12G 



'which shall be disposed of, by Dr. W.'s last AvillanJ testament, 

 unto his successor in the ministry, * * * he and they being 

 ■orthodox in the faith of the Gospel, and in Church Govern- 

 ment, agreeable to the Westminister Confession of Faith, 

 Catechisms, and Directory of the Church of Scotland, as prac- 

 ticed by the Presbyterians in New Enghmd, and to the 

 Southward in America," etc. 



While the Tabernacle was building, the war of the Revolution 

 '.came on. Dr. Whittaker entered into this with all his heart. — 

 He did not hesitate to " preach politics," in the most direct 

 and pungent style. He urged on the cause in the most ardent 

 manner. This delighted the Avhigs and exasperated the tories. 

 At the commencement of hostilities he preached a famous ser- 

 mon from the following text : 



" Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord ; curse ye bitterly the 

 inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to 

 the help of the Lord against the mighty." 



The belligerent Doctor applied this curse to the tories, and 

 from the fulness of his heart did " curse them bitterly." At 

 the close of the war he preached a companion to this sermon, 

 and the two were published and dedicated to Gen. George 

 Washington, under the title of " An Antidote against and the 

 Reward of Toryism." A. second edition was published in 1811, 

 by Pool & Palfrey, at the Register office. 



Besides preaching. Dr. Whittaker also practiced in favor of 

 the Revolution, by entering into the privateering business, in 

 which it is said he was pretty fortunate, and frequently " turned 

 an honest penny." He also engaged in the manufacture of 

 saltpetre. 



In October, TT75, Dr. Whittaker petitioned the town for 

 leave to inclose " such a part of the common as the town shall 

 judge best, not exceeding one acre and a half, in order to erect 

 works for making saltpetre, and to grant him a right to im- 

 prove the same for said use, so long as he or his shall carry on 

 that manufacture;" but his request was not granted. In May, 

 1776, he applied to the town for further favors in the line of 

 his experiments, as follows : 



•*•' The memorial of Nathaniel Whittaker humbly sheweth, That your 

 memorialist has been at great charge to erect and carry on saltpetre 

 works in this town and of making many experiments ; and materials 

 for making saltpetre now begin to fail, so that very little more can be 

 made vinless some new method of gathering Nitre can be found, and as 

 he has discovered a method which he thinks will answer a good end, by 

 collecting water from the streets after rain — Therefore your memorialist 

 humbly prays that the town Avill grant him liberty to sink cisterns or 

 some convenient receptacles of water which, in or after a rain, may run 

 .along in the streets in such way manner or situation as he shall find 



