sole pastor, of a congregation, in New Broad-street; on the dissolution of which, in 1780, having previously married a lady of fortune, he retired to Islington, and passed the remainder of his life as a private gentleman. He is stated to have abandoned Calvinism, in which he had been brought up, for Socinianism; and to have been an avowed opponent to all tests of faith. His pulpit compositions were perspicuous, and his mode of delivery unexceptionable. His works, in which he displayed considerable learning and talent, consist of Prayers for the Use of Families; Free Thoughts on the Inconsistency of conforming to any Religious Test, as a Condition of Toleration; Observations in Defence of the Liberty of Man, as a Moral Agent, in reply to Priestley's Illustrations of Philosophical Necessity; An Appendix to that production, and A Letter to Priestley on the same subject; A Summary View of the Grounds of Christian Baptism; and some other pieces. He died on the 26th of June, 1790.

FLETCHER, (JOHN WILLIAM,) youngest son of Colonel de la Flechère, a Swiss, in the French service, was born on the 12th of September, 1729, near Geneva, where he appears to have commenced and completed his education. Evincing a predilection for a military life, he proceeded, at an early age, contrary to the wishes of his friends, who considered him to be more qualified for the church than the camp, to Portugal, where he obtained the captaincy of a company of volunteers, who were destined to serve in Brazil; but, on the morning of his intended departure, a servant, by accident, scalded him so severely that he was incapable of embarking. The man of war, in which he had been ordered to sail, consequently, put to sea without him, and was never heard of again. He subsequently procured a commission in the Dutch service; but, an unexpected peace putting an end to his hopes of promotion, he abandoned the army, and removing to England, became tutor in the family of Mr. Hill, of Shropshire; and, at length, a preacher among the Wesleyan Methodists. Having obtained a title for holy orders, he was ordained deacon by the Bishop of Bangor, on the

6th of March, 1767, and priest on the following sabbath. After having officiated at various places in the country, and preached to the French prisoners at Tunbridge, in their own language, he was appointed assistant to Charles Wesley. Although his pronunciation of the English language was imperfect, the correctness of his manner in the pulpit, procured him many admirers, one of whom, presented him, in 1759, to the vicarage of Madeley, which he held during the remainder of his life. In 1770, he visited his native country; and, on his return to England, in the following summer, became gratuitous superintendant of the Countess of Huntingdon's college of divinity; but, owing to a schism among the students, on the subject of predestination, he resigned his office in 1771; and, subsequently, produced several controversial works. In 1777, he proceeded to the south of France, for the benefit of his health; and soon after his return, in 1781, married a lady, named Bosanquet. His death took place on the 18th of August, 1785. His mode of living was simple, his devotion pure, his temper benignant, and his conduct exemplary. For a long period he regularly devoted two nights in the week to meditation and prayer. He also had a candle constantly burning at his bed-side; a custom which once nearly cost him his life, through his curtains catching fire, though he providentially escaped without the slightest personal injury. It appears that he refused to enforce the payment of tithes from the Quakers who resided in his parish, so that the income he derived from his vicarage did not exceed £100 per annum. It was said, by one of his friends, that he would rather hear one of his sermons than read a volume of his works: these consist of A Vindication of the Reverend Mr. Wesley's Calm Address to our American Colonies, in some Letters to Mr. Caleb Evans; A Sermon on an Earthquake in Shropshire; American Patriotism further confronted with Reason, Scripture, and the Constitution; The Doctrines of Grace and Justice equally essential to the Pure Gospel; and An Essay on the Peace of 1783.

TOULMIN, (JOSHUA,) was born in London, on the 11th of May, 1740, and

educated at St. Paul's school, and at a dissenting academy, kept by Doctors Jennings and Savage. He first officiated as a divine at Colyton, in Devonshire, where he zealously advocated adult baptism by complete immersion. In 1765, he removed to Taunton, and became a bookseller, a schoolmaster, and pastor to a Baptist congregation. Some time afterwards, he received the degree of M. A. from the Baptist's college of Rhode Island, in New England; and, in 1794, that of D.D. from Havard college, Cambridge, in the same state. In 1804, he was appointed pastor of the Unitarian congregation, at Birmingham, where he officiated until his decease, which took place on the 23rd of July, 1815. By his wife, Jane, daughter of Mr. S. Smith, of Taunton, he had twelve children, five of whom survived him. "His discourses are said to have been appropriate; and his manner and delivery solemn and affectionate. He preached on various public occasions; was a firm supporter of civil and religious liberty; and contributed generously to many religious and charitable institutions. His works, some of which possess considerable merit, consist of The Life of Socinus; A History of Taunton; A Dissertation on the Evidences of Christianity; A Review of the Life, Character, and Writings of John Biddle; Biography of Doctor Priestley; a new edition of Neal's History of the Puritans; An Historical View of the Protestant Dissenters; Memoirs of Samuel Brown; The Injustice of Classing the Unitarians with Deists and Infidels; A Sermon on the Death of the Rev. Robert Robinson; and some other pieces.

DISNEY, (JOHN,) the son of a clergyman, was born at Lincoln, on the 28th of September, 1746, and finished his education at Peterborough college, Cambridge, where he took the degree of L.L. B. On entering into holy orders, he was appointed chaplain to Bishop Law, and soon afterwards obtained the vicarage of Swinderby, with the rectory of Panton; both of which he resigned in the autumn of 1782, having become

proselyte to Unitarianism. He then published his reasons for quitting the established church, in which he confessed, that the just claims of an infant

family had pleaded hard against his conscientious determination. Shortly afterwards, he was chosen assistant, and, in 1793, successor, to his brotherin-law, the celebrated Lindsey, at the Unitarian chapel, in Essex-street; where he continued to officiate until 1805, when ill health compelled him to resign. He died on the 26th of December, 1816, leaving two children, by his wife, Jane, eldest daughter of Archdeacon Blackburne. Out of pure esteem for the character of this able, benevolent, and, apparently, conscientious divine, a gentleman named Dodson bequeathed him half of his fortune; and Mr. Brand Hollis made him sole devisee of all his estate and effects, real and personal, with the exception of a few inconsiderable legacies. Dr. Disney published memoirs of his two munificent benefactors; Biographical Sketches of Law, Sykes, Jebb, Jortin, Garnham, and Hopkins; a tract, entitled, Animadversions on Dr. Rutherforth; A Short View of Confessional and Clerical Petition Controversies; Remarks on Bishop Hurd's Charge, published in 1777, (about which time he received a diploma of D.D. from one of the Scotch universities, and became a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries); Considerations on the Clergy acting in the Commission of the Peace; A Friendly Dialogue between an Athanasian and Trinitarian; Observations on the Homilies; An Arranged Catalogue of Publications on Toleration, Corporation, and Test Acts; The Book of Common Prayer Reformed, for the Use of Unitarian Congregations, first published in 1792, to which were added, Psalms and Hymns, in 1802; The Great Importance of a Religious Life Considered; four volumes of sermons; and some other works.

BENSON, (JOSEPH,) was born at Kirk Oswald, in Cumberland, on the 25th of January, 1748, and educated in his native village. At the age of sixteen he became teacher in a school at Gamblesley; and, on the 11th of March, 1766, received from John Wesley the appointment of classical master at Kingswood academy, of which he became principal in 1771. Sometime after, while keeping a term at Oxford, of which university he had entered himself in 1769, certain disputes occurred

among his pupils at Kingswood, relative to the doctrine of predestination, on account of which he thought proper to resign. After having been twice refused ordination,-on the first occasion, because he had preached contrary to the statutes, and, on the second, for want of a degree, he became a professed Wesleyan minister, and preached, successively, at London, Newcastle, Edinburgh, and Manchester. In July, 1800, he was appointed superintendant of the London circuit, in which he continued to officiate, with great success, preaching in the open air as well as in chapels, until a short time before his death, which took place on the 16th of February, 1821. He was so disinterested, that he refused to accept a grant of £500, voted to him by a conference of Methodists, in 1815, as some reward for his literary labours; among which were Remarks on Dr. Priestley's System of Materialism; An Essay on the Separate Existence of the Soul; A Vindication of the Methodists, in answer to the Bishop of Lincoln; the life of his friend, the Rev. J. W. Fletcher; A Commentary on the Historical Books of the Old and New Testament; An Answer to the Defence of Kilham; and a volume of Sermons. He also edited the Methodists' Magazine, from the month of August, 1802, up to the period of his death. As an author, he was clear and argumentative; as a preacher, he skilfully adapted his discourses to the minds and circumstances of those whom he was addressing; and the effect he produced was often so great as to cause faintings and convulsions among his audience. At one time he is said to have entertained a doubt as to the truth of Christianity; but his scepticism was not of long duration. He also exposed himself to a suspicion of Arianism, from which, however, he fully cleared himself before a conference. He was married in 1780, to a Miss Thompson, at Leeds, by whom he had issue.

BELSHAM, (THOMAS,) brother of William Belsham, the historian, was born at Daventry, in 1753, and educated at a dissenting academy, in his native place; of which, on the expiration of his pupilage, he became an

assistant-tutor. In 1778, he obtained the charge of a small congregation, at Worcester; and, in 1781, succeeded to an important pastoral office, and the situation of principal, or theological tutor, at Daventry; both of which he resigned in 1789, on becoming a convert to Unitarianism. In vindication of his conduct, he published, in 1790, a sermon On the Importance of Truth; and another, in 1794, entitled, Dishonest Shame, the primary Source of Corruption. His ability and learning soon procured him the appointments of divinity professor at Hackney college, and successor to Priestley, in the charge of a congregation at Kensington. Gradually acquiring an increase of reputation, he was, at length, chosen minister of the chapel in Essex-street, and recognised as the head of the Unitarian church. He officiated with great success, until age and infirmity compelled him to abandon his pulpit; in which his language was always perspicuous, and frequently elegant; but he is said to have been cold and formal in his manner, and entirely destitute of oratorical action. Besides the two pieces already named, his works consist of A Life of Priestley; Elements of the Philosophy of Mind and Morals; Memoirs of the Rev. Mr. Lindsey; and A New Translation of the Epistles of St. Paul, in which he is charged with having misinterpreted the original, in order to make it accord with his own theological opinions.

EVANS, (JOHN,) was born at Usk, in Monmouthshire, on the 2nd of October, 1767, and, at the age of seventeen, began to preach at Bristol, where he had, for some time previously, studied under the celebrated Robert Hall. In 1787, he was matriculated at the university of Aberdeen, whence he proceeded, in 1790, to that of Edinburgh, where he obtained the degree of M.A. About the year 1792, he succeeded Mr. Anthony Robinson, as pastor of a congregation, in Worship-street; on which occasion, he published An Address designed to promote the Revival of Religion among the General Baptists. Shortly afterwards, appeared his Address to Young People, on the Necessity and Importance of Religion; and, in 1795, he produced his Sketch of the Denominations of

the Christian World. He now opened an academy for a limited number of pupils, and soon acquired considerable reputation as an instructor of youth. In 1815, he was attacked with a complaint that deprived him of the use of his legs during the remainder of his life; in 1819, he received the degree of D. C. L. from one of the American universities; and in 1821, he resigned his school, on the death of his third son, who had been his intended successor. Although entirely incapable of locomotion,-being carried, it is stated, to and fro, between his couch and his pulpit,— he continued to preach until a few weeks before his death, which took place on the 25th of January, 1827. He evinced, it is said, throughout life, an ardent desire to render those around him happy, and to reconcile conflicting opinions among all denominations of Christians. He excelled in extemporaneous composition; and was much admired for the simple and unambitious, yet, impressive style of his discourses, in which, practical utility appears to have been his primary object. Besides the works already noticed, he published several topographical, miscellaneous, and theological pieces. In the preface to a fourteenth edition of his Sketch of the Denominations of the Christian World, he states that although one hundred thousand copies of the work had then been sold, he had received only £10 for the copyright.

CHALMERS, (THOMAS,) professor of moral philosophy in the university of St. Andrews, was born about the year 1770, in Scotland, and proceeded

to the degree of D. 1)., in one of the universities of his native country. He officiated for many years as minister of Kilmany; but, having become famous for his oratory, he was invited to Edinburgh, and his reputation still extending, he at length obtained the valuable ministry of St. John's, Glasgow. In 1823, during a brief visit to London, he preached repeatedly to immense congregations. His works consist of An Address to the Inhabitants of the Parish of Kilmany, on the Duty of giving an immediate Diligence to the Business of Christian Life; Scripture References; The Utility of Missions Ascertained from Experience; An Inquiry into the Extent and Stability of National Revenues; The Influence of Bible Societies on the Temporal Necessities of the Poor; The Evidence and Authority of the Christian Revelation; A Series of Discourses on the Christian Revelation viewed in Connexion with Modern Astronomy; Sermons preached at the Tron church, Glasgow; The Doctrine of Christian Charity applied to the Case of Religious Difference; The Two Great Instruments appointed for the Propagation of the Gospel; Speech delivered in the General Assembly respecting the Bill for augmenting the Stipends of the Clergy of Scotland; Thoughts on Universal Peace; and various tracts and other pieces, political and religious. Although many of his productions are highly honourable to the talents of Dr. Chalmers, his reputation principally rests on his pulpit eloquence, which is remarkable for the power with which it appeals to the feelings, and convinces the judgment of his auditors.