Midland Churches: A History of the Congregations on - General ...

Meeting Charity Sermons. -A very courteous letter was received in reply,
and prudential reasons stated for declining <strong>the</strong> invitation.
Bache was a preacher and public man <strong>of</strong> strong powers, correct attain-
ment, and cultivated taste ; formal and urbane in manner.
Among Unitarians [we quote from <strong>the</strong> article by A.G. in Dic. Nut. 19%;
he represented that conservative school which aims to carry out <strong>the</strong> principles
<strong>of</strong> Locke's " Reasonableness <strong>of</strong> Christianity ;" regarding Jesus Christ as <strong>the</strong>
miraculously attested exponent <strong>of</strong> a pure morality, and a simple <strong>the</strong>ology,
and <strong>the</strong> revealer, by his resurrection, <strong>of</strong> an eternal life. On 23 May, 1866,
he proposed <strong>the</strong> embodiment in <strong>the</strong> constitution <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> British and Foreign
Unitarian Association <strong>of</strong> a recognition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> special divine mission and
authority as a religious teacher <strong>of</strong> Jesus Christ, which was met by carrying
<strong>the</strong> previous question.
Dr. Priestley preached <strong>the</strong> first annual Sunday School Sermon in 1789,
and at <strong>the</strong> Centenary Celebration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> founding <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> schools in 1888
a medal was struck to commemorate <strong>the</strong> event. -The obverse bears two
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oval medallions facing one ano<strong>the</strong>r, being pr<strong>of</strong>ile portraits <strong>of</strong> Dr. Priestley
and Dr. Crosskey, with <strong>the</strong> dates <strong>of</strong> 1788 and 1888 ; on <strong>the</strong> reverse is this
inscription :-
This medal commemorates <strong>the</strong> celebration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hundredth year <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> New
Meeting and Church <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Messiah Sunday Schools, Birmingham. Schools
opened March, 1788 ; first annual sermons preached by Dr. Priestley in <strong>the</strong>
New Meeting-house, November, 1789 ; centenary sermons preached by Dr.
Crosskey in <strong>the</strong> Church <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Messiah, 7 October, 1888.
For recent accounts <strong>of</strong> Dr. Priestley <strong>the</strong> reader is referred to his biography,
by A.G., in <strong>the</strong> Dictio?zn7-l, <strong>of</strong> National Biog~aphy, and to <strong>the</strong> admirable
chapter on "Priestley as a Pioneer in Theological Science," in Heads <strong>of</strong>
E?zgZish Ufzitnrian <strong>History</strong>, by Alexander Gordon, M.A.*
Sillitoe married a daughter <strong>of</strong> William Fincher, one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ejected minis-
ters, whose name is recorded on <strong>the</strong> brass in <strong>the</strong> Old Meeting Church.
He died early in life, probably about 1704. Mrs. Sillitoe died in 1732.
Thomas Pickard's name appears in <strong>the</strong> heading <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first volume or
<strong>the</strong> Baptismal Register :--The Register <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> late Rev. Tholrzns PicJard when
he Began to Baptise in Pebr~tnry, 1735, and conti7zued fill Octobe,; 1746, at
Birmingham, and sund~y o<strong>the</strong>r places.
*The inscription, written by Dr. Parr, on <strong>the</strong> tablet to Dr. Priestley's memory,
formerly in <strong>the</strong> New Meeting-house and now in <strong>the</strong> Church <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Messiah, is given in
<strong>the</strong> M.R., 1820, p. 85.
Samuel Bourn preached his first sermon as minister <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> congrega-
tion on <strong>the</strong> occasion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> opening <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> New Meeting-house on 19 Apr~l,
1732.
The late Mr. Brooke Smith (d. February, 1876), whose labours on
behalf <strong>of</strong> this congregation were abundant in faithfulness, was a grandson
<strong>of</strong> William Hawkes, <strong>the</strong> immediate predecessor in <strong>the</strong> ministry here <strong>of</strong> Dr.
Priestley. His son, Mr. Priestley Smith, was one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> speakers at <strong>the</strong>
dinner held in Birmingham, on 14 July, 1891, at which <strong>the</strong> author was
present, on <strong>the</strong> occasion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> centenary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Priestley riots.
Dr. Priestley's letter <strong>of</strong> resignation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pulpit <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> New Meeting-
house was dated from London on 8 October, 1791, but he did not preach
from it after <strong>the</strong> riots in July.
Priestley's son, Joseph, was amongst <strong>the</strong> workers in <strong>the</strong> earliest days
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sunday school here. He died in Exeter, and was buried in <strong>the</strong>
graveyard attached to George's Meeting, <strong>the</strong> spot being marked by a plain
upright headstone. *
John Edwards, who resigned at Midsummer, 1802, though an excellent
swimmer, lost his life whilst indulging in his favourite recreation <strong>of</strong> bathing
on <strong>the</strong> coast <strong>of</strong> Dorset.
David Jones was <strong>the</strong> son <strong>of</strong> a Welsh land proprietor, at Bwlch, near
Llandovery, in South Wales, from which he was led to adopt <strong>the</strong> signature
<strong>of</strong> &A Welsh Freeholder' in <strong>the</strong> defences <strong>of</strong> Unitarianism against Horsley,
<strong>the</strong>n Bishop <strong>of</strong> St. David's, which he subsequently published. The Rev.
John Kenrick, M.A., F. S.A., says?-
&
he was a man <strong>of</strong> colisiderable vigour <strong>of</strong> mind, but <strong>of</strong> a restless and ambitious
temper. Whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> sceptical spirit <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> times had undermined his re-
ligious belief, or he pro5essed scepticism as an excuse for a conforn~ity to
which he was prompted by ambition, I do not know ; but when he abandoned
<strong>the</strong> ministry and entered himself <strong>of</strong> Caius' College, with a view to taking a
degree and being called to <strong>the</strong> bar, he justified subscription to <strong>the</strong> Thirty-
nine Articles by alleging that all religious opinions were, in his view, equally
uncertain.
*It bears this inscription, which I copied in May, 1897 :--Sacred to <strong>the</strong> memory <strong>of</strong>
Joseph Priestley, <strong>of</strong> Cradley, in <strong>the</strong> County <strong>of</strong> Worcester (eldest son <strong>of</strong> Dr. Joseph
Priestley), who died in this city, September 2, 1833, aged 65 years. G.E.E.
+A Biographical Memoir <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> late Rev. Charles Wellbeloved, 1860, p. 8.