Rye, and to the Rev. Mr. Copping, of Sandhurst, requesting them to be present and assist them in the great work, which they willingly complied with. The brethren had appointed March 28, 1780, in which to do the solemn business. And that day was observed, by them as a day of fasting and earnest prayer to God for a Divine blessing on their undertaking." The entry in the church book from which the above is an extract, was made by Mr. Vidler soon after the institution of the church, in the year 1780, when he was about 22 years of age. The singular conspiracy against the Methodists, as Mr. Vidler and his Dissenting friends were called, was headed by the Dean of Battle, and was truly formidable to the little flock, consisting of inferior tradesmen and mechanics. It was broken up before it had proceeded to acts of persecution, by the death of the Dean, who was taken away from this scene of error and passion, in the prime of life, and in the midst of his career of ecclesiastical zeal. But although this storm blew over, Mr. Vidler and his religious friends were not suffered to pass without molestation. His youth, being only nineteen years of age when he commenced preacher, and his humble occupation, occasioned a general outery in the neighbourhood against his supposed presumption: it was not to be endured that such a person should stand up as a reformer! The chief scene of his earliest labours was the villages around Battle, and in these he commonly addressed the people in the open air, which afforded a fine opportunity for his persecutors to vent their spite. He administered baptism by immersion in the unsheltered streams that were most convenient, and this service was particularly chosen for insulting and assaulting the young preacher and his adhe rents: every hindrance and molestation was resorted to that vulgar ingenuity could advise or gross and violent passions execute. The ignorant multitude were encouraged in these excesses by some persons whose education and rank in life might have been expected to teach them good manners, if not just principles: amongst these was an attorney of rospectable practice and connections, who is described as having been a Harassing as this opposition from threatened to turn him out of doors if he did not desist from preaching. This was a serious trouble; for he had a great respect and affection for his parents, and his present system of faith would not allow him to regard their opposition in any other light than as a resistance of truth and salvation. His religious associates were persons of no power or influence, and they too had their perplexities, which increased his own. He felt, however, that he was following the path of duty; and whilst he saw the necessity of being more than usually careful of his temper and conduct in his family and in the world, that he might give no just occasion of reproach, he resolved to persevere and he encouraged his friends to stand fast in their religious profession. His amiable and affectionate behaviour in his family softened prejudice and conciliated esteem, and he was richly rewarded for his consistent and exemplary conduct by the conversion of his mother to his opinions and feelings; and external persecution and ridicule died away, through the influence of his talents and character, his enemies at length dreading to encounter his strong understanding, cool temper and keen raillery.* It could not be expected that he should pass at once from a state in which his The following anecdotes, which Mr. Vidler used to relate in his family, shew both the bitterness and violence of his opponents and his own self-possession and native humour. Being one Saturday at work with one of his brothers, he received on a sudden a hard blow, made by his companion with one of the tools which they had in use.. He took this as mere play, till his brother repeated the blow again and again, calling upon him at the same time to turn out and fight. Thus provoked, he seized his assailant, and bound him hand and foot; nor would he release him till he had explained the meaning of bis conduct, life was occasionally endangered, to general popularity; secret calumnies were whispered by those that dared not avow openly their enmity; but he lived down even these, and long before he left Battle was in peace with his neighbours, who, to their as well as promised that he would not renew it. The explanation of his brother was, "You must know that myself and several others, hearing that you were to preach to morrow were determined that you should not; or, at least, if you did, that we should have the gratification of seeing the parson with a pair of black eyes." One of the leaders of the opposition to Mr. Vidler, at Battle, was a shoemaker, of the name of Hayward,, who in his language and profession was extremely irreligious. He had a ready wit, on which the prided himself and by which he had obtained an ascendancy over the rabble. The Methodists and their young minister "served him for a never failing joke. Hay ward had carried bis self-conceit into his business, and had issued an advertisement to all those who had suffered from ignorant pretenders to the "craft," that his boots and shoes and his only would "infallibly fit." Soon after this advertisement had been issued, on the day of the annual fair at Battle, he was standing at his shop door, surrounded by loose persons gaping for an opportunity to laugh, when to his great joy he espied Mr. Vidler coming down the street, on the opposite side of the way. The occasion was not to be resisted: his looks and attitudes prepared the by-standers for some very smart jest. On Mr. Vidler's arriving nearly opposite his door, he stept gently across the street and pulling off his hat and making a profound bow, in a very audible and solemn voice he thus accosted him, "Good morning to you, Parson Brick-dust! I hope your reverence is well this morning, most Reverend Sir!" Having thus delivered himself, he retired a few paces, put his hat upon his head, and folding his arms waited triumphantly for a reply. He had not long to wait. M. Vidler, perceiving how highly the pople relished the joke, uncovered his head with great gravity, returned a still lower obeisance than he had received, and with great stateliness of manner replied,, "Good morning to you, Mr. Hayward, Infallible Boot and Shoemaker: I hope I bave the pleasure of seeing your excellency well this morning, most Infallible Sir!" This unexpected retort, in which the fool was answered according to his folly, disconcerted the scoffer, raised the laugh against himself, and fixed on him the nickname of Mr. Infallible, own credit, rightly estimated his superior character. In such disadvantageous circumstances did Mr. Vidler form those habits of thinking and that manner of preaching which raised him to just distinction in the several bodies of Christians with whom he was successively connected. His sermons were studied for years in the midst of hard labour; his reading was chiefly by stealth. When he went out to work at a distance from home, he carried books amongst his tools that he might be provided with food for his mind in the short intervals from work allotted to meals; and sometimes that he might escape observation he hired a labourer at two-pence a day to carry his books to and fro. He continued this course of regular labour and desultory study until a painful accident rendered him totally incapable of supplying the wants of a growing family by manual industry. This event made him dependant for support upon his congregation, who though they were settled in a regular place of worship and increasing in numbers, did not feel themselves at first capable of giving him as a salary more than the scanty pittance of £17 per annum. The stipend was raised from time to time, as his wants or the more liberal offers of other congregations, particularly one from Portsmouth, in 1784, pointed out the necessity of augmentation, until it reached the sum of £50 per annum; when, as appears from his Diary, he was reproached, by the world at least, with oppressing his people and making a gain of godliness. His own reflections his condition and character: this occasion will best explain upon "If ever I sought ease or plenty by preaching the gospel, I have been sadly disappointed, for I have and do generally preach six times in a week, except when I administer the Lord's supper, which may be reckoned equal to preaching once: besides which, I often walk twenty and sometimes thirty miles a week, backward and forward, the places where I preach being distant from each other. "The people of the world charge bers of my church in temporal things, me with greatly oppressing the membut I bless God, I am clear from one single instance of this, choosing Jather to suffer need myself, than to oppress any, and have really suffered need and de so even to this day, in such a manner as but very few of my people de. And if any of my people have appeared to me to subscribe more to my support than their circumstances would well bear, I have desired my deacons to tell them to lessen their bounty. My God! Thou knowest I have not sought their's but them. "The world charges me with amassing a great deal of money which I privately put out to use, while I appear poor to hide my covetousness. But so far from this, I have never yet been able to keep myself quite level with the world, which at times has been a great trouble to me, as I earnestly wish to owe no man any thing but love. "I am charged also with taking advantage of the religious zeal of my people in the ordinance of baptisin, so that after I have persuaded them that baptism is a duty, I make them pay me half a guinea or a guinea as they can afford it for being baptized. But, first, I never yet persuaded any person to be baptized, but I have baptized many, every one of whom has requested me to do it, professing themselves to be scripturally convinced that it was their duty. 2dly, Of all those whom I have ever baptized, I never did receive the value of one penny for administering that ordinance to them, though I have several times refused presents which have been offered me on those occasions.” Worldly-mindedness was indeed so far from being the habit of Mr. Vidler's mind that he was careless of his own interests. He had few personal expences and he recommended frugality to his household; but he was confiding, generous and hospitable: we cannot wonder therefore that he was straitened in circumstances even with his enlarged income. He thus writes under date of 1787: "Upon a review of my temporal circumstances, I find them much deranged. During the last three years, I have had something above £50 per annum, and during the whole time I have had five in family, and for the last ten months six. I find it impossible to support my family with this income, and I think it impossible for ny people to make any proper addition to it. "What is to be done concerning my temporal affairs? Am I not, Ő God! in that place and doing that work, both of which thou hast appointed for me? I dare appeal to thee. that I am. Thou knowest that I have had the prospect of more honour in the world and better temporal provi sion than I could ever hope for at Battle, if I would leave my people; and thou knowest also that nothing but a persuasion that I was in the path of duty, by stopping at Battle, has prevented my going elsewhere. Now, Lord, I have sacriticed my temporal interest to my duty, to thee, and permit me to ask with the deepest reverence, wilt thou permit me to suffer for so doing? Thy word tells me thou wilt not, and my faith tells me thou wilt not. Do, I beseech thee, give me bread to eat and raiment to put on without going in debt for it. "As an encouragement to my faith, I will call to mind some of thy kind providences towards me. "1st. In general, thy dealing with me at Battle has been wonderful, for by increasing the number of nry pea ple and blessing them in their circumstances, they have been able to raise my stipend from £17 to £50: and though upon trial this does not appear to be so much as I need, yet it is more than could ever have been expected at Battle. "2nd. In particular when I was once indebted to my butcher and baker fifteen pounds, and knew not how to pay it, thou Lord! that knew. est what I had need of, didst send me just fifteen pounds to pay it with, though I had told no mortal of my case. Now I am sure that thy hand was in this, for it was just the sun I needed, and came just in the time I needed it, and the person who was the chief instrument in doing it knew very little about me." We have made these extracts from Mr. Vidler's diary partly to let him paint his own situation at the time they were written, and partly to shew how deeply his religious feelings mixed with all his reflections. On the review of them in the latter period of his life, he must have smiled at the familiarity which he once allowed himself to indulge with Divine Providence, and at the simplicity with which he interpreted seasonable sup plies of his wants, and happy turns in his affairs, as special interpositions of heaven. To make his income equal to his wants, he entered soon after the date of these memoranda into business, opening a shop at Battle for drugs, bookselling and stationery. This business he carried on until he removed to London; though it is doubted whether it were not upon the whole a loss rather thau a profit. He was not inattentive to trade, but early education had not given him the habits of a shopkeeper, and he was not sufficiently sensible of the value of money to be on the alert to seize small profits, either in buying or in selling; besides that his mind was diverted from the pursuit of gain by his religious inquiries and studies, and that his growing popularity in his denomination frequently called him from home. In the villages around Battle, where he commenced his public labours, he continued to preach, and many persons in them were attracted by this means to the congregation at Battle, which was considered as the motherchurch. Some of these villages are still preaching stations for the Unitarian minister at Battle; the individuals who compose the small congregations which assemble in them having undergone the same changes of opinion as the original congregation. Mr. Vidler extended his village-preaching, in 1788, to Northiam, at the invitation of Mr. Samuel Luff, whose yard was the first place of worship which he occupied in this town. His visits were repeated every other week, and were so successful that a dissenting church, was formed which continues to the present time, its religious history being much the same as that of the other congregations connected with the parent society at Battle. Mr. Vidler now saw himself raised by the blessing of Providence upon his labours to be the head of a large body of closely-united, affectionate and zealous Christians. Between him and his flock there was a warm and growing attachment. They were mostly, in a religious sense, his children; they looked up to him with respect and confidence, and he watched over their spiritual prosperity with parental assiduity and tenderness. His house was ever open to his friends whom he received with Christian hospitality; and whatever might be his secret uneasiness or apprehension with regard to his worldly affairs, the smile of cheerfulness was always seen in his habitation. His domestic circle was enlarged and enlivened by his "taking to his own home" his wife's mother who was left by her husband in a totally destitute condition. The old lady was considered as one of the family and treated by the head of it with respectful and filial affection: if she were sad, he would direct his conversation to her, nor cease till he had raised her spirits; and if she expressed her apprehensions of being burdensome, he would dispel the unpleasant thought by relating and magnifying her services and by pointing out the various ways in which God had made her a blessing to the house. She was removed with the family to London and closed her eyes under Mr. Vidler's roof, after having been a part of his household for more than twenty years. Until the year 1791, the congregation at Battle had met in the place. of worship which they occupied on their being first gathered together; but it had been for some time found to be too small for the increasing number of hearers and to be otherwise incommodious. In that year, therefore, they took into consideration the propriety of erecting a meeting-house more adequate to their wants and prospects. Their own pecuniary re sources were small, but their hopes were large. It was the custom in their denomination, the Calvinistic Baptists, that poor churches should, in such cases, draw upon the li berality of the more wealthy. No reason appeared why they should not adopt a measure which had been sanctioned by general usage and had in cases less promising than their own been crowned with success. They confided in the zeal of their pastor, and reckoned that if he should go forth soliciting the aid of their brethren, his character and talents would procure him ready access to the principal pulpits in the connection, and his able discourses and popular manner of preaching would win the hearts of individuals and bespeak a hearty welcome to their fire-sides, where they knew by experience that his conversation, judicious, instructive, various, cheerful and good humoured, would be effectual to the utmost of of their wishes. Thus calculating, they resolved upon the proposed measure, and Mr. Vidler agreed to travel, as their representative and solicitor ta the churches. [To be continued.] Memoir of Ellis Bent, Esq. M. A. LEIS BENT, Esq. M. A. died on Friday the 10th of November, 1815, at his house at Sydney, Judge Advocate of the Colony of New South Wales, which office he had filled for nearly six years. The character of this justly lamented magistrate, who was removed from life at the early period of thirty-two years of age, by a disorder occasioned probably by the intenseness of his application to the arduous duties of his profession; was a character of no common interest, and which seems to have been formed by a combina tion of circumstatices peculiar to himself. Distinguished during the course of the preparatory studies for his profession by unremitted attention, and -the consequent attainment of literary eminence, and at the same time by temper rather pensive and abstracted; he had not been called to the bar four years, when he was appointed to a situation, which, to such a mind as his, must have been, probably, the most interesting in which he could have been placed. The great principle which appears to have occupied his mind and to have animated his exertions, was the contemplation of an intellectual and moral process in which he himself was actively concerned, in the completion of which all the best interests of the human race were ultimately involved. Mr. Judge Advocate Bent has left behind him a widow and five small children, one born since his death. His father, Robert Bent, Esq. his mother, three sisters and his brother, Jefferey Bent, Esq. Judge of the Court of Equity, who attended his funeral as chief mourner, survive to lament his loss. As in domestic and social life he discharged every duty of the relation and the friend with a glow of affection which kindled a retum of affection; so in public life he discharged the duties of his elevated and important situation with that up rightness of principle, and with that justice tempered with mercy, which rendered him the object of universal respect. The report of the committee of the House of Commons on the state of the colony of New South Wales; their approbation of the arrangements VOL. XIL. which he suggested as necessary to be adopted in the legal department, and brother to the office of Judge in, the the consequent appointment of his newly instituted Court of Equity, are standing testimonials of the opinion which was formed of his ability and integrity; and the grief which was the account which is given in the occasioned by his death, appears by Sydney Gazette of his funeral, which was attended by the governor, the by the general population of the officers civil and military, and indeed place. The following is extracted from a Ser mon preached at Sydney, on Sunday, Nov. 19, 1815, occasioned by the Death of the late Ellis Bent, Esq. Judge Advocate in New South Wales. AS King David said of Abner, so we must this day acknowledge that in (our) Israel" a great man is fallen.". This is an afflictive stroke and a severe public and individual loss. For, I would seriously ask, when or where shall be found a man of such approved wisdom and integrity? We have sustained a loss incalculable I had almost said irreparable. The decease of a personage so exalted and so honourable, we ought most af fectionately to remember and most pionsly improve. He who lately dwelt among us, distinguished by rank and learning, revered for pro dence and moderation, beloved and esteemed for sweetness of disposition, amiableness of manners and upright ness of conduct, he is gone! He is gone! no more to return! and the place which knew him here, shall know him no more! For the loss of such a one it behoves us to take up a lamentation and to mourn, because on a similar occasion, even "Jesus wept." He alas! who but a little while ago was in the prine and vigour ́ of his days, and in the ample enjoy ment of health and wealth, and whatever earth could afford to make him happy and respected, is now the prisoner of the grave! The days of his youth are shortened, his life is cut off in the midst! and oh! how many purposes are broken! how many cheering hopes are blasted! how many |