igé 
nings ; but notwithftanding this, many of the 
munifters educated in this academy enrolled 
themfelves among what are denominated the 
Free Diffenters. The fubject of this memoir 
wasone of thefe. Having ferioufly and can- 
didly examined the arguments on either fide, 
he thought that es he had diffented from the 
Efablithed Church in common with his tutor 
and the truftees, it could give no great um- 
brage to them to learn that a change had 
taken place in his fentiments. So foon as he 
was completely confirmed in his new princi- 
ples, he thought it his duty publicly to avow 
xt, though the confequence was fure to be his 
lofing the fupport he had before enjoyed, 
and confequently his leaving the academy 
fome time before the completion of the ufual 
period. Mr. Evans addrefled himfelf to 
Coward's trutees, in a letter dated March 
24, 1749, in which he thanks them for their 
former kindneffes, and informs them, that 
“as upon mature deliberation he found his 
refent fentiments in various points different 
thofe in which the exbibition was in- 
tended to educate young perfons,” he entire- 
ly quitted the fund. This affair was a good 
deal talked of among the Diffenters in Lon- 
don atthis period ; the bigotted and the ma- 
Nignant circulated calumnies to the prejudice 
of Mr. Evans; and ’tis no wonder, when we 
confider the amiable diffidence of his charac- 
ter, that they wrought very forcibly upon 
his fpirits. But in tome meafure to counter- 
balance this, his behaviour on this occafion 
had alfo raifed him up many new friends ; 
amongt others, Dr. Caandler and Lardner, 
end particularly Dr. Benfon, honoured him 
with many unequivucal proofs of fincere 
efteem. He had also the cheering confci- 
eufnefs of the integrity of his intentions, and 
the fatisfaétion of having acied as became a 
man and a Chriftian. His tutor gave him 
under his hand a very fatisfactory teftimonial 
yefpecting his moral character and fleady ap- 
plication to learuing during his refidence at 
the academy ; and though the above-recited 
event might occafion fome unwillingnefs in 
Dr. Jennings to bear public teftimony to the 
merit of his pupil, yet he could not forbear, 
i the confidence of private correfpondence, 
fius to exprefs his high fenfe of it. To Dre 
Doddridge he thus writes foon after the re- 
éeipt of his diploma of D.D.—“ Mr. Neal 
was of opinion that the performances of two 
of our pupils who paffed an examination yef- 
erday, were a greater honaur to their tutor 
than a dotorate from the moft ancient uni- 
verfity in Scotland, or evenin Europe. lam 
{ure they gave me much more pleafure.”’-— 
The late Reverend Me. Dickenfon, of Glou- 
cefter, was the other ftudent of whom their 
tutor thus expreffes his high approbation. 
Mr. Evans continued for fome few months 
in London, preaching occafonally, and cul- 
tivating his acquaintance with many of the 
rainifters there. 
returned to his friends at Manchefter, and 
Account of the late Rev. Fofeph Evans. 
In the fummer of 1749 he 
[March J, 
preached to the congregation there, as alfo 
at Warrington, Blakeley, &e. with univerfal 
acceptance. About this time he was ordain~ 
ed, as appeats from a letter which he wrote 
to a tellow-ftudent, wherem he informs him 
of it, and adds, “ The minifters did not 
come determined to approve one only whe 
embraced fuch a form of found words, but 
‘after being tatisfied with my knowledge in 
the languages, what is peculiarly called phi- 
lofophy, and my moral conduét, they not 
only freely permitted me to declare my fenti- 
ments of moral and divine truths, but to ex- 
ert myfelf in candidly defending them im 
oppofition to feveral of my exammers.’”—Iq 
the fame letter he alfo mentions having re- 
ceived an invitation from the Diffenters at 
Houlcome, in Lancafhire, to become their 
minifter, which offer he had declined. His 
native conftitution having not been ftrong, his 
late diftreffes in London had confiderably 
impaired his health ; but the tranquillity he 
now enjoyed, and the fociety of his beloved 
friends and relations, foon refiired to him 
that firft of bleflings. His leifure was alfo 
rendered fubfervient to his acquifition of fur- 
ther knowledge ; moral philofophy, with its 
different {yf'ems, was at this time his favou- 
rite ftudy ; and his refidence at Manchefter 
gave him frequent opportunities of enjoying 
the advantage ofthe fociety ofthe Rey. Meiirs, 
Mofterfhead and Seddon, who highly applaud 
ed his late conduct, and were his particular 
friends. Early in the next year (1750,) Mr. 
Evans became fixed ina fituation which affords 
ed him the meansof having frequentinterviews 
with his London friends. The Reverend 
Mr. Barber, the aged minifter of Brentwood, 
in Effex, being laid afide by a paralytic at- 
tack, his fociety applied to Dr. Benfon te 
recommend to them a perfon he thought pro- 
per, to be ailiftant to their affliéted patter.— 
Mr. Evans occurred to him as being very, 
likely to fuit them. Accordingly, in Janu- 
ary, Dr. Benfon wrote to him on the fubject 5 
Mr. Evans accepted the offer, and preached 
at Brentwood ior the firft time on the 4th day, 
of February. Mr. Barber died foon after, 
Mr. Evans fettled at Brentwood, and he 
then continued their fole minifter. In De- 
cember 1751 he received an invitation to the 
affiftance of his kind friend and patron Dr. 
Benfon, at Crutched-friars, which, at the 
earnet inftance of the Brentwood cengrega~ 
tion, he declined ; though a fhort time after- 
wards fome of the members of his fociety 
took occafion to except againft the want of 
oithodoxy in his difcourfes, and endeavoured 
to gethim removed. His friends in London, 
encouraged Mr, Evans very much te main- 
tain himtelf in the office to which he had 
been regularly called, hoping by his means 
to keep up the rational religion his predecef, 
for taught, in oppoiition to the high-flown, 
Calviniftic doétrmes which were at that ume 
introducing into the fociety. But the cgn- 
wroverlies becoming mere violent, and hig 
Bei Nite : sacl aes bealth 
