RESIDENCE IN LONDON. 43 



very forcible, and many of his views had much truth ; but he 

 evidently pushed them to an extreme, either intentionally or 

 through habit. 



In fact, on this occasion, Carlyle went so far as to defend 

 Calvin for burning Servetus ; and Dr. Carpenter used often 

 to relate how, when he had departed, Mr. Newman held up 

 his hands in amazement, and asked, " Does Mr. Carlyle 

 always talk like that.?" In his house at Regent's Park 

 Terrace, Dr. Carpenter's nearest neighbours were Mr. Scott 

 and Mr. Wills, the fellow-worker with Dickens in the 

 manasrement of Household Words. Mrs. Wills was a sister 

 of Mr. Robert Chambers, and in her society the hard- 

 working man of science often found relief for his wearied 

 brain among the drolleries of Scotch humour and the pathos 

 of Scotch ballads, which he specially loved. 



Dr. Carpenter's residence in London also secured for 

 him a renewal of the religious fellowship which he had so 

 sorely missed in Ripley. He saw, indeed, some tendencies 

 among those to whom he was otherwise drawn by theo- 

 logical affinity, of which he seriously disapproved ; and 

 with a touch of sarcasm very rare in his conversation or 

 letters, he pointed out the danger to his brother Russell. 



I think that Unitarians are pretty nearly as likely to be 

 Pharisaical as Trinitarians, if placed in the same circumstances. 

 " God, I thank Thee that I am not as these poor blinded 

 "idolaters that pray to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," is, if I 

 mistake not, a form of thanksgiving often felt among us, if not 

 uttered. 



This dissatisfaction found expression in the year 1848, 

 when he made an earnest and public protest against 

 the refusal on the part of some who were regarded as 

 leaders of the Unitarian body, to extend the Christian 

 name to those who rejected the historical character of the 

 Gospel miracles. The influence of German criticism was 

 3 



