clare what a friend you have been to me for his great name sake. Then shall you be rewarded openly for all your private charities, and for working so hard with your hands that you may have to give to him that needeth. Goe on, my dear Sir, and lay up treasures in heaven. Oh that the Lord may help us to hold on and hold out to the end! He will, he will! You do not forget to pray for me; I never forget you, my dear old and hearty friend. The Lord Jesus bless you and yours, both in soul and body! I send your dear yoke. fellow and daughter my most cordial salutations, and beg you yourself would accept of sincerest acknowledgments and love from,

My very dear Mr. Savage, Your most obliged and affectionate friend in the common Lord, G. WHITEFIELD,

To Mr, Samuel Savage, at the sign of the Crown, in Sun Street, Spittle-fields,

London.

ORIGINAL LETTER OF THE REV.

J. NEWTON.

DEAR BROTHER,-Thos. Rothwell called at my house yesterday, but I was from home. I have long been indebted a visit to Bolton, and likewise desirous of the sight of Mr. Warhurst (since I cannot get a letter from him). I now propose to spend the next Sabbath at Bolton, if the Lord please, and to call on you at Manchester on Monday, unless I should (which I question) find it convenient to stretch forward into Yorkshire, in which case I shall not be with you till the end of the week.

But as Mr. Burgess informed me, in his last, that Mr. Waldgrave's ordination is to be sometime in this month, I write to beg, that if it should be fixed for next week, you would form me by to-morrow or Thursday's post, that when I am at Bolton, I may turn

my horse's head to Tockholes at once, and perhaps Mr. Burgess' notice might come on Saturday,. when I am not in Liverpool to receive it.

I should be glad of an opportunity to see Mr. Scott (of Heckmondwike), either at Tockholes, or at his own house, to let him know that I am disposed to accept a call within his connection, and under the sanction of his judgment and recommendation, if any favourable opportunity should offer, and he thinks proper to encourage me. I begin to be weary of standing all the day idle, and there seems not the least probability of beginning any thing at Liverpool; the Lord hath made me willing, nay desirous, to set about it. I would prefer it to any thing else. I have made all the overtures towards it that the situation of things will bear; but it will not do, there is not a person (one woman excepted) who is willing to concur in the necessary preliminaries.

If I should not have opportunity of meeting with Mr. Scott, I take the liberty to desire you to acquaint him with my case, and to tell him, so far as I know my own heart, I have quite done with the established church, so called, not out of anger or despair, but from a conviction that the Lord has been wise and good in disappointing my views in that quarter, and I believe if the admission I once so earnestly sought was now freely offered, I could hardly, if at all, accept it.

If I come to Manchester on Monday, I hope to stay two days; but I am deeply engaged to lodge with Mr. Philips, as they were so kind as to abide with us, and make the first advances towards an acquaintance.

I hope your soul prospers; that the Lord comforts, refreshes, and strengthens you in your inner man and your outward labours. I hope

the house which you have built to his name is filled with his glory. Happy they that know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; but happy, above all others, are those who receive appointment and power to proclaim this grace to poor sinners, and who find the Lord confirming their word with signs following. To be thus engaged, among a few faithful lively people, to dispose all my faculties, studies, and time to this service, is the one thing that I continually desire of the Lord, and which I think I could without hesitation prefer to the honours and possessions of a lord or a prince.

I believe you pray for me, dear Sir, continue go to do; entreat the Lord to empty me of self, to ill me with grace, to make me humble, obedient, watchful, and spiritual in all things; to nourish me daily with the bread and water of life, to favour me with those transfering manifestations of his love, which the world knows nothing of, and then let him do with me as seemeth good in his sight, and to this purpose my poor petitions shall not be wanting for you. My love to Mr. and Mrs. Clegg, and their family. May the love of God our Saviour be with you, and with your affectionate

J. NEWTON. To the Rev. Mr. Warhurst, at Mr. Clegg's,

Manchester,

HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF DISSENTING INSTITUTIONS.

No. III.

HOMERTON ACADEMY.

(Its early History,) IT is now generally admitted, we believe, that dissenters are not more destitute of taste than their neighbours; when, therefore, they visit the national universities of this country, they are impressed, in common with every other stran ger, with their beauty and magnificence.

They can wander amidst those venerable groves which adorn the classic banks of the Isis or the Cam, beneath whose shade Bacon and Lock, Milton and Newton, have meditated, and feel and confess the magic influence of their rich associations. They can roam amidst the bibliographical treasures of the Bodleian Library, or gaze upon the half-concealed beauties of the Fitzwilliam Museum; they can witness the splendid assemblies which grace the Theatre or the Senate House, where literary honours are obtained, as the reward of literary toil, and confess, here are the means, the pleasures, the rewards of study. To share these advantages, the dissenter has a right, in common with every other loyal subject in the realm. These gothic chapels, these splendid halls, these spacious quadrangles, these solemn cloisters, these stately groves, were not built or planted by that church which now claims their exclusive possession. Their munificent but misled founders and benefactors intended them for the advantage of a church which was to requite their alms-deeds with daily masses and unceasing intercessions, till their influence should prevail in heaven, and their spirit emerge from the gloomy dungeons of purgatory. Alas! poor souls, they trusted in refuges of lies! their altars are neglected, their oratories are forsaken, their masses are unsung, and if they had no better refuge, they now realize, in the. bitterness of disappointed hope, that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Nothing but a great national benefit could justify the transfer of these institutions to the professors of the Reformation, and, consequently they should have been preserved as universities in the true sense of that word, for the e national use.

When, however, dissentients:

appeared, the dominant sect imposed subscriptions to their formulary, as the terms of matriculation in these seats of learning, from which multitudes of holy and intelligent men conscientiously conscientiously shrink; and though they are entitled, on every principle of public justice, in common with their neighbours, to the advantages which public property may afford, yet they are constrained to forego them all, to preserve that peace of conscience which college groves or college wealth cannot impart. Hence arose the necessity of literary institutions amongst dissenters, and though their humble academies may excite the contempt of those who bear all the blushing honours, "and possess all the earthly sweets, which the universities have to give; yet, if they are tried by the test of utility, it will be found, in their past history and present state, that they so furnish the dissenting ministry with well-directed learning, as often to secure for it reluctant praise, or what is more frequently displayed, and which, as a testimony, is of equal worth, increasing jealousy and active competition.

HOMERTON ACADEMY claims, on account of its antiquity and high respectability, the first place in our review of the collegiate institutions of dissenters.

This stream of sanctified learning, which has made glad many of the churches of Christ, is to be traced to two distinct sources, which, after a few years, united, and thus secured an uninterrupted supply of those who have refreshed the plantations of our God.

Soon after the Restoration, the INDEPENDENT or CONGREGATIONAL FUND BOARD was formed; it had the two-fold object of assisting ministers in the country of that denomination, whose incomes were inadequate to their support, and of furnishing young men of promising talents, who had received a classical education, with

gratuitous instruction, preparatory to their entrance upon the dissenting ministry.

It is now not easy to trace the early history of the Fund Academy, or to furnish an accurate list of its tutors. There were two individuals, however, connected with its tuition, who dignify its history. DR. THOMAS RIDGLEY, whose theological lectures are in great and just repute amongst Calvinistic divines; and Mr. JOHN EAMES, F.R.S., the friend of Sir Isaac Newton, of whom Dr. Watts once said to one of his students, Mr. Angus,' "Your tutor is the most learned man I ever knew." The instruction of such men, after a classical education had been previously acquired, was well calculated to produce a succession of learned candidates for the dissenting ministry; but it was found, that by making a knowledge of the learned languages a pre-requisite, pious parents were induced, with mistaken zeal, to devote their boys from childhood to this important work, and thus many were introduced into the Academy, and afterwards to the pulpit, in whom a fearful want of personal religion, and of settled theological sentiments was soon discovered, the baneful effects of which were apparent in the decay or divisions of those congregations, which had flourished under the pastoral care of their more evangelical predecessors. This state of things was deeply deplored by many pious laymen, both Baptists and Independents, and at length a Society was formed in 1730, to seek by wise and scriptural means to counteract these evils. THE KING'S HEAD SOCIETY, as an association of laymen, was at first regarded with no friendly dispositions by the suppor

* Rev. W. Chaplin's Funeral Sermon for the Rev. John Angus.

These gentlemen succeeded to the office of tutors upon the death of Dr. Chauncey, 1712, and they are said to have delivered their lectures in Tenter Alley, Moorfields.

ters of the Congregational Fund, and only one Independent minister, the Rev. John Sladen,* cordially acquiesced in its design. As the Society became better known, it grew in the estimation of the churches. Having drawn up a declaration of what appeared to them important truths, and which had been recently much controverted, they proceeded to seek for young men of genuine piety, who displayed an earnest desire to extend the knowledge of salvation. These they received without regard to their previous literary advantages; but to prevent as much as possible the disadvantages resulting from their educational defects, they wisely extended the term of study from four years, which was allowed by the Fund Board, to six years, which enabled them, with diligence, to obtain a competent share of learning, while the Society possessed satisfactory evidence of their personal religion. It was in course arranged, in conformity with the spirit of the Society, that the students should reside in the house of the tutor, by which a vigilant observation of their conduct and character was secured. The academy was therefore fixed wherever the tutor might chance to reside; and thus its early history records the names of several places in the environs of London, or in the city itself, where the work of tuition was successively prosecuted. The REV. SAMUEL PARSONS† was the first tutor appointed by the society, which took place in July, 1731. He resided at Clerkenwell Green, and there, till May, 1735, maintained the academy; when it was removed to the house of Dr. ABRAHAM TAYLOR, at Deptford, where it continued till March, 1740, when the embarrassed circumstances of that learned and able minister compelled the Society again to remove

* Vide Wilson, vol. ii. pp. 81, 82, + Wilson, vol. iv. p. 265.

their infant institution. The REV. JOHN HUBBARD, residing at Stepney, was now chosen tutor, and there the academy was established. The Rev. John, afterwards Dr. Walker, was providentially appointed assistant-tutor in 1742, for early in 1743, Mr. Hubbard died, which bereavement again threatened the prosperity of the new seminary.* Mrs. Hubbard continued to board the students, Mr. Walker was the resident tutor, and DR. ZEPHANIAH MARRYAT, a gentleman venerable for his years and his considerable attainments, was requested to succeed Mr. Hubbard. The permanent situation he declined, on account of his age, but accepted the office till a suitable individual should be found. A year elapsed, and the King's Head Society had found no tutor to take the Doctor's place; and during that period, Mr. Eames, the tutor of the Fund Academy, died; and the members of that board invited Dr. Marryat to become their tutor. This measure rendered it probable that a union might be effected between the two Societies, if the Doctor accepted the office to which the King's Head Society had appointed him. The hope of accomplishing this important measure prevailed over his objections, and it was resolved, for his convenience, to remove the Institution from Stepney to the City. Mr. Walker soon engaged Plasterers'-hall, in Addle-street, and there he resided with the students; the Fund Board having

consisted of Independents and Baptists, "For some time, the Society, which proceeded very harmoniously, and several

young men were educated under their patronage, who afterwards became eminent Baptist ministers, but at length some difference arising respecting the numbers of each denomination that were brought forward, the Baptists quietly withdrew from the Society."-Vide "An Account of the Origin of the King's Head Society, &c." to which the writer of the above article confesses himself indebted for the statements he has given.