ye age 
1799-1 
and efpecially of the mgenious youthful read- 
er, will, perhaps, be confulted by an infertion 
ef the following memoir. Mr. Wiche was 
anativé of Taunton in Somerfetfhire; and 
had’ the happinefs of beihg defcended from 
txemplary, though not affluent, parents. 
His father, originally a wool-comber of that 
town, was miuch' diftinguifhed among his 
neighbours, as his memory is fill great- 
ly refpeéted, for the purity of his manners, 
the habitual firmnefs and integrity of his 
condué, his unfeigned piety, his free and 
liberal reféarches after. religious truth, ‘and 
the labour which, in a fituation unfavour- 
able to fuch an obje&t, he had fuccefs- 
fully beftowed upon the cultivation of his 
mind. Of the elder Mr. Wiche, the late 
Rey. J. Wiche, the correfpondent and friend 
of Lardner, and the editor of fome pofthu- 
mous difcourfes, by that venerable man, on 
the do@ttine of the Trinity*, was a brother 5 
and the talents, attainments, fpirit, and 
character of the uncle, were zlways men- 
‘tioned by the nephew, in terms of the 
higheft efteem, and the moft cordial affec- 
tion. Atcer Mr. G. Wiche had received his 
grammar learning, at Taunton, from the 
Rey. Dr. Toulmin, he began his academical 
ftudies at Hoxton, in the year 1783, being 
patronized by the truftees of Mr. Coward’s 
‘will; and, on the diffolution of that femi- 
nary, in 1786, he removed, under the fame 
pitronage, to Daventry, where he completed 
his> term: of preparation for the office of a re- 
ligious teacher amongft the Proteftant. Dif- 
fenters. There the writer had the honour of 
forming an acquaintance with Mr. Wiche ; 
nor can he remember, without gratitude, the 
Opportunities thus afforded him of witnefling 
and admiving the truly philofophic and Chrif- 
tian temper, the enlarged views, the gentle 
fidnners, and the fteadinefs and confiftency 
of deportment by which the companion of his 
walks and ftudies was even then characterized, 
Jn 1788, Mr. Wiche became a refident in 
or near Monton, a village at a {mall diftance 
Account of Mr. Wiche. 
& 
from Manchefter, having a few months be-. 
‘fore, accepted an invitation from a diffenting 
fociety in the former place, to officiate as 
their minifter. To the duties devolving up- 
on him in this capacity, he gave the moit 
cheerful, regular, and diligent attention ; 
they were ably and faithfully difcharged ; 
and it is but juftice to add, refpeétfully and 
gratefully received. He lived amongit his 
hearers in habits of affectionite and friendly 
intercourfe, on terms of miutual efteem, and 
"with uninterrupted harmony. It was a pecu- 
liar fatisfaction to’ him, that, curing the’greater 
part of his continuante in Lancafhire, he was 
the neighbour’of two gentlemen in’ the fame 
profeilion with himfelf, who had been his 
» OY QR ee RR aa EE DED GL Oe = 
* They were firft publifhed in 1784, under 
the title, “ Pwo Schemes of: a Trinity con- 
fidered, and the divine Upity afferced. 
‘thy of Mr. Wiche’s talents. 
927 
fellow ftudents, with one of whom he had 
intimately affociated from a very early period 
of life, and for both or whom he had the affec- 
tionof a brother. His fituation, in other views, 
though unattractive to worldly men, was, ne- 
verthelefs, far from being deftitute or comfoit 
to one of Mr. Wiche’s moderate defires, and 
well-regulated temper. Univerfally beloved 
by his fociety, throughout the whole of his 
connection with it, he experienced proofs of 
the warmeft attachment on the part of its 
members, at the time when he. announced 
his intention of refigning the minifterial 
ofice; and when, as the confequence, he 
guitted Monton, in the fpring of 1796. 
Of his motives to this ftep, a full and in- 
terefting ftatement has been laid before the 
public in his ¢* Declaration, &c.’? And what- 
ever may be thought concerning the juftnefs of 
his arguments, or the folidity of his conclu- 
fion, it ought at leaft to be remembered, that 
the fubje€ had been long and painfullyrevoly- 
ed, and the determination ferioufly weighed. — 
Upon his condué there can be no difference of 
opinion, amongft refleGing and virtuous men; 
it was frank, ingenuous, and difinterefted to 
an extent rarely equalled. Confcience for-. 
bade him to remain in the profeffion of 4 
hired teacher of religion; the reprefented, and 
he has exprefied her reprefentation in clear and 
fimple language, that fuch a profeffion is in- 
jurious to perfonal honefty, and, to the caufe 
of real Chriftianity 3 he obeyed her voice; 
and threw himfelf upon the wide world for 
the means of an honourable maintenance. 
After a fhort vifit to Taunton, he came to 
the metropolis, not to gratify an idle cu- 
riofity, but to procure a livelihood by the 
labour of-his hands ; to feelx, not for opu- 
lence, not for fame, notifor the patronage of 
the rich and powerful, but, literally and 
folely, for the bread of moral independence. 
It was not, however, without much difj- 
culty, that he obtained a fituation 5; and this 
fituation was in the warehoufe of a filver- 
fmith. His bufinefs was.to take an account 
of labour executed, and of goods delivered 
from the work into the fale fhop. In this 
place his peace was greatly difturbed by a 
vulgar, brutal foreman; nor muft it be dif- 
fembled, that it was a place infinitely unwor- 
But his with 
was to enable himielf tu. fay, whenever he 
next applied for employment, ‘¢ I have’ 
lived in a warehoufe,” and thus to pre- 
-vent the objection, that, ¢* a perfon who 
had been a clergyman was totally difqua- 
lified for mercantile occupations.” ‘This next 
application was foon madej3 nor was it al- 
together fruitleis, ©Mr. Wiche was now 
taken into a china warchoufe, where his 
office was to attend the books 3 but it was of 
no long continuance. Efforts, too, were ufed 
about this time to place him asa clerk in the 
bank of England: thefe, however, were 
quickly abandoned, in confequence oi what 
appeared a more aufpicious profpe¢t, By the - 
kindgefs 
