In very narrow circumstances, 
have been fatal to the plan which the | 
‘declanner. 
22 Account of the Life and Ovinions of the late Dr. Pike. [Feb. 5 
-Doctor was the second, and was born in™ 
Aing-street, in September, 1745. His 
father died when he was scarcely foar 
years old; and when the family affairs 
were sett! led, ‘the widow found herself left 
his might 
parents had intended to adept for their 
son—bat genius will force its way. His 
fatirer was one of the first adherents to 
the methodists, (then a new sect); and 
had he fived, it would have been his 
highest ambition, and dearest delight, to 
have seen his son a flaming methodistical 
But herein he would pro- 
hably have been disappointed ; for as soon 
as the boy began to chink, he began to 
doubt about their peculiar <enets, to 
hold religious whimsies in dislike, sr: to 
be disgusted wiih every thing that was 
enthusiastic, 
‘AS: his-mother’s Snances would not 
allow her to spare enough for adopting 
the plan which her late husband had 
designed for their son, by sending him to 
“ene ‘of the English universities, ahe was 
cation. 
oblized to give him only a private edu- 
His first rudiments were re- 
_ceived from a very judicious old woman, 
fitted him fer his futere school. 
who taught him to read correctly, and so 
At five 
years old, he was placed under the care 
of a clergyman, who was a friend of his 
mother ; 
year, my began lea arning Latin, With this 
“gentleman, ae was an excellent: clas- 
-jJate at his studies. 
sical scholar, he continued ten or twelve 
years, no doubt to his great advantage. 
T do not recollect what he has told me of 
the intermediate time ty! 1766} but then 
he was classical assistaht ata considerable 
boarding-school at Guildiord, and after- 
wards at a erammiar-sclicol, somewhere 
in Kent. The natural turn of his mind, 
ied him at this time to critical theology, 
and to medical studiés, which might be- 
called his hobbyhorse. He attended 
medical lectures in London, during the 
vacations. He rose early, and sat up 
He never allowed 
Even his: walks 
himself an idle hour. 
- for exercise were usually solitary, and his 
pockets were-always stuffed with books, 
tle was ote of sitting in Catharine-Iil 
chapel ( (a fine piece of ruins near Guiid. 
ford) where be could be for hours wndis- 
turbed; and afterwards, when in Kent, 
he had some Sip pes retirement’ on 
che bank of the Medway, to which he 
used to find his way through a wood, 
swhere there was no path. There he 
gould be enurely free from interruption ; 
4 
‘establishment. 
abd before he reached his’ sixth 
and here. he passed-many.of his. leisure 
hours, with the books which: he carried 
thither in his pocket. 
When his.clerical, career ‘commenced, 
I either never learned, or dv not remem 
ber; but he was Seco tienen to Ine 
vishop by a large and most respectable 
number of clergy, to whem ‘he was well 
Known. I recollect to have seen his 
papers, and among the subscribed names, 
were those of Dr. Sumner, the master of 
Harrow ; 5 Mr. Grbson, a relative of the 
bishop ef London; Dr. Burdett, and Dr. 
Hii, of Guildford ; Dr. Wilson, of Dept- 
ford: and an wnusual number of others. 
He was well known to, and mueh 
esteemed by, Dr. Secker, the archbishop 5 
Dr. Porn, then bishep of London ; 
and Dr. Thomas, pa of Winchester ; 
with the latter, he had a considerable 
degree of: tittace and spent many 
pleasant ee with bis lordship in 
his study, at Cielsea, : ; 
¥et, notwithstanding all this, 1 think 
he did not continue many years” in the 
‘He soon began to'ddube 
of many things, and strongly ‘to dislike 
many others. Tle repented his subscrip- 
tion to the articles, and would not, on 
any account, repeat it. Whether he 
ever undertook any stated clerical duty, 
while in the establishment, I know not ; 
bet I should think it likely that che did 
not. T recollect. he_was offered a gram- 
mar-school in the weaid. of Kent, towbich . 
two good curacies were annexed; but.the 
water of the place was bad, and. be: 
<28 not accept the offer. E know he 
as afterwards offered a ‘comfortable 
Leer which conscience would not 
allow bim to accept. Seeing, or think- 
ing he saiw,ereat defects in the consti- 
tution and da aily services of the church, 
he became very uneasy and ‘dissatisfied. 
The more he read, the more he thought ; 
the more his difiicalties encreased. One 
object after another arose in_his mind, 
till at length he was very bitterly em- 
barrassed. He had prejadices hanging 
about him respecting schism, and was 
therefore not clear, that to secede from 
the church was innocent. He was unac- 
quainted with dissenters, and thought 
hat the great miajority of them were 
merely ranting enthusiasts, or rigid- cal. 
vinists, with very few, if any, rational 
men among them. THis views opened 
but by little and Jittle; and therefore 
he then thought, Dr. Priestley went too 
wide. Ihave often heard him say, at- 
this time, that the state ef his mind was 
severely. paintul, -Bug at length, by the 
f ~ ReaSCUUD ad 
