THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 Ex Lijbris 
 
 SIR MICHAEL SADLER 
 
 ACQUIRED 1948 
 
 WITH THE HELP OF ALUMNI OF THE 
 SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
 
 THE 
 
 LIFE 
 
 O F 
 
 MR. THOMAS FIRMIN. 
 
 TRICE TWO SHILLINGS BOUND,
 
 THE 
 
 L I F E 
 
 CITIZEN OF LONDON. 
 
 Y 
 
 Paftor to the Church of Proteftant DifTenters at 
 Colyton, in the County of 
 
 I> E V O N. 
 
 The memory of the juft is blefied. Prov. x. 7. 
 
 He was a man, take him for all in all, 
 
 We (hall not look upon his like again. Skakefpcan. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, NO. 72, ST. PAUt/8 
 CHURCH-YARD. 
 1780,
 
 TO 
 
 A GENTLEMAN, 
 
 WHO", 
 FROM EXTREME MODESTY, 
 
 WILL NOT PERMIT THE MENTION OF HIS 
 
 NAME; 
 
 WITH WHOSE ZEAL FOR THE CAUSE OF LIBERTY, 
 WITH WHOSE REGARD TO THE INTEREST OF RELIGION, 
 
 WITH WHOSE DELIGHT IN DOING GOOD, 
 THE AUTHOR OF THIS WORK IS WELL ACQUAINTED, 
 , AND OF WHOSE BENEVOLENCE, 
 
 AND THAT OF SOME OF HIS NEAREST CONNECTIONS, 
 THE AUTHOR HATH ALSO HIMSELF LARGELY EXPERIENCED; 
 
 THIS ATTEMPT 
 TO DO SOME SMALL JUSTICE TO THE MEMORY 
 
 OF ONE OF THE BEST OF MEN 
 IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, 
 
 662733
 
 P R E F A C E. 
 
 NOTHING can be more worthy 
 of a rational creature, than to en- 
 deavour, by every mean in his power, to 
 promote the knowledge and practice of 
 virtue. This is the profeiFed aim, of the 
 moralift and the divine ; and unlels the 
 philofopher and hiftorian keep this end 
 in view, their {peculations and refearches, 
 though they may gratify the curiofity 
 natural to the human mind, fail in that 
 which is of much greater confequence; 
 the impreffing upon it a fenfe of its true 
 dignity, and exciting in the breaft a de- 
 fire of being and of doing good. 
 
 The ftudy of hiflory is very pleafmg 
 
 to the generality, and may be made the 
 
 vehicle of conveying much of that ufe- 
 
 f ul knowledge which renders the heart 
 
 a 2 better.
 
 li PREFACE. 
 
 better. Biography is a fpecies of hiftory 
 vvbich gives a writer forne peculiar ad- 
 vantages, who would teach men to be 
 good by examples. The hiftnrian muft 
 attend principally to great events, which 
 afFe& mankind only at large. But the 
 biographer may enter into the walks of 
 private life, and exhibit chara&ers in- 
 terefting to us as individuals. An ac- 
 quaintance with hiftory may enable a man 
 to fliine in converfation ; but a. knowledge 
 of biography will tend more to improve 
 the heart. Now, to render biography 
 pleafing, there ought to be both variety 
 and dignity in the actions of the perfon. 
 whofe life is recorded ; without variety 
 the reader cannot be pleafed, and unlefs 
 there be dignity he will be difgufted. 
 My ideas of dignity are not, however, 
 confined to fuch actions, as obtain the 
 applaufe of the unthinking part of man- 
 kind. In my opinion, that man adts with 
 true dignity, who performs all the kind 
 and beneficent offices for his fellow crea- 
 tures which he poflibly can, and exerts 
 himfelf to the very utmoft in doing good. 
 Many fuch .characters have exifled, and, 
 I hope, do flill exifl ; but few, I bclkve, 
 jf any, will be found to equal him 
 
 whofe
 
 PREFACE. iii 
 
 whofe life is contained in thefe (beets, 
 and well deferves to be made known, as 
 exhibiting a pattern lit to be propofed for 
 general imitation. 
 
 Accounts of kings and conquerors are 
 not very interefting to the bulk of man- 
 kind. Very few are likely to be in fitua- 
 tions, which may call for the exercife of 
 the caution to be learned from their 
 errors, or to imitate thofe aftions which 
 rendered them illuftrious. From iiich ac- 
 counts, however, many ufeful lefTons may 
 be drawn, and that very important one 
 amongft others, the duty of contentment 
 in a lower ilation. Thofe who are a 
 little converfant with hiftory, will learn 
 that dignity and power, however juftly 
 acquired, are constantly attended with 
 numbevlefs cares ; and if injuftice and 
 tyranny, or artifice and fraud have been 
 ufed to obtain them, every friend to 
 virtue abhors or dtfpifes the hero and 
 the prince, and Icarus to be happy in 
 obfcurity, and to reft fatisfied though con- 
 fined to the humbler duties of private 
 and domeltic life. To read of men who 
 have diftinguifhed themfelves by their 
 genius, their learning, and their applica- 
 tion is very pleafing ; and when thefe 
 a 3 talents
 
 iv PREFACE. 
 
 talents have been employed in the fervice 
 of mankind, and doing good appears to 
 have been more their defire than the 
 acquisition of fame, the honeft and up- 
 right of every degree both love and 
 reverence their names and memories. 
 But to that, which, in an hiftorical view, 
 is their chief ornament few can afpire. 
 
 Mr. Firmin's excellencies, though cf the 
 'mo ft exalted kind, were yefiuch as all 
 mr.y imitate. It was not by the help of 
 extraordinary knowledge in any art cr 
 fciencc, that he attracted high efteem 
 from fo many of his contemporaries cf 
 great note and eminence ; he gained 
 honourable fame by a diligent application 
 to bufmefs, a prevailing inclination to do 
 good, and a ferious attention to the pre- 
 cepts of our holy religion. His foul was 
 call in a fine mould, and ever ii.iih.ier.ced 
 by the laws and by the example of Jcfus ; 
 all the worthy difpolitions of his mind 
 roie tothe highefl degree of improvement, 
 and in him we may ice to what dignity 
 and honour a tradefman can attain, with- 
 out being ever elevated above that rank. 
 
 The principal fonrce of my informa- 
 tion, with refpccl: to the particulars I 
 have related, has been a former life of 
 
 this
 
 PREFACE; v 
 
 this worthy man, intitled The Life of 
 Mr. Thomas Firming late Citizen of London, 
 written by one of his mojl intimate acquain- 
 tance. The fame was publifhed in 1698, 
 which was within a year after Mr. Firmin's 
 death. Intimate acquaintance are often- 
 timespartialjbutthereisnottheleaftreafon 
 to doubt the truth of the leading adlions of 
 Mr. Firmin's life, fince they were of pub- 
 lic notoriety, are confirmed by contempo- 
 rary hiftorians, by authentic records, and 
 have been again and again related in va- 
 rious biographical works of the higheil re- 
 pute and authority. The original life has 
 been long out of print and is become fcarce, 
 thole who have feen it will, unlefs I am 
 deceived, think with me, that Mr. Fir- 
 min's public fpirited and beneficent ac- 
 tions may be related in a more regular, 
 perfpicuous and ftriking manner, than 'is 
 done in the account given of them by his 
 friend. I am at the fame time fullv con- 
 
 y 
 
 virtced, that my attempt falls very fhort 
 of doing juftice to the fubjeft : but un- 
 til a better .hiitory of Mr. Firmin's life 
 be publifhed, I hope that this, however 
 imperfetl, will not be entirely ufelefs, as it 
 may be a means of bringing fome few at 
 kail into an acquaintance with a cha- 
 a 4 racter
 
 Vi PREFACE. 
 
 rafter which deferves to be univerfally 
 known. 
 
 If the fhort hiftories which are here 
 given of fome eminent perfons mould ap- 
 pear, to any readers, not fufficiently con- 
 nected with the principal delign of this 
 work, yet I hope fuch will not be feverc 
 in their cenfures. None are mentioned 
 but thofe with whom Mr. Firmin was 
 particularly connected, and as his for- 
 ming thefe connections redounded not a 
 little to his honour, I thought a few 
 particulars concerning them, however 
 well known to the learned, might be 
 agreeable to thofe whole improvement I 
 had principally in view when compiling 
 this work. My own tafte may perhaps 
 have mifled my judgment, for nothing 
 is fo pleafing to me in works of any kind 
 as anecdotes relating to perfons of dif- 
 tinguifhed merit. I have like wife the 
 authority of Dr. Birch on my fide, whofe 
 life of Archbifhop Tillotfon, which hdth 
 been very well received by the public, is 
 remarkable for the notice therein taken of 
 the Archbifliop's friends. I have been alfo 
 pretty free in making remarks and ob- 
 fervations on the various incidents which 
 I thought worthy to be recorded. Some 
 
 choofe
 
 PREFACE. vii 
 
 choofe to throw remarks of this kind in- 
 to notes, which I believe caufes them to 
 be oftentimes overlooked. Others choofe 
 to interfperfe them with the hiftory it- 
 felf, which in my judgment is the method 
 moft likely to imprefs, upon the minds of 
 readers, thofe fentiments which an au- 
 thor fhould wifh to convey. I am moft 
 concerned leait they fliould be thought 
 too numerous, or not fufficiently perti- 
 nent. Not that this is my opinion of 
 them, if fo, it would have been folly to 
 have published them to the world: but 
 I well know how partial a man is to his 
 own fentiments, and his own method of 
 writing, and therefore I mould fubmitmy 
 judgment to tiiat of the Public ; and en- 
 deavour, as far as my knowledge and 
 ability extended, to coniijjt the general 
 tafte, as to the method of conveying my 
 ideas. To pleafe ail is indeed impoffible ; 
 my higheil expectations will be anfwered, 
 if the candid ana judicious fliould regard 
 this attempl as in fome deprce worthy 
 of their Ci.cour gement and recommen- 
 dation. 
 
 Some, perh tps, may imagine that an 
 attacbmr-t to Mr. Fit nun's peculiar re- 
 ligious ientimeiits, and a delirc of pro- 
 moting
 
 Vlll 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 moting a regard to them in others, 
 might be a principal inducement with 
 me to republifh his life. Such will be 
 miftaken, for the opinions with refpeft 
 to our blefTed Saviour, which Mr. Fir- 
 min efpoufed and maintained, were dif- 
 ferent from thofe which I have adopted 
 and ftill adhere to. I am, however, very 
 free t6 acknowledge, that the fincere and 
 ardent love of truth, which appeared to 
 reign in his bread, hath greatly increafed 
 my veneration for him, and it would be 
 well if all would feek after truth with 
 that diligence which he did, for what- 
 ever might be the refult of their in- 
 quiries, the principle by which they 
 were actuated would be a noble one. 
 
 I could have quoted many more au- 
 thorities in fupport of the fa&s which 
 are related, but I thought it unnecelTary, 
 fince thofe produced are quite fufficient 
 to eflablifh the truth of them ; and it 
 would be ufelefs to refer to feveral au- 
 thors, for the proof of that againft which 
 o one wi 1 objeft. Whatever faults 
 there may be in the compofition, the 
 reader may be a flu red that the utmoft 
 fidelity has been ufed in the narration, 
 nor indeed have I been underthe leaft 
 
 temp-
 
 PREFACE. ix 
 
 temptation to fet off the hero of my 
 work with borrowed ornaments. To 
 make Mr. Firmin's character the objedl 
 of general admiration, it needs only to be 
 placed in its true light. This I have en* 
 deavoured to do, and though my attempt 
 may incur cenfurc, yet it will afford me 
 no little confolation, it' my private ftudies 
 are rendered in the fmalleft degree fub- 
 lervient to the intercfls of virtue and 
 religion. 
 
 I mould be guilty of an unpardonable 
 omifiion, if I did not acknowledge my 
 obligations, to the Rev. Dr. Kippis of 
 London, and the Rev. Mr. Bretland of 
 Exeter, whofe very friendly remarks and 
 obfervations have contributed much to- 
 wards the improvement of my work. 
 The faults which remain, are not to be 
 imputed to either of thefe Gentlemen; 
 b-.it had it not been for their advice and 
 alliftance, the critical reader would have 
 met with many more. As to the fen- 
 timents of whatever kind, which I have 
 advanced, my worthy and honoured 
 friends are by no means to .be thought 
 anfwerable for them : they are both 
 poflTefled of an amiable candour of mind, 
 which difpoies them to ferve any one 
 
 ilncerely
 
 * PREFACE. 
 
 fincerely intent on benefiting the public, 
 whether all his ideas with refpeft to fub- 
 jefts of debate are confonant to theirs or 
 not.. Dr. Kippis, who is excelled by no 
 one in the knowledge of biography, en- 
 couraged me much to draw up this Life 
 of Mr. Firmin, by declaring it to be his 
 opinion thai fuch a publication might be 
 very ufeful ; adding, that he thought Mr. 
 Firmin to have been one of the bejl men 
 that ever lived* 
 
 CONTENTS
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. I. PAGE 
 
 Mr. Firmin's Birth and Parentage. 
 His behaviour in his Apprentice- 
 ftiip. He marries^ and lives in a 
 very hofpitable Manner. Brief Ac- 
 counts concerning fome of the moft 
 not-ed amongfl his Acquaintance. 1 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 Mr. Firmin becomes a Widower, but 
 
 foon marries again. His Kindnefs 
 to his Relations. His ufeful Ser- 
 vices to the Poor. Some Account 
 of Mr. Gouge, ivhofe benevolent 
 Scheme 'was purfued with great 
 Succefs by Mr. Firmin. His Hu- 
 manity to imprifoned Debtors. 
 His Care and Attention to diftreffed 
 Families. 20 
 
 CHAP.
 
 xii CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 Mr. Firmin's Attention to Chrift's 
 Church and St. Thomas's Hojpi- 
 to the Iri/h and French Re- 
 y and to other Public and 
 Private Charities. Some Account 
 of Bijkop Compton. 59 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Mr. Firmin's undaunted Zeal in the 
 Service of his Country as a Poli- 
 tician and a Patriot. His Enmity 
 to all kinds ofLicentioufnefs: his 
 Endeavours to promote Virtue and 
 Piety : hisJlrongAbhorrence of the 
 Crime of Swearing, and the Method 
 which he nfed to check this Vice in 
 any of his Acquaintance. 85* 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 An Account of Mr. Firmin's religious 
 Sentiments, and of his pious En- 
 deavours to promote what appeared 
 to him to be the true Dotfrines of 
 the Cofpel. His great Kindnefs to 
 Mr. Biddle^ together -with feme 
 
 Memoirs
 
 CONTENTS. xiii 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Memoirs of that extraordinary Man. 
 The Friend/flip of Archbifhop 
 Tillotfon and Bifliop Fowler for 
 Mr. Firmin^ with Jbme Particulars 
 concerning thefe eminent and worthy 
 Divines. Other Inftances of Mr. 
 Firmin's Charity to the Sufferers 
 for Religion. lot 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 Mr. Firmin's Sicknefs and Death. 
 He is attended in his laft Jllnefs by 
 Bifliop Fowler i of whom a fliort 
 Account is given. The Refpetf paid 
 to Mr. Firmin's Memory by Lady 
 Clayton. Reflections on his Charac- 
 ter^ with fame Extratfs from a 
 Sermon preached on Occafion of his 
 Deceafe. 
 
 ADVER-
 
 ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 i 
 
 THE Author lives at x fuch a diftance 
 from London, that he could not under- 
 take to correft the errors of the prefs, 
 and therefore hopes that the reader will 
 not impute any miftakes of this kind, if 
 any fuch there be, to negligence or inat- 
 tention in him.
 
 THE 
 
 LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 MR. THOMAS FIRMIN. 
 
 c H A P. I. 
 
 Mr. Firmin's Birth and Parentage. His 
 Behaviour in his Apprentice/hip. He 
 marries^ and lives in a very Jwfpitablc 
 Manner. Brief Accounts concerningfome 
 of the moft noted amongjl his Acquaint- 
 ance. 
 
 Mil. THOMAS FIRMIN was born 
 at Ipfvvich (a very large and po- 
 pulous town in the county of Suffolk), in 
 the month of June, 1632. His parents, 
 Henry and Prudence Firmin, as they did 
 not abound in wealth, fo neither were they 
 in ftrait or mean circumftances *. They 
 were in that middle ftation, which con- 
 
 * Life, page 5, 6. 
 
 A tains
 
 tains all that is valuable and defireable in 
 wealth, without the temptations and dan- 
 gers, to which wealth expofes men. This 
 condition of life many perfons of wifdom 
 and experience have thought favourable 
 to virtue above any other. The parents 
 of the worthy man, whofe life we are 
 now entering upon, proved, at lead in 
 one inftance, the j uitice of this remark ; 
 for on account of their fbbriety, diligence, 
 and good conduft, the effects of their 
 piety, they were held in great efteem and 
 reputation. They were of the number 
 of thofe then called Puritans, by the 
 loofe and ignorant vulgar, who ufed to 
 deem affected and precife, fuch as were 
 mere confcientious, devout and exemplary 
 than ordinary, even though profefied 
 members of the Church of England. 
 
 Mr. Firmin, we may naturally iuppofe, 
 \vas carefully inftrufted by his pious 
 parents in all moral and religious duties; 
 but, as nothing remarkable is recorded of 
 him during the years of his childhood, 
 we muft pafs on to the time, when being 
 of a proper age he was bound apprentice 
 to a tradefman in London *. Kis beha- 
 
 * Life, page 6, 7. 
 
 viour
 
 ( 3 ) 
 
 viour in this fituation was diligent and 
 obliging, and he was fo remarkably nimble 
 in all his motions, and fo quick and ready 
 in taking down, opening goods, &c. that 
 many called him " the Spirit." 
 
 In making bargains, his words and 
 manner of addrefs were Co pleating and 
 reipectful, that afer feme time the cufto- 
 mcrs choie rather to deal with Thomas, 
 than with the mafter of the (hop ; and, 
 when there happened any little difputrc 
 about the value of a commodity, he 
 would decide it to the fatisfaciion of both 
 his mafter and the cuitomer. 
 
 It would be much to the credit and 
 advantage of all apprentices to imitate 
 him in thefe particulars. 
 
 Nothing recommends a youth Co much 
 as diligence in his matter's bufinefs, 
 cdmpanied with an obliging deportment 
 towards all thofe who have any dealings 
 with him. Sealbns and occaiions may 
 alfo happen, when a young man may tind 
 it of the utmoit fervice to have gained 
 the favourable opinion of thofe with 
 whom he is connected. Mr. Firmin met 
 with one very difagreeable event in the 
 courfe of his fcrvitude : the elder ap- 
 prentice took five pounds of his matter's 
 A 2 money,
 
 ( 4 ) 
 
 money, and laid it to young Firmin's 
 charge. Whether the imputation was 
 believed or not the friend who wrote 
 his life was uncertain. " Probably * (fays 
 he) it was not." The reafons of this pro- 
 bability are very evident. If a young 
 man be idle, fullen, and neglectful of his 
 mailer's intereft, any ill thing is eaiily be- 
 lieved concerning him. On the contrary, 
 where there is any room to hope, all are 
 ready to favour one, who recommends 
 himfelf by thofe qualities which are pro- 
 per for his ftation. However of Mr. 
 Firmin's innocence in this affair no doubt 
 remains. 
 
 The elder apprentice was fhortly after 
 this tranfa&ion feized with a mortal fick- 
 nefs, and before he died made confeffion, 
 that it was he himfelf who had taken and 
 fpent the money, Mr. Firmin not having 
 been in the leaft degree privy to it. Thus 
 was his innocence made apparent to all, 
 the confcioufnefs of which, as may be 
 eaiily fuppofed, was a moft noble fupport 
 to his own mind, whilft he lay under 
 the charge. 
 
 Mr. Firmin, as foon as the term of his 
 apprenticefhip expired, began to trade 
 * Life, page 8. 
 
 for
 
 ( 3- ) 
 
 for himfelf, fetting out with the very 
 imall flock of one hundred pounds *. But 
 he was pofFefTed of thofe qualities, which 
 are generally found to t>e more fervice- 
 able to a man than a large capital. Thofe 
 qualities were fidelity, induftry, and 
 amiable manners, which had recom- 
 mended him to the love and efteem of all 
 thofe who dealt with his matter, or lived 
 in the neighbourhood, fie alfo flood high 
 in the opinion of the merchants ; and, 
 having made a large- acquaintance who 
 were attached to his interefl, purely on 
 account of his merit, he fpeedily over- 
 came the difficulties, which ufually attend 
 thofe who enter upon bufinefs with very 
 little money of their own. Parents and 
 friends often make themfelves veryuneafy 
 from an apprehenfion, that the trifling 
 fums, with which thofe for whom they 
 are concerned fet out in life, will be en- 
 tirely inadequate to their wants, and pre- 
 vent them from ever rifing much above 
 ftraits and difficulties. But it frequently 
 happens that this feeming difadvantage, 
 by leading a man to obferve the neceflity 
 of being diligent, attentive, and obliging, 
 
 * Life, page 9. 
 
 A 3 proves
 
 proves the very means of advancing him ; 
 \vhiJft thcfe, who, depending on their 
 own fortunes, negledt the fnrer methods 
 of thriving, and dHappoint the hopes 
 which their relations had been led to form. 
 No flock, how great ibever, can render a 
 man fuccefsful in trade, without the con- 
 currence of thofe qualities, which beget 
 confidence and refpedt. If a youth be of 
 an amiable difpofition, and have a turn 
 for buftnefs, there is but little caufe for 
 anxiety as to his future welfare. 
 
 In the year 1660. Mr. Firmin married 
 a- citizen's daughter with five hundred 
 pounds as a portion, which though not 
 a large fum, was to him who knew fo 
 well how to improve it, a valuable ac- 
 quifltion. 
 
 The great expenfe of fupporting a 
 family in, this age of diffipation and 
 luxury renders many young traders, and 
 indeed perfons of all profeffions, very 
 averfe from matrimony. But it is to 
 be hoped, that, notwithstanding the pre- 
 vailing love of pleafure, there are flill 
 many amongft our fair countrywomen, 
 v/ho are fond of domeftic life, and of all 
 thofe duties which may render it com- 
 fortable and agreeable. Such a one, even 
 
 without
 
 ( 7 ) 
 
 without a fortune, is a trcafure in herfelf, 
 and will be more likely, upon the whole, 
 to fave expenfes than to increafe them. 
 Young men of warm paffions are expofed 
 to temptations, which fmall degrees of 
 virtue and refolution are not able to 
 withftand ; and, putting religion out of 
 the queftion, none but the unthinking 
 and fuperfieial would recommend the too 
 commpn method of fatisfying the fenfual 
 defires. How much the health is endan- 
 gered thereby all are fenfiblc, and the 
 expenies attending fuch a courfe have 
 ruined thoufands. Befides, occafional con- 
 verfe with the abandoned part of the 
 female fex, very frequently begets an ill 
 opinion of every woman ; ib that thofe 
 who have been ufed to the company of 
 proflitutes, lofe all relifh for the delicate 
 pleafures of virtuous love ; and, if they 
 find it convenient to marry, have feldom 
 that refped: and eflecm for a wife, which 
 is neceffary to render the nuptial ftate a 
 happy one. 
 
 In general, thofe, who inveigh moft 
 warmly againft the vanity, inconftancy 
 and frailty of the female lex, have con- 
 verfed pretty freely with the worft part 
 of them. There are but few cafes and 
 A 4 circumftunce?,
 
 < 8 ) 
 
 circumftances, in which it will not be the 
 moft prudent and economical way of 
 proceeding to marry early in life; but 
 fhould any thing particular render this 
 inexpedient, the wifeft courfe will be, to 
 win the affections of fomc chafte and 
 virtuous female,, to be attached folely to 
 her as a lover, and, as foon as affairs will 
 permit, to become her hufband. Thus 
 will the purity of the mind and the health 
 of the body be preferved, the expenfes 
 attending irregular courfes be avoided, 
 and a fair proipeft of happinefs be ever 
 in view as an excitement to application 
 and diligence. 
 
 Mr. Firmin, when he became a houfe- 
 keeper, was difcreet and prudent, yet he 
 pradtifcd in an eminent degree that good 
 old Englifh virtue hofpitality. From his 
 firft entrance on bufinefs he fought all 
 opportunities of becoming acquainted 
 with perfons of learning and worth, 
 whether foreigners or his own country- 
 men, and more efpecially with minifters *. 
 He was feldom without fomc of the laft 
 fort at his table, which, though attended 
 with expenfe, anfwercd, as he thought, 
 
 * Life, page 9. 
 
 very
 
 ( 9 ) 
 
 very valuable ends. Their converfation 
 helped to inform and enlarge his mind, 
 and their friendflup was of great ufe to 
 him afterwards, in ierving and afiifting 
 the poor, which was the delight and 
 pleafure of his life. For having a large 
 acquaintance, he was enabled to procure 
 the powerful intereft of fome,,and the 
 liberal contributions pf others, towards 
 forwarding his important and charitable 
 deiigns. 
 
 Mr. Firmin was fettled in Lombard 
 Street, in the parim of St. Mary "Wool- 
 noth, the minifters of which parifli were 
 firft Mr. Samuel Jacomb and then Dr. 
 Outram. With thefe two excellent 
 preachers and learned men, he maintain- 
 ed a clofe correfpondence. Mr. Jacomb 
 was a divine of a free temper and genius, 
 not confining himfelf to the ancient 
 fyftems, but inclined to more liberal no- 
 tions *. He died in the thirtieth year of 
 his age; fo that the world had not long 
 the benefit of his labours. Now alfo it 
 was that Mr. Firmin became intimate 
 with thofe very celebnted divines 
 AVhichcote, .Worthington, Wilkins, and. 
 Tillotfon. 
 
 *-See Birch's Life of Tillotfon, page 399. 
 
 A 5 Dr. Benjamin
 
 Dr. Benjamin Whichcote was defc end- 
 ed from an ancient and reputable family 
 in the county of Salop; he was born in 
 March, 1609, and in 1626 was admitted 
 a ftudent of Emanuel College Cambridge, 
 of which he was elected fellow in 1633, 
 and became a moft excellent tutor. Dr. 
 Samuel Collins, Provofl of King's College 
 in that Univerilty, being ejefted by the 
 parliament vifitors, Dr. Whichcote was 
 admitted to it in March, 1644. Dr. Collins 
 was pleafed to fee a man of fuch learn- 
 ing and virtue fucceed him ; and Dr. 
 Whichcote, who rather fcrupled at firft 
 to accept this place, was at length pre- 
 vailed upon to do it, and made it appear 
 that his view was more to ufefulnefs 
 than wordly profit ; for he punctually 
 paid his predecefTor half the income *. 
 He preached a ledture for twenty years 
 at Trinity church in Cambridge, nfing 
 his utmoft endeavours to promote a fpirit 
 of fober piety, and rational religion -]-. 
 The happy effects of his pains appeared 
 in the fine talents and excellent perfor- 
 mances of fo many eminent preachers 
 after the Reftoration, moft of whom, and 
 
 * Biographical Dictionary. 
 
 f Tillotfon's Sermon on his death. 
 
 Tillotfon
 
 ( II ) 
 
 Tillotfon amongft the reft, had received 
 their education at Cambridge, and been 
 formed at leaft, if not a&ually brought 
 up, by him. Others have fince copied 
 from, and in fome refpe&s improved up-' 
 on thefe excellent models; b that Dr. 
 Whichcote had the honour of leading- 
 the way to that folid, ufeful, practical 
 way of preaching, which is now adopted 
 by the learned of all parties. In the \ 
 1662, he was chofen minifter of St. Anne's 
 Black- Friars, in London, where tie con- 
 tinued till the great fire in 1666, whc, 
 his church was burnt down; but foon 
 after he was prefented by the Crown to 
 the vicarage of St. Lawrence Jewry, 
 where he continued in high reputation 
 till his death, which happened in May, 
 1683, in the 7^d year of his age. 
 
 Bifhop Burnet, amongft other things 
 greatly to his honour, fays of him ; " That 
 " he fet young ftudents on confidering 
 " the Chriftian Religion, as a doctrine 
 " fent from God, both to elevate and 
 " fweeten human nature, in which he 
 u was a great example as well as a wife 
 u and kind inftru&or. *" Select fermons 
 
 * Hitfory of his own times, vol. I. p. 186, fol. 
 
 of
 
 ( I* ) 
 
 of Dr. Whicheote's were publifhed in the 
 year 1698, by the famous Earl of Shaftef- 
 Ibury author of the Charadteriftics. r l"he 
 Earl wrote an extraordinary preface 
 to them, in which he not only fpeaks in 
 the higheft terms of the Dotior, but ap- 
 pears in the light of a warm friend to 
 geniune Chriftianity, of the excellent na- 
 ture and tendency of which he had form- 
 ed a very high opinion *. It is to be 
 lamented *that his Lordfhip having fuch 
 fentiments of the Gofpel, as he there ex- 
 prefles, mould have dropped any thing in 
 his writings to depreciate the New Tei- 
 tament. But when a defire of obtaining 
 literary fame is the ruling paflion, writers 
 are ilrongly inclined to advance what is 
 new, even in oppofition to what is ufe- 
 fnl. To this defire may be afcribed many 
 of thofe free things, which ingenious men 
 have advanced, and the enemies of re- 
 ligion and virtue have been glad to lay 
 hold of. Thofe who are pofTefled of great 
 talents, ought to be much on their guard, 
 when writing on fubj eels of importance; 
 for even a witticifm may injure a good 
 
 * The preface is very curious and the whole is in- 
 ferted in the Biographical Dictionary under the ar- 
 ticle Whichcote. 
 
 caufe,
 
 caufe, and a jeft weighs more with moft 
 men than folid and learned arguments. 
 Three other volumes of Dr. Whichcote's 
 fermons have been publifhed, and alfo a 
 collection of religious and moral apho- 
 rifms. They do not abound in the orna- 
 ments of ftyle ; what chiefly recommends 
 them is the excellence of their matter. 
 
 Dr. John \Vorthington, mafter of Jefus 
 College in Cambridge, and preacher at St. 
 Bennet Fink in London, died in the year 
 1671 at Hackney, where he had been 
 chofen leClurer the year before. " He 
 " was ever regarded in a moft amiable 
 " light, as a perfect example of unwearied 
 " diligence and activity in his profeflion, 
 " and for the general iervice of mankind, 
 " being furnifhed with a great flock of all 
 " excellent learning .proper for a divine; 
 " pious and grave, without morofenefs or 
 *' affeCtation, as remarkable for his hvimi- 
 " lity as his knowledge; zealous in his 
 u friendfhips ; charitable beyond the pro- 
 " portion of his eftate; univerfally inof- 
 u fenfive, kind and obliging, even to thofe 
 " who differed from him; not paffionate 
 u or contentious in debates or contro- 
 " verfies of religion ; of eminent zeal for 
 " the promotion of learning and piety, and 
 
 " indefatigable
 
 ( M ) 
 
 " indefatigable in collecting, reviewing, 
 " and publifhing, the worksof Mr. Joleph 
 " Mede, which he did with fo mueh 
 " care, that it would be hard to inftance 
 " cither in our own nation, or perhaps 
 " any where elfe, in fo vaft a work, that 
 " was ever published with more ex- 
 " aftnefs ; by which he raifed up to him- 
 ci felf a monument likely to laft as long 
 u as learning and religion fliaJl continue 
 in the world *." 
 
 His attention to that valuable publica- 
 tion, and to the duties of his profeflion, 
 befides the correfpondence, which he car- 
 ried on with the learned, took up fo much 
 time, as to prevent him from obliging 
 the world with much of his own ; beiides 
 a volume of mifcellanies publimed in oc- 
 tavo after his death, an excellent cate- 
 chifm is commonly afcribed to him. This 
 was drawn up wholly in the words of 
 Scripture, and not in the phrafes peculiar 
 to any party of Chriftians ; for he was 
 (to ufe Bp. Fowler's expreffion) "a great 
 " enemy to man-made divinity." And 
 furely the doctrines and duties of the 
 Golpel, cannot be better exprefTed than in 
 
 * Birch's life of Tillotfon, page 377. 
 
 the
 
 ( J5- ) 
 
 the words of the infpired writers. The 
 more thefe are adhered to, the more will 
 peace and holinefs prevail. Thofe have 
 ever been in all ages of the church the 
 mofl amiable and ufeful men, who have 
 endeavoured in everything to conform, as 
 nearly as poflible, to the great ftandard of 
 truth. 
 
 Dr. John Wilkins, another of Mr. 
 Firmin's learned friends, was born in 
 1614, near Daventry in Northampton- 
 (hire. His grandfather by the mother's fide, 
 was the good Mr.Dod,well known for his 
 fayings, and diftinguiftied likewife by the 
 fufFerings * which he patiently endured, 
 for refilling a compliance with the many 
 ceremonies, which Archbifhop Laud and 
 others endeavoured, with a popifh zeal, 
 to introdur ? into the Church of England. 
 Dr. Wilkins was fuch a proficient in 
 claffical learning, that, at the age of 1 3 -j*, 
 he was entered a ftudent at New College 
 in Oxford. In 1656, he married the fifter 
 of Oliver Cromwell, and was prefer- 
 red to the mafterfhip of Trinity College 
 
 * Neal's Hiftory of the Puritans. 
 f Life of Bilhop Wilkin's, prefixed to fonie of hi$ 
 Works, publilhed in Od. 1708, 
 
 in
 
 in Cambridge by Richard Cromwell in 
 the year 1659, which office he held but 
 for a ftiort time, being eje&ed upon the 
 Restoration. He was not favourably 
 thought of at the court of Charles II. 
 on account of his connexion with the 
 Protestor's family; and being alfo very 
 enlarged as to his religious fentiments, 
 and defirous of uniting all parties to- 
 ~^her by mutual concelfions, his prefer- 
 ment in the church was oppofed by 
 Archbifhop Sheldon, whofe influence 
 was great"*. The Duke of Buckingham 
 however fo effe&ually recommended him 
 to the king, that he was advanced to 
 the fee of Chefter in 1668, which high 
 dignity he" enjoyed but a fhort time,, 
 dying of the ftone in 1672. 
 
 Bifhop Wilkins was not only a great' 
 divine, but alfo a very eminent philofo- 
 pher. He was one of the firfl members! 
 of the Royal Society, and indefatigable 
 in promoting every kind of ufeful know- 
 ledge. All his writings were ingenious, 
 and learned, and many of them . very, 
 curious and entertaining; and he ftands 
 amongft the foremoft of thofe, from 
 
 * Burner's Hiftory of his Own Times, vol. I. p. 253,. 
 
 whofe.
 
 ( 17 ) 
 
 \vhofe (Indies the world has received 
 immenfe benefit. The learned of all pro- 
 feflions loved him; and, what is more, 
 the greateft and beft qualities are afcrib- 
 ed to him, by f b many eminent and good 
 men, that he will be one of the illuflri-' 
 ous few, whom the moft diftant times ; 
 and ages will revere *. 
 
 Dr. Tillotfon, that great and amiable' 
 divine, at the time of Mr. Firmin's firfb 
 acquaintance with him, preached the 
 Tuefday lecture at St. Lawrence Jewry, 
 then fo much frequented by all the 
 divines of the town, and by a great many 
 perfons of quality and diftin&ion. When 
 obliged to be out of London, as he fre- 
 quently was, either on bufmefs or for 
 relaxation or health, he generally left it 
 to Mr. Firmin to provide preachers for 
 his lefture f ; and he fulfilled this trufl 
 fo well that there was never any com- 
 plaint on account of Dr. Tillotfon's ab- 
 ience, fome eminent divine always ap- 
 pearing in his room. Mr. Firmin was 
 very fit to undertake this fervice, for 
 now there was hardly a clergyman of 
 
 * For teftimonies in proof of his uncommon worth, 
 fee his article in the Biographical Dictionary. 
 f Mr. Firmin's Life, p. 14. 
 
 note.
 
 ( 18 ) 
 
 note, that lived in or frequented London, 
 with whom he was not become acquaint- 
 ed. This circumflance enabled him to 
 render material fervice to many hopeful 
 young preachers and fcholars,* the can- 
 didates for fchools, lectures, curacies, or 
 rectories, for whom he would iblicit 
 with as much affeclion and diligence as 
 other perfons are wont to do for relations 
 and children. 
 
 See here a tradefman, who underftood 
 neither Latin nor Greek, logic or philofo- 
 phy, honoured with the intimacy and 
 friendship of the moft learned and emi- 
 nent perfons of the age, and who not- 
 withftanding differed widely from him 
 in opinion as to religious matters, and 
 were continually attacking his fuppofed 
 errors of doctrine. But as the clearnefs 
 of his natural understanding, joined to 
 a>n uncommon folidity of judgment, en- 
 abled him to refute their arguments, at 
 leaft to his own fatisfadtion j fo his fteadi- 
 nefs in maintaining what he believed to 
 be the truth did not leflen their regard 
 for him. This is one proof amongft many 
 others, that the wideft differences in re- 
 ligious fentiments will never fet good 
 men at variance, if their natural tempers 
 
 be
 
 be amiable, and they be difpofed to 
 one another the lame liberty of think- 
 ing and judging, which each claims for 
 iiimi elf. What Mr. Firmin's religious fen- 
 timents were, or rather what were his en- 
 deavours to propagate them from a con- 
 vidtion of their truth and importance, is 
 a matter worth knowing. But his great 
 and extenfive charities claim our firll at- 
 tention, and will create a warm love for 
 him in the bread of very benevolent 
 reader. Such a one no doubt, if a flran- 
 ger to his character before, now begins 
 to reverence it ; for if a man may be 
 known by the company he keeps, Mr. 
 Firmin mufl certainly have been a moil 
 excellent perfon. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 Mr. Firmin becomes a Pl^i dower, but foon 
 marries again. His KindneJ's to his Re- 
 lations. His ufeful Services to the Poor. 
 Some -sic count of Mr. Gouge, ivhofe bene- 
 volent Scheme "was purjued ivith great 
 Succefs by Mr. Firm in. His Humanity 
 to imprijbned Debtors. His Care and 
 . Attention to diftrefftd Families. 
 
 11. FIR.MIN had been married but 
 a fhort time, when death deprived 
 him of his wife. She had brought him 
 two children, a fon and a daughter, the 
 former of whom lived to man's eftate, 
 bnt died a bachelor about feven years 
 before his father. Biographers have 
 taken notice of what they call a very re- 
 markable circumftance with regard to 
 Mrs. Firmin's death, in which many will 
 think, and perhaps very juftly, that there 
 was nothing at all extraordinary. u Mr. 
 " Firmin, it feems, being at Cambridge, 
 " dreamed that he faw his wife breath- 
 " ing her laft : whereupon he took horfe 
 
 " early
 
 " early in the morning for London, and 
 " on the way thither, he met the meflen- 
 " ger who was fent to give him notice 
 " of her deceafe *." God may, without 
 doubt, in the courfc of his wife provi- 
 dence, fee fit, in dreams and vifions of 
 the night, or when men are engaged in 
 their common bufmefs, to fuggeft fuch 
 thoughts to their minds, as may be a 
 means of doing them real fervice. But 
 as it does not appear that any wife or 
 good end could be anfvvered by this 
 dream, as his wife was dead before he 
 could poflibly come to her alfiftance, 
 ought it not to be afcribed to thofe 
 fancies of the brain of which no rational 
 account has been yet given. The laying 
 any ftrefs upon dreams, unlefs evident- 
 ly calculated to anfwer fome valuable 
 purpofe, only ferves to prop up the old 
 rotten caufe of fuperftition, every degree 
 of which may prove a fource of uneafi- 
 nefs to fome honed and good minds. 
 
 Mr. Firmin, having experienced the 
 comforts of the married ftate, did not re- 
 main very long without another partner, 
 
 * Life, p. IT. All thofe who have written Mr. 
 Firmin's life in Dictionaries, &c. have thought fit to 
 retain this trifling anecdote, 
 
 but
 
 but as foon as it was decent, paid his sd- 
 dreiTcs to the daughter of a juftice of the 
 peace in the county of EfTex *. He had 
 with this lady, who pofTefled allthe qua- 
 lifications of a good wife, a very confi- 
 derable portion. God was pleafed to lend 
 them feveral children. It may properly 
 be f aid lend, for but one of them lived to 
 man's eftate, who was named Giles. His 
 father gave him the whole portion which 
 his mother had brought, and he was 
 likely to become a refpectable merchant, 
 but he died, when jufl about to embark 
 for Portugal, where hlsbufinefs called for 
 his prefence. 
 
 Mr. Firmin's firft matrimonial connec- 
 tion was diflblved in lefs than four years : 
 as to the continuance of the fecond, 
 which commenced in 1664, no particular 
 mention is made in any of the accounts 
 relating to him, and authors have aHb 
 been filent as to his character in the 
 domeftic relations of a father and a 
 hufband. That he filled up thefe impor- 
 tant relations in a becoming manner we 
 have fufficient reafon to believe from 
 the whole tenor of his conduct, which 
 
 * Life, page 26. 
 
 was
 
 was fuch as to leave no room for the 
 fufpicion of negligence in any of the 
 duties incumbent on him. It is more cfpe- 
 cially very worthy of being obferved, that, 
 when he was pofTeffed of but a mode- 
 rate capital, and his manner of living 
 was attended with confiderable expenfc, 
 neither of thefe circumftances, nor that 
 of his having an increafing family pre- 
 vented him from being a mod kind bro- 
 ther, uncle and kirifinan *. 
 
 "There are too many of thofe, whom 
 the world ftylcs good fort of people, 
 whofe cares center entirely in themfelves, 
 and their veiy neareft connexions ; but 
 true generofity enlarges the heart. What 
 St. Paul fays to Timothy (as it is well 
 rendered in the margin of our Bibles;) 
 " He that provides not for his own 
 " kindred'is worfe than an infidel -j- ." was 
 religioufly attended to by Mr. Firmin. His 
 lofles by foine of his relations, for whom 
 he had advanced money, and his dilburfe- 
 mcnts for others amounted to very con- 
 fiderable fums, and moft of thofe lofles 
 happened to him juft after his entering 
 upon bufmefs. But he was difpofed to 
 
 * Life, p. 12. f i Tim. v. 8. 
 
 improve
 
 improve the prefent hour, aud not to 
 defer all his ads of kindnefs and libera- 
 lity till he had an abundance. He always 
 kept his heart open, and never appears 
 to have formed a defign of amaffing any 
 particular fum, the aiming at which has 
 been a means of contracting and harden- 
 ing the hearts of numbers. All mould 
 accuftom themfelves, according to their 
 .ability, to do liberal and kind things fre- 
 quently, and then in all probability their 
 benevolent difpolitions will increaie with 
 their riches. This was Mr. Firmin's 
 method, and though his knowledge of 
 and diligence in bufinefs, would foon 
 have acquired him a very large fortune, 
 yet, when he arrived to the 44th year 
 of his age*, he was worth only about 
 nine thoufand pounds, which was more 
 by half than he left behind him at his 
 deceafe -j*, though he might have in- 
 creafed his wealth daily. But fo far was 
 avarice from growing upon him with 
 years, that he became more and more in- 
 different to the world the longer he 
 lived in it ; though he had always that 
 commendable degree of prudence, which 
 
 * Life, p. 28. f Life, p. 38. 
 
 rendered
 
 rendered him fo far attentive to his own 
 intereft, as not only to keep himfelf out 
 of all difficulties, but to be enabled alfo 
 to be doing good to the very laft. 
 
 The year 1665 is remarkable in the 
 Englifti annals for a great plague, of 
 which there died in London only, though 
 perhaps not more than half fo populous 
 as at prefent, one hundred thoufand 
 perfons *. Moft of the wealthy citizens 
 removed themfelves and their families 
 into the country, and fo did Mr. Firmin, 
 but he left a kinfman in his houfe (fince 
 it was necefTary that fome one mould be 
 there) with orders to relieve certain of 
 the poor weekly, and to give them out 
 fluff to employ them in making their 
 ufual commodities. He forefaw that he 
 fliould be hard put to it to difpofe of the 
 large quantities, which thofe poor people 
 would work off in fo long a time for him 
 only ; but he trufled to the providence 
 of the Father of mercies, who "we may 
 be fure, obferved with pleafure and ap- 
 probation fuch an inftance of companion 
 and tendernefs. His expectations of being 
 fome how or other affifted in the diipofal 
 
 * Sec all the Hiflories of that Time, 
 
 B of
 
 of this great ftock were not difappointed. 
 t)n his return to London, a wealthy 
 chapman, who was much pleafed with 
 this ufeful and adventurous charity, 
 made an extraordinary pnrchafe of thefe 
 goods, and by that means Mr. Firmin 
 avoided any lofs by then employing the 
 poor *. 
 
 The plague was followed, the next 
 year, by that dreadful fire, which laid 
 almoft the whole city of London in aflies, 
 the churches and public buildings, as well 
 as the habitations of the poor and the rich 
 being involved in one common ruin. Mr. 
 Firmin's houie in Lombard Street was 
 burned in that great conflagration, but 
 he immediately took another, with a 
 warehoufe belonging to it, in Leaden- 
 Hall-Street. In this he was fortunate 
 above many others, fince few could be 
 accommodated with houfes, the fire hav- 
 ing fpared but a comparatively fmall 
 number, which had been occupied before 
 this diflrefling event happened. Moll 
 perfons were therefore obliged to con- 
 fine themfdves to ftrait lodgings, and 
 lofe the benefit of their trades, till the 
 
 * Life, page 27. 
 
 immenfe
 
 ( 27 ) 
 
 immenfc heaps of rtibbifti were cleared 
 away, and new buildings raiied in the 
 places of the old. 
 
 Mr. Firmin was now become a perfon 
 of note, his noble fpirit and generous 
 way of trading having greatly recom- 
 mended him ; and in a few years he fo 
 improved his ftock, as to be able to re- 
 build his own houfe, and almoft the 
 whole of the court in which he lived. 
 As foon as he had performed this duty 
 to himfelf and his family, he began to build 
 for the benefit of the poor; for whofe 
 fervice he erected a warehoufe near the 
 banks of the river Thames*. In this, corn 
 and coals were laid up, to be fold in dear 
 feafons at a moderate price, that was 
 never to exceed their firft coft, unlefs the 
 ftores were aiiy way damaged by keep- 
 ing ; in that cafe, the lofs was to be made 
 up by felling the reft at a higher rate. 
 This was a very ufeful charity, and of 
 much fervice to the objects of it, flnce 
 it prevented them from feeling the in- 
 conveniences of dearth, which muft ever 
 be attended with want, when families 
 are large, and the wages only fufficient 
 
 * Life, page 28. 
 
 B 2 for
 
 for a ~bare fupport at cheaper times. 
 Befides being at the trouble of attending 
 to this bufmefs, which was not fmall, it 
 does not appear that Mr. Firmin made 
 any account of the expenfe he had been 
 at in building, or of the intereft of his 
 money which at that time was confider- 
 able, 8 per cent, being common, and 
 even 10 being to be had on reafonable 
 fecurity. 
 
 Mr. Firmin very wifely judged that 
 no charity could be fo ferviceable to the 
 poor, as that which kept them out of 
 idlenefs, and therefore in the year 1676, 
 (at which time it was that his capital 
 amounted to about nine thoufand pounds) 
 he did the moft eminent fervice both to 
 them and the public, by erecting a 
 warehoufe in Little-Britain near Smith- 
 field, for the employment of the needy 
 andinduftrious in the linenmanufafture*. 
 Dr. Tiilotfon mentioned this delign with 
 great approbation in his funeral fermon 
 for Mr. Gouge, preached in 1681, which 
 fermon is preserved amongft the other 
 works of that celebrated prelate. 
 
 * Life, page 29. 
 
 "He
 
 44 He (Mr. Gouge) fct the poor of 
 " St. Sepulchre's parifh, of which he was 
 " minifler, to work at his own charge. 
 tc He bought flax arid hemp for them to 
 " ipin ; when fpun, he paid them for their 
 " work, and caufed it to be wrought into 
 " cloth, which he fold as he could, him- 
 " felf bearing the whole lofs. This was a 
 " very wife and well chofen way of cha- 
 u rity, and in the good effects of it a much 
 " greater charity than if he had given 
 " to thofe very perfons freely, and for 
 " nothing, fo much as he made them 
 " earn by their work : bccaufc by this 
 " means he rclcued them from two moPc 
 u dangerous temptations, idlcncfs and 
 " poverty. 
 
 u This courfe fo happily devifed and 
 " begun by Mr. Gouge, gave, it may be, 
 " the firlt hint to that ufeful and worthy 
 " citizen Mr. Thomas Firmin, of a much 
 " larger defign, which has been managed 
 " by him fome years in this city with 
 " that vigour and good fuccefs, that 
 " many hundreds of poor children and 
 cc others who lived idle before, unpro- 
 " fitable both to themfelvcs and the 
 tl public, now maintain themfelves, and 
 " are alfo fbme advantage to the commu- 
 63 " nity.
 
 ( 3 ) 
 
 " nity. By the afliftance and charity of 
 " many excellent and well difpofed 
 " perfons, Mr. Firmin is enabled to bear 
 " the unavoidable lofs and charge of ib 
 " vaft an undertaking; and by his own 
 " forward inclination to charity, and un- 
 " wearied diligence and activity, is fitted 
 " to fuftain and go through the incre- 
 " dible pains of it." 
 
 Mr. Gouge was a man rnoft eminent 
 for piety and ufefulnefs, and in the tem- 
 per and diipofition of his mind greatly 
 refembled Mr. Firmin, who highly e- 
 teemed him, and prevailed on him to 
 live at his houfe *. Never did one houfe 
 contain two pcrfons of fuch different 
 ages and profeffions, whofe fouls were 
 more nearly allied. Both their hearts 
 were warmed with benevolence and 
 love, and their mutual friendlhip could 
 not fail of cheriming thofe divine prm- 
 ciples. Mr. Firmin, being the youngeft 
 by almoft thirty years, mult have derived 
 great benefit from fuch a connection ; and 
 his activity and zeal undoubtedly afforded 
 the higheft fatisfacflion to Mr. Gouge, 
 who could with pleafure devife methods 
 
 P a ge 49' 
 
 of
 
 of doing good, when he found another 
 fo ready to execute them. All that one 
 man could do, he himielf did ; and, to 
 his unfpcakable pleafure, he met with 
 another ready to adopt and purfue every 
 charitable fchcme, which he, whofe 
 whole attention was directed to the 
 fcrvice of his fellow creatures, could 
 point out. To recount all his benevolent 
 labours would require a volume ; but a 
 brief memorial may ferve to give us 
 fbme ideas of his excellencies, whom 
 Mr. Firmin mod gladly chofe to be a 
 fellow inhabitant of his manfion. 
 
 Mr. Gouge was born in the year 1604, 
 at Bow in Middlefex, and received his 
 (chool education at Eton, and his univer- 
 fity learning at Oxford. He left the uni- 
 verfity and his fellowfhip, for the living 
 of Colfden in Sui;ry, where he had not 
 been long, before he was removed to 
 the large and populous parifli of St. 
 Sepulchre's in London ; of which he was, 
 for twenty -four years, a mod diligent 
 and faithful minifter. He was unwearied 
 in the laborious duties of conftant preach- 
 ing, vifiting the fick, and catechizing in 
 the church all who would come. To en- 
 courage the poor (who were generally 
 B 4 the
 
 the moft ignorant) to feck for inftruftion, 
 he cliitributed money amongft them once 
 a- week, changlrg the day that they 
 might be obliged conftantly to attend. 
 As for the poor who were able to get 
 their own living, he fet them to work, 
 buying flax and hemp for them to fpin, 
 which when manufactured he fold as he 
 could amongft his friends. 
 
 The Bartholomew aft obliged him to 
 quit his living in 1662 *; for he was 
 difiatisfied with the terms of conformity 
 then impofed. This was a great lofs to 
 his parifh and alfo to himfelf, as the 
 living was a very valuable one; but as 
 he had then a good eftate, his charity to 
 the poor was continued. He made it the 
 great bufinefs of his life to ferve them, 
 and applied himfelf to it with as much 
 conftancy and diligence, as other men do 
 to their trades. He fuffered much by the 
 fire of London, and this, together with 
 fettling his children, reduced his income 
 to one hundred and fifty pounds yeaily. 
 Of this he always fpent one hundred in 
 works of charity, urging others to aflift 
 him in his benevolent defigns, though it 
 
 * Nonconfor mitt's Memorial, laft edition, p. 144. 
 
 does
 
 ( 33 ) 
 
 does not appear, that he perfuaded any 
 to do fo largely as himfelf. 
 
 Befides employing the poor, he was 
 much fet on inftrudting them in religion, 
 well knowing from his own experience, 
 that piety is the foundation on which 
 all other virtues muft be built. And in 
 that he judged rightly. For certainly 
 thofe are molt likely to fubmit to the 
 evils of life with patience, and to fulfil 
 the duties of it amidft temptations and 
 fnares, who have a firm faith in, and 
 a good hope towards God, as the boun- 
 tiful and powerful rewarder of all thofc 
 who diligently feek his favour, by yield- 
 ing a willing obedience to his commands. 
 To promote thefe valuable ends, he 
 freely gave to the poor fuch books as 
 The Whole Duty of Man, The Pratfice of 
 Piety^ and others of the like kind, con- 
 taining fuch things only as good chriftians 
 are agreed in, and not matters of doubtful 
 difputation. Thefe he caufed to be printed 
 in "Welch j and his fpirit was fo far from 
 partaking of narrownefs or bigotry, that 
 he procured the Church Catechifm with 
 a practical expofition of it, and alfo the 
 Common Prayer to be printed like wife in 
 that language, and given to fuch as 
 B 3* would
 
 ( 34 ) 
 
 would otherwife have been unable to et 
 
 o 
 
 them. It has however been infirm ated, 
 that his charities in Wales, were deligned 
 only to ferve a party, and that the dif- 
 fentcrs have increafed in confequence of 
 them*. If this be the cafe, it muft be 
 purely owing to the increafe of piety, 
 for Mr. Gouge never gave the people a 
 iingle book, nor can be charged with 
 having ufed t a fingle argument to perfua.de 
 them to nonconformity. Indeed no one 
 can wonder, who confiders by what 
 wretched and defpicablc hirelings the 
 Welch churches are frequently fcrved, 
 that teachers of any denomination, who 
 appear to have fome degree of zeal and 
 ferioufnefs, mould be attended to and 
 followed. Until the eftablifhed clergy of 
 that principality pay more regard to 
 their duty, than has hitherto been cuf- 
 tomary amongft them f , all thofe, whofe 
 views are fuperior to the interefts of any 
 particular party, will rejoice that there 
 are preachers of any perfuafion, labouring 
 to inflrufb a neglected people m the prin- 
 ciples of our common chriftianity, and 
 
 .* Mr. Wynne's edition of Towel's Hiftory of Wales. 
 
 4 See View of the State of Religion in the diocefe 
 
 of St. David's, written by D. D. of that principality. 
 
 ardently
 
 ( 35 ) 
 
 ardently join in the wifhing that another 
 Mr. Gouge may arife and help them. 
 
 In the latter part of his life, he con- 
 fined his fervices chiefly to that coun- 
 try, where he thought they were mod 
 wanted. Befides diflributing books, hav- 
 ing obtained a licence from fome of the 
 bifhops to preach in Wales, he took an 
 annual journey thither, and when more 
 than fixty years of age, ufed to travel 
 about, diflributing his charities, inftrudt- 
 ing the ignorant, and fettling fchools in 
 the chief towns, to the number of three 
 or four hundred; where women were 
 employed to teach children to read, and 
 books provided for them gratis, or fold 
 at a fmall price. He ufed often to fay 
 with pleafurc, " that he had two livings 
 " which he would not exchange for the 
 " greateft in England; viz Ch rift's Hof- 
 " pital, where he ufed frequently to cate- 
 " chize the poor children, and Wales, 
 " where he went fometimes twice in a 
 " year to fpread knowledge r piety, and 
 " charity/' He was ever ready to embrace 
 and oblige ajl men, and if they did but 
 fear God and work righteoufnefs, he 
 heartily loved them, how different fbever 
 from him in judgment about things lefs 
 
 necefTary,
 
 ( 3< ) 
 
 neceflary, and even in opinions that he 
 held very dear. But neither his excellent 
 .temper, nor the eminent fervice he was 
 continually doing could preferve him in 
 perfedt tranquillity. He was perfecutedto 
 iiich a degree even in Wales, as to be ex- 
 communicated for preaching occafionally, 
 notwithstanding he had a licence, and 
 went conftaritly to the parifh churches, 
 and to the Lord's fupper when admi- 
 niftered in them. Yet this wicked op- 
 pofition did not difhearten him. He ftill 
 went about doing good, and was fpared 
 for the benefit of mankind till Oftober 
 1681, when he made a peaceful and 
 happy end, dying fuddenly in his fleep, 
 being then feventy-feven years old. 
 
 Dr. Tillotfon honoured him with a 
 funeral fermon, in which moft of the 
 abovementioned particulars are recor- 
 ded ; and he fpoke of his excellencies in 
 that warm ftyle of approbation, which 
 became a truly Chriftian Divine. Indeed 
 he had a fine iubjeft for panegyric; Mr. 
 Gouge being a man in whom none but 
 zealots could find matter for cenfure ; nor 
 had fuch, fays Mr. Baxter, any thing to 
 allege againft him, but his " not confor- 
 ming entirely to their impoiitions." 
 
 In
 
 ( 37 ) 
 
 In fome of Mr. Gouge's ufeful chari- 
 ties, Mr. Firmin aififtcd him, efpecially 
 in printing his edition of the Welch 
 Bible, which was a very expenfive un- 
 dertaking. To this good work, Dr. 
 Tillotfbn contributed no lefs than fifty 
 pounds *. Mr. Firmin alfo adopted Mr. 
 Gouge's ufeful plan, for relieving want, 
 and at the fame time encouraging induf- 
 try. Of his endeavours in this way, he 
 thus fpeaks in a book which he wrote, 
 intitled, Propofals for the Employment of 
 the Poor. 
 
 " It is now about four years fince I 
 " fet up my workhoufc in Little-Britain, 
 "for the employment of the poor in the 
 " linen manufacture, which hath afforcl- 
 " ed fo great help and relief to many 
 " hundreds of poor families ; that I never 
 " did, and fear I never (hall do an a&ion 
 u more to my own fatisfaftion, or to the 
 " good and benefit of the. poor." 
 
 The late reverend and ingenious Mr. 
 Harte,inhisefTaysonhufbandry;pagei5'6, 
 recommends thisfcarce and valuable trea- 
 tifeof Mr. Firmin's to all the loversof na- 
 tional oeconomy. It contains (as Mr.Harte 
 
 * Life, page 50. 
 
 thinks) -
 
 ( 38 ) 
 
 thinks) many ufeful hints and obferva- 
 tions deierving of attention; and in fome 
 things his plan hath been followed. The 
 public, as Mr. Harte obferves,are particu- 
 larly indebted to Mr. Firmin, not only 
 for the idea, but the a6tual introduction 
 of parifh workhoufes for the more profit- 
 able employment of the half-difabled 
 and indigent, or fuch as are too young or 
 too old for the bufinefs of agriculture. 
 Workhoufes indeed, owing' to bad ma- 
 nagement are oftentimes wretched habi- 
 tations; but if properly regulated, would 
 conduce much to the comfort and ad- 
 vantage of the poor. He employed in 
 the manufacture, which he had with fo 
 much benevolence and difcretion efta- 
 blimed, fixteen or feventeen hundred 
 fpinncrs at a time, befides dreflers of 
 of flax, weavers, and others *. The 
 greatefl part of thefe could not earn 
 more than fixpence in a day, though they 
 worked fixteen hours. Provifions were 
 then coniiderably cheaper than at pre- 
 fent, but Mr. Firmin did not think their 
 wages a fufficient recompence for their 
 labour; on which account he was very 
 
 * Life, page 31. 
 
 liberal
 
 ( 39 ) 
 
 liberal to them in his charities, efpcci- 
 ally at chriftmas, and in icvere weather, 
 and ib attentive was he with refpeft to 
 every thing which might contribute to 
 their convenience and comfort, that ob- 
 ferving how much they were foiled by 
 carrying awy coals in their aprons, and 
 in the fkirts of their coats, he provided 
 canvafs bags and gave them, that fo 
 there miglit be no circumflance to leffen 
 the value of his charity. 
 
 He was perfuaded that nothing con- 
 duces more to health than cleanlinefs, 
 and that to keep perfons clean, proper 
 changes of linen were very rcquifite and 
 neceflary; becaufe linen can be fre- 
 quently waflied. The poor {pun much 
 of this of a ftrong coarfe fort, and Mr. 
 Firmin, with the affiftance of his friends, 
 would fometimes give away fifteen hun- 
 dred fhirts and fhifts in a year; fo that 
 thole had it in their power alw r ays to 
 appear feme what decent, who would 
 take any tolerable care of their woollen 
 garments. They were alfo encouraged 
 in their labours, by perfons of fortune, 
 whom their kind employer would per- 
 fuade to come, and be eye-witneffes of 
 their poverty and diligence. Such as 
 
 were
 
 were 4ifpfed to learn the art of fpin- 
 ning had teachers hired for them; and.,, 
 if any were not able to pnrchafe wheels 
 and reels for {pinning, thofe were bought 
 and freely given to them. Mr. Firmin 
 would often take up poor children as 
 they were begging in the ftreets, and 
 have them taught at his own charge, 
 providing them with things neceflary 
 for fetting them to work; but never de- 
 dudling any part of the coil out of their 
 wages *. 
 
 He reckoned himfelf fortunate, that in 
 one year, in which he had laid out four 
 thoufand pounds, two hundred only were 
 loft. This moft would think a very 
 confiderable fum to be funk in one mode 
 of charity, to which fo much time and 
 pains were alfo devoted. The lofs how- 
 ever muft have been greater, had not 
 many perfons taken off large quantities, 
 of thefe commodities on purpofe to en- 
 courage fo good a work. The Eaft- 
 India and Guinea companies in particular 
 bought their canvafs of him, for pepper 
 bags, and other coarfe merchandize, which 
 before, they were fupplied with from 
 
 * Life, page 32. 
 
 foreign
 
 foreign countries. When this trade had 
 been earned on for more than live years, 
 at the expenie of a thoufand pounds and 
 upwards, Mr. Firm in publifned a Book ef 
 Propojals to engage others to let the poor 
 on working at the public charge; or at 
 lead to aflift him and two or three friends 
 more. But neither the arguments 
 which he offered in this book, nor inch as 
 he urged in frequent converfations with 
 the lord mayor, the aldermen and other 
 wealthy citizens, could prevail upon 
 them to concur with his benevolent cle- 
 figns; fo that he was obliged to lelTen 
 the fpinning trade *. 
 
 In the year 1682, the whole diuburfe- 
 ment was two thoufand three hundred 
 and thirty-feven pounds, two hundred 
 and fourteen pounds of which were quite 
 loft. And notwithftanding this charity 
 was of fo manifeft advantage to the com- 
 munity, yet the lofs increafed annually, 
 there not being a fufficient number of 
 perfons to be found, who would buy the 
 manufactures at the price they coft him. 
 The deficiency upon all the work of the 
 poor, for feven or eight years together, 
 
 * Life, page 33. 
 
 was
 
 ( 4' ) 
 
 was no lefs than twopence upon every 
 ihilling ; but Mr. Firmin was content, 
 and ufed to fay " two pence given them 
 " by lofs in their work, was twice fo 
 " much faved to the Public, in that it 
 " took them off from beggary or theft*." 
 But the lofs in fome years was extraor- 
 dinary. In the year 1683, though the 
 trade increafed a little, his own difburfe- 
 ments and thofe of hia friends, were not 
 kfs than two thoufand pounds, and the 
 lofs four hundred. In the year 1684, the 
 balance not then received, amounted to 
 feven hundred and fixty-three pounds ; 
 and in the year 1685, i- was increafed 
 to nine hundred pounds. To make up 
 for this lofs, an eminent citizen, who had 
 five hundred pounds in that flock, quit- 
 ted the whole principal, and required no 
 intereft f. In the following years the 
 trade ftill declined for want of more be- 
 nefaftors, till the year 1690, when the 
 dcfign was taken up by the Patentees 
 of the linen manufacture, who agreed 
 with Mr. Firmin to give him one hun- 
 dred pounds per an. to overfee and go- 
 vern it. But this undertaking not an- 
 fwering his expectations, or thofc of the 
 * Life, page. 34. f ibid. 
 
 Patentees,
 
 ( 43 ) 
 
 Patentees, he never received the promi- 
 fed falary, which was a lofs to the 
 neceffitou-s labourers, to whom he would 
 in all probability have given the whole j 
 for he never wifhed to derive any pro- 
 fit to himfelf from their induftry : on 
 the contrary, he loft upwards of five 
 hundred pounds by employing them. 
 Once he drew fome prizes in a lottery, 
 to the amount of one hundred and eighty 
 pounds, but he referved only the money 
 he had rifked, and gave av/ay the reft ; 
 a part to fome relations, and the re- 
 mainder to the poor *. 
 
 The fpinners being thus deferted, Mr. 
 Firmin returned to the care of them 
 again, and managed the trade as before, 
 endeavouring to make it bear its own 
 charges, and fupplying the deficiency of 
 their fmall earnings by larger contribu- 
 tions of charity than ufual ; he befides 
 made applications in their behalf to per- 
 fons of all ranks, with whom he had any 
 intimacy or friendfhip. He would even car- 
 ry the cloth to thofe with whom he had 
 fcarcely any acquaintance, telling them 
 " It was the poors' cloth, which in con- 
 " fcience they ought to buy at the price for 
 * Life, page 35. 
 
 " which
 
 ( 44 ) 
 
 " whichit could be afforded." If thebuy- 
 ers were very wealthy, he would perfuade 
 them to give feme of what they had 
 purchafed towards clothing the labour- 
 ers ; and he took care alib to be foon 
 paid for what was fold. Without ufmg 
 fuch methods, he could notpoflibly have 
 employed fo great a number of people, 
 who always wanted their money im- 
 mediately on the delivery of their work. 
 This continued to be his chief bufinefs 
 und care till the day of his death, faving 
 that, v/hen the calling in of the clipped 
 money occafioned fuch a fcarcity of cur- 
 rent coin, that many of the rich had not 
 enough to fend their fervants with to 
 market, he was forced to difmifs fome 
 of his fpinners merely through the want 
 of cafh to pay them. He continued to 
 take out of the general ftock, to the 
 amount of feven hundred pounds, till 
 Mr. James, his partner and kinfman, 
 told him he mould take out no more. 
 This was not owing to that gentleman's 
 difapprobation of the workhoufe charity ; 
 (on the contrary he encouraged, pro- 
 moted, and freely lent money to it) but 
 as the whole common trade went through 
 his hands, and was managed by him, he 
 
 was
 
 ( 45- ) 
 
 was more fenfible than Mr. Firmin, that 
 a larger fura of ready money could not 
 be (pared for that ufe, without doing a 
 material injury to them in other re- 
 fpefts *. 
 
 Flax and tow being very combuftible 
 goods, Mr. Firmin was always al ittle 
 uneafy, leaft by fome accident or other 
 the workhoufe, which was in the keep- 
 ing of fervants, mould take fire, and a 
 jfquib was once flung by fome carelefs 
 boy into the cellar, where thofe materials 
 were ftored, but providentially did no 
 harm. Concerning the workhoufe and the 
 fpinners, Mr Firmin would often fay, 
 11 that to pay the labourers, to relieve them 
 " with the money begged for them, and 
 tc with coals, garments, Sec. was to him 
 " fuch apleafure, as magnificent buildings, 
 " pleafant walks, well cultivated orchards 
 " and gardens, the jollity of mufic and 
 " wine, or the charms of love or ftudy, 
 " are to others." In this he faid no more 
 than the truth, for it appeared, on care- 
 fully examining his accounts, that he 
 might have left a fortune behind him of 
 at leaft twenty thoufand pounds, if he had 
 
 * Life, pages 36,37. 
 
 not
 
 not employed mofl of his gettings in pri- 
 vate and public charities, which ib re- 
 duced his fubftance, that he died worth 
 little more than a fixth part of that fum *. 
 How glorious muft be his reward, who 
 was thus rich in good works, and conti- 
 nually laying up in flore for himfelf a 
 treafure in heaven ! to this blcfled ftate 
 his views were ever directed; and as to 
 this world, it was his fettled refolution 
 to quit it in very moderate circumftances. 
 He faid to a friend but a fhort time before 
 his deceafe ; " were I now worth forty 
 a thoufand pounds, I mould leave behind 
 ic me but very little of it." It is even 
 likely that he would have died worth 
 lefs than he really did ; for, had he come 
 into the pofTeffion of any large fum, it 
 would have engaged him in fuch vaft 
 defigns for the benefit of the poor, that 
 he would probably have gone beyond 
 the expenfe at firft intended. His phyfi- 
 cian ufed to blame him, becaufe he did 
 not allow himfelf a competent time for 
 his dinner, but haftened away to Garra- 
 way's coffee-houfe about fuch affairs as 
 he had taken in hand. Thefe affairs were 
 
 * Life, page 38. 
 
 feldom
 
 ( 47 ) 
 
 feldom or never his own. He was either 
 employed in foliciting for the poor, or 
 doing the bufmefs of fome friend who 
 wanted his intereft, or attending thofe 
 meetings which were held to confult 
 the public good. It was of vaft advantage 
 to him, in the difcharge of thefe many 
 and important concerns, that he was 
 always very expeditious in his difpatches, 
 being quick above moft men in appre- 
 hending, fpeaking, judging, refolving, 
 and acting *. This natural fitnefs for 
 bufmefs was greatly improved by a 
 readinefs and zeal, which prompted him 
 to the moft vigorous exertions, whenever 
 he could be uieful. That was a pleafure 
 to him, which to perfons of a fmaller 
 degree of benevolence would have been 
 a toilfome labour. 
 
 Mr. Firmin's known readinefs to engage 
 in every undertaking, by which any good 
 might be done, led fome well difpofed 
 perfons to perfuade him to fet up the 
 woollen manufafture ; becaufe at this the 
 poor could earn better wages than at the 
 linen one, which he thought a fufficient 
 inducement to make the trial j and ac- 
 
 * Life, page 39, 
 
 cordingly
 
 cordingly he took a houfe for this pur- 
 pofe in Artillery Lane. But the price 
 of wool advancing very much, and the 
 London (pinners, not being at all fkilful 
 in drawing a woollen thread, after a 
 confiderable lofs by them, and twenty- 
 nine months trial he gave over the pro- 
 
 jea *. 
 
 Such were the methods which he 
 took to preferve his fellow creatures 
 from diftrefs. He (hewed equal hu- 
 manity and companion to fuch as were 
 involved in it. He was particularly zea- 
 lous and a&ive in redeeming poor debt- 
 ors out of prifon, not only out of regard 
 to their perfons, but alfo to the iituation 
 of their unhappy and ftarving families. 
 By his own liberality, added to his dili- 
 v gence in procuring the charitable affiit- 
 ance of feveral worthy perfons, hun- 
 dreds of unfortunate creatures obtained 
 their liberty, who were held in durance 
 only for the fees of jailors, or very fmall 
 debts f. The unrelenting cruelty of fome 
 creditors is indeed (hocking to humanity. 
 The extravagant and knavifli, without 
 doubt, deferve punifliment ; but to detain 
 
 * Life, page. 40. f ibid. 
 
 thofe
 
 ( 49 ) 
 
 thofe whom lofles or ficknefs, or want of 
 ability to carry on trade with fuccefs 
 has reduced to ftraits, is a moil dcteft- 
 able practice. Did the punimment affedt 
 the unhappy debtor alone, it would be 
 exceedingly fevere. To be confined with- 
 in the narrow bounds of a prifon, denied 
 the benefit of wholefome air, made a 
 companion of the moft abandoned and 
 profligate of mankind; to be excluded 
 from the means of riling into credit, of 
 recovering a loft character, and becoming 
 once more ufeful to fociety ; all thefe 
 circumftances render a prifon dreadful 
 to one of the leafl degree of fenfibility. 
 But it is impoffible to conceive how ex- 
 quifite muft be his diftrefs, who has a 
 fond wife ftruggling with extreme in- 
 digence, and a family of innocent babes 
 weeping for want of their daily bread. 
 When fuch fall under the iron hand of 
 oppreflion, what divine pleafure muft that 
 man enjoy, whofe generous heart dif- 
 pofes him to pity and to rnife them up. 
 
 Mr. Firmin, belides endeavouring to 
 obtain the dilcharge of prifoners, took 
 care alfo for the better and ealier Tub- 
 fiftence of thofe whom he could not re- 
 Icafe. He would examine them conccrn- 
 C ing
 
 ( 5 ) 
 
 ing the ufage they had from their keepers; 
 and he fometimes profecuted jailors for 
 extorting unlawful fees, and making 
 other unreafonable demands. One jailor 
 dreading the ifTu'e of an examination 
 hanged himfelf. If from time to time 
 fbme public fpirited perfons would look 
 into the flate of our jails, many fhocking 
 abufes might be prevented. To prevent 
 and punifti fuch abufes, a number of 
 benevolent gentlemen formed themfelves 
 Into a committee in the year 1729, whofe 
 praifes are recorded in the immortal 
 writings of our amiable poet Thomfon *. 
 A bard like him would find a noble fub- 
 jel for praife in Mr. Howard, a gentle- 
 man of Bedfordmire, who hath lately 
 been at great expenfe and trouble to 
 examine perfonally into the flate of the 
 prifons throughout this and the neigh- 
 bouring kingdoms and flates, with no 
 other view but the generous one of 
 alleviating the diflreffes of the forlorn 
 and miferable. The author" of this life, 
 though an entire flranger to Mr. Howard, 
 could not refifl the flrong inclination 
 
 * Winter, line $J?o -389. 
 
 which
 
 ( SI ) 
 
 which he felt of paying this fmall tribute 
 of refpedl to his difinterefted goodnefs. 
 
 Mr. Firmin continued to be the friend 
 and reliever of poor debtors, from before 
 the year 1681, to his laft breath; and 
 being grieved that he could not in hi* 
 private capacity, procure the releafe of 
 thofe unfortunate perfons, the payment 
 of whofe debts was beyond the reach of 
 common charity, he vigorously promoted 
 Sifts of Grace, by which the infolvent 
 might obtain a parliamentary difcharge. 
 He himfelf was never one of the national 
 reprefentatives, yet he had a mighty 
 intereft in both houfes, and was the 
 cauie that many bills were withdrawn 
 and others pafled. That he had fuch 
 great influence was fo well known, that 
 once, when an Aft of Grace for poor 
 prifoners (which was liable to be, and 
 was actually abufed by unconfcionable 
 and knavifli people) pafTed both the 
 houfes and obtained the Royal aflent, he 
 was upbraided w r ith it by fome of the 
 creditors, and told it was his A3 *. 
 
 He was not infenfible that fometimes 
 people grow poor and get into priibns y 
 
 * Life, page 41. 
 
 C 2 by
 
 by being negligent, idle, proud, and in- 
 temperate y yet he could not agree with 
 thole who had no companion for fuch, 
 and who would fay, that the extravagant 
 and vicious ought to feel the fad confe- 
 quences of their own folly. He was wont 
 to anfwer to fuch reafonings " That it 
 " would be a miferable world indeed, if 
 " the Divine Providence mould aft by 
 " that rule ; if God (hould fliew no 
 u favour, grant no help or deliverance 
 u to us, in thofe flraits or calamities that 
 " are the effel of our own fins. If the 
 " univerfal Lord feeks to reclaim and to 
 <c better us by favours and graces, do we 
 u dare to argue againft the example fet 
 " by him, and a method without which 
 " no man living may afk any thing of 
 God * ?" 
 
 Thefe were fentiments worthy of a 
 true chriftian! fome indeed are fo bad, 
 that nothing but feverity will reftrain 
 them from doing irreparable injury to 
 fociety, the fafety of which every man 
 ought to make the chief objeft of his 
 attention. Yet to mew mercy and to for- 
 give will be ever amiable, even when it 
 
 * Life, page 4*. 
 
 degenerates
 
 ( 5-3 ) 
 
 degenerates into weaknefs, as it certainly 
 does when it fuffers every bad man to 
 go unpuniflied. No exaft rules can be 
 laid down as to the degree in which 
 offenders fhould be prolecuted : men 
 mnft be determined by their own judge- 
 ments and feelings. 
 
 Poor of one fort or another there will 
 always be, and the number muft be 
 greatly increafed in a time of dearth, 
 ficknefs, or decay of trade ; which evils, 
 though they be but temporary, muft yet 
 be feverely felt by thofe, who having 
 little or nothing to begin the world with, 
 are broken down by fmall loffes. "When 
 fuch as muft live by the labour of their 
 hands, enter into the married ftate, rigid 
 ceconomifts will blame them. Such, charge 
 fervants in particular with imprudence, 
 whofe wages will do little more than to 
 find them in cloaths, when leaving a 
 good place they take upon them a load 
 of domeftic cares. It is however well 
 for fociety, that the dilates of nature 
 fpeak louder in fome than thofe of quiet 
 and eafe. Jf none were ever coupled to- 
 gether, but fuch as have an almoft certain 
 profpcft of living without want or 
 C 3 anxiety,
 
 ( 54 ) 
 
 anxiety, the next century would find our 
 part of the world but thinly inhabited. 
 
 Mr. Firmin well knew how much 
 thofe mull fuffer, who have large fami- 
 lies and fmall means, and for fuch, du- 
 ring feveral years of his life, he begged 
 to the amount of five hundred pounds 
 per annum, and diftributed amongft them. 
 To render this part of his charity as 
 beneficial as poffible, he -would inquire 
 of perfons the moft noted for integrity 
 and liberality, who were the moft ne- 
 ceffitous and deferving poor in their re- 
 fpeftive neighbourhoods. When he had 
 been informed who they were, he went 
 to their houfes, that he might judge 
 farther, by meagre looks, number of chil- 
 dren, mean furniture, and other circum- 
 flances, in what degree it might be fit 
 to aflift them. He always kept and pro- 
 duced exact and regular accounts of the 
 money intrufted to him, but in time his 
 fidelity became to be fo well known, 
 that many of his contributors would not 
 receive them. Sometimes the fums in- 
 trufted to him for the fervice of the 
 poor were fo large, that he was enabled 
 to commit a part of it to thofe, whom he 
 knew to be charitably difpofed like him- 
 
 felf;
 
 ( ss ) 
 
 felf ; and when they had given it to fuch 
 as appeared to be neceflitous, they would 
 return to him an account of their names 
 and cafes *. 
 
 In thefe distributions Mr. Firmin 
 fometimes confidered others befides the 
 mere poor, particularly the poorer fort 
 of minifters. He ufed to fend, v.pon oc- 
 cafion, no lefs than ten pounds to a cler- 
 gyman in debt, if his difficulties arofe 
 from a fmall income or a large, family ; 
 taking care firft of all to be allured that 
 he was a man of probity and merit. He 
 once afked a friend concerning a clergy- 
 man, whofe name is not recorded, what 
 fort of a man he was? his friend an- 
 fwered, u That his mind was much 
 <c above his purfe, for he was charitable, 
 " ingenious, learned, and a father amongft 
 <c young fcholars who were promiiing 
 " men ; but his living not worth above 
 lt eighty or ninety pounds per annum." 
 Mr. Firmin replied, " I have done much 
 " for that man :" and his friend allured 
 him that his liberality had never been 
 better placed. Upon the death of this 
 clergyman, his widow was alked, whe- 
 
 * Life, page 43, 44. 
 
 C 4 ther
 
 ( 56 ) 
 
 ther there had not been fome acquain- 
 tance, between her hufband and Mr Fir- 
 min. " She faid the acquaintance was 
 " not much, but the friendfhip great. 
 il Her hufband had been acquainted with 
 " many perfous of quality, and had expe- 
 " periencfed their liberality through the 
 " whole courfe of his life, becaufe his 
 " addrefs as well as his merit was fo re- 
 " markable. But of his many benefac- 
 " tors, Mr. Firmin had done molt for 
 << him both in life and death. When 
 * her hufband died, his effefts would not 
 pay his debts, upon which fhe was ad- 
 vifed by a clergyman, to propofe a 
 " compofition with the creditors, that 
 feeing every one could not be fully 
 paid, yet all might receive a part. She 
 " confulted Mr. Firraio upon this, who 
 " approved the advice, and was one of 
 " the firft that fubfcribed the compofl- 
 tion, but remitted to her his whole 
 " debt, and endeavoured to procure fome- 
 " thing from others, in which he did not 
 u fucc eedaccording to his wim; but he 
 himfelf made her a prefent of a good 
 cc Norwich fluff, that very well clothed 
 " her, and her four children *." 
 
 * Life, Page 45 46. 
 
 Mr.
 
 Mr. Firmin certainly judged very 
 properly in thinking, that charity mould 
 not be confined entirely to the very 
 loweft orders of poor. Such as have 
 lived in reputation and credit, have 
 more wants and finer feelings than thofe 
 who have been always habituated to 
 poverty, and aredeferving of the peculiar 
 attention of the benevolent, whom Pro- 
 vidence hath fupplied with the means of 
 affording occafional relief, in larger fums 
 than pence and millings. 
 
 u I do not love (fays the celebrated 
 w Pope Ganganelli) in one of his enter- 
 " taining letters (if they be his letters), 
 " I do not love beftowing drop by drop, 
 u or tying one^s felf down to regular 
 " alms-giving, fo as to have nothing left 
 " for an objedt in extreme want. It is 
 " better to refcue one or two families 
 w from diftrefs, than to fcatter a few 
 " pieces at random without compleating 
 " any purpofe. Befides, it would be pro- 
 " per to have always a fum in refervc 
 " for extraordinary cafes, for by this 
 " oeconomy you will have a remedy at 
 " hand for nnforefeen contingencies. Do 
 ".not give into that wrong notion of 
 C 5 " charity
 
 u charity which, without confidering 
 u either birth or extraction, would have 
 " all its objefts clothed and fed like 
 " the meaneft of the people. Charity 
 " humbles nobody, and fhould be pro- 
 " portioned to circumflances and con- 
 " ditions*." 
 
 * Vol. I. Letter 50, to Count * * *. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 Mr Firmin's Attention to Chrijl's Church 
 and St. 'Thomas's Hofpitals; to the /;-' 
 and French Refugees; and to other Pi, 
 and Private Charities. Some sic cat 
 of Bifliop Compton. 
 
 MR. FIRMIN, during the laft rwen 
 ty-three or twenty-four years - ; 
 his life, was one of the governors ;^ > 
 that noble and ufeful charity ChrHt's 
 Church Hofpital, to which he was a 
 great friend and benefactor. KingEdward 
 VI. that miracle of piety, learning, and 
 difcernment, the glory of our nation, 
 and the admiration of all foreigners, was 
 its original founder. He was moved to 
 this benevolent adtion by a fermon, 
 which Bifliop Ridley * preached before 
 him, jaft as he was about to leave this 
 world; which circumftance dkl not 
 leflen his concern for the happinefs of 
 thofe who were to remain in it. 
 
 Ridley's Life of Biihop Ridley, page 396, 399. 
 
 Chrift's
 
 60 
 
 Chrifl/s Church Hofpital was allotted 
 for orphans and fuch as were naturally 
 helplefs ; and it hath been greatly 
 enlarged and improved, flnce the time 
 when it was firft erefted, by the bene- 
 factions of feveral generous and humane 
 perfons. 
 
 The children are educated in all parts 
 of ufeful learning; and by this means 
 fuch as would other-wife be a burden 
 and even a nuifance to the public are 
 qualified for rendering it the greatefl 
 iervices. The girls are about feventy 
 in number, but above a thoufand boys 
 are maintained, clothed, and inftructed, 
 in writing, drawing, mathematics, the 
 learned languages, and any other branch 
 of knowledge, as their various geniufes 
 may incline them, which is always 
 attended to by the mafters, who are men 
 of abilities, and frequently of great 
 eminence in their feveral profeffions. 
 
 Mr. Firmin procured many and very 
 confiderable donations for this hofpital, 
 and was unwearied in his endeavours to 
 fee the charity of the generous properly 
 applied. The Honourable Sir Robert 
 Clayton, defiring to make provifion for 
 a mathematical matter, thought fit to 
 
 propofe r
 
 ( 61 ) 
 
 propofe r and, and by his intereft with 
 fome great perfons at court, was enabled 
 to procure, the eftablifliment of a mathe- 
 matical fchool, for bringing up forty boys, 
 well Ikilled in the Latin tongue, to a per- 
 fect knowledge of the art of navigation. 
 Seven thouiand pounds had been given 
 by a citizen of London for this purpofe, 
 but the fund, out of which it was paid 
 reverted to the crown at the Reftoration. 
 King Charles II. however, was pleafcd 
 to grant this money, that it might be 
 applied to the purpofes for which it 
 was defigned. Sir Robert, who had been 
 the chief inftrument in procuring it, was 
 highly plcafed with his fuccefs; and he 
 was refolvedtodo fomething likewife at 
 his o^vn expenfe. Gratitude to God who 
 had raifed him from a very dangerous fit 
 of ficknefs, in which his life was defpaired 
 of, led him to think~of thus expreiling 
 his obligations. Mr. Firmin had the hap- 
 pinefs of being very inftrumental towards 
 his recovery, by perfonally attending him, 
 and giving immediate notice to the 
 phyficians of feveral fymptoms *.. 
 
 * Life, page 57. 
 
 What
 
 What Sir Robert determined upoil 
 was the building a ward for girls in this 
 hofpital, and he committed the manage- 
 ment of the affair to Mr. Firmin, who 
 fet about it with great alacrity and di- 
 ligence. At whofe charge it was done, 
 was then kept a fecret ; but when near 
 four thoufand pounds hacf been laid out 
 upon it, and it remained ftill unfinifhed, 
 party difputes ran high in the city, and 
 thofe, who would not declare for the court 
 dodlrine of paffive obedience (amongfl 
 whom were Sir Robert and his faithful 
 friend and agent Mr. Firmin) were put out 
 of all pofls of power and authority. Then 
 it was that Mr, Firmin broke iilence, and 
 upbraided thofe excluding governors, 
 for depriving the hofpital of ib great a 
 benefactor as the builder of that ward*. 
 His arguments, however, were borne 
 down by a great majority of the gover- 
 ning citizens, who, either through ftupi- 
 dity, or fear, or private intereft, defend- 
 ed with great zeal that flavifh and de- 
 grading opinion, fo entirely repugnant 
 to common fenfe, and to the confutation 
 of England. 
 
 * Life, page 58. 
 
 Mr..
 
 Mr. Firmin, befides being employed 
 for Sir Robert, was alfo the agent for 
 another gentleman, who chofe to con- 
 ceal his name, but expended above four 
 hundred and thirty pounds in building 
 a ward for the fick, that being kept apart 
 they might not infeft the healthy and 
 found, if the fmall pox, or any other con- 
 tagious diftemper, (hould happen to get 
 in amongft the children, as is often the 
 cafe. He alfo received from other per- 
 fons two thoufand, two hundred and 
 forty one pounds, which he took care 
 properly to difpofe of and account for. 
 At the charge alfo of one of his friends, 
 he laid leaden pipes to convey the water 
 to the feveral offices of the hofpital, and 
 and bought a large ciflern, which, with 
 the pipes, coft about two hundred 
 pounds. Thefe were great convenien- 
 ces to the houfe, and efpecially to the 
 orphans, who before fetched up the 
 water which they ufed on their backs; 
 which, as it was too laborious an em- 
 ployment for their tender years, foit like- 
 wife made fome of the apartments and 
 the clothes of the children dirty; things 
 which ought carefully to be guarded 
 againfl in all charitable inftitutions. 
 
 Befides
 
 Bcfides this, he built a fchool at Hartford 
 for the hofpital children, where many of 
 them are ftill boarded. The fchool coft 
 iive hundred and forty-four pounds, of 
 which he received, by the charity of ten 
 perfons, four hundred and eighty-eight 
 pounds: as to the balance of fifty-fix 
 pounds, it lay upon himfelf for any thing 
 that appears to the contrary. It was 
 alib entirely at his own expenfe, that he 
 fet up a clock and dial for the ufe of the 
 hofpital, repaired all the walls, and built 
 two brick-houfes, to be difpofed of to 
 fuch officers, as the governors of the 
 hofpital mould fee fit *. 
 
 It was Mr. Firmin's cuftom to be 
 prefent every Lord's Day at five in the 
 evening with the orphans at their pub- 
 lic devotions; for at that time prayers 
 were read, and an anthem fung byfelect 
 voices, in the chorus of which all joined. 
 After this they fat down to flipper at the 
 feveral tables, under the care of their 
 matrons. Here Mr. Firmin obferved 
 the behaviour, both of them, their 
 officers and attendants, commending or 
 admonifiiing as there was occalion. To 
 
 * Life, p:ire 58. The above is teflifiedby a certi- 
 ficate under the clerk's hand. 
 
 this
 
 this fight he invited, at different times 
 all his friends, whether of the town -or 
 country; and before they went away 
 he would lead them to the orphan's box, 
 to which they contributed as they faw 
 fit. A certain perfon who came from 
 the country, was fo well pleafed, after 
 having feen the order and method of 
 the hofpital, that, on returning home, 
 he made his will, and gave very con- 
 fiderably to the place. Here it fliould 
 not be forgotten, that Mr. Firmin very 
 carefully infpefted the management of 
 the food provided for the ufe of the 
 hofpital. This is a matter too much 
 negleoited by governors of charities, and 
 overfeers of the poor, as thoufands of 
 our fellow creatures know to their for- 
 row. He would not fuffer any negli- 
 gence of this fort; and once when the 
 children's flippers were prepared, think- 
 ing that one of the portions was too 
 fmall, he carried it immediately into the 
 kitchen and weighed it himfelf. It 
 proved, however, to be of full weight, 
 and fo the cook efcaped the fevere re- 
 proof, which any want of regularity or 
 due care would have drawn from him*. 
 * Life, page 60, 6i 
 
 St.
 
 ( 66 ) 
 
 St. Thomas's Hofpital in Southwark, 
 was another of the pious King Edward's 
 foundations, and intended for the relief 
 of the lame, wounded, and fick. On the 
 care of this Mr. Firmin entered in the 
 year 1693, when Sir Robert Clayton, 
 being then Father of the city of London, 
 was chofen prefident of the faid hofpital, 
 which office he thought fit to accept. 
 On taking a view of it, he found that it 
 was fadly gone to ruin. The ground 
 about the lodgings not having been cleared 
 away for a long ipace of time, was rai- 
 fed fo high, that the patients lay as it 
 were in a cellar, in a clofe confined air, 
 than which nothing could have been 
 more injurious. The roof and the walls 
 alfo were exceedingly out of repair, and 
 it rained through even upon the beds. 
 It was in vain to think of any thing elfe 
 than rebuilding, nor could that be de- 
 layed without great injury and damage 
 to the materials; for fome part prevent- 
 ed the workmen's pulling it down, by 
 falling of itfelf *. 
 
 Sir Robert, knowing the activity and 
 addrefs of his friend Mr. Firmin in all 
 
 * Life, page 72, 
 
 works
 
 ( 67 ) 
 
 works of charity, caufed him to be cho- 
 fen one of the governors. He found 
 that the revenues of the hofpital were 
 infufficient, either for the purpofes of 
 rebuilding or repairing, vmlcfs the fick 
 and wounded were denied relief; an ex- 
 pedient which he could not bear to 
 think of, and therefore immediately fet 
 himfelf about procuring fubfcriptions. 
 The prefident was pleafed to give three 
 hundred pounds, and the governors, fe- 
 veral merchants, and other rich traders 
 were very liberal, fubfcribing from twen- 
 ty to an hundred pounds each. Without 
 doubt the moft of this money would 
 have been contributed, th^^.gh Mr. Fir- 
 min had not been the folicitor for it ; 
 yet it was computed by knowing and 
 capable judges, that the fubfcriptions 
 were greater by a thoufand pounds than 
 they would have been, had not he ufed 
 his powerful intereft. The charge be- 
 ing computed, and the money in part 
 raifed, materials were alfo to be pro- 
 vided, and workmen to be confulted and 
 agreed with. Mr. Firmin was conftant 
 in attending the committee appointed for 
 that purpofe, and the mafter-builders 
 made their moft frequent applications to 
 
 him,
 
 ( 68 ) 
 
 him, whilft he was very careful to over- 
 lee their proceedings *. 
 
 One thing troubled the governors 
 very much, which was, that they were 
 obliged to rebuild the church of the 
 parifh, in which the hofpital flood. The 
 fum neceffary for this purpofe, being 
 fome thoufands of pounds, could not be 
 taken out of the revenue of the hofpital, 
 without great prejudice both to it and 
 to the patients. It happened that the 
 parliament was then about fettling a tax 
 for the finiftiing St. Paul's Cathedral; and 
 the governors petitioned the houfe of 
 commons, for fome (hare in that tax to- 
 wards rebuilding St. Thomas's Church. 
 But becaufe many other parimes prayed 
 for the like affiftance at the fame time,, 
 the houfe upon a debate in a grand com- 
 mittee, refolved that only St. Paul's and 
 'Wefhninfter Abbey mould have any fuch 
 proviiion allowed them. Mr. Firmin 
 was much grieved at this refolu- 
 tion, but being determined that no me- 
 thod mould be left untried, he and 
 another of the governors fet themfclves,. 
 that very night, to draw up feveral rea- 
 
 * Life, page 74... 
 
 {bns
 
 ( 9 ) 
 
 fons, fliewing that St. Thomas's Church, 
 had a claim to fome favour in preference 
 to the reft. They ufed fuch diligence' 
 as to get thefe reafons publifhed againft 
 the next morning, and he and his afib- 
 ciate gave copies of them to the mem- 
 bers as they entered the houfe, telling 
 them that they muft not expert to have 
 the fick and wounded feamen cured, if 
 they did not pay fome attention to their 
 requeft. 
 
 The eifet was, that the houfe took 
 the matter again into confideration, and 
 allowed three thoufand pounds to the 
 hofpital for the ufe defired. The ob- 
 taining this, caufed Mr. Firmin to re- 
 turn home with more pleafure and fatif- 
 fa&ion than if an eftate of that^ value 
 had fallen to himfelf *. 
 
 In the year 1680 and 1681, the French 
 Proteftants, driven from their own coun- 
 try by the cruel perfecutions of Lewis 
 XIV. came in great numbers to Eng- 
 land, and made new work for Mr. Fir- 
 min's charity and zeal. Of all objefts 
 he thought thofe the moft deferving r 
 who choie rather to fuffer than to fecurc 
 * Life, page 75, 76. 
 
 their
 
 their eafe by doing violence to the facred 
 dictates of conference. Whether the opi- 
 nions of the fufferers agreed with his own 
 or not, weighed but little with him; fince- 
 rity in what they profefled was what he 
 thought rendered them deferving the 
 help of every friend to virtue and reli- 
 gion *. Turks and Jews, fhould they be 
 driven from any country, purely on ac- 
 Gount of their faithful adherence to that, 
 religion, of the truth of which they were 
 fully perfuaded, ought to be efleemed 
 and received as periecuted for righteouf- 
 nefs' fake. 
 
 The fufferings of the French Pro- 
 teflants exceeded all that can be con- 
 ceived or imagined. Bifhop Burnet, who 
 was an eye witnefs to them, fays, " That 
 a the perfecution was fo much beyond 
 a all the common meafures of barbarity 
 " and cruelty, that I confefs they ought 
 " not to be believed, unlefs I could give 
 " more politive proofs of them, than are 
 " now proper to be brought forth, fince 
 ** it might prove fatal to many who are 
 " yet in the power of their enemies -j-." 
 But of that which Bifhop Burnet was 
 
 * Life, page 51. f Travels, Letter V. 
 
 filcnt
 
 ( 71 ) 
 
 filent about, from a regard to the fuffer- 
 ers, the world hath been informed fince 
 by means of a pamphlet written in 
 French, where the method of dragoon- 
 ing the Proteftants is briefly defcribed*. 
 They were plundered ; they were tor- 
 tured ; they were murdered with every 
 circumftance of the moft unrelenting 
 cruelty; and at the fame time every 
 method was ufed to prevent their efcap- 
 ing out of the kingdom. However, no 
 lei's than one hundred and fifty thoufand 
 fled to other countries, and vaft numbers 
 of them came hither. 
 
 The firfl thing to be done, which 
 \vas a matter of no fmall difficulty, was 
 to provide lodgings for the large multi- 
 tude who rcforted to London, where 
 the rentofhoufes is exceedingly high. Mr. 
 Firmin, whofe active mind always quickly 
 iuggefted the beft expedients, propofed to 
 the lord mayor and court of aldermen 
 that the pefl-^oufe -f, then quite empty 
 
 * There are fome extracts from this piece, if I 
 remember right, iu a valuable tradl intided Popery 
 always the Same. 
 
 f London being formerly more fubjeft to conta- 
 gious diftempers than now, this building was defigned 
 tor the infected in order that the plague might not 
 fyread imiverially. 
 
 of
 
 ( 7* ) 
 
 of patients, fhould be devoted to the 
 fervice of thefe ftrangers : and feveral 
 hundreds of them were accommodated 
 in that large and convenient place. As 
 for relief in money, many thoufands of 
 pounds were railed for them, inoft of 
 which went through Mr. Firmin's hands; 
 and to contribute in the moft effectual 
 manner to their fupport, he fet up a 
 linen manufacture at Ipfwich ; which 
 was the right way not only to prevent 
 their being burdenfome, but even to 
 render them of fervice to the public at 
 large. Towards the eftablifhment of 
 this manufacture, ereding a place of 
 worfhip, and purchafing fome neceffaries, 
 he himfelf contributed near one hundred 
 and fifty pounds. Mr. Firmin's labours 
 for the refugees were of a long continu- 
 ance, for the perfecution was carried on 
 in France for feveral years with violence 
 and rigour. In 1693, there w^ere fuch 
 numbers here, who needed relief, that 
 befides granting them a brief, King 
 "William allowed them out of his privy 
 purfe, one thouland pounds per month, 
 for thirty-nine months fncceffively. The 
 diftribution of this royal bounty, was 
 committed to the care of two bifhops, 
 
 two
 
 ( 73 ) 
 
 two knights, and a gentleman, but the ma- 
 nagement of it was left almofl entirely to 
 Mr. Firmin, fometimes with, but more 
 commonly without their infpedtion *. 
 
 Whilft Mr. Firmin had this important 
 charge upon his hands, he was obliged 
 to exert himfelf alfo in behalf of other 
 objects, whofe diftrefles called loudly 
 upon the benevolent, whilft the near re- 
 lation in which they flood to this coun- 
 try, gave them a peculiar claim to the 
 affiitance of every inhabitant of it. 
 Thefe were the Irifh nobility, gentry, 
 clergy, and others of all ranks and con- 
 ditions, who fled into England from the 
 cruel prolcriptions of James II. After 
 the crown of thefe realms had been 
 fettled on King William and Queen Mary, 
 King James ftill retained a number of 
 friends in Ireland, which abounded with 
 Papifts; and in March 1689 he landed 
 there, with about five thoufand French 
 foldiers and two hundred officers whom 
 Louis XIV. had furnifhcd him \vithf. 
 
 The Irifli Papifts, whenever it had 
 been in their power, had always treated 
 
 * Life,, page 51, 54. 
 
 f Tindal's Continuation of Rapin, vol. III. page 
 79, 80. 
 
 D the
 
 ( 7 4 ) 
 
 the Proteftants with the moft unrelent- 
 ing cruelty. The bloody maflacre in 
 1641 can never be forgotten. It has 
 been computed that in the fpace of a few- 
 months upwards of one hundred and fifty 
 thoufand were actually murdered, and as 
 many more forcibly driven from their 
 habitations, and compelled to endure all 
 the miferies of cold, hunger, and naked - 
 nefs *. Many then living had been eye 
 witnefles of the barbarities committed by 
 the Papifts, who, having now a king of 
 their own religion at their head, and a 
 French army to aflift them, filled the 
 Proteftants, as may well be fuppofed, 
 with horror and dread. King James fuffi- 
 ciently evidenced the favagenefs of his 
 own difpofition in feveral inftances, and 
 particularly in an act pafled by his 
 parliament, which attainted near three 
 thoufand at once of both fexcs and of all 
 ages. Amongft thcfe were two arch- 
 bifhops, one duke, feventeen earls, feven 
 countefles, twenty-eight vifcounts, two 
 vifcountefles, feven bifhops, eighteen 
 barons, thirty-three baronets, fifty-one 
 knights, eighty-three clergymen, two 
 
 * Rapln, vol. II. page 386, note ii. 
 
 thoufand
 
 thoufand one hundred and eighty-one 
 efquires and gentlemen; all of whom 
 were declared traitors and adjudged to 
 fuffer the pains of forfeiture and death. 
 A claufe was alfo inferted, by means of j 
 which (befides what was enacted againft 
 theie,) the eftate of almoft every Pro- 
 teftant in the kingdom was forfeited *. 
 And that the Protcftants might not be 
 able to entertain a hope, that the rage 
 and fury would cool down, the king 
 gave up the royal prerogative of pardon- 
 ing, after a certain time limited by the 
 act ; fo that there was no way left of 
 avoiding the terrible deftrudlion but by 
 a timely flight. 
 
 To England they came, which has 
 long been the refuge of the perfecuted 
 and opprefTed, and amongft their nume- 
 rous friends Mr. Firmin was eminently 
 diflinguimed by his activity arid diligence. 
 A brief was granted, of which he was 
 one of the commiflioners. Befides what 
 might be raifedi>y the brief, the minifters, 
 church- wardens, and collectors of every 
 parifli in England, were to give an 
 account of what fums they had fcvcrally 
 
 * Tindal's Continuation, vol. III. page 87, 88. 
 D 2 colleded.
 
 ( 76 ) 
 
 colle&ed. Therefore on many poft days 
 tor a long time together, feveral hundreds 
 of letters came to his hands, and he him- 
 felf received many collections, and paid 
 them into the chamber of London. The 
 money given by the king and queen was 
 alfo intruiled to his management ; and it 
 was in a great meafure owing to his 
 felicitation that the royal bounty was 
 obtained *. 
 
 The refugees were fo numerous and 
 their neceiTities fo great, as to require 
 a fecond brief; and the fum total> which 
 went through Mr. Firmin's hands, was 
 fifty-fix thoufand five hundred, fixty-fix 
 pounds, feven (hillings and fixpence. 
 The money was to be diftributed by a 
 particular number of commiflioners, but 
 lie was the moil conflant of any man at 
 their meetings, often attending from 
 morning tonight, without allowing him- 
 f elf any time far his meals. Befides the 
 fums regularly diftributed, he obtained and 
 gave more confiderable fums in a pri- 
 vate way to particular perfbns, whofe 
 rank and quality feemed to render it im- 
 
 * Life, page 65. 
 
 proper
 
 ( 77 ) 
 
 proper for them to take off the common 
 flock, or \vhofe neceffities required more 
 than could be allowed out of it. For it 
 was incumbent upon the managers to 
 give no caufe of offence, or lay themfelves 
 open to the charge of partiality, fince 
 any thing of that fort might have checked 
 the benevolence of the public *. 
 
 But affairs in Ireland foon took a happy 
 turn. In the month of July 1689, King 
 William gained an important victory on 
 the banks of the river Boyne, and obliged 
 King James again to take refuge in 
 France, his adherents being forced to 
 fubmit to the conqueror. Their country 
 being thus delivered, the Proteftant re- 
 fugees were enabled with fafety to 
 return to their houfes, employments, and 
 eflates; and Mr. Firmin ftrenuoufly ex- 
 erted himfelf to furnifh them with ne- 
 celfaries for their journey. By a fpeedy 
 removal they were materially benefited, 
 and the charitable and generous of this 
 nation, enabled to give larger afiiftance 
 to fuch others as ftocd in need of their 
 kindnefs. Mr. Firmin obtained great iiims 
 for this purpofe; and one gentleman (Sir 
 
 * Ljfe, page 66. 
 
 D 3 Thomas
 
 ( 73 ) 
 
 Thomas Cook) gave no lefs than fifteen 
 hundred pounds, an instance of generofity 
 which deferves to be recorded. 
 
 Mr. Firmin's kindnefs was fenfibly felt 
 and gratefully remembered, as appears 
 by the following letter, from the mod 
 Reverend the Archbifhop of Tuam and 
 feven other bifliops. 
 
 TO MR. THOMAS FIRMIN. 
 SIR, 
 
 Being occafionally met together at 
 Dublin on a public account, and often 
 difcourilng of the great relief which the 
 Proteftants of this kingdom found amongft 
 their brethren in England in the time of 
 our late miferies, we cannot treat that 
 fubjeft without as frequent mention of 
 your name, who fo cheerfully and en- 
 tirely devoted yourfelf to that miniftry. 
 We confider with all thankfulnefs, how 
 much the public charity was improved 
 by your induftry, and we are witnefTes 
 of your indefatigable pains and faithful- 
 nefs in the diftribution, by which many 
 thoufands are preferved from peri firing. 
 We know alfo, that fome who refufed 
 to take out of the common flock, as 
 being defirous to cut off occafton of 
 
 murmurs,
 
 ( 79 ) 
 
 murmurs, were however, by your media-> 
 tion, comfortably fubfifted by private 
 benevolences. We doubt not, but you 
 and they have the earneft of your reward 
 in the peace of your minds, which we 
 pray God to fill with comforts and illu- 
 minate with his truths, making his grace 
 to abound in them, who have abounded 
 in their charity to others. And we in- 
 treat, that you, and all fuch as you know 
 to have had their parts in this fervice, 
 would believe, that we (hall ever enter- 
 tain a grateful remembrance of it ; as 
 fome teflimony whereof, we defire yon, 
 for yourfelf in particular, to receive this 
 acknowledgment of your kindnefs to our 
 brethren, and therein to your much obliged 
 and mofl humble fervants, 
 
 J. TV AM. 
 
 W. Clonfert. N. Waterford. 
 B. Fernleigh. R. Clogher. 
 S. Elpin. W. Raphoe. 
 E. Cork and Rofs. 
 
 This was a letter very worthy of the 
 epifcopal chara&er, and a noble teftimony 
 of the high regard in which Mr. Firmin 
 was held. Nor was this the only tri- 
 bute of praife which he received on that 
 D 4 occafion,
 
 ( So ) 
 
 occafion, for a reverend dean, who had 
 been one of the fufferers, acidrefTed a 
 poem to him " on his incomparable 
 " charity and generous induftry in reliev- 
 " ing the Irifh refugees." In it he is 
 compared, for his activity and zeal, to 
 thofe miniftring fpirits, who, warmed 
 with the divineft principle of love, are 
 ever on the wing, and fly without cea- 
 iing to every place where diftrefs calls 
 for their aid, or they maybe able to ad- 
 minifter joy. Preachers moved their 
 congregations, but the eloquence of his 
 tongue, infpired by the feelings of his 
 heart firft moved many of the preachers; 
 and as the fufferers had loft all things, 
 fo he for a while feemed loft to all things 
 but them. Such are the leading fenti- 
 ments of the poem*, the whole of which 
 is expreilive of the higheft ^admiration 
 and the warmeft gratitude, nor is there 
 the leaft need of any grains of allowance 
 for the poetical licenfe. Mr. Firmin 
 was always very diligent in bufinefs, but 
 more abundantly fo in a&s of kindnefs 
 
 * The writer of Mr. Firmin's Life has given it 
 entire, but the verification is not fufficiently finooth 
 to pleafe modern ears, on which account it is not 
 inferted here. 
 
 and
 
 ( 8. ) 
 
 and charity; and he juftly defcrved (if 
 it be poflible for a mortal to deferve) 
 the title of a godlike man. 
 
 At a large expenfe he apprenticed 
 many boys, and contributed to fet them 
 up in trade, if they had ferved diligently 
 and faithfully. He juftly confidered this 
 as a fort of charity, that extended to the 
 whole of a man's life, and might be the 
 ground of many charities in future, as 
 it fupplied them with the means c r 
 rifing in the world, and of doing in tii 
 that for others, which fome had dune lor 
 them. The clergy of London and oil 
 dignified perfons of the church, often 
 aflifted him very liberally in this good 
 and ufeful- work *. And there was one 
 great clergyman, of whom he never 
 fpoke without particular rcfpedl and 
 honour, on account of the vigour and 
 active zeal, by which he was eminently 
 diftinguimed in all the offices of religion 
 and humanity; this was the honourable 
 Dr. Henry Compton, Bifhop of London -j- : 
 whofe zeal againft Popery, when it was 
 favored by the court ; whofe opposition 
 to arbitrary power, when our liberties 
 
 * Life, page. 76. -f ibid r p. 55. 
 
 D 5 were
 
 were in real danger; whofe unwearied 
 endeavours to promote virtue and piety, 
 and whole generofity in relieving the 
 diftrefled, have raifed him to no fmall de- 
 gree of eminence amongfc the ufeful 
 and worthy characters who have adorn- 
 ed this nation. Mr. Firmin was a wit- 
 nefs to his conduft when in the ftrength 
 and vigour of life, and faw how nobly he 
 afted in difficult and trying leaibns, boldly 
 oppoiing the will of his prince, rather 
 than acting contrary to the laws of his 
 country; and (landing forth as a cham- 
 pion for the Proteftant caufe, when at 
 lead to connive at Popery was eflential 
 to a man's intereft at court *. The 
 bimop was alfo fenfible of Mr. Firmin's 
 worth, and had a very high opinion 
 of him. 
 
 There were at that time particular 
 collections made every winter in the 
 churches about London, for the ufe of 
 
 * He was fufpended, in the year 1686, from alt 
 epifccpnl and other ecclefiaftical jurifdiction, for re- 
 futing to comply with an illegal mandate of King 
 James's in favour of popery. When the Prince of 
 Orange landed, the Princefs Anne put herfelf under 
 his protection, and he headed a little army, who re- 
 quefted that he would be their commander. He bore 
 a,]fo a diilinguifhing part in the glorious Revolution. 
 
 the
 
 the poor in and near the city. Mr Fir- 
 min was the man who {elicited the king's 
 letter for making thcfe collections, and 
 took care of distributing his majefty's 
 and the bimop of London's letters to 
 the feveral minifters of the churches in 
 London to be by them read and publifh- 
 ed. He waited on the lords of the 
 treafury to receive the royal bounty, 
 and when all the moneys were collected, 
 and paid into the chamber of London to 
 be divided amongft the feveral parifhcs, 
 by the lord mayor and the bifhop, no 
 man could proportion their refpeftive 
 dividends with fuch exa&nefs as Mr, 
 Firmin. This was well known to their 
 lordihips, who therefore feldom made 
 any alterations in his diftributions. In 
 all thefe matters, the church-wardens 
 made their application to and received 
 their orders from him, for which pur- 
 pofe the biihop would many times iign 
 blank papers, trufting that Mr. Firmin 
 would not fail . of properly difcharging 
 the truft repofed in him, and as to the 
 lord mayor he was always ready to give 
 his hand 
 
 The whole of this charity was for fb 
 many years under Mr. Firmin's manage- 
 ment,
 
 inent, that he, happening to die fome 
 clays before chriftmas, the king's let- 
 ter was not obtained till the twelfth 
 of January following ; and when the col- 
 leftion was brought in from the feveral 
 parifhes, the managers were at a lofs 
 how to diftribute it, and were glad to 
 take their directions from his pattern *. 
 Much more however remains to be 
 faid of him, before we come to fpeak of 
 his diffoiution, for he was continually 
 doing good, in methods as various, as 
 the occafions which offered f-hemfelves 
 to call forth his zeal and abilities into 
 ad ion. 
 
 * Life, p. 54. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Mr. Fir min's undaunted Zealin the Service 
 of his Country as a Politician and a Pa~ 
 triot. His Enmity to all kinds of Lie en- 
 tioufnefs : his Endeavours to promote 
 Virtue and Piety \ his ftrong Abhorrence 
 of the Crime of Swearing, and the Me- 
 thod 'which he ufed to check this Vies 
 in any of his Acquaintance. 
 
 THOSE who have the leafl acquaint- 
 ance with the Englifh Hiftory, 
 need not to be informed, that King 
 James II. was excluded from the throne 
 of thefe realms, for his open attempts 
 to fubvert our religion and liberties. 
 The eftablifhment of Popery and arbi- 
 trary power appeared to be his darling 
 objects; and thofe, who oppofed his at- 
 tempts, had much to fear from his vin- 
 diftive temper *. The unhappy perfons 
 
 * See the preamble to the Declaration fetting forth 
 the reafons for exalting 1 the Prince and Princefs of 
 Orange to the throne. Rapin, vol. II, p. 794 $. 
 
 who
 
 C 6 ) 
 
 who had joined themfelves to the Duke 
 of Monmouth in his rafh enterprise, were 
 treated with the moft unrelenting cruel- 
 ty, as were many others whom the 
 king fufpedted to be unfriendly to his 
 views. Amongfl others Mr. Samuel 
 Jnhnfon, a divine of the church of Eng- 
 land, who w r as a man of great learning 
 and a moft exemplary character, felt the 
 weight of his vengeance. He had fuf- 
 fered imprifbnment for feveral years, 
 not having been able to pay a fine, laid 
 on him for writing in the caufe of liber- 
 ty. Inftead of endeavouring to free 
 himfelf from confinement by mean fub- 
 mifiions, he caufed t6 be .printed and 
 difperfed feveral fmall pieces againft Po- 
 pery. This was very difpleafing to the 
 king, but that which incenfed his ma- 
 jeity to the higheft degree was, " His 
 " humble and hearty addrefs to .all the 
 " Proteftants in the prefent army." In 
 this he endeavoured to display the reafons r 
 which ought to prevent them from be- 
 ing the inftruments of the court in fub- 
 verting our religion and government. 
 His arguments made fuch impreflions on 
 the minds of the officers and fcldiers, 
 that his addrefs &c. was thought very- 
 conducive
 
 ( 87 ) 
 
 conducive to the Revolution, as mofl of 
 the army went over to the Prince of 
 Orange about tsvo years afterwards. For 
 the prefent, it. Avas the caufe of no fniall 
 fufferings to Mr. Johnfon. He was con- 
 demned to be degraded ex officio et be- 
 nsficio, to ftand three times in the pil- 
 lory, to pay a fine of five hundred marks, 
 and to be whipped from Newgate to Ty- 
 burn. The whipping, which was rigor- 
 oufly inflitted-December i, 1686, he bore 
 with amazing firmnefs; and, notwith- 
 flanding what he had fiiftered, continued, 
 though in prifon, to employ his pen in 
 the fervice of his country *. 
 
 It was, no doubt, imagined by the ty- 
 rant James, that punifnments, fo dread- 
 fully fevere, would caufe univerfal terror ; 
 but there always have been fome men of 
 brave fpirits even in the moft dangerous 
 times to {land up for our liberties; and 
 to Mr. Firmin's honour be it fpoken, he 
 was one of that number. He was ever 
 mindful of thofe who fuffercd for con- 
 fcience' fake, or for afferting our juft 
 rights. He printed a great many flieets 
 
 * See his life in the Bio^rnphia Britannica, or ths 
 Biographical Dictionary, alfo Barnet's and Rapin's 
 Hiitories. 
 
 and
 
 ( 88 ) 
 
 and fome books, the defign of which 
 \vas, to excite his countrymen to look 
 about them, and prevent the ruin, which 
 threatened our constitution and laws. 
 Like a great and good citizen he flood 
 firm, and, in very dangerous times, pur- 
 fued thole meafures, to which his duty 
 as a member of fociety directed him, 
 not moved by the fear of thofe confe- 
 quences, which, without doubt, intimi- 
 dated many. More particularly he fet 
 himfelf to oppofe with great vigour 
 that attempt of the king's on our reli- 
 gion and liberties, which was rendered 
 plaulible and infnaring by an appearance 
 of juftice and moderation. This was his 
 Declaration for toleration and indulgence in 
 religion, which he commanded to be 
 read in all the churches, merely on his 
 own authority in contradiction to exprefs 
 als of parliament. Mr. Firmin ufed his 
 titmoft endeavours to convince the public 
 of the very bad tendency and defign of 
 this fpecious Declaration. He expended 
 considerable fums both in publifhing and 
 purchafing fuch pamphlets as were writ- 
 ten with a view to open the eyes of the 
 people, circulating and difperfing them 
 for the general good, at no fmall coft to 
 
 himfelf.
 
 ( 89 ) 
 
 himfelf *. Let it not however be ima- 
 gined from hence, that he was an 
 enemy to liberty of confcience in its 
 greateft extent ; never did any man 
 poffefs a more liberal and enlarged mind. 
 But he well knew that, if the king had 
 a right to difpenfe witn the obfcrvance 
 of one law, he might do the fame with 
 regard to all, and then a parliament 
 wopld be ufclefs, and our conftitiition 
 totally fubverted. This induced him 
 ftrenuoufly tooppofe the difpenfing power, 
 and though he was very feniible that no 
 worth or excellency of character would 
 protect any man from the cruel revenge 
 of James, yet his heart was fo filled with 
 love to his country, that fear coulu find 
 no place in it. 
 
 The fucceis of the Prince of Orange's 
 attempt to refcue this nation from Popery 
 and llavery was very doubtful; and, if it 
 had failed, thofe, who favoured it would 
 have become bleeding facrifices to theij* 
 patriotic zeal. The fate of thofe who 
 joined the Duke of Monmouth was then 
 frefli in, every one's memory. Mr Firmin 
 however furthered the delign of the 
 
 * Life, page 61. 
 
 Prince
 
 ( 90 ) 
 
 Prince to the very utmoft of his power; 
 and, when he was feated on the throne 
 of thefe realms, our dilinterefted patriot 
 had farther opportunities of teftifying 
 how true a friend he was to the national 
 intereft. A new government being hap- 
 pily eftablifhad, he contributed not a 
 little towards its welfare and {lability. 
 
 There has long been a prevailing in- 
 clination in this country to encourage 
 French fashions, which have a natural 
 tendency to effeminate, and French manu- 
 factures, which muft certainly impoverish 
 v.s. This fondnefs for the productions cf 
 that vain fantaftic people has been no 
 fmall fource of their power and riches, 
 which it behoves all true Britons to drive 
 to reduce Within narrow bounds. In Mr. 
 Firmin's days particularly it was a moft 
 important duty, when that ambitious 
 Prince Louis XIV. afpired to univerfal 
 empire, and looked with an envious eye 
 on Britain, which, after its happy deli- 
 verance by the Revolution, became the 
 greateft obftacle to the accomplishment 
 of his proud deiigns. 
 
 To ruin and deftroy us was the wifli 
 and defire of Louis ; and therefore Mr. 
 Firmin moft diligently promoted the ma- 
 nufactures
 
 ( 91 ) 
 
 imfactures of the Roy a! Lu [ft ring Company, 
 which was not only beneficial to the na- 
 tion, by fupporting numbers amongft our 
 own poor, but alfo a vaft prejudice to 
 our grand enemy, by diminifmng a con- 
 fiderable fource of their riches. He, to- 
 gether with Mr. Renew (who was one 
 of the French refugees) were at much 
 cxpenfe to prevent the bringing over 
 filks from France, and thofe other com- 
 modities, which feveral merchants, en- 
 couraged by the vain and frivolous who 
 were more fond of the trifling orna- 
 ments of drefs, than felicitous about llis 
 welfare of their country, ventured, in 
 ipite of the laws, to import. Mr. Renew's 
 condudt was highly approved of by par- 
 liament, who voted him an honourable 
 reward for his fervices * ; and Mr. Fir- 
 min likewife deferved well of the public, 
 for both thefe gentlemen expofed them- 
 felves to great danger. They ran the 
 hazard of their lives from the revenge of 
 thofe whom they profecuted, who were 
 enraged beyond meafure at the interrup- 
 tion of fo gainful a trade, and the heavy 
 lofTes to which a detection expofed them. 
 
 * Tindal's Continuation of Rapin, vol. IIJ. p. 371 3. 
 
 it
 
 ( 9* ) 
 
 It was Mr. Firmin who had the greateft 
 hand, and ufed the mod effe&ual en- 
 deavours in procuring afts of parlia- 
 ment and rules of court for the fupport 
 and encouragement of that company, 
 which was fet up to furniih us with 
 filks manufactured amongft ourfelves, 
 which hath been a great advantage and 
 credit to the nation. And they were his 
 and Mr. Renew's agents, who gave 
 either the firft, or at leaft very early in- 
 telligence of the French invafion, which 
 was defigned to have followed the projeft- 
 ed afTaffination of King William *. Both 
 of thefe fchemes were defeated by a 
 timely difcovery ; and Mr. Firmin was an 
 honoured inftrument in faving us from 
 the dreadful and impending mifchief. 
 
 But zealous as he was for the new 
 government, and unwearied in his en- 
 deavours to promote its interefts, yet he 
 had a tender regard for thofe clergymen, 
 "who, from motives of pure conlcience, 
 fcrupled taking the oaths of allegiance to 
 it, and thereby loft their preferments. 
 The dodrines of paffive obedience and 
 on-refiftance, how abfurd foever they 
 
 * Life, page 63, 
 
 may
 
 ( 93 ) 
 
 now appear, had been efponfed and 
 ided by almoft the whole body of 
 the clergy, during the reign of Charles 
 II. When James was on the throne, tke 
 fame principles were inculcated ; but his 
 bold attempts to fubvert our moft facred 
 rights, cauied a general alarm: and not- 
 withftanding the clergy had been fo long 
 inculcating on the people, that kings 
 were accountable only to God, great 
 numbers of them were now convinced 
 of their error, and allowed that reiift- 
 ance, in fome cafes, was lawful. 
 
 There were others, who, being too 
 proud to acknowledge they had been 
 miftaken, took the oaths required, but 
 with fecret refervations, and the help of 
 thofe quibbling evafive methods, which 
 too often ferve to lull men's conferences 
 afleep, when they facrifice their integrity 
 at the fhrine of profit and ambition? 
 fbme ftill remained, men of learning, 
 virtue and piety, who refolving to adhere 
 to what they had preached, refufed to 
 take the oaths; and government was laid 
 under the unhappy neccffity of depriving 
 feveral as worthy of the places which 
 they filled in the church as any of their 
 contemporaries. 
 
 Mr.
 
 ( 94 ) 
 
 Mr. Firmin felt himfelf ftrongly dif- 
 pofed to relieve them, and his charity) 
 which was unconfined and "impartial, 
 began to exert itfelf in collecting money 
 for thefe deprived Nonjurors, following 
 a fcheme drawn up by Mr. Kettlewell, 
 a perfon of eminent piety, who himfelf 
 was one of them. 
 
 Mr Firmin, however, did not proceed 
 as he intended in purfuing this benevo- 
 lent deiign, being deterred from it by 
 fome friends of high rank, who told him 
 that this fcheme was illegal, being calcu- 
 lated for the iupport of the enemies of go- 
 vernment*. Many perhaps will be of opi- 
 nion that there could be nothing illegal 
 in this humane aclion; for the Nonju- 
 rors were men of honour and conference, 
 as appeared by the proof which they 
 gave of their integrity, in adhering to 
 the doctrines they had taught, though 
 attended with the lofs of their valuable 
 preferments. But Mr. Firmin, no doubt, 
 thought that there was much force and 
 ftrength in the reafons which his noble 
 friends aliedged againft his fcheme; and 
 
 Dr. Birch's Life of Dr. Tillotfcn, ?.$20. 
 
 indeed,
 
 ( 95 ) 
 
 indeed, confidering what various methods 
 were ufed, again to bring in our former 
 opprefTor, very extraordinary caution 
 was abfolntely necelTary. 
 
 Mr. Firmin however, though a bold 
 aflertor of the liberties of the nation, 
 was at the fame time a determined ene- 
 my to all licentioufnefs. Soon after the 
 Revolution, it was thought advifeable 
 by the friends of that caufe, to put a 
 flop as far as was pofftble to all open 
 profanenefs; for which purpofe many 
 good laws were enafted, and feveral 
 formed themfelves into a Society for the 
 Reformation of Manners. To counte- 
 nance the members of this excellent in- 
 ftitution, Mr. Firmin contributed by his 
 advice, afliftance and folicitations, as 
 much as his leifure from his other 
 benevolent and ufeful undertakings 
 would permit him: as for his purfe, that 
 was always with them *. Thefe iocie- 
 ties were not confined to the capital, but 
 were formed alfo in different parts of 
 the country, and very good effects arofe 
 from them. Practical treatifes were 
 diflributed, and fuch an attention to the 
 
 * Life, page 63. 
 
 duties
 
 duties of religion excited in numbers, as 
 had not been known for a long time 
 before *. 
 
 Mr. Firmin greatly approved the cnf- 
 tom of diftributing plain ufeful books, 
 as they might not only prove beneficial 
 to thofe who mould then read them, but, 
 being preferved in a family, or difperfcd 
 abroad, might become the means of do- 
 ing good even to fucceeding generations. 
 The feeds of virtue and religion, when 
 once fown in a family, may continue for 
 ages to bring forth fome fruit, and the 
 forming one mind to real piety may, in 
 the ifftie of things, be attended with 
 the happieft confequences to numbers. 
 He often printed ten thoufand copies of 
 the Scripture Catechifm, of which. his 
 friend Dr. Worthington was fuppofed to 
 be the author. Thefe were given to his 
 {pinners and their children, and to the 
 children of Chrift's church Hofpital, 
 whom he alfo engaged by rewards to 
 learn it by heart, furnifliing them firft 
 with the means of inftruftion, and then 
 propofing further encouragement to fuch 
 as were difpofed to make a proper ufe 
 
 * Tindal's continuation of Rapin, vol. III. p. 374. 
 
 of
 
 ( 97 ) 
 
 of them. Befides doing this, he lodged 
 great numbers with bookiellers, to be 
 ibid at a cheaper rate than they could 
 have afforded them, hoping that by this 
 means they would be difperfed all over 
 England. He valued this catechifm, be- 
 cauie it was wholly in the words of Scrip- 
 ture, favoured no particular party or 
 perfuafion, and was therefore calculated 
 to be of general ufe as it did not lead 
 the young into controversies and de- 
 bates *. . 
 
 The members of the above-mentioned 
 excellent focieties were men of worth 
 and reputation, and they found greater 
 benefit arifing from their tifeful and dif- 
 interefted labours, than merely exciting 
 an attention to the external duties of re- 
 ligion. Swearing, dnuikennefs, ^ewdnefs, 
 and the profanation of the Lord's day, 
 were alfo much reflrained ; for they made 
 it a rule to inform againfl fuch as offend- 
 ed in thefe inftances ; and threw that 
 part of the fine which the law gave to 
 them into a common ftock, for promoting 
 their other charitable defigns. 
 
 As to fw earing, Mr. Firmin's zeal a- 
 gainfl that moft inexcufable vice, which 
 * Life, page 50. 
 
 E brings
 
 ( 98 ) 
 
 brings the mofl folemn oaths, once re- 
 garded as the bonds of fociety, into con- 
 tempt, was particularly warm. If in cof- 
 fee-houfes, or other places, he heard any 
 {wearing, he would immediately chal- 
 lenge the forfeiture appointed by law, 
 and he always applied it to the ufe of 
 the poor 5 fo that in the companies which 
 he frequented, an oath was ieldom heard. 
 It was alfo his rule to raife the forfeiture 
 according to the quality of the perfon 
 offending ; nor would he let a nobleman, 
 or one of diftingnifhed rank, particularly 
 a clergyman, get off at the ordinary rate. 
 It was doubled or trebled upon them, 
 efpecially if fuch were very common 
 fwearers, or their oaths more than ordi- 
 narily profane and impious. If any refil- 
 led to pay what he demanded, he would 
 tell them it was for the fervice of the 
 poor, whofe collector and fteward he was. 
 If they ftill refufed, he afTured them they 
 ftiould be fet down by him in the lift of 
 his incorrigible fwearers, and that after- 
 wards he never would own them for his 
 acquaintance, or fpeak to them as fuch. 
 And fo highly was his friendfliip valued, 
 that many noble perfbns would not en- 
 dure this laft, but fubmitted to do as he 
 
 required.
 
 ( 99 ) 
 
 required *. As to Mr. Firmin himfelf, 
 the friend who firft wrote his life de- 
 clares " that though he converfed with him 
 " daily foralmoftforty-fouryears, he never 
 " once heard an oath from him." In this 
 he was the more deferving of commen- 
 dation, becaufe his temper was naturally 
 quick and warm, and he had oftentimes 
 great provocations to anger, one of the 
 principal caufes of rafli and intemperate 
 {wearing. Would men of character and 
 worth imitate his example, and alfo check 
 the inexcufable profanenefs (and profane- 
 nefs is ever inexcufable) of any who in 
 their company are guilty of it, it might 
 be, and in various inftances has been, 
 attended with very good effects ; for the 
 extreme abfurdity of profane fwearing 
 feems to be univerfally acknowledged. 
 
 Such were Mr. Firmin's regards to the 
 liberties of his country, and to the inte- 
 refts of virtue. What rendered him fo 
 fixed, fteady, and uniform, was his firm 
 perfuafion of the truth and importance of 
 the religion of Jefus. He was a fincerc 
 chriftian from inquiry and conviction ; 
 and he fought for the articles of his faitfy 
 
 - 
 * Life, page 64. 
 
 E 2 a s
 
 ( 10 ) 
 
 as well as for rules for the conduft of 
 his life in the pure word of God. His 
 religious fentiments were the refult of 
 cool, impartial examination ; and as his 
 attachment to thefe fentiments, together 
 with his zealous, but rational endeavours 
 to promote an attention to them, has 
 ever been reckoned a diftinguiming part 
 of his chara&er, and caufed him to be 
 much taken notice of in his own days; 
 the next chapter fhall give an account 
 of fome of the moft ftriking particulars. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 An Account of Mr. Firmin's religious Sen- . 
 timents, and of his pious Endeavours to 
 promote what appeared to him to be the 
 true Doctrines of the GoJ'pel. His great 
 Kindnefs to Mr. Biddle, together -with 
 
 fome Memoirs of that extraordinary Man. 
 'The Friendfltip of Archbifhop Tillotfon 
 and Bifhop Fowler for Mr. Firmin, with 
 
 fome Particulars concerning thefe emi- 
 nent and worthy Divines. Other Injlances 
 of Mr. Firmih's Charity to the Sufferers 
 
 for Religion. 
 
 IT may be reafonably fuppofcd that 
 Mr. Firmin's mind was imprefled with 
 fentiments of piety from his childhood. 
 The Reader will naturally conclude that 
 this was the cafe, from the character 
 given of his parents in the firfl chapter ; 
 for fuch as are truly religious will en- 
 deavour, by all rational methods, to form 
 the minds of others, particularly the 
 minds of their children, to the fame tem- 
 per. The diligence and fidelity which 
 E 3 Mr.
 
 Mr. Firmin difplayed when an apprentice 
 afford alfo very good evidence of the 
 pious care of his parents ; and he gave 
 other proofs, even in his youthful days, 
 of an uncommon regard to the caufe of 
 religion. His mind was open to the re- 
 ception of its pure and true doctrines, 
 for he juflly -thought that lincere at- 
 tempts to underftand the Scriptures, 
 would always increafe a man's love and 
 regard for them. 
 
 His matter was an Arminian, a hearer 
 of the celebrated Mr. John Goodwin, 
 who preached in Coleman Street *. His 
 warm zeal for liberty led him to be a 
 ftrcnuous defender of thofe by whom 
 King Charles was brought to the block ; 
 for writing in defence of whom, he was 
 excepted out of the at of grace which 
 was pafled at the Reftoration f. He had 
 alfo the hardinefs to introduce Arminia- 
 nifm amongft the difciples of Calvin, 
 which, confidering the zeal then difplay- 
 ed in behalf of that reformer's fentiments 
 
 * Life, page 6. 
 
 f I do not remember that he fuflfered any punifh- 
 ment, but on Bartholomew day he was ejected from 
 his liv ing for Nonconformity. JftttctxfrriaiJPs Memo- 
 rial, vol. I. page 15 1. 
 
 amonglt
 
 5 
 
 amongft his numerous partizans, was a 
 very bold undertaking. But both his 
 courage and his abilities were very great, 
 and by hearing his learned difcourfes, 
 Mr. Firmin, who was naturally inquifi- 
 tive, became a free inquirer in matters 
 of religion. In confequence of this, he 
 0011 exchanged , the harfli opinions of 
 Calvin, in which he had been educated, 
 for thofe of Arminius and the remon- 
 ftrants, which, he thought, were not only 
 more agreeable to reaibn, but alfo more 
 honourable to God. 
 
 But the predeitinarian notions were 
 riot the only ones which Mr. Firmin, 
 after proper examination, rejeled. His 
 departure was much wider from that 
 which is commonly flyled the orthodox 
 faith. He was entirely ignorant of the 
 learned languages, and alfo of the fchool 
 logic and philolbphy ; but his underftand- 
 ing and judgment were very remarkable. 
 And to thefe endowments of nature, im- 
 proved by as much reading and conver- 
 fation as his bufinefs allowed him time 
 for, was united a fincere love of truth, 
 which rendered him much fitter to judge 
 what were really the doftrines of reve- 
 lation than moft of thofe who fpend their 
 E 4 whole
 
 ( 104 ) 
 
 whole lives in a college. Such have 
 oftentimes a large fleck of learning with- 
 out any penetration, their knowledge 
 confiding moftly in an acquaintance with 
 words, or the opinions of antiquated 
 authors upon different fubjefts. And 
 when learning and penetration have been 
 united, there has been too much reafon 
 to complain, that, either through the 
 prejudices of education, or the ftrong 
 biafs of worldly intereft, they have been 
 generally employed in fupporting what 
 is commonly received, or hath had the 
 fan&ion of the public authority. 
 
 Mr. Firmin's mind was not thus 
 fhackled. Uninfluenced by thofe preju- 
 dices which biafs too many, he heard 
 with attention what Mr. Goodwin ad- 
 vanced on man's free agency, and becom- 
 ing at the fame time acquainted with 
 Mr. Biddle, was perfuaded, by his argu- 
 ments, to adopt other notions likewife 
 with regard to the nature of the Deity. 
 He it was who convinced him, that the 
 unity of God is a unity of perfon as well 
 as of nature, and that there is no being 
 whatfoever who can be likened unto 
 the MoftHigh*. 
 
 * Life, page 10. 
 
 That
 
 That there are three Perfons in the 
 Godhead equal in power and glory, is 
 flill the do&rine generally received a- 
 mongft chriftians; and at the time when 
 Mr. Firmin began his religious inquiries 
 the contrary had been advanced by very 
 few in England. 
 
 A woman, who appeared to be a 
 weak enthuiiaft, was burnt for her he- 
 terodox notions on the fubjeft of the 
 Trinity in the reign of King Edward VI. 
 much againft the will of that mild and 
 benevolent young prince, who fubmitted 
 entirely to the judgment of fome of his 
 learned inftru<ftors, when he figned the 
 warrant. George Van-Parre likewife, a 
 Dutchman, who led a moft devout and 
 exemplary life, fuffered at the fame time, 
 and in the fame manner for affirming 
 " that the Father only was God *." Bar- 
 tholomew Legate, and Edward Wight- 
 man, were alfo burnt in the reign of 
 James I. That monarch, who was not 
 a little vain of his theological abilities, 
 and yery fond of difplaying them, ad- 
 mitted the former to his prefence, and 
 endeavoured to convince him, that he 
 
 * Burnet's Hiftory of the Reformation abridged, 
 vol. II. page 8182. 
 
 E 5* was
 
 was in an error, but without effeft. 
 Neither the arguments, nor (what is 
 more calculated to weigh with mod 
 minds) the hope of favour from his 
 prince, could move him from his allegi- 
 ance to the God and Father of all. The 
 converts to thefe martyrs (if they made 
 any) kept their opinions pretty much 
 to themfelves, very probably thinking^ 
 that it would be in vain to offer any de^ 
 fence of them to the public, at a time 
 when men's prejudices were fo ftrong, 
 and the government fb cruel and into- 
 lerant. 
 
 Thefe circumftances were very di- 
 couraging to a young man, nor had the 
 treatment, which his inftrudlor met with 
 any tendency to recommend his fenti- 
 ments. But as foon as ever Mr. Firmin 
 was fully convinced, that the peerlefs 
 and unrivalled Majefiy of God could be 
 fupported on no other principles than 
 thofe which maintain his perfect unity, 
 he fet himfelf induftrioufly to propagate 
 this belief. Thofe were encouraged by 
 him, whofe abilities enabled them to de- 
 fend the Unitarian doctrines in their 
 writings, and at great pains and expenfe 
 he difperfed thefe writings abroad. This 
 
 zeal
 
 zeal expofed him both to reproach and 
 danger, but fuch evils he always flighted, 
 when they flood in competition with 
 what he thought his duty. Mr. Biddle 
 was a man of great note, much diftin- 
 guifhed for real worth and excellency 
 of character, and not a little by his many 
 fufferings. He was likewife fo highly 
 valued, and fo generoufly aflifted by Mr. 
 Firmin, whofe attachment to him made 
 his own character the more remarkable, 
 that it would be a great 'omiffion not to 
 fay a few things concerning him; nor 
 can an acquaintance with fome circum- 
 ftances, relating to this extraordinary 
 perfon, fail of being agreeable to the 
 Reader, if he flncerely love the patient, 
 faithful friends of virtue and religion. 
 
 Mr. Biddle was born in the year 1615*, 
 at Wotton under Edge, in Gloucefter- 
 fhire, and had his education at the free- 
 fchool near that place. His abilities 
 were very promifing, and even in his 
 younger days, a fingular piety of mind 
 was obferved in him *. When fent to 
 
 * Life of John Biddle, M. A. puHifhed in a coi- 
 leftion of Unitarian T rafts, in 410, printed in 1691, 
 pnjre 4. His Life has alfo a place in O'ery Biogra- 
 phical work of any note. 
 
 Oxford,
 
 Oxford, he profecuted his ftudies with 
 great affiduity, and was always more 
 determined by rcafons than by authority. 
 In 1641, he took his degree of Mafter 
 of Arts with much applauie, and having 
 received ample recommendations from 
 the principal perfons in that univeriity, 
 was chofen to be mafter of a free fchool 
 in the city of Gloucester. In this litu- 
 ation he was highly efleemed for his 
 diligence and abilities as a tutor, and al- 
 fo for his virtuous manners. He now 
 fet himfelf to read the Holy Scriptures 
 with great attention ; but no Socinian 
 books whatever. Whilft he was per- 
 ufing the facred writings he fervently 
 implored divine illumination, praying 
 that the fpirit of truth would lead him 
 into all truth. 
 
 It cannot be fuppofed that a being, in- 
 finite in goodnefs and mercy, would fuf- 
 fer fuch a man to fall into any dange- 
 rous error. Nor can it on the other 
 hand be imagined, that God enlightens 
 the mind fo far as to enable it to judge 
 rightly on every point of controverfy. 
 The moft learned, fober, and devout men 
 have differed widely in their fentimcnts ; 
 from whence we may infer that this 
 
 diveriity
 
 tliverfity is, for fome very wife reafbns, 
 permitted. Mr. Biddle appears to have 
 purfued his itudies, in the manner which 
 became a lover of the Gofpcl. It foon, 
 however, appeared evident to him, that 
 the common doclrine of the Trinity was 
 not well grounded either in reafon or 
 revelation ; being free and impartial in 
 judging, he was alfo very open and 
 generous in fpcaking, and did, as occa- 
 fion oifered, mention thofe reafons which 
 induced him to queition it. 
 
 This can fed an accufation of herefy 
 to be brought againft him, and, being 
 fummoned before the magiftrates, he ex- 
 hibited in writing a confeffion of Faith, 
 relpefting the do&rine about which he 
 was accufed. This confeffion not being 
 thought fatisfaftory, he made another 
 more explicit than the former. He was 
 not fuch an enthufiaft as to expofe him- 
 felf unneceffarily to fufterings, but en- 
 deavoured both to avoid imprifbnment, 
 and to keep a good confcience. Yet 
 this oppofition did not intimidate, but led 
 him to examine the Scriptures on this 
 point with greater accuracy, by which 
 means he was the more confirmed in his 
 opinions. He then drew up what was 
 
 afterwards
 
 ( "0 ) 
 
 afterwards publifhed under trie title of 
 ct Twelve arguments drawn out of the 
 " Scriptures wherein the commonly re- 
 " ceived opinion, touching the Deity of 
 " the Holy Spirit, is clearly and fully 
 " refuted/* Thefe he communicated in 
 manufcript to fome of his acquaintance, 
 one of whom was ungenerous enough to 
 betray him to the magiflrates of Glou- 
 cefter, and .to the committee of parlia- 
 ment then refiding there. In confe- 
 quence of this, he was committed Decem- 
 ber 2d, 1645, to the common jail ; which 
 treatment was the more fevere, as he 
 was at that time ill of a dangerous fever. 
 He did however procure a fpeedy en- 
 largement, through the intereft of an 
 eminent perfon in Glouceflermire r who 
 gave fecurity for his appearance when- 
 ever it mould pleafe the parliament to 
 fend for him. 
 
 Six. months after he had been fet at 
 liberty, he was fnmmoned to appear at 
 Wefhninfter, and he freely confeffed to 
 the committee papointed to examine him, 
 " That he was ready to hear whatever 
 " could be oppofed to him, and if he 
 " could not make out his opinions to be 
 " true, he would then honeftlyconfefs his 
 
 u error-.
 
 ( "1 ) 
 
 ** error. What mall bcfal me (fays he) 
 " I refer to the difpoial of the all-wife 
 " God, whofe glory is dearer to me riot 
 " only than my liberty, but than my 
 " life." He was here wearied out with 
 tedious and expenfive delays, till at 
 length his cafe being referred to the af- 
 fembly of divines then fitting at Weft- 
 minder; he often appeared before fome 
 of them, and gave them in writing, his 
 Twelve Arguments againft the Deity of 
 the Holy Spirit, which were printed the 
 fame year. This made a great noife, 
 the author was fummoned to appear at 
 the bar of the houie of commons, and on 
 being afked Whether he owned the 
 book and the arguments contained in it, 
 he anfwered in the affirmative. Upon 
 this he was remanded back to prifon, 
 and the houfe ordered that his book 
 mould be called in, and burnt by the 
 hangman, which was accordingly done. 
 It has been faid, that in May 1648, the 
 aflembly of divines endeavoured to pre- 
 vail on the parliament to put Mr. Biddlc 
 to death ; certain it is, to their eternal 
 fhame and difhonour, that they did ac- 
 tually procure a cruel, unjufl:, and perfe- 
 euting ordinance to be pafled, making it 
 
 death
 
 death to oppofe the fentiments, which 
 they faw fit. to eflablifh, relating to the 
 Deity of Chrift and the Floly Spirit. It is 
 hard to fay, whether, in this affair, the 
 affembly were moil deftitute of the tem- 
 per which ought to adorn the miniflers 
 of the GoJpel, or the parliament of that 
 wifdom which is neceflary for lawgivers. 
 The former were met as the reprefenta- 
 tives of a very refpec~table part of the 
 church to confult about its interefts; and 
 the latter, the parliament, had folemnly 
 engaged to reform religion both in dif- 
 cipline and cloftrinc. This then was a 
 time when full liberty mould have been 
 given to all to offer their (entiments on 
 religious matters ; and Mr. Biddle's piety, 
 modefty and learning entitled him, at 
 leaft, to a fair and patient hearing. But 
 fo far was he from being able to obtain 
 fuch juftice, that he probably owed his 
 life merely to the great diflenfions which 
 arofe amongft the parliament on various 
 fubjetls. Nevcrthelefs, though he did 
 not fuffer death, his confinement was 
 made cloie for a while, until by means 
 of the confided Itatc of public affairs, a 
 fort of univerfal toleration was intro- 
 duced. He was then allowed more li- 
 berty by his keeper, who fuffered him, 
 
 upon
 
 ( -"3 ) 
 
 upon fecurity given, to go into Stafford- 
 fhire, where a juftice of the peace enter- 
 tained him mod courteoufly, and left 
 him a legacy at hisdeceafe; which kind- 
 nefs was very feafonable, as he had been, 
 -whilft under reftraint, at vaft charges. 
 The liberty which he enjoyed was, how- 
 ever, but of fliort continuance. Serjeant 
 Bradfhaw, prefident of the council of 
 ftate, being informed of the indulgence 
 which had been granted to him, caufed 
 him to be recalled and more fiddly con- 
 fined. It was unfortunate for Mr. Biddle 
 that the charge of herefy and blafphemy 
 rendered him ib odious, that hardly 
 any one would converfe with him. Dr. 
 Peter Gunning, afterwards Bifliop of Ely, 
 was the only divine who vouchfafed to 
 vilit this good man in his fix years con- 
 finement and reftraint. It ought like- 
 wife to be mentioned to the honour of 
 the great and good Archbifhop Ulher, that 
 paffing through Gloucefter at the time 
 when Mr. Biddle's troubles began, he en- 
 deavoured to convince him that he was in 
 an error, though without effeft. Thus 
 perfccuted and forfaken, his whole fub- 
 flance was fpent, and not having enough 
 to pay for an ordinary meal, he was glad 
 
 to
 
 C "4 ) 
 
 to fupport himfelf in the cheapeft man- 
 ner pollible. A draught of milk, morning 
 and evening, was very frequently all the 
 fuftenanee which he had. In theie deplo- 
 rable circumftances, his learning and 
 .abilities did however at length procure 
 him feme comfortable relief, he being 
 employed by Roger Daniel, of London, 
 to correft an edition of the Greek Sep- 
 tuagint Bible, which was then about to 
 be printed. 
 
 In 1651, the parliament publiflied a 
 general act of oblivion, and Mr. Biddle 
 improved that liberty to which he was 
 reilored, by meeting w r ith his friends 
 every Lord's day ff>r the purpofe of ex- 
 pounding the Scriptures, and difcourfing 
 on them, being always ready to defend 
 his own peculiar fentiments whenever 
 called upon. This made the London 
 minifters very uneafy; but they could 
 not prevent it. Dr. Gunning who had 
 vifited him in his confinement, took the 
 moft rational method of (topping the pro- 
 grefs of his opinions, by difputir.g pub- 
 licly with him in his meeting. Mr. Biddle 
 acquitted himfelf fo well on this oc- 
 cafion, that he gained much credit both 
 to himfelf and his caufe, which forne; 
 
 gentlemen
 
 gentlemen of the oppofite party had the 
 ingenuity to acknowledge, as they could 
 not help admiring his learning and judg- 
 ment, joined to a furprifing readinefs and 
 ikill in the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 This happened in the year 1654, when 
 he alfo published a Scripture Catechifm, 
 which brought him into frefli troubles. 
 A complaint was made againfl it in the 
 houfe of commons ; he was brought 
 to the bar, > and afked Whether he had 
 written that book. He did not fee fit to 
 avow it, as he had done, when he firft 
 flood before the fame tribunal, but an- 
 fvvered, in the trnefpirit of an Englishman, 
 by afldng, "Whether it feemed reafonable 
 " that one brought before a judgment 
 " feat as a criminal mould accufe himfelf f" 
 To require this is without doubt againfl 
 all . law and reafon, but herefy was ac- 
 counted fo dreadful a crime, that, though 
 it could not be clearly proved againfl 
 him (fince he refufed to- betray his jufl 
 rights by making a confeilion of it), yet 
 the catechifm was ordered to be burnt 
 by the common hangman ; and he, as the 
 fuppofed author, was committed clofe 
 prifoner to the Gate-houie, and denied 
 the life of pen, ink, paper, or the acccfs 
 
 of
 
 of any vifitant. And as if this were no- 
 thing, a bill was ordered to be brought 
 into the houfe of commons for punifhing 
 him farther. But, fince what had been 
 already done was illegal, he obtained his 
 liberty after fix months imprifbnment. 
 
 About a year after this, he was brought 
 into greater danger. One Griffin, pro- 
 voked to find that many of his congrega- 
 tion had embraced Mr. Biddle's notions 
 concerning the Trinity, challenged him 
 publicly to difpute the matter. This 
 Mr. Biddle would willingly have declined 
 doing, not being forward to excite frefh 
 clamours, unlefs fome valuable ends were 
 likely to be anfvvered. Griffin, however, 
 being importunate, the meeting was 
 fixed, and a numerous audience being 
 aflembled, he aikcd " If any man there 
 " would deny that Chrift was God moft 
 * c high." Mr. Biddle refolutely anfwered 
 41 I do deny it." The views of Griffin 
 and his party were now anfwered. 
 This zealot was by no means a match 
 for Mr. Biddle in the way of argument, 
 of which being confcious, inftead of giving 
 him another meeting, as was propofed, 
 he accufed him of blafphemy, of which 
 his denial of Griffin's queftion was clear 
 
 and
 
 and pofitive proof, according to the ordi- 
 nance againft blafphemy and herefy then 
 but lately made. 
 
 Oliver Cromwell, who had at that 
 time the fupreme command, under the 
 title of Protestor, was not willing, for 
 certain political reafons, that Mr. Biddle 
 mould be brought to a trial, and there- 
 fore kept him a while in prifon, but at 
 length banimed him to the ifle of Scilly, 
 being weary of receiving petitions for 
 and againft him. Towards his iupport 
 in this confinement he allowed him one 
 hundred crowns a-year. It is laid that 
 this penfion was obtained by Mr. Fir- 
 min's folicitations, who was then indeed 
 very young, but poflibly by his agreeable 
 addrefs and great courage he might re- 
 commend himfelf to the Protestor's fa- 
 vour; for Mr. Firmin when an apprentice 
 ventured to deliver a petition into the Pro- 
 te&or's hand, praying that Mr. Biddle 
 might be releafed out of Newgate. Crom- 
 well, though a friend to toleration, 
 thought it his intereft to appear zealous 
 for religion, in the common acceptation 
 of the word zeal, and thus replied to his 
 young petitioner; " You curl-pate boy 
 " you, do you think I will {hew any fa- 
 
 " vour
 
 ^ vour to a man that denies his Saviour 
 " and diflurbs the government ?" So 
 ftrong was Mr. Firmin's attachment to 
 Mr. Biddle, that he had lodged and 
 boarded him gratis, thinking himfelf am- 
 ply repaid by his improving converfation. 
 In the year 1658, after about three years 
 exile, the Protestor, moved by the repeated 
 interceffions of many of Mr. Biddle's 
 friends, ordered him to be brought back 
 to London ; and nothing being then laid 
 to his charge, he was fet at liberty. 
 Whilft in Scilly he had employed him- 
 felf in ftudying the Scriptures; and being 
 delivered from confinement, he again re- 
 fumed his religious exercifes, and his 
 friends formed themfelves into a church 
 of which he was paftor. 
 
 On the death of Cromwell, a parlia- 
 ment was called, which, it was thought, 
 would be dangerous to Mr. Biddle. He, 
 therefore, took the advice of a noble 
 friend, and retired into the country till 
 the danger was over; when he returned 
 to his paftoral care. On the reftoration 
 of Charles II. when the meetings of all 
 diffenters were regarded as {editions, 
 
 * Birch's Life of Archbifbop Tillotfon, page 3 19* 
 
 Mr.
 
 ( U9 ) 
 
 "Mr. Biddle held his in a private manner 
 till June 1662, when himielf and feme of 
 his friends being met for divine worfliip, 
 they were all leized and fent to prifon, 
 without being admitted to bail. Upon 
 their trial at the following fefiions, the 
 hearers were fined twenty pounds each, 
 and Mr. Biddle one hundred, and order- 
 ed to lie in prifon till that fum was paid. 
 In lefs than five weeks after, through the 
 noifomenefs of the place and the want of 
 air, he contracted a difeafe which put 
 an end to his life on the 22d of Septem- 
 ber, 1662, in the forty-feventh year of 
 his age. Thus was he numbered amongft 
 thofe TV ho were Jlain for the word ofGod, 
 and fur the tejlimony ofjefus. He appears 
 by the moft authentic memorials to have 
 clofely ftudied the Sacred Writings, efpe- 
 cially the New Teftament, which he re- 
 tained in his memory verbatim, not only 
 in Englifh, but in Greek, as far as the 
 fourth chapter of the book of Revela- 
 tions. In his moral conduft, he was not 
 only irreproachable, but exemplary ; he 
 could not bear to hear a fentence of 
 Holy Writ ufed vainly or lightly, and his 
 mind appeared at all times to be filled 
 with the moft awful reverence for the 
 
 Deity.
 
 C 
 
 Deity. When engaged in private devo- 
 tion, he ufed frequently to proftrate him- 
 felf on the ground, after the manner of 
 our Saviour in his agony ; which pofture 
 he ufed to recommend to his moft inti- 
 mate friends as the proper expreflion of 
 the deepeft humiliation. 
 
 Mr. Firmin's love arid regard for him 
 were no fmall proof of his worth ; and 
 it is highly probable, that the early ac- 
 quaintance which he made with this 
 moft excellent man, contributed as much 
 as any thing to his firm eftablifhment in 
 virtuous and religious principles. It would 
 have afforded good Mr. Biddle very little 
 fatisfaftion had he made Mr. Firmin a 
 convert to his opinions only : " He va- 
 " lued not his doctrines for {peculation 
 tc but practice, infomuch that he would 
 " not difcourfe of thofe points wherein 
 " he differed from others, with thofe that 
 " appeared not religious according to their 
 " knowledge. Neither could he bear 
 " thofe that diffembled in profeilion for 
 worldly intereft *." He had the fub- 
 lime pleafure of feeing Mr. Firmin im- 
 prove under his inftru&ions in the moft 
 valuable qualities, though he was re- 
 * Life prefixed to his Tracts. 
 
 moved
 
 moved to a better world, before he had 
 an opportunity of feeing how very ex- 
 tenfively ufeful his young difciple would 
 be in this. 
 
 Mr. Firmin was at all times very free 
 and open in declaring his Unitarian fen- 
 timents, though they were then fo obnox- 
 ious; but it was not till after the Re- 
 volution, that he greatly exerted himfelf 
 in propagating them. Antecedent to 
 that period, the friends of the conftitu- 
 tion were fo anxious about the national 
 liberties, and fuch as attended to religi- 
 ous inquiries fo much taken up with the 
 Popifli controverfy, that but few had in- 
 clination or leifure to attend to other 
 difputes. Thefe, and not any fear of 
 danger, feem to be the principal reafons, 
 which induced Mr. Firmin in fome de- 
 gree to fupprefs his zeal during the 
 earlier part of his life. The toleration 
 at was no fecurity to fuch as avowed 
 or publiflied his fentiments; on the con- 
 trary a very fevere ftatute was enacted 
 by parliament againft all who in any 
 manner whatfoever oppofed or denied 
 the commonly received dodtrines con- 
 cerning the Trinity. Notwithstanding 
 this, Mr. Firmin was at great expenfe 
 F to
 
 ( 1-2-2 ) 
 
 to have books printed explaining and de- 
 fending the Unitarian notions, and thele 
 he freely gave away to as many as 
 \vould read them. He revered the con- 
 ititution, and made a point of obeying all 
 the laws of his country, as far as they 
 were of a civil nature. It appears, how- 
 ever, from many parts of his conduct, to 
 have been his opinion, that magiftrates 
 had no right to prevent any man from 
 profeffing thofe opinions, which his con- 
 icience led him to adopt ; nor would he 
 fubmit to that at of the legi fiat lire, 
 which interfered with the peculiar pro- 
 vince of the Almighty. But ievere as 
 the aft was againft all who oppofed the 
 common dodtrines, Mr. Firmin was 
 never put to any trouble, though his 
 zeal againft them was fo well known. 
 Nor did his reverend and right reverend 
 friends decline acquaintance with him, 
 thinking it their duty to give all the 
 countenance in their power to fb ufeful 
 and good a man. 
 
 The illuftriousQueen Mary, that or- 
 nament to her fex, whofe virtues added 
 lultre to a crown, condefcended alfo to 
 manifeft the flncerefl friendmip towards 
 him. She had heard with pleafure and 
 
 approbation
 
 ( "3 ) 
 
 approbation of Mr. Firmin's adivity and 
 diligence in promoting every charitable 
 deiign. Being informed alfo that he was 
 heterodox in the articles of our blefTed 
 'Saviour's divinity, and the dodtrine of 
 fatisfa&ion, (he fpoke to Archbifliop Til- 
 lotfon, and earneitly recommended it to 
 him, to fet his friend Mr. Firmin right 
 in thofe points, which (he deemed a mat- 
 ter of great moment and importance. 
 The Archbifliop replied that he had of- 
 ten attempted it, but in vain, not being 
 able by any arguments he could life to 
 alter the opinions which he had fo long 
 formed on thefe fubjefts. However, his 
 Grace publiihed the fermons which he 
 had formerly preached againft the Soci- 
 jiians, and fent Mr. Firmin one of the 
 firft copies from the prefs. He was not 
 convinced either by Dr. Tillotfou's 
 reafonings, or his arguments from the 
 Holy Scriptures; he caufed a refpectful an- 
 fwer to be drawn up and publiflied, and 
 himfelf gave the Archbifhop a copy of it. 
 To this his Grace, after he had read it, 
 only faid " my Lord of Sarum (meaning 
 that very celebrated and worthy divine 
 Bifliop Burnet) mall humble your wri- 
 ters." Dr. Tillotfon indeed in his be- 
 F 2 haviour
 
 haviour to Mr. Firmin, as well as in a 
 variety of other inflances, gave full proof 
 that a man may be poffeffcd of the moft 
 fhining abilities, and be raifed to the 
 highefl ftation, and yet retain all that 
 humility and meeknefs of fpirit, which 
 is more amiable than common, in perfons 
 fo highly diftinguifhed as he was. He 
 never expreffed the leaft degree of cold- 
 rrefs towards Mr. Firmin on account of 
 the anfwer made to his Sermons, but 
 tifed to inquire in the fame familiar 
 manner as before " How does my fon 
 Giles," for fo he called Mr. Firmin's fon, 
 who is mentioned in the fecond chapter 
 as dying when juft fetting out in life *. 
 
 The regard which the Archbifhop 
 fhewed Mr. Firmin, purely on account 
 of his many valuable qualities, expofed 
 him to the charge of being a Socinian at 
 heart, an accufation which was entirely 
 groundlefs. But befides his friendftiip 
 with a chief of that party, he had given 
 furious bigots no fmall difguft, by can- 
 didly acknowledging that the Socinian 
 writers difplayed temper, judgment, and 
 learning in the controverfy, between 
 
 * Life, page i$. 17. Birch's Life of Archbifhop 
 Tillotfoji, page, 321. 
 
 them
 
 them and the orthodox. This greatly 
 offended all thofe zealots, who will not 
 allow an adverfary to have common 
 fenfe or common honefty; but it had a 
 very good eifeft on the minds of fhoie, 
 whom he endeavoured to convince of an 
 error. In the book, which "Mr. Firmin 
 caufed to be drawn up in ariiwer to his 
 Sermons, he was flylcd " the common 
 " father of the nation, and is acknow- 
 " ledged to have inftrufted the Socinians 
 " themfelvcs, with the air and language 
 " of a father, not of an adverfary or a 
 " judge." And it was added " that they 
 " were concerned for their own reputa- 
 u tion to reverence his perfon and admo- 
 u nitions." Of what unfpeakable fer- 
 vice would it be to the caufe of charity 
 and truth, if all controverfies were ma- 
 naged by perfons of fuch temper and 
 judgment. 
 
 The time, when Mr, Firmin was mofl 
 aftive in his oppolition to the doctrine of 
 the Trinity, was the moft favourable that 
 could be to the views of the Unitarians, 
 the defenders of t;he orthodox faith being 
 greatly divided amongft themfelves, Ibme 
 oppofing, with much heat and virulence, 
 the explanations which had been given 
 !' 3 by
 
 l>y others. To give an account of the 
 various folutions, which the advocates 
 for the doctrine of the Trinity have of- 
 fered by way of explaining this my fiery, 
 would be only to fet before the Reader T 
 innumerable fentences of unintelligible 
 jargon., and which, as far as they can be 
 underllood, abfblutely contradidt one an- 
 other. Eflences and exiftencies, hypof- 
 tafes and peribnalities, priorities and co- 
 equalities, Unity in Plurality, and Trinity 
 in Unity are but a few of the phrafes, 
 which men have invented to exprefs 
 their ideas on this fubjeft. If it be a 
 doftrine of revelation that there arc 
 " Three perfons in the Godhead, and 
 " that thele three are one God equal in 
 " power and glory, the Son begotten of 
 ** the Father, and the Holy Ghoft pro- 
 " ceeding from the Father and the Son, 
 " arid yet none to be afore or after 
 " another, none to be greater or lefs than 
 " another :" If fuch be the exprefs doc- 
 trine of revelation, yet all attempts to 
 explain it only darken the matter; for 
 language does not furnifti us with words 
 to defcribe, nor has the Divine Being 
 given us ideas to comprehend it; and 
 therefore all fuch endeavours are un- 
 profitable
 
 ( 1*7- ) 
 
 profitable and vain. However there were 
 feveral divines, contemporaries with Mr. 
 Firmin, who diftinguifhed themfelves 
 by the various efforts which they made 
 to render intelligible what all acknow- 
 ledged to be a myftery. Their different 
 folutions only ierved to puzzle the quef- 
 tion, and though all endeavoured to ex- 
 plain the thing, yet, as their definitions 
 happened to be contradictory, they abufed 
 each other molt heartily as heretics and 
 infidels. 
 
 The chief of thefe renowned cham- 
 pions were the two celebrated doctors 
 South and Sherlock. Both of them men 
 of genius and learning, but each im- 
 moderately attached to his own peculiar 
 notions, and bent upon defending them 
 with all the fury, which theological zeal 
 could infpire. South's friends, who 
 were the moft numerous and powerful 
 party, made complaint to the heads of 
 the colleges at Oxford, the univerfity of 
 which cenfured Sherlock's notions by a 
 folemn decree in convocation, wherein 
 they were declared to be " Falfe, impious 
 " and heretical, and his book ordered to 
 " be burned by the hands of the common 
 " hangman." Sherlock treated the Ox- 
 F 4 ford
 
 ( "8 .) 
 
 ford decree with the utmoft contempt, 
 retorting the charge of herefy upon his 
 antagonifts ; each party had their rejpec- 
 tive adherents, and in the courfe of the 
 debate various folntions of the myflery 
 were propofed by different writers, who 
 maintained their refpe&ive and contra- 
 di&ory opinions "with no fmall degree of 
 warmth and rancour. Thefe debates 
 caufed the Unitarian party to triumph 
 not a little ; for they thought it abfurd 
 that they fhould be condemned for not 
 receiving adoftrine, which the mod learn- 
 ed of its advocates could not agree in 
 explaining, but on the contrary, treated 
 each other as infidels, atheifts and damn- 
 able heretics *. Whilft fo many reve- 
 rend divines were abuiing each other^ 
 and making farther divifions in the 
 Chriftian Church, Mr. Firmin, a private 
 perfon and a tradefman, endeavoured to 
 the beft of his abilities to promote peace 
 and unity. 
 
 Thofe who warmly contended for a 
 Trinity of psrfons in the Deity, yet dif- 
 fered greatly from one another about the 
 meaning of the termperfon. Whilft fome 
 
 * Tindal's Continuation of Rapin, vol. III. page, 
 520, 21. and Burner's Hiitory of his own Times. 
 
 fay
 
 ( 129 ) 
 
 fay that three divine pcrfons are three 
 minds, fpirits, fubflances and beings, eter- 
 nal, infinite &c. others rejeft this as he- 
 refy, blafphemy and tritheifm. To re- 
 concile the doclrine of the Trinity with 
 the perfect unity of God, has perplexed 
 the learned exceedingly ; and various 
 have been the phrafes and terms, which 
 they have adopted. The unfcriptural 
 expreffions made Qfe of in thefe debates, 
 the Unitarians difapproved ; but they 
 thought, that, notwithstanding the learn- 
 ed had fo greatly perplexed themfclves 
 and their readers, the things intended by 
 thefe terms were in fat agreeable to 
 their fentiments, or at leaft that they 
 might be allowed to ufe them in their 
 own fenfe. Such was the advantage 
 which the Unitarians made of the dif- 
 putes amongft their adverfaries, whofe 
 quarrels gave birth to the Agreement be- 
 tween the Unitarians and the Catholic 
 Church ; a book which was written 
 chiefly at the inftance of Mr. Firmin, in 
 anfwer tofeveral Trinitarian writers, who 
 had charged his party with herciy. After 
 this treatife had been examined and cor- 
 etted, it was published by Mr. Firmin, 
 and. that with more fatisfatiion than ever 
 F 5 he
 
 he iiad felt in fending forth the many 
 controveriial writings, which his fmcere 
 love of truth had induced him to fpread 
 abroad in the world *. It is not to be 
 wondered at, that a perfon of Mr. Fir- 
 min's difpofition y fhould be fo ready to 
 embrace a reconciliation with the Church. 
 He was ever a lover of peace, and al- 
 ways conformed as far as he could, ac- 
 cording to that dire&ion of the Apoftle's^ 
 " Whereunto we have already attained^ 
 " let us walk by the fame rule;" which 
 he, with many learned interpreters un- 
 derflood thus, w conform to the doc- 
 a trines, terms and uages that are com- 
 a monly received as far as you can; if in 
 " fome things you differ from the Church, 
 " yet agree with her and walk by her 
 " rule, to the utmoft that in confcience 
 "you may." From this principle it was, 
 that he never approved of a feparation 
 from the Church, merely on account of 
 ceremonies, habits, forms of goverment, 
 or any of the bare circumftantials of re- 
 ligion ; and periuaded many to conform, 
 who objefted nothing more to the efta- 
 blifhment than fuch things as thefe f . 
 Chriftians fliould undoubtedly " fludy 
 * Life, page 20. f Life, page 21, 
 
 " tlie
 
 " the things which make for peace" but 
 if the bed and -mod effectual way to re- 
 ftore peace, be to reflore religion to its 
 original fimplicity and purity, thofe feem 
 to purfue the propereft method, who re- 
 fufe to join, as dated worfhippers, with 
 any Church whatfoever, which impofes 
 unfcriptural terms of conformity either 
 on minifters or people. Thofe who pea- 
 ceably diflent from eflablHhments, and 
 perfuade others to do fo, may be as de- 
 iirous of unity and concord as thofe who 
 comply with them, and think they are 
 purfuing a method moft agreeable to the 
 integrity required by the Gofpel. But 
 though Mr. Firmin laid no ftrefs on forms, 
 and ceremonies, many, perhaps, will 
 wonder, how he, being a Socinian, or, 
 as it has been laid, an Arian *, could 
 
 conform 
 
 *' Dr. Birch aflerts this in his Life of Archbifliop 
 Tillotibn, pasre 320. I fuppofe on the authority of 
 Bifhop Burnct's Hiftory of his own Times, vol. III. 
 page 292. Whether Bifhop Burnet heard Mr. Fir- 
 min exphin-himfelf on this head, or received luch an 
 account fro;n fome other hand he hath not told us. 
 In nil probability he was miflaken. The hov>ki which 
 Mr. Firmin dlftnbuted, favouredtheSocinianfcheine, 
 which feems to have been adopted by all the Unitari- 
 anj of that age. The Arians were hardly ever fpoken. 
 
 of
 
 conform to the Church in its worfliip. 
 Much dexterity muft certainly be necef- 
 fary, to reconcile the Athanaflan creed 
 with the belief of the perfect unity and 
 abfolute unrivalled fupremacy of the 
 One God ; and ftill more to juftify the of- 
 fering up diflinft prayers to three perfons, 
 when he, who ufes thefe forms, means 
 to addrefs one perfcn only. Befides, the 
 conftant repetition of thefe terms and 
 phrafes muft neceffarily lead the greater 
 part of mankind into fentiments and ideas 
 very oppollte to -thole which the Unita- 
 rian adopts concerning the Deity. How, 
 then, can a fincere lover of truth recon- 
 cile himfelf to the ufe of them ? To all 
 this it may be replied, with refpeft to 
 Mr. Firmin, that his cafe was a very par- 
 ticular one. It does not appear that any 
 Unitarian foclety was kept up after the 
 death of Mr. Biddle. The diflenters of 
 that age were not only Trinitarians, but 
 likewiie in general more attached to the 
 Calviniftical doctrines than the ckrgy, 
 mofl of whom indeed rejected them. 
 
 of in England till Dr. Clarke and Mr. Whifton were 
 charged with reviving do&rines fimilar to thofe, 
 which had been of old maintained by Arius and his 
 followers- 
 
 The
 
 ( '33 ) 
 
 The Quakers, beficles renouncing the po- 
 fitive ordinances of chriftianity, were 
 then very jesthufiaftical. Mr. Firmin was, 
 therefore, under the difagrccable neceffity 
 of attending no public worfliip at all, or 
 of joining where forms were ufed > and 
 doctrines delivered, to which he had 
 material objections. No wonder then 
 that he endeavoured to reconcile himfclf 
 to the ufe of fome improper terms and 
 expreilions, rather than be deprived of 
 all the pleafures of focial devotion. Had 
 he lived in thefe days, there is great 
 reafon to fuppofc, that he would have 
 joined in communion with fome of thofe 
 private focieties, where forms and ex- 
 prefiions merely of human invention are 
 exploded, and the one God and Father cf 
 all is worshipped through the cue Media- 
 tor Jefiis Chrift, in whe'b r^me the a- 
 fiftance of the BleiTed- Spirit of grace and 
 truth is humbly implored. Several cler- 
 gymen, of mofc re'p^c. a'r^e and worthy 
 characters, have witi-iin tho'e few years 
 thought it their duty to refign their pre- 
 ferments, rather than continue to join in 
 forms which their conferences diiapprov- 
 cd ^ and certainly this is ading a worthy 
 
 ai d
 
 ( 134 ) 
 
 and upright part *. Mr. Firmin pnrfued 
 the courfe which he thought befl, un- 
 biafled by any regard to his private in- 
 tereft, or the apprehenlion of being 
 thought fingular. Thofe worldly conii- 
 derations, which have great weight with 
 many, had none with him. He was ne- 
 ver afhamed of the Gofpel of Chrift, nor 
 of thofe fentiments, which he had formed 
 concerning it ; but he ever avowed and 
 did his befl to fupport and countenance 
 them. 
 
 But though, by taking advantage of 
 the explanations, which fome great di- 
 vines had given of the Trinitarian doctrine, 
 he thought he might venture to profefs 
 himfelf to be really of the lame mind with 
 the Catholic Church, andlhe Church of 
 England, yetherefolved to continue his en- 
 deavours, " That no falfe notion of the Tri- 
 " nity fhould corrupt the flncere faith o 
 " thellnity. He wasperfuadedthat the ar- 
 " ticieof the Unity is the fir.ft article of 
 " Chriftianity, the article that diftinguiihes 
 *' Chriflians from Pagans : as the belief 
 
 * The names of Robertfon, Lindfey, Jebb, and. 
 Evanfon are well known, nor are thefe the only ones 
 who h ive lately from motives of pure confcience left 
 the eibbliflied church. 
 
 " of
 
 ( '35- ) 
 
 ** of the Meffiah already come diftin- 
 " guifhes us from the Jews. He judged 
 44 that though the unfcriptural terms Tri- 
 44 nity, three divine perfons, and fuch 
 " like, in the fenfe they are intended by 
 " the Church, contain a dodlrine which 
 44 is true , yet taken In the fenfe they 
 44 bear in common familiar fpeech, in 
 44 which fenfe the greater number of 
 44 men (almoft all the unlearned) muft 
 44 needs underiland them; they imply 
 44 a more grofs and abfurd polytheifm, 
 44 than any of the old heathens were 
 44 guilty of. lie that underftands three 
 " Divine Perfons to be three (diftinft, 
 " infinite, all perfect) fpirits or beings, 
 " or minds, three creators, three feveral 
 t(r objects of worfliip, is more guilty of 
 u polytheifm, than the Greeks or Romans 
 u ever were before their converiion to 
 M Chriftianity. For though they and 
 " other nations were heathens, that is 
 44 polytheifts, aflerters of more gods; 
 44 yet they never believed more than one 
 44 infinite, all perfect fpirit, the father 
 " and king of the lefler deities. Mr. 
 u Firmin knew well that the majority of 
 44 vulgar chriiliaus, and not a few lear- 
 u ed men, have tritheiflic notions or 
 
 eonception
 
 ( I 3 6 ) 
 
 " conceptions of the Trinity or three Di- 
 " vine Perfons each of which is God: 
 " namely, that they are three cliftinft, 
 " infinite, all perfect minds or fpirits. 
 " Meeting this every day in converfation 
 " as well as in books, he was not lets 
 " zealous for the doctrine of the Unity 
 " after the publication of the fcheme of 
 " agreement than before ; and therefore 
 " he propofed, befides the continuation of 
 " his former efforts, to hold afiemblies 
 ct for divine worfhip, diftinft from the 
 <c aifemblies of any other denomination 
 " of chriftians. But he did not intend 
 " thefe aiTemblies or congregations by 
 " way of fchifm or feparation from the 
 " Church; but only as Fraternities in the 
 <l Church, who would undertake a more 
 u efpecial care of that article, for the 
 " fake of which it is certain both the 
 11 Teftaments were written. The great 
 " defign andfcope of both Teftaments, and 
 " the reafon that they were given by 
 lt God, was to regain. mankind to the 
 " belief and acknowledgment of but one 
 u God ; to deflroy polytheifm of all forts. 
 " Mr. Firmin intended to recommend.it 
 u to the Unitarian congregations, as the 
 u very reafon of their diftinft affemblingf 
 
 u to
 
 ( 137 ) 
 
 " to be particularly mindful of, and 
 " zealous for, the article of the Unity, to 
 " caufe it to be fo explained in their af- 
 " femblies, catechifms and books (with- 
 " out denying or ib much as fupp railing 
 <l the catholic doftrine of the Trinity) 
 u that all men might eafily and readily 
 " know in what fenie the Unity of God 
 " is to be believed, and the ni) fiery of a 
 " Trinity of Divine Pcrfons (each of 
 <c them God) is to be interpreted. Mr. 
 " Firmin feared that without fuch af- 
 " femblies, the continual ufe of terms, 
 44 which in their ordinary fignification 
 " are confefled by all to imply three 
 " Gods, would paganize at feme time 
 41 the whole Chriitian Church *. 
 
 This plan of Mr. Firmin's did not 
 take place, for he died before it could 
 -well be put into execution. Many per- 
 haps will be of opinion, that it was by 
 no means a fufiicient proteil againft the 
 ufe of phrafes, which were thought to 
 have fo direct a tendency to lead men 
 into the belief of a doctrine, which fnb- 
 verted that important article the Unity 
 of God. A total fcparation from ail 
 
 * An nccount of Mr. Firmiu's religion annexed 
 to his Life, page 50. 51. 
 
 churches,
 
 churches, where fuch forms are ufed, 
 feems to be the duty of every Unitarian ; 
 especially if he live in a place where a 
 Unitarian fociety is or may be fet on 
 foot. Thofe, who feparate from an 
 eftablimment, may ftill be joined in af- 
 fe6tion and love to all its fincere and 
 pious members; for furely the warmeft 
 charity may, and oftentimes does fubfift, 
 between thofe who worfhip in different 
 places, and make ufe of different forms. 
 A unity of founds in the bonds of igno- 
 rance, or a unity of practice in the bonds 
 of hyprocrify, is by no means defireable. 
 To promote a unity of fpirit in the bonds 
 of peace mould be the endeavour of all 
 the fincere inquirers after truth; and 
 fuch a unity will be moft likely to fub- 
 fift between thofe, who, however they 
 may differ from one another, arc all im- 
 partial and upright in their refearches. 
 
 Mr. Firmin, befldes his attachment to 
 Mr. Biddle, evidenced in the early part 
 of his life a generous regard for thofe 
 who fuffered on account of their Uni- 
 tarian opinions. It was in the year 1658, 
 when he was a very young man, that the 
 Unitarians were banifhed from Poland. 
 Thofe who, about the time of the Re- 
 formation,
 
 ( '39 ) 
 
 formation, firft began to - have doubts 
 concerning the doctrine of the Trinity, 
 were fome learned and inquifitive perfons 
 in the ftate of Venice, who held meetings 
 where they converfed with freedom on 
 religious fubje&s. Some of thefe by the 
 vigilance of the Popifh emiffaries were 
 feized and put to death, others fled to 
 different countries, and Laelius Socinus^ 
 who was born of a moft noble family > 
 betook himfelf to Poland, and having in- 
 itjlled his fentimenls into the queen's 
 confefTor, who defended them in writing, 
 they were adopted by fevcral learned 
 men, This was about the year 1558,. 
 and long before the celebrated Fauihis 
 Socinus * vifited that kingdom. As the 
 Socinians increafed in numbers and repu- 
 tation, many privileges were granted to 
 them about the year 1600, and feveral 
 flou riming focieties were formed, pro- 
 tefted, and countenanced by perfons 
 of the higheft rank. After having en- 
 
 * Such as are deftrous of knowing, what was the 
 real chamber, and what were the real fentimeiits ot" 
 thnt noted man, may obtnin full fatisfaftion from the 
 very accurate and impartial account which Mr Toul- 
 min hath given in his " Memoirs of the Life, Charac- 
 ter, Sentiments and Writings of Fauftus Socinus. 
 
 joyed
 
 joyed honour and fecurity for nearly 
 threeicore years, and diftinguimed them- 
 ielves not a little by their many learned 
 writings, a decree was made, and an edidt 
 ifTuecl out, by which all Unitarians, who 
 would not embrace the Roman Catholic 
 religion, were banifned out of Poland, 
 two years being however allowed them 
 to fell their eftates and effeds *. 
 
 The Unitarians upon this left Poland 
 and fettled, fome in Tranfylvania, where 
 tney had many friends, and others, in 
 different places. AmongTt theie w.ere 
 many poor perfons; and, therefore, fuch 
 of the nobility and gentry, as were of 
 that peiiuafion, not being able in this 
 persecuted fcate, to relieve the wants of 
 their fuffering brethren, applied for help 
 to all the Unitarian churches in foreign 
 parts. They knew, that in England a 
 few families only had imbibed thefe 
 fentiments ; yet they fent a letter to en- 
 treat adiflance ; and Mr. Firmin procured 
 contributions from fome whom he knew 
 to be well affefted to them. And though 
 no brief was granted, collections were 
 made in a few of the churches, which 
 
 * Life of Mr. Firmin, page 23. 
 
 evidenced
 
 evidenced a liberality of mind, in thofc 
 who encouraged them, very ieldom to 
 be met with in that age of bigotry. 
 Mr. Firmin poflefTed this generofity of 
 foul in an eminent degree. It was with- 
 out doubt natural for him to alfift the 
 perfecuted Unitarians; but about twen- 
 ty years after, he had an opportunity of 
 giving a remarkable proof of the un- 
 bounded extent of his charity. 
 
 In 1 68 1, King Charles granted a brief 
 to another fort of Polonian fufferers, who 
 alfo were Proteftants. They had permitted 
 the Unitarians to be banimed, when it 
 would have been effectually prevented, 
 had but one of their deputies protefted 
 againft it in the Diet (or general afTembly 
 of the ftates) for perfect unanimity is 
 indifpenfably ncceflary amongft the Poles 
 to render any decree valid. The other 
 Proteftants thus willingly permitted, and 
 even promoted that edict by which the 
 Unitarians were fentenced to banifhment, 
 and the natural confequence of the lofs 
 of fo large and refpeftable a body was 
 the weakening the reformed intereft to 
 fuch a degree as enabled the Papifts 
 almoft effectually to ruin it. The Cal- 
 vinifts and Lutherans would not have loft 
 
 their
 
 their liberty and their country, had they 
 not voted themfelves out of both, when 
 they contented to the perfecution of the 
 Unitarians^ for the various fedts, when 
 united, formed too flrong a party for the 
 Papifts to meddle with. 
 
 Mr. Firmin, however, exerted himfelf 
 to give them fupport under their troubles ; 
 and, as if he had forgotten the former 
 injury which they had done his friends, 
 or rather, influenced by that excellent 
 precept of the Gofpel, not to render evil 
 for evil, but to do good even to an ene- 
 my when in neceffity, he kindly affifted 
 theie perfecuted perfecutors. The fum 
 of five hundred ami fixty-eight pounds 
 was paid in to him upon that account, be- 
 fides one hundred and ten pounds, being 
 the contribution of nine dijQTenting con- 
 gregations *. It was much to the ho- 
 nour of the di flenters, that they w r ere 
 thus difpofed to aflat foreign fufferers, 
 when they themfelves had been fo fevere- 
 ly harraffed and perfecuted, and their 
 liberty was fo precarious. What en- 
 abled them to bear thole great ex- 
 penfes which they fnftained by the ejec- 
 
 * Life, page 26* 
 
 tion
 
 ( '43 ) 
 
 tion of their minifters, and the heavy 
 fines, which were from time to time laid 
 both upon them and their hearers, was 
 their extraordinary frugality and pru- 
 dence. They loved the interefl of reli- 
 gion, and dedicated to the fervice of that 
 what their pofterity feem moft inclined 
 to devote to expenlivefafhions andamufe- 
 ments, a prevailing love of which will 
 effectually fupprefs and eradicate every 
 noble, generous, and manly fentimcnt of 
 the human heart. 
 
 Thus various and impartial, extenfive 
 and liberal were Mr. Firmin's charities. 
 It may well be fuppofed that only the 
 moft ftriking particulars of .an ative life, 
 almoft entirely devoted to benevolent 
 purpofes, could be recorded. There is, 
 however, one inftance more of his good- 
 nets, which deferves particular mention. 
 When the money was called in, and there 
 was a very great fcarcity of current coin, 
 that he might be able to continue his 
 former charities, at a time when they 
 were more needful than ever, he leflen- 
 ed his own expenfes by laying down his 
 coach *. This, confidering his noble 
 
 * Life, page 77, 
 
 connections,.
 
 connexion*, and the vaft buflnefs which 
 required his attendance at different places, 
 was no fmall facrifice. If the admiration 
 of the Reader be excited on a review of 
 4o many afts of true and diilnterefted be- 
 nevolence, may that admiration tend 
 to cherifli in his bread the fame godlike 
 difpoiitions i 
 
 C H A P.
 
 ( '45* ) 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 Mr. Firmin's Sicknefi and Death. He if 
 attended - in his lafl Illncf's by Bifliop 
 Fowler, of whom a fliort Account is 
 given. The Refpetf paid to Mr. Firmin's 
 Memory by Lady Clayton. Reflections 
 on his Gharacler, with fome Extratfr 
 from a Sermon preached on Occajion of 
 his Deceafe. 
 
 THE fhortnefs of human life has been 
 a frequent fubjeft of complaint ; 
 and thofe whole vices have inclined them 
 to infidelity, and difpofed them to feek 
 for arguments, which might fervc to ex- 
 cufe their contempt of religion, have 
 a Hedged this as a rcafon againit the doc- 
 trine of Providence. -But it is a high 
 degree of folly and prclumption to argue 
 in this manner: we arc very incompe- 
 tent judges of what in this cafe is right 
 and fit. We may be allured that the pe- 
 riod allotted tb us by the great Giver of 
 life is fully fulitcic';t for our performing 
 ull that he experts we fhould do. A fliort 
 C existence
 
 exiftence in this ftate is too long for 
 thofe who are bent on wicked courfes ; 
 mankind have no reafon to wjfti for their 
 flay in it. A life of labour and toil, of 
 pain and forrow, which falls to the lot 
 of many, cannot be very defirable. And 
 with refpett to the benevolent and vir- 
 tuous, who are bleffings to their friends 
 and to-fociety, they are convinced that 
 God expects them to do no more good in 
 the world, when he fees fit to take them 
 out of it ; and they have no caufe to re- 
 pine at being foon called to receive the 
 reward of their labours. Mankind, when 
 they lament the lofs of fuch, ought not 
 to reflecl: upon the Divine Wifdom, but 
 learn to be wife themfelves; for there 
 would not be fo much caufe to lament 
 the removal of the good, if more would 
 learn to imitate their worthy aftions. 
 
 Dear and valuable as Mr. Firmin's life" 
 was, yet it could not reafonably be ex- 
 pected, that it mould extend much beyond 
 the common period allotted to mortality ; 
 and, if thofe who loved him, fondly in- 
 dulged fuch a hope, they were greatly 
 difappointed, for he did not reach feventy. 
 His conflitution was naturally ftrong and 
 firm 3 but he had greatly weakened it by 
 
 a conftant
 
 ( M7 ) 
 
 a conftant and unremitting attention to 
 his many and various charitable employ- 
 ments. He feemed to have adopted the 
 maxims of the excellent Bifhop Cumber- 
 land, who lived to be eighty-fevcn, and 
 could not, even in his very lait month, be did 
 fuadcd from undertaking- fatigues though 
 fupcrior to his ftrength, his anfwer and 
 resolution was, " I will do my duty as 
 " long as I can :" and when his friends 
 represented to him, that fo much finely 
 and labour would injure his health, his 
 ufual reply was, " A man had better 
 " wear out, than ruft out." 
 
 " Mr. Firmin was fometimes liable to 
 " jaundices, often afflicted with cholics, 
 tt and was icarccly ever without a cough, 
 " for his lungs had been long ptylicaj. 
 " He would often return home ib tii'cd 
 cc and deprefTed in hisfpirits, that hispulic 
 c; were icarcely to be felt, or very languid; 
 u and he \vould then take a little reft in 
 a his chair, but foon ftart up out of it 
 u and appear very lively in company, ef- 
 " pecially where any good was to be 
 Cw done. The more immediate caufe of 
 " his death was a fever which ieized his 
 " fpints, beginning with a chillnefs and 
 a mivcring, and then a heat enfued. He 
 G 2 " was
 
 ( M8 ) 
 
 " was at the fame time afflicted both in 
 " his lungs, with a great fhortnefs of 
 " breath, not having flrength to expeto- 
 " rate, and alfo with fuch terrible pains 
 " in his bowels that for many hours 
 " nothing could be made to pals through 
 " him. He had alfo for many years been 
 " troubled with a large rupture, all 
 " which made his iicknefs very fliort. He 
 " had wrfhed in. his lifetime that he 
 " might not lie above two days on a 
 " dying bed ; God granted to him his 
 u defire, he lay not fo long by eight hours, 
 " and December 2oth, about two of the 
 " o'clock in the morning, anno dom. 1697, 
 " he died." 
 
 During his laft illnefs he was vifited 
 by his moft dear friend BHhop Fowler ; 
 but on account of the extreme violence 
 of his pains, he could hold but little con- 
 verfe with him. What did pafs between 
 them his Lordfhip made known under 
 his own hand, and was as follows. " Mr. 
 ic Firmin told me he was now going: 
 " and I truft," faid he, " God will not 
 " condemn me to worfe company than I 
 " have loved and ufed in the prefent life." 
 I replied, " That he had been an extra- 
 c ' ordinary example of charity^ the poor 
 
 " had
 
 ( M9 ) 
 
 " had a wonderful bleffing in you: I 
 "doubt not thefe works will follow you, 
 " if you have no expectation from the 
 " merit of them, but rely on the infinite 
 " gobdnefs of God, and the merits of our 
 " Saviour." Here he anfwered " I do fo : 
 " and I fay in the words of my Saviour, 
 " When I have done #//, lam but an unpro- 
 u fit able fcrv ant. He was in fuch an agony 
 " of body for want of breath, that I did 
 " not think fit^to {peak more to him, but 
 " only to give him afiurance of my earn- 
 " eft prayers for him, while he remained 
 " in this world. Then I took a folenui 
 " and affeftionate farewcl of him, and he 
 " of me *." 
 
 "It 
 
 * Bifhop Fowler was a man we!! deferring particu- 
 lar notice in a life of Mr. Firmin*. He vvus born in 
 the year 1632, at Weflerleigh in Gloucefterfliire, and 
 recc-ived his grammar learning- at the college fchool 
 in Gloucefter. In 1650, he became clerk of Corptu 
 Chrifti College in Oxford, of which he was admitted 
 as a chaplain three years after, being very re.idy and 
 fluent in extemporary prayer. On ixirtholomnv 
 day, 1662, he was ejected from the reftory of North- 
 all in Bedfordlhire, to \\hich he lu:d been prcfented 
 by the Countefs of Kent f . However, not being u ii. 
 ing to lie in lilence and obfcurity, he endeavoured to 
 
 * Life, page 81 3. 
 f Nonconformiit's Memorial, vol. I. p?ge 22;. 
 
 G 3 cciiiirr
 
 " It is ufual to conclude lives with a 
 " chara&cr of the perfons, both as to 
 " tlieir bodies and the qualities cf their 
 " minds : therefore I muft further add. 
 u Mr. Firmin was of a low flature, well 
 41 proportioned ; his complexion fair and 
 
 " bright ; 
 
 conquer his fcruples ; and after a v.hile, having re- 
 conciled himfelf to the impofed terms, he conformed 
 and became a great ornament to the church. His 
 father, who was eminent both for mmifterial abilities 
 and labours, and his brother, who had a valuable liv- 
 ing tf three hundred pounds per arm. and (hortened 
 his days by a clofe application to fludy, were both 
 ejected at the fame time *, and could neverbring their 
 confciences to fubmit to the at of uniformity. But it 
 does not appear that ever they cenfured him, who did 
 comply : "nor had they caufe, men of equal learning-, 
 piety, and integrity may fee the fame thing in different 
 lights. Mr. Fowler having diftinguifhed himfelf byfome 
 excellent moral writings, Archbimop Sheldon was deli - 
 rous of introducing him to the metropolis of the king- 
 dom ; and, therefore, in Auguft 1673, gave him the 
 rectory of All-hallows, Bread-Street. In 1675, he 
 was made prebendary of Gloucefler ; and in March 
 1681, vicar of St. Giles, Cripplegate. 
 
 In this refpectable iituation he made himfelf very 
 obnoxious to the court and its adherents, by his ftre- 
 nuous opposition to Popery. Some of his panfhloners 
 alfo, in order to recommend themfelves to the higher 
 powers, commenced an ill-natured profecution agaiir.t 
 
 * Nonconformift's Memorial, vol. I. page 549. 
 and vol. II. pnge 218, 
 
 him j
 
 tl bright; his eye and countenance lively, 
 " his afpedt manly and promifing fbme- 
 " what extraordinary, fo'that a ftranger 
 " might readily take him, for a man of 
 u good fenfe, worth, and dignity. Walk- 
 " ing or fitting he appeared more comely 
 
 " than 
 
 him ; alledging that he was guilty of Whiggifm, and 
 that he admitted to the communion excommunicated 
 perfons, before they were abfolved j and the matter 
 being tried at Doctor's Commons, he was fufpended. 
 This affront, however, did not intimidate him ; tor h 
 went on in the reiblute performance of his duty, and 
 was the fecond who figned the refolution, into which 
 many of the London clergy entered, not to read King 
 James's declaration for liberty of confcie'nce. On ac- 
 count of this and his excellent writings, which did 
 honour to the church and nation ; he was preferred by 
 King William, in 1691, to the See of Gloucefter, in 
 which he continued till his death, in Auguft 1714, 
 having reached his Sid year *. 
 
 Bimop Fowler had the caufe of rational piety and 
 practical religion much at heart ; and he thought the 
 main defign of Chriilianity was to promote real holi- 
 nefs. He was no zenlot for mere outward forms ; and 
 expofed himfelf to the rage of furious bigots, by wri- 
 ting in defence of thofe divines, who were then llyled 
 Latitudinarians. Thofe who were thus denominated, 
 were accufed of Sociniunifm, Atheifm, &c. for no 
 other reafon than tlieir explaining fome doctrines in a 
 manner lefs myiterious than .had been ufual amongit 
 divines, and alfo becaufe they were ready to facrirtce 
 
 * Biographical Dictionary, Article Fowler. 
 
 G- 4 a fe\v
 
 " than ftanding ftill ; for his mien and 
 u action gave agracefulncfsto his peribn. 
 ,.*' The endowments, inclinations, and 
 " qualities of his mind, the reader may 
 " form a judgment of from the account 
 " which hath been given of his life. It 
 " appears that he was quick of appre- 
 ** henfion and difpatch, and yet almoil in- 
 " clefatigably induftrious, properties that 
 " very rarely meet in the fame man. He 
 " was befides inquifitive and very inge- 
 " nious, he had a thirft after knowledge, 
 " and the quicknefs of his underftanding 
 " enabled him to acquire it in a large de- 
 " gree, with but little labour. He could 
 " not diflemble ; on the contrary, his 
 " love or anger } his liking or diilike, 
 " might be eaiily perceived. In both thefe 
 " refpe<fls he was rather too open, but open- 
 " nefs is the efFed: of fincerity and thear- 
 * c gument of an honeft mind. He never 
 41 proudly affe&ed the notice of others, 
 
 n few ceremonies and rites, confefledly indifferent ia 
 their nature, rather than exclude from the church 
 many excellent perfons, who fcruplcd to fubmit to the 
 impofition of them. Bi(hop Fowler was a learned ad-, 
 vocate for the doctrine of the Trinity. The mutual 
 efteem between him and Mr. Firmin arofe from the 
 warm love which they both had for real piety and 
 goodnefs wherever found. 
 
 " whether
 
 " whether above or below him, which 
 " feems a good proof that his charities 
 u did not proceed from any affe&ation of 
 u honour or glory amongft men, but from 
 " the love of God, and his affli&ed brother. 
 " He was naturally facetious, but he 
 u valued judgment rather than wit. He 
 u was neither prefuming or over bold, 
 " nor yet timorous; a little prone to an- 
 " ger, but never exceffive in it either as 
 11 to meafure or time. Being well ailiired 
 u in himfelf of his own intregrity, he 
 <c heard without uneaiinefs the calumnies 
 " which fome malicious perfons had pro- 
 " pagated concerning him, only he was 
 " forry that men fliould be fo wicked and 
 " rafh as to invent or report faliehoodsand 
 u lies merely to gratify a malignant or 
 " envious difpofition *." 
 
 He had often fignified, that it was his 
 defire to be buried in Chriil Church 
 Hofpital, the interefts of which charitable 
 inftitution he appeared to have much at 
 heart when living. In compliance with 
 this his defire, he was interred in the 
 cloyftersof that Hofpital, andhis relatives 
 
 * Life, p. 83, 4. The above quotution is not 
 flriftly literal, a tew alterations were made with a view- 
 to convey the fame fcnfe the more clearly. 
 
 G 5- erected
 
 ere&ed a marble to his memory, -with 
 the following infcription. 
 
 UNDER that ftcnc, near this place, 
 lyeth the body of Thomas Firmin, late 
 Citizen of London, aGovernour of this and 
 St. Thomas's Hojpital ; who by the Grace 
 of God, was created in Chrift Jejus unto 
 good works, 'wherein he 'was indefatigabfy 
 induftrious, and fuccefs fully provoked many 
 others thereto, becoming alfo their .Almo- 
 ner, vijiting and relieving the Poor at their 
 Houfes, and in prifons, whence alfo he re- 
 deemed many. He Jet many hundreds of 
 them at work, to the expending of great 
 flocks : he rebuilt, repaired, and added con- 
 veniences to Hofpitals, weekly overfeeing 
 the Orphans. The Refugees from France, 
 and from Ireland, have partaken largely, 
 the ejfecJs of his Charity, Pains, and ear- 
 neft Solicitations for them. He was won- 
 derfully Zealous in every good Work, be- 
 yond the Example of any in our age. Thus 
 Jhewed-he his Faith by his Works, and 
 cannot rcajonally be reproached for that 
 which brought forth fuch plenty of Good 
 Fruits. 
 
 He died Dec. 20, 1697, and in the 66th 
 year of his s4ge *. 
 
 * Life, p. 89, 90. Lady
 
 Lady Clayton had fo great a refpet 
 for his memory, that, with the concur- 
 rence of Sir Robert, (he ere&ed a hand- 
 fbme monument in their garden at Mar- 
 den in Surry, in a walk called Mr. Fir- 
 min's fi^alk, he being the perfon who 
 had planned it. This monument is a 
 marble pillar, about eight feet high, 
 with an urn and flowers growing out of 
 the top of it, with this moto, Florefcit 
 funere virtus, there is alfo a marble table 
 fixed to one fide of the pillar, with the 
 following infcription. 
 
 To perpetuate (as far as Marble and 
 Love can do it ) the Memory of Thomas 
 Fir mi n Citizen of London. 
 
 None ever paffed the fever al periods of 
 Human Life more irreproachably ', or per- 
 form' d the common Duties of Society "wit 1 * 
 greater fence rity and approbation. Though 
 it appears, by his public fpirit, that lit 
 thought him/elf born rather for the Benefit 
 of others, than his ou>n private Advan- 
 tage ; yet the fat is faction of doing C ', 
 and the universal efteeiti of hone ft ;; 
 made him the happieft perjon in the world. 
 But his Charity ( which -was net confined 
 
 to
 
 ? o any Nation, Sctf, or Party J is moft 
 -worthy thy Imitation, at leaft in fome De- 
 gree, Reader / He iuas as liberal of his 
 oivn, as faithful in distributing the pious 
 Donations of others iuhom he Jiiccejsfully 
 ferfuaded to relieve the diftreffed, par- 
 ticularly the laborious poor ; for of vagrant, 
 idle, and infolent Beggars, he was no ad- 
 vocate nor encourager. His agreeable 
 Temper rendered him an extraordinary 
 lover of Gardens, Ite contrived this Walk, 
 which bears his Name, and 'where his im- 
 proving Converjation and Example arejlill 
 remembered. But fine e Heaven has better 
 dijpofed of him, this Pillar is eretfed to 
 Charity and Friend/hip by Sir Robert Clay- 
 ton, and Martha his Lady, -who fir ft build- 
 ed and planted in Mar den. 
 
 Born at Ipfwich, in Sziffo/fc. 
 Buried in Chrift Church Hojpital London. 
 
 Gardening was the amnfement in 
 which Mr. Firmin chiefly delighted. 
 The author of his life fays " He culti- 
 " vated a piece of ground at Hoxton, not 
 tc a mile from London, where he raifcd 
 *' flowers, and in time attained no fmall 
 " (kill in the art of gardening, in the 
 " culture of flowers, herbs, greens, and 
 
 f fruit
 
 " fruit trees of all forts. I have often 
 *' borne him company to his garden ; but 
 " either going, or Coming back, lie uied 
 " often to viiit the poor and lick: this 
 " was one of Mr. Biddle's leffons, that 
 u it is a .duty not only to relieve, but 
 " to vifit the fick and poor; becaufe 
 * l they are hereby encouraged and com- 
 " forted, and we come to know more of 
 " what nature and degree their ftraits 
 " are, and that fome are more worthy 
 u of affiftance than others; and their con- 
 " dition being known, fometimes we are 
 " able to affift them by our counfel, or 
 " our intereft, much more effectually 
 u than by the charity we do or can be- 
 " flow upon them * 
 
 " Such were the general endeavours and 
 <c performances of Mr. v Firmin's life. 
 " The particulars under each general 
 " head were fo numerous, that to relate 
 " them all would perhaps tire both the 
 " Reader and the Writer. We have taken 
 " a view, though but an imperfeft one, of 
 " a perfon of middle extraction and flen- 
 u der beginnings, who raifed himfelf to 
 u the honour of a very great number of 
 
 * Life, p. io, 
 
 " illuftrious
 
 C '58 ) 
 
 (c illuflrious friendships, and to an afflu* 
 u ence of worldly wealth ; to which 
 " when he had attained by iriduftry, 
 " integrity, and worth, like our Saviour, 
 u he went about doing good. ' In refpedt 
 <c of his endeavours in all kinds of cha- 
 " rity, he may defervedly be called the 
 u Father of the Poor., and with regard to 
 " the Irifh and French refugees, theAlmo- 
 " ner of England. The Divine hand had 
 " qualified him to do much good, him- 
 " ielf fought out the obje&s and occa- 
 " fions for it, and delighted in the work. 
 " Arid he did it with ib much diligence 
 " and application that he might even 
 " have {aid with our Saviour, my meat is 
 " to do the 'will of him that fent me ; and 
 " to finifhhis Work. 
 
 " The Jefuit, who affifted the late fa- 
 " mous Marfhal Luxemburgh in his laft 
 " hours, thought he might well put this 
 " qucftion to him: Well, Sir, tell me, 
 " had you not rather now to have given 
 " one alms to a poor man, in his diflrefs 
 u for God's fake, than to have won fo 
 u many victories in the field of battle? 
 " the Marmal confefled he mould now 
 " choofe the former, feeing nothing will 
 44 avail any man, in the eternal world, 
 
 "but
 
 ( 139 ) 
 
 " but only the actions of charity, or 
 u of juilice and piety. The confeflor 
 " doth not feem to have been imperti- 
 " nent in the queftion ; for in our ferious 
 " laft hours we fliall all be fenlible, 
 " and be likewife ready to confefs, that 
 14 we were wife only in that part of our 
 " life which was laid out in the duties 
 u either of humanity towards men, or 
 u piety towards God. The Crafli and 
 " Craefi, the Hannibals andLuxemburghs, 
 " the mod conspicuous for wealth or mi- 
 " litary glory, how gladly would they in 
 u their expiring moments, exchangeall the 
 " fruits of their ambition, for fome part 
 " of our Firmin's toil and labour for the 
 " poor, and the deferving. Is it for 
 " want of faith or of conjideration^ that 
 " we are fo better pleafcd with read- 
 " ing the afts of the Alexanders, the 
 " Charlemains, and other falfe heroes, 
 " than thofe of perfons who have beeri 
 " exemplary for juftice, beneficence or 
 " devotion, and are now triumphant iri 
 " heaven on the account of thofe fcrvices 
 u to God and to men : but fo it is, either 
 u becaufc we are not Chriftians or bc- 
 " caufewe are, fools; we are, commonly 
 
 " fpeakingj
 
 ( 160 ) 
 
 " fpeaking,better pleafed with the fons of 
 " earth than of heaven *." 
 
 It is to be hoped, that the Readers of 
 Mr. Firmiri's life, whoever they may be, 
 will learn to value and to imitate fo ex- 
 alted a character, and be confirmed and 
 drengthened in the befl and worthiefl 
 difpolitions, efpecially in humanity, and 
 charity. Mr. Firmin affords the bed 
 example on record to young tradefmeri. 
 Such may learn what vafl fervice one of 
 but fmall fortune was capable of doing, 
 by driving to merit the acquaintance of 
 fuch perfons of rank and eminence as 
 were enabled and difpofed to do good. 
 Many, who have fufficient wealth to ren- 
 der them extenfively and eminently ufe- 
 ful to their fellow creatures, would be 
 really fo, did fome a&ive perfons of 
 known ability and integrity dir them up 
 to it by their examples and felicitations : 
 Mr. Firmin was a great mader of the 
 art of perfuafion. He pofleffed a con- 
 fiderable degree of prudence as well as 
 wit and addrefs, and knew hp w to choofe 
 the mollia tempora fandi, the fitted feafons 
 for fpeaking, and when he fpoke, he ap- 
 
 * Life, p. 77, -9, the quotation is not quite literal. 
 
 plied
 
 pfied himfelf to thofe paflions of the per- 
 ion whom he folicited which could mofl 
 effectually be wrought upon. He once 
 went to afk a citizen of the higheft rank, 
 for his charity towards rebuilding St. 
 Thomas's hofpital, and petitioned him 
 for no lefs than one hundred pounds. 
 This citizen having been fome way or 
 other difobliged by the governors of the 
 hofpital, refufed to fubfcribe any thing. 
 But Mr. Firmin feeing him one day in 
 company with fome friends, whom he 
 refpe<fted, and by whom he was willing 
 to be refpetfted, and alfo finding that he 
 was in a very good humour, he again 
 renewed his requeft, and by this well 
 timed application obtained the whole 
 fum which he had defired *. To his 
 peribnal felicitations he was fometimes 
 forced to add letters; and frequently 
 fucceeded beft by the arguments there 
 made ufe of. It appears, by one of his 
 books, dated 1679, that he had received 
 the fum of five hundred and twenty 
 pounds from feventy-two perfons, and in 
 the year 1681, the fum of five hundred 
 and thirty-two pounds from forty-three 
 
 * Life, p. 47. 
 
 perfons.
 
 perfons. All thefe were to be treated 
 with privately, as opportunity offered; 
 which required much time, caution, in- 
 duftry and difcretion, which laid out on 
 his own bufinefs muft have been of vaft 
 private advantage. Mr. Firmin might 
 much more eafily have been one of the 
 great men of the world, than almoner 
 general for the poor and the hofpitals *. 
 Thus it was, that, though he was a 
 great mailer of the art of perfuafion, his 
 aftions always (poke with more elo- 
 quence and force than his words: and 
 as he never thought any thing, which he 
 could fay or do, was too much, when 
 charity was the fubjeft, he met with un- 
 common fuccefs in his applications. But 
 leffons of benevolence and humanity are 
 not the only ones which we may learn 
 from a review of Mr. Firmin's character. 
 What was it which made him fo adlive, 
 fo ufeful, and fo exemplary ? it was a 
 principle of religion. The feelings, 
 natural to the human heart, may excite a 
 man to relieve a diflrefTed objedt, who 
 appears in view ; but to be inceffantly 
 feeking out for fuch, and labouring for 
 
 * Life p. 4$. 
 
 their
 
 their good, to facrifice not only riches, 
 but alib many of the comforts of life, 
 to wafte the flrength and health in the 
 icrvice of ftrangers and foreigners, thefe 
 are actions which clearly prove that the 
 mind is actuated by religious motives. 
 And. what religion is fo well adapted to 
 render a man unwearied in well doing 
 as the religion of Jefus ? and what more 
 excellent definition can be given of re- 
 ligion than that which we have in one 
 of the fa c red writers ? Pure religion and 
 undefiled before God and the Father is this, 
 to vijit the FatherieJ's and Widows in their 
 affliction^ and to keep himfelfunfpottedfrom 
 the 'world *. The excellent nature and 
 happy tendency of this religion Mr. Fir- 
 min underftood and felt; and he was un- 
 wearied in his endeavours to promote 
 the knowledge of it in its purity and the 
 pradlice of it in its fulleft extent. And 
 what but a fecret love to vice, of fome 
 one vice at leaft, or a moft unaccount- 
 able turn of mind can render any perfon, 
 who loves his fellow creatures, an enemy 
 to the Gofpel of Jefus Chrift ? this Gof- 
 pel contains the molt excellent rules; 
 
 * James, i. 37. 
 
 it
 
 it fets before us the moft perfect ex- 
 ample ; and the rewards which are pro- 
 mifed to a patient continuance in well- 
 doing, afford the mod powerful motives 
 which can be offered, to raife in the 
 human heart the warmeft regard to 
 every thing great and noble. The 
 characters, which have been formed upon . 
 the Gofpel model, will appear upon ex- 
 amination to have been the mod uni- 
 formly good and ufeful which have ever 
 been exhibited to the world. And the 
 review of fuch a character as Mr. Fir- 
 , min's cannot fail of exciting in every 
 virtuous mind, an increafing love and re- 
 verence for that religion, which laid the 
 foundation of fo many worthy and gene- 
 rous deeds. 
 
 If any, who read his life, mould be in- 
 clined to think unfavourably of Mr. Fir- 
 min on account of his religious f'enti- 
 ments, (which on fome controverted 
 points, were very different from thofe 
 contained in the creeds and confeflions 
 generally ftyled orthodox) let them only 
 lay afide their prejudices in favour of a 
 particular fyftem, and they will fee and 
 acknowledge his worth. Some, who ftyle 
 themfelves niinifters of the Gofpel of 
 
 peace.
 
 peace, will yet take upon them in moft 
 of their public difcourfes, -rafhly to con- 
 demn thofe, who cannot aflent to their 
 explanations on doubtful and myfterious 
 points. By this means many ferious and 
 well difpofed perfons are led to think 
 unfavourably, and to (peak harfbly of 
 thofe, who differ from them. It is to be 
 lamented that the men, who are zealous 
 for controverted doftrines, about which 
 there have been almoft endlcfs difputes, 
 mould at the fame time be forgetful of 
 this plain precept of their Redeemer, 
 Judge not that ye be not judged*. Such 
 may very properly be afked in the lan- 
 guage of the Apoflle Paul, Who art thoit 
 that judgejl another man's Jervant f to his 
 own majler he (tandeth or falleth -j*. If men 
 bring forth the fruits of righteoufnefs in 
 their conduct and behaviour, how dare 
 we to call in queftion the fincerity of 
 their faith? This is fetting up ourfelves 
 for judges of the heart, which is the fole 
 prerogative of God. We may be allured, 
 that He, being infinitely wife and good, 
 though He may not fee fit to guard his 
 creatures againfl every miflake, yet will 
 
 * Mat. vii. i. f Rom.'xiv. 4. 
 
 not
 
 not fufFer thofe, who appear flnccrely 
 defirous of knowing and doing his will 
 to fall into any fatal error *. A little 
 acquaintance with the hifiory of religion, 
 and with the worthy characters of per- 
 fons differing from each other in fpecu- 
 
 lative 
 
 * Very pertinent to this matter are the fentiments 
 contained in a fermon occafioned by the death of Mr. 
 Firmin, and affixed to his Life. It appears from the 
 title page to have been preached in the country ; but 
 wJiere, or by whom, it is not faid. In all probability it 
 was delivered to fome little private fociety of Unita- 
 rians, who might perhaps have ventured to hold one 
 fecret meeting, that they might iUr up each other to 
 imitate the exupllencies of their depnrted friend, who 
 had done their caufe fo much honour, and who wns 
 worthy of general imitation. Happy no doubt would 
 they have thought themfelves, if the fpirit of the 
 times had permitted their more publicly aitembii&g. 
 The text was very fuitable to the occafion ; Luke, x. 
 '36, 37. Which of thefe three, tblnkffc thoit, was 
 neighbour to him that fell atnong the thieves? He c.r.- 
 Jkvcred, be that Jhewed mercy on him. Then faid J(fu> , 
 go and do than likcwife. On thefe words the preacher 
 made a number of ufeful and practical observations, 
 of which the following may not be improperly quoted. 
 " The caufe of fo great an averfion and difpleafure 
 " between the Samaritans and Jews, was difference 
 " of religion. The Samaritans owned only the firit 
 *' five books of Holy Scripture, namely the books 
 " written by Mofes. As to the prophets, the books 
 *' of Solomon, the Pfalms of David, Job, the books 
 ' of Kings and Chronicles, Nehemiah, Ezra, Ruth, 
 ^ JEilher ; thefe they received not as divine books. 
 
 " There
 
 ( 167 ) 
 
 lative points, will tend to banifh all nar- 
 row prejudices from the pious and good 
 of every denomination, and they will 
 learn to love one another with a pure 
 heart fervently. Heaven is large enough 
 to contain a.U the fincere friends of truth 
 
 and 
 
 " There is no doubt that, in thefe matters, the Sama- 
 *' ritans were to blame, and were in the wrong; the 
 " Jews had the advantage in all points that were con- 
 " troverted between them and the Samaritans. Nay 
 ' farther, the Samaritans miltook even about the ob- 
 ' ject of worfhip, God. Their notions or apprehen- 
 4 lions of God, feem to have been confufed and un- 
 ' certaia. "They are the words of our Saviour, John 
 * iv. 22. Te (ye Samaritans) kno-w not what yc ivor- 
 l jbip; ive (we Jews) k/io-.v ivbat ivc oftr/hif. The 
 *' error then of the Samaritans conlilled, not only in 
 " refuting diverfe books, belonging to the Old Tefta- 
 ment, but their conceptions or opinions concerning 
 God were not clear or true. Ye know not, fays our 
 Saviour, what ye worfhip; that is, ye know not 
 God : fome knowledge ye have of him, but ye know 
 him not rightly : it is an obfcure, confufed, and 
 for the moil part of it, a mittaken knowledge that 
 " ye have of him. 
 
 " Of this nation, and of this religion, \vns the per- 
 *' fon whom our text fo much commends. This is he 
 " of whom our Saviour fays here, he was the true 
 " neighbour; the perfon whom the law of God in- 
 *' tends when it fays, Thoujhalt love tby neighbour as 
 " tbyfclf. He was not a Jew, that is, he was not of 
 " the true church of God : he owned but a fmall 
 " part of Holy Scriptures, difowning the far greater 
 " part of the Divine Word. His knowledge of the 
 
 " object
 
 ( 168 ) 
 
 and virtue; and however fuch may dif- 
 fer in leffer matters, their views are all 
 directed to the fame end, and they are 
 all going t'o the fame place. Mr. Firmin 
 thus humble, though at the fame time 
 with a rational confidence, exprefTed 
 
 his 
 
 <{ object of worftiip, of God, was fo imperfect, uncer- 
 " tain and confuted, that our Saviour himfelf pro- 
 *' nounces, the men of that religion knew not God. 
 " But with all thefe infelicities he was a doer of good, 
 " a lover of. men, adorned with beneficent, charitable 
 *' principles. Not carried away by the common 
 *' and general example, whether of the Samaritans 
 *' or Jews, to hate others merely for their religion ; 
 " open handed and well affected to men as men. Such 
 *' a one, fays our Saviour in this text, is to be ae- 
 " counted a neighbour, he belongs to that charge 
 " and law of God, tbou fnalt h've thy neighbour as 
 ** thyfelf. A Levite, or Prieit, though he is a mini- 
 " Her of God Moit High, may lefs deferve the be- 
 " nefit of that law ; he may not have fo good a claim 
 *' to it, as a man of a far country, and another reli- 
 *' gion ; the good man, the doer of good, is that 
 *' perfon who only can challenge it as his right, to be 
 *' loved as ourfelves. Give me leave to make thefe 
 *' few fhort remarks hereupon. 
 
 i ft. " Our moft biefled Saviour prefers here the 
 ttJ Samaritan before the Levite, and the Prieft ; the 
 " doer of good before the man of right faith or true 
 opinions : the reafon is a man's faith, his right feet 
 " or way of religion, why, it is a detireable thing, a 
 " valuable felicity ; but it does good to nobody but to 
 * the perfon himfelf. If I hold the true religion in 
 " all refpe<fts, fo as not to iniilake fo much as in one
 
 ( 1*9 ) 
 
 his hopes of happinefs in his expiring 
 moments ; " . I truft (faid he) that God 
 " will not condemn me to worfe coin- 
 u pany than I have loved and ufed in the 
 " prefent life." His delight had been i'n 
 the company and converge of the excel- 
 lent 
 
 " poinj: what is the world, what is my neighbour 
 ** the better for my great and exaft knowledge and 
 " fkill ? But if, like the Samaritan in this text, I am 
 " a lover of men* a doer of good, open handed ; or 
 *' if I cannot do fo, yet open hearted ; a great many 
 " others onetime or other (hall be the better for this. 
 " We cannot reafonably wonder that God efteems a 
 " virtue which is ufeful to many, before a right faith, or 
 '* true knowledge, which are not a common and gene- 
 " ral good, as the doing of good is. 
 
 " zd. Again I take notice, it is not indeed in every 
 " one's powers to do, as this Samaritan, to relieve the 
 " poor or ditbrefled in their wants, or to encourage the 
 *' worthy and deferving in their excellent endeavours. 
 *' But though few of us have the Samaritan's purfe, :tll 
 *' may, and fhould, have his fpirit. We can ail of us 
 " countenance, and beof parry with the well deferving ; 
 " and the poor we can all of us help by our counfel, 
 *' favour, good looks and good words. There is no 
 ** commandment of God but all perfons may earn 
 " the recompence that belongs to it; for nil of us can. 
 *' perform it either in acl, or by approving, applaud-- 
 *' ing and favouring it. I m;ike the deed of this 
 '* Samaritan, nay. all the beft deeds of all other publio 
 4t fpirited, well-difpofed men to be mine, if wanting 
 <: their wealth or their opportunities, I efteem the: 
 " perfons tor their actions, the men ior what-thcy do, 
 H. oa
 
 ('70 ) 
 
 lent of the earth, and fuch he hoped 
 would be his companions through eter- 
 nity. 
 
 How rational, and at the fame time 
 how noble and exalted, are the views 
 and profpe&s of a fincere chriftian I If it 
 
 be 
 
 *' or have done. The firft beginnings of excellent 
 " virtue of vvhatfoever kind, are ufually in our appro- 
 " bation of thefe kind of adYions. 
 
 "3d. Not the Levite, not the Prieft, fays our 
 " Saviour have, but the Samaritan, the doer of good, 
 " is that neighbour whom by God's law thou art to 
 *' love as thyfelf. It is true the Samaritan is of 
 " another religion, he is fo overfeen as not to own 
 " fome books that are genuine parts of Holy 
 " Scripture : nay he has great miitakes about the very 
 " object of worfhip, about the very perfon of God ; 
 his conceptions of God are fo confuted and uncer- 
 tain, that he worfhips he knows not well what. 
 For all that I fay to thee, feeing he is an ufeful man, 
 full of good works, thou art to love him as thyfelf, 
 his ftrange country or his miftaken religion not- 
 " withitanding. But here what fay fome men ? what, 
 ' embrace a Samaritan, a heretic, a man of falfe 
 * religion ? we have learned better things, and that 
 " from Holy Scripture, from the Word of God itfelf. 
 *' j4 man that is an heretic after the firji and fecond 
 " admonition rejeft, Tit. iii. id. that is, call him off 
 ' have nothing to do with him, avoid him as a pefh 
 " It is too common among the contending parties of 
 " chriilians, to take fcripture words and names, and 
 " having put them on the wrong perfon or fubjecl, 
 ' to conclude prefently, we have confuted and 
 
 ' {named
 
 be indeed poflible for two or three in an 
 age, after having imbibed the celebrated 
 Mr. Hume's principles, to quit the world 
 like their matter. If this might happen 
 to be the cafe in a few, a very few in- 
 ftances, where, owing to moderate paf- 
 
 fions^ 
 
 *' fliamed~them. A heretic, fays the Apoftle, reieothim, 
 
 caft him off. Right ! But then let us me. in 'Vlvit 
 
 heretic he means. He means factious perfons, 
 
 whether they be of a right or of a wrong opinion 
 
 in religion. To lay it in few words, herefy is bigotry, 
 
 or faction ; and heretic is a bigot, a factious or tur- 
 
 " bulent perfon, whether fiich perfon hap.vns to be 
 
 " right or wrong in his opinions, llarefcs funt 
 
 ,*' placita vchementias defcnfa, lays a moft learned 
 
 " critic : herefy is any opinion, whether in philofophy, 
 
 *' religion, or politics, for which men contend too 
 
 *' earneftly and fiercely. It is not thcu the truth or 
 
 " falfehood of any opinion that makes it to be herefy, 
 
 *' and the perfon that holds it a heretic, it is the fur, 
 
 44 clamour, and buftle mjide about it by any, that 
 
 *' makes the opinion here.'y, and the man a heretic : 
 
 *' concerning fuch men the ApoiHe directs well, 
 
 *' rejcfi them after having- admonifhed them once 
 
 " and again of their dangerous warmth, avoid them, 
 
 *' have no more to do with them. But as for others 
 
 *' who are miftaken, that is, we think thev arc nv (Liken 
 
 *' in their doctrines, the charge concerning t!ic:n is 
 
 *' notto reject them or avoid them. Onthe contrary, we 
 
 *' are cautioned not to judge them, not to condemn- 
 
 " them ; and for th : s realbn, becaufe they erring eon- 
 
 ** fcientioufly, God receives them, God accept* them, 
 
 44 God will uphold them. Rom, xiv. 4. In ihorr, 
 
 H 2
 
 fions, or few temptations, no atrocious 
 adls have been committed to alarm tiie 
 confcience in a dying hour ; fuppofing 
 that fuch an one, not having formed the 
 dear and tender connections of a hufband 
 and a father, might be able to quit life 
 with a calm indifference ; yet as we are 
 all liable to be drawn afide fo as to com- 
 mit vices injurious to our own peace and 
 the good order of focicty, muft not the 
 reflraints of religion be very ufeful ? if 
 an effedtionate wife, a venerable parent, 
 or a train of little helplefs innocents, over 
 whom his heart yearns with the fondeft 
 affeclion, attend the bed of an expiring 
 mortal ; if fuch weep over his languifh- 
 ing body, and with all the eloquence of 
 
 *' they fay a heretic is to be reje&ed. I anfwer yes, 
 every bigot, every turbulent perfon, every fire- 
 brand, of whatfoever fed~l or perfuafion. But for 
 heretics that are commonly fo mifcalled, that is, 
 perfons erring in doctrine, it will but ill become us 
 to reject them when the Holy Scriptures aflare us in 
 exprefs terms that God accepts them." Thcfe ob- 
 fervations were much more juft ;;nd liberal, than they 
 were common at the time of their being delivered ; and 
 though it is to be hoped that a much better fpirit pre- 
 vails now, yet leflbns of charity snd moderation can 
 hardly V e too often inculcated. This may excufe the 
 length of the quotation, which is but an abridgement of 
 the preacher's arguments. 
 
 grief,
 
 grief, bemoan his approaching end, can 
 he calmly confign them over to fate and 
 chance, and no one knows what, or 
 cheerfully welcome the approach of 
 death, which will carry him he knows 
 not whither ? 
 
 Oh Scepticifm ! poor and feeble muft 
 be thy aid in fuch circumftances, unlefs 
 thy difciple have a heart of flone ! But 
 Chriftianity affords the moil noble confo- 
 lations at all feafons. The believer is 
 perfuaded, that, though he leaves a help- 
 lefs offspring, the Father of the univerfe 
 will be their friend ; and as to himfelf, he 
 hath a good hope, that pleafures are in 
 {lore for him much more fublime and 
 noble than this world can afford. In 
 heaven the good are affured not only of 
 an eternal exemption from pain and for- 
 row, but likewife of the, fruition of every 
 thing, which can adminifter joy to their 
 fouls. As to the pleafures of fociety and 
 friendfhip they will undoubtedly enjoy 
 them in a moft exalted degree. All the 
 children of God will then make but one 
 family ; the pious and good (and amongft 
 thefe may be reckoned the moft accom- 
 pliftied and learned of every age and of 
 
 every
 
 ( 174 ) 
 
 every country) will meet together in 
 thofe bleft abodes. 
 
 Renowned warriors, who have fought, 
 not as ambition , but as the duty they 
 owed to their country and to mankind 
 prompted them, will with fatisfa&ion 
 review, and with pleafure recount their 
 exploits ; philofophers, who ftudied the 
 works of creation, with a defire of mani- 
 fcfting the divine wifdom, will be able to 
 unfold all the fecrets of nature; and per- 
 haps be conveyed (if they wifh it) as 
 quick as thought from ftar to ftar, and 
 from world to world. 
 
 Poets, who have devoted their talents 
 to ferve the interefts of virtue, will there 
 tune the praifes of the Moft High on im- 
 mortal lyres ; and the miniflers and 
 friends of religion, who have fincerely 
 endeavoured to promote juflice, purity, 
 benevolence v and love, will there, with 
 one heart and with one foul, join in 
 thofe afcriptions of praife which are fo 
 juflly due; To the King Eternal, Immor- 
 tal, Invisible, the only Wife Gad; and to 
 Jefus the Princs of the Kings of the Earthy 
 -who loved us and iva/hed its from our fins 
 in his own blood. 
 
 Such
 
 ( 175" ) 
 
 Such are the reflections, which 
 naturally arife to the mind on contem- 
 plating the feveral parts of his conduit, 
 whofe life is the fiibjeift of this book. 
 Happy will he be, who has attempted to 
 fet before mankind fo mining a pattern 
 of difinterefted benevolence, and to re- 
 vive the memory of one, in whom were 
 united, to iuch a remarkable degree, the 
 moft amiable and ufeful qualities, which 
 can adorn humanity, if but one perfon 
 be wrought upon to afpire after an imi- 
 tation of thofe various excellencies, 
 which joined in forming the character -ef 
 
 MR. THOMAS FIRMIN. 
 
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 and Sufferings. With occafional obferva- 
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 Remarks on fome PafTagesof hisLordfliip's 
 Pamphlet entitled, " Confiderations on the 
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 " to Articles of Faith." Price is. 
 
 N. B. The defign of this Letter is to (hew, that 
 fuch clergymen as with his Lordihip, regard Sub- 
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 not on any account whatfoever to make fuch Subfcrip- 
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