XLVI.

TO THE REV. W. CHAPLIN, BISHOP STORTFORD.、

Leicester, Monday, Sept. 22, 1815.

My dear Sir, I hope you will excuse my neglect in not replying to your very kind invitation. I designed fully to reply to it without delay; but one circumstance occurred after another, in that busy scene, to occasion delay until it was too late. It would have given me, I flatter myself, at least as much pleasure as to yourself, to have proceeded to Stortford, and spent a day or two there. I shall ever retain a lively and grateful impression of the happy hours I have passed at Stortford, and of the distinguished politeness and attention on your part, which have chiefly contributed to render them so. But the fact is, while I am at Cambridge, the present claimants upon my time are so numerous, that, unless I could considerably protract my stay, I find it next to impossible to make excursions to any considerable distance.

Providence has so disposed the bounds of our habitation, as to preclude that intercourse which I can truly say I frequently recall, but never without emotions of warm affection and gratitude. Nothing but death will efface from my recollection and heart the manly sense, the dignified politeness, and Christian piety which have so frequently rendered your conversation so delightful. I rejoice to hear of your health, and prosperity, and usefulness; and that dear Mrs. Chaplin is spared to you. I bless God, that though we are separate for a time in the flesh, we are, I trust, joined in the Spirit, and permitted to make mention of each other in our prayers; and shall shortly, I humbly hope, be allowed to spend an eternity together. I often think with much emotion of our dear and venerable friend and father, Mr. Palmer. I feel that I have lost a rock in him: the loss of no man in that period of life would have affected me in any proportionable degree. But, alas! I shall probably soon follow him; and it becomes us, it becomes me at least at my age, to make it my great concern that my own death may be holy. Inter nos, I could have wished the character of our dear friend by Mr. Toller had been a little heightened and warmer coloured. It is like a portrait that is not very defective in likeness, but has lain long in a damp place. There is one thing in your letter which gives me sincere pleasure, which is, that you have sometimes thought of favouring me with a visit at Leicester. Let it not be one of those schemes that die in thinking of. We have a spare bed, and. such accommodations as are indeed very inadequate to what you are accustomed to, but such as I flatter myself you will put up with. Be assured, there is no person it would give me more pleasure to see under my roof than Mr. Chaplin, accompanied with Mrs. C. We I will divide the labour of the Sabbath.

I am, my dear Sir, with high esteem,

Yours most affectionately,

ROBERT HALL.

My dear Sir,

XLVII.

TO DR. RYLAND..

Leicester, Oct. 25, 1815. I have availed myself of the opportunity of returning your manuscript by Mr. James. I am much pleased with it, as far as it has proceeded, and, judging from this specimen, have no doubt it will give satisfaction to the friends of our invaluable deceased brother, as well as the religious public at large. I found the whole narrative respecting his child and his first wife exceedingly affecting and interesting. I think you have done right in retaining it, as it sets his domestic character in a most pleasing light. It shows how perfectly compatible is great tenderness of heart and an attention to minuter duties, with great powers of intellect and an ardent pursuit of great objects. Biographers have usually been too sparing of such details. How delighted should we have been with such an exhibition of the characters of Edwards, Howe, and other illustrious Christian heroes! has written to Mrs. B.,

earnestly importuning me to review his Life of Mr. Fuller, which is completed to the last chapter. I need scarcely say that I absolutely declined, informing him that it was impossible for me to do it, without a violation of honour and consistency. I suppose his book will be out shortly. I hope and believe, however, it will not prevent your work from obtaining a considerable circulation. Though I highly disapprove of's publication, it is not impossible that posterity may obtain a juster idea of the character of our excellent friend by comparing them, than by either of them separately. I am afraid my dear brother will be as sparing of his shades as he of his lights. Though his [Mr. Fuller's] faults were trivial indeed compared to his excellences, yet they were in my view very apparent; and, as is generally the case in very forcible characters, they possessed a certain prominence on the whole, however, it will be long before we look on such

a man.

XLVIII.

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER TO THE REV. W. BUTTON.

Leicester, Jan. 1816.

When you see Mr. Ivimey, will you be so good as to give my kind respects to him, and thanks to him for his kind attention, and that of his fellow-editors. Tell him I shall take his suggestion into serious consideration; but whether I shall contribute to the [magazine] or not, I cannot say. I never yet felt the smallest inclination to read or to

write in these sorts of miscellanies. With respect to the widows, anxious as I should be to promote their welfare, I have not the presumption to imagine my writing would be of any material benefit. To the whole class of publications, reviews, magazines, &c., I avow my-self a total alien and a stranger.

XLIX.

TO THE REV. THOMAS GRINFIELD, CLIFTON.

Leicester, Feb. 5, 1816.

Rev. and dear Sir, With respect to the salvability of Socinians, for myself I feel no hesitation. Their state appears to be clearly decided by such Scriptures as these: "He that seeth the Son, and believeth on him, shall have everlasting life;" "He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life." How can they be said to have the Son, who reject him in his distinguishing, his essential character, as the Saviour of the world; and how can he be a propitiation for sin to them who have no faith in his blood? When it is asserted that we are justified by faith, I can understand it in no other sense than that we are justified by a penitential reliance on his blood and righteousness. In rejecting the most fundamental doctrine of the gospel, the vicarious sacrifice of Christ, they appear to me to deny the very essence of Christianity. Their system is naturalism, not the evangelical system; and therefore, much as I esteem many individuals among them, I feel myself necessitated to look upon them in the same state, with respect to salvation, as professed infidels..

I am concerned, truly concerned, to find you speaking in terms so extremely disproportioned to my merits. While I feel myself gratified by the esteem of the pious and the able, praise so intemperate, I must confess, brings to my mind most forcibly the mortifying recollection of my own deficiencies.

I remain, with much esteem,

Your obliged Friend and Servant,

ROBERT HALL.

L.

TO DR. RYLAND.

Leicester, April 10, 1816. My esteem for your character is such, that it is impossible for me to differ from you in opinion, or decline complying with your wishes without considerable pain. I feel that pain on the present occasion. I am truly concerned to find your purpose is to form an auxiliary society at Bristol, to have public days, &c. &c.; being deeply convinced of the truth of that axiom of our Lord's, that "the kingdom of God cometh not with observation;" or, as Campbell translates it, "is not ushered in with parade." The Baptist Society has prospered abundantly, with the blessing of God, under a different management; and the unobtrusive modesty of its operations has been one of its strongest recommendations. That society has done much, and said little; it has shown itself in its effects, not in its preparations. I am much grieved that it is about to relinquish that praise, and to vie with [others] in the noise and ostentation of its proceedings. It reminds me of the fable of the frog and the ox.

Why should we at last imitate what we have so long condemned? Why should we attempt a competition in a point of view in which we are sure to appear to a disadvantage? The expense of collecting ministers from remote places is not small; and, supposing their expenses to be borne out of the public fund (and the situation of few allows them to travel at their own expense), it will, I fear, more than counterbalance the pecuniary advantages resulting from the efforts at publicity. I have serious apprehensions that the ostentatious spirit which is fast pervading all denominations of Christians, in the present times, in the concerns of religion, will draw down the frown of the Great Head of the church, whose distinguishing characteristic was humility. He did "not strive, nor cry, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street." I am persuaded nothing can be more opposite to your own disposition than such a mode of proceeding, on which account I am the more surprised you should be induced to lend it your sanction. There appears to me a very simple and efficacious mode of supporting the Baptist mission, without noisy appeals to the public. Let every Baptist minister make an annual collection in his congregation, and apply to his more opulent members and hearers besides, for their annual subscriptions; and all the money will be raised which ought to be raised by our denomination. With respect to others, the success of the mission, attested by its periodical reports, will not fail to make the right impression. The best auxiliary societies, in my humble opinion, that can be devised, are already prepared to our hands in regular organized churches, and in the certainty of meeting some hundreds of professing Christians every Sabbath-day. I hope, my VOL. III.-R

dear brother, you will not be offended with the freedom of these remarks. Were I to consult my inclinations, an excursion, in the pleasant month of July, to Bristol and to Wales would be highly gratifying; but, from the consideration I have suggested, I must beg leave absolutely to decline your kind invitation. I do extremely deprecate the precedent about to be set at Bristol.

Your advice respecting my intended publication came too late. It was already in the press. I hope it will do no harm, if it does no good. I think the question of very considerable importance, and the abetters of free communion have been too languid in their exertions. I intend, my dear sir, no personal reflection, but mention it as a general remark.

LI.

TO DR. RYLAND.

Leicester, May 27, 1816.

I read the letters of Mr. Fuller on Robinsonianism, with much delight and approbation on the whole; but I think he has, as he was rather prone, carried the matter too far. For my part, I am far from believing the innocence of mental error on the one hand, or the sinfulness of every particular error on the other. I suspect that there are religious mistakes, which result from the circumstances and the imperfections of the present state, for which many good [men] will never be called to account; though I am far from supposing this extends to a denial of the great distinguishing principles of the gospel. On this occasion I am disposed to adopt the old adage, In medio tutissimus ibis. The letters are admirable for their piety, and their masculine vein of reasoning.

With respect to Scotland, I must absolutely decline it. I have been already five weeks absent from my pulpit on account of illness; and it would be extremely injurious to my congregation to incur so long an additional absence. In truth, I am little fitted for distant excursions, on account of my liability to be attacked with such violent pain, which renders me a burden to myself and to all about me.