My studies however, were chiefly theological. Having left the academy,
as I have observed, with a qualified belief of the doctrine of
_Atonement_, such as is found in Mr. Tomkin’s book, entitled, _Jesus
Christ the Mediator_, I was desirous of getting some more definite
ideas on the subject, and with that view set myself to peruse the
whole of the old and new testament, and to collect from them all the
texts that appeared to me to have any relation to the subject. This
I therefore did with the greatest care, arranging them under a great
variety of heads. At the same time I did not fail to note such _general
considerations_ as occurred to me while I was thus employed. The
consequence of this was, what I had no apprehension of when I began the
work, viz. a full persuasion that the doctrine of Atonement, even in
its most qualified sense, had no countenance either from scripture or
reason. Satisfied of this, I proceeded to digest my observations into a
regular treatise, which a friend of mine, without mentioning my name,
submitted to the perusal of Dr. Fleming and Dr. Lardner. In consequence
of this, I was urged by them to publish the greater part of what I had
written. But being then about to leave Needham, I desired them to do
whatever they thought proper with respect to it, and they published
about half of my piece, under the title of the _Doctrine of Remission,
&c._
This circumstance introduced me to the acquaintance of Dr. Lardner,
whom I always called upon when I visited London. The last time I saw
him, which was little more than a year before his death, having by
letter requested him to give me some assistance with respect to the
history I then prepared to write of the Corruptions of Christianity,
and especially that article of it, he took down a large bundle of
pamphlets, and turning them over at length shewing me my own; said,
“This contains my sentiments on the subject.” He had then forgot that
I wrote it, and on my remarking it, he shook his head, and said that
his memory began to fail him; and that he had taken me for another
person. He was then at the advanced age of ninety one. This anecdote is
trifling in itself, but it relates to a great and good man.
I have observed that Dr. Lardner only wished to publish a part of
the treatise which my friend put into his hand. The other part of it
contained remarks on the reasoning of the apostle of Paul, which he
could not by any means approve. They were, therefore, omitted in this
publication. But the attention which I gave to the writings of this
apostle at the time that I examined them, in order to collect passages
relating to the doctrine of atonement, satisfied me that his reasoning
was in many places far from being conclusive; and in a separate work
I examined every passage in which his reasoning appeared to me to be
defective, or his conclusions ill supported; and I thought them to be
pretty numerous.
At that time I had not read any commentary on the scriptures, except
that of Mr. Henry when I was young. However, seeing so much reason
to be dissatisfied with the apostle Paul as a reasoner, I read _Dr.
Taylor’s paraphrase on the epistle to the Romans_; but it gave me no
sort of satisfaction; and his general _Key to the epistles_ still less.
I therefore at that time wrote some remarks on it, which were a long
time after published in the _Theological Repository_ Vol. 4.
As I found that Dr. Lardner did not at all relish any of my
observations on the imperfections of the sacred writers, I did not put
this treatise into his hands; but I shewed it to some of my younger
friends, and also to Dr. Kippis; and he advised me to publish it under
the character of an unbeliever, in order to draw the more attention
to it. This I did not chuse, having always had a great aversion to
assume any character that was not my own, even so much as disputing
for the sake of discovering truth. I cannot ever say that I was quite
reconciled to the idea of writing to a fictitious person, as in my
_letters to a philosophical unbeliever_, though nothing can be more
innocent, or sometimes more proper; our Saviour’s parables implying
a much greater departure from strict truth than those letters do.
I therefore wrote the book with great freedom, indeed, but as a
christian, and an admirer of the apostle Paul, as I always was in other
respects.
When I was at Nantwich I sent this treatise to the press; but when nine
sheets were printed off, Dr. Kippis dissuaded me from proceeding, or
from publishing any thing of the kind, until I should be more known,
and my character better established. I therefore desisted; but when
I opened the theological Repository, I inserted in that work every
thing that was of much consequence in the other, in order to its being
submitted to the examination of learned christians. Accordingly these
communications were particularly animadverted upon by Mr. Willet of
Newcastle, under the signature of W. W. But I cannot say that his
remarks gave me much satisfaction.
When I was at Needham I likewise drew up a treatise on the doctrine
of _divine influence_, having collected a number of texts for that
purpose, and arranged them under proper heads, as I had done those
relating to the doctrine of atonement. But I published nothing relating
to it until I made use of some of the observations in my _sermon_ on
that subject, delivered at an ordination, and published many years
afterwards.
While I was in this retired situation, I had, in consequence of much
pains and thought, become persuaded of the falsity of the doctrine of
atonement, of the inspiration of the authors of the books of scripture
as writers, and of all idea of supernatural influence, except for the
purpose of miracles. But I was still an Arian, having never turned my
attention to the Socinian doctrine, and contenting myself with seeing
the absurdity of the trinitarian system.
Another task that I imposed on myself, and in part executed at Needham,
was an accurate comparison of the Hebrew text of the hagiographa
and the prophets with the version of the Septuagint, noting all
the variations, &c. This I had about half finished before I left
that place; and I never resumed it, except to do that occasionally
for particular passages, which I then began, though with many
disadvantages, with a design to go through the whole. I had no Polyglot
Bible, and could have little help from the labours of others.
The most learned of my acquaintance in this situation was Mr. Scott of
Ipswich, who was well versed in the Oriental languages, especially the
Arabic. But though he was far from being Calvinistical, he gave me no
encouragement in the very free enquiries which I then entered upon.
Being excluded from all communication with the more orthodox ministers
in that part of the country, all my acquaintance among the dissenting
ministers, besides Mr. Scott, were Mr. Taylor of Stow-market, Mr.
Dickinson of Diss, and Mr. Smithson of Harlestone; and it is rather
remarkable, that we all left that country in the course of the same
year; Mr. Taylor removing to Carter’s lane in London, Mr. Dickinson to
Sheffield, and Mr. Smithson to Nottingham.
But I was very happy in a great degree of intimacy with Mr. Chauvet,
the rector of Stow-market. He was descended of French parents; and
I think was not born in England. Whilst he lived we were never long
without seeing each other. But he was subject to great unevenness of
spirits, sometimes the most chearful man living, and at other times
most deplorably low. In one of these fits he at length put an end to
his life. I heard afterwards that he had at one time been confined for
insanity, and had even made the same attempt some time before.
Like most other young men of a liberal education, I had conceived
a great aversion to the business of a schoolmaster, and had often
said, that I would have recourse to any thing else for a maintenance
in preference to it. But having no other resource, I was at length
compelled by necessity to make some attempt in that way; and for
this purpose I printed and distributed _Proposals_, but without any
effect. Not that I was thought to be unqualified for this employment,
but because I was not orthodox. I had proposed to teach the classics,
mathematics, &c. for half a guinea per quarter, and to board the pupils
in the house with myself for twelve guineas per annum.
Finding this scheme not to answer, I proposed to give lectures to
grown persons in such branches of science as I could conveniently
procure the means of doing; and I began with reading about twelve
lectures on the _use of the Globes_, at half a guinea. I had one course
of ten hearers, which did something more than pay for my globes; and I
should have proceeded in this way, adding to my apparatus as I should
have been able to afford it, if I had not left that place, which was in
the following manner.
My situation being well known to my friends, Mr. Gill, a distant
relation by my mother, who had taken much notice of me before I
went to the academy, and had often lent me books, procured me an
invitation to preach as a candidate at Sheffield, on the resignation
of Mr. Wadsworth. Accordingly I did preach as a candidate, but though
my opinions were no objection to me there, I was not approved. But
Mr. Haynes, the other minister, perceiving that I had no chance at
Sheffield, told me that he could recommend me to a congregation at
Nantwich in Cheshire, where he himself had been settled; and as it was
at a great distance from Needham, he would endeavour to procure me
an invitation to preach there for a year certain. This he did, and I
gladly accepting of it, removed from Needham, going thence to London
by sea, to save expence. This was in 1758, after having been at Needham
just three years.[4]
[4] It is about sixty miles from Needham to London, so that the roads
must have been in a bad state to render a water passage more eligible
than by land. The first turnpike in England was authorized by an act
of Ch. II. 1663 but the system was not adopted with spirit until
near the middle of the last century. The manufacturing inland towns
of Great Britain, such as Manchester, Leeds, Halifax, &c. chiefly
carried on their business through the medium of travelling pedlars, and
afterwards on pack horses. The journey in this manner from Manchester
to London occupied a fortnight; and it was not unusual for a trader
going the first time himself on this expedition to take the prudent
precaution of making his will. At present the mail stage performs the
journey in about a day and a half. In the beginning of this century
(as Dr. Aikin in his history of Manchester observes) it was thought
a most arduous undertaking to make a public road over the hills that
separate Yorkshire and Lancashire; now, they are pierced by three
navigable canals. Indeed the prosperous state of British manufactures
and commerce, seems to have originated and progressed with the adoption
of turnpikes and canals. They facilitate not merely the carriage and
interchange of heavy materials necessary to machinery, but they make
personal intercourse cheap, speedy and universal; they thus furnish
the means of seeing and communicating improvements, and of observing
in what way one manufacture may be brought to bear upon another widely
different in its kind. We are not yet sufficiently aware of their
importance in America, even to the interests of agriculture.