136 Remarkable Infcription on a Grave-one at Fen-Stanton. [Sept. 1, 
be true. Prior was generous, engaged in 
a public employment, and was affluent, at 
the time, at leaft for a poet: Baker, 
though of an independent {pirit, was hum- 
ble and modeft, and poffeffed but a fmall 
annuity. Mr. Matters, in his Life of Ba- 
ker, feems tothink there was no founda- 
tion for this report, E.R. 
\ SE 
“To,the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, ; 
HE clergyman’s manifefto on the 
church-door in Effex, given in your 
Jait Magazine, will naturally occafion a 
variety of comments. A tranfaction in 
Hontingdonfhire, on the fubject of a 
grave ftone, will be attended with more 
ferious confequences, and the probable re- 
fult excites the curiofity of a very extenfive 
neighbourhood. In the church-yard of 
Fen Stanton, is.an upright grave-ftone, on 
the right hand of the walk leading from 
the church yard gate to the fouth door of 
- the church. It has been there about fix 
years, and, from its fize and the infcrip- 
‘tion, atrraéts the attention of flrangers, 
who are frequently feen taking a copy of 
it. The ftone is quite plain, and the in- 
{eription is as follows : 
JOHN CURWEN, 
Defcended from the ancient family of that 
name, in Cumberland, was born at Weldon, 
in Northamptonthire, April 3d. 1746—was 
appointed minifter of the Baptift Congregation 
in this place, on June 3d. 1774—opened a 
place for the worfhip of One God in one Perfon, 
in the year 178g—died on March 10, 1797. 
In him a difconfolate widow and four children 
loft a kind hufband and tender father—the 
village a ufeful fchoolmafter..the Chrif- 
tians of his perfuafion a pious and exemplary 
teacher.-and his friends of every perfuafon 
a man, wiom they efteemed and loved for 
his zeal for truth, for his refignation under 
very trying circumftances to the will of God, 
for his cheerful aifpofition, for his goodnefs 
to every perfon in need of his advice or affii- 
tance. 
From the year 1789, his faich was derived_ 
intirely from the Bible, and he bowed to no 
human authority but that of Chrift, dying 
in fuil hopes to be in due time calied again 
into being by his Saviour, and to he made 
partaker of his glory inthe life to come. 
Sidney, 
Godmanchefter, fecit. 
As the deceafed was generally beloved in 
his neighbourhood, no exception was made 
to this record of. his lite and opinions, 
till within the laft two months, when the 
vicar of the parifh,Mr. Bourdillon, late Fel- 
low and Tutor of Trinity-hall, Cambridge, 
called upon the widow, and requefted her 
to remove the grave-ftone out of the church- 
yard, threatening in cafe of non-com- 
pliance to prefent the infcription in torm 
to the bifhop. The widow was greatly 
diftreffed by both the requeft and the 
threat, but fhe abfulutely refufed to offer 
fuch an indignity to herhufband’s remains. 
It was expected that the prefentment would 
have been made atthe laf vifitation of 
the bifhop of Lincoln, to whom as dio- 
cefan the complaint muft be made. Whe- 
ther it has been preferred or noc, I do not 
know : but the refort to the tomb is in- 
creafed by the Vicar’s conduét, and the 
opinions of the deceafed have become a 
more general topic of converfation than _ 
at any pericd during his minillry. 
Fuly 12, 1803. CRELLIUS. 
a 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
T may not be improper to add to the 
communication, which Mr. Palmer has 
made concerning Mr. Reyner, inferted in 
your inftru@tive Mifcellany, for July, 
that, befices the-volume of fermons of that 
amiable and refpectable perfon, which Dr. 
Lardner edited, there came from the prefs 
another fet of his pofthumous difcourfes 
in 1748, intitled “ The Knowledge of 
Chrift aod Him Crucifi d explained, and 
improved, in five Sermons, preached in 
Tucker-ftreet,; Brifiol.” Vhefe compofi- - 
tions of Mr. Reyner are ma:ked by perfpi- 
culty; exactiels and clearnefs of arrange- 
ment, and compafs of thought, in the dif- 
cuffion of a fubject, often confidered in a 
very partial view. 
{ft is furprifing that the diligent and ac- 
curate author ot the ‘* Nonconformift’s 
Memorial’? thould not have obferved the 
notice taken of Mr. Reyner’s Sermons, in 
the Memoirs of Dr. Lardner, by Dr. Kip- 
pis. He will, on looking again into that 
entertaining and interefting biographical 
piece, find an exprefs and emphatical me: - 
tion of them in page 36, with this telti- 
mony to their memory. ‘If I am not 
miftaken in my recollection,’ fays Dr. 
Kippis, ** Mr. Reyner’s difcouries are of 
that y.lain and practical nature, which ren- 
ders them excellently adapted to the ule of, 
common Cbriftians.”” 
Your readers, at leaft many of them, 
will not regret, however, Mr. Palmer’s 
overfight, asithas given occafion for fup- 
plying a literary and biographical morceauy 
worth prelerving in your Repofitory. 
Tam, Sir, 
Your conftant Reader, 
J. TouLmin. 
Taunton, 
Fuly 10, 1803. 
