Part 45

{1059} As a manuscript it is very curious for the neatness and smartness of the writing, especially as it appears to be written when the author was above 70 years of age. The beginning of the Preface, where matter corroborative of what was above suggested occurs, reads thus—

“Perceiving that Antinomianism is in a great part grown to be the completion of the dissenting interest in England, as far as my observation reaches, to the great reproach of the reformation, and scandal of the opposers of its progress: and that many who pretend to be against it are yet fond of the doctrines and opinions on which it is founded; grounding all their divinity on the decrees of God alone, abstracted from his rule of government; falling in with the hypothesis of necessity and fate, on which Hobbes founded his Atheism: making all God’s government to be merely physical, to the destruction of all religion and morality: not enduring to hear of a justification by works in any sense, though it be undeniably a scripture doctrine and expression, _Jam._ 2. 24:—asserting such an imputation of Christ’s righteousness as is essentially and formally altogether unscriptural; and the like: by which means sinners are hardened in their sin, comforted against necessary fears conducive to their safety; charity, alms-deeds, and all good works at a fatal stop; people taught to presume without ground; calling a good conscience, or a consciousness of keeping Christ’s commandments, the building on a rotten foundation: tho’ Christ saith the contrary. _Math._ 7, 24. Learned, able, and faithful ministers rejected and discouraged, and illiterate persons that will indulge men in their soporiferous notions set up in their room—I say, perceiving and musing on these things, and _exercised_ by a party of weak christians under the aforesaid impressions; understanding the state of christian doctrine amongst us, and the divided condition of the Churches about it, and casting my eyes upon that text in _John_ 15, 10. as one of the plainest and fullest decisive of these controversies: so many thoughts sprung up in my mind upon it, that to preserve them. I immediately set pen to paper and wrote down above twenty of the following propositions before I took it off; to which the rest were quickly added. By which time I purposed to preach from that text, and lay them all before _my own congregation who so much needed it_: which I did with different success; viz. the usual distaste of the _discontented party_, but so much to the satisfaction and acceptance of others, my worthy friends, that I was greatly and constantly importun’d to present them to their eyes, as I had done before to their ears. And having been called to preach at a meeting of ministers at _Nottingham_ on the 26th of June 1718, I made no particular preparation for it, but took a text out of the 22 chap. of _Math._ part of the parable of the marriage feast, the whole of which I had preached over at home, but now only so much of it as would afford me matter suitable to the whole congregation, both ministers and people. And being by my brethren desired to publish my Sermon, I was forced to deny them their request at that time, because what I had delivered was pick’d out of a great many discourses, and what I thought most proper for the auditory at that time only, but would have been a maining to the whole. Yet I did not despise their motion, nor lay aside all consideration of it. The importunity of some of them ran so much in my mind, that . . . I thought if I must write I might digest the matter of that sermon into the following Treatise, without deviating from the design of it, but rather conveniently adding to the principles of it, which I have done, hoping that they will accept it here, with the rest, by which the doctrines of that sermon are better stated, cleared, and confirmed, than they would have appeared to have been if that sermon had gone alone. So in this way I shall answer the desires of my friends at home and my reverend brethren abroad at once; and do what service I can to the Church of God before I die.”

The whole preface is very long, this being but a small part of it. But this is enough to shew that there was in this congregation a party that disapproved of his ministry, as well as another that highly approved of it, and that he experienced a great deal of discomfort from the former, who appear to have been very calvinistically or antinomianly inclined, and withal very contentious, as their descendants or successors have been almost ever since.

{1060} Some of those thoughts relate to the _Theory of Comets_, which he supposed to be worlds in a state of conflagration and dissolution; and he thought it probable our Earth will hereafter become a comet and be seen as such in remote regions of the universe. This comet state of a Heavenly body he considered as a state of judgment, and indicating the previous apostacy and irreclaimable impenitence or rebellion of its rational inhabitants, which caused the very world they inhabited to be so devoted to destruction. Each of those devoted worlds, he thought, had its _saviour_ and offers of mercy sent to it long previous to that awful and fatal catastrophe. Christ he believed to be the saviour only of this world, from which he draws some curious inferences favourable to his own system.—According to his notion the same comet could not be expected to appear twice in our system: nor would that, perhaps, even in this day, be very easily refuted.

{1061} He was buried in St. Nicholas’ Chapel towards the west end, where his grave stone is still to be seen, with a long Latin Inscription or Epitaph, of which the following translation has been given many years ago by the late Dr. _Thomas Gibbons_, exclusive of two expressions here added.

“_Here lie the remains_ _of the revd._ JOHN RASTRICK, _M.A._ _Born at Hackington near_ Sleaford _in the county of Lincoln_; _and educated at_ Trinity-College _in Cambridge_. _He was formerly vicar_ of Kirkton _in the same county_, _fourteen years_: _And afterwards_, _as he could mot comply_ _with some regulations of the_ Church of England _with a safe conscience_, _Was an undefatigable preacher of the gospel_ _in this town twenty-six years_ _To a christian church in separation from the establishment_. _He was a man of eminent piety_, _charity_, _and modesty_; _of approved integrity_, _of remarkable study and pains_; _And an adept in almost every part of learning_, _But especially the mathematics_. _He was a pleasant companion_, _A truly christian divine_, _An eloquent and powerful preacher_, _A faithful and vigilant pastor_, _An intrepid reprover of vice_ _And as warm an encourager of virtue_. _Having finished his course_, _Imbittered_, _alas_! _with many trials_, _He joyfully yielded up his soul to God_, August 8, 1727. _Aged_ 78.”

{1063} On a slip of paper, in his hand writing, pinned to a blank leaf fronting the title page are the following directions to his son—

“My dear son William, I suppose you will be inclined when I am gone to publish the following Treatise called ‘Plain and Easy Principles, &c.’ If you do, I leave it to you to tell the world, that these are the notions that I am most inclined to; and that it was the division among the ministers at Salter’s Hall, that begat them, and put me upon a more deliberate perusal of Dr. Clarke’s and Mr. Jackson’s books, &c. as well as Dr. Waterland’s: and that my case was just the same with that of Mr. Peirce of Exeter, &c.—It’s probable that you may write an Epistle of your own to the Reader (and so stile it, as mine it stiled the Preface). In that Epistle you may account for my sentiments as now mentioned, and add what more of your own you please. But I would not have you publish my book till you have let some learned pious persons peruse it and give their approbation.—Mr. Sam. Wright’s thoughts you will find in his Letter, and my undigested notions in that matter, you will find in his said Letter before my book: if you can put them into order you may, and may punish them in the nature of an appendix: _as also you may a great part of my last Thoughts about the Trinity and Son of God_. Or let Mr. Wright put them in Order.”

N.B. The above words in _italics_ have the pen drawn through them, and may therefore be considered as cancelled.

{1064a} See the _preface_ to a modern poem called _Sleep_.

{1064b} Of those little poems, one is entitled _The Dissolution_; and as the name of _Martha Rastrick_ is affixed to if, we may presume it was a present, perhaps a new years gift to that daughter. The greatest part of it we will here take the liberty of inserting, thought we have no reason to think that the author had the remotest idea of its publication. Yet as it cannot dishonour his memory, and has lain in MS. now nearly if not quite a _hundred years_, it may be placed here as a curious relic. It runs as follows—

“Happy the man to whom the sacred Muse Her nightly visits pays, And with her magic rod Opens his mortal eyes: He nature at one glance surveys, And past and future, near and distant views.

I’m mounted on Fancy, and long to be gone To some age or some world unknown, Swifter than time and impatient of stay, To the west, to the uttermost limits of day, To the end of the world I’ll hasten away: Where I may see it all expire And melt away in everlasting Fire.

’Tis done! I see a flaming Seraph fly, And light his Flambeau at the Sun; Then hastening down to the curst globe His blazing torch apply— See the green forests crackling burn, The oily pastures sweat With intolerable heat: The mines to hot volcanos turn; Their horrid jaws extended wide, The sulphurous contagion spread.

Why do the aged mountains skip, And little hills like their own sheep, Like lambs, which on their grizzly head Once wanton play’d? Expanded vapours, struggling to the birth, Roar in the bowels of the earth.

And now the Earth’s foundations crack assunder, Burst with subterraneous thunder. Dusky flames and vivid flashes Reduce the trembling Globe to ashes Fiery torrents rolling down, The naked valleys drown; And with their ruddy waves supply The channels of th’exhausted sea.

Seas, to thin vapours boil’d away, Leave their crooked channels dry: And not one drop returns again, To cool the thirsty Earth with rain.

And must all Earth th’impartial ruin share? Spare ye revengeful angels, spare! Spare the Muses blissful seat: Let me for _Wickham’s_ peaceful walls intreat. No, ’tis in vain: and _Bodley’s_ spicy nest Of learning too must perish with the rest; —The _Oracles of God_ alone An hasty Angel snatch’d away, And bore them high through parted flames To the Eternal throne.

Behold! fond soul, all thou didst once admire, The objects of thy hope and thy desire; Houses and lands and large estate; The little things that make men great: The empty trifles are no more, But vanish all in smoke, scarce lighter than before.

Was it for this the Statesman wrackt his thought? Was it for this the Soldier fought? While grumbling drums like thunder beat, And clanging trumpets rais’d the martial heat?

Now Nature is unstrung, The Spheres their musick lose, The Song of ages now Ends in a solemn close.”

{1069} He had left Lynn the year before, so that the congregation had but _four_ ministers in a _hundred years_, whose labours here were nearly of equal duration: _J. Rastrick_ 26 years; _W. Rastrick_ 25 years; _A. Mayhew_ 25 years; _W. Warner_ 24 years.—The _Baptists_, in little more than 40 years, have had at least half a score ministers, and the _Methodists_ ten times as many.

{1070} Coxe’s Memoirs of Walpole.

{1073a} Biographical account of Sir B. Keene, by Bailey Wallis D.D. who married his niece, a daughter of the rev. Venn Eyre, formerly lecturer of Lynn.

{1073b} Of their intellectual character, or mental endowments not much seems now to be known. The father being an alderman may furnish a sort of presumption, that he must have been a person of no common or mean parts: the mother has been spoken of as possessed of a well-cultivated mind; which seems to be corroborated by the following extract of a Letter from her to her son, the ambassador, in 1745, when this town assumed such a warlike appearance; as was observed at p. 920.—

“This place, heretofore famous for the arts and blessings of peace, is now entirely in the guise of war. Every thing has a military air. The ditch before the walls is scoured; but there are unhappily so many hay-stacks just by, that a few Highlanders, or French, by casting two or three of them into the deepest part of it, might be masters of the town in about four hours. The bridge of St. Germans and those above it are to be cut down, if we hear any of the rebels have escaped through the Fens, and are coming towards us. But the river is fordable in many places, and several of them are near the town. The body of the people are formed into 5 regiments, which are commanded by proper officers, chosen out of the body politic. Those whose spouses bear rule over them being disposed into one regiment called greys. Those heroes spend their mornings and evenings in the Guildhall, there learning the trade of war, under able and experienced masters. No merchant sells deals, salt, pitch or tar, without a weapon by their side. Shopkeepers have taken to the sword, and divide their cags of soap with their blades. You can’t purchase a joint of meat, or a loaf of bread, or a pound of candles but of an armed man. Even clergymen are engaged in these death-doing measures. One bears a captain’s commission. Another is a sutler. Most of the fair and timerous persons of the other sex, who had any wits a while ago, have very few remaining now. An ancient Lady indeed of the illustrious house of the R— commands a fortress adjoining to the town-wall, in which are some veteran troops, natives of Spain. {1074} With these she supports herself and wonderfully animates her neighbours whose courage fails; and let the enemy come when they please, ’tis generally believed she will be in a condition to make a sally.”

{1074} “Bottles of Mountain Malaga.”

{1075} On his promotion he was congratulated by his venerable relation, the elder Pyle, to which the bishop returned the following answer—

“My dear uncle, I return you my hearty thanks for your kind congratulation on my advancement to the see of C. and was proud of shewing my respect and veneration for you by doing a small piece of service to so worthy a young man as my C. P. [cousin Philip] I hope these cold winds will not set you back again and I may once more visit you and survey you as I did then, in the light of an ancient prophet or patriarch. Truly I have often wished that my fortune had permitted me to have enjoyed you more than I have done, to have sat at your feet and suckt in the true unpoluted streams of goodness and religion, which you have poured forth for so many years, so much to your own reputation and the welfare of others. Be assured you leave a Nephew behind you who is determined to support the cause of Truth and Righteousness, and has courage enough to attack the f. [false] principles both of gt, and rn. [government and religion] that universally prevail among ch. Divs. [church Divines] With my most sincere Benediction I am. Dear Sir. your affectionate Nephew 28 Mar. 1752.

E. C.”

{1079} A degree which was exactly the reverse of the initials of his name D.LL.

{1081} Dr. H. was respectable in the line of his profession, not only as a practitioner, but likewise as a writer; though he was not rewarded according to his merit. Many of his works, at his death, were left in manuscript, most of which still remain in that state; but some have been since published, in addition to those that appeared in his life time. Of his published works the following are thought the most remarkable—1. “A paper on a _puncture in the bladder_,” inserted in the Phil. Trans. vol. 66.—2. “A paper on the disease called _the mumps_,” inserted in the Edinb. Phil. Trans.—3. “A paper on the _use of mercury and opium_,” published in Dr. Duncan’s Medical Commentaries.—4. “A Treatise upon _Scrophula_,” published in London by Dilly.—5. “A Treatise on the _Eau-brink-Cut_,” published at Lynn, in 1793.—6. “Observations on the _Marsh remittent Fever_ and on the _Water Canker_, &c.” published by Mawman, London, 1801.—7. “Letters on the cause and treatment of the _Gout_, in which some digressive remarks on other medical subjects are interspersed;” published by Whittingham, Lynn, and Sold by Crosby, London, 1806. Before we close this brief memoir of Dr. Hamilton we may just observe that he, as was before said of Mr. Rastrick and another person, sometimes left his profounder studies and amused himself in writing verses, of which a specimen may be seen at the beginning of his “Observations on the Marsh Remittent Fever.” In the same work, at page 89, we also learn how long it was that Dr. Hepburn practised physic in this town, and consequently at what time he settled here, which appears to have been about the spring or early part of the year 1694, whence was about 25 years of age. This had escaped the author’s observation till after the memoir of Dr. Hepburn had been printed off, otherwise he would not have represented the doctor’s settlement here as taking place at or _about the commencement the last century_, which is six years at least later than the time when it did take place. This is mentioned here for the purpose of correcting that mistatement, and enabling the reader to fix the true date of Dr. Hepburn’s first settlement here.—The passage referred to in Dr. Hamilton’s book reads thus,

“The late Dr. George Hepburn, who practised physic at Lynn upwards of 65 years, {1082} and whose medical ability, sagacity, and judgment, were equalled by few, and surpassed by none of his contemporaries, told me that he was so folly convinced of the great efficacy, as well as perfect innocence and safety of large doses of the Peruvian bark, that being attacked by an intermittent fever himself at an early period of his medical career in this town, and at a time when he had, in an epidemic season, a great deal of practice in the country, took at one dose an ounce of the Peruvian bark in powder, mounted his horse immediately after it, went to visit his patients, and had no more of his disease.”

{1082} _During so extraordinary a course of practice and longevity he must have seen the whole population of the place buried two or three times over_.

{1085} Their godships or high mightinesses would do well however to be constantly upon their guard against that formidable natural enemy of theirs, the high bailiff of Marshland, who has before now overpowered and overthrown as potent beings as any of them. If they escape the mighty hug, or unfraternal embrace of this formidable adversary, this ancient lord and master and demon of this lower region, they may think themselves peculiarly fortunate, and need not fear afterwards to breathe the deleterious air of any other spot in Britain, or even in the very island of Walcheren itself.

{1088} This female and virgin saint is said to have been born at Antioch in the 3rd century. Some say her father was a heathen priest, while others say that it was Theodosius patriarch of Antioch. All agree that she was a christian; and some assert that she was very beautiful, which excited in Olybius, preside of the east, under the Romans, a desire to marry her; but finding she was a christian, deferred it till he could persuade her to renounce her religion. Not being able to accomplish that object, he first put her to extreme tortures, and then beheaded her. She has the same office among the papists, as Lucina has among the heathens, viz. to assist women in labour: So she seems to be the patroness, or tutelar saint of the midwives. Her holiday, (20th July) is very ancient, not only in the _Roman_, but also in the _Greek_-church, who celebrate her memory under the name of _Marina_. She suffered in the year 278. [See Wheatly on the common Prayer, p. 69—also Mackerell’s History of Lynn, p. 4.]—Her victory over the Dragon by means of the cross has probably only a figurative meaning.

{1089} Of the former and present state of this church, the following descriptions have been given by writers who had visited and examined it, and had consequently undertaken to give of it a correct account.—