S2 Biographical Account of [Feb. 



of Daventry^ to study under Mr. Asliworth, the successor of Dr, 

 Doddridge. He had already made some progress in mechanical 

 philosophy and metaphysics, and acquired some knowledge of 

 Chaldee^ Syriac, and Arabic. At Daventry he spent three 

 years, engaged keenly in studies connected with divinity, and 

 wrote some of his earliest theological tracts. Freedom of dis- 

 cussion was admitted in its full extent in this academy. The 

 two masters espoused dilFerent sides uppn most controversial 

 subjects, and the scholars were divided into tw^o parties, nearly 

 equally balanced. The discussions, however, were carried on 

 with perfect good humour on both sides ; and Dr. Priestley, as 

 he tells us himself, usually supported the heterodox opinion : 

 but he never at any time, as he assures us, advanced arguments 

 which he did not believe to be good, or supported an opinion 

 which he did not consider as true. When he left the academy 

 he settled at Needham, in Suffolk, as assistant in a small ob- 

 scure dissenting meeting-house, where his income never ex- 

 ceeded 301. a-year. His hearers fell off, in consequence of 

 their dislike to his tlieological opinions; and his income under- 

 went a corresponding diminution. He attempted a school ; but 

 his scheme failed of success, owing to the bad opinion which 

 his neighbours entertained of his orthodoxy. His situation 

 would have been desperate, had he not been occasionally relieved 

 by sums out of charitable funds procured by means of Dr. Ben- 

 son and Dr. Kippis. 



Several vacancies occurred in the vicinity ; but he was treated 

 with contempt, and thought unworthy to fill any of them. 

 Even the dissenting clergy in the neighbourhood considered it as 

 a degradation to associate with him, and durst not ask him to 

 preach: not from any dislike to his theological opinions, for 

 several of them thought as freely as he did, but because the 

 geenteeler part of their audience always absented themselves 

 when he appeared in the pulpit. A good many years afterwards, 

 as he informs us himself, when hjs reputation was very high, he 

 preached in the same place, and multitudes flocked to hear the 

 very same sermons which they had formerly listened to with 

 contempt and dislike. 



His friends, being aware of the disagreeable nature of his 

 situation at Neehham, were upon the alert to procure him a 

 better. In 1758, in consequence of the interest of Mr. Gill, 

 he was invited to appear as a candidate for a meeting-house in 

 ShefBeld, vacant by the resignation of Mr. Wadsworth. He 

 appeared accordingly, and preached, but was not approved of, 

 Mr. Haynes, the other Minister, oitered to procure him a 

 ineeting-hcuse at Nantwich, in Cheshire. This situation he 

 accepted 3 and, to save expence, went from Needham to London 

 l)y sea. Here he cofttinued three years^ apd spent his time 



