1801.} 
this eminent tutor, which has been fortu- 
nately preferved, exprefling, in the ftrongeft 
terms, the moft cordial efteem both for his 
talents and his virtues. During his refidence 
at Northampton doubts arofe in his mind re- 
fpeCting the evidences of revealed religion. 
Too honeft to enter upon the profeflion of a 
minifter of the gofpel, without the moft per- 
fe& perfuafion of its divine origin, he deter- 
mined to fubmir the arguments in favour of 
revelation to the moft rigorous fcrutiny. He 
accordingly read, with the moft patient afli- 
duity and care, the works of all the able op- 
ponents of Chriftianity, both antient and mo- 
dern, and the anfwers and defences of the 
-moft Iearned advocates for the gofpel. The 
refult of this laborious inveftigation was 
the firmeft conviction of the truth of the fa- 
cred records, and the moft zealous determi- 
nation to devote his time and powers to the 
furtherance of that counfel which he was 
well aflured was ¢ not of men but of God.” 
When he had fpent two years in this juftly 
celebrated plan of education amongft the 
Diflenters, he was deprived of the benefit of 
Dr. Doddridge’s inftructions, who was obliged 
to leave Engiand on account of his health. 
So eminent were his talents, and fo fupe- 
rior his acquirements to thofe in general ob- 
tained at a much later age, that he was 
thought worthy of being recommended as 
2fiftant preacher to Dr. Chandler in the Old 
Jewry. This recommendation either ori- 
ginated from Dr. Doddridge, or was warmly 
fupported by him, but neither the Aattering na- 
ture of the offer, nor the earneft perfuafion of 
his tutor, could prevail upon him to enter upon 
fo public a fituation, and to relinquifh the un- 
interrupted purfuit of knowledge. He had, 
alfo, it is probable, formed a determination 
to finith his academical ftudies at Glafgow, 
from the high opinion he had conceived of - 
the charatter and talents of Dr. Leechman, 
who then filled the theological chair in that 
univerfity. It is impoffible not to imagine 
that his acceptance of this flattering propofal 
‘would have produced fome great and defirable 
effe&s both upon his own charaéter aud the 
fentiments of the Chriftian world. The pe- 
culiarly rational and important views which 
he is known to have taken of the Chriitian 
doétrines, were already in a great meafure 
prefented to his mind, and had he been placed 
in what muft be confidered as the proper 
{phere of a man fo eminent, he would not 
have been fuffered to confine thefe views fo 
ftudioufly to himfelf. Of the agitation which 
was caufed by the writings of Dr, Prieftley, 
Mr. Lindfey, and others, at atime when his 
powers were in full health and vigour, had 
he filled a more public ftation,. he would not 
have remained fo fileat a {peCtator ;. and the 
interpretation which he gave to many paf{- 
fages of {cripture, generally mifunderitood, 
confirmed by his fkill and Judgment in bib- 
lical criticifm, would affuredly have excited 
avery general, and the partiality.of friend-. 
: 
hen sae - 
Account of the Rev, N. Cappe. 
83 
fhip is inclined to add, a very favourable at- 
tention, and in many important refpeéts, 
would have changed the ftate of the «contro- 
verfy. Noman, perhaps, ever poffeffed, in ~ 
greater perfection, the talents requifite for 
the right interpretation of {cripture. Deeply 
ikilled, both in profane and facred literature, 
poffeffed of a cool and found judgment, cas 
pable of partial and unremitting refearch, not 
fearful of bringing the words of {cripture to 
the moft rigid fcrutiny, yet {crupuloufly 
avoiding the rejeétion of what he could not 
fatisfactorily explain, and thoroughly imbued 
with the fpirit of the gofpel, he was emi- 
nently qualified to unfold the mytfteries of 
revelation, and to elucidate and confirm the 
authority of the facred writings. Upon the 
death of Dr. Doddridge (Nov. 1751,) he de- 
termined to remain dt Northampton, under 
Mr. Samuel Clarke, during the remainder of 
the Seffion, and in the year 1752 he went to 
Glafgow. Here he continued three years, 
advancing in knowledge, and gaining the 
efteem and affection of many of the brightett 
ornaments of that univerfity. It is a ftrong 
teftimony to his excellencies to obferve, that 
all who called him their pupil, honoured 
him as their friend; and that during many 
years after he fettled at York, he was fre- 
quently vifited by perfons of the firft emi- 
nence in North Britain, who had been either 
his tutors or his companions at the Univer- 
fity. Dr. Leechman, Dr. Adam Smith, Dr, 
Black, and others, were fond of his fociety, 
and gladly feized every opportunity that offered 
of enjoying the pleafure of his converfation. 
Having completed his ftudies, he returned 
in the year 1755 to Leeds, where his mother 
was ftill living. He had not been there 
many weeks before the death of the Rev. 
Mr. Root, one of the minifters of the con- 
gregation of Diffenters in St. Saviour-gate, 
York, afforded his friend, Thomas Lee, efq. 
elder brother of his very particular and faith- 
ful friend, John Lee, efq. afterwards Attor- 
ney General, an opportunity of recommends 
ing him to this defirable fituation. Inthe 
month of November he was chofen co-paftor, 
with the Rey. John Hotham, then very far 
adyanced in life, upon whofe death, which 
fortly happened, he was elected fole paftor, 
and ordained in May, 1756. The manner 
in which he difcharged the important duties 
of that office juftly endeared him to the {mall 
fociety which attended his inftruétions, and 
induced his friends to wifh that. a more public 
and extenfive field had been open for the ex- 
ertion of his popular talents. The world is 
in pofleffion of a few fpecimens of that elo-. 
quence which for nearly forty years flowed 
from ome pulpit, They only who heard him, 
can form any adequate conception of the pe-. 
culiar force which the beauties of his ideas» 
and his language derived from his veice and» 
manner of delivery. As his thoughts were; 
original, fo alfo was his ftyle of compofition $f 
and no tongue but his own could do juftice'te: 
ee the 
