon which the work is to proceed, the Committee are solicitous that it may be carried into effect without delay. To this end they beg leave to recommend, that a Subsc iption be forthwith set on foot, to raise the sum which may be neessary for printing a large Edition of

an

the Improved Version; and that the Sub-
cribers be requested to pay the money at
the time of subscription, that the Society
may be able to treat with the persons
whom they may employ upon the best
terms; and that as soon as a sum fixed
by the Society shall be paid into the
Treasurer's hands, the work shall be
immediately sent to the press-Your
Committee further recommend, that a
number, not less than five thousand
copies of the Improved Version, should
be printed: four thousand upon a royal
duodecimo, and one thousand of
octavo size. The expense of the under-
taking, to the best of their judgment,
will amount to a sum not less than
seven hundred pounds.As the de-
mand for the New Testament, and the
charges attending it, will probably be
more than for all the other books of the
Society taken together, your Committee
beg leave to recommend that a separate
fund and a separate account be kept for
the purpose of publishing and distribut-
ing the Improved Version.-And they
also recommend, that, in the first in-
stance, one hundred pounds of the funds
of the Unitarian Society for the current
year be appropriated to this purpose, in
preference to all other claims, after the
just debts and the necessary expenses
of the Society are discharged. They
further recommend, that means should
be inmediately adopted for circulating the
Society's Proposals, and that as soon as
three hundred pounds shall have been
paid into their Treasurer's hands, the
work shall be sent to the press.-And
the Committee likewise recommend

J. JOYCE, SECRETARY. Jan. 1, 1807.

that every Subscriber of One Guinea the same in order that the work may be shall be entitled to Five Copies of the immediately sent to the press. New Testament in extra boards, and so on in proportion, according to the amount of each person's subscription: and that the price of the octavo edition to PROGRESS or RELIGIOUS INsubscribers be Six Shillings and Sixpence QUIRY IN AMERICA.-We are each copy.-The Committee also re- happy to lay before our readers an accommend, that all the following Gen- count of the establishment of a Book Sotlemen, members of this Society, be ciety in the Western part of the State of earnestly solicited to receive subscrip- New York, America, extracted from tions, and to transmit the same to EBEN an American newspaper, and transmit ZZER JOHNSTON, Esq.No. 7,Bishopsgate- ted to us by the Rev. Jeremiah Joyce. street, Treasurer; or to the Rev.J.JovCE, Of the Unitarians in these parts, and of 13, Gloucester Place, Camden Town, the Rev. John Sherman, their minister, on or before the annual meeting in April some information has been already given next, viz. in the Monthly Repository, Vol. I.

Mr. W. Alexander, Woodbridge. pp. 385. 441. and 668. The Unitarian Rev. R. Aspland, Hackney. Rev. T. Book Society, London, have voted Belsham, Hackney. Mr. John Com- books, of the value of ten pounds, to min, Tavistock. Rev. John Corrie, the infant society in America. Their Birmingham. Rev. Mr. Dewhurst, example will, we trust, be followed by Hackney. Rev. Mr. Drummond, Ips- the other Unitarian Book Societies, and wich. Rev. J. P. Estlin, Bristol. Mr. by liberal individuals. Subscriptions Thomas Foster, Bromley Hall. Rev. and books will be gladly taken in, and Ed. Harries, Hanwood, Salop. J. Hone, forwarded to America by the EDITOR. Esq. Dublin. Rev. T. Houlbrooke, "COMMUNICATION.-At a meeting Liverpool. Rev. N. T. Heinekin, on Sept. 20, 1806, of the Society for Brentford. Rev. Mr. Higginson, promoting the knowledge of the Sacred Stockport. Rev. Mr. Holden, Ten- Scriptures, and the practice of the Gos terden. Rev. T. Jervis, Gray's-Inn pel Doctrine'-Resolved to make the Square. Rev. J. Joyce, Gloucester following publication:Place, Camden Town. Ebenezer Johnston, Esq. Stoke Newington. Rev. Mr. Johns, Manchester. Rev. John Kentish, Birmingham. John Kirkpatrick. Esq. Fair Lee, Isle of Wight. Rev. Theoph. Lindsey, Essex Street, Strand. General Synod of the Reformed Dutch Mr. R. Miller, Dundee. Rev. T. Mor- Churches' in this state, of the laudable gan, Redcross Street. Mr. Nash, Roy- endeavours of that High Reverend Body, ston. Rev. S. Parker, Lewes. Rev. to promote the interest of the RedeemT. Pine, Maidstone. Mr. R. Rees, Pater er's kingdom, think it becoming their noster Row. Rev. J. Rowe, Bristol. character and Christian profession, to Rev. J. Simpson, Bath. Rev. R. Scott, co-operate with these endeavours, acPortsmouth. Rev. W. Thomas, Chester. cording to their ability, and in view of Rev. Dr. Toulmin, Birmingham. Rev. the situation allotted them by Divine W. Turner, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Rev. Providence. The limited circumstances J. Taylor, Nottingham. Mr. John Tay- of the people of these Western parts do lor, Norwich. Rev. Charles Wellbe- not enable them, at present, to afford loved, York. Rev. John Yates, Liver pool. Rev. Mr. Youatt, Chichester.

At a GENERAL MEETING, January 8, 1807, the above Report being unanimously agreed to, it was ordered to be printed, and copies of the same to be sent to every Subscriber to the Unitarian Society. The Secretary was also ordered to write to all the above-named Gentlemen, entreating their aid in receiving Subscriptions, and transmitting

"The members of the Society for promoting the knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures, and the practice of the Gos‐ pel Doctrine,' informed by extracts, lately published from the minutes of the

pecuniary aid to their more wealthy brethren in the mercantile cities, for the particular purpose specified in the printed extracts of the General Synod. On the contrary, from the known generosity and affluence of our brethren, we might hope for pecuniary a sistance from them, were they duly apprized of the various and increasing enemies of our Lord by whom we are surrounded. Notwithstanding the eminent blessings of a spi

"The Society for promoting Knowledge, &c.' appeal to the hearts of their Christian brethren of all denominations, to co-operate with them in the important cause. Each member of the society pays two dollars at his admission, and one dollar annually so long as he continues to be a member. Donations in money, for the general purposes of the Society, or in useful books and tracts, particularly Bibles, to be distributed among the poorer classes, will be thankfully received. The money to be transmitted to Col. A. G. Mappa, Treasurer,

ritual nature enjoyed at the hand of a Greek literature, Jewish antiquities and merciful Providence, our situation is Ecclesiastical History, is requisite to rendered truly disagreeable by a grow qualify a Minister of the Gospel to ing fanaticism and enthusiasm which silence the cavils, and successfully to degrade the pure and excellent faith of refute the objections of ancient and mo our divine Master, and by a demoralizing dern infidels against the Jewish and infidelity, which, while it successfully tri- Christian revelations?' umphs against the absurd inventions of men sacrilegiously attached to the religion of Jesus of Nazareth, proudly boasts of victory over Christianity her self. Having deliberated on the radical causes of the prevailing evil, and candidly discussed the subject among ourselves, we are apprehensive that a shameful ignorance, on the one hand, and a disposition for licentiousness on the other, combine to give it birth, and that its only remedy lies in the diffusion of religious knowledge, and in a more exemplary deportment among the professed friends of the Christian cause. Aware, and the books (free of expense) to the however, of the difficulty of comprising in a single view the various causes, direct and remote, which contribute to the sad phenomenon; at the same time sensible that the true causes must be apparent before our exertions to remove it can be directed in such a manner as to furnish a well-grounded hope of success, the Society propose to their enlightened Christian brethren the following questions; upon which the answers are expected before the first day of December, 1807, in a fair legible hand, copied by another, with a Symbolum, as usual, the author's name written in a separate sealed paper, superscribed with the symbolum of his dissertation, and forwarded with the dissertation, free of postage, to the Rev. John Sherman, Secretary of the Society

Rev. John Sherman, Minister of the Reformed Christian Church, both residing in Trenton, county of Oneida, and state of New York. A statement of the concerns of the Society shall annually be made at their general meeting.

Signed by order of the Society,

JOHN SHERMAN, Sec."

"HORRID SECT"--From the Evangelical Magazine)-Extract of a letter from a very respectable gentleman in Germany, dated August 15, 1806.In some parts of Suabia a horrid sect has lately arisen, of which I have received the following description from different quarters: The men wear white cockades; the women distinguish themselves by something worn in the bosom. "1. What are the principal causes of They deny Christ and the Holy Trinity the increasing fanaticism, enthusiasm, in a blasphemous manner, and declare and infidelity within the limits of the the Emperor Napoleon to be the only Middle and Eastern States?-2. What true God; they renounce marriage, are the most potent remedies for these church, and sacraments; call every one moral diseases?-3. In what manner Thou; and will not submit to magismay these remedies be the most success- trates. I don't know how numerous fully applied?

The crowned dissertation upon these questions shall be published, and the author shall receive a premium of fifty dollars. The second shall be noticed with an accesset. Members of the Society, who write upon the subject, shall sign their dissertations with their proper names, without being candidates for the prize.

"The Society also propose the following questions for 1808- What degree of knowledge in Oriental and

these mad people are; but that they are dispersed throughout a considerable district, and maintain such principles, is certain.A subsequent letter from another respectable gentleman in Stutgard, confirms the above account in all material points; it only adds, that some of the poor deluded fanatics call Buonaparte Jesus Jeboval; and also mentions, that some of the most obstinate of this sect have been seized by order of the King of Wirtemberg, on account of their riotous and rebellious conduct, and

LITERARY.

LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL
SOCIETY
or

are now confined in one of the public have raised him to a deservedly high prisons, where the author of the last rank in the commonwealth of learning. letter was introduced to them, in order, The attainments which he had made in if possible, to bring them to their right Eastern literature had eminently quali senses; but he found that they were de- fied him for both the arduous undertak plerably ignorant, obstinately persisting ings which he had planned; for one of in their awful delusion.” which, the more perfect and complete collation of all the known manuscripts of the New Testament, he had made, as an individual, unprecedented collections. But it was not as a mere man of learning that his death is to be lamented by us. As a Literary Association, we' have sustained a severe loss of great versatility of talents and variety of knowledge; enlivened by a brilliant vivacity of conversation, which rendered his society so eagerly sought by the few whose acquaintance in this place his health would allow him to cultivate; but which, in more favourable circum.. stances, would have qualified him to act an eminently useful part, not only as connected with this Institution, but as a member of society at large."

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE.

In

We have received from a correspondent the annual Reports of this Society, from the latest of which it appears that it is in an unusually flourishing state. It was established in 1793. The early views of its projectors were limited to meetings for literary discussion. 1794, however, it was resolved to establish a general library, and this measure greatly increased the number of the members. The library now contains a vast number of volumes, some of them, we observe, extremely valuable. In 1862, a New Institution, for Philosophical Lectures, grew out of the former institution, and is connected with it. The Rev. W. Turner is the lecturer. We have seen some of the syllabuses of his lectures, which give us a high idea, both of him as a philosophical lecturer, and of the growing state of science in Newcastle. A Report of the state of the Society at large is published every year, in which, after the manner of the French Academy, the deaths of eminent and active members are noticed, and their age briefly pronounced. We copy from the 12th Report the following beautiful character (we suppose, from the able pen of the Secretary) of Professor CARLYLE:

The following extract from the 13th and last Report will give the reader some idea of the nature and present state of the Society :

·

"The Papers this year have not been numerous, but some have been of considerable importance. In April, Mr. Clennell read an Essay on the Expedi ency of disclosing the Processes of Manufactures,' a subject which was after wards discussed at one or two meetings. In May, an Essay was read, On the Na ture of Style, and the Causes of its Diver sity,' by Mr. W. Turner, jun. In August, Mr. G. Gray gave an Account of some Experiments on the Root of the Crocus Vernus, as a Substitute for Wheat Flour, with specimens of bread, &c. In Sep tember, Mr. Turner read a Sketch of the History of the Society, from its First "Among the deceased members of Establishment to the End of its Twelfth the past year, the Society has particu- Year, which was ordered to be printed larly to regret the loss of the Rev. Jo- as an Introduction to the New Catalogue seph Dacre Carlyle, B. D. late Vicar of of the Society's Books, Philosophical this town, and Professor of Arabic in Apparatus, and other property. At the the University of Cambridge; of whose November meeting was read Dr. Fenmerit as a polite and elegant scholar the wick's Memoir of the Life, Character, world has already had ample proof, in and Professional Merit of the late Dr. * Select Specimens of Arabic Poetry, Clark;' and also Dr. Ramsay's shorter and expects, with confidence, a power-Summary of Dr. Clark's Character, ful additional testimony, in those Poe- both as a Man and a Physician. In tical Effusions, inspired by the interest- December, Mr. Turner read an Outing scenery of the Troad, which will line of the Lectures on Optics and Asshortly be laid before the public. But tronomy proposed to be delivered in the his meditated services to the cause of Early Part of 1806, in the New InstituScience and Religion would, doubtless, tion established under the Patronage of

VOL. 11.

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