consent. But the men who are least fit to do this are generally the most forward. The snare, however, is broken, and you know your own right, as men and Christians. Oh! stand fast in the liberty, wherewith Christ has made you free, as Christians and Protestant Dissenters. Alas! proud men want to pull the Sun of Righteousness out of the sky, and to stick up a dim candle there to mock our misery with its contemptible glimmer. They want to take the bread of life out of our hands and mouths, and insult our hunger with hard stones; and, when we ask for living water, they would give us, as the Jews to our Master, vinegar to drink. Our gospel store-houses are full, but they want to take away the key, that we should feed on ashes; and, not knowing our moral diseases, they say, with their cousin Naaman, the Syrian, Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Jordan? Oh! pity them, my dear friends, and pray for them, for we ourselves were sometimes foolish and ignorant, serving divers lusts and pleasures; and is there not yet much of hell mixing itself with our evangelical heaven? Has grace fetched us out of the graves of iniquity? Alas! how our grave cloaths hang about us still! Are we light in the Lord? But, oh! how dark and dismal in ourselves! Even our old age here is but making an entrance upon the knowledge of Christ, that study which is to be the employment and the bliss of everlasting years. But, oh! let us keep close to Christ, the all-enriching pearl, the way to blessedness, and the door into God and glory. As a servant of God, my business is not to tell men how the Father, Son, and Spirit are one God; why the Father chose this man in Christ and not another, before the foundation of the world, and calls him effectually by his grace. Yet I hope to be tenacious of every revealed truth, because each is a twig in the rod of God's strength; and giving up the least of them is treason against the glory of God, and opposing man's salvation in some degree or other. I observe also that the most offensive truths to proud man are the most necessary for him to believe and feel, especially about the person, offices, and grace of our dear Immanuel. These truths would be a blessed bargain, if bought with our blood; but if Heaven allows them to us cheaper, shall we suffer men or devils to take them away from us? Surely light thoughts of Christ always produce light thoughts of God and his law, of sin, in its nature and desert, of grace, of sanctification, of the Spirit's work, and of that eternity to which death is hurrying us away. Christ and the Spirit are to our souls what the sun and air are to our bodies. Oh! remember, my dear friends, Christians are not like other men. They have a different father and nature, yea, different enjoyments and employments. Their souls go upright, while others grovel in the dust. They make the tour of heaven, while others coast around the narrow shores of time. Their clothing, food, language, views, and company are different from those of others; and, oh! how different will their end be! That end approaches fast to prove the sinner an eternal fool. Therefore, for Christ sake, my brethren, walk closely and humbly with God. Put on the beautiful garment which Christ wrought out and prepared for you. Walk with God; he is come down for this purpose, and is ready to put underneath you everlasting arms. Oh! lean upon, go no where without him. Don't you hear the roaring lion? Who then can be safe without an everywhere present Jesus? Precious Jesus. Let us follow him, but not as Peter did, to his cost, afar off. Oh! keep close to God, to his word, ordinances, ministers, and people. Let love among yourselves be without dissimulation, a wise, tender, and pure love; even as God, for Christ's sake, hath loved you. Oh! remember, and plead it with him, that he has called you to holiness, into the fellowship of his dear Son, and to inherit an everlasting blessing. Live, my friends, by faith. It can bring heaven to earth, and carry hearts to heaven out of the way of sin, misery, and the devil. Most of the people at Weymouth, to whom I preached the gospel, are now for ever fixed in infinite bliss or woe; but I thought that the children of some of them, and others who now occupy the ground I once trod would not be offended at an old man's thus expressing his tender love and care for their souls. Oh! may he who prefaced the Ten Commandments at Sinai with these all-gracious words, "I am the Lord thy God," say this in sweeter accents from Mount Sion, to you every day. And however little my grey hairs can do for you, or others of my Lord's blood-bought people, be sure that to hear that you are growing up into Christ, will much comfort (in my 63d year) the heart of, my dear friends, your affectionate brother and servant, in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, THOMAS READER. Taunton, Jan. 31, 1788. REV. SIR Having so sure a bearer as Dr. Hill I could not let slip this opportunity of writing too or 3 lines to you tho' unknown. My desires of the prosperity of Christ's church in Shrewsbury caused me to be solicitous for the reparation of their present breach in regard of a minister: and having so full a testimony by many of my friends of your piety, prudence and ability, to them to seek you. I understand you demurre, and have some discouragements. If my testimony can do any thing to turne the scales, I do assure you, impartially, that were I loose I know not one congregation in England that I would sooner choose; The people are (those that are godly) very serious, sober Christians, as most ever I knew. move The meeting place, very convenient for many to heare, with an easy voice. Many godly ministers in the country about: and the place publique, and of great resort and concernment. Sir you know that the maine part of the comfort of a minister's life lyeth in the piety, stability and encouraging obedience of his people. The differences among them are such as more to encourage than discourage you. It is not in religion: and both partyes will make you the cement of their closure; for both long after you. The Governour is a very godly, judicious, orthodox man: I hope they will provide you an assistant: If not it is but taking up with £100 per ann. (which on experience I find is enough) and allow the £50 to one of your own choosing. The Lord direct you. The Dr.'s extreme haste forbids me to say more. Yours, RD. BAXTER. To my much honoured friend This HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF DISSENTING INSTITUTIONS. No. II. DR. WILLIAMS'S CHARITIES. MORE than a century having passed away since the demise of Dr. Williams, those who personally knew him have, in course, followed him to the tomb, and their immediate successors have also long since been numbered with the dead. Oral information cannot therefore be obtained respecting him, and we are dependent for the facts, by which to estimate his character, on the recorded incidents of his life, and the testimony of his contemporaries. One of these, a young man, who waited upon the Doctor about "passing trials," as a candidate for the ministry, has recorded, in the memoirs of his own life, which have been published in a periodical journal,* that he "was "Memoirs of himself, by Mr. John Fox," which appeared in the Monthly Repository for April 1821, and as that work is not generally read by evangelical Dissenters, we take leave to extract the following passage, which appears to be a broad caricature of Dr. Williams, sketched under the influence of feelings, which were, upon his own statements, very properly disappointed : "My intention being soon known to the gentlemen who lived with me in the same house, one of them, (Mr. James Reed,) who had an acquaintance with Dr. Williams, persuaded me to apply to him while Dr. Calamy was in Kent, and offered to introduce me. I being willing at any rate to get rid of an affair which sat so uneasy upon me, consented, and one forenoon, when it was a time of leisure and audience, we waited on him at his house at Hoxton. After crossing a large court, in which stood a coach, as an emblem of some state unusual to men of that rank, I was led into a large dark parlour, at the upper end of which I discovered the figure of a man in black, sitting alone at a large wainscot table, smoaking a pipe. As this figure seemed no way affected by the noise we made in entering the room, but sat precisely in the same posture, without moving either his head or eyes to see who or what we were, I began to suspect that we had intruded at an unseasonable time, and kept myself as near the door as possible, in the greatest bundle of pride, affectation, and ill manners he ever met with." That Dr. Williams was a gentleman in his manners, may be safely inferred from his noble and other highly respectable connections; and that he loved his brethren in the ministry, and was solicitous to promote their literary character and personal comfort, is demonstrated by his charities. But we suspect the fact was, that the good Doctor possessed pretty certain information, that this young gentleman, "pretending to holy orders," was alike deficient in his creed and his conduct. An Arian in sentiment, and a worldling in spirit, was not the man Dr. Williams would receive into his house as a candidate for the Christian ministry, with courtesies and smiles. His disposition to encourage young ministers, who appeared "likely to be useful and faithful"-is fully esta order to facilitate my retreat in case we should meet with some rebuke for our intrusion. But I was mistaken; for I perceived Mr. Reed approaching near enough to be seen, who, after making a very low bow, which the Doctor returned only with 'How d'ye,' told the business he came about, and that he had brought me to wait on him for that purpose. All this while, I kept my first station, with my hat in my hand, having not yet ventured far enough in the room to fall into the focus of his eyes. At length, after two or three very loud and significant puffs, he did vouchsafe to roll his eyes towards me, and with great gravity asked me three questions: What is your name?' • Where was you bred?' Have you a certificate from your tutor?' I answered to them with great brevity, upon which ensued another very solemn and considerable silence. At length, with great deliberation and indifference, he replied, that one Lorimer (a minster always employed to examine) was out of town, but he would mention it at his return, and I might hear further. Upon this we made our obeisances and retired, leaving him in the same mannerly position in which we found him, and glad enough was I to get free from the greatest bundle of pride, affectation, and ill manners I had ever met with. From the moment after this audience, I thought it impossible for one of my make to pass a trial before such creatures as this." blished by his bequests of estates at Barnet, in Hertfordshire, and Totham, in Essex, together with £100. in money to the COLLEGE OF GLASGOW, to provide for the University education of dissenting mini sters. Having nominated several students to be his first beneficiaries; he ordered his trustees to fill up their vacancies as they might occur, with youths from South Britain, to be maintained by the college, and to " prefer the sons of poor Presbyterian ministers, equally qualified, before others." Several amicable arrangements have been made before the Court of Chancery, between the professors of Glasgow and the trustees, respecting the accounts and other matters of detail, and under prudent management, the estates have so much increased in value, that exhibitions are now granted to eight students of £40. each per annum while under-graduates, and of £45. per annum when graduates. Students are not eligible till sixteen years of age, and are expected at certain periods to declare their intention of pursuing the Christian ministry in South Britain. Testimonials of their progress are required at the close of each session, and they may be removed from the College at the discretion of the trustees. The establishment of schools was a second object with the benevolent founder of these charities, who provided that in the towns of Denbigh, Flint, Carnarvon, Montgomery, and Beaumaris, or also in the town of Conway, Merioneth, Holt, and Chelmsford, Essex, schools for twenty poor children should be formed, to instruct them in English reading, and the principles of the Christian religion. He appointed, that the teacher should receive £8. per annum, and give to each learner a copy of the Assembly's Catechism, with proofs at large, and one of his own books, called "The Vanity of Childhood and Youth," and a Bible as a reward, when they can repeat the catechism with the proofs. The conformist ministers and principal inhabitants of Flint, Beaumaris, and Conway, rejected the proposal of the trustees, to establish schools in their respective places, because the children were to be taught the Assembly's Catechism, and, as they supposed, by a Dissenter from the Church of England. The trustees, therefore, proposed to the Court of Chancery, that Newmarket, in Flintshire, and Pwllhelli, in Carmarthenshire, should have schools established instead of the former places, which the Court approved. In consequence of the improvements in property, the salary of each master is now £16. per annum, which is an important addition to the income of those poor ministers, to whose care the schools are committed. Two hundred poor children now annually receive the benefit of this bequest. Missions to the heathen were not overlooked by this excellent man. He gave to the Society in Scotland for Promoting Christian Knowledge, an estate at Catworth, in Huntingdonshire, together with £100. in money, which they were to possess one year after three qualified missionaries had been sent to some foreign infidel countries, to labour for their conversion to the Christian faith. Some difficulties in the arrangements of this bequest arose, but being overcome, the trustees conveyed the property to the Society on July 4, 1737, which in course is now answerable for its faithful appropriation. The neglected state of the slave population in the West Indies also excited his commiseration; he therefore bequeathed the reversion of another estate, called Becknam Hall, in Essex, to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England, upon the condition that £60. per annum should be allowed to two properly qualified persons to preach as itinerants in the English plantations in the West Indies: and that the remainder of the income should be paid to the College of Cambridge, in New England, towards the port of persons engaged in the conversion of the Indians; 1746, the writings of this estate were delivered to the Treasurer of the Society, in consequence of the death of the person who had a life interest in it. sup The moral culture of the neglected natives of Ireland was a subject not likely to escape the recollection of one who had so long ministered in its metropolis. He felt convinced, that Irish hearts were most likely to be won to the truth through the medium of their vernacular tongue, and he therefore charged his estates with a grant of £50. per annum, to a Protestant minister, skilled in that language, who should be willing, as an itinerant, diligently to preach in Irish when he can find opportunity, so long as he was approved by four gentlemen he named, or their assigns, in concurrence with his London trustees. The miscellaneous means of usefulness were not overlooked by Dr. Williams, and he therefore appointed a certain surplus to purchase Bibles and Catechisms for distribution-to assist ministers to labour in North and South Wales, -to aid poor students-to relieve the widows of ministers-and to put needy boys apprentice. These, with other minor bequests, do not require a more extended notice. Dr. Williams was himself confessedly orthodox, and the trustees he appointed were so too, as will be evident, when the yenerated names of Rev. Wm. Lorimer, Wm. Tong, Matt. Henry, Benj. Ro binson, Joseph Boyse, Doctors Oldfield and E. Calamy are recited. 66 His valuable property is now in other hands;-in the hands of gentlemen who flatter themselves that had he lived till now, amidst increasing light, there is reason to believe that he would have imbibed what they think more rational and enlarged views of Christian doctrine." But as he never did imbibe those views, but opposed and loathed them, how can they honestly employ it for the propagation of those sentiments which he abhorred ? Let them ask the public, aye, and their own consciences too, what Dr. Williams meant, when he declared "that the profits were to be employed for the glory of God, and the promotion of pure unmixed Christianity?" Was it not that Christianity which the Assembly's Catechism teaches, and which his own writings exhibit? The perusal of the following close to the last solemn testament of the Doctor, will convince every candid reader that these gentlemen have contracted a fearful responsihility. "I beseech the blessed God for Christ Jesus' sake, the head of his church, whose I am, and whom I desire to serve, that this my will may, by his blessing and power, reach its end, and be faithfully executed. Obtesting, in |