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MEMOIRS
OF
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ,
TREASURER OF QUEEN ANNE S BOUNTY.
SECOND EDITION.
HE, WHO DESIRES THAT THE TABLE OF HIS LIFE MAY BE FAIR, WILL BE
CAREFUL TO PROPOSE TO HIMSELF THE BEST EXAMPLES J AND WILL NEVER
BE CONTENT, TILL HE EQUALS OR EXCELS THEM.
Owen Felltham.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY THE PHILANTHROPIC S.OCIETY,
ST. GEORGE S FIELDS;
FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE SCOTCH EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
SOLD BY MESSRS. RIVINGTONS, ST. PAUL S CHURCH-YARD; MR. HATCHARU,
PICCADILLY, LONDON ; AND BY MESSRS. MANNERS AND MILLER,
EDINBURGH. -
1814.
I?!
r
TO THE
RIGHT REV. JOHN SKINNER,
Senior Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Scotland.
RIGHT REVEREND SIR,
XN offering the Memoirs of William
Stevens to the public observation,
many reasons concur to induce me
to do so, under the auspices of your
most respectable name. The long
and intimate friendship, which sub
sisted between you and the excellent
iv
person, whose life is now recorded,
well enables you to judge whether
he was not, both in his principles
and in the habits of his life, fully enti
tled to that high eulogium, which,
throughout this work, I have thought
it due to truth to bestow upon his
character, namely, that of the sincere
and consistent Christian.
Another reason for inscribing this
work to you is, that it is my intention
to dedicate the whole produce, arising
from its sale, to the fund established
for the relief of some of the mem
bers of that pure, but depressed, por-
V
tion of the Christian Church, over
which, as its Senior Bishop, you have
so long and so ably presided.
But above all other reasons, I have
taken the liberty of dedicating 1 this
little work to you, as it affords me
an opportunity of publicly declar
ing, how much your name and cha
racter are revered by all, who have
had the pleasure of knowing you so
long, and so well as I have; believing,
as I do, that you are surpassed by no
man of your own order, in soundness
of doctrine, or in sanctity of life.
It is, therefore, with sentiments of the
VI
highest respect and veneration, that
I subscribe myself,
Right Reverend SIR,
Your very faithful
And obedient Servant,
THE AUTHOR.
TABLE
OF THE
PRINCIPAL CONTENTS.
STEVENS, Mr. His Birth, 6 Education, 7 Early Piety,
12, 51, 53, 59 Purity of Life, 10 Literary Pursuits,
20, 27 Attention to Business, 10, 1Q Employment of
Leisure Hours, 9, 19 Friends, 11,27,28, l6l Charities,
32, 37, 41, 48 Sentiments on the Uses and Acquisition
of a Fortune, 82 Writings, 101 to 125 Deep Theologian,
20, 21 Zealous Member of the Church of England, from
Conviction and Principle, 53, 187 Attendant on Weekly
Prayers, 55 Constant Communicant, 53 Exemplary
Charity in a Year of Scarcity, (]8OO) 4g His own
Humorous Journal for One Week, 73 -Bishop Douglas s
(of Salisbury) Testimony to his Theological Knowledge,
21 His Sentiments of giving the Elements, in the Ad
ministration of the Lord s Supper, to two Persons at a
Time, 54 Presentation to a Clergyman of a Small Service
of Communion Plate, with appropriate Texts of Sacred
Scripture, for administering the Holy Sacrament to the
Sick, 94 Appointed Treasurer of Queen Anne s Bounty,
37 Will, 185 Death, 180 Interment, 182 Epitaph,
183.
NOBODY. An appellation, by which Mr. Stevens was known
to his Friends, 11(5 His own description of himself under
that name, 1 16 Club, denominated Nobody s Club, in
stituted in his honour, 163 His Works collected into a
VI11
Volume by himself, and inscribed OvOvo$ Epya. 116
Members of Nobody s Club deceased, mention of, 165,
169.
SCOTCH EPISCOPAL CHURCH. Short Account and Present
State of, 129 to 151 Relieved from Penal Statutes, 136
Bishop Home s (141) and Bishop Horsley s (13/) Senti
ments concerning that Church Fund set on foot towards
making an Addition to the Incomes of the Bishops and
Clergy (146) and for the Relief of their Widows and Or
phans, 140 Committee in London for co-operating with
the Managers of the Funds in Scotland, 149 Mr. Stevens s
Contributions in Aid of those Funds, 140, 1^9.
BEREAN SOCIETY. An Ideal Institution, so called, some
mention of, 43.
SOCIETY FOR REFORMATION OF PRINCIPLES. Formed by
Mr. Stevens and his Friends, 153.
MOORE, Dr. late Archbishop of Canterbury. Amiable Trait
of his Character, 156,
HORNE, late Bishop of Norwich. His Sermon on " the
" Beloved Disciple," (51) and his other Writings (126)
recommended.
HUTCHINSON, JOHN. Some Account of the Writings of that
Extraordinary Man, 22 to 2/.
MEMOIRS
OF
WIJLJLIAM STJEYJENS, ESQ.
ALTHOUGH it is to the Author a source of the
purest and most unmixed pleasure, to be required
to give some account of his departed friend, the
subject of this Memoir ; yet he would have been
happy, as well for the sake of those, into whose
hands this tribute of affection may fall, as that
more ample justice might have been done to the
character of the excellent man, whose life is about
to be recorded, that some other person, whose avo
cations are not so pressing and laborious as those
of the writer, had undertaken the task. But
having, in the moment of his unexpected death,
written a hasty sketch of his character in the Gen
tleman s Magazine for February, 1807, none of
Mr. Stevens s numerous friends would afterwards
take out of the Author s hands a work, which
they were pleased to think was thus appropriated
B
3 MEMOIRS OF
to him. The labour is therefore cheerfully un
dertaken, and if in performing it, the writer can
come up to his own ideas of the important uses
to be derived to society from the close contempla
tion of such a character, he is sensible that he
shall discharge a very essential duty to the Chris
tian world ; and he knows assuredly, that, in the
deep consideration of the character of such a
man, he will greatly improve himself. He is
however aware, that he has not to entertain the
reader with the life of a man, filling a distinguish
ed station in the Senate, or in the councils of his
Sovereign ; of one gloriously fighting his country s
battles ; of great eminence at the bar ; or cele
brated in the pulpit as an eloquent divine. Mr.
Stevens was indeed none of these ; but yet he was
one of the most excellent of men. Being con
vinced that actions, which obtain a great share of
worldly applause, are not always most deserving
of praise, such a Christian, as is here truly de
scribed, is in reality a character most important to
be held up to universal admiration. It is indeed
impossible for any man to deny, the delight and
pleasure he has derived from the perusal of the
lives of men, who have gained immortal glory to
themselves, who have saved their country by their
valour, adorned its councils by their wisdom, or
captivated Senates bytheir eloquence and learning.
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 3
When biography is employed,, in recording the
lives of such men., delightful as the study is, still
its utility,, by way of example,, is chiefly felt by
those who are to fill the same walks of life/ as
these illustrious persons trod before them. But
it is of inestimable benefit to all mankind to know
by actual facts, that a life of cheerful piety and
purity, of temperance and humility, being that
which all ought to imitate, is that to which all may
attain. The writer therefore agrees with Dr.
Johnson, " that there has rarely passed a life, of
cf which a judicious and faithful narrative would
ff not be useful :" and he is also of opinion, that
the private lives of some persons, such as Mr.
Stevens was, belong, in a manner, to posterity
for instruction and example. The fault of bio
graphy, in general, is, that it is not sufficiently
minute : for instance, we find it recorded that the
person whose life is written, attained to excellence ;
but it is seldom pointed out by what means, by
what previous preparation, by what course of
study, by what exertions of time, of thought, of
talents, or by the exercise of what virtues, such
heighth of excellence was attained.
One view, therefore, which the Author has in
submitting this sketch of the life of Mr. Stevens to
the world is to prove, and particularly to the
young, how much every man has it in his power,
4 MEMOIRS OF
even under very discouraging circumstances, by
diligence, fidelity, and attention, to advance him
self, not only in worldly prosperity, but in learning
and wisdom, in purity of life, and in moral and
religious knowledge. He wishes also to convince
mankind, by the lustre of the bright example here
held out to them, that a life of the strictest piety
and devotion to God, and of the warmest and
most extensive benevolence to our fellow men, is
strictly compatible with the utmost cheerfulness of
disposition, with all rational pleasures, and with all
the gaiety, which young persons naturally feel :
but of whom many are deterred from the pursuits
of piety and goodness, because they have been
falsely taught that a life of virtue is not consistent
with cheerfulness, and that the pursuits of religion
are gloomy and enthusiastic. It is said by a learned
writer, <c that a good God, and a good conscience,
<f and the consciousness of being at peace with
(C both, furnish a perpetual feast, and that it well
" becomes a wise man to be merry at it."* In no
man was this truth more fully exemplified than in
the subject of the following Memoir, whose uni
form and habitual cheerfulness, whose lively but
inoffensive wit, made the young and the gay de
light in his society to the last week of his life ;
because his whole life and conversation proved
* Beimet s Sacred Oratory.
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 5
that in him true and undefiled religion, undebased
by superstition on the one hand., or fanaticism on
the other, had had her perfect work.
Prom the perusal of this Memoir also, it will be
learnt that this just, this excellent man, was so far
from being puffed up with his own merits, or feeling
any of those inward experiences or assurances, to
which some enthusiasts pretend, that the whole
tenor of his life will fully establish this truth, how
humbly at all times he walked with his God : and
that, although he had the fullest reliance upon the
merits of his Saviour, still the fate of the unprofitable
servant begot the strongest apprehensions, even
in his rightly constituted mind. Whatever enthu
siasts may boast, or fanatics dare to express,
the great and good Dr. Home, Bishop of Nor
wich, is a more sure and safe guide for us to fol
low upon this subject, a subject most interesting
to all mankind: "the indolent man," says that
great prelate, " who is without apprehensions as
(C to the close of life, has never yet considered the
Cf subject, as he ought. For one person, who
" fears death too much, there are a thousand who
(e do not fear it enough, nor have thought in ear-
" nest about it." That the Bishop s excellent cou
sin, Mr. Stevens, did think of it in the manner in
which Dr. Home conceives every true Christian
ought, is apparent from a letter now lying before
6 MEMOIRS OF
rne, written by him to a lady, who had been his
constant correspondent above thirty years, about
five weeks before his death. ff As for your having
" been overwhelmed with the fears of death, it
cc could not be on your own account, but for the
cc sake of others. The love of life is natural, and
1 f I hope the fear of death not sinful : for if it is,
c I am in a woeful condition, I am haunted with
" it night and day, and though I have no com-
cf fort now in life, the approach of death appals
ec me. I experience daily the kindness and at-
f( tention of friends, and have to lament, which I
<f unceasingly do, how unworthy I am of them."
None but the enthusiast, who glories in self-
righteousness, will condemn these feelings ; for
every Christian knows, that to ensure to himself the
blessings of Heaven, his repentance ought to be
sincere, his faith stedfast, and his charity fervent ;
and he knows and feels, that till the last moment of
life, while clogged with human infirmity, the exer
cise of these virtues requires constant exertion on
the part of man, continual supplies of assistance
from above.
WILLIAM STEVENS was born in the parish
of St. Saviour s, Southwark, on the second day of
March, in the year 1732. His father was a trades
man, residing in that parish, and certainly much
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 7
inferior in station to the mother of Mr. Stevens,
who was the sister of the Rev. Samuel Home, Rec
tor of Otham, near Maidstone, in the county of
Kent, and aunt of the amiable, pious, and exem
plary Dr. George Home, afterwards Lord Bishop
of Norwich. The father of Mr. Stevens died when
he and a sister, the only issue of the marriage, were
infants : and the loss of a father, which, generally
speaking, is the greatest earthly misfortune that can
happen to a child, probably laid the foundation of
that intimacy between the two cousins, Dr. Home
and Mr. Stevens, which led to the most beneficial
consequences in their future lives. For after the
death of her husband, Mrs. Stevens removed with
her children to Maidstone, in order to be near her
brother s family. Nearly of the same age, Mr.
Stevens not being quite a year and a half younger
than his cousin, George Horne, they passed their
early years at the same school, at Maidstone, under
the Rev. Deodatus Bye, a gentleman reported to
have been of good principles, and well learned in
Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and there formed that
strong attachment, which probably arose from a
congeniality of temper and disposition, which ever
afterwards distinguished them, and which led to
the same studies, though the walk of life, in which
these eminent persons moved, was so extremely
different. In Mr. Jones s Life of Bishop Horne,
8 MEMOIRS OF
it is related of Mr. Stevens, though his name be
not mentioned, that Mr. Bye had said, that Wil
liam Stevens never did any thing which he wished
him not to have done. When the lad was told of
this, he honestly observed upon it, that he had
done many things which his master never heard
of. This is a proof at once of the early report of
Mr. Stevens s good character, from him who was
competent to make it ; and of his integrity and
archness, qualities which never forsook him.
What attention he paid to his studies, or what his
proficiency was at school, I am not able distinctly
to relate : but from the anecdote I have just men
tioned, 1 think it may fairly be inferred, that his
attainments for his age were perfectly satisfactory
to his master. When he was little more than fif
teen, George Home was sent to University Col
lege, Oxford, to prepare himself for entering into
holy orders in that church, which he afterwards so
faithfully served by his matchless writings, and
adorned by his exemplary life : and Mr. Stevens
was at the same period, being only fourteen, name
ly, in August, 1746, placed out as an apprentice
with Mr. Hookham, No. 68, Old Broad-street,
an eminent wholesale hosier, and a most re
spectable man : and in that house, he from that
time lived and died. Here it would naturally be
thought, that separated in situation, from his ex-
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ.
cellent cousin, and having so few things in com
mon, their minds would be estranged from each
other. But the fact was quite otherwise ; for the
congeniality of their sentiments and opinions in
duced them to keep up a constant correspondence.
Mr. Home informed his friend of the studies in
which he was engaged ; and Mr. Stevens spent
all his leisure time in the acquisition, by his own
labour and industry, of those stores, which his rela
tion, the academician, was amassing under better
auspices, and with the fruits of which he afterwards
enriched the Christian world. By such means,
Mr. Stevens acquired, as is well known to the
writer of this account, and to many others now
living, not only an intimate acquaintance with the
French language, but also attained to a considera
ble knowledge of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew li
terature : and became one of the profoundest theo
logians of his time. Of the rapidity with which
he acquired a knowledge of languages, I have the
proof under his own hand ; for in a letter to a young
friend then at Oxford, now a barrister, dated Fe
bruary, 1789, he says, fc It is some time ago since
" I learnt French, about forty years/ (this carries
us back to the year 1749, when Mr. Stevens was only
seventeen, and an apprentice to Mr. Hookham)
ff and I remember it was on the same terms you
" are to pay ; so that article of expense is not risen
10 MEMOIRS OF
"in proportion to many others. The master
" attended me for one twelvemonth,, three days in
te the week,, an hour each time,, which was all the
" instruction I had from him." I have said that
Mr. Stevens only employed his leisure hours in
these pursuits; and in the attainment of all this
knowledge. I repeat the assertion for the benefit
of the rising generation ; for the fact is so, how
ever improbable and strange it may appear to the
indolent and slothful ; whose sole employment in
the period of youth is to kill time, as they call it, by
literally doing nothing ; or by doing what is worse
than nothing, indulging in criminal pleasures,,
which ruin the constitution both of body and mind.
But so did not the excellent person, whose life we
are now recording, spend his youth and strength :
for from his earliest years he was, what he continued
during his long life to be, an example of -the strictest
purity of life and sobriety of manners, patient in
dustry and attention to business, and of incorrupti
ble integrity. That his studies, and the pursuits of
his favourite subjects, literature and theology, did
not abate any part of the due attention he felt him
self bound to pay to his master s business, is best
proved by that master s conduct ; for his appren
ticeship expired in 1753, and Mr. Hookham con
tinued him for twelve months in his employ as an
assistant ; and the next year, 1754, when he was
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 11
only twenty -two years of age, rewarded his fidelity,
and his upright conduct, by giving him a share of
his business, and constituting him a partner.
Soon after this most advantageous change in his
worldly circumstances had taken place, it appears
that the constant attention paid by him to the im
mediate duties of his station, and his laborious
studies, overpowered his health ; for I have heard
him frequently state, that his friends dreaded his
falling into a decline. Accordingly we find that
he was advised to go to Bristol Hot Wells, where
he put himself under the care of Dr. Randolph, a
very eminent physician, uncle to the late Bishop
of London, of that name, and father of the Rev.
Dr. Francis Randolph, and of Mrs. Gunning, the
lady of the Rev. Dr. Gunning, of Farnborough,
near Bath. I mention these persons more parti
cularly , because the acquaintance thus commenced
with Dr. Randolph, as the able physician, not
withstanding the disparity of years, grew up into
a sincere and deep rooted friendship, which only
ceased upon the death of the latter. Their opi
nions were similar, and the Doctor, though much
engaged in the exercise of his very honourable
profession, was a deep and learned scholar and
divine, a character which his young patient was
no less desirous of attaining, and which he after
wards lived to attain. Dr. Randolph died in the
12 MEMOIRS OF
year 1765 ; but Mr. Stevens appears to have
transferred all the affectionate friendship he enter
tained for the father to the son,, Dr. Francis Ran
dolph, and to his daughter, Mrs. Gunning, in the
house of which most amiable woman he spent a
great part of many of the latter summers of his
life.
That Mr. Stevens was early tinctured with the
deepest convictions of religion ; and that it formed
the consolation of his life in the very precarious
state of health, under which he was then labouring,,
appears from the following letter written from
Bristol to a young friend,, who seems to have even
then profited by his instructions and example.
The letter is dated the 31st August, 1756, from
Bristol Hot Wells.
" I thank you for sending a letter to my tenant :
<s you did not forget to urge him to see the work
rf was well done. I hope it will please my hea-
(f venly landlord likewise thoroughly to repair this
" poor ruinous clay cottage of mine,, that I may live
" snug and comfortable : or if it is his good pleasure
" to pull it down to the ground,, that he will raise
" me up a building of more durable materials,
" which shall not decay by time, but last for ever.
" Though the present building, notwithstanding it
ec seems weak and crazy, may (in the opinion of the
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 13
ff workman,, who has surveyed it, one Randolph)
"stand many years, there being no apparent
fc danger at present of its falling ; what a windy
fc night or a hard rain might do, one cannot say :
(f to be sure a house out .of repair is sooner blown
" down than one that is tight and whole. In short
cc I cannot be more particular about myself than
ec that I am much the same upon the whole ; and
e( whether I shall get the better of my disorder is
e( quite uncertain : but the Doctor does not appre-
" hend any danger, as the phrase is. I wish, my
( c dear friend, 1 was as able to comply with one
c part of your request as the other ; and had it in
cc my power to afford you instruction and comfort,
S{ as well as to write to you by the first post. If I
ce have been any way instrumental to your good I
" thank God for it : and by the weakness of the
fc means is his strength made perfect. To him
(< be all the glory ! for what am I ? a worm, and
ff no man. Of this truth I am more and more
fc convinced every day. You need not desire me to
e excuse your faults : I see too many in myself to
<f be severe on others. Besides, the honesty of
(( your confession would be a sufficient cover for
c all other defects. Give my best respects to Mr.
(f Hookham ; and as the prayer of the righteous
e( man (one made righteous) availeth much, let
cc me have your s for God s blessing on the means
14 MEMOIRS OF
" used for my recovery ; that he may give me
" patience tinder my sufferings, and a happy issue
" out of all my afflictions, for Christ s sake.
I am, &c."
It is apparent from this letter, that this excellent
youth had already begun, both by precept and
example, to allure other young men into those
paths, from having walked in which he was him
self deriving consolation, in those trying hours of
sickness, which left it doubtful whether his then
flattering prospects of worldly prosperity might
not close in immature death. It pleased God,
however, to order otherwise ; and this his faithful
servant was ordained to continue to be a burning
and shining light to all, who had the happiness of
coming within his sphere, to a ripe old age. His
life was spared ; and his pious sentiments and con
stant resignation to the will of God were now be
come the governing principle of his conduct : and
what he had thus learnt himself, he endeavoured
to teach and impress upon others. I have already
said, that Dr. Randolph, the physician, died in
1765, and soon after his death Mr. Stevens wrote
the following letter to his widow :
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 15
ff 5th March, 1765.
<<P DEAR MADAM,
fe Knowing my own inability to afford you
<f any comfort in your affliction for the loss of the
<f best of husbands, I declined writing to you on
ft the melancholy subject, least I should only in-
c crease your sorrow : for indeed I was too sensi-
c bly affected myself, on being deprived of so good
ff a friend to be able to speak comfort to others,
fc and had myself need of a comforter. But I
fe trust it has pleased the Father of Mercies so to
ec comfort you in your tribulation, that you are
ff now reconciled in some degree to the parting for
fc a season, in hopes of again meeting to part no
e more for ever ; and are disposed to consider
ff my dear friend s gain more than your own loss.
( We are exhorted not to sorrow for them that
c are asleep, as those which have no hope : mourn
fc we may for our friends departed : but our
cc mourning must be as becometh Christians, not
" hopeless ; for if we believe that Jesus died and
tc rose again, even so them also which sleep in
" Jesus, will God bring with him, when we likewise
" shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air,
c and so with them shall ever be with the Lord.
ee f Wherefore/ says the Apostle, comfort oneano-
fc ther with these words ; and comfortable words
" they are indeed. Nature suggests that our
1 (j MEMOIRS OF
" friend is dead, and we shall behold him no more
<f in the land of the living : but faith assures us,
tf he is not dead but sleepeth ; and we know, if
ff he sleep, he shall do well, he will wake again
ff to health and joy in a better life, when all tears
<c shall be wiped away from all eyes ; and we may
(C be refreshed with his company, without danger
cc of separation any more. Such consolation does
" this Scripture afford us : and if we are not too
(f selfish in our affections, we maybe further com-
" forted by considering, that though we for the
<c present are losers, yet he whose absence we
(f lament is infinitely the gainer ; and it is no
" small satisfaction to think that those whom we
f love are happy. c Blessed are the dead that die
" in the Lord/ saith the Spirit; ( for they rest from
<c their labours/ And well might he, whom we
( deplore, take up the words of the Apostle, and
cc say, to me to die is gain ; for, like our blessed
ec Lord, in whose steps he trod, he was a man of
(C sorrows, and acquainted with grief; he drank
<c deep of that cup of affliction, which is more or
c less the lot of us all : but now has exchanged a
{f life of labour and sorrow for a state of peace and
(C rest. As it behoved the master, so did it the
" disciple, through suffering, to enter into glory.
" And whilst our hearts are troubled, methinks I
<f hear him addressing us in the words of Christ to
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 17
fc the disciples, when they were sorrowful, that he
( was going to leave them : if ye loved me, ye
ff would rejoice ; then let us not repine that he
ff is now numbered among the children of God,
ef and that his lot is among the saints ; but let us
<c rather endeavour that our afflictions may have
e the intended effect, weaning our hearts from the
tc world, and fixing them upon God, who can
" abundantly supply all our deficiencies, and has
<c promised never to leave us nor forsake us, if we
cf will put our trust in him. I doubt not, dear
ec Madam, that you have with thankfulness ex-
fc perienced, and do every day acknowledge, that
<f God in Christ is to you, instead of a father,
ce husband, brother, friend : and it is my earnest
" prayer that his comforts may abound in you
f more and more. I am of very little use in life ;
C{ but if it is in my power to render you any ser-
" vice, no one will do it more cheerfully, and you
ff may freely command
" Your affectionate friend."
It is impossible to conceive any letter written
upon such a subject, full of more genuine pathos,
and of the best arguments for consolation to the
afflicted, with a ready application of the best texts
of Scripture to such an occasion. How highly
too is our admiration necessarily raised, when this
C
18 MEMOIRS OF
letter is known to be the production of a young
layman of thirty-three, andthat layman a tradesman,
whose general employment was so uncongenial to
studies calculated to produce a letter of this nature,
so full of Christian consolation to the afflicted lady
to whom it was addressed. But having shewn that,
from his earliest youth, his mind was deeply im
pressed with pure and unaffected feelings of devo
tion, undebased by gloom or fanaticism, I proceed
to shew by a letter from Mr. Stevens to the
daughter of Mrs. Randolph, that he was at the same
time full of vivacity and playfulness. It seems
he had been commissioned by the young lady to
buy a share of a lottery ticket, and he thus gives
an account how he had executed his commission.
" 6th Nov. 1753.
" I have been particularly careful to execute
ce your commands, and herewith you receive, all
<e one as it were, a draft upon my banker for
" 10,000; the damage, as we say, is 3 : Ss.
fc and it is hardly to be expected but it will be 3: Ss.
" damage ; for this lottery, like Ben Jonson s
fc Alchemy st, with a promise of increasing the sum,
" annihilates the whole. However, I wish you all
(( success ; and as your gold is now converted to
te papery I wish you may meet with that philoso-
"pher s stone, that shall again transmute the
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 19
ff paper to gold. This is an excessive bad lottery,
<c and a man need have great interest with the
<c Commissioners to get a prize ; for you know
ff there are eleven blanks to a prize : but if for
<e three or four pounds one could come to any
"degree of certainty, as to the 10,000, I should
e be tempted to have a ticket myself ; else I can-
fc not afford it."
Mr. Stevens, after this, continued to pursue his
business with his usual activity for many years,
with little alteration as to the circumstances of it.
When Mr. Hookham died, his nephew, Mr. Pater-
son, succeeded, with whom, and Mr. Watlington,
Mr. Stevens continued to conduct the business,
as chief partner, till 1801, when he relinquished
a great part of the profits, in order to be relieved
from the drudgery of business, and to dedicate more
of his time to the society of friends that he loved,
and to those studies in which he delighted. About
two years before his death he gave up the con
cern entirely to Mr. Paterson, with whom, how
ever, he continued to board till his death. During
the whole of his life, he dedicated much time to
study, to intercourse with learned men, to the most
noble and disinterested acts of beneficence and
chanty, and to continued and regular devotion .
Of his studies I have already given some account, as
C2
20 MEMOIRS OF
far as his knowledge of languages was concerned ;
and I have said,, but I proceed to prove., that he was
a deep theologian. He was well read in the
writings of the fathers of the church of the three
first centuries : he had twice read through Dr.
Thomas Jackson s Body of Divinity, in three large
folios ; a divine, for whose writings Bishop Home
always expressed the highest respect, and which he
has frequently resorted to, both as authority and
example, in his own matchless writings. The
works of Bishops Andrewes, Jeremy Taylor, and
Dean Hickes, those fathers of our church, those
masters in the great art of holy living, those giants
in religious knowledge, as our most excellent
sovereign has justly called them,* were quite
familiar to Mr. Stevens : and there was hardly a
writer of modern days, at all celebrated for orthodox
opinions, soundness of principle, or purity of con
duct, who was unknown to him. In history, parti
cularly that of our own country, he was extremely
well informed ; and as the society in which he
* The King, who was extremely well read on all these
subjects, one day conversing with a young divine, asked
if he was acquainted with the writings of Andrewes, Taylor,
Hickes, and other divines of that age j the young man
answered, he had employed himself in reading the divines
of more modern times : his Majesty smartly answered, "there
" were giants in those days."
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 21
mingled, led him to hear much of literary contro
versy, and of the productions of the press, so he was
not an inattentive hearer ; but both profited by the
discourse, and generally applied himself diligently
to read the publications which had been the sub
ject of discussion. Of the opinion which was enter
tained of him as a theologian, I cannot give a better
proof than that declared by the very learned
Dr. Douglas, late Bishop of Salisbury. When this
prelate preached before the Society for Propagat
ing the Gospel in Foreign Parts, a meeting which
Mr. Stevens constantly attended, and of which so
ciety, in his latter years, he was one of the auditors,
when the other Bishops were thanking his Lordship
for his discourse, Mr. Stevens humbly, but politely,
offered his tribute of thanks ; the Bishop expressed
himself much gratified, and turning to the other
prelates, said, cc Here is a man, who, though
" not a Bishop, yet would have been thought
if worthy of that character in the first and purest
ff ages of the Christian Church." And upon a
similar occasion Bishop Horsley, who was not
given to flattery, said, f{ Mr. Stevens, a compli-
" ment from you upon such a subject is of no in-
f< considerable value."
In speaking of Mr. Stevens s studies and learn
ing, I ought not, as a faithful biographer, to pass
over in silence, that he was a great admirer of the
22 MEMOIRS OF
works of Mr. John Hutchinson : so were his dear
friends, Bishop Home, and the no less eminent,
Mr. Jones, of Nayland, a name ever to be men
tioned with the deepest respect by every true son
of the Church of England.
The first considerable writer upon the opinions
which Hutchinson promulgated was the Right
Hon. Duncan Forbes, Lord President of the Court
of Session in Scotland ; and it appears, that when
Bishop Home was at College, he himself, and a vast
number of young men, his friends, and who after
wards filled very distinguished stations in life, had
adopted these opinions ; and there can be little
doubt, from the correspondence which has been
mentioned to have been constantly kept up between
these near relations, that Mr. Stevens received from
George Home, some of his first hints upon this sub
ject, which he afterwards improved by a deep and
attentive perusal of the original author, an under
taking which his intimate knowledge of the Hebrew
language greatly facilitated. Mr. Stevens made
the study of these works his delight ; and certainly
he was blessed with that right disposition of mind,
that he never delighted in any thing, even as a sub
ject of study, but what he believed to be just and
correct. The author of this sketch is not compe
tent to enter upon this subject,, not having had
time to investigate it so fully as becomes one who
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 23
wishes to convey instruction to others : but those
who wish for more information., without the trouble
of perusing the twelve large volumes of Hutchin-
son himself, which, however important the matter,
do not abound in the beauties and graces of style,
may receive it, by consulting the small work of
Lord President Forbes, above alluded to ; Mr.
Skinner s Ecclesiastical History of Scotland, Vol. ii.
p. 673, letter 59 ; Mr. Jones s Life of Bishop
Home, particularly the preface to the second edi
tion, written purposely to explain the Hutchin-
sonian Doctrine ; Bishop Skinner s Life of his
Father ; and lastly, Mr. Stevens s own Sketch of
the Life of Mr. Jones, prefixed to that gentleman s
works. Without presuming to form any opinion
upon the subject, I think it right, having referred
the reader to writers who have written expressly
upon the point, to give, in justice to my friend,
Mr. Stevens s own sentiments upon the merits of
Hutchinson. ff The Bishop of Lincoln (Dr.
tf Pretyman Tomline) in his useful work, called
(f the Elements of Christian Theology, quotes,
ff with approbation, a long passage from Mr.
" Maurice s Dissertation on the Oriental Trinities,
tf and observes, that every friend to true religion
" will consider himself as indebted to his laborious
<c researches, (which undoubtedly he must) while
<( every admirer of an animated and elegant
24 MEMOIRS OF
" style will read his works with peculiar satis-
" faction. What a pity (says Mr. Stevens) that
" his Lordship never fell in with the writings
fc of Mr. Hutch inson ! Pleased as he is with Mr.
(C Maurice, he must have rejoiced f in an oppor-
" tunity of recommending in the most earnest
" maimer, the works of that author also, (for matter,
Cf though not for style) to the attention of all those
" who are desirous of seeing strong additional light
" thrown upon some of the most important doc-
ec trines of the Holy Scriptures. He would there
" have seen not less clearly evinced than by Mr.
Cf Maurice, that the Doctrine of the Trinity, so far
fc from owing its origin to the philosophers of
Greece, as infidels and sceptics assert, was the
cc doctrine revealed to man ; that, from the begin-
fc ning, all true believers worshipped one God in
" Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confound-
" ing the persons, nor dividing the substance/
f( He would there have seen what Mr. Jones so
cc fully demonstrates in the tract ; (to which Mr.
(C Stevens alludes) that the kind of Trinity acknow-
" ledged by the pagan nations of antiquity, the
" heathens, who knew not God, was not, could
Cf not be, a f Trinity in the divine nature/ the
" sacred Trinity, Jehovah Elohim, the God they
ec did not like to retain in their knowledge, but a
f( physical Trinity, that which by nature is not
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 25
tf God. He would have seen,, that the works of
" heathen antiquity, and classical literature, are
(C rendered abundantly more interesting and useful
fc from the view which Mr. Hutchinson has given
ff of the doctrines and rites of heathen idolatry,
cf which he has traced backward into the most re-
fc mote antiquity. The New Testament tells us of
(f the heathens in general, that they worshipped
ff the creature. Accordingly Mr. Hutchinson
" hath shewn, that the most ancient names of the
<f gods of the Gentiles denote some or other of the
" powers of the natural creation, either the sun, or
f the moon, the air, fire, &c. that the attributes of
e these were the attributes of their deities ; and the
(f rites and ceremonies performed in their worship
c were emblematic of their operations. He hath
ef shewn that, as the whole ritual and ceremonies
" of sacrificature amongst the heathens were not
Cf from nature, but from the perversion of sacred
" tradition, so their image worship was from the
" same original, having been derived from the
tc symbolical capacity and use of the cherubic
fs figures, first set up at the east of Eden, and
" afterwards in the tabernacle and temple : that
ff from what is said in the prophets, and in the law,
(e and in the New Testament, it is sufficiently
ff clear, that the animals in that mystical figure
f had relation to the divine persons in the godhead,
26 MEMOIRS OF
rf and to the elementary powers of nature, on which
" account the heathens,, in their worship of nature,
tf retained it, and added to it in many ways, some
tf of them monstrously profane and absurd. By
" considering what species of animals were chiefly
" used in image worship by the heathens, with
" the sense and meaning of them, and then com-
" paring what was there found, after the manner
<( of Mr. Hutchinson, with what the Scripture hath
ff delivered concerning the cherubim, his Lordship
e c would see such a scene of divinity, philosophy,
tf and heathen mythology, opened before him, as
* c could not fail to captivate his understanding,
tf and perhaps induce him to say, as Mr. Jones was
" wont to say, that he would not for the world
fc but have met with Mr. Hutchinson s works. "
Such is the summary of Hutchinsonianism as ap
plied to theology ; and though not presuming to
decide upon its merits, yet, as in supporting those
opinions, there seems to be nothing hostile to the
soundest principles, the utmost piety to God, and
good-will to mankind, they ought never to have
raised as they did, in the minds of some men, such
hostility and inveteracy against the supporters of
Hutchinson. In short, though no good man will
implicitly follow any master but NE, yet no great
danger is to be apprehended from the nature and
tendency of this doctrine ; for when, as Bishop
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 27
Skinner says, Cf it has been warmly espoused and
ce ably defended by some of the most distinguished
f characters of the Church of England, and parti-
f{ cularly by a bishop, priest, and layman of that
" church, so eminent for their learning, and so
(e justly admired for their piety and worth, as were
(C Bishop Home, the Rev. William Jones, and
cc William Stevens, treasurer of Queen Anne s
Cf bounty, the less inquisitive Christian need not
cc take alarm at the name of Hutchinson. For it
<( may be truly said, of many, both of the opposers
tc and supporters of this certainly considerable
cf man, that these good men were all walking to the
ff same great end ; and whether they be Hutch in-
<c sonians or not, if there be any individuals, who
f( by the shining of their light, render the path
Cf more plain and pleasant, let us agree to make
f the most we can of them, and be followers of
cf them, who through faith and patience inherit
fc the promises. 3
Such were the studies and pursuits of this un
common man ! His intimate friends at this time
were not only Dr. Home, and Mr. Jones, but he
passed many most pleasant and delightful hours
with the Rev. Dr. Morice, Secretary to the So
ciety for propagating the Gospel, an old and much
valued friend ; with the Rev. Dr. Samuel Glasse,
Rector of Wanstead, author of many works on
28 MEMOIRS OF
religious subjects; with the Rev. Dr. Gaskin,
Secretary of the Society for Promoting Christian
Knowledge, a man better versed in the constitution
and discipline of the Christian Protestant Church
than any man I know ; and who,, I verily believe,
has never taught his flock what he himself did not
rigidly believe, nor inculcated any duties which
he himself did not humbly endeavour to fulfil.
He was also intimate with Dr. Wetherall, the
learned Dean of Hereford, Master of University
College, Oxford ; and with the Rev. Mr. Parkhurst,
who has favoured mankind with those stupendous
works., which are of such importance to the Chris
tian world, the Greek and Hebrew Lexicons.
The fourth edition of the latter of these works Mr.
Parkhurst has dedicated to Mr. Stevens, Bishop
Home, theRev. Dr. Glasse, andthe Rev. Jonathan
Boucher, described as the favourers and promoters
of that work : a pregnant proof that that great
biblical scholar conceived Mr. Stevens to be one at
least of four eminent persons, who, from the extent
of his learning, his acquaintance with the Hebrew
language, and the depth of his theological know
ledge, was well able to judge of the nature of that
work thus submitted to his protection. But of all
Mr. Stevens s then acquaintance, there was none,
in whose society he took more delight, than in that
of Thomas Calverley, Esq. of Ewell, in Surry.
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 29
They were nearly of an age, and had been on terms
of the greatest intimacy from their earliest youth.
Both engaged in trade, Mr. Calverley does not
appear to have dedicated himself to the same
studies with his friend, Mr. Stevens ; but in the
studies of a holy life, devotion to God, beneficence
and good-will to man, they seem to have gone
hand in hand. Mr .-Stevens, being a bachelor, for
the most part spent from Saturday till Tuesday in
every Week with his friend. Here it may be truly
said, ff they took sweet counsel together, and
ff walked in the house of God, as friends/ Till
Mr. Calve rley s death, in September, 1797, when
he dropped down dead suddenly, his house in the
country was a regular residence for Mr. Stevens ;
and thither he also very much resorted, for the ten
years which he himself survived Mr. Calverley ;
visiting the widow, and afterwards the only son of
his departed friend, the heir of his fortune and his
virtues. Mr. Stevens, who had been thus the
companion and friend, through life, of Mr. Calver
ley, and who knew him well and thoroughly, de
scribed him, soon after his death, in the Gentleman s
Magazine, ( c as a character, whom fully to delineate,
ff would be to enumerate the several virtues and
<s graces that adorn the man and the Christian.
" In every situation of life, in which it pleased
" Providence to place him, his conduct was uni-
(C formly amiable and correct. A firm believer in
30 MEMOIRS OF
<c the doctrines of the Church of England, he was
ee constant in his attendance at the stated hours of
" public worship ; nor did he content himself with
ff worshipping God in public only once a day on
<r the sabbath (at present so much the practice)
" but cheerfully obeyed the call to evening as well
fc as morning prayers ; and never turned his back
(< on the Lord s table : and was no less punctual
<e in daily prayer with his family, and in private
<c devotion. Asa member of society he did not
fc shrink from the duties of it, but was active and
Cf diligent ; ever ready to take his share of the
e< common burdens, and to promote to the utmost
" of his power the public welfare. Government
<f he regarded as the ordinance of God, for the
<c benefit of man ; and was therefore a steady
" friend to our admirable constitution in church
cc and state ; praying for the peace and prosperity
<e of both, and meddling not with them who are
<c given to change. While too many make self
ff interest and private advantage the measure of
te their obedience, he was obedient for conscience
** sake. To the poor, as his various charities, pub-
ec lie and private, testify, he was a most generous
f e benefactor : and the distressed among the clergy
ee were certain objects of his attention." I have
given this sketch more full than was perhaps
necessary ; because it was written by Mr. Stevens ;
because 1 wished to do justice to the character of
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 31
a most excellent man, upon the authority of one
who knew him well ; and because the reader will
be to judge,, how applicable every part of what he
has said of Mr. Calverley is to himself. But 1
cannot here withhold part of a letter written by
him on the same subject to Mrs. Gunning, which
will give the highest idea of his own character, both
as the resigned Christian, and the sincerely affec
tionate friend.
" Ewell House of Mourning, Oct. 7, 1797.
" As Dr. Randolph, your brother, you say, is
(C not very communicative, he has not perhaps
fe told you of the heavy loss I have sustained ;
{ and the great void made in the comforts of my
<c life, by the death of my dear, invaluable friend,
ee Mr. Calverley. So young for his years, so cir-
fe cumspect in his ways, and so temperate in all
ff things, I ever concluded I should drop through
tc the bridge before him : but, alas ! an unseen
fc trap door let him in, and he suddenly disappear-
tc ed, leaving me to bemoan, not his, but my fate.
ff A friendship of threescore years standing is not
" to be dissolved without a pang. Vanity of vani-
1< ties, saith the preacher, all is vanity. Occupied
tc as my thoughts have been, and now are, you will
" not wonder at my not writing sooner ; nor at
fe my writing in a gloom now. To every purpose
32 MEMOIRS OF
(< under the sun there is a time : there is a time
C( to weep, and a time to laugh ; and this, with me,
" is the time to weep. Heaviness may endure for
<c a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Let me
ef hope and patiently wait for that morning. We
fe profess to believe, that whatever happens is best;
cc and it is well, when our actions bear witness,
(( that such is really our belief. The hardest
<c lesson we have to learn is, c not my will, but thine 9
" O God, be done ! To get it by heart should be
" our study, and much time it will take up ; but it
ce will amply repay all our pains ; the more per-
" feet we are in it the better, for it is no less our
(f happiness than our duty; there is no happi-
" ness without it/
Having mentioned his studies and his friends at
the period of time, before he published any thing,
I now proceed to point out one of the most admi
rable traits in his character, I mean his extensive
charities, founded as they were in the purest Chris
tian motives, so extensive in their amount, and so
singular in the mode of distribution. Being
mindful of the apostolical injunction, to lay by in
store as God had prospered him, this good man,
from the amount of all his profits and income,,
annually deducted two several tenth parts. These
he immediately entered in his private books of ac-
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 33
count, under the heads respectively of Clericus and
Pauper; and from the instant of thus appro
priating them, he considered himself holding*, as
a trustee, for these two charitable funds. It some
times happened, from a want of proper objects
presenting themselves, that one or both of these
funds were considerably in cash. But when that
was the case, Mr. Stevens was always found to be
a most faithful steward for the poor, religiously
accounting for every farthing, andallowing interest
upon the capital, thus once appropriated in his
hands, till the whole was expended. But it more
frequently occurred, that one full tenth of his in
come was insufficient to answer the numerous
charges, with which his munificence loaded each
of these funds, particularly the latter. By that an
annual deficit, to a considerable amount, during
many of the latter years of his life, was expe
rienced : but Mr. Stevens always found means to
supply the want, by making to the account of
Pauper, or Clericus, as the case might be, a free
gift of such further sum as its exigencies required.
These accounts, since the death of this good man,
I have seen, and have observed the allowance of
interest, &c. in the manner above stated. Besides
these two accounts of Clericus and Pauper, thus
liberally supplied by this great cultivator of true
charity, he had another head in his books of ac-
D
34 MEMOIRS OF
count,, entitled,, Gifts; which,, if possible, displays
the true Christian temper of this excellent man
even more than those 1 have already mentioned.
Under the head of Gifts then,, were arranged not
only expences to a large amount, which might
properly be so considered, such as presents of
books, wine, or other things to friends, to whom
he either wished to shew these marks of gratitude
for kindness he received at their hands ; or who
could not conveniently purchase these things them
selves : but also many other acts of bounty, which,
to a man less scrupulous than Mr. Stevens, in dis
criminating the provinces of different virtues,
would have appeared to be, acts of charity. He
considered them, however, as gifts, lest by regard
ing them as charities, he should either exhaust the
patrimony of Pauper, or Clericus, if they con
tinued to be each limited to one-tenth ; or if either
was encreased, by adding gifts to either fund, he
should seem to rate himself, as being more chari
table than he really was. For instance, under
the title of Gifts, he entered about 500, which
he advanced to an amiable, and excellent friend of
mine, (and this account that friend, to his honour,
has communicated to me by a statement under his
own hand) to enable him to complete his studies
at the University, and which he never would allow
to be considered as a debt. He was very metho-
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 35
dical and exact in his mode of keeping his pri
vate accounts : and his habit was, at the end of
each year, to abstract under the heads of Pauper^
Clericus, gifts, books, pocket expences, journies,
and clothes, the amount of all his disbursements,
setting against this the whole amount of his income
received in the same year. These abstracts lay in
so narrow a compass, that a single sheet of paper
presented, in one view, a complete statement of
the receipts and disbursements for several years.
They were intended only for his private use and
information, and were very rarely seen even by
those who were most in his confidence. An inti
mate friend being once indulged, as a particular
favour, with a sight of one of these sheets, observ
ed, that every private expence of this extraordi
nary man, in the course of a whole year, was com
prized within about 300, while the aggregate
of Clericus, Pauper, and Gifts, considerably ex
ceeded 600; the whole income in that year
amounting to about ^1200. It will be required,
in what way were these great charities of this most
benevolent man expended ? I answer, whatever
his hand found to do, he did it with all his might :
wherever a case of real distress was stated, as
arising in private life, his heart and purse were
open, and his services also, if necessary, were af
forded. To the best of our public institutions, as
36 MEMOIRS OF
enabling individuals to do the most possible good,
at the least expence, he was a liberal contributor ;
and not only gave his money, but what was of
much greater moment, he gave to them much of
his valuable time. When such men, as Mr. Ste
vens, thus dedicate themselves to superintend the
administration of public charities, it is the best se
curity to the public, that the real objects of the
respective institutions are ever kept in view, and
that the funds are well administered. Indeed, the
author of this work with pleasure and heart- felt
satisfaction relates it, that he knows no public cha
rity in this kingdom, where the most anxious at
tention is not paid to afford the particular relief in
tended, (whether the body or mind, or both, be
the object of cure :) where that relief is not afford
ed in the most ready, grateful, and pleasing shape,
and where the funds are not respectively admi
nistered with all the economy, consistent with the
comfort and happiness of the individuals, who are
the subjects of the public benevolence. And let
me here be allowed to say, that the anxious atten
tion paid, and the valuable time employed in the
superintendance of our national institutions, by
the learned, the rich, the honourable, and the no
ble of this country, induce us to entertain a hope,
that there is much Christian piety and charity re
maining in this happy land ; that there are still
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 37
many righteous among us, for whose sake this
country will yet be spared ; and that true Christian
piety and charity will never be separated from the
British character, till time shall be no more.
The indigent clergy and their families were the
particular objects of Mr. Stevens s charities, and.,
therefore, when in the time of Archbishop Corn-
wallis, he was elected the treasurer of Queen Anne s
bounty, it gave him peculiar satisfaction, as it was
an office, for which he was well qualified, in every
respect suiting his temper and turn of mind ; as it
gave him the opportunity of mixing more with the
clergy in general, to many of whom he had long
been attached, both from principle, and the course
of his studies ; of frequently meeting and con
versing with the bishops of the church ; of enquir
ing into the wants and distresses of that most
useful body of men, the clergy ; of relieving
them from his own purse, when the funds of the
charity were not applicable to their case, and of
treating them with tenderness and respect. He
had twice served the office of Steward to the Feast
of the Sons of the Clergy, once in 1762, Dr.
Home being the preacher upon that occasion ; and
again in, 1787. To the Corporation of the
Widows of the Clergy, and to the Clergy Orphan
School, particularly to the latter, he had long been
a liberal 3 nay, a large benefactor : for that school
38 MEMOIRS OF
being supposed to be in want of means to hold out
relief to as many as required its aid, Mr. Stevens,
for many years before his death, contributed 50
per annum, over and above his ordinary subscrip
tion. He was a member of the Corporation for
Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts ; of the
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge at
Home ; a governor of Christ s Hospital of Bride
well and Bethlem Hospitals of the Magdalen
Charity, of which, for many years, he had been
one of the committee ; and of a variety of other
charities, which I only do not name,, because the
reader would be fatigued with the enumeration.
The truth is, Providence had blessed his industry
with great success he was a bachelor ; he had no
vices nor inordinate appetites to gratify ; and he
was anxious upon all occasions, by the most ample
relief to the poor and needy of every description.,
to prove himself a wise, faithful, and liberal stew
ard of those bounties entrusted, by Heaven, to his
care. I have it in a letter now lying before me
from Mrs. Home, the widow of the Bishop ; and
he has also said it to myself many times,, that he
never gave his name to a fashionable public sub
scription ; for the fashion would make it fill : but
that he kept his money for those who wanted it
more,, because they had nobody to bring their cause
into public notice. He took occasions also to be
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 39
charitable and to do good wherever he saw the
occasion called for it without solicitation. Thus
a clergyman,, of the deepest learning, and most
exalted piety,, the utility of whose life to society
the writer of this account is well able to appreciate,,
and whom he rejoices to be allowed to call his
friend^ having the misfortune to have a blind son,
and several other children ; the late Peter Waldo,
Esq. (a man whom I believe to have been such ano
ther, as the subject of this Memoir, for learning,
charity, and piety) and himself determined, un
known to the father, to make a provision for this
youth, whom it had pleased Providence so sorely
to visit. Accordingly these two benevolent men
purchased 40 per annum in the Long Annuities,
in the name of the writer of this life, and the father
of the young man, as trustees for his future use.
This act of liberality, and some others, which I am
about to mention, will prove, that the donations
and charities of Mr. Stevens, were not confined to
small sums ; but extended, as in the instance just
related to hundreds, and in what I am going to
mention, to thousands.
A lady and her daughter, who were distant
relations, were reduced to considerable distress ;
and, for several years, he allowed them 100 per
annum. Upon the death of the mother, the
young lady wrote to inform him of the event, and
40 MEMOIRS OF
expressing her doubts whether she could look for
ward to a continuation of his bounty. With his
usual kindness, and true Christian speed and
with his wonted playfulness, he, by return of post,
answered, ft that he did not mean to continue the
fe allowance of 100 a year : but, as he did not
fe think she was old enough to despair, he meant
f( to settle a fortune immediately upon her, and
ee that she might share it with any good man she
f thought proper ; that he had bought, in her
ef name, 4000 in the Three per Cents, pro-
<c ducing an income of 120 sterling ; and that
cc he had sent her a power of attorney to execute,
" empowering him to receive the dividends, for
fc her use." What a noble and disinterested act
of charity : how valuable the gift how delightful
and inimitable the mode of conferring it ! But,
alas ! his bounty was frustrated, and his immense
gift was directed into another channel : for, in a
letter to Mrs. Gunning/of the 10th March, 1804,
he writes thus, " There is no knowing what a
ff day may bring forth. My cousin - }
fc who has been spending some months at Otham,
ff was to have returned to town next Monday, in
:c order to go to Ewell; but this morning came a
ff letter from Mr. Home," (the Rev. William
Home, Rector of Otham, brother of the late
Bishop Home) " to say, that on Thursday even-
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 41
" ing, she dropt down dead suddenly, and expired
c without a groan,, or a struggle/
Many persons are disposed to be charitable,, and
to do good ; but it is not every one who understands
the true and proper mode of doing it. This art
was never better understood, nor more extensively
practised, than by Mr. Stevens ; and, therefore,
it is, that I am more diffuse in these narrations
than I otherwise should be ; entertaining the hope,
that all, who have the desire to do good, will, from
him, learn the happy mode of doing it ; and that
those, who have the power, not having hitherto
exerted it, may be led by the lustre of his bright
example, to shew themselves deserving of the
blessings, which a gracious Providence has show
ered upon them : and that all may emulate this
good, this excellent, this charitable man and go
and do as he did.
A respectable and exemplary clergy man, residing
in a very distant part of the kingdom, who had
the good fortune to be intimately acquainted with
Mr. Stevens, was most desirous of getting his son
educated at Oxford, intending him for holy orders,
although it was quite out of his power to sustain
the expence. Accordingly, this gentleman wrote
to Mr. Stevens, informing him, that he understood
there were various exhibitions, which might be had
at Oxford ; and even a society, called the Elland
42 MEMOIRS OF
Society,, formed to maintain young 1 men at the
University, free of expence to their friends, and
thus to prepare them for the ministry. Mr. Ste
vens exerted himself, amongst his friends, to pro
cure something of the kind ; but all in vain.
This excellent man, not to disappoint the father in
a point, which, (for certain reasons, I cannot fully
explain) he had much at heart, mentioned the mat
ter to different friends, and he was immediately
authorized by those, who were ever anxious to join
with him in every act of Christian friendship, to
settle at least s100 a year upon this youth, in
order to maintain him during- his education at
Oxford ; and some of his own letters to this clergy
man, will shew, particularly as to the delicacy of
it, in what manner he executed his commission :
for a considerable time had elapsed before the
father knew that all that had been done for
his son, was the mere exertion of a few private
individuals, called into action by the zeal of
Mr. Stevens.
In a letter of the 12th December, 1797, Mr. Ste
vens writes thus : ff The character transmitted to
" me of your son is every way amiable, and I
tc should have had no suspicion of its being ex-
!( aggerated, even if the testimony of his teachers,
tc had not been added to his father s. I should
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 43
(f have been sorry, therefore, in the failure of your
" application to the Elland Society, had I not
ff providentially fallen in with another, which I
fc think may answer your purpose full as well.
"" It is at present in its infancy, and calls itself the
sc Berean Society, in allusion, I suppose, to the
ec Bereans of old, zvho searched the Scriptures
ff daily, whether those things were so, it being
fc the wish of the society to promote such laudable
Cf pursuits. Being acquainted with some of the
fc members, they have appointed me their trea-
fc surer, and I am authorized to inform you, that
" from the representation given of your son, they
<( are desirous of enabling him to prosecute his
f( studies in the University of Oxford ; and, not
" doubting his attention to economy, from the
(c example he has ever had before him, they cal-
" culate that an allowance of 100 per annum
ec may be sufficient. The next term begins about
(f the middle of January, and ends a little before
<f Easter. Entering any time in the term will
ff serve to keep that term : but, 1 suppose, you
(f would be glad to have the young man begin
fc business as soon as may be ; and, therefore, if
ff you will be so good as to let me know when it
(f will be convenient to you that he should set out
(s on his journey to town, we will be prepared to
fe receive him : and, in the mean time, it shall be
tf determined at which College to fix him. The
44 MEMOIRS OF
t( scheme, I flatter myself, is such as you will ap-
" prove, and I wish the end as successful as the
f( beginning is fair and promising/
/*
In a letter of the 4th January, 1798, to the
same clergyman, he writes, " 1 am much pleased
ff to think that the little society, mentioned in my
ff last letter, have, by their seasonable offer, made
tf you happy in the prospect of seeingaccomplished
ee the object you have had much at heart. I am
tc greatly obliged to you for the concern and
" anxiety you express on my account, and you
" may depend upon it, that whenever I find my
ff office of treasurer inconvenient or troublesome,
t( I will comply with your friendly request, and
" decline it. To be sure, at my time of life, I
ef cannot expect long to hold it ; but, if I should
rf drop before your son has received the full benefit
f( of the institution, it will not affect the interests
" of the society, and I trust I shall be succeeded
er by a better man/
On the 15th of March in the same year, after
the arrival of the young man, he again writes to
the venerable father of the youth, "1 have now
" before me your two favours of January 24 and
" 26, the former as a warning star, announcing
" the approach of the great star ; and the latter,
" an attendant on the great star itself. To tell
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 45
e( you what has passed since the arrival of the
" student would be telling 1 you no news, as I dare
cc say he has not omitted acquainting you with
fc every single circumstance. But probably his
Cf modesty has not permitted him to tell you, what
<f you will be glad to hear, that we are all mightily
ee taken with him, and promise ourselves, that he
cf will, by his prudent exemplary conduct, be an
cc ornament to the University. I saw at one view,
fc that he was no counterfeit : the likeness was so
ff striking, that he had no occasion to say whose
ff son he was ; and may it be his study, as I doubt
<f not it will, to preserve the likeness throughout,
" that in every part of his character, the son may
Cf remind us of the father. He is now a member
<c of Wadham College, with the warden of which
ce Dr. Gaskin is particularly acquainted. The
ff members of the new society, who have taken
(C your son as their protegee, are happy in there-
ef flection, that it is a measure so agreeable to you :
fc they are thankful for the opportunity of doing
ce so much good, as is likely to be the result of it ;
fe and consider your blessing as a rich return for
fe all they can confer. Finding, on enquiry, that
cc the young student was not provided with Mr.
tc Parkhurst s two lexicons, 1 took care to supply
<c hi m with them, and observed to him at the same
fe time, that with those two books, and his Hebrew
46 MEMOIRS OF
(< Bible, and Greek Testament, well used, he
" might set up trade whenever called upon/
This letter contains a list of the members of this
ideal society, though they were real contributors
to this labour of love, of whom the worthy trea
surer was the chief: but I forbear to mention their
names, as some of them are still alive ; and as that
is the case, it is right to assert, as the truth is, that
Mr. Stevens s hopes, that this amiable and pro
mising youth would, in every part of his character,
remind us of the father, have been fully realized ;
for he passed through College with considerable
reputation, as to attainments ; with the highest
praise for his moral character ; and is now a re
spectable clergyman, reflecting the greatest credit
on the instructions he received, and affording the
most perfect satisfaction to those who took part
with Mr. Stevens in advancing his education.
The reader might be supplied with many more
letters upon this interesting subject : but as my in
tention is not to fatigue, but to instruct and im
prove, I shall only furnish him with one more
letter on the subject of the Berean Society, a letter,
which, for delicacy of feeling in the manner of
conferring a kindness, and for neatness of expres
sion, never has been surpassed. In the month of
January, or February, 1802, this young gentle-
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 47
man was seized with a violent and dangerous ill
ness, which threatened to blast all a father s hopes
and the expectations of his friends : for, when he
was taken ill, he was just on the eve of receiving
Deacon s orders from the great and learned
Doctor Horsley, then Bishop of Rochester, after
wards of St. Asaph. The anxious father, hearing
of his son s distress, flew from his remote residence
to Oxford, there attended his sick son, and by the
blessing of God, on the means used for his reco
very, had the double satisfaction of seeing him
restored from the brink of the grave, and of being
present with Mr. Stevens, at his receiving ordi
nation from the hands of the Bishop of Rochester.
But the mind of Mr. Stevens was always intent on
the wants of his friends, and his charitable hand
always ready to anticipate their necessities. Fear
ing that the expence of so long a journey would
fall heavy upon the pocket of this venerable clergy
man, he conveyed, at parting, a Bank note into
his hand, enclosed in the following letter, with this
superscription :
" To the Rev.
il Not to be opened till arrived in the latitude of Ludgate Hill."
fc Broad Street, March 9, 1802.
fc The Bereans consider themselves as greatly
<f obliged to , for his late anxious attention
48 MEMOIRS OF
fc to the young student under their protection, and
" take the liberty to enclose a 50 Bank note,, to
ff defray theexpences of his long, tedious journey,
" on the occasion, wishing to add more to it, if
" that is not sufficient for the purpose ; as they
fc cannot think of suffering him to be at any charge
" on account of their ward,, till they have com-
{( pleted the work they undertook, and can con-
ff gratulate the good 3 on presenting his
tc son to him in priests* orders."
It is impossible to present to the reader any
thing in the scope of Christian charity more
pleasing to the feelings of a well constituted mind
than the whole of this transaction : and, I con
gratulate the young gentleman, who was the
origin of all this kindness, and the object of such
distinguished favour from so good a man as the
Treasurer of the Berean Society. It must be a
source of heart-felt gratification to him as long as
he lives.
But another fact deserves to be recorded as no
less excellent and exemplary, and which I am
enabled to state from Mr. Stevens s own letter sent
to me by the present worthy cleik of Bridew r ell
Hospital. It seems, that in the year 1800, he had
been applied to, to become one of the Stewards of
Bridewell and Bethlem Hospitals for that year,
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 49
which was, as \ve all recollect, a year of great
scarcity, upon which he wrote this answer :
ff Mr. Stevens has received Mr. Hudson s letter,
cc and is very ready to accept of the appointment
<c to be steward this year ; but submits it to the
(f consideration of the governors and the gentlemen
" in rotation, whether in these times of scarcity,
Cf it is not more advisable for the rich to fast, that
fc the poor may not starve ; and as there is no
{ e collection, on the occasion, for the benefit of the
ef hospitals, may he venture to recommend the
Cf practice adopted once before, of applying the
(f money, to be expended on the dinner, for the
" relief of those who are in want, rather than for
te the indulgence of those who abound ?"
A word spoken in due season, says the wise
man, how good is it ? So it happened here ; for
the benevolent suggestion of this worthy governor
was adopted by his brethren ; and the sum of
300 was distributed to the necessitous poor, in
lieu of being employed for purposes of an inferior
nature.
In the journey of life we often meet with
persons, who, having money, give it readily ; some
do it from an easiness of nature, rather than give
themselves the trouble of refusing ; others from a
E
50 MEMOIRS OF
benevolence of disposition, which takes a pleasure
in relieving" distress, without being influenced by
true Christian motives. But, whenever the whole
of a man s conduct is uniform, where you find
charity to man, attended by piety to God, and
always proceeding from obedience to his command,
fc to do good unto all men," then we may be
assured, that this is true charity and pure religion.
It was upon such motives that Mr. Stevens always
acted, as the sequel of this narrative will manifest ;
he was convinced that no life is pleasing to God,
that is not useful to man : and I now proceed to
shew, that from his earliest youth, he thought, and
uniformly acted upon the principle, that deep and
unfeigned piety to God is the root and foundation
of all other virtues. He never conceived that
faith and works, which God had united, could
be lawfully disjoined. Without faith, he knew
well, that it was impossible to please God : but
he knew also, that faith without works is dead,
that by works his faith was to be made perfect ;
and he was ever anxious therefore, with the
good Cornelius, that his prayers and alms should
ascend in joint and sweet memorial before the
throne of God.
I have already shewn at how early a period of
life, both Bishop Home, and his excellent cousin,
began to train themselves to the art of holy
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 51
living. Can any man read the following descrip
tion of early piety,, written by Bishop Home, and
doubt, that he warmly felt in his own pure bosom
every part of the description he has there given ?
Can any man, who has read the letter I have
copied in p. 12, and has seen how strong Mr. Ste-
vens s religious impressions were at twenty-four
years of age,, believe, that the Bishop had not,
when he wrote that passage, the character of his
valuable relation in view ? Can any young man
now read the description without feeling his heart
burn within him, as he reads ; without desiring to
be what the Bishop has pourtrayed ? If he can, I
envy neither his feelings, nor his principles.
In Bishop Home s sermon, called, The Beloved
Disciple, vol. i. p. 265, he has the following beau
tiful passage, which, I think, most aptly introduces
the account of Mr. Stevens s unvaried attention to
the duties of religion. Cf Youth is no obstacle in
" the way of obtaining the favour of Christ. The
fe disciple, whom he loved, was the youngest of all
ct the apostles. And certain it is, that religion
e< never appears to greater advantage, than in the
cc persons of those, who, f remember their Creator
" in the days of their youth / and are admitted
<c early into the number of the disciples of the
ff holy Jesus. It is then like a diamond set in
(f gold. There is something more noble in re-
E3
52 MEMOIRS OF
" nouncing the world for the love of Christ, when
" the relish for sensible enjoyments is at the
" highest, than there can be in doing it, when the
" evil days come, in which 4here is no farther plea-
" sure, or satisfaction to be had in earthly things.
" He, surely, is not so likely to accomplish his
fl journey, \vho begins it when the sun is going
" down, as he is, who sets out at the hour of its
ec rising. Youth, like the morning, is the proper
ee season for every task, that requires time and
" pains. Then all the powers of body and soul
l are fresh and vigorous, as those of one awaked
"from a sound and kindly sleep. Then is the
" golden opportunity, the sweet hour of prime,
ff arid the day is before us. The night cometh
fc when no man can work. I have written unto
fc you, young men, (saith John himself) because
" ye are strong ; and the word of God abideth in
ec you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
ec Rejoice then, O young man, in thy youth ; not
fc because thou art able to riot in excess and
cc wantonness, as the heathen who know not God ;
e but, because thou hast it in thy power to be-
<c come, like the youthful John, the beloved of
<f thy Master, who seeketh such to worship him/
The subject of this memorial of affection, did,
indeed, remember his Creator in the days of his
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 53
youth ; he did possess, in an eminent degree,, that
pure and humble devotion, which will be had in
everlasting remembrance ; and shall one day be
proclaimed before men and angels. The hand
that writes, and the heart that dictates this sketch
to the memory of departed worth, fear no contra
diction, when it is asserted, that as few men had
grounded their belief and practice on stronger foun
dations, so Mr. Stevens sreadingandknowledgehad
produced corresponding fruits ; for he was a firm
and conscientious believer in all the doctrines of
religion, as professed in the Church of England ;
and he was an attentive observer of all her ordi
nances : attending to the exhortation of the apostle,
not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together,
as the manner of some is, he was literally glad,
when they said, let us go into the House of the
Lord. He, therefore, regularly attended the ser
vice of the church, twice * every Sunday, even to
the day of his death, (for he had no confinement
preparatory to his death;) never missed an op
portunity of receiving the Holy Sacrament, making-
it a point of duty, not to quit the House of God
when the Lord s table was spread for the recep
tion of those who were religiously and devoutly
* He was used to say jocosely, and punning on the word,
" that the better sort of people never went to church in an
" afternoon."
54 MEMOIRS OF
disposed ; and he was always in his public devo
tions, attentive, earnest, devout, and pious. Even
the most minute observances of the church did
not escape him ; for he never omitted to stand
when the praises of God were sung, even though
in a congregation, where he might be the solitary
instance of this decorous and becoming usage.
And in a letter, now lying before me, dated
23d January, 1800, he thus expresses his opinion
of another usage, attempted to be introduced in
the administration of the Holy Sacrament. ef I
" am glad has returned to the old mode of
" giving the elements., in compliance with your
(( good man s remonstrance. I wish him not to
" be singular in any thing, nor change customs,
<e though sanctioned by high authority. Where
fe the communions are very large, it will prolong
<f the time of service ; but there is something
" striking in a direct application to each commu-
" nicant, it is bringing it home to men s bosoms
<e and businesses. I have read of a practice, which
" obtained, at one time, of the priest using no other
" words at giving the bread, than, The body of
"the Lord; and, on giving the cup, e The
" blood of the Lord! and I like it much;
(e but, 1 suppose, it would be thought Popery."*
* The practice here reprobated was that of administering
to two persons at a time, using the address in the plural
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 55
This worthy man did not content himself with
duly observing one day in seven ; but, for many
years of his life., (certainly the author can speak
to above eighteen, from his own personal know
ledge, and from information to many more) regu
larly attended weekly prayers ; a custom shame
fully and irreligiously omitted, even by those
whose leisure and business would well enable
them, with Mr. Stevens, to have thus, on Wednes
days and Fridays at least, visited the courts of the
Lord. Such persons seem to forget what every
head of a family ought ever earnestly to inculcate
upon his children, and those under his care, or
those whom he may have the opportunity of influ
encing by his advice ; that the being permitted to
behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and to visit his
temple, is an inestimable privilege as well as a
duty, and not a burdensome task. This good man
did not consider it to be a burden, but an in
valuable blessing, for even against the customs of
that city, where he dwelt, un countenanced by his
neighbours or friends, and when even only two or
three were gathered together, he persevered in
number, which I have heard done very improperly, where
the priest was addressing a single person, using the common
phraseology instead of the more dignified and impressive
language of the liturgy.
56 MEMOIRS OF
this godly practice to the end of his life. Alluding
to this falling- off in these observances, this cheer
ful man,, who had his joke always ready, having
observed his own banker one day in church, at
weekly prayers, as they walked out when the ser
vice was over, in his lively manner said to him,
" if you will not tell of me, I will not tell of you ;"
and he frequently used to repeat this story accom
panied by a hearty laugh. Mr. Stevens, by his
attendance on weekly prayers, first gained the
knowledge of, and afterwards formed an intimate
friendship, which he ever highly prized, with the
Reverend John Prince, Chaplain of the Magdalen
Charity, and which only ceased with the life of
Mr. Stevens. Mr. Prince was Curate of St.
Vedast, Foster Lane, where Mr. S. used frequently
to attend the weekly prayers, and as he at that
time, and to the close of his life, dressed like a
clergyman, in black clothes, and a bushy clerical
wig, Mr. Prince took it for granted that one of his
brethren was his regular attendant. Having one
cold day invited him into the vestry before the ser
vice began, their conversation did not at all tend
to alter Mr. Prince s notion, for he found that this
occasional member of his congregation was a deep
theologian, well versed in the writings of the best
divines, and having reproached him with never
offering him any professional assistance, he, to his
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 5?
astonishment, found, that a layman, and not a
clergyman, had been the attendant upon his week
ly ministrations. Still the name of his friend was
unknown, till some time afterwards at the shop of
Messrs. Rivington, that knowledge was obtained,
and that friendship formed, which I have often
witnessed with pleasure and profit to myself, was a
source of delight to both. Certainly, if congeni
ality of sentiments, if sound orthodox opinions, if
unfeigned piety, if the warmest benevolence, could
endear men to each other, never were two per
sons better suited for such a mutual and affec
tionate regard than Mr. Stevens and Mr.
Prince.
All this attention to public religious duties,
which this holy man displayed, was without the
least tincture of enthusiasm his devotion was ra
tional, calm, and placid. He w r as one of those
who thought that a clouded countenance is not the
natural result of true devotion : but on the contrary,
was of opinion that nothing tends more to enliven
the heart, and cheer the face of man, than a con
stant and earnest endeavour to discharge with
fidelity and regularity the duties of piety to God,
beneficence and good- will to man.
Being unmarried, and a boarder merely, the
duty of family devotion could form no part of his
plan : but he was pleased and delighted that so
58 MEMOIRS OF
many of those families, with whom he spent much
of his time, either adopted, or had persevered in
this laudable practice. It has been shamefully ne
glected for many years in this country, but I am
induced to believe it is reviving among us ; and I
own I cannot conceive how a serious-thinking man
can allow it to be wholly disused in his family.
We complain (and often with justice) of the bad
qualities and conduct of those who are under our
care ; but it will be an important and interesting
question to be put to us, who are masters, at a
future day, whether we have done all in our power
to instruct them in their duty, and to reform their
conduct. And though we may not be able always
to succeed, yet what joy, what inestimable rewards
will be the prize of that parent and master, who
can in that awful hour, with most truth, humbly
declare, Cf Of those whom thou hast given me,
<e I have lost none."
In bis private devotions Mr. Stevens was regular
and constant ; and wherever he went to visit in
the country, he carried with him his Hebrew Bible
and Greek Testament and uniformly read the
lessons for the day, before he left his chamber, in
their original languages.
It is not possible to believe that a man whose
wbole life was regulated by such principles, whose
heart overflowed with such unwearied kindness and
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 59
benevolence, and whose cheerfulness of manner
was ever a predominant feature in his character,
could be otherwise than a most pleasing companion .
His constant serenity of mind, and liveliness of
manner made his society be coveted, and anxiously
sought after by men much younger than himself;
for though austere to himself, he attracted young
persons by the cheerfulness of his temper, and by
the allowances he was ever ready to make for the
inexperience of youth. Those more of his own
age were allured by the sanctity of his life ; and
indeed all, who had once the good fortune to fall
into his company, were ever desirous of cultivating
and improving the acquaintance. His playful and
inoffensive wit, and his perpetual good humour, so
tempered his instructive admonitions, that virtue
and religion were in him peculiarly attractive, and
he became the blessed means of turning many to
the ways of righteousness. His remarks on the
passing events of life, though never ill-natured,
were always important, and to the point ; and
though he hated disputation and violent argument,
yet towards the close of a conversation, he would
sometimes introduce such a strong observation as
to silence the combatants, and put a satisfactory
close to the debate. In short, in the intercourses
of social life, playfulness and humour were to the
last his prominent qualities : he was a great
60 MEMOIRS OF
laugher at any neat or smart observation, and
would stamp his feet in the exuberance of his
mirth : he had no objection to a quiet rubber at
whist,, but rather enjoyed it ; and in short,, even to
the last week of his life,, he did not think it un
becoming his character to mix in all the innocent
cheerfulness of domestic life. He, by the lustre of
his own example,, proved religion to be what ex
perience will ever convince those who will but try
the experiment that it is, a source of pleasantness
and peace. Happier hours than the writer of this
work has passed in the company of this extraor
dinary man,, (though above thirty years older than
himself) he never expects to see in this world :
they are now gone, but have left a delightful
fragrance behind them, and the remembrance of
them is sweet.
That his good humour, playfulness, and affec
tionate attention to his friends, were not confined
to personal intercourse, will appear from the fol
lowing letters to some of his friends who have
favoured me with them : and though 1 have seldom
published the whole of a letter, it has been either
because the part omitted w r as not applicable to
the point for which the letter was referred to ; or
because it was of a private domestic nature, relating
either to the writer or to the person addressed, and
therefore not always interesting to the public.
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 61
Having left the Rev. Dr. Gunning s hospitable
mansion at Farnborough, he, on the 22d of Au
gust, 1789, sent the following letter to his amiable
correspondent, Mrs. Gunning:
22d August, 1789.
ff As every man is to himself of vast importance,
ec he is mighty apt to think he must be so to every
<f body else, and that others must be as anxious
cc about him, as he is about himself. Upon this
ff principle, I conclude you must be miserable
fc till you know how I conducted myself after the
fe various methods proposed for accomplishing
ef my journey ; and therefore it is highly proper
ff I should be no less miserable till 1 have set
ff your heart at rest upon that subject. Instead
f( then of sending Jenny (his horse) before, or
<f leaving her to follow after, we took our de-
(C parture together about five o clock in the morn-
ff ing, and travelled on very composedly to
fe Devizes, where we arrived by eight o clock,
" and resumed our course, after having eat our
ff breakfast, and completed our journey of near
fc fifty miles by one o clock. A notable exploit,
ec let me tell you, for a poor crazy creature, and
ff might be told to his children s children, if he
cc had any !
(f And now, dear Madam, having previously
62 MEMOIRS OF
cc acquainted you with my mortal aversion to
ff writing^ I am thinking* what eternal obligations
cf you will consider yourself as under for this let-
(f ter, and how ready you will be to pour forth
ce libations of whipt-syllabubs in testimony of your
" gratitude,, or rather I am felicitating myself
Cf on the volumes of letters., it may lead to my
fc receiving ; for however I may have lost my
ff taste for reading ; for the productions of your
" pen,, I shall ever have the highest relish,, and
(c ho\vever indifferent I may be to buildings,
cf to plants, to pictures, to medals ; at which you
fc know you expressed your surprise ; the house
fc of your building up, the plants of your raising,
ee the portraits of your drawing, and the medals
c( bearing your image and superscription will
cf never be indifferent to me ; and therefore with
<c my most cordial respects to your co-adjutor,
Cf worthy Peter, (Dr. Gunning) as well as my
Cf best acknowledgements for his friendly enter-
" tain men t, and hearty wishes for your health and
fc happiness, believe me,
fc Dear Madam,
" Ever your s, affectionately."
In another Letter, where it appears Bishop
Home was at Bath for his health the year before
he died, he writes thus to the same lady :
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 63
London, May 24, 1791.
(f If you are vain enough to suppose I must
<c follow your example/ you are mistaken. It
<e will not do : you shall not be so gratified. I ll
ff take none of your broad hints. I am determined
tc to have my revenge ; and for your long silence,,
ff incessantly plague you with my nonsense.
Cf Your report of our Bishop, (for which,,
cc however, I will acknowledge myself obliged to
Cf you) accords very exactly with that of Nurse
ef Jones,* (whose intelligence, I believe, is rather
fc the freshest of the two, as she did not leave his
c( Lordship till Tuesday, and you do not appear
ff to have seen him so lately) I agree with you
<c that he ought not to want any thing this world
fc can give him ; and much less the attendance
ef of Nurse Stevens, f if he wished it ; but be-
fc tween you and me, I have no great opinion of
ec that old woman s abilities in any way ; she is a
ff heavy soul, as Sam Johnson used to say of
fc Bishop ; and from what I saw of her
ff at Bath last winter, I question whether she
te was not rather a trouble to his Lordship than
" of any use to him. A younger nurse would be
fc more active and answer his purpose better.
ft Suppose you were to undertake the charge; from
* The Rev. Wm. Jones, of Nayland. f Himself.
64 MEMOIRS OF
<c that hearty,, cordial shaking of the hands you
(e mention, there is no doubt you would be accept-
" able,
Cf I am sorry you were disappointed of the plea-
(( sure you expected from the conversation of Mr.
ff Jones. I, c who have no music in myself, and am
Ct not moved with the concord of sweet sounds/
(C have often been chagrined by having the
fc whole time engrossed with discourse about
tc tweedle dum and tweedle dee, and it seems
f that you, with a soul full of harmony, were dis-
cf concerted. From the bandying of civilities
<c between the Professors, it was rather an uncivil
" business to the rest of the company ; and Mr.
Cf Jones s voluntary seems to have been so much
" of an involuntary, that I am afraid he did not
ec appear so much to advantage as I could have
(C wished him to have done. I certainly received
(f a parcel addressed to me at Messrs. Sykes,
ff Snaith, and Co. which I understood to be from
ff Mrs. Gunning, and on opening it wondered
<c how you came to send me Dean Digby s Lec-
" tures ; but your letter has unravelled the mys-
ff tery, and taught me that the parcel was for and
" not from Mrs. Gunning. It shall be taken care
cc of, and accompany me on my journey. Having
ff taken ample revenge, and let fly my volley of
" nonsense full in your face, I now bear no malice
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 65
(f nor hatred in my heart, but am in perfect cha-
" rity with you, and will conclude myself, as usual,
fc with most cordial remembrances to Peter and
ff the rest of the family.
ff Your truly affectionate/*
The following letter to Mrs. Gunning contains
such an agreeable mixture of the lively and the
grave, particularly in his description of his inter
view in a stage coach with a young clergyman,
who certainly took Mr. Stevens for one, that I
cannot deny myself the pleasure of transcribing
the whole :
"London, Oct. 15, 1793.
<e It is now some time, nobody can deny, since
ge I parted from my good friends at Farnborough.,
" and I have occasionally thought it would be no
<e more than civil, just to express the grateful sense
{C I entertained of their kind attentions to a poor,
f miserable hop-jack : but hitherto they have been
<c vain thoughts. To be sure, I might allege,
" that I have been, as the Poet of ^Eneas sweetly
" sings,
" < * rack d and tost,
* And bounc d from pillar unto post. "
cc but it would be a mere trick; for, notwithstand-
e ing all my bandyings about from place to place,
F
66 MEMOIRS OF
" there certainly has been leisure enough to write
cc volumes ; and nothing- less than one of the
<f deadly sins, commonly called sloth, is to be as-
signed as the true cause of my so long having
" left undone the thing which I ought to have
ff done. Of the adventures in my peregrinations,
" it would be needless to speak, having nothing in
" them curious or entertaining, like my friend
( Will. Marvel s, were it not that otherwise, in-
(f stead of volumes, as above talked of, I should
c not be able to proceed far in a single sheet ; for
cc 1 experience what the poor Bishop complained
" of, who used to observe that, when he sat down
(( to write, he found himself deficient in two tri-
fc fling requisites, matter and words, through the
ff lack of which, no great things were to be done.
" You will therefore excuse my mention-
" ing, however trifling, a few particulars of my
f( late movements, which you may read or not,
cc as you feel yourself disposed, and which I
( conclude you will pass over, when I recollect
<e that curiosity is no ingredient in the female
" character.
e By the friendly assistance of good Mrs. Quick,
" you know, I was conveyed in the easiest manner
(t from your house to Bath, and by the indulgence
(C of the worthy Doctor, who attended me, the ride
" was made pleasant. From Bath I set out in the
WILLIAM STEVENS } ESQ. 67
fe coach with company none of the best, as you will
ec readily believe, when you are informed that
(C there was only one passenger, including myself.
c< At Devizes we took up a young divine, who en-
" quired much after the British Critic, of whom I
fc gave the best intelligence I could, recommend-
ff ing him to the young man s notice ; and, in the
fc course of conversation, asking me if I knew
fc this or that Bishop, I made him stare, and his
ff mouth water, by telling him, I personally knew
fc the whole Bench ; for he could not help exclaim-
fc ing, What a nice acquaintance for a clergyman !
ff At the end of about six miles,, he got out to walk
c: over the fields to a friend s house, and to relate
cc to him what strange things he had heard, devise
(f who the happy man could be that had the ear of
cc six-and-twenty Bishops ; and observe what
cc pretty pickings he must have in the Church.
cf From that time to the present moment, when I
ce am returned to distribute Queen Anne s bounty
c for the augmentation of poor clergy, as it stands
ec recorded in the preface of John Bacon s last edi-
{e tion of the Liber Valorum, though I have visited
fc many places, and seen variety of company,, have
" assisted at hop-picking in Kent, the two most
c material articles noted down in the tablet of my
<e memory are, that one day I met an honest man,
lf who, after expressing his thankfulness for the
F2
68 MEMOIRS OF
<c blessings of a fine harvest, which would bring
(c some relief to the poor, assured me, that if Go-
" vernmentdidnotsoonlayatax,andaheavytaxtoo,
(f on spinning-jennies, the nation would, in a short
" time, be in as bad a condition as France andano-
" ther day, I rode sixty miles on horseback : which,
for an old woman, was thought a great feat. And
now finding I shall be able, without adverting to
" things of lesser moment, to spread a sufficient
cc quantity of black over the remaining white, so
" as to make a suitable mixture, I will proceed to
ce the business in view, when I sat down to write,
" which was first to desire that the manuscript
fc sermons left with the Doctor and your brother
{C may be made up in a parcel and sent me forth-
" with, as they are wanted and next to throw
" what light you can upon a story I heard some-
(( where, I believe from you or Frank, of an Irish
<f prelate, asking Old John with great surprise, if
" what he had heard was true, that he (Old John)
f( knew the names of all his parishioners, or some-
ft thing of that sort ; and Old John s answer,
Cf which surprised him still more : I have a con-
ef fused idea of something, but I hardly know
cc what, that deserves to be recorded, and having
"an opportunity of introducing it to advantage,
" where it will not be lost, I could wish for all the
" particulars, and hope you will be able to help
WILLIAM STEVENS-, ESQ. 69
rf me to them. Old Jones is going on with his
(f literary account of the life and writings of our
ff dear Bishop, which I trust will be an acceptable
(f present to the public ; both entertaining and
fc edifying : but it will not be ready to make its
f{ appearance with the two new volumes of ser-
ff mons, which maybe expected in another month,
fc the whole being nearly printed, and waiting for
cc an engraving, which, after all our endeavours,
".will not exhibit so pleasing a likeness of the
ff person, as the discourses do of the mind of the
fc amiable man. To fill up what is wanting, it
ff will be sufficient to remember most cordially all
" my worthy friends at Farnborough, at Corston,,
(f at Bath, and to say how much gratified with the
" sight of your fair hand-writing, and a good ac-
cc count of your health, and of Mrs. Quick s, which
fc was but indifferent, and of the rest, will be
<f Your very affectionate/
It appears by the next letter that he had been
strongly pressed to come to Parnborough to Dr.
(Running s, and in a strain of great jocularity
writes thus to Mrs. Gunning as to his mode of
conveyance :
" .August 2, 1794.
{f What a lucky circumstance, that there was
te such an assembly of wits,, at the time my letter
70 MEMOIftS OF
<c to Frank arrived., to lay their heads together
" and contrive the best method of enforcing the
" Habeas Corpus Act, notwithstanding the pre-
ff sent suspension of it. I hope, however, they
(C did not forget their dinner on the occasion, and
f( 1 hope also, that their deliberations will not be
ff considered as a plot against the State.
" Of all the schemes proposed by my learned
" and ingenious friends for the more easy con-
ff veyance of my dear self from Kintbury to Bath,
Cf and saving some of the many thousand bumps
tc that flesh is heir to, I must be worse than a Kal-
lf muck not to prefer being under the conduct of
fc the ladies from Devizes ; but then, vain as you
" have taught me to be, I am not vain enough to
( suppose, I am any way entitled to such honour ;
" neither can I think of troubling the good Doctor
t{ to come to Marlborough, not flattering myself
C I am so worth having, as to be worth fetching
fc at that rate. In regard to your brother, he is a
cc fine bustling fellow, and one would not mind
Cl leading him a wild goose chase. You suppose
" it will not be convenient for me to stay at Kint-
fc bury till he returns from Leicester, which will
ff not be before the 20th of August : but why do
ft you suppose any such thing ? How it will be in
" his way to call on me I know not ; but if it
" should suit him to look in upon me here about
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 71
<f that time, it will suit rne as well as any time, and
" one would earnestly wish him to be of the party
ff when I make my visit to Farnborough. If he
ff travel in his chair, and his wife with him, I sup-
<f pose lam to be strapped on behind, with the port-
<c manteau, which will make all things easy except
f c to the poor horse, who is to draw us. So you see,
fc I am at your mercy, and you are now to let me
ec know what is to be done. You must acquaint
<c me with Prank s plan of operations, and I must
(f hold myself in readiness accordingly. Upon the
Cf whole, I question whether it is not a perplexing
<c business, and whether the shorter way would not
<c be to do as others have done before me, step into
<c a Bath coach, and say nothing to nobody. I was
ff glad to hear your good mother was so well, and
c f that there was a chance of my seeing her. I wish
ff you could have given a better account of your-
cc self, for I am still of opinion that there would be
ff no danger in your being well. To the worthy
cc executor I am obliged for his liberality to the
<f Scotch episcopal clergy. The draught you
<f mention maybe taken at Bath with as good effect
er as in London.
" I am afraid by my visit being deferred I
" shall not see all the olive branches. Last year I
ff promised the Rector some good, sound manu-
" script divinity, and this year I hope to perform
72 MEMOIRS OF
<e it, having a parcel in my portmanteau. So he
cf will pray there may be no spiritual pads on the
f( way to rob me. Make my best respects to him and
<e all my other good friends,, and believe me,, &c. 5>
To prove how lively all his letters were., would
be to copy the whole of the correspondence now
lying before me : But I do not mean so to deal
with my reader ; especially as to prove the truth
of what has been already asserted of Mr. Stevens,
as well as in the further portraiture of his life,,
parts,, if not the whole, of many of his letters must
be copied^ in all of which the same liveliness of
manner,, with the same seriousness of thinking
will appear. He never appears to have kept a
diary or journal of his proceedings, as many wise
and good persons have done, and have thought
that if it were faithfully and honestly done., it was
another means of grace, and an incentive to good
actions and rectitude of moral conduct. But
while he was at Farnborough, at Dr. Gunning s,
on the visit mentioned in the preceding letter, it
appears as if Mrs. Gunning had urged him to do
so. And after he left her house, he sent her the
following diary, for one week, which is certainly
as entertaining as any I have ever seen. Much
playfulness of wit, a perfect good humour, which
is now and then mixed with sound and serious
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 73
reflections,, which evidently were the spring and
foundation of all his words and actions : for in no
man was ever more truly verified the saying of
our blessed Lord, C( Out of the abundance of the
fe heart the mouth speaketh," than in the person
whose life we are now contemplating.
" Wednesday, September 3, 1794. At Mr.
fc Mead s rose early anxious for my portman-
fe teau pleased to see the servant going with it
Cf on his shoulder to the coach wished it safe at
(C Kintbury had my fears about it walked for an
<f hour around the fields with Dr. Gunning com-
<f pared notes, agreed the conversation flat the day
c before could not guess why perhaps Dr. B ,
ec who was of the party, could he wished to meet
ec Mr. Stevens ; query, if he ever wished to
fc meet him again. After breakfast, took leave of
t{ my friends: maybe, final had not rode far, when
ff recollected had not paid Nancy for postage and
cc washerwoman s bill went back, was told by
" Mr. Meade she would abuse me for preciseness
ff memory sadly treacherous, an infirmity com-
mon to age beguiled the way by ruminating on
" the incidents of the last fortnight thought with
<f satisfaction on the morning, noon-tide, and even-
" ing walks to the church with the good Doctor
<e to view progress mightily amusing to see other
74 MEMOIRS OF
" people work should work myself much to be
" done, and little time to do it in the worthy
fc Rector not idle ; he loveth our nation, and has
ec built a church charity edifieth called to mind
tc the pleasant excursion to the clerical meeting at
" Bristol, and the happy expedient hit upon by
cc Peter and me to escape the overflowings of
fc turtle soup, and save harmless our best clothes
" laudable solicitude well rewarded ! reflected
Cf with complacency on the many agreeable rides
(f to and fro, between Farnborough and Bath
" Nancy by my side enlivening creation highly
" flattered by the very friendly attention of good
" Mrs. Quick the apostolic injunction, use hos-
ec pitality without grudging, never more reli-
fc giously observed than in Paragon Buildings
fc greatly delighted with the performance of the
<f service the two Sundays at the Octagon Chapel :
ff both excellent men recollected Mrs. Quick s
<f remark on Frank s sermon, a happy faculty in
" combining scripture and comparing spiritual
" things with spiritual very just Bishop Home
f( likewise eminent in that way thought of the
c well-spread table on Monday, and the kind, ac-
ef commodating disposition of the invaluable
" hostess when, after an early dinner, I bid adieu
" to Bath could not say as Sam. Johnson once
" did, ( a good dinner,, Sir, but not a dinner to
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 75
V( invite a man to* much gratified by a gentle
<c squeeze of the hand from Kitty on getting
ff into the chaise. Mem. In my grand climacteric
ce wonder what it could mean pursued my jour-
(C ney, musing upon many things awaked from
fc my reverie by horse stopping at Kintbury found
fc a letter from Will. Home., complaining,, that
tf when I got among the ladies, single or married,
" it was all one nothing could move me no de-
ee nying facts must plead guilty ate my dinner
<c entertained my friends with a relation of my
fc adventures, and the wonders I had seen they
fc much edified thereby portmanteau not arrived
cc sent after it, but no tidings strange mis-
tc givings of mind about it wished I had done as
" Peter did, and rode in my new coat went to bed
<f heavy-hearted slept little.
cf Thursday, Sept. 4. Up rose the sun soon
<c not so soon up rose I looked out at the window
<c in my mind s eye saw Peter unlock the two
<f gates and go to the church wished to see with
4f my bodily eye the portmanteau on the servant s
" shoulder coming, as I had seen it going, but
(f no such good luck sent after it once more all
re in vain wrote five letters, one to Mr. Meade re-
ef presenting, in pathetic terms, my distress, and im*
" ploring his assistance and one to young Peter,
f inviting him to Kintbury, on Sunday, to hear
MEMOIRS OF
76
" Farnborough news,, if not better engaged, and
" bring young Meyrick with him on recollec-
" tion could not,, with honour., be omitted had
tf given him reason to expect it he had seen Miss
f( M at Ramsbury in my absence had inti-
ff mated that a letter would find its way without
" difficulty. I would not willingly forfeit Peter s
ce good opinion read Han way s travels his motto
{( Never despair/ hope my portmanteau is not
" lost company to dinner conversation of
c farmers sometimes not less amusing than that
tf of literary men perhaps not less edifying
" in the evening a sober game of whist door
c opened who comes ? enter portmanteau
fc joy in every countenance particularly mine
rf Hanway in the right a sensible man best
f never to despair remember that.
Cf Friday, Sept. 5. Up soon after six o clock
" breakfasted at eight wrote another letter to
" Mr. Meade to say, a little patience would have
" saved me the trouble of writing and him of
" reading both have heard of the patience of
ff Job to little purpose, as of many other virtues
e went to Church congregation reminded me
ec of Peter s at the Octagon three old women,
fc including myself dined out had no reason
to complain received as much as communi-
" cated trust I did not come worse out of com-
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 77
fi pany then I went in bad indeed if I did
<e concluded with a rubber.
ff Saturday, Sept. 6. By an act of vio-
" lence, turned myself out of bed soon after
cc six o clock shaved my head all over an
tf easier task than formerly, thanks to Old
<c Time he, with his razor, has smoothed the
ff way for me meditated a ride to Mr. Saw-
Cf bridge s threatened rain glad of an excuse
(f indolence prevailed read Hanway s Travels
fc his story of Nadir Shah curious but horrid
<c read what you will, no denying the Fall : all
Cf nature, all history bear witness to the truth of
{( Revelation walked in the garden to prepare
fc the stomach for the food, while the food was
Cf preparing for the stomach after dinner sat
<c a while made a partie quarree in the evening,
({ and went to bed in good time.
<c Sunday, Sept. 7. Got up once more a day
* c of rest but not of idleness : lawful to do good on
tf the Sabbath-day devoted to pleasure right, if
lf pleasure be devotion. Dr. Delany reckons
fc up the natural advantages of the Sabbath
" it promotes cleanliness, and cleanliness con-
ff duces to health rest from labour renews
fc strength, and enables to perform more la-
" bour thought on Peter at the Octagon not
e( a whit behind Frank in illustrating Scripture
78 MEMOIRS OF
" truths audience in raptures about ten o clock
cc arrived young Peter, and his young compa-
f( nion, in good time for church ; had a serious
fc walk. Peter and I in the garden seemed to
ff be reconciled to study and confinement ex-
(C pressed my hopes, though the Duke of Somer-
" set and Lord Webb had carried off a great
({ deal of Greek and Latin with them, they had
ff left a sufficient quantity for him both young
ce visitors preferred duck to boiled mutton played
" a good knife and fork with that and apple-pie
" went to Church in the afternoon drank tea
" finished with a piece of plum-cake and a glass
" of wine, and took leave, to all appearance
" perfectly well pleased with their excursion
" in the evening read Bishop Home s Considera-
" tions on the Life and Death of John the
" Baptist not inferior to the best of his works.
" Monday, Sept. 8. A dull morning, wet, and
" likely to be so, barometer sunk, spirits low
" the influence of the air on the body, and, while
" in the body, on the soul, very great : what
" wonder ! in it we live and move, and have our
" being exercise necessary to quicken the cir-
" culation, and raise the spirits day spent in
" reading, and the oppressive employment of
" eating and drinking a rubber at night.
" Tuesday, Sept 9. Another wet day began
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 79
l to be anxious about getting to town afraid
" the weather would not do for riding on horse-
" back remember the portmanteau all may be
(C well a poor creature good for nothing
" engaged to dine at Dr. Griffiths s the walk
" not so uncomfortable as expected a sad thing
" to be a coward a good soldier should endure
" hardness where are the fearful ? company,
" only Dr. Griffiths, his daughter, a Counsel
" learned in the law, and myself. Gentle pas-
" sions, (says Jonas Hanway) and moderate en-
" joyments, in the track of religion and common
" sense, are things always within our reach, and
" certainly productive of the end we aim at
" applicable in the present instance. Parsons
" apt to think lawyers rogues lawyers apt to
" think parsons fools the Doctor continues the
" practice of toasts good Mrs. Quick was not
" forgotten no meeting without cards ombre
" always made a part of the amusement of the
" wits and statesmen in the Tory Administra-
" tion of Queen Anne had a blustering walk
" home. Finis.
" And now you see what a week s journal is,
" how literally I am a thing of nought, how truly
" my time passeth away like a shadow. You
(C desired to hear, and you hear with a witness.
" If your head did not ache before, surely it will
80 MEMOIRS OF
" ache after labouring through this tedious scrawl,
" and well is it that it can be continued no far-
" ther. Excuse me this once, and I will be more
(i careful in future. Let me know you have
" survived it, and it will be a relief to my mind
" and my conscience. With best wishes to all,
" Ever your s,"
Of the delight which I have mentioned young
people always took in Mr. Stevens s society,
the reader will cease to wonder, when he reads
his own idea of the propriety of mixing young and
old people together in company ; and in his state
ment of the character of old people, he fully pour-
trays his own.
" To hear you talk of our enjoying our friends
(e a little longer ; and of our not being likely to
" die of old age yet, is laughable enough. Why,
te you are a brisk lively lass, just in your prime,
" full of epigram and fun ; but I am a poor old
" creature, with one foot in the grave, sans teeth,
" sans taste, sans eyes, sans every thing. There
"is sense in your not separating from society,
" who can be a useful member of it ; you have
" the day before you, and may do much work ;
u but with me the night is come, in which no
" man can work : it is past twelve o clock, and
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 81
"" time to go to bed. Dr. Gregory, indeed, in his
Cf comparative view, recommends the associating
ff the old with the young ; and it may be profitable
ff to both, as with a little attention it may serve
cc to keep all parties in good humour, which is a
< c very good thing ; it may make the old, by the
<f lively, agreeable conversation of the young, for-
ff get their infirmities ; and it may lead the young,
" from observing the calmed passions and placid
(f manners of the old, to consider old age, to
ff which they are advancing, as no uncomfortable
f< state, nor any formidable evil/
The sentiments of this excellent man, as to the
uses to be made of an acquisition of fortune, are
so excellent, that I cannot deny myself the grati
fication of transcribing, nor the reader the plea
sure of perusing, the two following letters : and,
indeed, there never were persons, who so literally
fulfilled, from the suggestions of their own bene
volent dispositions, all Mr. Steyens s ideas of the
true use of riches. For it will be seen from the
letters themselves, that the excellent Doctor G.
employed the first fruits of wealth which had
been bequeathed to him in adorning the house
of God, and in works of charity and benevo
lence. All Mr. Stevens s letters breathe so much
of affection to his friends, so much kindness
G
82 MEMOIRS OF
to all, and so much right feelings of religion,
that the difficulty I find, is to impose upon
myself the irksome duty of withholding any
of his correspondence with which I have been
furnished.
tf London, March 4, 1794.
ff I was afraid it was bad with the executor s
wife, that she did not herself acquaint me with
" their great and good fortune ; for I was sure she
cc must conclude, I should be pleased to receive
" f a full, true, and particular account of the
ee bequest, with all its concomitant circumstances,
fc in her own descriptive style : and it was with no
" small satisfaction t saw, what I had long
<c anxiously looked for, a superscription in your
ft hand-writing, as I flattered myself, it was a sign
ff you had recovered your wonted brilliancy ; but,
" alas ! to my great mortification, I found, upon
ff opening the letter, that your poor head was still
cc in as uncomfortable a state as ever, and that
f( you wrote, not because you were better, but
{c because you saw little chance of being better.
" If I were to say, as you think you hear me
" say, ( the fortune is certainly great, but good
fc only as you make use of it ; I should have
< f no hesitation to say further, that to you, 1 doubt
" not, it would be as good as it was great ; and
WILLIA.M STEVENS, ESQ. 83
c * the more you fear answering for yourself, the
" less I fear answering* for you, that you will be
" equally disposed, with your worthy husband, "to
" put it in bags that wax not old/ and * use it, as
" not abusing it/ You had before learnt ( to be
* c . careful for nothing/ but to cast all your care
" upon him, who careth for you/ and you have in
"no wise lost your reward. I could wish it might
" please God to give you health to enjoy all the
" blessings around you : but we are all beggars,
" and beggars must not be choosers. If every
" thing went on smoothly, and there were no
" rubs in the way, we should be apt to forget
c( c the decease we have to accomplish/ and be
e tempted to say, it is good for us to be here ;
" which would justly subject us to the censure of
" not knowing what we said/
* It is a pity I should have damped your
te genius, and prevented the display of it in
" illustrating your newly acquired curiosities,
" by my stupidity. Who knows but it might have
" inspired me with a taste for the fine arts, and
" given me a relish for antiquities ? If it could
<f be done, it might be expected from the winning,
" bewitching way you have of communicating
your ideas, and making every subject you
handle intelligible and entertaining. The li
brary, with the addition of Mr. W/s valuable
G2
84 MEMOIRS 01*
" collection, in such admirable condition, will
" be splendid indeed, and much in Peter s favour,
" who, instead of being thrust into a dark hole,
<f as he is at present, will come forth into open
<c day, and have the best room in the house for
<f his study, which you know the master of the
" house, as he is, should have. The building
" of a new chancel, and the improvements to be
" made in that quarter, are worthy of Peter, who
(f loves to have f every thing done decently and
fc in order/ Thus what he does will be every
(f way handsome, within and without, there can
" be no question : he will f not offer unto God
"" of that which costs him nothing/ Whether
I shall come to see how you are going on is
f very uncertain, but if I do not, 1 cannot believe
cc that you will think it is, because I am not in-
fc terested at all about you. Remember there is
C( a time when the strong men will bow them-
Cf selves, when fears shall be in the way, when
" the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire
shall fail : remember these things, and you will
" not wonder if you do not see me.
cc And so your brother is full of learning He-
"brew, and translating some part of Bull s
" works. There are some ladies now in Gay-
" street with whom he might have agreeable
" conversation on the subject of Hebrew roots ;
WILLIAM STEVENS., ESQ. 85
r< Mrs. and Miss Altham, the daughter and
" grand-daughter of Mr. Parkhurst : they lodge
<f in the same house with Miss Horsley, the
(C sister of the Bishop of Rochester. With what
<c view is your brother translating Bishop Bull,,
fc and what part of his works ? I suppose he
fc knows that some of them have been already
" translated. I am glad to hear he and his wife
( ( are both well and happy.
ce I am not surprised to hear the Principal is
" very indifferent ; he is some years older than I
<( am ; he has threatened to leave us every now
cc and then,, and at last most likely he will : but as
ff Old Latimer said to Ridley,, who looked behind
" him, when they were going to the slake, Here
" I am,, Master Ridley,, after you as fast as I
(C can ; so I may say to the Principal, coming
<f after you as fast as I can. It is comfortable
ef the old lady keeps so well, as probably she has
(e some exercise for her strength and patience,
ff or strength of patience, read it which way you
(f will.
fc So poorly as you have been, I am afraid you
<f have not been able to turn over the good
" Bishop s two last volumes. They are well
" spoken of, and I believe there will be a call soon
" for another edition.
" Being got to the length of my letter, I
86 MEMOIRS OF
" must conclude with best respects to all friends,
" not having room to particularize,, and best
(f wishes for the re-establishment of your health
" and spirits.
ec Ever your s, &c."
" Dear Madam, "London, July 4, 1794.
" After the pitiable account given of you by
" our reverend and worthy dignitary, the sight
({ of a superscription in your fair hand was re-
" freshing beyond measure, and I read with
" peculiar pleasure that you found yourself better
" than for many months past: for though John
" Norris somewhere observes, with his usual
" smartness, the danger is in being well, not in
" being ill, I fear your being dangerously ill,
/ and shall always rejoice to hear you are well,
" having no apprehension, from your manner of
" spending the time of health, of your ever being
(c dangerously well. Good Mrs. Quick ! with
" what heartfelt delight does she receive you
c( in the morning, and minister to your amuse-
c ment through the day ! Placid Peter ! with what
" complacency does he hail your return in the
" evening ! May the waters and the exercise
e restore you to comfortable health, and may you
" live to see .your children s children, and peace
" upon Israel !
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 8?
rf From the rapid progress made in the re-
rf pairing, enlarging and beautifying of the
f< church, I perceive my worthy friend intends to
ff furnish an exception to Sir Roger de Coverly s
ff observation,, that church-work is slow, and I
<f see, likewise, that he is commendably deter-
fc mined, after the example of Solomon, to finish
<f the house of God, before he finishes his own
ff house ; though some, perhaps, may be disposed
ff to dub him, for his ^-ains, a second Solomon,
Cf in the less favourable acceptation of the word.
ff And the good man has not only the satisfaction
fe to find the great work carried on with zeal
" and alacrity, none weakening the hands of the
people, or troubling them, as in the re-building
(e of the temple ; but he has the pleasure to re-
fc fleet, that when the work is finished, none of
ec those who knew the church in its former state,
cc will have reason, on recollection, to weep and
" lament, but all may shout aloud for joy.
(e And so you say, knowing what a poor, dull,
" stupid creature I am, you almost despair of my
ff having curiosity enough to come and view the
" alterations taking place at Farnborough. To
f be sure it is a pity you should not be indulged
cf the opportunity of displaying your genius, and
cf showing how cleverly you have -managed mat-
** ters. Methinks I hear you relating with inex-
88 MEMOIRS OF
fe pressible glee, and the happiest fluency, how
cc you planned this, and you contrived that, you
<f suggested the other improvement ; how Peter
fc would have had this so, and so, and how awk-
fc ward it would have been, you know, and how
" much better it is, how much more convenient,
ef and more elegant, for being agreeable to your
ff direction. But what a mortification would it
cc be, when I ought to be all wonder and surprise
" to hear me come out vith a cold phlegmatic no,
fc or yes ! Indeed you might console yourself
c with pitying my want of taste and spirit : but
" would that be a sufficient gratification ? Upon
" the whole, perhaps, it may be advisable not
ct to hazard the disappointment, but leave the
cc hum drum mortal to himself, absorbed in his
tc own vanity.
fc Whether you will admit my application of
Cf the text alluded to in my last, or not, I never
cc made a more apposite one, and I feel the force
" of it. Grey hairs are found upon him, it is
fc said, and he knoweth it not. That person, I
fe suppose, had but a few. Mine are too many,
" and too visible, even to escape my notice, dis-
ff posed as I may be to wink at them. While
" others go far and wide to see ruins 9 I have only
re to look in the glass ; a ruin presents itself, and
"the business is done. You want me, after
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 89
(f having beheld my natural face in a glass, to
Cf go my way, and straightway forget what man-
ce ner of man I was : but treacherous as my me-
fc mory is, that cannot be, the lines are too strong
ef and deep, the impression is not so easily effaced.
<f You urge me to come to hear all, and as a
cc further inducement, you observe, that besides
ff what you have to say, Peter has a deal to tell
t( me, which every one allows is much more to
" the purpose. The hearing of what Peter has
ff to offer on any subject would certainly be an
fc additional motive for wishing myself at Farn-
tf borough, and its being more to the purpose
ff than what you have to say, you evidently shew
" to be your stated opinion, no less than that of
" others, by the silence you regularly observe
ef whenever he is about to speak, and your never
" failing to let him take the lead in all conver-
" sation ; but, what you have to say yourself is
" always so much to the purpose, that to hear it
" I would cheerfully submit to all the bumps I
<f should receive in the ride from home to the
fc happy spot, which, on a moderate computation,
at the rate of one thousand per mile, the quan-
tf tity observed by a friend of mine to be uni-
Sf formly received in that space, would amount
" to the sum of one hundred and fifteen thousand
f{ and upwards. So you see it is not for the want
90 MEMOIRS OP
<e of inducement or inclination ; the fault is irl
ff the old materials. But after all, notwithstand-
ec ing I have no other attendant than my old
(C man William,,* I should think crowded as you
e< are with real curiosities, you would not wish
ft any more antiques at present, and had rather
ec have the room than the company of such
ef rubbish.
ff I mentioned in a letter to your brother a
f( design I had upon the Doctor, and I am obliged
cf to him for humour ing me in my fancies.
ff He has the thanks of the Scotch Episcopal
f( Church, which were transmitted to me in a
ff letter from the Bishop of Aberdeen ; and
" their prayers he may be sure of, which he will
"" think worth all the money, not to mention
ff the Bishop s blessing, which, perhaps, he may
ff think not inferior in value to that of his own
(f diocesan."
* By his man William, this worthy man meant himself,
for he never had any other attendant. Without the least
particle of parsimony, he never would have a servant, for
two reasons : 1st, Because he disliked the trouble of it ; and
next, because he was desirous of reducing his personal ex
penses within as narrow a compass as possible, that he might
have the more to give away. He had many jokes about his
man William, using to say, he had no more faults than
himself.
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 91
Upon the subject of Dr. Gunning s pious care
in adorning and beautifying his church, he further
writes, in another letter :
" I am sorry you should have set your heart on
" my being at the opening of the church, as that
" was at no time probable, and is now entirely
" out of the question. What may happen in
" the spring no one can tell, but as life never
" knows the return of the spring, the chances
" are against my being then at Farnborough.
cc The tower, it was imagined, would fall on
" Peter,* and I conclude it did, but 1 trust with-
" out doing him any material injury, as you
" mention no such thing, and speak of its being
cc finished and looking very handsome. If Peter
" will be so delighted with the pulpit, when it
" is up, how delighted will you be when he is
" in it ! I am glad the way to the church is
" made smooth and easy : it is to be hoped the
" people will not want to be told, this is the way,
fc walk ye in it."
This worthy man was prevented by illness from
attending the opening of the church at Farn-
* But the good letter-writer furnished an elegant clock to
this tower, whicfc cost him upwards of JQl.
92 MEMOIRS OP
borough, in the month of March, 1795, but \vhen
he heard of it, by a letter from Mrs. Gunning,
thus he answers :
" March 10, 1795.
" Many thanks for the pleasing account of the
ec feast of dedication. Methinks I see the good
te Peter, with the keys at his girdle, as eager to
ee open the doors of the temple, as the people could
" be to have them opened. That they had such
ff a desire and longing to enter into the courts of
" the Lord looks well: and as Charity believeth
ff all things, let Charity believe it was from a
( better motive than that of idle curiosity. The
Cf Doctor s pensioners in putting off their old
ff clothes will be reminded to put off the old man;
fc and in putting on their new clothes to put on
ff the new man : and you will have the satisfac-
e tion to see the scions which you have planted
" become, by the blessing of God, trees of righ-
" teousness. Though your good man was never
ff happier in his life than in seeing the Church so
cc full, and in preaching the Gospel, after the ex-
fc ample of his Master, to the poor ; yet I could
" have wished, for the sake of the rich at a dis-
ff tance, that the day had been more favourable,
".that they might have been gratified in hearing
f him. Crimson velvet,, with a deep gold fringe.,
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 93
fc and every thing to answer it ! handsome in-
fc deed !* Where is the Lord worshipped in the
f beauty of holiness, if not within thy walks ?
ec Thither may the tribes go up to give thanks
<( to the name of the Lord and peace be within
tc thee !"
To close this matter, so anxious was this ex
cellent man, no less than his worthy friend, Dr.
Gunning, that every thing, relating to the sacred
offices of religion, should be done decently and
in order, that he sent the Doctor a beautiful little
service of communion plate, fit for the pocket, to
use in administering the holy communion to the
sick, with the following inscriptions, which I have
seen : On the covers of the patten these words,
from St. John s Gospel, ch. i. v. 29 : ff Behold
<( the Lamb of God !" On the inside of the patten,
cc He was known of them in breaking of bread :"
and on the cup, " When I see the blood,
" I will pass over you." Exodus, chop. xii.
v. 13 : and on the foot of the cup, ff For Christ is
" our peace."
This present was accompanied with a letter to
Mrs. Gunning, which I with pleasure transcribe,
* These cushions for the altar were the gift of Mr.
Stevens.
94 MEMOIRS OF
because it gives the character of the inestimable
man to whom the gift was made,, in the most
expressive and energetic language, peculiar to
him who wrote., and who was intimately acquaint
ed with the worth and piety of him of whom it is
written :
ff There is something else in the parcel, for
( the sending of which, perhaps, I ought to make
" some apology. You may remember youmer-
" rily said one day, that your good man was so
". particular, he would hardly go to visit the sick
" without his band. Now, as he is so very litur-
" gical, so very rubrical, and so very canonical,
" 1 have taken the liberty to send him some pri-
fc vate communion plate, which I hope he will
" gratify me in accepting, as a small token of my
u unfeigned friendship for him, and my high re-
" verence for his amiable, exemplary character,
" as a Christian Divine of the Apostolical Church
" of England/
In all the letters which have preceded,, and
those few which I shall yet have occasion to quote,
it will appear how well read Mr. Stevens was in
the Holy Scriptures, and how aptly he introduced
their language as his own, without the labour of
formal quotation. The intelligent reader will
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 95
hardly need to have it pointed out what energy,
force, and dignity this gives to the style of the
writer ; nor how careful he is, never to introduce
these passages but when the subject well justifies
their use. It is by such a judicious application
of language so sacred, that the true Christian,
whose religion resides in the heart, and who has
it there, always ready for use, is distinguished
from the enthusiastical fanatic, who is continually
dishonouring God s word by unseasonable appli
cations of it. I quite agree with a beautiful and
energetic modern writer,*
" That Scripture should never be perverted,
*< either in speaking or writing, to unworthy pur-
fc poses ; that ordinary occurrences should be
" related in ordinary language, and that we have
fc only to turn our eyes to the fanatical govern-
" ment of Cromwell, and the language of the
" Independants of that age, to behold the rock
cc which true piety should avoid. The solemn
fc language of inspiration was never intended to
c promote deceit, or to cover hypocrisy, to be used
" by the inconsiderate, or hackneyed by the de-
" signing. It is the word spoken in season which
" alone is pronounced good."
But paying all due attention to a caution so
* Brewster s Meditations for the Aged.
96 MEMOIRS OF
wise and judicious, I also agree with the same
animated and interesting writer, " that when an
" allusion can be made with success, the oppor-
" tunity ought not to be omitted, or rather ought
" to be readily accepted :" and knowing that the
excellent person, whose life I am recording, was
neither a hypocrite nor a fanatic, I have no dif
ficulty in saying, that the beauty of his letters, and
the strength of all his writings, are chiefly derived
from this source, whjch he had the art of so
happily applying, or rather which flowed so na
turally from his pen, guided by a heart so entirely
dedicated to the service of his blessed Master. I
shall for the present conclude his correspondence
with his observations on the uses of sickness to
the true Christian, as found in parts of two or
three letters,, addressed to the lady, whose vivacity
of manner, and unfeigned piety for so many
years, and to the end of his life, attracted his
friendship and esteem.
< f November 30, 1789.
ff I am extremely obliged to you for your affec-
" tionate letter : but, methinks, though I wished
fc you to write, I am sorry you did write. I wish-
<f ed it as a proof of your being in better health,
"" but as you are not, I am afraid it w T as an exer-
" tion beyond your strength, and I am sorry -for
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 97
ec it. Pleasing as it is to hear from you, let me
ff beg of you always to consult your own ease, and
ff never write but when you find yourself in good
cc spirits; for be assured it will ever be a pain to
ee me to read what was a pain to you to write.
fc It is a sad thing that the faculty cannot, by
fc skill or by chance, hit on something to relieve
fc you : but though they have not yet done it,
fc let us continue to hope they shortly will ; for
fc hope itself, as Sam. Johnson observes, in -one of
ff his Idlers, is happiness ; and its frustrations,
" however frequent, are less dreadful than its
<c extinction. You deserve good health and good
" spirits, you employ them to such excellent pur-
ce poses, when you enjoy them in any tolerable de-
gree : and your conduct in sickness is an admir-
<( able lesson of instruction. We all lament your
fc want of health, and feel for you in your suffer-
cc ings : but none of us can be tired of you. As
fe to the continual horrors on your mind, of which
ec you complain, they are with you, as with Dr.
fc Johnson, owing to bodily disease ; and when-
ff ever it pleases God to remove the one, the other
" will cease of course. I thought of you the other
c day, when I was looking over your good father s
f godfather s* comment on the Gospel for the
* George Stanhope, D.D. Dean of Canterbury, author of the
Comment on the Epistles and Gospels.
H
98 MEMOIRS or
" 24th Sunday after Trinity, where he says,, So
<f provident is God in all his dispensations, so gra-
" clous even in withholding his mercies and sup-
" plies for a season, that the very delays we suffer
" in temporal affairs are for our own advantage.
fc They do not only contribute to our improve-
ef ment in another kind, but oftentimes make way
cc for a more surprising and bountiful grant in the
ec same kind. And provided we make the right
" use of them, (as you eminently do) wait God s
<{ leisure with patience, consider his methods with
fc prudence, and trust in his power and goodness
c( with perseverance, these will not fail in the end
Cf to render us both happier and better/ "
The next letter is relative to his own, as well as
Mrs. Gunning s, illness.
< c Ewell, Dec. 8, 1794.
Cf I take the opportunity of what I call a lucid
<f interval with which a gracious Providence some-
ff times indulges me, to thank you for your very
" affectionate letter, so close on the heels of the
fc former. To receive two letters, when your ge-
" neral state of health seldom, without pain, ad-
(c mits of your writing one, is a mark of your soli-
ce citude for me, so much beyond any pretensions
" of mine, that I feel quite ashamed and con-
<c founded ; and I am ready to ask you the ques-
ff
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 99
tion I did Frere, in reply to his friendly en
quiries Why all this bustle about a poor insig-
fc nificant old woman,, who has been long past
ff labour, and is fit only to sit mumping in a chim-
ef ney corner ? You are kindly anxious to know
cc how I am attended in my crazy condition of
ff body and mind : for having never heard me
" speak much of female friends, you are fearful
(f I have none to rely on in my distress but male
" friends ; and of them you seem to think as Job
<( did of his,, that miserable comforters are they all.
ff To be sure they are not to be compared with
fe the others, and could I have had you to shake
cc the vial, and pour out the draught, it would
ff have lost all its bitterness : but such assistance
ff as was necessary having been supplied, I have
ef done tolerably well, and in being much alone
f< there is no harm. Sheep, you recollect, when
" they are ill, and find their end approaching,
ff separate from the rest of the flock, to lie down
" in solitude and die in peace. And can we, the
cc sheep of God s pasture, act more sensibly than
cc to follow their example, and do likewise ? How-
cc ever, except for the first fortnight after the
fc knock on my pate, I have made the usual excur-
e< sion to Ewell, (Mr. Calverley s) not on horseback,
" indeed, but in a chaise, from Saturday till Tues-
fc day, which, it is supposed, may do good like a
H2
100 MEMOIRS OF
ff medicine : though when 1 consider my time of
" life,, with the nature of my complaint, I have no
" reason to expect much in the way of recovery.*
({ As our days, at most, are but a span long, the
" measure remaining to me must be short, and all
ec that cometh is vanity.
" It was no small relief, after the wretched ac-
cc count given of your health, to hear that though
cc you had very many hours of darkness and
" horror, you had some of light and gladness,
" and had experienced that the sharpest afflic-
" tions, through the tender mercy of God, have
ee their intervals of ease and comfort. Gold is
" tried in the fire, and for every trial it comes
<e forth the purer, as you have the satisfaction to
" find. When the furnace is heated seven times
" more than it was wont, it is that the vessel may
" be the fitter for the master s use, purged from
" all dross, and sanctified. You suspect that you
" lament so much the want of health, as not to
" be sufficiently thankful for the many blessings
" you enjoy: but let not your heart be troubled,
" be of good cheer. The very suspicion is a sign
" to the contrary: the fear of not being sufficiently
" thankful is an argument of thankfulness."
* He, however, was spared to his friends and the world for
above twelve years longer.
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 101
It is now time to introduce Mr. Stevens to the
reader in another character,, namely,, that of an
author; for he has at several times produced very
learned works. But such was the excessive hu
mility, which ever marked his character,, that his
name was never prefixed to one of them for many
years. In the year 1773 he first appeared as an
author, by sending forth a work entitled " An
" Essay on the Nature and Constitution of the
fc Christian Church,, wherein are set forth the
" Form of its Government, the Extent of its
ff Powers, and the Limits of our Obedience, by a
fc Layman." The period chosen for this publi
cation was most happy ; for it was {f at a time
" (as the preface states) when the press teemed
(C with the most scurrilous invectives against the
" fundamental doctrines of our religion ; and
<c even the newspapers were converted into trum-
tc pets of sedition by the enemies of the Church;"
and, therefore, this good man thought, and justly,
that silence on the part of its friends would be cri
minal, and a cold neutrality inexcusable. The
object which this excellent writer had in view in
the publication does honour to his head and heart,
as explained by himself. He concludes the pre
face by praying f that the publication may pros-
" per to the edification of the ignorant, the con-
" viction of the erroneous,, and the establishment
102 MEMOIRS OF
" of the faithful : that the ever blessed Trinity
rf may be worshipped as such, in all sincerity and
* truth ; that Christians may no longer dissemble
" with each other, in transactions of the most se-
ff rious nature ; that their conduct may be direct-
tf ed by knowledge, neither swerving 1 towards an
(C enthusiastic contempt of all order and decency
ec on the one hand, nor towards a lukewarm indif-
" fererice to every thing that is sacred on the other:
fc but that all who profess and call themselves Chris-
ff tians, may hold the faith, in unity of spirit, in
<c the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life."
It may well be believed, from what I have stated
of the author s views, from the soundness of
his principles, and the extent and nature of his
reading, that no man was better qualified to give
a right notion of the Church of God ; whose foun
dation he lays in the scriptures ; and upon that,
ably raises the superstructure of her government,
her authority, and powers : and bythe like authority
of scripture proves the duty of obedience from her
sons. The opinion of an obscure individual upon
such a subject is of little consequence : but the ve
nerable Society for Promoting Christian Know
ledge deemed it so admirably adapted for the in
struction of those who have thought but little on
this important point, that about thirty years after
its first publication, they put it upon their catalogue
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 103
to promote its extensive circulation ; and for the
first time, the name of its highly respected author
was prefixed.
That the opinions of Mr. Stevens, respecting
the Sin of Schism, underwent no change after he
first published his Essay on the Church, appears
by a private letter now lying before me,, dated Sep
tember 8, 1798, in which he says, after speaking
of a work on this subject, cc I am afraid the prin-
(C ciples are so uniformly right and correct, it is
ff more than the age will bear. We are rather
cf mended, perhaps, but is there not reason to sus-
Cf pect the goodly apple is somewhat rotten at the
cf core ? Some will approve one part and some
" another ; but there are few 1 doubt who will sub-
" scribe their unfeigned assent and consent to the
" whole. I question if the article on Schism will
cc not be as much objected to as any ; and yet one
cc does not see why. It certainly speaks the doc-
ff trine of scripture and the Church of England.
cc There is undoubtedly such a thing as Sc/iism,
cc and it is as undoubtedly a sin as adultery or
(c drunkenness : and the being guilty of it, the
" Apostle says, is being carnal. It surely behoves
<c every one to enquire wherein it consists, in
" order to avoid it. Our Church teaches in her
(C catechism, that there are two sacraments gene-
f rally necessary to salvation, Baptism and the
104 MEMOIRS OF
ff Lord s Supper : and if so, the inference is fair,
" that without them,, generally speaking, there is
" no salvation. And, if they are necessary,, it is
" necessary to know where they are to be had : for
" it is not to be supposed that every man has a
fc right to administer them,, any more than every
(c man has a right to use the king s seal. The
ff scripture is express, that the Lord added to the
te Church datiy such as should be saved ; it is in
fe the Church., therefore, that the means of salva-
ff tion are to be had, and consequently it is incum-
" bent on every one to be added to the Church, and
(( to keep in it, as he has no right to expect the end.,
" but in the use of the means in the way which
cc God has appointed. As to the doctrine being
fe uncharitable, which some object, so far is it
<e from the want of charity, that to warn people
s ( of their danger is surely the truest charity ; and
(f we know what was to be the fate of the watch-
fe man who did not warn the people. And the
Cf adulterer and drunkard may as justly call it un-
(e charitable to be told, that such shall not inherit
" the kingdom of God, as the Schismatic that he
" must be of the Church to be saved. To ask
ff what is to become of those who are without the
(C pale, is nothing to the purpose ; God will judge
ff no man, but by the law which he has given him ;
ff nor will any be responsible for opportunities
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 105
(f they never had. As many as have sinned with-
<c out law,, shall also perish without law ; and as
ff many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged
ff by the law. God is no respecter of persons ;
fc he will be justified in his saying, and clear when
ff he is judged."
The above work, " on the Church, " was pub
lished, evidently with a view to counteract their
designs, about the time when some of the clergy
of this kingdom had taken a most singular and
unaccountable step with respect to their subscrip
tion of the thirty-nine Articles of Religion. Cer
tain clergymen of the Church of England, and
certain members of the two professions of Civil
Law aj|d Physic, met at a Tavern in the Strand,
called, the Feathers Tavern, and thence this meet
ing was denominated the Feathers Tavern Meeting,
and prepared a petition to Parliament, praying to
be relieved from subscription of the Articles which
all of them had subscribed; and having, by ad
vertisement in the newspapers, invited all who
thought themselves aggrieved in this respect, to
join them in endeavouring to obtain redress, I am
sorry to say the petition was signed by about two
hundred clergymen.
This petition was offered to be presented to the
House of Commons, and a motion was there made
that it be laid upon the table. This was strenu-
106 MEMOIRS OF
ously opposed, and warmly debated. It was ob
served, and justly, that Parliament could not grant
relief to those who had already subscribed, as they
had no power to vacate oaths ; and it was a little
singular,, that those who made no scruple to sub
scribe the Articles, and to declare their unfeigned
assent and consent to them, and every part of
them, in order to obtain a living, had no sooner
obtained one, than they were desirous of being
relieved from those very Articles, without assenting
to which the living could not have been conferred.
And it was further said, that as to those who were
not yet beneficed, and who wanted to seize on the
emoluments of the Church, without believing in
her tenets, or complying with her laws, they were
not at all to be listened to ; as from every prin
ciple of reason and justice, they should be ex
cluded from her for ever. It was also argued, by
the most moderate men in Parliament, that it was
necessary that those, who were appointed to be
the public teachers and instructors of the people,
should be bound by some certain principles, from
which they were not to deviate : that to prevent
disorder and confusion, it was fitting that some
public symbol should be established, to which they
should all assent, as a mark of their conformity
and union : that a simple assent to the scriptures
would, in this case, be of no signification ; as it
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 10?
was too well known that the greatest absurdities,
and even blasphemies, had, at different times, been
attempted to have been supported, or defended,
upon their authority : that the Clergy were un
der no necessity of accepting 1 benefices contrary
to their consciences: and if their scruples arose
afterwards, they had it always in their power to
quit them. The petition was, therefore, rejected
by a very great majority ; many members of the
opposition joining with administration in the re
jection. The numbers for rejecting were, 217
for receiving the petition, 71 : and I never have
read or heard, that any of the actually beneficed
Clergy, who signed the petition, and whose scru
ples had arisen after they had accepted the pre
ferment, resigned their charge, in consequence of
their petition being rejected, except the Reverend
Theophilus Lindsay ; who, by afterwards opening
an Unitarian Chapel, in Essex-street, and com
posing a new Liturgy for the use of his congre
gation, shewed, that his objection went, not to the
subscription merely, but to the fundamental doc
trines of the Church of England. It was, in order
to give correct notions upon these important sub
jects, that Mr. Stevens published the above pam
phlet. But that was intended for grave and serious
readers only. He thought, however, that a little
of his playful wit and humour mi^ht be success-
108 MEMOIRS OF
fully exerted upon this occasion. Accordingly,
in the same year,, a beneficed clergyman (whose
name 1 purposely omit) having published " An
ef Address to the Clergy of the Church of Eng-
fc land in particular, and to all Christians in ge-
(f neral," Mr. Stevens printed " Cursory Obser-
fc vations on a Pamphlet, entitled,, An Address,
ff &c. " which are written in such a strain of easy
unaffected pleasantry, accompanied with such
solidity of argument, as have not often been com
bined in the same author. He thus begins his
pamphlet by remarking on the oddity of the title,
tc Seeing advertised a pamphlet, entitled, "An Ad-
" dress, &c. I had a mind, being one of the people
<c called Christians in general, to know what the
cc gentleman had to say to me, and, accordingly
<c I sent for it. Free choice, and a desire of
te doing good in my generation, as the author
" expresses it, led me to make a few observations
fe upon the said pamphlet, and to present them to
e the public for their emolument. The gentleman
" sets out with acquainting us, that he is an 06-
" scure brother; and, lest any sceptical mind
ec should doubt the truth of it, he has proved it
" to a demonstration at the very entrance of his
fc address.
f( On a supposition that we shall wish to know
" more of him than the name he bears, he next
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 109
f< informs us, he is one whom free choice, and a
ff desire of doing good in his generation, led at
"first into the ministry, for which hi? friends
cf and family had not intended him. This piece
" of intelligence cannot fail of giving his readers
" a very favourable opinion of the good sense and
ce judgment of his friends and family ; and the
fc more we see of him, the more we shall be dis-
(C posed to wish that he had listened to their advice,
fc instead of following his own inclinations."
After following him through his pamphlet., and
giving him that sort of chastisement and good-
humoured rebuke, which, as a beneficed clergy
man of the Church, he thought he deserved, he
concludes his excellent observations thus,, (which
I have thought it my duty to transcribe, for the
sake of shewing the opinion entertained by s6
deep read a layman of the Articles and Liturgy
of our Church.) "Our author/ says Mr. Stevens,
f( sums up the whole with a petition, which he
<c wishes to be preferred to the Bishops ; and I
fc will conclude with what I wish the real friends
" of the Church may present to them by way of
fc counter-petition. That the present set of Arti-
ff cles, which, for the soundness of their doctrine,
(( are the glory and ornament of our Church, and
" cannot aggrieve any but its open or secret ene-
cc mies, may be preserved to us whole and entire :
110 MEMOIRS OF
fc for we have no objection to subscribing them
"fairly, as they contain nothing but what is read
tc in Holy Scripture, or may be proved thereby ;
(C and we verily think they are our best security
f against the Papist, the Infidel,, and the Heretick.
ff That our Liturgy, compiled from the Liturgies
ef of the first and purest ages of the Church, not
rf only as to the form, but as to the matter and ex-
fe pressions, and composed with such simplicity
ff and majesty, as to be adapted to the capacities
fc of the ignorant and unlearned, and^edifying
fc and instructive to the most enlightened, may
fc be continued to us in its present perfection,
fc without addition, and without mutilation. That
" our Church may still be, what it always hath
fr been, the honour of the reformation, the
(e strongest bulwark of the Gospel against Popery,
(C and the brightest star in the Christian firma-
" ment. The terms of our communion are pure
ef and scriptural ; and if they, who now dissent
" from us, will continue to do so, the fault is
ec theirs, not ours : we have done our duty, and
cc they are to see, whether separation from such a
" Church does not involve them in the guilt of
" Schism/
But, strenuous as Mr. Stevens was, in defending
the Doctrines, Articles, and Liturgy of our venera
ble Church, and sharply as he treated the work
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. Ill
above-mentioned, yet his generous conduct to the
individual was just what might have been expected
from one, who knew, that to do to others as you
would wish them to do to you, was a prominent
command in that gospel, which he made the guide
of his life. An enemy of this Clergyman, finding
Mr. Stevens to be the author of the cc Cursory
ff Observations," wished to furnish him with some
personal reflections on that Reverend Gentleman ;
but he was dismissed by the good-humoured, and
kind-hearted man, telling him, that the faults of the
book, and not of the man, were the objects of his
attack. Many years afterwards, by the kind in
strumentality of a mutual friend, these two literary
combatants became very sociable. Mr. Stevens
certainly never altered his opinions; whether the
Clergymen ever changed his, 1 know not ; but as
many years have now elapsed, since he pub
lished his Address, which was the object of our
author s remarks, and he must then have been a
young man, it is fair to presume that he saw reason
for changing the opinions he entertained when
he published that pamphlet.
In the year 1776, Mr. Stevens published "A
ff Discourse on the English Constitution, extract-
" ed from a late eminent writer, and applicable to
" the present times." His motive for this publi
cation was to counteract the dangerous absurdi-
MEMOIRS OF
ties which, about that time, were published in fac
tious newspapers, to answer the purposes of a
party, and to throw every thing into confusion, by
furnishing people with a few rational principles
concerning the nature of civil power, the necessi
ties of society, and the positive laws of their own
country. His object, therefore, in publishing this
tract, was, to convince his deluded fellow-subjects
that there was no liberty without law, no security
without obedience.
In the year 1777, he published two distinct
works: the one, entitled, " Strictures on a Ser-
fc mon, entitled, The Principles of the Revolu-
f tion Vindicated preached before the University
ec of Cambridge, on Wednesday, May 29th,
ff 1776; by Richard Watson, D.D. F.R.S. Regius
<f Professor of Divinity in that University ; " and
the other, entitled, ec The Revolution Vindicated,
(C and Constitutional Liberty asserted ; in Answer
ec to the Rev. Dr. Watson s Accession Sermon,
<e preached before the University of Cambridge,
" on October 25, 1776. " In both these works,
which may well be considered together, he takes
severe notice of some of the learned Doctor s to-
picks ; and contends, that the Doctor and his
friends endeavour to support doctrines, in their
political creed, which, if followed, would destroy,
and not preserve the constitution, grounding all
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 113
authority in the power of the people ; while Mr.
Stevens insists, that the revolution intended to
preserve., and did preserve, the constitution, in its
pristine state and vigour ; and that this is mani
fest from the convention, founding 1 the revolution
entirely on the abdication and vacancy of the
Throne.
It is certainly quite clear., that many persons,
who wish to support the wildest doctrines of de
mocracy, have been very happy to lay hold of
expressions of writers, such as Dr. Watson, to
give, as it were, a colour to their absurd notions ;
notions which such writers would fly from with
abhorrence. Mr. Stevens, on the other hand,
endeavours to make the scriptures the standard
of his politics as well as morals ; and certainly
argues with great force and ability.
Prior, in point of time, to any of these latter
works on political subjects, he had proved his in
timate knowledge of, and his critical acquaintance
with, the Hebrew language, by a work, entitled,
ff A new and faithful Translation of Letters from
ec M. L Abbe de , Hebrew Professor in the
ee University of , to the Rev. Dr. Benja-
(e min Kennicott, &c. &c." Whether the letters
were translated from the French, as the title-page
imports, or were the work of Mr. Stevens himself,
it is not material to enquire. The object of this
I
114 MEMOIRS OF
publication was to offer some observations on the
Doctor s proposals, and to point out the supposed
evil tendency of the plan. Some severe animad
versions upon Dr. Kennicott s plan had been
drawn from the pen of Dr. Home, under the title
of, " A View of Mr. Kennicott s Method of Cor-
ee recting the Hebrew Text, &c. humbly sub-
ee mitted to the consideration of the Learned and
" Christian World." These particulars are no
ticed, to shew that Mr. Stevens (if he did err) did
not err alone in his judgment upon the points at
issue ; but that he thought on them with persons
of profound erudition and skill in biblical re
searches, who, from their knowledge of the He
brew, were competent to foi m an opinion on the
subject; and who apprehended, on mature re
flection, that much evil might accrue to the cause
of revealed religion, much dishonour be cast on
the sacred writings, and much advantage, however
unintentionally, be given to infidelity, by an in
discriminate reference to every manuscript copy
of the Hebrew Bible, that could be procured.
The design of substituting a new text from the
mass of such heterogeneous materials, for the one
now in use, which it was well known had ever been
preserved with scrupulous fidelity, under the spe
cial providence of the Almighty, was thought of
by Mr. Stevens, as fraught with imminent dis-
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 115
service, not to say, with extreme danger,, to the
cause of true religion. But, whatever may be the
sentiments of men of learning, and particularly
of those who are more conversant in Hebrew than
I profess myself to be ; or, however they may dif
fer on the question, as to the integrity and corrup
tion of the Hebrew text, Dr. Kennicott s work has
been now many years in the hands of the Hebrew
scholar : and certain it is, that Mr. Stevens, by
the part he took in the controversy, has not dis
graced either the cause or himself ; but has dis
played a perfect acquaintance with the subject, a
profound veneration for the Bible, and a most
anxious solicitude to preserve its purity. If some
times there appear to be a severity, there is no sour
ness in the censure ; and even in his honest indig
nation against whatever to him seemed hostile to
the interests of Christianity, there is no personal
animosity ; and his natural vivacity is ever friend
ly to religion, and often visibly restrained by a
sound judgment and a serious heart.
These were all the works Mr. Stevens published
between the years 1777 and 1800, excepting the
sketch of Mr. Calverley s character, which I have
already given, as printed in the Gentleman s
Magazine; and he could not be prevailed on to an
nounce himself as the author of any of them. But,
at the earnest solicitation of his friends, he collected
12
116 MEMOIRS OF
them in to a volume, which, with his characteristic
humility, he styled, Ou&voff e^y, the works of No
body: and by the appellation of Nobody he was ever
afterwards known amongst his friends. This col
lection he gave to several ; and, to the books of
some of his friends, he added, in the blank leaf at
the beginning of the volume, this sketch of him
self, the justness of which, though extremely well
drawn, will not be acknowledged in all its parts :
ff Never was person better described by proper
cf name, than the writer of the following sheets.
cc View him in what light you will, he is NOBODY,
cc a mere cypher, a blank in creation.
<c Even in these papers, suggested possibly
ec more by a desire of applause than of doing good,
ee and of which, perhaps, he is vainer than he sus-
ce pects, he is NOBODY, seeming to be something,
" when he is nothing ; for, f what has he said/
ee that he did not receive from one author or
" another ?
ec See him in company, and you cannot hesitate
" to pronounce him NOBODY. His very counte-
fe nance bewrays it: he is shy,aukward, silent, nei-
ec ther profiting others by his conversation, nor,
ee to appearance, profiting by their s; and, proba-
fe bly, ascribing to humility that behaviour which
<c may be the effect of pride.
<e As a member of society, he is NOBODY; nei-
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 117
Sf ther father, husband, uncle, brother ; he sits
cc solitary, wrapt up in thick gloom, musing" on his
f( own insignificance, yet absurdly shrinking from
(c all the duties of active life. A melancholy cast,
(c sometimes, leads him to the habitations of the
tc afflicted ; and being too indolent to withhold
cc his money, he suffers it to be taken from him
" on the slightest pretence, mistaking, it is to
" be feared, vice for virtue, self indulgence for
" charity.
" In one respect he seems to be somebody, be-
tc ing blest above most men in friends, eminently
<( wise, learned, pious ; but alas ! not to make
fs suitable improvements with such advantages, he
(( must indeed be NOBODY.
" One who, from long acquaintance, may be
(C supposed to know him, and who would be
ff happy to testify better things, bears this >testi-
" mony, and is sorry such testimony is true/
But how, it will be asked, is this account, "that
(< in company he is shy, aukward, silent, neither
tc profiting others by his conversation, nor, to ap-
" pearance, profiting by their s," consistent with
what has been so frequently advanced of his great
playfulness of wit, and cheerfulness of manner?
I answer, it is perfectly true ; and it is no uncom
mon case. Among strangers, or in mixed com
pany, he was silent and reserved ; and it was very
118 MEMOIRS OF
difficult to discover that he knew more than other
men making no ostentatious parade of what he
did know he, upon such occasions, could scarcely
be prevailed upon to give his opinion upon sub
jects, on which he was most competent to form
and to pronounce a judgment. This did not pro
ceed from pride or ill nature, but from true humi
lity and lowliness of mind. But when in a small
company, or with those he -loved, or with good
young people, he was open and communicative
by his jokes and mirth he first gained attention
and conciliated esteem, and then would discourse
upon subjects useful and instructive to his hearers.
From the date of the last publication, in 1777,
Mr. Stevens does not seem to have appeared again
in the character of an author, till the year 1800,
when he was induced to re-enter the fields of con
troversy. Mr. Jones, in the year 1795, had pub
lished the life of that most amiable prelate, Bishop
Home, and dedicated it to Mr. Stevens: and, in
the course of his narration, had stated very fully
the origin and circumstances of that most excel
lent man s early acquaintance with the writings
of Hutchinson, and his perseverance in his fa
vourable opinion of that gentleman s writings till
the conclusion of his inestimable life. Before a
second edition of this life was wanted, some wri
ters had attacked the character of Bishop Home,
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 119
as an Hutchinsonian ; others asserted, that the
Bishop had, before his death, renounced all those
opinions which he had formed at an early period
at the University, in common with the other learn
ed and very exemplary persons mentioned in the
work itself, as the companions of his earlv stu
dies. Mr. Jones, accordingly, took the opportu
nity of a new edition of the life of his dear and
much-lamented friend in the year 1799, to intro
duce a new preface,, con tain ing about thirty pages,
to vindicate the Bishop against the charge of relin
quishing former opinions ; and to enter into a
neat and concise statement of the Hutchinsonian
doctrines themselves, to shew how consistent they
were with the Holy Scriptures. Without presum
ing to decide upon the merits of those opinions, a
task which I profess myself not qualified to under
take, this preface to the second edition of the life of
Bishop Home, certainly gives a very complete
summary of Hutchinson s opinions ; and whether
adopted or not, they are so clearly explained, as to
make them level to the most ordinary capacity.
It is but due to this most learned and most ex
emplary man, Mr. Jones, to introduce a passage
from this preface, in which he declares, as I be
lieve the fact to be, that in the notions, which he
and the great and good Bishop, whose life he was
then re-publishing, entertained, there was nothing
120 MEMOIRS OF
that tends to make men troublesome,, as heretics^
fanatics,, sectaries, rebels, or corrupters of any
kind of useful learning. All which Hutchinson
taught, (and which he endeavours to shew the
soundest divines of the Church of England vir
tually taught before him) a man may believe, and
still be a good subject, a devout Christian,, and a
sound member of the Church of England ; per
haps more sound,, and more useful, than he would
have been without them. " For myself," says
this truly pious man, (f I may say (as I do in great
6< humility) that by following these doctrines
" through the course of a long life, I have found
" myself much enlightened, much assisted in evi-
" dence and argument, and never corrupted ; as
<f I hope my writings, if they last, will long bear
ff me witness. If these principles should come
<c into use with other people, I am confident they
<c would turn Christians into scholars, and scholars
cc into Christians ; enabling them to demonstrate
<{ how shallow infidels are in their learning, and
Cf how greatly every man is a loser by his igno-
" ranee of Revelation. When we are describing
cc Hutchinsonians, it would be unjust to forget,
that they are true Churchmen and Loyalists,
<c steady in the fellowship of the Apostles, and
< f faithful to the monarchy under which they live.
(C This, however, is not from what they find in
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ.
(c Hutchinson, though it is to be found in him, but
" from what he has taught them to find by taking
" their principles from the Scriptures/
This preface was reviewed in the British Critic,
in February, 1800, and in such a manner,, as by
no means to give satisfaction to the supporters of
those opinions, or to the friends of Mr. Jones ;
and, accordingly, in the year after the death of
that venerable man, which took place on the day
of the Epiphany, 1800, Mr. Stevens, with all the
ardour of friendship, and with all the ability and
spirit which had distinguished him in his earlier
years, published, under the name of AIN, the He
brew word for Nobody, cf A Review of the Review
" of a New Preface to the Second Edition of Mr.
(f Jones s Life of Bishop Home." And he also
afterwards published a Postscript to the Review of
the Review.
The last literary work, in which he engaged,
was an uniform edition of the works of Mr. Jones,
of Nayland, in twelve volumes, octavo ; to which
he prefixed a life of that faithful and venerable
servant of God, (enlarged from a sketch previously
published by him in the Anti-Jacobin Review)
composed in such a style of artless and pathetic
religious eloquence, as did no less honour to the
deceased, than to the head and heart of the affec
tionate writer. Mr. Jones was well worthy of
MEMOIRS OF
such a biographer ; for he was a man,, who, by
constant unwearied diligence, had attained unto a
perfection in all the learned languages, by the help
of which, and his unremitted studies, he had made
the subtilty of all the arts easy and familiar to
himself; and who is described by the great Bishop
Horsley, in a charge to his Clergy, in 1800, soon
after Mr. Jones s decease, " as a faithful servant
ff of God, of whom he could speak both from his
" personal knowledge and from his writings. He
" was (said Bishop Horsley) a man of quick pene-
Cf tration, of extensive learning, and the soundest
ef piety ; and had, beyond any other man he ever
" knew, the talent of writing upon the deepest
" subjects to the plainest understanding."
Mr. Stevens was a great admirer, as every
reader of true taste ever must be, of the biogra
phical works of the truly eminent Isaac Walton ;
and I am quite sure that he had greatly profited
by the frequent perusal of his inimitable writings :
for no man can read the beautiful life of Mr.
Jones, and not see a striking resemblance between
it and those lives which were written by Isaac
Walton. The same sweet simplicity of senti
ment, the same natural eloquence, the same un
affected language, the same vivid descriptions,
similar allusions to the most striking passages in
Scripture, shine out in every page. The compa-
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ.
rison may, with great propriety,, be extended fur
ther : Isaac Walton and Mr. Stevens were both
tradesmen; they were both men of reading, and
personally acquired learning ; of considerable the
ological knowledge well versed in that book,
which is the only legitimate source of all theology,
the Bible. Both were the companions and friends
of the most eminent prelates and divines that
adorned the Church of England ; both were pro
found masters in the art of holy living, and of the
same cheerfulness of disposition, thus proving, by
their faith and practice, that true religion had in
each of them had her perfect work. Both of them
wrote at an advanced period of life and, consi
dering that Mr. Stevens was arrived at the 70th
year of his age, his life of Mr. Jones is a work of
great intellectual ability ; and he may justly be de
nominated the Isaac Walton of the 18th century.
To the volume, called by him OvSevos tyyct, he
added his letter signed Ain and the sketch of
Mr. Jones, as first published in the Anti-Jacobin
Review ; and having in the blank sheet at the be
ginning of the volume, written in his own hand the
account of nobody, which has been already copied,*
he in the leaf at the end wrote what follows :
tc After a lapse of twenty years, in which
(< NOBODY maintained the character he had done
" for near half a century before, of being NOBODY,
* See p. 116.
124 MEMOIRS OF
ec and doing nothing, he once more listened to
ff the Devil s temptation of making a book, by
<{ which he was to get as much money as fame,
" and as much fame as money ; and having, with
" no small ado, taken up the old pen, worn to the
fe stump, and past mending, he made the other
ff struggle, and wrote the preceding letter signed
" AIN, as well as the biographical sketch to the
t memory of an old friend and his own folly,
ce which, if they prove nothing else, prove this
" one point, that he is no changeling, but as the
ec signature of the letter imports, the same NOBODY
e( he ever was.
f< Of the many excellent friends, with which he
< was blessed at the former period, several are
ec now fallen asleep, and he has to deplore, not
ff only his loss,, but his extreme dulness in not
" profiting more by their conversation and ex-
ff ample, while they were continued to him.
" A kind indulgent Providence, however, has
<e raised up other friends of distinguished merit
" and agreeable manners in their stead, to be a
" comfort to him in his declining years. Whether
et he laments sincerely his neglect of the past
ee opportunities afforded him for improvement will
" best appear by the use he makes of the ad-
ce vantages he now enjoys ; though it is to be ap-
fc prehended, redeeming the time, at the eleventh
" hour of the day, will be with him a hopeless task.
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 125
ec The old acquaintance, his watchful attend-
" ant hitherto through life, who bore his testi-
f mony in time past, and knowing him, inlus et
<c in cute, has little reliance on his exertions, and
" is afraid, that to him may be applied, in their
(f full extent, the words of the poet :
" At thirty man suspects himself a foolj
e( Knows it At forty, and reforms his plan;
(e At fifty chides his infamous delay,
" Pushes his prudent purpose to resolve,
et In all the magnanimity of thought;
" Resolves, and re-resolves ; then dies the same,
ec Vanity of vanities,
" All is vanity,
" Says the Preacher,
" To which subscribes,
" W.S."
But though Mr. Stevens never published any
other that can be called his own works, except
those that have been mentioned, yet he was always
considering how the world might be benefited by
the literary labours of others : and, therefore, he
was a great encourager of his most learned and
able friend, Mr. Jones, in the publication of his
various works, which he himself, as we have just
seen, afterwards lived to collect. Nor was he
always idle himself. At the beginning of the
MEMOIRS OF
year 1792, Mr. Stevens, and the Christian world,
were deprived of that illustrious ornament and
pillar of the Church of England,, Bishop Home,
having been advanced to the mitre only about
two years : and though his worthy and pious
relation was too religious and too much resigned
to the will of God, to sorrow as one without hope;
yet, I well remember, it required all the tender
and affectionate solicitude of his surviving friends
to fill up that void, which the death of this his
earliest and dearest friend created in his heart.
Accordingly, under this severe loss, he consoled
himself, and soothed his afflicted mind, by pre
senting to the world the third and fourth volumes
of the sermons, and the volume of occasional
discourses of this venerable departed prelate. A
more acceptable gift to the pious and devout
Christian could not be presented. There are in all
the writings of Bishop Home such a sweetness of
diction, such a persuasive and complacent man
ner, and at the same time such powerful descrip
tions of futurity, as cannot but produce the
intended effect upon the mind. A man may-
read many works of divinity, and be greatly
pleased and edified by them ; but I will venture to
say, that if he be possessed of the true Christian
spirit, he will always return to the writings of
this great teacher with a keener zest ; and, to use
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ.
his own emphatic language, in his preface to the
Commentary on the Psalms, ce he that tastes them
" oftenest will relish them the most/ It is much
to be lamented, and Mr. Stevens used frequently
to lament, that the Bishop had not prepared for
the press some sermons he had written on the
llth chapter of the Hebrews, mentioned in
page 121 of Home s life : for all who have had
the good fortune to see the manuscript of the
three first of them, as I have, would have rejoiced
at the whole being completed, so as to meet the
public eye, in the perfect state the Bishop himself
wished.
But it is not only for three volumes of Home s
Discourses that we are indebted to Mr. Stevens ;
for to his hints also we are obliged for the cele
brated Letters on Infidelity, written by the Bishop,
and which are addressed to Mr. Stevens, under
the initials of W. S. Esq. The history of these
letters is this : Soon after the death of Mr. David
Hume, Dr. Adam Smith had published a letter
respecting him, which the Bishop calls the em
ployment of embalming a philosopher, and there
fore the Bishop, then Dr. Home, thinking that
Dr. Smith s letter might be of very dangerous
consequence, addressed an anonymous answer to
him, of which the argument is convincing, and
the humour most easy, natural, and admirable. This
128 MEMOIRS OF
production of Dr. Home was so well received, that
Mr. Stevens suggested the idea of the Letters on
Infidelity ; for in the introductory letter the
Bishop thus writes: ce Dear Sir, you express
fc your surprise, that after the favourable manner
(C in which the letter to Dr. Smith was received
fc by the public, and the service, which, as you
<e are pleased to say, was effected by it, nothing
cc further should have been attempted ; especially
fc as ( An Apology for the Life and Writings of
fc David Hume, Esq. 3 made its appearance soon
" afterwards, and some posthumous tracts of that
(f philosopher have been since published, to com-
fc plete the good work he had so much at heart,
(c not to mention other productions on the side of
ef infidelity. A few strictures on the nature and
(C tendency, the principles and reasonings of such
ff performances, thrown out from time to time,
cc in a concise and lively way, you observe, are
(f better calculated to suit the taste and turn of
ef the present age, than long and elaborate disser-
(c tations : and you see no reason why a method
" practised by Voltaire (and so much commended
ff by D Alembert) against religion, should not be
" adopted by those who write for it. In compli-
Cf ance with these hints, and that you may not
(f think me desirous of leading an idle life, when
( there is so much work to be done, I have formed
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 129
cc a resolution to look over my papers, and address
Cf what I may happen to find among them to your-
" self, in a series of letters/ It is quite manifest
then from this letter, that to Mr. Stevens s hints
and suggestions to Dr. Home the world is in
debted for the production of those inimitable
letters., in which the infidels of that day were held
up to deserved ridicule and contempt. To the
same source the world is much indebted for many
of the materials of which Mr. Jones composed
the life of Bishop Home., as is manifest from the
Prefatory Epistle to the life addressed to William
Stevens, Esq. I have already mentioned in a
former part of this work, that the fourth edition of
the Hebrew and English Lexicon was addressed
to him and three other gentlemen by the Rev.
John Parkhurst. Such were the literary com
positions of Mr. Stevens, and such the labours
of others, in which he took an active and zealous
part.
It is well known to the readers of history, that
from the time of the Reformation till the year
1610, the state of Church Government in Scotland
was in a very fluctuating condition : but in that
year James the First of England, and of Scotland
the Sixth, after his accession to the English throne,
established Episcopacy in Scotland, which, how
ever, again fell a sacrifice to the troubles in the
K
130 MEMOIRS OF
reign of Charles the First, when all order, civil
and ecclesiastical, became a prey to the tyrannical
government of puritanism and Cromwell. As
soon as the restoration of the royal family took
place in the person of Charles the Second, Episco
pacy also was restored in Scotland, and continued
to be the established govenment of the Scottish
Church till the Revolution of 1688. When that
happened I believe the fact to be, that King
William* applied to the Scotch Bishops to exert
their influence in his behalf; and on condition of
their complying with his wishes, offered to protect
and support their Church. This proposal, how
ever, was unanimously rejected ; and therefore
the same convention of estates, which conveyed
the Crown to William and Mary, abolished Epis
copacy, and substituted Presbytery as the esta
blished form of Church Government in Scotland :
and thus things have remained to the present day.
It is not necessary for me in this place to go
through a very minute detail of the sufferings of
the Clergy of that Church for exactly one cen-
* See a curious letter on this subject from Bishop Rose,
Bishop of Edinburgh, at the time of the Revolution, in the
Gentleman s Magazine for April, 1774, which he had ad
dressed to Bishop Campbell, another Scottish Bishop, author
of a celebrated work on the Intermediate State. See also
Skinner s Ecclesiastical History of Scotland, 2d vol. p. 523.
WILLIAM STEVENS., ESQ. 131
tury : but I must, in a life of Mr. Stevens, who
took so active a part in her behalf, and who lived
to see her emerging from the obscurity in which
she had so long" groaned, from an adherence to
the literal sense of the apostolical precept of sub
mission to the supreme power, take some notice
of the leading points respecting it. It may also
be of use to those who have not paid that atten
tion to the nature and constitution of the Chris
tian Church,, as unconnected with the State, which
ought to be known by all well informed Members
of the Protestant Episcopal Church of Great
Britain or Ireland.
The consequence of what was done by the
Convention of Estates, and an Act of the Scottish
Parliament which followed it, was, that fourteen
Bishops, including the two Arch-bishops of St.
Andrew s and Glasgow, and about 900 Clergy,
having refused to submit to the new Government,,
were obliged to relinquish their charge, in which
Presbyterian Ministers were generalty placed.
Notwithstanding this total overthrow of Epis
copacy, and the very severe penal laws, which
passed against the Clergy, on account of their
real or supposed disaffection, which gained
much countenance from their refusing to take
the oaths, (and thence the name of Non-jurors)
or to pray for the King by name in the forms
132 MEMOIRS OF
of divine worship, they almost all continued
to officiate privately to such as were disposed to
attend upon their ministrations. The Bishops,
though they had lost their dignities, revenues,
seats in Parliament, and all temporal power,
preserved their spiritual power in the Church,
which is inherent in the nature of their office ;
taking care, as often as vacancies happened in the
College of Bishops, to preserve the succession by
new and regular consecrations. But as the ne
cessities of their now small body, as a Church,
did not require the continuance of so large a num
ber of the Episcopal Order, they have allowed
the Episcopal College to sink to about six in
number, and there are about sixty Clergymen of"
their communion besides in Scotland. But al
though many of the old members of this Church,
from their notions of indefeasible hereditary right,
did not feel themselves at liberty to renounce their
allegiance to that family, to which some of them
had sworn allegiance ; many of her Clergy did
not suppose their religion had any thing to do
with politics ; nor did they take upon them to
give an opinion upon the question between the
House of Stewart and the family of our present
gracious Sovereign. But it is due to them to say,
that no set of men could have behaved with more
resignation under such afflicting circumstances :
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 133
they took no part, fomented no disturbances in the
rebellion of 1715, nor in that of 1715, although
the then reigning- powers thought it necessary at
that time to pass most severe laws against them ;
but they continued in the quiet, decent, and
peaceable exercise of their spiritual functions, in
the miserably restrained manner, in which they
were permitted by the penal laws to exercise
them. It was with heart-felt joy, therefore, that
the heads of this Church, upon the death of the
only person who continued his claim, in opposi
tion to the reigning family, in April J788, found
themselves at liberty to call upon the Clergy and
Laity, over whom they were placed, to acknowledge
their attachment to the present government of the
kingdom, as vested in the person of his Majesty
King George the Third ; and to direct that pub
lic prayers for the King by name should be authori
tatively introduced, and afterwards continued in
the religious assemblies of that Church. Their
determination was, according to a letter from one
of the Secretaries of State, approved by his Majesty,
in the most gracious and condescending manner ;
and the Bishops received assurances from some of
the great Officers of State, that the step they had
lately taken was highly commended ; and that
there was little doubt that the Clergy and people
of that communion would now be relieved from
MEMOIRS Of
the penal statutes, under which they had been so
long labouring. Accordingly three of the Bishops,
Skinner, Abernethy Drummondj and Strachan,
set out for London, and arrived in April 1789,
just at the time, when the whole British nation
were overwhelmed with the deepest sense of
gratitude to Almighty God for the recovery of
our beloved Sovereign from the severe illness
with which he had been afflicted. Upon such an
occasion no doubt was entertained that relief
would be readily granted and a Bill was ac
cordingly brought in and passed the House of
Commons unanimously, Mr. Secretary Dundas
(afterwards Lord Viscount Melville) most gene
rously declaring in his place, that though he was
of an old Presbyterian family, yet his office, and
frequent residence in Scotland, had given him an
opportunity of knowing much of the Episcopalians :
that he did not believe a more valuable body of men
existed ; and that as they had lived in a state of
poverty and distress for one hundred years,
from a conscientious, though mistaken, adherence
to what they conceived to be their duty, if they
now felt themselves warranted in transferring
their allegiance and duty to our present King and
his illustrious house, he would pledge himself that
his Majesty would not have more loyal subjects
in the kingdom. But though matters went on
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 135
thus smoothly in the Commons House of Parlia
ment, yet the Bill met with a different fate in the
House of Lords ; for Lord Chancellor Thurlow,
who was never supposed to he a very deep
theologian, nor particularly well versed in eccle
siastical history, stated some objections to the Bill ;
and on the 26th of June moved that it should be
read that day three months, which of course dis
posed of the Bill for that Session.
It was upon this occasion, that the three
Scotch Bishops were introduced to the Rev. Dr.
Gaskin, Mr. Stevens, and James Allan Park, Esq.
(now one of his Majesty s Counsel) who from that
time forth became a voluntary Committee for
managing" in England the Affairs of the Scotch
Episcopal Church. Of the other two gentlemen
it is not necessary that I should at present speak ;
but all who had an opportunity of knowing what
Mr. Stevens did, as the writer of this Memoir had,
know with what zeal, ability, and perseverance,
he laboured in the cause : he believed, as all true
Churchmen believe, the Scotch Episcopal Church
to be a pure primitive part of the Church Chris
tian, in doctrine, discipline, and worship, main
taining the tenets of the Establishment in Eng
land. It will hardly be believed, however, that
notwithstanding all this, the zealous labours of
Mr. Stevens and the rest of the Committee, the
136
MEMOIRS OP
activity of the most excellent Bishop Skinner, who
came a second time to London upon the occasion,
the cordial co-operation of the Bishops in this
country, and the able speech of the then Bishop of
St. David s (Horsley), combating all Lord Chan
cellor Thurlow s arguments upon the validity of
the Scottish Orders, it was not till the llth of
June, 1792, that Mr. Stevens, and his brethren
of the London Committee, had the satisfaction of
hearing the Royal Assent given to the Bill, which
enabled the Members of our Sister Church again
to assemble for the purpose of public worship,
without fear of molestation or imprisonment.
Mr. Stevens s general opinion was that notions
respecting the Church were very fallacious ; and
that people did not sufficiently distinguish between
the Church connected with, and not connected
with, the State. Thus in a letter of the 1st of
May, 1797, to Bishop Skinner, he says :
fe I observe what you say of Mr. Jones s Ser-
:t mons on the Church. Perhaps, from your situa-
:c tion, you are more upon your guard, und more
:c correct in your language than you would other-
tc wise possibly think necessary. Mr. Jones cer-
cc tainly thinks as you do on the subject, and when
" he speaks of Christians in the Church, and out
<f of the Church, it is only in compliance with the
( C
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 137
customary way of speaking, calling all who pro
fess to believe in Christ indiscriminately Chris
tians. Making establishment necessary to the
existence of the Church, as many are apt to do,
is a grievous mistake ; but to be sure it is a
convenient appendage ; and there is no harm
in Kings being nursing fathers, if they will
nurse it properly/
He seems in this letter to have accorded fully
with the very learned Bishop Horsley, who in a
more detailed manner in the House of Lords, in
answer to the Lord Chancellor Thurlow, state*
the point thus :
<c My Lords,
" These Episcopalians take a distinction, and
<c it is a just distinction, between a purely spiri-
Cf tual and a political Episcopacy. A political
ff Episcopacy belongs to an established Church,
<c and has no existence out of an establishment.
ff This sort of Episcopacy was necessarily un-
(c known in the world, before the time of Con-
" stantine. But in all the preceding ages there
ff was a pure spiritual Episcopacy, an order of
(e men set apart to inspect and manage the spiritual
" affairs of the Church, as a society in itself totally
138 MEMOIRS OF
" unconnected with civil government. Now, my
" Lords, these Scotch Episcopalians think, that
fc when their Church was cast off by the State at
ec the Revolution, their Church in this discarded,
<e divided state, reverted to that which had been
f< the condition of every Church in Christendom,
" before the establishment of Christianity in the
fc Roman Empire, by Constantine the Great :
ef that losing all their political capacity, they re-
f( tained, however, the authority of the pure spiri-
" tual Episcopacy within the Church itself; and
" that is the sort of Episcopacy to which they now
" pretend : and I, as a Churchman, have respect
cc for that pretension." This opinion entertained
by Bishop Horsley was exactly the same as that of
Bishop Home, mentioned by Mr. Jones in his
Life of that venerable Prelate, 2d edit. p. 149,
et subs. fe for he had considered that there is such
" a thing as a pure and primitive Constitution of
" the Church of Christ, when viewed apart from
" those appendages of worldly power and worldly
C( protection, which are sometimes mistaken, as if
fe they were as essential to the being of the Church,
" as they are useful to its sustentation."*
* That most excellent man, Bishop Home, anxious as he was
for the interests of the Scotch Episcopal Church, did not live
to see the relief granted 5 for, to the inexpressible loss of the
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. IS9 1
I was anxious to give the reader some account of
the opinion entertained by two such eminent pre
lates, upon the subject of which I have been led
to treat ; because it accords so exactly with the
sentiments of the extraordinary layman, whose life
and opinions are now under consideration, as ap
pears from his Essay on the Church, mentioned
above ; because it is of importance that every man
who regards the Church of which he is a member,
should understand the foundations upon which it
rests ; and because it must be a matter of curiosity
to men of education and reading- to know some
thing of a Church, of whose existence they may
never have heard before ; and to whose future
welfare and happiness they may have an opportu
nity of contributing, as they will find by the subse
quent part of this narrative.
Even Mr. Stevens, who, in his labours that I
have just mentioned, and in what he afterwards
contributed, was one of her best benefactors, did
not know that there was an Episcopal Church re
maining in Scotland, till the affair of the conse
cration of Bishop Seabury, of Connecticut, with
whom he was well acquainted, and who was of
unblemished reputation and eminent parts, led
Church, he departed this life on the 17th of January, 17Q2 j
but the Bill for the Relief of the Scottish Episcopalians did
not pass into a law till the month of June following.
140 MEMOIRS OF
him to know that there was such a remnant of
pure Episcopacy in the northern part of Britain.*
In the year I7D4, and to the time of his death,
Mr. Stevens continued to be an annual contribu
tor to a Fund for the Relief of the Widows and
Orphans of the Episcopal Clergy in Scotland ;
giving 20 the first year, and ten guineas every
year after, and collecting from three or four other
friends five guineas each annually.
It is remarkable that the last great labour of
love, in which this faithful servant of his blessed
master engaged himself, was in the service of that
depressed portion of the Christian Church ; the
circumstances of which I am now about to relate.
One of the unhappy consequences of the penal
laws was, that men of seriously disposed minds of
the Episcopal persuasion, who were unwilling to
subject themselves to the penalties inflicted on
those laymen, who should attend the meeting
houses of the non-juring Clergy, resorted to a plan,
so irregular and anomalous, that nothing could
justify but the peculiar circumstances of the case.
* If the reader would wish to know more of the History
of the Scotch Episcopal Church up to the time of the repeal
of the Penal Statutes, let him consult the Ecclesiastical His
tory of Scotland, in two volumes, by the Rev. John Skinner,
father of the worthy Bishop of Aberdeen, the Primus Scotia
Episcopus.
WILI.I&M STEVENS, ESQ. 141
Clergymen ordained in the Churches of England
and Ireland were invited to open chapels in Edin
burgh and the populous districts of Scotland,
where divine service was solemnized, according
to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of Eng
land. They would not submit to the jurisdiction
of the Scottish Bishops the Prelates of England
and Ireland could exercise no jurisdiction over
them in Scotland ; and although, by being duly
ordained, these Clergymen could administer the
Sacraments, and perform all the other functions of
the priesthood ; yet all Episcopal offices were
wanting their chapels were unconsecratt d ; the
children of their congregations were unconfirmed;
and this absurdity and contradiction occurred,
that they were Episcopalians, without the super
intendence of an Episcopus.
These gentlemen themselves felt the absurdity
as well as the wants of their situation; and rather
than yield to the lawful and spiritual jurisdiction
of the Bishops, within whose districts the Provi
dence of God had placed them, they were even
desirous of violating the Act of Union between
England and Scotland, in order to supply the
defect which they so sensibly experienced. It is
related in the life of Bishop Home, and I remem
ber the fact, that a Clergyman of Scotland, who
had received English ordination, applied to his
MEMOIRS OF
Lordship, wishing to be considered as under the
jurisdiction of some English Bishop. But the
venerable Prelate gave no countenance to the
proposal, andadvised the applicant to acknowledge
the Bishop of the Diocese in which he lived, who,,
his Lordship knew, would be ready to receive him
into communion, and require nothing of him but
what was necessary to maintain the order and
unity of a Christian Church ; assuring him at the
same time, that if he were a private Clergyman,
he should feel himself happy to be under the au
thority of such a Bishop.
It might havebeen expected when the penal laws
were repealed ; and when the Laity were no longer
subject to severe disabilities, and when every Cler
gyman of the Episcopal Church had the opportu
nity of free and perfect toleration, that this Schism
would have been immediately healed : especially
as the Bishops of the Scottish Church addressed a
pastoral letter to the English and Irish ordained
clergy, who officiated in Scotland, inviting, and
offering to receive them into full communion, and
to give them the right-hand of Christian fellowship.
These gentlemen, as a further excuse, replied,
that as the Episcopal Church of Scotland had no
Confessional, they had given no proof that their
doctrines, as they pretended, were the same as
those of the Church of England. Accordingly the
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 143
Bishops held a convocation in October, 1804, in
which it was unanimously resolved, to adopt and
subscribe the thirty-nine Articles of the Church
of England, as their Confessional, and to use them
as such in all future times, the Bishops entering
it in their Diocesan Registers, as an established
rule, not to confer orders on any one, who
shall not subscribe those Articles in the same
manner.
Immediately upon this highly proper and im
portant step, one of the most eminent of the
English ordained Clergy, officiating at Edinburgh,
a Doctor in Divinity of the University of Oxford,
of great piety, learning, and of exemplary life,
immediately published a short, but most able
statement, to his congregation, of the motives
upon which he acted in submitting himself to the
jurisdiction of the Episcopal College, to which he
argued there could now be no possible objection,
inasmuch as the Episcopal Church of Scotland is
a true Church, in which the pure word of God is
preached and the Sacraments are administered,
according to Christ s ordinance ; as the doctrine
of the Episcopal Churches of England, Ireland,
and Scotland is the same ; and as the Apostolical
succession is the same with that of the Church of
England, the present governors of the Scotch
Episcopal Church deriving their authority in direct
144 MEMOIRS OF
and unbroken succession from those Scotch
Bishops who were consecrated by Prelates of the
Church of England, at Westminster, in 1661.
He therefore contended, that the continuance of
the separation was wholly causeless. But, con
tinues he, causeless separation from a pure
Church is the sin of Schism, an offence,, of which
it is impossible that any pious and enlightened
Christian can think lightly.* The Rev. Dr.
Sandford then proceeds to point out the ad
vantages, both to clergy and laity, of an Episcopal
body having an Episcopal head ; and then con
cludes his short but powerful address in this
energetic manner : <{ I have studied this impor-
" tant subject for a considerable length of time,
cf with the utmost attention. 1 shall be happy to
ff converse with any of my congregation, who may
" wish to know, in greater detail, the reasons,
" upon which 1 have formed my judgment on a
cc question no less interesting to them than to my-
<c self. But it is my serious and settled conviction,
<c that it is only by my submission to the Primus
* " It is contrary to Christian unity to separate ourselves
ff from a Church which follows the doctrine and ordinances
<f of Christ and his Apostles, and answers every good end of
<( Christian worship and Christian fellowship."
A Short Catechism by the Right Rev. Thomas Burgess,
Lord Bishop of St. David s.
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 145
ff of the Episcopal College, the Bishop of Aber-
(C deen, (who, during the present vacancy of the
:e Diocese of Edinburgh, is my Diocesan) that I
" can satisfy my own conscience ; that I can act
" agreeably to the awful responsibility which I
" bear as a Minister of the Gospel of our blessed
c Lord and Saviour ; or discharge my duty towards
" those for whose spiritual welfare I am bound, by
" the strongest obligations, to be solicitous."
The consequences were such as Mr. Stevens had
foreseen would arise from prudent, mild, and con
ciliatory measures; and which, by his regular cor
respondence with Bishop Skinner, (of which I
am in possession by the kindness of that excellent
person) he was always enforcing ; for several
of the most respectable of the English ordained
Clergy, with their congregations both in Edin
burgh and other parts of Scotland, acceded to the
proposed union of the two Episcopalian parties,
and put themselves under the spiritual authority
of the Scottish Bishops ; and their example has
since been followed by almost all their brethren.
Another most important advantage arising from
this measure has been, that the worthy Bishop,
who had presided over the Diocese of Edinburgh
for many years, having, on account of his great
age, (being upwards of fourscore years) requested
leave to resign his Episcopal functions, the Right
L
146 MEMOIRS OF
Rev. Dr. Sandford, above-mentioned, has been
elected and consecrated to the spiritual office of a
Bishop, with the charge of the Diocese of Edin
burgh : and the writer has the satisfaction to add 5
that at the time when he writes this, not above five
congregations so far forget the unity so desirable
in every Episcopal Church, as to resist the union
with those wko have the spiritual right to rule over
them. 1 have been the more diffuse in this ac
count, because it must be a matter of great curi
osity to the student in ecclesiastical history ; be
cause Mr. Stevens was continually consulted upon
the proper measures to be adopted ; and he was
indefatigable in his consideration and corres
pondence upon the subject : and because this very
union led to still further exertions of this good
man s benevolence., both in his personal labours
and pecuniary bounty, for the comfort and hap
piness of the ecclesiastical members of that body.
Delightful as it was to all good men, who feel
how joyful it is for brethren to dwell together in
unity, to behold such a schism so nearly healed ;
yet it was matter of great lamentation to the laity
to see their Bishops and Pastors, who are not ex
celled by any Clergy in piety and learning, and
exemplary behaviour, unable to support that decent
rank in society to which they are so well entitled,
and which is so necessary to give weight to
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 147
characters, and effect to their public ministrations.
Inasmuch therefore as all income arising from the
State was cut down at the Revolution, these reve
rend persons, Bishops as well as Priests, had
nothing to rely upon but the emoluments arising
from their congregations, which were often so
limited in number, and in such narrow circum
stances, that the stipends of many of these pious
and exemplary men did not exceed the wages
of a common day-labourer ! It could not, there
fore, but be matter of regret to every well-dis
posed Christian, indeed to every feeling heart,
to see those who had had a liberal education, and
who filled the distinguished station (whatever the
worldling may think) of Ambassadors of their
blessed Master, with such pitiful incomes. It was
also a circumstance worthy of remembrance, that
not a complaint of the narrowness of their pecu
niary means ever escaped from the lips of these
excellent men ; but they proceeded through evil
report and good report, in hunger and thirst,
faithfully and contentedly discharging all the duties
of their sacred calling. It seemed, therefore, upon
the removal of the penal laws, and upon this union
being effected, that to make some improvement in
their worldly circumstances, was an object welf
deserving of attention. It therefore occurred to
some valuable members of the Episcopal persua-
148 MEMOIRS OF
^
sion at Edinburgh, in the foremost rank of whom
stood the late great, because the good, Sir William
Forbes, to form a fund for making a moderate
addition to the incomes of all the Bishops,, and
most necessitous of the inferior Clergy.*
Accordingly the Duke and Duchess of Buc-
cleugh and Sir William Forbes set the subscrip
tion on foot in Scotland by large contributions,
and the latter being about to be removed for the
reward of his virtues to a better world, added to
his original subscription of 200 a legacy of
200 more. No sooner was this most laudable
plan commenced in that country, to which it more
particularly applied, than the friends of Episcopacy
in England, desirous to do every thing in their
power to forward the pious designs of those in
* This subscription was to be entirely of a private nature.
It included no idea of the slightest connection between the
Episcopal Church of Scotland and the State. With regard
to the established Presbyterian Church, its most conspicuous
members are well known to be men of most enlightened minds,
who know too well the merits of the Episcopal Clergy, and
their obscurity also, without power or influence, to entertain
any jealousy of them. Indeed, it is but justice to say, that
upon occasion of this subscription being set on foot, as well
as of the application to Parliament for the relief to those of
the Episcopal persuasion, the most ready consent to, and ap
probation of, both measures were afforded by some of the
most eminent members of the establishment i" Scotland.
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 149
Scotland,, in favour of this long depressed, though
pure portion of the Christian Church, immediately
formed themselves into a Committee, in order to
collect subscriptions, to suggest plans, and in short,
to co-operate with the Scottish managers in every
way in which their services for so good a cause
might be required. This Committee originally
consisted of James Allan Park, Esq. the Chair
man ; the very Rev. Gerrard Andrewes, Dean of
Canterbury ; the Rev. Dr. Gaskin ; William
Stevens, Esq. ; the Rev. Robert Hodgson, Rector
of St. George s, Hanover-square ; John Bowdler,
Esq. ; and John Richardson, Esq. ; and, it will be
observed that of them, three were of the old Com
mittee for procuring the repeal of the Penal
Statutes. Ttiis Committee, jointly and individual
ly, were most anxiously sedulous in the discharge
of this voluntary trust ; Mr. Stevens was indefa
tigable in endeavouring to procure subscriptions :
his own purse was ready and open, as usual, upon
this occasion ; and he was himself the first English
subscriber of 100; and he had before his death
(which happened in two or three months after
that of Sir William Forbes, of whom, and Mr.
Stevens, it might be said, they were lovely in their
lives, and in their deaths were not long divided)
the satisfaction of seeing that this work of faith,
this labour of Christian benevolence, was meeting
150 MEMOIRS OF
with a degree of encouragement, worthy of its
importance in the scale of humanity and charity.*
* Notwithstanding all the exertions of the Committees in
both countries, and notwithstanding the liberal donations of
many of the dignified Clergy in England, and a vast body of
the laity, yet the funds have only enabled the Managers to
allot s^lOO per annum to the Bishop residing in Edinburgh,
s)0 to the Primus, and ,50 to each of the other Bishops,
al5 to a very few, and &lQ to also a very few of the
inferior Clergy. But the Committees, both in London and
Edinburgh, do not remit their zeal and ardour : they attribute
much of the backwardness to subscribe, which they dis
cover, to the situation of the Scottish Episcopal Clergy not
being known, and if known, not understood ; and to the very
quiet and unobtrusive manner in which the subscription has
been, and must be, carried on. They still trust, and earnestly
hope, that the great, the rich, and the virtuous part of the
community will enable them to do much more for those who
stand in so near a relation to the Founder of our Holy
Faith j and they rely confidently at least, that all those who
stand in the same relation to him in the Church of England,
and who have the means, will recollect that though the out
ward splendour and territorial possessions of Scottish Episco
pacy are no more, yet in soundness of doctrine, in solidity
of learning, and in innocency of life, her Clergy are still a
burning and shining light amidst a crooked and perverse
generation ; and although by the sure word of prophecy, the
gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church of God, yet
in the inscrutable dispensations of Providence it may here
after be asked, where is the Church of England ? As we now
say, where is the Episcopal Church of Scotland ? Let them
consider these things and act accordingly.
See a Sermon of Bishop Horsley.
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 151
The horrors which the French Revolution had
produced, and even to this day are producing,* in
every country in Europe, and the total overthrow
of all sound principles in politics, morals, and re
ligion, could not fail to affect the mind of this ex
cellent man with the deepest concern, and which
concern, soon after the total overthrow of the
ancient monarchy of France, by the murder of
their Sovereign, he thus expresses in letters to
Bishop Skinner, and to a young friend, and ex
plains, though shortly, the cause of such a misera
ble dereliction of all sound principles ; and still
looks forward with the eye of faith and hope
of a Christian, beyond the present cloud, to him
who ruleth in the kingdoms of men, and who will
shevv that he is King, be the people never so im
patient ; that he sitteth upon the cherubim, be the
earth never so unquiet.
fe The times are awful T and appearances so un-
" usual, that the Almighty, one should suppose,
" had some great work in hand. Extraordinary
fe events may be expected from the extraordinary
ff operations now carrying on. The more than
fc diabolical fury of the French Atheists is utterly
" astonishing ; they compass sea and land to make
* It need scarcely be added, that this was written originally
before the peace of 1814.
MEMOIRS OF
" proselytes,, and have been too successful ; but
ec one thing they cannot do, they cannot make
" them more the children of hell than themselves.
ee Whether for their own punishment,, or the pun-
" ishment of others, all this is permitted., God
" only knows, and time will discover. Mischief
fe was meant against us,, but seen soon enough,
" I trust, to be prevented : and as God can bring
<f good out of evil, I am inclined to hope, from
<c the effect it seems already to have had on us,
ff that the fatal tendency of this levelling spirit,
<c and dereliction of principle^ will be so manifest
( as to lead us to ask for the old ways, that we may
" walk therein."
Again he says to his young friend :
<e As oratory has been prostituted so much of
" late to the vilest of purposes, I hope you will
ec employ yours to counteract the mischief that
<f this speechifying seems tp be bringing on all
ff Europe. We are come to such a pass, that with
" the new philosophers, there is no such thing as
cf malum in se y or, malum prohibitum. We have
" left our Bibles, and no man thinks of obedience
"for conscience sake. Therefore does all this
" evil come upon us : and in our punishment we
ff may see our sin. Do not you, my young friend,
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 153
ff suffer yourself to be carried away with the
(f abominable principles of the present times re-
<e specting Government : but read the old black-
fc letter ; have recourse to the law of God, and to
ef the testimony thereof: if they speak not accord-
Cf ing to them, there is no truth in them."
It was about this time that Mr. Stevens and
several of his friends were deeply impressed with
the dread that such principles, as these which were
openly avowed in France, and too much encou
raged by the licentious and profligate in England,
would gain daily strength, especially among the
young and inexperienced, if not strongly counter
acted by a recurrence to some fixed and steady
rules, which had governed our forefathers, in esta
blishing our glorious Constitution both in Church
and State. It was thought that those, who were
to become the authorized instructors of others,
should themselves be taught to walk in the good
old paths, alluded to by Mr. Stevens in the letter
above quoted ; and it was also feared, that the de
partment of literature would, if not narrowly
watched, be made the vehicle of disseminating
unsound opinions both in politics and religion.
Accordingly, to promote this counteraction of false
opinions, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Jones, of Nayland,
and some others, formed " A Society for the Re-
154 MEMOIRS OF
ef formation of Principles," from which originated
the Review, called " The British Critic," and a
most admirable collection of tracts compiled for
the use of the younger Clergy, with a preface by
the Rev. William Jones, * of Nay land, entitled,
" The Scholar armed against the Errors of the
" Times."
In consequence of the alarm, which at that
time pervaded the minds of all good and seri
ous men, Mr Jones sent out two letters, of
which Mr. Stevens thus speaks in a letter to
Bishop Skinner :
e ( Our good friend, Mr. Jones, did great execu-
ff tion by a letter from Thomas Bull to his brother
" John. It took the public fancy hugely, and
tf hurt the Republicans not a little, as was plain
ec by their barking ; for you know, when you throw
f{ a stone at a dog, and he yelps, you may be sure
" you have hit him. Probably you have seen it,
<c as well as a second letter, and a small whole
" length of Dr. Priestley ; but lest you should not,
I will send them/
In the year 1798, the truly learned and most
pious Mr. Jones, of Nayland, became so much
See Jones s printed works, Vol. XII. p.
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 155
shaken in his health, that he was obliged to relin
quish the further care of pupils : a matter, not only
to be deplored on account of the pecuniary loss
thereby occasioned to the venerable teacher, but
by those parents who might look forward to have
the future characters of their sons formed by such
a guide. Another distress in Mr. Jones s case,
and a most serious one to a person of his
thoroughly conscientious mind was, his incapacity
to discharge, agreeably to his own wishes, all his
pastoral functions, and his inability to pay a
Curate. But here again the active and benevolent
mind of Mr. Stevens, exerted in the cause of
friendship, shewed itself, as usual, with such a
delicacy to his friend s feelings, and at the same
time with such a fixed determination to do what
he thought would tend to the benefit of that friend,
as cannot fail to raise our admiration and esteem.
The whole transaction is better related than I
could do it by Mr, Stevens himself, in a letter
to Mrs. Gunning, dated the 8th of September,
1798, including a passage of a letter from Mr.
Jones himself, which proves the delicacy and
secrecy with which Mr. Stevens had conducted
the business.
" As concerning Old Jones, (as he sometimes
called him, and sometimes the Old Boy) about
156 MEMOIRS OF
" whom we were in no small distress, when I left
se Farn borough, I have much to say. I sent the
ff letter which gave me so much uneasiness to my
" oracle at Cheltenham, who said, it was very
ff affecting, and reflected shame somewhere ; he
<c advised me to do as I proposed, and enclose the
tc very letter, which he returned for that purpose,
" to his Grace of Canterbury (Dr. Moore), which
" 1 accordingly have done, accompanied with a
fe short one from myself, in which I express my
fe persuasion that the case being so, his Grace
" would, from his particular regard for the party,
<( wish to be acquainted with it. And this I did,
" although before the letter went, I received one
ec from the Old Boy, in answer to mine, which I
fe had written to comfort him, by taking upon me
ff the expense of a Curate for him, wherein, to
my great satisfaction, he says, that I have dis-
(( pelled at once the dark cloud that hung over
" him, and given him hope that he may finish his
(c voyage without being aground. The prospect
" of wanting a Curate, whom he could not afford
ff to pay, and the assessments swallowing up his
ff income, under the infirmities of age, overcame
" and overthrew him : what was to be done he
" could not foresee ; but now there is a way to
" escape ; and if I will give him leave to thank
" God first, he will thank me next. Well, what
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 157
tc a blessed thing, says he, is Christianity, which
fc teaches the strong to support the weak, and
f help the helpless !"
Then in a Postcript Mr. Stevens says :
* ce Since writing the foregoing, I have received
(e a letter from Old Jones, in which are these
ff words : On the present occasion I write to
<e you first, to tell you that the Archbishop,
cf hearing of my illness, (Did you tell him?) has
c( offered me something to comfort me under the
" form of a sinecure, where, or of what value,
" I know not/ "
Mr. Stevens adds, and well he might thus
write :
ef I do not know that I ever did any thing which
< gave me greater, or so much satisfaction, as
ee my writing first to the Old Boy, with an offer
(e which comforted him so much, and then writing
" to the Archbishop, which nas produced so good
<e an effect. I never mentioned to him that I had
ff written to his Grace, not knowing what might
fc be the success, though 1 had no doubt in my
ff own mind but it would answer : and now J am
(e clear that the sinecure is only a piece of deli-
158 MEMOIRS OF
ff cacy in his Grace, choosing to express in that
" manner his intention of allowing him one
" hundred pounds per annum out of his own
" pocket."
This whole transaction is equally honourable
to Archbishop Moore and Mr. Stevens, and proves
decidedly what their opinion was of the merits of
Mr. Jones, for whose comfort, without solicitation,
they were willing, voluntarily and instantaneously,
to make such exertions. But it was only for a short
time that these good men were thus called upon to
assist the venerable Pastor ; for on the morning
of the Epiphany, 1800, he was called to the reward
of his labours. Although 1 am not writing the
life of Mr. Jones, but of his biographer, I cannot
refuse myself the pleasure of copying, nor my
reader the pleasure of reading, the following ex
tract of a letter from Mr. Stevens, dated the 23d
of January, 1800, which conveys the sentiments
of Bishop Skinner respecting Mr. Jones, before
he knew of his death, and the account of the
close of his life by another hand in very affecting
terms :
" I thought you would admire the preface to
<f the Life of Bishop Home. The Archbishop
" (Moore) approves it much ; and I told his Grace
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 159
* c I flattered myself that Hutchinsonianism would
f< appear to be such a harmless thing that nobody
ff need be afraid of it. Bishop Skinner (not
ff knowing 1 , alas ! that we had lost our champion)
(f says, in a letter I received from him two days
" ago. c In the limited circle of my acquaintance,
" I know not where one could be found, so
f capable as Mr. Jones of writing the character
< of a lively, ingenious, entertaining writer,
" with that of a truly Christian, learned, and
<e orthodox Divine ; one who, since the death of
" his venerable friend, the late Bishop of Nor-
" wich, seems to stand unrivalled as an author,
" who traces the glorious scheme of Christianity
" from its proper source, and shews how it may
" be found in the Book of Nature, rightly un-
ff derstood, as well as in the two grand reposi-
" tories of divine truth, the Old and New Tes-
tc taments. The Bishop sincerely wishes and
s< prays that Mr. Jones may yet live to offer to
fe the public now and then such well drawn
" sketches of what is called the Hutchinsonian
Sf scheme, as may at last remove that disgust with
" which it has been too generally viewed. But
" the good Bishop s prayers and wishes were vain;
" the world was not worthy of him, and he was
(t removed. You have seen an affecting letter,
" containing a full account of his last illness and
160 MEMOIRS OF
<c death, which you could not fail to admire,
(C though full of enthusiasm : but I have seen a
<c letter, mentioning the event, not full of enthu-
<f siasm it came from a neighbouring clergy man ;
* ( and part of it I will transcribe : On the morn-
" ing of the Epiphany, that good and wise man
" was conducted to the presence of that Saviour
<f in whom he trusted, and the fruition of the
ff three persons in the Eternal Godhead, whose
(f doctrine he maintained upon earth with so
fc much ability and conviction. Could he have
cc foreseen that his death would happen on the
* morning of the Epiphany, how his pious and
e fertile imagination would have dwelt upon the
fc subject ! He was warmly engaged on some
Cf important subject of Christian doctrine to
cc the last ; and the Bible and Common Prayer
ff Book were almost the only books he looked
" into for some considerable time back. I found
(c them always before him ; and I am persuaded
(C that he shed as many tears over the Psalms of
" David as the author himself. In him I have
cc lost an agreeable and most useful friend, and
" the Church one of its most able champions.
(C The Church might fairly be denominated mill-
ff tant on earth with regard to him, for he was
" constantly fighting its battles ; and in him the
" Devil and the wicked world experienced an
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 161
ec active and undaunted opponent. He loved his
rr son and daughter,, and their happiness was very
ff dear to his affections ; but neither son, nor
cf daughter, nor any other interest on earth lay
cc so near his heart, nor occupied so much of his
" attention in his latter days as that of Christ and
fc his Church ; and the danger to which she is
fc exposed,, under the present circumstances of the
ff Christian world, was amongst the heaviest of
f( the afflictions which he endured/
The friends with whom Mr. Stevens chiefly
associated, in the latter years of his life were
Richard Richards, Esq. of the Chancery Bar, her
Majesty s Solicitor General;* James Allan Park,
Esq. the King s Counsel ; John Bowdler, Esq.
of Hayes, near Bromley, in Kent ; and John
Richardson, Esq. Barrister at Law. With Mr,
Bowdler, who lived out of town, he could not
have such frequent personal communication, al
though the congeniality of their sentiments, upon
every point of religion and politics, led Mr.
Bowdler to Broad-street whenever he visited
London ; and Mr. Stevens passed many agreeable
hours at Hayes : but at the houses of each of the
three other gentlemen, Mr. Stevens dined regu-
* Now the Honourable Sir Richard Richards, one of the
Barons of the Court of Exchequer.
M
162 MEMOIRS OF
larly once a week upon a set day, when either
those friends were invited who delighted in his
society, or he was at liberty to choose his own
company, by inviting those whom he pleased to
meet him : and those who saw him once, in the
moments of cheerful ease and conviviality, were
ever anxious to meet him again. In several of
the letters now lying before me, his kindness
and affection for his friends are pourtrayed in
such strong and marked characters, and his gra
titude for their friendship so strongly expressed,
that it would give infinite pleasure to the reader
to peruse the overflowings of such a heart. But
as many of those, of whom, and to whom these
ebullitions of an affectionate heart were poured
forth, are still alive, I lament that it is the duty of
the Biographer to forego this pleasure himself,
and to deprive his readers of it.
A man so much attached as he was to his friends,
and so beloved as he was for his virtues and his
cheerfulness of disposition, was likely to receive
all those attentions that could be grateful to his
feelings, or make the close of life most agreeable
to him. One of his friends, hearing him repeatedly
speak of others of sound principles in Church and
State, expressed a desire to look such men in the
face; in consequence of which a meeting was ap
pointed, and a club instituted in honour of their
WILLIAM STEVENS^ ESQ. 163
revered and much admired friend,, denominated
Nobody s Club, in conformity to the name which
his humility had induced him to assume when he
collected his various pamphlets. This club was
not to meet so often as to make the attendance
burdensome., nor so seldom as to allow it to become
neglected. Accordingly three meetings were to be
held every year, during the winter and spring
months,, viz. the end of November, the beginning
of March, and the 29th of May. The first meet
ing of this club was in the spring of the year 1SOO,
and it was composed, besides the gentlemen above-
named, of two noble Lords, and persons of the
first station for talents and worth in the three
learned professions, and others of a literary cha
racter, who delighted in the conversation, admired
the principles, and honoured the prominent and
active virtues of Mr. Stevens s character. In a
letter to Bishop Skinner, describing the first
meeting of the club, he says :
We should have been very happy to have had
if you make one at the meeting at the Crown and
( Anchor. Our excellent friend, Mr. Bowdler,
(f was much pleased on the occasion : and I own
<c it appeared a mighty comfortable thing to see
" so many good fellows got together at one time ;
<f all true to the backbone. It was doing Nobody
ff great honour to put him in the chair/
164 MEMOIRS OF
In a letter to another friend he says : f( Yott
Cf are very right in preparing your good man
" to stay in town till after the 29th of Novem-
e f her ; lie must assist at Nobody s Club ; it is
ff a kind of meeting suited to his taste ; where
" Nobody is,, there he likes to be ; and where he
C( is, I like to be. I remember Sam Johnson s
s friends, a year or two before his death, instituted
" a club for his amusement: this is something
<f of the same nature ; and will last about as
" long :* it may be the only opportunity your
" husband will have of attending, and he should
" not miss it."
The same cause which has prevented me from
speaking of Mr. Stevens s affectionate letters
respecting his living friends, obliges me to with
hold any commendation of those who composed
Nobody s Club : but as two of them departed this
life in the time of the venerable head and as
they were men of considerable eminence, it is
trusted there can be no impropriety in a work
intended to produce, for the example of the living,
* How long Dr. Johnson s club lasted I know not j but
Nobody s Club, instituted in 1800, still exists, thougb its
venerable head be no more, under the name of Nobody s
Friends : Many new and respectable members, both for
learning and worth, have been added since his death ; and
I see no reason why it may not exist for many years to come.
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 165
models of departed worth, to make a more parti
cular mention of them. The very year in which
this club was instituted proved fatal to one of them,
George Downing, Esq. of Lincoln s Inn, Bar
rister at Law. His death was occasioned by a
cold caught as an officer of the Light Horse
Volunteers, in being exposed to the rain, during a
whole night, on account of some riots in London.
Mr. Stevens, in a letter dated the 16th of October,
1800, to Mr. Frere, thus deplores his death :
cc But, alas ! this talking of Parr reminds me
fc (not reminds me, indeed, for he is continually
se in my mind) of his pupil, our worthy friend,
cc George Downing, who is to be buried this day
(C with military honours. The noble historian.,
cf in his character of Lord Falkland, observes,
(f c that the loss of that one man alone would
fc make the Rebellion execrable to all posterity :
Cf so may we say, curse on the riots that were the
(C occasion of poor George s death \"
In another letter to Bishop Skinner, of the 9th
of December, 1800, he says :
fc As you suspected, we have lost good George
tf Downing. He was much missed at the meet-
fc ing of some friends to dine with Nobody, at
ft
166 MEMOIRS OF
" the Crown and Anchor, on the 29th of Novem
ber. I never knew a man more universally
lamented : he was not only a loss to his friends,
as the Archbishop (Moore) observed to me, but
he was a public loss/
Of such a man,, whom I well knew and much
deplored,, I thought it right to procure a fuller
account; and from my excellent friend, the Rev.
Dr. Gaskin, who long knew Mr. Downing and
his family , and who with the affection of a friend,
and the sacred solicitude of a truly Christian pas-
tor, attended his dying bed, I have received the
following particulars of this much to be lamented
man, of whose example the world was deprived
when he had only attained thirty-seven years.
Mr. Downing was the son of the Rev. George
Downing, one of the Prebendaries of Ely ; and
the intimacy of this young gentleman with Mr.
Stevens arose from a friendship of long standing
between the latter gentleman, Mr. Downing s
father, Bishop Home, and Mr. Jones. Young
Mr. Downing received his classical education
under the care of the celebrated Dr. Parr, and
his eminent proficiency as a scholar, together
with his amiable qualities as a pupil, ever were
acknowledged by his learned preceptor. He was
afterwards articled to Mr. Alston, a respectable
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 167
Attorney at Nay land., in Suffolk : and was there
introduced to the more immediate attention and
kind offices of the excellent Mr. Jones, (whose
life we have lately been so much contemplating)
who was at that time Minister of the parish of
Nayland, and in the full possession of his intel
lectual vigour. Mr. Jones was well qualified to
appreciate classical accomplishments, and the
qualities of a virtuous, unassuming, and well
principled youth ; and Mr. Downing ever consi
dered his introduction to Mr. Jones as one of
the most important aeras of his life. They be
came attached to each other, and notwithstanding
the disparity of years, Mr. Jones was rejoiced to
witness such dispositions in the son of his old
friend ; and Mr. Downing spent all his leisure
hours, whilst he remained at Nay land, in the
society of Mr. Jones. Under such an instructor
and guide, his religious and political principles
were matured and firmly established, on a basis
which never could be shaken, and his classical
and philosophical studies were pursued with sa
tisfaction and advantage.
Having completed the term of his engagement
with Mr. Alston, and being eminently qualified
for the higher and more important departments of
the law, he entered himself as a Student of the
Honourable Society of Lincoln s Inn, and for
168 MEMOIRS OF
some time practised as a Conveyancer under the
Bar, to which he was afterwards called. In this
intricate and dry department of the law,, his
abilities soon acquired celebrity amongst profes
sional men, and business pressed upon him. The
social qualities, the variety of attainments, the
benevolent, amiable, and attractive manners of
Mr. Downing could not fail to win the affections
of a large circle of friends, amongst whom, many
of the hours that could be spared from business
were spent, and who were ever cheered and de
lighted in his society. His attachment to the
Constitution in Church and State, and his high
sense of loyalty, induced him to become a mem
ber, and soon after he was appointed an officer,
of the corps of Light Horse Volunteers, in which
corps he soon became a most popular character,
and amongst whom he may be said to have lost
his life. The pressure of professional business,
intercourse with his friends, and frequent mus
ters of his corps, began apparently to overpower
his strength ; and in an arduous service with the
Volunteers, during a time of public alarm, in
1800, he caught a cold, which brought on an
inflammatory fever, which in a few days termi
nated in his death, to the great concern of his
afflicted wife, (the daughter of his old master, Mr.
Alston, of Nayland) his venerable parents, and
WILLIAM STEVENS,, ESQ. 160
a numerous circle of greatly attached friends.
Dr. Gaskin, as a friend and Clergyman, visited
him on his dying bed, and happy to find in him
the faith, hope, and charity of the Christian, en
gaged to administer, on the following morning,
to him, his afflicted wife, and their common friend,
Mr. Stevens, the dying Christian s most comfort
able viaticum: but before the hour for this solemn
administration had arrived, his soul had fled to the
place of departed spirits. The corps of Light
Horse Volunteers, as a testimony of their affection
and regard for their deceased companion, passed
a resolution, requesting that his funeral might be
a public one : his remains were accordingly buried
with military honours,, in the parish church of St.
Paul, Covent Garden, attended by the whole of
that highly respectable body.
The next member of Nobody s Club, whose
death happened in the life of its venerable head,
was the Rev. Jonathan Boucher, Vicar of Epsom,
in Surrey, who died in May, 1804.- Of him Mr.
Stevens thus writes, in a letter to Bishop Skinner,
June 5, 1804:
ce I believe I mentioned in my last letter the
fc precarious state of our good friend Mr. Bou-
" cher s health, so that you were the less surprised
(f to hear, what you no doubt have heard, of his
170 MEMOIRS OF
" death. I saw him about a fortnight before the
(( event, when I concluded he was not long for
" this world, though I did not consider it as the
" last time I should see him. His loss will be se-
" verely felt by his family, his numerous friends,
" and the public ; notwithstanding the truth of
ce Dr Young s observation, that the mind turns
"fool before the cheek is dry. The widow has a
f( large family to take care of, there being eight
(f children, including one she had by her former
" husband, and all young. An anxious situation !
(f Her grief is not rendered more poignant by
<c being left in want, as her circumstances must
ff be good ; and so they had need be. His great
ec work,* which might contribute to the shorten-
fc ing of his days, was far from being finished ;
cc and whether any one can be found to carry
" it on, and complete it, so as to make what was
" done beneficial to the family or the public, is
fe very uncertain. Man proposes and God dis-
" poses. Either we must mourn for our friends, or
ce our friends must mourn for us. Such is the
(C tenure by which we hold ; and happy for us
fc when we can say ex animo, f Not our will, but
" thine, O God, be done V There was a meet-
" ing of Nobody s Friends, at the Crown and
* A Glossary of Provincial and Archaeological Words, in
tended as a Supplement to Dr. Johnson s Dictionary.
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 171
" Anchor, on the 29th of May, when they had
" to lament, as they did most sincerely, the loss
ff of an excellent member since the last meeting,
f( our invaluable friend/
The history of this gentleman was certainly
most singular, and it were much to be wished that
his own account of his sufferings in America,
on account of his loyalty, had met the public eye.
Mr. Boucher was born at Blencogo, in the county
of Cumberland; and, after receiving his education
at Wigton, under the Rev. Joseph Elaine, he
went, at the age of sixteen, to North America.
At the proper age he came home to England to
be ordained, and afterwards faithfully and zealous
ly discharged the duties of a Minister of the
Church in America, till the year 1775> when the
distracted state of the British Colonies obliged
Zj
him, after his property there, which was his all,
was confiscated, and himself proscribed as a trai
tor, to return to Great Britain. Of his exemplary
conduct in the discharge of his ministerial functions
in the Western Hemisphere, abundant proof is fur
nished by a work published by him in the year
1797, entitled, (< A View of the Causes and Con-
" sequences of the American Revolution, in Thir-
" teen Discourses, preached in North America,
(f between the years 1763 and 1775." In the
172 MEMOIRS OF
very elaborate and interesting preface, prefixed
to the Discourses, consisting of ninety pages, and
containing anecdotes and observations respecting
the writers, and most eminent persons, concerned
in the American Revolution,, he observes, page 88 :
" Cast, as my lot was, by Providence, in a
fc situation of difficult duty, in such an hour of
ff danger, it would have been highly reproachful
fl ~ to have slept upon my post. Investigations
of the important subjects of religion and go-
f( vernment, when conducted with sobriety and
ff decorum, can never be unseasonable ; but they
fc seem to be particularly called for in times like
" those, in which these discourses were written
fs times, when the Kings of the earth stood up,
" and the rulers took counsel together against the
<c Lord, and against his Anointed, saying, Let us
(C break their bonds asunder, and cast away their
" cords from us."
The conclusion of this preface is so beautiful
and affecting, that I am sure I shall be excused for
transcribing it.
c If haply this volume should find its way into
ec those distant regions where the greatest part of
ff it was first produced, and there should be still
fc living any of those old friends, with whom, in
cc old times, / formerly took sweet counsel toge-
(e ther; I entreat them to remember me as one
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 173
fr who loved them and their country, if not wisely,
t( yet well. If it should be so fortunate as to fall
<f into the hands of any of the inhabitants of the
<e different parishes which I held in Virginia and
<s Maryland^ (many of whom once were my will-
" ing hearers, and, at the risk of more than blame,
cf listened with a respectful attention to several of
" these very sermons) I entreat their acceptance
Cf of them in their present form. I entreat them
" to consider this book as the legacy of one who
ff still bears it in mind, with pleasure and with
c pride, that he once was their faithful and favourite
(C pastor. In this world we are severed to meet
(C no more : but we may meet again when, ere
se long, both they and I shall be called on to give
<f account, (at a tribunal where passion and preju-
fc dice can have no place) they, how they received
<f instruction and I, what instruction I communi-
" cated, and in what manner. God grant that
(C neither they may have been unprofitable hear-
(e ers nor I, after having preached to others^
" myself be a castaway." By a note to the pre
face, it appears that Mr. Boucher had at different
times held the rectory of Hanover, in Virginia
the living of St. Mary s, in the same county and
afterwards, by the favour of Sir Robert Eden,
Bart. Governor of Maryland, successively the
rectory of St. Anne s, in Annapolis, and Queen
174 MEMOIRS OF
Anne s, in Prince George s county, from which he
was ejected at the revolution.
These sermons are inscribed, by a well-written,
manly dedication, to General Washington, whom
Mr. B. states to have been once his neighbour and
friend : but he adds, in a truly Christian spirit,
tc the unhappy dispute, which terminated in the
C( disunion of our respective countries, also broke
" off our personal connection ; but I never was
f more than your political enemy, and every sen-
tf timent even of political animosity has, on my
ec part, long ago subsided." The whole of these
discourses unequivocally demonstrate this truth,
that the pious, manly, and eloquent author was
not to be deterred by the personal difficulties in
which the schism and faction that then prevailed
had placed him, from maintaining, with undaunted
resolution, those doctrines, political and religious,
in which he had been educated. I cannot with
hold from the reader, the following passage from
Mr. Boucher s farewell sermon, preached in Mary
land, in the year 1775, as a proof of strong, manly,
energetic, pious, and loyal eloquence : and I envy
not the man nor his feelings, whose head and
heart are not deeply affected by the perusal. In
page 587 of the volume, is the following burst
of true Christian loyalty : ef Sincerely do I wish
ce it were not now necessary to crave your indul-
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 175
er gence for a few minutes longerit shall be but
cc for a few, to speak of myself. If I am to credit
ff some surmises, which have been kindly whis-
fc pered in my ear, (and I am proud thus publicly
cf to acknowledge, that it is to a man whose poli-
" tical tenets are the opposite of mine, that I owe
ee this information, communicated, no doubt, from
f motives of good-will and humanity) unless I will
c forbear to pray for the King, you are to hear me
ff neither pray nor preach any longer. No inti-
f mation could possibly have been less welcome
fc to me. Distressing, however, as the dilemma
" confessedly is, it is not one that either requires
fl or will admit of a moment s hesitation. Enter-
tf taining all due respect for my ordination vows,
" I am firm in my resolution, whilst I pray in pub-
tc lie at all, to conform to the unmutilated liturgy of
fc my Church ; and reverencing the injunction of
ec an Apostle, I will continue to pray for the King,
cc and all that are in authority under him ; and I
(e will do so, not only because I am so commanded,
" but that, as the Apostle adds, we may continue to
ff lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and
cc honesty. Inclination, as well as duty, confirms
" me in this purpose. As long as I live, there-
ec fore, yea, whilst / have my being, will I, with
Cf Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, pro-
cc claim, GOD SAVE THE KING !"
176 MEMOIRS OF
Soon after Mr. Boucher returned to this coun
try, the Rev. John Parkhurst, whose invaluable
Hebrew and Greek Lexicons have enriched the
learned and the Christian world, presented him to
the vicarage of Epsom, without solicitation, and
knowing him only by character ; and here he
spent the remainder of his days. Through life
Mr. Boucher enjoyed the society and friendship
of men of erudition and science ; and, on various
occasions, employed his pen,, not only in defence
of those political principles on which the British
monarchy is founded, but in critical enquiries and
theological duties. Of his discourses from the
pulpit in Great Britain,, two assize sermons have
been printed, and fully justify the request of the
Grand Juries, to whom we are indebted for their
publication. During the last fourteen years, Mr.
Boucher s literary labours were confined to the
completion of a Glossary of Provincial and Ar
chaeological Words. The public has long looked
forward to the publication of this work, fully con
vinced, from the known abilities of the author,
that this supplement to Dr. Johnson s labours,
would, in every respect, be worthy of shining on
the same shelf with its great prototype. Mr.
Boucher was also an ample contributor to Mr.
Hutchinson s compilation of the History of Cum
berland. The account of the parish of Bromfield,
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 17?
and the very interesting Biographical Sketches
of the eminent Cumberland Men, published in the
same work, and marked Biographia Cumbrensis,
were written by him. Mr. Boucher was a patriot
in the best sense of the word ; he was ever anxious
to promote the welfare of his fellow countrymen ;
and, in many instances, personally contributed,
either by pecuniary or literary exertions, to melio
rate the condition of society. There is one trait
of Mr. Boucher s estimable character, omitted in
the account given of him in the Gentleman s Ma
gazine, which must not be passed by unnoticed;
because it is, in the writer s opinion, one of the
most lovely features in the portraiture of a good
man and of a Christian, and assimilates him in a
more marked manner to the excellent person, who
is the chief object of this memorial. Mr. Bou
cher was really the friend of youth ; and when
ever he discovered in a young man a desire to do
well, he omitted no pains, he spared no attention,
and he avoided no labour, to encourage such a
youth, and to enable him to run the career of vir
tue, and to establish in his mind the sound princi
ples of religion. He had the happy art of win
ning many to the ways of righteousness ; and we
may therefore trust that he will himself derive the
blessing pronounced upon such men, of shining
like the stars for ever and ever. Upon his death;
N
178 MEMOIRS OF
several of his young friends, who had derived such
advantages from his counsels, his encouragement,
and his support, and all of whom, with one excep
tion, were members of Nobody s Club, erected to
his memory a monument in Epsom Church., with
the following inscription :
Near this place are deposited,
In the hope of a blessed resurrection to eternal life,
The remains of the Rev. JONATHAN BOUCHER, M.A. F.A.S.
Nineteen years Vicar of this Parish :
He was born at Blencogo, in Cumberland, 12th March, 1738 ;
And died 2?th April, 1804.
A faithful steward of the mysteries of God, he ever
Maintained and enforced, both by his writings and discourses,
That form of sound doctrine delivered unto the Saints ;
Whilst in his opinions and practice he exhibited a bright
Example of Christian Charity.
Few men possessed a larger store of various knowledge,
Or greater liberality of communication ; and the success with
Which, in the intervals of more important pursuits, he
Cultivated English Philological Antiquities, will excite
The regret of all the learned for the event, which has left his
Valuable labours unfinished.
His loyalty to his King remained unshaken, even when
The madness of the people raged furiously against him ;
And, for conscience sake, he resigned ease and affluence in
America, to endure hardships and poverty in his native land j
But the Lord gave him twice as much as he had before,
And blessed his latter end more than his beginning.*
* The greatest part of the above character of the excellent
Mr, Boucher is taken from an account given in the Gentle-
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 179
Another member of Nobody s Club, John Frere,
Esq. late Member of Parliament for Norwich,, sur
vived Mr. Stevens only a few months, but was de
servedly much valued and beloved by him.
But the time was now come, when,, in the dis
pensations of Providence, Mr. Stevens s friends
were to be deprived of their bright exemplar of
every religious grace and virtue ; and this faith
ful servant of God was to be called to his re
ward. Whether he had any presentiment of his
approaching dissolution, I know not : but it is
certain that the thoughts of death were ever pre
sent to his mind,, and but one month before his de
parture, namely, in January, 1807, he writes thus
to a confidential friend :
Cf In regard to my man William (meaning
(C himself; you must see he is good for nothing,
<c and no assistance I can get for him will be of
ff any avail. The time is come when Israel must
(f die, however reluctant he may be to it. You
ff see I am scarce able to write, and of course you
f< will not expect to hear much more from me."
Whatever his inward sensations were, he dined
at the house of the writer of this account the very
man s Magazine, for June, 1804, by the late Sir Frederick
Morton Eden, Bart, son of Sir Robert Eden, to whom Mr.
Boucher felt himself so much indebted.
ISO MEMOIRS OF
day week -before bis deatb. He appeared in high
spirits, and read aloud to the family with his usual
energy and pathos during the whole evening.
The author saw him again on the Wednesday
following, and dined in company with him on
Thursday, the 5th of February, which was only
thirty-six hours before his death ; and though on
the latter day he was not quite so cheerful as he fre
quently was, he ate a hearty dinner, and there
was nothing in his manner, nor in his expressions,
to occasion the least alarm in the minds of his
friends or admirers. So far this good man s wishes
and prayers were heard ; for he had always hoped
that his death might not be lingering ; and all who
knew him were assured that however sudden it
might be, with him it could not be unprepared ;
which we presume to be the true meaning of the
word sudden in our Liturgy. On Friday, the 6th
of February, Mr. Stevens spent the whole morn
ing at home, chiefly in company with his friend,
Mr. Bowdler, who says, that his conversation was
animated, lively, and very much like what it ever
was, with a friend he so tenderly loved, and whose
sentiments were so much in unison with his own.
These two friends were to dine together at Mr.
Richardson s, in King s-road. His coachman, who
had always been remarkable for his punctuality,
and had frequently received the commendations of
his master on that account, was, on this day, hap-
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 181
pily and providentially a great deal after his time ;
and Mr. Stevens in putting on his great coat, in
order to be ready, was suddenly seized with a vio
lent pain in his chest. Mr. Bovvdler asked the
cause of his sudden emotion ; he answered calmly,
nothing but death. He was attended immediately
by two physicians ; and he was bled ; and, though
restless at times, he, upon the whole, slept quietly.
Mr. Bowdler, who never quitted him till a late
hour, when he could no longer be of any use, re
lates an anecdote which proves that the same reli
gious spirit, and the same ready obedience to God s
will, which pervaded every thought, word, and
action, from his earliest youth, continued to operate
upon him, even to the latest moment of his exist
ence. After the stroke of death above-mentioned,
feeling (I suppose) that he was dying, he refused
the medicines which the physicians had prescribed ;
and I (says Mr. Bowdler) was desired to prevail
on him to take them, which I did with the usual
argument, " do it to oblige me :" but in vain ;
for he still refused : at last I was going to say,
fc It is your duty to God to do what you can to
" preserve your life:" but when I had uttered
only the six first words, he seized the cup, and
drank it to the dregs, and laying hold of my hand,
said with great earnestness several times, " my dear
{( friend, my dear friend !" as if wishing to express,
182 MEMOIRS OF
not only his affectionate regard to this excellently
good man, but his gratitude for recalling him to
his duty to God, at that moment, when, as our ex
cellent Liturgy teaches us to pray, that God will
not suffer us in our last hour for any pains of death
to fall from him. Not long before he expired,
Mr. Bowdler asked him, after he waked from a
calm sleep, whether he should repeat a prayer: the
dying Christian assented. Mr. Bowdler repeated
the collect from the order for the visitation of the
sick, beginning with these words: <c O Lord, look
" down from heaven, &c." when he had said,
" Give him comfort and sure confidence in thee"
Mr. Stevens said very calmly and distinctly, Amen !
but as he did not repeat it at the end of the col
lect, it is presumed his mind was exhausted.
When the clock struck three in the morning, he
said to the servant, Cf My time is come. Oh dear,
" good God!" and fell asleep without a struggle
or a groan.
The remains of this valuable man were depo
sited, on the 14th of February, in Otham church
yard, in the county of Kent, which, though not
the place of his nativity, yet, from being the
parish of his maternal relations, he had always
regarded as his home ; and in the church-yard
of which he had always expressed his desire to be
buried. Indeed to the church of Otham he had,
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 183
during his life time, been a great benefactor,
having laid out about 600 in repairing and
adorning it. The following Epitaph, written by
a friend, (to whom, when young and an orphan he
had been a father, and from whom, in his declining
years, he had received all the dutiful and affection
ate attentions of a son) is placed upon a marble
tablet in the church ; and is the best and truest
summary of the character of this extraordinary
man that could possibly have been given :
Sacred to the Memory of
WILLIAM STEVENS,
Late of Broad-street, in the City of London, Hosier,
And many years Treasurer of Queen Anne s Bounty j
Whose remains, by his own desire, were deposited near this
Church,
Which he delighted to frequent as the place of his devotion,
And which he repaired and adorned by his munificence.
Educated, and during his whole life engaged, in trade,
He yet found time to enrich his mind
With English, French, Latin, Greek, and especially Hebrew
Literature j
And connected by blood and affection
With many of the most distinguished Divines of his Age,
He was inferior to none,
In profound knowledge, and steady practice,
Of the doctrines and discipline of the Church of England:
Austere to himself alone, charitable & indulgent towards others,
He attracted the young by the cheerfulness of his temper,
The old by the sanctity of his life :
184 MEMOIRS OF
And tempering instructive admonition with inoffensive wit,
Uniting fervent piety towards God
With unbounded good-will and well regulated beneficence
towards men,
And illustrating his Christian Profession by his own
consistent example,
He became the blessed means, by divine grace,
Of winning many to the ways of righteousness.
He finished his probation, and entered into his rest^
On the 7th day of February, A. D. 1807,
In the 75th year of his age.
On Sunday, the 15th day of February, the day
after Mr. Stevens s burial-, his intimate and affec
tionate friend, the Rev. Mr. Prince., in the chapel
of the Magdalen Hospital, of which charity Mr.
Stevens had acted on the Committee for many
years, in a Sermon on the text of St. Paul, " That
<f ye sorrow not even as others, which have no
" hope/* introduced a very just and affecting
eulogium upon the religious character and con r
duct of his dear, departed friend : and, as is usual
with that excellent person, he endeavoured to
enforce upon his hearers the necessity of following
the steps of this bright example in the paths of
virtue and holiness. He thus concludes this
animated discourse :
" His body is at peace, and his spirit returned
f c unto God who gave it : he is gone to his grave,
" like as a shock of corn cometh in its season. It
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ.
185
c * is our s, who knew,, and loved, and revered him,
<f to imitate, far as we are able, the pattern he
ff hath left behind ; by a life of faith and holiness,
<c of piety and charity, and of active, cheerful
<e benevolence ; discharging the duties of our re-
* e spective stations well ; using this world, as not
ff abusing it ; doing justly, loving mercy, and walk-
fc ing humbly with our God. So, whensoever it
<c shall please the Almighty to call us hence, Death
fc will not find us unprepared ; but we shall have
fc hope in our death : and when the Lord himself
<f shall descend from Heaven, with a shout, with
<c the voice of the archangel, and with the trump
fe of God, we shall ever be with the Lord.
ce Wherefore comfort one another with these
* words !"
It may be supposed that a man of such extensive
benevolence, and whom Providence had blessed
with temporal prosperity, would, being a bachelor,
by his will have left large sums for charitable
uses. But no such thing. All his conduct was
formed upon principle : and he had often said,
and acted upon that opinion, that charity is a
personal grace ; and that if a man has exercised
that virtue during his life, and also carries on his
benefactions by will, he deprives his successors of
the means of exercising those virtues as he has
done ; and thus prevents them from shewing
O
186 MEMOIRS OF
themselves to be good stewards of the bounties
of heaven. Accordingly, except two legacies,
one of four thousand pounds stock, and another
of two hundred pounds sterling, one of which
lapsed by the death of the individual before him,
he left the whole of his fortune to his first cousin,
the Rev. William Home, Rector of Otham, in
the county of Kent, the brother of the venera
ble Prelate so often referred to in the course of
this work.
1 have now completed, though not in a manner
equal to my own wishes, or to the deserts of the
inimitable person whose life is recorded, what I
had determined with myself to perform : namely,
to give a true and accurate account of a man,
as extraordinary for virtuous attainments, as any
that has ever been offered to public observa
tion. Some may have attained to equal degrees
of excellence ; but few have begun their course
of virtue and religion so early ; few have con
tinued it so uniformly ; and few in the private
walk of life have taken the opportunity of exer
cising virtuous propensities to so great an extent.
It appears that from his earliest youth to the age
of seventy-five, the life of Mr. Stevens exhibited
an uniform series of undissembled piety and pure
Christian charity. His erudition was solid and
various, and his mind was directed principally to the
WILLIAM STEVENS, ESQ. 187
cultivation of sacred learning, though it delighted
itself continually with whatever was admirable in
literature ; and the vigour of his intellectual
enjoyments accompanied him to the last. He
was a true member of the Church of England,
whose institutions and discipline he thoroughly
understood, and whose worship, to the very close
of his life, he most conscientiously attended. His
memory will remain for the benefit of those who
survive, as a man whose piety and obedience
to his Maker were zealous, whose faith in his
Redeemer was pure and unshaken, and whose
charity and good-will to man, from the only
solid principle, love to God, were extensive and
universal.
fc Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright ;
fe for the end of that man is peace." May all
who knew this great master in the art of holy
living, and all, into whose hands this account shall
fall, profit by such an example ; may they live
the life of this righteous man, assured that living
as he did is the only method of acquiring a well
founded confidence that their last end shall be
like his !
F i N is.
* --. ..
Printed by the Philanthropic Society,
St. George s Fields.
1881
PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE
CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY
BX Park, (Sir) James Alan
5395 Memoirs of William
S?P3 Stevens
1814 (2d ed.)
