But no addresses gave me so much satisfaction as those from my late
congregation, and especially of the young persons belonging to it, who
had attended my lectures. They are a standing testimony of the zeal and
fidelity with which I did my duty with respect to them, and which I
value highly.
Besides congratulatory addresses, I received much pecuniary assistance
from various persons, and bodies of men, which more than compensated
for my pecuniary losses, though what was awarded me at the Assizes
fell two thousand pounds short of them. But my brother-in-law, Mr.
John Wilkinson, from whom I had not at that time any expectation, in
consequence of my son’s leaving his employment, was the most generous
on the occasion. Without any solicitation, he immediately sent me
five hundred pounds, and afterwards transferred to me ten thousand
pounds which he had deposited in the French funds, and until that be
productive, he allows me two hundred pounds per annum.
After the riots, I published my _Letters to the Swedenborgian Society_,
which I had composed, and prepared for the press just before.
Mr. Wakefield living in the neighbourhood of the College, and
publishing at this time his objections to _public worship_, they made
a great impression on many of our young men, and in his Preface he
reflected much on the character of Dr. Price. On both these accounts
I thought myself called upon to reply to him, which I did in a series
of _Letters to a young man_. But though he made several angry replies,
I never noticed any of them. In this situation I also answered Mr.
Evanson’s _Observations on the dissonance of the Evangelists_ in
a _second set of Letters to a young man_. He also replied to me,
but I was satisfied with what I had done, and did not continue the
controversy.
Besides the _sermon_ which I delivered on my acceptance of the
invitation to the meeting at Hackney, in the preface to which I gave a
detailed account of my _system of catechizing_, I published two _Fast
sermons_ for the years 1793 and 1794, in the latter of which I gave my
ideas of antient prophecies compared with the then state of Europe, and
in the preface to it I gave an account of my reasons for leaving the
country. I also published a _Farewell sermon_.[24]
But the most important of my publications in this situation were a
series of _Letters to the Philosophers and Politicians of France on the
subject of Religion_. I thought that the light in which I then stood
in that country gave me some advantage in my attempts to enforce the
evidence of natural and revealed religion. I also published a set of
_sermons on the evidences of revelation_, which I first delivered by
public notice, and the delivery of which was attended by great numbers.
They were printed just before I left England.
[24] These reasons, as shewing the progress and state of his mind that
induced this new æra of his life, will be inserted hereafter.
As the reasons for this step in my conduct are given at large in the
preface to my Fast sermon, I shall not dwell upon them here. The
bigotry of the country in general made it impossible for me to place
my sons in it to any advantage. William had been some time in France,
and on the breaking out of the troubles in that country he had embarked
for America, where his two brothers met him. My own situation, if
not hazardous, was become unpleasant, so that I thought my removal
would be of more service to the cause of truth than my longer stay in
England. At length, therefore, with the approbation of all my friends,
without exception, but with great reluctance on my own part, I came to
that resolution; I being at a time of life in which I could not expect
much satisfaction as to friends and society, comparable to that which
I left, in which the resumption of my philosophical pursuits must be
attended with great disadvantage, and in which success in my still more
favourite pursuit, the propagation of unitarianism, was still more
uncertain. It was also painful to me to leave my daughter, Mr. Finch
having the greatest aversion to leave his relations and friends in
England.
At the time of my leaving England my son in conjunction with Mr.
Cooper, and other English emigrants, had a scheme for a large
settlement for the friends of liberty in general near the head of
the Susquehanna in Pennsylvania. And taking it for granted that it
would be carried into effect, after landing at New-York, I went to
Philadelphia, and thence came to Northumberland, a town the nearest to
the proposed settlement, thinking to reside there until some progress
had been made in it. The settlement was given up; but being here, and
my wife and myself liking the place, I have determined to take up my
residence here, though subject to many disadvantages. Philadelphia
was excessively expensive, and this comparatively a cheap place; and
my son’s, settling in the neighbourhood, will be less exposed to
temptation, and more likely to form habits of sobriety and industry.
They will also be settled at much less expence than in or near a
large town. We hope, after some time, to be joined by a few of our
friends from England, that a readier communication will be opened with
Philadelphia, and that the place will improve, and become more eligible
in other respects.
When I was at sea, I wrote _some observations on the cause of the
present prevalence of infidelity_, which I published, and prefixed to
a new edition of the _Letters to the Philosophers and Politicians of
France_. I have also published my _Fast and Farewell sermons_, and
my _small tracts_ in defence of unitarianism, also a _Continuation
of those Letters_, and a _third part of Letters to a Philosophical
Unbeliever_, in answer to _Mr. Paine’s Age of Reason_.
The observations on the prevalence of infidelity I have much enlarged,
and intend soon to print; but I am chiefly employed on the Continuation
of my History of the christian church.
Northumberland, March 24, 1795, in which I have completed the sixty
second year of my age.
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