Ae 
ie - 
J! 
~ In'the autumn of 1771, Mr. Lindsey, 
in a letter on this, sulject, to bis, egnti- 
dential friend Mr. Jeb, says, “ Lown 
to you, Sir, 1 cannot but.be greatly inte- 
rested in a cause in which I bless God 
* that I have an opportunity to engage, and 
declare myself, and for which £ dy not 
know, with the help of God, the pains or 
suffering that I would refuse.” ile then 
speaks of the small suecess he had met 
with in obtaiuing signatures to the peti- 
tion; and of his unabating zeal to pro 
ceed by writing, and. personal, applica- 
tion: ‘* L have offered (says he), and, if 
health be permitted, will carry, the peti- 
tion, to Kendal, in Westmoreland); to 
Newcastle, in Northumberland; to, York 
and Wakefield ; all places at a very great 
distance from me, and in which labours I 
am alone, without any. assistance what- 
Axe” The resuly of Mx. Lindsey’s long 
journey was the addition of a few names 
only to the petition: it was, however, in 
the end signed by about.two liuudred per- 
sons, and prescnted to Parliament on the 
6th of February, 1772; but, after a long, 
ery animated, and interesting, debate, 
rejected by a large majority, Aster this 
veut, so. unfavourable to his hopes, Mr. 
iin, writes, to the same friend, “I 
trust our cause, the cause of truth, 
will be as. much advantaged by their 
unreasonable obstinacy, as.it would have 
been by their howest and chearful suffrage 
for it.” . His piety on all occasions, wite- 
ther in success, or under deteat, is, con- 
spicuous. ‘ Not many,of us (says. he, in 
the same letter), I apprehend, consider 
theissue to which an absolute disappoint- 
ment and refusal of all ourjust.and righ- 
teous demands should naturally andicon- 
_ sistently Jead us. But this is ali Oe & 
zevact, whose will, lam sure, we shail all 
chearfully do and suffer, as far as we see. 
it to be his.”’ 
In this passage, Mr. Lindsey evidently 
alludes to the most important step of his 
life, hisintended resignation, Whether his 
friend, at that moment, understood the 
full meaning of the passage, we haye.no 
means of ascertaining; but at the interval 
of about six or eiybt weeks, viz. in May, 
“4772, he was rather,more explicit. Le 
speaksof thedangerous concessions which 
~ @ common and zealous friend was desi- 
a 
b ably to the grand protestant principle, which, 
is, necessary to.salvation, is, 
fully contained in. these Scriptures, and, that , 
rous to make, and of his willingness to 
ae > their belief of the, Holy Scriptures, agree- 
that. every thi 
_ they are the sole rule of faisa and manners. 
is 
4808.) Memours of the late Rew. Theophilus Lindsey, Mia. 44% 
abandon, some principles, in the hope of 
obtaining, others: * concessions (says Mr. 
Lindsey) which, we never can make as 
protestants, as I told him; and conces+ 
sions, which, if made, would not promote 
the success he seemed to expect.” In 
the same letter, he not only animadverrs 
warmly upon what he, thought wrong in 
the man whom he respected and loved te 
the last hour of his life, but wn¢lertcok a 
vindication of the dissenters, as decided 
friends to liberty of conscience, and of 
the claims of the clergy... He says, 
‘from my certain knowledge, all the 
eminent dissenting ministers have been 
our most entire friends from the first of 
the affair: they have exerted themselves 
greatly to serve us.”* 
Mr. Lindsey had already written to 
another friend, now living, who has since 
guitted the church, upon the same sube 
ject: andy in reference to it he says, “1 
have our. cause greatly at heart, though 
with. little power. to serve it, but which 
T gladly exert to, the utmost; and, by the 
blessing of Gad, and:the full concurrence 
(gue quogue currentem incitat). of my 
wife, [ hope I shall be ready to run,any 
hazard or joss to promote it.” He had 
in a former letter referred to the zeal of 
Mrs. Lindsey in. the same business, as 
one “that was ready to run any hazards 
for, its sake.” 
Early in the following year the dissen= 
ters applied to Parliament for a moreex~ 
tended toleration to them. He heartily: 
wished. all the. success they desired, as 
weil on their own account, as thinking it 
might eventually. be: beneficial: to the 
cause of the clergy: but at this period 
his hopes were not very sanguine. He 
felt, however, much consolation that the 
attempt had been made to free them- 
selves froma yoke that had been for ages 
regarded by the conscientious clergy as: 
alinost too.heavy to be borne. ‘It las 
es ToT 5 a . a 
.* Mr. Jebb, whoat that time conceived) 
some, strong prejudices against dissenters, 
shortly joined issue with his friend in.cons 
sidering them as the real friends of liberty 5 
for. in his Definitions which he. published; 
early in 1774, he says, ‘¢ Dissenters are proe 
testants differing from each other by different 
modes of worship, and forms of discipline, 
but generally concurring in asserting the su- 
- premacy of their lord and master, Christ, in 
religious concerns, in oppesition to the claims 
of fallible men. It is to dissenters that we 
are indebted for the best interpretations of the 
Scriptures, and. the ablest defenees of our. 
faith:”—See Dr. Disney’s edit, of Jebb’s 
Works, vol. iii, p, 256-7, 
pleased 
