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where he is only too jealous of exciting opposition, where he would fain conciliate assent. Yet it is well to remember, that he who would convince others, must appear himself convinced. And as the tranquillity and decision of thorough conviction, is, perhaps, of all states of the mind the one which it is most im possible to counterfeit, nothing remains but to be, in fact, thoroughly convinced. And herein consists the peculiar nature of religious persuasion, that it can be induced only by a moral process. That evidence of the truth of Christian doctrines, which truly satisfies the mind, is acquired only so far as they are known to be true, from the unquestionable testimony of individual consciousness. He whose spirit is not heavenly, who is not dead to the world and indifferent to its gewgaws, who does not "pass the time of his sojourning here in fear," yet" rejoicing "in hope," may profess, and defend, and that with sincerity, an evangelical creed; but it will ever be to him like a garment of sackcloth,' a source, at once, of mortification, and uneasiness. If he becomes not wholly indifferent, he will ever remain perplexed. So long as he continues honest, he will be dissatisfied. The rest which he seeks, but never finds, exists only within the near precincts of the Divine presence. To a holy life and a heavenly conversation alone, it is granted to "know all things.

Art. V. Memoirs of Richard Morris, late Pastor of the Baptist Church, Amersham, Bucks. Compiled by B. Godwin, Great Missenden. 12mo. pp. 95. Price 2s. 6d. 1818.

THERE were several incidents of more than ordinary inte

rest, connected with the early life of the very respectable individual who is the subject of these Memoirs, which rendered his friends solicitous to obtain from him, during his life time, an authentic narrative of his history. Their requests were, however, unavailing, till, when nearly in a dying state, Mr. Morris consented to dictate at intervals the substance of the principal statements contained in the present publication, order to leave in the hands of his beloved friends, whom he 'could serve no longer, a memorial of the Divine goodness and 'faithfulness.'

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Richard Morris was the son of a respectable farmer, resident in the parish of Radcliffe, in Lancashire, where he was born, May 29, 1747. In his twentieth year he went to visit a friend at West Chester, and accompanied him on a journey through North Wales, returning home through Liverpool. This jour ney gave birth to a strong desire in young Morris, to see more of the world, and concurred with other circumstances to unsettle his mind. Knowing that he had no means of supporting the expense of travelling, he came to a determination to enter the

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army, and meeting with an acquaintance who was disposed the same way,' he enlisted, with his companion, into the Oxford Blues, at Manchester, and joined the regiment at Stamford.

Instead of experiencing the pleasure he had anticipated, he soon found that a life of riot and dissipation was not adapted to make him happy. His mind had been from his childhood visited with strong religious convictions, under the influence of which he had repeatedly resolved to reform his habits of life, but he appears to have been wholly destitute of correct views of religion. Foiled in his attempts, he at length began to give up the hope of conquest. A trifling occurrence acting with peculiar force upon his imagination, seems to have been the means of permanently arresting his attention, and of giving rise to those workings of conscience, which issued in his conversion. While attending, as a mere spectator, a funeral which he had followed into St. Mary's church at Stamford, his mind being peculiarly solemnized and softened by the scene, the blast of six trumpets, sounded together to set the evening watch, reverberated through the dome, striking the whole audience with awe. It was a natural association of ideas which at such a moment called up with peculiar vividness the thought, that he must certainly hear the tremendous sound of the trump of God.' With this impression fresh upon his mind, Morris retired to his room, and endeavoured to lift up his heart to that God whom be knew must be his judge. His prayer was heard, and although he was at this time, as he confesses, totally unac'quainted with the nature of salvation by Jesus Christ as revealed in the Gospel,' as well as with the agency of the 'Holy Spirit as necessary to bring the soul to a personal ac'quaintance with it,' yet, he was enabled to break off, from this time, his former habits, and to enter, though with most obscure notions, upon a religious life. The inevitable consequence was, that from this time he was marked out by his comrades and officers, as one deluded by methodistical notions. Some of them derided and persecuted, others pitied him.

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The regiment being subsequently quartered at Loughborough, Morris took the opportunity of attending an evening lecture in Mr. Wesley's connexion, from which he derived considerable religious instruction; but his mind was filled with perplexity on many subjects, for want of a friend to whom he could apply for counsel and information. A word of Christian advice would,' he says, 'have been very serviceable to me.' He attended the General Baptist and Presbyterian meetings also, without knowing to what denomination they belonged. The discourses which he heard there, did not, however, give him the satisfaction which he sought I therefore determined,' he says, ' to seek direction VOL. X. N.S.

from God by prayer and a diligent perusal of his holy word, and said, "Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel." '

A clergyman in the church which I at this time attended was much in the habit of abusing the Methodists, as he called them, for believing in the influence of the Holy Spirit, and the doctrine of regeneration; and hearing in the Dissenting meetings the depravity of human nature, and the necessity of renewing grace, the guilt of man, and salvation only by faith in Jesus Christ, together with the production of the "fruits of the Spirit" in the life and conduct, constantly maintained, I became very anxious to know who were right, and what was the way in which God would have me to go. I then felt no attachment to any denomination in particular. I was totally unacquainted with their respective peculiarities, and viewed them all with equal indifference; my sole concern was, to know and embrace the truth. But the reading and hearing of the word of God was so blessed to me, that light broke in upon my mind in a way that filled me with surprise. I wondered that I had so often read, to so little pur pose, those parts of Scripture which now afforded me so much consolation and delight; and I was still more surprised to find that men of education should censure and condemn as fanatics, those who believed in the influence of the Holy Spirit, while they constantly used those prayers which supplicate his grace on behalf of the king and royal family, clergy and people, and make constant reference to the influence of this divine agent as necessary to enlighten the mind, to sanctify and renew the soul, to comfort the heart, and to produce the fruits of righteousness.

Being quite astonished at this contradiction, I could not help expressing my thoughts on this subject when I met with a person that I supposed had any knowledge of these things. One day, meeting with a young man from Scotland, belonging to the troop, who appeared to have some understanding in religious matters, I opened my mind to him, so far as to assert my surprise that so very few should attend to these important concerns. But after this man had heard my conversation on these subjects for some time, he turned what I said into ridicule, and adding falsehood to it, he told the officers and men that I thought there was scarcely a Christian in the troop. This brought on me a great deal of persecution, for the men were let loose upon me by the officers, who encouraged them by saying, they hoped the men would remember me for putting out such speeches.

At this time the commanding officer left Loughborough for a few days, and the men, according to a rule among themselves, tried me by what they called a Court Martial, for the alledged crime of scandalizing the regiment. I was then sentenced to be cold burnt, and accordingly was tied up in the yard, and a great many pails of water and ice thrown on me, till they were tired of fetching them from the horsepond; and such was their determination to use me ill, that they placed sentinels around to keep off the people, that none might rescue me. On this occasion the people of the inn behaved very humanely towards me; they put me into a warm bed, sat up with me all night, and paid the greatest attention to me, so that I received no farther jnjury.

This treatment I considered it my duty to bear with patience, as I remembered the words of Christ," If any man smite thee on the one cheek, turn to him the other also." Before my clothes were dry, one of the principal actors in this affair came to me to borrow money, which without hesitation I lent him, recollecting that we are directed to "overcome evil with good." Some of the men appeared ashamed of their conduct, while others boasted of it, and said “ I should not have been half so good if they had not washed away my sins at Loughborough.” ' pp. 16-19.

His next quarters were at Nottingham, where he had an opportunity of hearing a variety of preachers, among whom he was particularly pleased with Mr. Medley. He had hitherto declined uniting himself with any denomination of Christians. From Nottinghamshire, the regiment was removed to Hertfordshire, and Morris was quartered at Hemel Hempstead, where he attracted the notice, and was at length introduced to the friendship of the Rev. Dr. Jones, a learned Baptist Minister, afterwards of Hammersmith, whose behaviour to me,' says Mr. M. was in every respect that of a father.' The following incident is highly deserving of being recorded.

About this time my officers were particularly enraged at me, because some more of the men attended with me at the meeting. While we staid at Hempstead, Captain Joss preached for Mr. Jones one sabbath afternoon; and to prevent our hearing him, our quartermaster gave orders for us to be with our horses at three o'clock, and to wait till he came; for he said he supposed all the troop would be running after the methodist devil. We were obliged to obey his orders, and I suffered a disappointment. This plan the quartermaster found so convenient to keep us away, that he resolved to continue it, and gave orders that we should be with our horses every Sunday afternoon. We then sent a petition to the War Office, drawn up for us by Mr. Jones, addressed to Lord Barrington, containing a simple statement of our grievances, in being deprived of our privilege as Protestant Dissenters, of attending a Dissenting meeting as often as we had opportunity; for we considered ourselves bound by the martial law to attend the Established Church in the morning. We received a very kind and polite answer to our petition, informing us, that though he could not interfere with the orders of the commanding officer, with respect to our being with our horses at a certain hour, yet we might have the privilege of attending the Meeting in the morning instead of the Established Church. Before the receipt of Lord Barrington's answer I was removed to Hertford, where, on the Lord's day, I received a letter from Mr. Jones, with a copy of the letter from the War Office. I therefore acquainted our commanding officer that we had the privilege of attending a Dissenting meeting, which we intended in future to embrace. He said we must go to church according to the articles of war, and should go. replied, that as Protestant Dissenters we enjoyed the benefit of the toleration act; and our becoming servants to his Majesty could not

constitute us slaves. As soon as our parade was over on the sabbathı morning, I stepped out of the ranks to go to the meeting, and two more of the men followed me, but two others of our friends found their hearts fail them. Immediately a file of men was ordered to take us into confinement, and to keep us separate. We remained in this state till Wednesday evening, when we were sent for by the adjutant, who asked me whether I did not think myself guilty of mutiny. I wished to know on what ground so heavy a charge could be founded. He said we had broken the parade, and shewed contempt of orders. On which I observed, that I should be very sorry to do any thing contrary to good discipline, and wished to know when I might consider the parade to be dismissed. He replied, when the troops are marched to the place paraded for, which was the church. I then told him I did not mean to go to church, as that would be acting below our privileges. We were then dismissed, and ordered back to our quarters. I soon found that within a few days they had received a letter from the War Office; but they took the advantage of a little informality in it, to inflict on us the punishment of confinement. In answer to another letter, Lord Barrington told them, that if he should have occasion to write to them again on the same subject, the letter should be signed G. Rex. This had the desired effect, and we were informed, at the head of the parade, that we had liberty to attend any place of worship, except a Roman Catholic chapel. pp. 24-26.

In 1773, while quartered at High Wycombe, Morris accepted an invitation to address a religious meeting held early on the Sunday morning. This soon came to the ears of his officers, who, as well as the men, resented it as a disgrace to the regi

ment.

They determined therefore again to try me by one of their mock courts martial. I was accordingly brought to trial in a meadow called the Rye, near the turnpike, and was again sentenced to be cold burnt, and orders were given to forbid any one bringing me dry clothes. This was executed in the most severe manner; but one of my comrades broke through their orders, and brought me some dry clothes, for which he was threatened to have the like punishment inAlicted on him the next day. The probability of this brought me, for the first time, to the fixed determination to oppose such illegal treatment. I waited on the commanding officer, and enquired if he knew the manner in which I had been treated by the men. He made no answer to my question, but advised me not to preach, observing that there were proper persons paid for preaching, and he thought it a pity that I should concern myself about religious instruction. I said, in reply, that it was a matter of conscience with me to warn sinners of their evil way; but that had not the men proceeded to the resolution of inflicting the same punishment on my companion, I might have let it pass over as I had done before; but that I was now determined, if the business was not put a stop to, I would immediately complain to General Conway, who, I had no doubt, would see the matter righted. After this, I had to suffer nothing more of this kind. Some unknown

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