Historical Account of the War

rington Academy. Newcastle, Dec. 20, 1812. SIR,

ally, as particularly critical in respect to their interests as a religious body, which had, from the first separation of the NonconI now at length enter on the ful. formists from the Church of Engfilment of my promise (M. Repos. land, been served by ministers vol. v. p. 429.) to furnish you respectable both for character and with some account of the Warring learning. The race of ministers ton Academy, from its first estab- who had been bred in the semilishment in 1757, to its dissolu- naries of Frankland, Sheffield, tion in 1783. If I had been aware Benyon, Coningham, Dixon, Jolof the difficulties which I should lie, Owen, were fast retiring from have had to encounter in clearing the stage, while the failure, one up various circumstances connected with its early history, I might not, perhaps, have been so forward in offering my services, to pay the best tribute in my power to the memory of my alma mater. But when it is considered that more than half a century has elapsed, since many important particulars connected with its history occurred, that all the persons engaged in its direction have, for several years, been dead, and that very few remain of those who were students during its more early periods, your readers, I trust, will excuse any imperfections which may appear in the following historical sketch.

The period between the years 1750 and 1754, was experienced by the Protestant Dissenters, in the North of England, more especiVOL. VIII.

after another, of the academical institutions which had succeeded those above-enumerated, and on which the northern congregations had rested their dependance for the supply of vacancies as they occurred, created a general and reasonable alarm. Dr. Doddridge's death, in 1750, had caused a removal of the Northampton academy to Daventry, where the talents of the new tutor, Dr. Ashworth, were not, as yet at least, appreciated as they probably deserved: the death of Dr. Rotheram, in 1751, had been followed (as has been seen, vol. v. p. 218) by the entire dissolution of the academy at Kendal, and that of Dr. Latham, at Findern, near Derby, in 1754, brought to a close an institution to which the Protestant Dissenters

had been indebted for a consider- should elect tutors, of known abi

able proportion of their most respectable ministers.

cular view to the encouragement of young persons designed for the ministry, especially to such as may want assistance to defray the expense of their education."

lity and good character, in the. ology, moral philosophy, includIn this alarming state of the ing logic and metaphysics, natudissenting interest in the North of ral philosophy, including the maEngland, the public-spirited ac- thematics, and in the languages tivity of Mr. John Seddon, then a and polite literature; form a proyoung and highly popular minister per system of rules and orders for at Warrington (see M. R. vol. v. the government and discipline of p. 428.) succeeded in stimulating the students; and to conduct the the principal merchants and others institution, though intended to be in Manchester, Liverpool, Bir- open to all persons, with a parti mingham, Warrington and other places, to attempt the establishment of an academical institution, which should "unite as far as was possible, the advantages of the pub. lic and more private method of edu- On the 30th of June, 1757, the cation;" should be calculated at first General Meeting of Sub. once, for the education of minis. scribers (the subscriptions amountters, on the principle of their ing to 4697. annually) was held at being "free to follow the dictates Warrington; when the Right Hon. of their own judgments, in their en- Hugh Lord Willoughby of Parquiries after truth, without any ham, was elected President, John undue bias imposed on their un. Lees, Esq. of Manchester, Vicederstandings ;" and, at the same president, Arthur Heywood, Esq. time, to give some knowledge of Liverpool, Treasurer, and the to those who were to be engaged Rev. John Seddon, of Warrington, in commercial life, as well as in Secretary; and the Rev. John the learned professions, in the Taylor, D. D. of Norwich, was more useful branches of literature, elected Tutor in Divinity, the Rev. and to lead them to an early ac. John Holt, of Kirkdale, near Livquaintance with, and just con- erpool, Tutor, in the Mathematics cern for the true principles of re. and Natural Philosophy, and Mr. ligion and liberty, of which prin. Samuel Dyer, of London, Tutor in ciples they must, in future life, the Languages and Belles Lettres ; be the supporters."-Accordingly, at a salary of 100l. to each, bethe annual sum of 2171. having sides a fee of 21. 2s. from the been engaged for, through Mr. several students who should at. Seddon's instigation chiefly, at the tend their respective Lectures; ex. above-mentioned four places, pro. cept the divinity students on the posals were circulated from Man- foundation, who were exempted chester, by nine of the principal from paying any fees. Dissenters there, "for establish. Dr. Taylor, whose great merits ing a public academy, in or near as a scriptural theologian are Warrington, to be under the ma- known and acknowledged, even by nagement of a President, Vice- his keenest adversaries, accepted President, Treasurer, Secretary, the invitation; and, impressed with and Committee of twelve, who an earnest desire to serve the cause

of religious truth, quitted one of from what they afterwards were, the most respectable situations as though this is by no means certain, a minister among the Dissenters, from his recommending Pool's amidst whom, besides, he had es- Annotations, and expressing his tablished the most elegible family purpose of abridging Matthew connections, to commence, at so Henry; a work which would have advanced a period of his life, so been, and would still be, very laborious an office as that of a tutor useful. His first actual publica. in theology. And the society tion was his masterly Defence of assembling in the Octagon, at the Common Rights of Christians, Norwich, with great generosity prefixed to the case of a Mr. and public-spirit, not only con- Rawson, who was excluded from curred in this mutual sacrifice, communion by Mr. Sloss, of Notbut, many of them, very liberally tingham, for asserting the Unity contributed to the funds of the in- of God. In 1733, he removed to stitution. Norwich, and in 1740 published Of Dr. Taylor, a tolerably cor- his Scripture-Doctrine of Original rect life is published in the Uni- Sin, which soon was warmly atversal Theological Magazine, for tacked by Dr. Watts, Dr. JenJuly, 1804, (vol. ii. p. 1.) which nings and Mr. Wesley, and ably being a publication in the hands defended by the author, in his of many readers of the Repository, Supplement published in 1741. I have the less need to enlarge in In 1745, appeared his Paraphrase this place. It appears that he on the Romans, with a Key to was born at Lancaster, in 1694, the Apostolic Writings, in which that he studied under Dr. Dixon, are many valuable remarks, though at Whitehaven, and settled in 1715, it also contains some theories which at Kirkstead, in Lincolnshire; have been considered as fanciful, the salary enjoyed at which particularly his idea of a two-fold place, (which, in a letter published sense of the word Justification; in the same vol. p. 131, he repre- which probably led Dr. Priestley sents as a little country village, out to find so little satisfaction in its of the sight or hearing of any thing perusal besides many smaller that is vicious,) being small he pieces, among which his Scripture kept a boarding-school. Here he Doctrine of Atonement, is an inprobably laid in that fund of solid genious attempt to construct a learning, from which he afterwards scheme which shall be consistent drew so liberally, for the promo. with the moral perfections of the tion of scriptural knowledge. His Father of Mercies, and at the views of particular disputed points same time, enable a man to use were, as yet, probably, different the language of reputed orthodoxy Like all such half measures, how. ever, it is generally allowed to have failed of its object. In 1754, came out his great work, a Hebrew Concordance, in two large folio volumes, for which the Uni versity of Glasgow conferred upon

Some curious circumstances are said to have lately occurred here, respecting the right of the Dissenters to Occupy the church, which perhaps some of your Lincolnshire correspondents could lay before your readers. [See vol. vij. P. 757.]

him the honorary degree of D. D. His subsequent publications will be noticed in the next communication, in which an attempt will be made to describe his mode of conducting the theological studies of his pupils, so far as it can now be discovered.

deduced from them, and ready to answer questions that were proposed, and to solve difficulties that were started.

Mr. Dyer, who had been proposed by Mr. Holland, his fellowstudent at Northampton, and warmly recommended by Drs. Of Mr. Holt the present writer Avery, Ward, Benson and Chandhas been able to discover very little. ler, declined the invitation to be He is said to have been, for some come the Tutor in the Classics and time, a minister at or near Lan- Polite Literature. And if the ac caster; but for a considerable count given of him in the Life of period previous to his settlement, Johnson, by Sir John Hawkins, is he had kept a large mathematical not a very exaggerated picture, and commercial school at Kirkdale, (it is evidently a little tinctured near Liverpool. A number of the both with political and religious merchants of the last age both in bigotry,) it was happy for the inLiverpool and Manchester, were stitution that he did not accept it, educated by him. He continued If there had not been too good to hold the place of Mathematical grounds for many of Sir John's Tutor till his death, in 1772, and representations, it is probable that during the earlier periods of the some of his more intimate friends academy, had a considerable num- would have vindicated his characber, and always some of the stu- ter: but if it is only a tolerably dents, boarded with him. He is correct statement, it holds out a represented by his pupils, as have very instructive lesson to young ing been very much master of his men of talents and learning of the subject, but that, from a hesitating great importance of decidedly and embarrassed manner, he failed choosing, and then resolutely and of making it interesting to his pu- actively pursuing, some one useful pils. He was very exact in hear course of life, and the fatal effects ing them demonstrate their propo. of suffering the spirit of indecision sitions, and in examining their al- to grow into a habit. This dan gebraic calculations, but if any ger is particularly incident to difficulty occurred, he was not young men who, like Mr. Dyer, ready at illustration. On these possess some original independent accounts, his department does not property, which they are apt to appear to have been popular, and imagine sets them above the neseveral instances occur in the mi- cessity of active exertion, which nutes of the Trustees' meetings, of they will soon find is the only road interferences, sometimes rather to usefulness and respectability. impertinent ones, with regard to his management of his classes. In his experiments in natural philo. sophy, he is said to have been accurate and successful, clear in his illustration of the principles to be

To supply Mr. Dyer's place, Mr. Scott, of Ipswich, (well known by his translation of Job and his Lyric Poems,) was recommended by the friends of the institution at Norwich, Mr. Joseph Priest