OLD-BAILEY.-Presbyterian, Extinct. sentiments upon the subject during the remainder of his life. When, upon the flight of James II. into France, matters were tending to a settlement in Ireland, and the Protestant congregations had begun to re-assemble in peace and order, Mr. Boyse again urged Mr. Emlyn to accept the pastoral care, jointly with himself, of the Dissenting society in Wood-street, Dublin. After having taken a considerable time for deliberation, and consulted with ministers of experience and respectability, he yielded to the application made to him, and in 1691 removed to Dublin. In this city he soon rose to high reputation as a preacher. He had not only the external recommendations of a portly presence, a strong clear voice, and a graceful delivery; but his discourses were at once rational, persuasive, and pathetic. Controversial points were scarcely ever introduced by him into the pulpit. His manner of conducting the devotional part of worship was peculiarly excellent; and he was also exemplary in the discharge of the private duties of a Christian minister. In the year 1694 he married Mrs. Esther Bury, a widow lady, with a handsome jointure; and, being possessed of an easy fortune, lived in affluence and happiness, highly respected by his people, and beloved by all who knew him. In the year 1697, he had some thoughts of openly declaring his sentiments with respect to the Trinity, and of relinquishing his connexion with his congregation; but, upon deliberation, he determined not to proceed abruptly in so important an affair, nor hastily to throw himself out of a situation of much usefulness. At the same time, he resolved to embrace the first fair occasion that should offer of declaring his opinion concerning the Trinitarian doctrine. Towards the latter end of the year 1701, he met with severe domestic afflictions, in being deprived by death of a young son, and of his wife, who was endeared to him by every consideration. The later stroke, especially, inflicted a deep wound on his heart, as may be seen in the sermon which he preached on the occa OLD-BAILEY. -Presbyterian, Extinct. sion, and which was printed under the title of "Funeral Consolations." It exhibits a fine specimen of pathetic eloquence, united with rational, just reflections; and is to be met with in the volume of sermons that was published after the author's death, in the Protestant System, the Practical Preacher, and perhaps other collections. In less than nine months after the death of his wife, a scene of cruel persecution against Mr. Emlyn commenced, on account of his opinions respecting the doctrine of the Trinity. Dr. Cummins, a noted physician in Dublin, and a leading member of the congregation in Wood-street, who had himself been brought up to the study of divinity, but afterwards chosen the medical profession, observing that Mr. Emlyn avoided expressing the common opinion, and the arguments which are used to support it, strongly suspected that he was not a believer in the supreme diety of Jesus Christ. This suspicion he communicated to Mr. Boyse; when they jointly waited upon Mr. Emlyn, acquainting him with their jealousies, and earnestly desiring to know his real sentiments in the matter. Upon this application Mr. Emlyn thought himself bound as a Christian, not ashamed of his principles, explicitly to declare what his faith was, and freely owned himself convinced that the God and Father of Jesus Christ is alone the Supreme Being, and superior in excellence and authority to his Son, who derives all from him. At the same time Mr. Emlyn told them that he was far from wishing to create any disturbance in the congregation, but was willing to leave them peaceably, that, if they pleased, they might choose another minister. If the true spirit of the religion for which they were zealous had possessed their minds, they would have acquiesced in such a proposition. But such was not their temper. Mr. Boyse brought the matter before the Dublin ministers, though he well knew the narrowness of their principles. At an interview with them, Mr. Emlyn candidly explained his sentiments; the result of which was, that on that very day they OLD-BAILEY.-Presbyterian, Extinct. agreed to cast him off, and that he should not be permitted to preach any more. This they did without consulting his congregation, who, as yet, were entire strangers to the affair. Mr. Emlyn, however, directed the deacons and chief managers of his church to be called together, when he informed them, that a difference of opinion relative to the Trinity, had made him obnoxious to some who were then present, and to the ministers of Dublin; on which account, with thankful acknowledgments for the respect and kindness which they had shewn him for many years, he requested that they would give him his dismission. At this information the gentlemen assembled were very much surprised and affected; and Dr. Cummins himself then wished that he had taken no steps in the business. They first proposed to Mr. Emlyn that he should for some time desist from preaching; but this he could not accede to, unless some declaration were made respecting the cause of such a proceeding, lest he should be suspected of having been guilty of some immorality. They next proposed that he should retire for a while to England, that there might be time for consideration before any definitive resolution was adopted in the business, With this proposition he complied, and, with great inconvenience to himself and family, embarked for England the day after this meeting was held; but not before the Dublin ministers sent two of their number, imperiously to "charge him, as (says he) the word was, not to preach any where when he went thither." On his arrival in England, Mr. Emlyn's situation must have presented itself to his mind in various views most afflictive to his feelings, and that required an uncommou share of fortitude and self-possession to prevent him from sinking under it. He saw that he had entered on a dark scene, and 'must arm himself for various trials. He was, most probably, on the point of being cruelly divorced from those connexions that had materially contributed to the felicity of his social life; of having the great respect with which he had OLD-BAILEY.-Presbyterian, Extinct. been treated turned into contempt; and of exchanging a state of ease and affluence, for one of difficulties and embarrassments. But he possessed so firm a persuasion that he had acted no other part than that of an upright conscientious man, and so clear a conviction of what he believed to be truth, that he resolved to adhere to it at all hazards. When he came to London, he met with some persons who were disposed to treat him with candour and charity: an account of which reception highly offended the Dublin ministers, who endeavoured by their letters to render him as odious as possible, while by every method in their power they excited the clamour and rage of the people in Dublin against him and his opinions. While he was in London Mr. Emlyn published a short account of his case, After about ten weeks absence, notwithstanding the discouraging accounts which he received of the temper of men's minds at Dublin, he thought it necessary to return to his family; and finding that both his person and doctrine lay under great odium with many who knew little of the subject in dispute, he considered it to be an act of justice to himself, and especially to the truth, to shew what evidence there was in the scriptures of the opinion which he embraced. With this view he wrote his " Humble Inquiry into the Scripture Account of Jesus Christ, or a short Argument concerning his Deity and Glory, according to the Gospel." A few days after his work was printed, Mr. Emlyn intended to return to England; but some hot-headed Dissenters, to their eternal disgrace, resolved to have him persecuted. And one of them, Caleb Thomas by name, after a consultation had been held to devise the speediest and surest method of carrying their resolution into effect, obtained a special warrant from the lord chief-justice to seize our author and his books. He had then the hardness of heart to accompany the keeper of Newgate in the execution of the warrant, and was afterwards a forward and eager witness at Mr. Emlyn's trial. Our author, with part of the impression OLD-BAILEY.-Presbyterian, Extinct. of his works, being thus seized, was carried before the lord chief-justice, who at first refused bail, but afterwards granted it, on two sufficient persons being bound in a recognizance of eight hundred pounds for Mr. Emlyn's personal appear ance. In the next term after that in which he was taken up, the grand jury found a bill against him, wherein he was indicted of blasphemy. To such a charge he could not in justice submit, and therefore chose to traverse. After the indictment had been altered three times before it could be finally settled, the trial was appointed for the 14th of June, 1703. On that occasion, as no sufficient legal evidence could be produced that Mr. Emlyn was the author of the book which the indictment was pleased to charge with impious, blasphemous, false, malicious, and seditious expressions, Mr. Boyse was sent for into court; who, when he was examined as to what Mr. Emlyn had preached of the matters contained in the book, acknowledged that he had said nothing of them in the pulpit directly, but only some things that gave ground for suspicion; and when further asked what he had said in private conference with the ministers, answered, "that what he had declared there was judged by his brethren to be near to Arianism." Though this evidence only proved at the utmost the agreement of the book with Mr. Emlyn's sentiments, yet the Queen's counsel rested their sole arguments for his crimination upon it, alleging the scandalous doctrine that strong presumption was as good as evidence, which was supported by the lord chief-justice. They never entered into the main question, whether the passages produced in the indictment amounted to blasphemy, which Mr. Emlyn's own counsel were prevented from touching upon by the shameful violence and partiality displayed by the court; and he was not permitted to speak for himself. Under these disgraceful circumstances, which were as tyrannical as the proceedings of a board of popish inquisitors, and more criminal, because conducted under the forms of a free consti |