No. CLXX.]

TH

HIS prelate, like many other persons who have attained stations of eminence to which at the outset of life they seemed to have no pretensions, had his enemies. One means which they adopted to shew their dislike was to recall to the public observation the circumstances of his birth, baptism, education, and early connexions in the Dissenting body. But it is remarkable that after all, little seems to have been discovered; for it is certain that little that is clear and satisfactory has ever been laid before the public respecting that period of his life which passed before he went over to Paris to pursue his medical studies. His chaplain, who published a review of his life soon after his decease, has given us very scanty notices of the first four-and-twenty years, and has passed over unnoticed the friends of that period, who had doubtless no inconsiderable influence in forming the prelate's mind to that excellence which he has so well described, and for whom it is known that the prelate himself continued to cherish no common regard. The subject may now be considered without heat, partiality or prejudice. I shall therefore throw together a few notices of his early life, principally collected from original but authentic

[Vol. XV.

congregation of Dissenters very near to Sibthorp, in Nottinghamshire, the place of their abode. Thomas Seeker was born in 1693, and was one of the youngest children, if not the last born. While he was still in his infancy, an

elder sister became the wife of Mr. Richard Milnes, a respectable tradesman at Chesterfield, father, by a second marriage, of Dr. Richard Milnes, a highly respected physician of that town, not long since deceased. To this sister devolved much of the care of Secker's earliest years, and hence it is that we find him a pupil in the grammar-school of Chesterfield. Mr. and Mrs. Milnes were both Dissenters: and when it was the intention of his friends to devote young Secker to the ministry, it was natural that they should think of sending him to Attercliffe, where Mr. Jollie's academy was then in the height of its reputation, and only fourteen miles distant from Chesterfield. This was in 1708 or 1709. At this early period of his life there was much of the gaieté du cœur about him, and perhaps more of sprightliness and levity than was common among the Dissenting youth of those times.

of a

Stories have floated down of foolish pranks played by the students of Mr. Jollie's academy in the time of Secker, which seem to receive some countenance from the following passage letter from the Rev. Thomas Cooper, a Dissenting minister at Houghton Tower in Lancashire, where he settled soon after he had left the Attercliffe Academy: "I hear T. Jollie and Bowes are gone to London, and that the mad work at Morton's has caused the tutor to have a stricter eye over his pupils. I cannot but imagine that the new set will far ourstrip the old ones in all sorts of learning, and that such famous discoveries as Mr. Taylor's are every day made in order to edify the young generation. I long to hear some private news you have stirring amongst you. Pray, Sir,

favour me with some remarks on the place. I hear the house is turned topsy-turvy, and a strange degeneracy there is since I and some others left it. I desire you will be pleased to send me some psalm tunes, and present my respects to my son Secker, to George, and the rest of my friends thereabouts." This letter bears date the 8th of Oct. 1709. It has been questioned whether Secker ever communicated with any congregation of Dissenters. This seems to be put beyond controversy by a list which still exists of the members of Mr. Jollie's Church at Sheffield, in which the name of Thomas Secker appears along with the names of other young men, students in his academy. The precise time of his residence in the family of Mr. Jollie does not appear. In 1711, he had left Attercliffe and was in London. There he was introduced to Dr. Watts, at whose suggestion he entered himself as a student for the Dissenting ministry in an academy established by Mr. Jones, a man of real learning and great abilities, at Gloucester. His letter to Dr. Watts, written soon after his admission into this academy, which has been often published, describes the objects and plan of study, and exhibits the young writer in a favourable point of view. The same satisfaction with Mr. Jones, and with his situation, he expresses in a letter written in the same month to his sister, Mrs. Milnes, a copy of which is now before me. Mr. Jones was then intending to remove the academy, which had been held in a close part of the town, to a country situation, a change which Secker seems to have much approved. He speaks of his intention to spend the ensuing vacation among his friends at Chesterfield.

In this academy he spent four years; and they were four years well employed. This was the full term of a student's residence. At the conclusion of it, the regular course would have been, that he entered upon the practice of his profession by undertaking the charge of some congregation of Dissenters. This, however, he did not do: and the silence of those who could have set the question to rest, has left a material point in his early history affected with some uncertainty, namely, whether he ever intended to take the

charge of any Dissenting society. I mean only the silence of those who wrote under instructions from his Grace's family; for it has been asserted over and over again, by persons living in the neighbourhood of Chesterfield, who remembered him when visiting there, that he offered himself as a candidate to the small society of Dissenters in the little town of Bolsover. Mere silence, on the other side, without any positive denial, can hardly be taken as a counterpoise against the concurrent testimony of several persons: and the only part of the tradition which can, I think, with any pretence of probability be set aside, is, that he was a candidate, and not merely an occasional supply. For it appears from evidence before me, that in the autumn of 1715, when he had just left Mr. Jones's academy, Secker was at Chesterfield; and it further appears from Neal's list of Dissenting congregations made in that very year, that Bolsover was then destitute of a minister, and that the congregation was under the temporary care of the Rev. Mr. Thomas, the minister at Chesterfield, on whom Mr. and Mrs. Milnes attended, and who was an intimate friend of young Secker. Under these circumstances, nothing can appear more probable to those who know any thing of the usages of Dissenters, than that Secker might occasionally relieve his friend from a journey of seven or eight miles; and officiating to a vacant congregation as a young and unengaged minister, he might easily be mistaken for a candidate. Nor is any thing more probable than that if he did aspire to a situation in every way unworthy his talents and acquirements, the members of the Bolsover congregation might be little disposed to invite him to make a permanent settlement among them. Those sprightly and agreeable manners which at this period of his life recommended him to the affectionate regards of his family and acquaintance, would be no recommendation to a country society of Dissidents, in whom little of the old Puritan character was, it is probable, effaced, and who were unable to comprehend the value of a young man possessed of a vigorous understanding, considerable theological knowledge, and piety, genuine but rational. What would be the effect of a cool

said publicly, We had the happiest king in the world, for he was sure of the Church's prayers while he lived, and had a double right to go to heaven when he died, both as he was a cuckold, and as he was the Lord's anointed.' Nor is their respect for his friends unworthy in the least the duty they bear to him. If a man of zeal for the government docs but perform the least action that is remarkable aud out of the way, he is sure to see the face of his betters, and meet with a reward to the full whereas a man of contrary principles may do what he will without the least danger of such a favour. As to the libraries, manuscripts, inscriptions, and such fine things as I saw there, an account of them will afford no great entertainment....I am just going to lose all my company. Mr. B. is going over into Flanders, and Mr. Chandler's son, of the Bath, [afterwards Dr. Chandler,] who has lodged with me these four months, has got a place of seventy pounds a-year, and is to leave us next week, as I would do the town if it was not chiefly for one reason. I have a very good opportunity of studying natural philosophy, and particularly anatomy, this winter, which I know not whether I shall ever meet with again, and, therefore, would willingly improve now, for it is a study of a great deal of pleasure, and may be of some use.... Pray desire Mr. Milnes to let me know what I am in his debt, for I had need consider how matters stand with me whilst I live here and besides, I must lay out twenty or thirty pounds in books this winter. I believe the lead mines must be melted down, if they will but sell well; and then, Mrs. Milnes, your five pound comes."

:

(Without date.)

"I have, through the goodness of God, pretty well recovered myself by the using of exercise and eating little, which I continually find the best physic; for the original of all my disorder is the badness of my stomach. I wish brother would order me some money by Mr. Bowes as soon as he can conveniently: how much I do not determine, because whether I have ten, fifteen, or twenty pounds, it is pretty much the same to me, only sending often is more troublesome to me, and if he has enough by him, not more convenient for him.

"Mr. Bowes [afterwards the Irish Chancellor] is fixed in the change of his religion, notwithstanding all I could do. I wish he has not forsaken us, like Demas, having loved the present world."

"November, 1718. "I know not whether I have told you

I

"I went on board at Dover last night about two o'clock: we came over against Calais by eight, but the weather being misty and dark we kept out till about two, and then landed in good health. was very little sea-sick. We set out in the Paris coach to-morrow morning, and shall get there this day sevennight. We have been examined, on one account or another, at four several places, but treated with much civility. The town seems not much preferable to Chesterfield, either for beauty or largeness, but fortified to the sea, and carefully guarded. I observe the soldiers are not near so well clothed as ours. I hope I shall find the country cheap. Our passage in the coach will cost us but twenty-five shillings,—and we have a bottle of Champaigne before us, that would cost you perhaps seven and sixpence, and stands us but in eighteen pence. You shall hear from me as soon as I get to Paris, and if, in the mean time, you have occasion, you may direct to me thus: A Monsieur Monsieur Secker, (for in this land of ceremony one Monsieur will not serve their turn,) au Caffée de Grégoire.' I find myself able to talk French among them better than I expected, but here every body talks English."

"Paris, June 13, 1719. "DEAR SISTER,

"I am very much concerned at your illness, and the more so, because it hinders you from writing to me. Your complaints will always be matter of grief to me, but the hearing them from yourself will be pleasant. Let it be a short letter, let it be ill wrote, let it be as it will,but if you have any ability to write, it will always be a joy to me to receive letters from you, and I hope some advantage to you to write to me. I have not time for a long letter now, but I was not willing to let three days more pass without giving you a fresh assurance of the part I take in all your afflictions. Would to God I could do more for you, or that I was nearer to you to do what I could. Supply for me as much as you can what I ought to do, and endeavour to make yourself something more easy died in the November following.] for my sake under all.".... [Mrs. Milnes

"Paris, November 6, 1719. "I shall be obliged this winter and the next year to extraordinary expenses, besides maintaining myself, which I must

go through and fit myself for my business the best I can, whatever be the event. If I had had the good fortune to have lodged only two hundred pounds in the public stocks here when I came first, I might have gained by this time four or five thousand pounds, a sum which would have set me perfectly at ease all the rest of my life. But we must never blame ourselves for not doing what nobody could foresee a probability of success in. It is true, the profession of physick is a lottery too, and has, perhaps, as many blanks in it as any other but it was the only way I had to dispose of myself; and supposing the worst to happen, I shall only be obliged to lead a more private life in a more private way than I needed to have done before I entered upon this adventure."

Leyden, December 20, 1720. "DEAR BROTHER,

"You will be surprized at the date of this letter; but my coming here was so very sudden, that I had no time to send you or any body word of it, nor even to see my aunt Brough, though but eight miles off. I landed but two days ago, therefore can say nothing of the country. Nor can I be certain how long I shall stay, but it will be no longer than is necessary to get a degree, which I hope may be done in two months."

"Exeter College, Oxford, 1721. "When I came down here about a week ago I found your letter dated Nov. 15th, though I had given express orders that all letters should be sent up to London to me. I would not have you be positive that you guess right about my affair of importance. There are more affairs than one of importance in life. Whatever it be, it is very much at a stand at present, and yet may possibly go on again....If you write to me here, where I shall stay only a fortnight longer, it is proper not to give me my title.”

"London [early in 1722]. "The uncertainty I was in about putting on a gown is over; for I was ordained by the Bishop of Durham yesterday. I believe his lordship intends to take me down to his diocese next summer. If so,

it shall be hard but either going or coming I will see you."

"St. James's, Dec. 21, 1734. "DEAR BROTHER,

"You have always shewn so friendly

a concern about every thing which related to me, that I ought to make you acquainted with the honour the King hath very unexpectedly done me, of nominating me on Thursday last to the bishoprick of Bristol. Far from making application for any thing, I had not the least suspicion the day before, that I was thought of: and, indeed, the account that I was pitched upon gave me uneasiness, not pleasure. For I have already as much business in the management of this parish as I know how to go through, and the income of that bishoprick is so small, that it will not, in less than four years' time, pay the present expense of coming into it. But all my friends agree, that as it is thus providentially laid in my way, I ought to accept of it, and as it is a mark of his Majesty's regard, to accept it thankfully. This, therefore, I have accordingly resolved upon, and hope God will enable me to discharge the duties of the station I am called to. If you write to me soon, make no change on the outside of your letter, nor in the inside even. I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Clarke last week, and hearing that our friends at Chesterfield were well. I desire my humble service to them all, and am, "Your loving brother, "THOMAS SECKER."

SIR,

BY way of an addendum to my

paper on the doctrine of Necessity, (pp. 7-11,). I should wish briefly to state the objections which are brought against this doctrine, and briefly to reply to them.

Objection. The doctrine of Necessity annihilates the distinction between virtue and vice.

Answer. The objection is not true. A benevolent deed will retain its character, though the doctrine of Necessity be admitted. But if the actions of men proceeded from a self-determining power of the will, then, indeed, as they would indicate no disposition of the heart, they would have no moral quality, and the distinctions of morality would be set aside.

Objection. The doctrine of Necessity subverts the foundation of praise and blame.

Answer.

Then praise and blame, according to the observation just now made, can have no foundation at all. The truth is, we view moral beauty with complacency, and moral deformity with disgust; and praise and blame are the expressions of these sentiments.