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with so much wisdom and decency, that it was well taken; and the lecture continued pretty much in the same state till 1694, when it split upon the same rock, occasioned by the reprinting Dr. Crisp's works.

At this time, all the old lecturers, with the exception of Dr. BATES, had been removed from off the stage; and their places were supplied by Mr. Howe, Mr. MEAD, Mr. ALSOP, Mr. COLE, and Mr. WILLIAMS. The latter, who had succeeded Mr. Baxter in the lecture having written very pointedly against the tenets of Crisp, gave great offence to some persons, and an attempt was made to exclude him the lecture. But as this could not be easily accomplished, some turbulent spirits set themselves busily to work, in sowing the seeds of discord among the supports of the lecture, and even among the lecturers themselves; insomuch that, at length, an opened breach ensued. Four of the lecturers, Dr. Bates, Mr. Howe, Mr. Alsop, and Mr. Williams, removed to Salters'-Hall, where they set up another lecture, on the same day and hour, and chose two ministers, Mr. Mayo, and Dr. Annesley, to complete their number. Of the men, who could drive away from their lecture, four Divines of so much learning, wisdom, and piety, we cannot speak in terms of sufficient reprobation; nor can we too highly estimate the loss of their labours. The fatal consequence of this division was a separation of the two denominations of Presbyterian and Independent, and they continued ever after to hold separate meetings. With Mr. Cole, and Mr. Mead, who remained behind at Pinners'-Hall, were associated four other Divines, selected from the Independent denomination. These were Nathaniel Mather, Timothy Cruso, Stephen Lobb, and Thomas Gouge. For many years this lecture continued in a very respectable state. It was numerously attended, both by ministers, and other people, who, many of them, travelled several miles for that pur

PINNERS-HALL-Independent, Extinct.

pose. (s) Upon the expiration of the lease of Pinners'Hall meeting, the lecture was removed for a short time to Little St. Helen's, and from thence to New Broad-street, where it now continues. It is at present in a very low state; and in order to promote a revival, the lecturers have agreed to preach upon set subjects. The respectability attached to the situation of lecturer at Pinners'Hall, rendered it an object of ambition to be elected to that office; and as considerable sums have been bequeathed for the purpose, the preachers are allowed a handsome compensation for their services.

We have taken some pains in order to procure a complete list of the Pinners'-Hall Lecturers, but without success. The catalogue now offered to the public, we cannot vouch for being perfect: it is possible the dates may, in some instances, be inaccurate, and the order of succession inverted. It will serve, however, to assist some other person in forming a more complete list.

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(s) We have been told that Mr. Olding used constantly to walk from Deptford, to attend this lecture; and Mr. Amos Harrison, did the same from Croydon,

PINNERS-HALL-Independent, Extinct.

Daniel Williams, chosen 1691 in the room of Mr. Baxter.

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Pinners'-Hall, was an ancicut building, of a moderate size, and the 100f of a very peculiar construction. There were six galleries to the meeting, or two tiers, one of them being raised above the other. The congregation to whom the place belonged, and which assembled there only in the morning, was collected in the reign of King Charles the Second, by the Rev. Anthony Palmer, ejected from Bourton-on-the-Water. He was assisted some time, by the Rev. George Fownes, and succeeded by the Rev. Richard Wavel, likewise Bartholomew Confessors. All these ministers were zealous Calvinists. Their successors, though divines of considerable eminence in their day, were of a very different stamp, and preached in a manner to empty pews. It is a most surprising circumstance, how a number of Christians, and many of them of long experience, should, from a warm, evangelical pastor, fix upon one, who, however learned and amiable, strove to keep his people in the dark, as to his sentiments concerning the leading doctrines of the gospel. But Pinners'-Hall affords not the only melancholy instance of this nature. The lease of the meeting-house expiring in 1778, the church, after subsisting more than a century, became extinct.

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As the people to whom Pinners'-Hall properly belonged, occupied it only in the morning, it was let out in the afternoon to various other congregations in succession, But be fore we notice these, the order of time requires us to mention, that, for a considerabie number of years, a congregation of Particular Baptists, rented the meeting-house on the Saturday, or seventh-day. This society was collected in the reign of Charles the Second, by the Rev. Thomas Bampfield, who died a Martyr in Newgate, in 1684. Many

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years after his death, the society removed to Curriers'-Hall, Cripplegate, where we shall give a further account of it. The first church that occupied Pinners'-Hall, in the afternoon of the first day, as far as our information reaches, was one of the Independent persuasion, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Thomas Cole, who died in 1697, and afterwards of Dr. John Singletou, who, at Midsummer, 1704, removed his people to Lorimers'-Hall. The next church that assembled at Pinners'-Hall, in the afternoon, was that under the care of the celebrated Dr. Isaac Watts. After preaching there upwards of four years, his congregation removed, at Michaelmas, 1708, to their new meeting-house, in Duke'sPlace, Berry-Street. The next in succession, was a congregation of Particular Baptists, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Joseph Maisters, who removed hither from Joyners'Hall, in 1708. His successor, Mr. Thomas Richardson, in the year 1723, removed his people to Devonshire-square, as we have seen in a foregoing article.* From that time, to the year 1741, we believe that Dr. Hunt preached on both parts of the day at Pinners'-Hall. About that period, Mr. Weatherley's congregation of General Baptists, removed thither from Artillery-lane, Spital-fields, and continued to assemble there under successive pastors, till the expiration of the lease, in 1778, when they removed to Dr. Savage's meeting-house, in Berry-street. About Midsummer, 1771, Dr. Jeffries, who was then pastor of this church, resigned the use of the place, ou every alternate Sabbath, to another General Baptist society, at Horsleydown, of which the late Mr. Joseph Brown was pastor. Upon the expiration of the lease, he also removed his church to Berry-street, where both societies met alternately, till 1781, when they removed to Worship-street.

The lease of Pinners'-Hall expiring in 1778, and Dr. Fleming's congregation of Independents dissolving about the

* See Joyners'-Hall.

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