W I L 



W I L 



William, Sweet, in Botany. See Dianthus, and 

 Pink. 



WILLIAMS, Daniel, D.D. in Biography, an eminent 

 non-conformift divine, was born at Wrexham, in Denbigh(hire, 

 about the year 1 643 or 1 644. The difadvantages of his early- 

 education were counterbalanced by the natural vigour of his 

 mind, and by future apphcation. Devoting himfelf to the 

 miniftry among Proteitant diffenters, he was one of the 

 firft who had refolution to engage in it, after the privations 

 and fufferings which followed the Aft of Uniformity in 

 1662. At the age of 19 years he was admitted a preacher 

 among the Prefbyterians, and for feveral years officiated 

 occafionally in feveral parts of England. Being here in 

 danger of perfecution, he accepted an invitation to become 

 chaplain to the countefj of Meath in Ireland, where dif- 

 fenters enjoyed a greater degree of liberty ; and fome time 

 afterwards he became paftor to a refpeclable congregation 

 in Wood-ilreet, Dublin. Here he continued for nearly 

 twenty years, exercifing his miniftry with acceptance and 

 ufefulnefs, and conducting himfelf fo as to maintain harmony 

 with his brethren in the miniftry, and to fecure refpeft and 

 efteeni from the Irifh Proteftants in general. During his 

 refidence in Dublin, he married a lady of an honourable 

 family, with a confiderable eftate. Towards the clofe of 

 the reign of James II., his oppofition to popery rendered 

 his fituation in Ireland unpleafant to him, and he therefore 

 came over to England in 1687, and fettled in London. 

 Here he joined thofe minifters who oppofed an addrefs to 

 the king on occafion of his difpenfing with the penal laws ; 

 and by his lirmnefs and intrepidity contributed in no fmall 

 degree to their unanimous rejection of it. Out of his own 

 funds, and by his wealthy connections, he procured relief 

 for thofe Iriili Proteftants who fought refuge in London 

 from the tyranny and perfecution of Tyrconnel. After 

 the Revolution in 1688, which was an event that gave him 

 and his brethren inexprefiible fatisfaftion, he was often con- 

 fulted by king WiUiam on Irifli affairs ; and his reports con- 

 cerning the abihties and character of Irifh refugees, who 

 were capable of ferving the government, were duly regarded. 

 On occafion of his vifit to Ireland, in the year 1700, for fet- 

 tling his own affairs, his conduct in the inftances now fpecified 

 was gratefully acknowledged. Towards the latter end of 

 the year 1688, he wasunanimoufly chofen pallor to a numer- 

 ous congregation of Prefbyterians in Hand-alley, Bifhopf- 

 gate-ftreet ; and in this connexion he fpent the remainder 

 of his days, devoting to charitable purpofes the falary 

 which he received from his congregation. With the famous 

 Richard Baxter he cultivated an intimate acquaintance ; and 

 at his death, in 1691, he was chofen to fuccecd him at 

 the Merchants' Tuefday lefture in Pinners'-hall. Some 

 of his fellow-lefturers advanced what he conceived to be 

 , Antinomian tenets ; and thefe dangerous notions he thought 

 it to be his duty to oppofe. Hence arofe a fufpicion of 

 his orthodoxy, and an attempt to exclude him from the 

 lefture. Their defign was fruftrated by a majority of the 

 fubfcribers ; but as their oppofition was inveterate, it was 

 thought moft advifable to feparate and to eilablifh another 

 Tuefday lefture at Sailers'- hall. Three of the moft re- 

 fpeftable of the old lefturers, viz. Dr. Bates, Mr. Howe, 

 and Mr. Alfop, feceded with Mr. Williams. 



Upon the publication of the works of Mr. Crifp, who 

 avowed himfelf the champion of Antinomianifm, Mr. Wil- 

 liams undertook to refute them ; and in 1692 publifhed his 

 " Gofpel Truth ftated and vindicated, &c." 8vo. ; a work 

 which, though now almoft forgotten, was defervedly ap- 

 proved by the prir.cipal London minifters of that period ; 

 and as it is diftinguiflied by great clearnefs andftrength of 



10 



argument, as well as a truly Chriftian temper, it ferved 

 to check the pernicious errors which were then induftrioufly 

 circulated. It was defended by the author in his " De- 

 fence of Gofpel Truth, &c." 8vo., and in a " Poftfcript" 

 to a new edition of his work, and alfo in other pieces. 

 Againft the charge of Socinianifm, an appeal was made to 

 Dr. Stillingfleet, then bifhop of Worcefler, and Dr. Jona- 

 than Edwards of Oxford, who were deemed matters 

 and judges in this controverfy ; and they honourably ac- 

 quitted the author, with many expreflions of refpeft for 

 him. Difappointed in their efforts to induce fufpicion of his 

 orthodoxy, his enemies indulged their malignity further by 

 arraigning the purity of his morals. Indignant as he well 

 might be at this attack, he fubmitted his conduft to the 

 inveftigation of the United London Minifters, who con- 

 curred in the report of their committee, " tliat he was 

 entirely clear and innocent of all that was laid to his 

 charge." The attachment of his congregation, it fliould 

 be obferved, was not in the leaft degree diminifhed by the 

 malignant mifreprefentations of his enemies. 



In the year 170 1, Mr. Williams, after having been for 

 fome time a widower, married a fecond wife of confiderable 

 fortune and diftinguifhed worth, who furvived him. 



During the reign of queen Anne he exerted himfelf, 

 though ineffeftually, in oppofing the bills againft occafional 

 conformity, and for impoiing the facrameutal teft upon the 

 diffenters in Ireland. In 1707 he ufed all his influence 

 with his friends in Scotland in promoting the union between 

 the two kingdoms ; and in the year 1709 he was honoured 

 with the degree of D.D. by the univerfities of Edinburgh 

 and Glafgow. Availing himfelf of his long acquaintance 

 with the earl of Oxford, he took the liberty of remonftrating 

 againft the political meafures which he was purfuing. The 

 doftor's franknefs did not plcafe the ftatefman ; and his re- 

 fentment againft him for declaring unfavourable fentiments 

 of the meafures of his adminiftration, and communicating 

 them to his friends in Ireland, was deep and permanent. 

 Upon the acceflion of king George I., he had the honour 

 of prefenting an addrefs of congratulation to his majefty, 

 at the head of the Proteftant diffenting minifters of the 

 different denominations refiding in London and its vicinity ; 

 and it has been ever fince the cuftom for the body of fuch 

 minifters to prefent addreffes on all public occafions, and 

 they have the honour, as a body, of being received on the 

 throne, and by tlieir committees in the clofet, and of re- 

 ceiving a written anfwer. Soon after the acceflion of 

 George I., the health of Dr. Williams began to decline ; 

 and at length an afthmatic diforder terminated his life on 

 January 26, 17 15-16, in the 73d year of his age. In the 

 fequel of this article we fhall take advantage of hterally 

 tranfcrihing the well-written account given of Dr. WiUiams 

 by the Rev. Mr. Morgan, the highly refpeftable and much 

 efteemed librarian of the excellent inftitution which he has 

 eftabhflied ; under whofe infpeftion and care this hbrary is 

 gradually rifing into a reputation, which, by the contribu- 

 tions of its friends in books and money, and by the annual 

 appropriation of a fmall fum out of the furplus of its 

 founder's bequefts, will vie with the principal eftablifh- 

 ments of a fimilar nature in the city of London. 



" He had been bleffed by nature," fays our biographer, 

 " with a ftrong and vigorous conftitution, and poffelfed a 

 found penetrating judgment, and great ftrength of memory. 

 The fubjefts of his pulpit performances were always prac- 

 tical and uleful ; his fentiments folid, pertinent, and diftin- 

 guifhed by an uncommon variety ; and his manner of en- 

 forcing them powerful and impreflive. He was remarkable 

 for his boldnefs and courage in avowing and defending what 



he I 



