No. CLXVII.]

[Vol. XIV.

memorial of the above gentleman, beyond a brief note in the Life of Mr. Daniel Neal, prefixed to Dr. Toulmin's edition of the "History of the Puritans," a work, at present, in but few hands. Unfortunately, it is not in my power to supply this deficiency to any material extent; but as Mr. Tomkins was one of the earliest of the Dissenting ministers in the last century, who opposed the commonlyreceived notions respecting the doctrine of the Trinity, and made a noble stand against the imposition of unscriptural tests, even to the loss of his station as the pastor of a particular congregation, it may not be improper to embalm his name in the "Monthly Repository," although it be only by a few hints, which, perhaps, some of your readers may be able to render more perfect.

Mr. Tomkins was born some time towards the latter end of the reign of King Charles I., but at what place the writer of this is not informed. He was a contemporary with, and of the same standing as Neal and Larduer, with both of whom, in early life, he contracted an intimate acquaintance. After pursuing a preparatory course of studies in his own country, Mr. Tomkins removed, in 1699, to the University of Utrecht, then one of the most celebrated in Europe. He was accompanied thither by Mr. Lardner; and there they found Mr. Neal, who was somewhat their senior in age. The Professors of the University at that time were Grævius, D' Uries and Burman, names of no small celebrity in the learned world. Under these accomplished tutors, our three students made a suitable proficiency; and after spending a short time at Leyden, returned to their own country in 1703, bringing back with them proper testimonials to their learning and accomplishments.

The three friends all settled in London or the neighbourhood. Mr.

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4 R

respectable congregation at StokeNewington, in the county of Middlesex, in succession to the Rev. Joseph Cawthorn, who had been ejected in 1662, at Stamford, in Lincolnshire, and died at Stoke-Newington, March 9, 1707, having been several years minister of that society. Amongst the members of this religious community, were the families of the Fleetwoods and the Hartopps, both well known in the annals of our country. These, with a few other excellent persons, had been the support of the interest during the late season of persecution, and had suffered in their fortunes by fines arbitrarily levied upon the congregation, for the crime of assembling peaceably to worship God agreeably to the dictates of their consciences.

For the space of ten years that Mr. Tomkins sustained the pastoral relation to this society, he had the satisfaction of enjoying the esteem of his people. They highly valued his labours in the pulpit, where, as a skilful minister, he rightly divided the word of truth, dealing to each his portion in due season. His behaviour out of the pulpit was also truly exemplary, so as to command universal respect, and he had before him a prospect of much comfort and usefulness for many years. But the fairest hopes may be suddenly blasted by one of those events over which the mind and will of the individual possess no controul. An occasional interchange of labours with another minister produced a flame in the congregation at StokeNewington, which could only be extinguished by rending asunder the connexion which subsisted between Mr. Tomkins and his people. The occasion of it was this:

Mr. Tomkins had been in the habit sometimes of exchanging pulpits with Mr. John Asty, minister of an Independent congregation in Rope-Maker's Alley, near Moorfields. Upon

peace of the congregation, that he should preach no more, and that his continuance with them would cause a division in the society." A crisis of this sort was what he had been always desirous to avoid. Indeed, through the whole of the transaction he discovered great moderation, candour, and a desire for peace. After several attempts on his part to procure a reconciliation, but without effect, he acquainted his people that he should give them no further trouble, and therefore desired them to provide for themselves.

Thus, after an acquaintance and service of more than ten years, the connexion between Mr. Tomkins and the congregation at Stoke-Newington became dissolved by one of those occurrences which have been more common in modern times. Upon the merits of the main question that divided the parties, it is not the intention of the present writer to pronounce any opinion. A difference of sentiment is to be expected upon a subject so little known as the nature of the Deity; nor is it attended with any ill consequences, when it does not influence the passions to the injury of our fellow-creatures. With regard to Mr. Tomkins, his conduct in withdrawing peaceably from a people to whom his preaching and sentiments did not give satisfaction, must be applauded by every consistent Dissenter, let his opinious be what they may; and it holds out a striking contrast to some modern preachers, who have shewn less regard to principle than to the emoluments arising from their station.

After the differences with his people had subsided by his withdrawment, Mr. Tomkins published a narrative of the circumstances that led to it, under the title of "The Case of Mr. Martin Tomkins: being an 1 Account of the Proceedings of the Dissenting Congregation at StokeNewington, upon occasion of a Sermon preached by him, July 18, 1718. Lond. 1719." This tract, which extends to 135 pages, contains the subYstance of both the offensive sermons, with a copious narrative of the subsequent proceedings. Also, a Confession of his Faith upon the point in dispute, which he drew up with a view to an accommodation, and which is strictly Arian. It appears

from this work, that Mr. Tomkins had long forborne to use the Trinitarian doxologies to which he had been accustomed at his first setting out in the ministry.

After his retirement from Newing. ton, Mr. Tomkins proposed to return as a private member to the church with which he had formerly communicated. This intention he intimated to the minister of the society, who, after taking some time to consider of it, declined to receive him. So high did prejudice now run, that he was denied the common rights of Christians! Those who are acquainted with the state of public feeling amongst the Dissenters at that period, will not be surprised that, with the stigma of heresy upon him, Mr. Tomkins could not gain footing again as the pastor of a congregation. He, however, did not wholly lay aside the character, nor drop the studies of a Christian minister. Having fixed his resideuce at Hackney, he attended public worship with the congregation in Mare-street, of which the Rev. John Barker was pastor, and to whom the Rev. Philip Gibbs, until he renounced Trinitarianism, was assistant. During his retirement, Mr. Tomkins preached occasionally for his brethren, and employed himself in composing and publishing several treatises on theological subjects, chiefly relating to the Trinitarian controversy. does not appear, that he had any concern in the disputes at Salters' Hall, which happened soon after he withdrew from Newington.

It

The first publication by Mr. Tomkins, in the Trinitarian controversy, was a volume of considerable size, but without his name, entitled, "A Sober Appeal to a Turk or an Indian concerning the plain Sense of Scripture, relating to the Trinity: being an Answer to Dr. I. Watts's late Book, entitled The Christian Doctrine of the Trinity, or Father, Son, and Spirit, Three Persons and One God asserted and proved by plain Evidence of Scripture, without the Aid and Incumbrance of Human Schemes.' 8vo. 1792." With the merits of the argument on either side, it will not be necessary to interfere. Perhaps the difference between the parties was really less than they were willing to allow. Be this as it may,

both are to be commended for their fairness and good temper, and for the candour they discovered in their style of writing. The amiable disposition, and valuable endowments of Dr. Watts, are too well known to need any eulogy; and it is pleasing to find him doing justice to similar qualities in his opponent. The Doctor did not publish any direct reply to Mr. Tomkins' work, but in some of his subsequent publications he takes occasion to animadvert upon particular parts of it. In the Preface to "The Arian invited to the Orthodox Faith," Dr. Watts speaks in the following handsome manner of his opponent, whom be styles "a considerable writer." He says, "I acknowledge my obligatious to the author for the terms of decency and respect, and the language of friendship with which he treats me, both in the Preface and in the greatest part of his book. I receive them as the unmerited civilities of a courteous stranger: and had I the happiness of knowing his name, perhaps I should find just occasion to make an equal returu. But while I am permitted to learn his character no otherwise but from his writing, I can only treat my unknown friend with all that esteem which his writing deserves. For, I must confess, how superior soever others may appear in learning and argument, yet I am not willing any writer should exceed me in the practices of a Christian temper." The Doctor further observes, "In general, I must own, he has written with a degree of impartiality and fairness beyond what is usual in such controversies; and if ever he has mistaken my sense, persuade myself that it was not done with design, because, except the places mentioned, there is a general appearance of justice and candour running through his arguments." The following passage is no less creditable to Dr. Watts's candour, than to the critical sagacity of Mr. Tomkins: "I own the light I have received from this author, in the different turn he hath given to some few of those Scriptures which I had brought as proofs of my doctrine, which I must acknowledge carries such a degree of probability, as to weaken the force of my arguments derived from them; such as John iii. 15, Zech. xi. 12, 13, and perhaps one

.

or two more; for I would not wil lingly pervert one text of Scripture from its native and sacred sense, to support any article of my faith." In the Preface to “ Dissertatious relating to the Christian Doctrine of the Trinity," published in 1725, and which is a continuation of the foregoing work, Dr. Watts acknowledges the obligations he received from our author in settling his faith upon the subject. He says, " Though I was not a stranger to the various human explications, when I wrote that treatise, (alluding to the Christian Doctrine' &c.,) yet I confess with freedom, I was not at that time engaged in any one particular scheme. I thought the general doctrine of Scripture was plain and evident, but as to the modus of it I was much in doubt: and upon that account I must acknowledge this benefit which I have received from the author of the Sober Appeal to a Turk or an Indian,' which was written in answer to my book, viz. that by the arguments which he uses, he has almost precluded in my opinion some of those sehemes of explication, and inclined my thoughts towards one particular mode of accounting for this difficult doctrine, which I have in a great measure exhibited in the following discourses." Dr. Watts pursued the subject under discussion in some subsequent publications; and in 1748, Mr. Tomkins published a second edition of his work, to which he added, 1st. Remarks on Dr. Watts's Three Citations relating to the Doctrine of the Trinity, published in 1724.-2d. A Sober Appeal to all that have read the New Testament, whether the reputed Orthodox are not more Chargeable with Preaching a new Gospel than reputed Arians?— S. A Reply to Dr. Waterland's Animadversions upon some Passages in the Sober Appeal. Mr. Tomkins did not prefix his name to this work in either of the editions.

In 1782, Mr. Tomkins published, also without his name, a tract, entitled

Jesus Christ the Mediator between God and Man; an Advocate for us with the Father, and a Propitiation for the Sins of the World." The late Bishop Watson speaking of this work says, "This is a very sensible performance, in which the Author endeavours to establish the literal sense

of those passages in Scripture, which concern our redemption by Christ as a real sacrifice, and represents the notion the Scripture gives us of these things as consistent with the dictates of reason and natural religion." See the Bishop of Landaff's catalogue of books in divinity, at the conclusion of the sixth volume of his Theological Tracts. Mr. Job Orton, in one of his Letters to a Young Clergyman, says, "Let me advise you to read Tomkins's Christ the Mediator again and again, till you have well digested his scheme. It contains the best defence and explanation of the atonement I ever met with, and fully coufutes all the Socinian writers." This tract of Mr. Tomkins's came to a second edition in 1761; to which was then added, by another gentleman, "An Essay to prove the Credibility of the Gospel, from the Doctrine of the Efficacy of Christ's Death for the Redemption of the World."

The next work published by our Author was, "A Calm Enquiry whether we have any Warrant from Scripture, for addressing ourselves in a way of Prayer or Praise, directly to the Holy Spirit: humbly offered to the Consideration of all Christians, particularly of Protestant Dissenters. Lond. 1788." To this tract was prefixed, A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Barker, on his continued practice. The Author was in the habit of attending on Mr. Barker's ministry, which on the whole he approved, although he was dissatisfied with the doxologies which he made use of at the close of his prayers, and especially with those which he often sung from Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns. He, therefore, after complimenting him upon his ministerial abilities, expostulates with him for using uuscriptural doxologies, particularly that of 66 ascribing glory to the Three Persons as the Que Living and True God;" which it seems Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Barker's late assistant, had also objected to, and for which he was dismissed from that service: a measure that was very much against the judgment of Mr. Tomkins, who publicly remonstrated against it before the congregation. In the course of his work, Mr. Tomkins animadverts upon what Dr. Watts and Dr. Waterland had written upon the subject.

The publication of the "Calm Enquiry," occasioned an epistolary correspondence between the Author and Dr. Watts, which was printed in the Universal Theological Magazine, for 1803, and has been since reprinted in a separate pamphlet.

It is not within the knowledge of the present writer, that Mr. Tomkins published any other works besides those above-mentioned. They alone are sufficient to haud down his name as a man of sound learning, of extensive reading, and of an amiable temper, as well as a good scripture-critic. He supported for many years an excellent character for piety, integrity, and Christian benevolence. He was a firm and consistent Protestant Disseuter, a determined friend to religious liberty and free inquiry, and an enemy to the imposition of creeds, or private interpretations of Scripture. Whilst he adhered to the Dissenters, however, as the avowed champions of civil and religious liberty, he was not blind to the inconveniences that attached to their system, some of which he has unfolded in the Letter to Mr. Barker above-mentioned. Upon the whole, he appears to have been an able writer, a consistent Christian, and an upright, independent man. Mr. Tomkins died some time in the year 1755. Long after his death there appeared in "The Theological Repository," III. 257," A Letter from Mr. Tomkins to Dr. Lardner, in reply to his Letter on the Logos; in Defence of the Arian hypothesis."

Lufton, Sept. 20, 1819.

W. W.

Essex Street,
SIR,
October 22, 1819.
T gave me great pleasure to learn

that the proposal which was lately, and, as I conceive, inadvertently brought forward at the last meeting of the Western Unitarian Society at Bath, to alter the preamble to the Society's Rules, so as to include AntiTrinitarians, met with so little countenance from the majority of that Society, and that it was so speedily and so handsomely withdrawn by those of our friends who, under a

* See some account of this Correspondence, Vol. VIII. p. 770. ED.