Ossian Collection > Gentleman's magazine, and historical chronicle > Volume 66, Part 2

1 79^*] Mf.Tiytr, and'EmznnelCo/Uge, — Hackney Seminary. 55^
May. Your Reviewer talks of my ia-
njing a lick at Emanutl-collegf; as if I
polleffed fome pririte enmity ae^ainft
th,it fociety, and felt a pleafure in ex-
prefiing fome refentment : in another
place he notices the haughtinefsof my
gratitude.
Now, Sir, it is piobable that ray
gratitude may have a different mea-
fure from the Reviewer's; for my
opinion certainly i», that felfifli and
vain-glonous perfons, dtftitute of ge-
nuine kindne(s, may render men Oc-
cidents! r-ivic«s, which ytt require
very different returns from what may
be expefted ; but this is alfo my be-
lief, that where one perfon renders
ancther ferviccs, and, as well from his
principles and charafter as fiom cor-
reiaiive circumftances, proves that he
mc^nt the recipient's good, not his
own, and where the fervices are tax-
ed with no onieafonabie and irkfome
conditions, 1 fay, Sir, it is my belief
th<Tt fuch fer rices will be juftly eftiina-
rcd, and on proper occadons, and in a
proper way, be acknowledged by eve-
ry honeft man. I am fosuard to be-
lieve that fuch civilities have been re-
ceived by ire from feveral perfons of
Emanuei-co!leg:e; and, though I have
never allowed them either to influence
mv judgement in the choice or prin-
ciplts, or to determine my conduct as
guided by thofe piinc.ples, yet have
1 always been ready to own my obli-
gations ; and, in the pre/ace to the fe-
cond edition of an Enquiry into the
Nature of Subfcipiion to the Thirty-
nine Articles, I have *xprrirud my
obligations in terms of the higheli re-
fpeft.
How my alluding to the indifcreet
behaviour of a young man of Ema-
nuel-coilege, when I iiave never men-
tioned his name, and when, if I had,
the perfon could not have been af-
fcfied by it J and more particulaily
when every th.ng on tlie fide of the
College, as leiated by me, ivas ho-
nourable } I cannot underfland. Your
Reviewer will probably chII this letter
Eno'her inftance of w)/ <'jff///)w : this I
cannot help; I rely on ;our candour
for inftfrting it; and, in ths belief that
jou will do me this juQice, 1 remain
Yours, &c. Georoe Dyer.
Mr. Urban, Hackney, June 5.
"XirOUlv conefpondcnt, who fectiied
i fo pofit ve of the downfall of the
>iew College, p. 458, is perhaps una-
ware, that th's very inflitiition ftLll
continues to be carried on under the
guardianfliip of Mr. Bel(}iam, with
the occational aififtance of Mr.Rentifh,
at a private feminarv in Hacknev. It
is the intention of the bodv of Unira-
)i<n Diffentersto form a committee for
the purpofe of cftabliflijng a new aca-
demical inftitution, on more osconomi-
cal principles, at Birmingham. They
have at Lft found the truth of the
maxim, exPerientia docet. Had they
originally conrented themfelves with
infiituting a lefs expenfive, and more
commodious, fociety, they would not
have had the mortification to fee their
vaunted defigns wholly fruitrattd, or
their fupernatural expeflations fo
quickly annihilated. Societies efta-
biifhed, like edifices in the air, on vi-
fion.^ry fchemes, and fupported by
parties of the day, catinot be more
laP.ing than the influence that proteits
them, which the tide of variety mull
eventually bury in the grave of obli-
vion.
Men, who differ in religious opinions,
furely ought to frame femmaries for
the education of their refpeflive mi-
niffries; but, when fuch fcminaries
becone the volcanos of fediii'.n, and
nurlsries of riot, tbey cann.n, nor
ftiould not, long remain eftablifhed.
In every party, by ivhacever tenets or
principles it is charafterized, there are
always fome members who will difap-
prove, and objeft to, every deviaiioa
from the rules by which their fociety is
uriited.
The Hackney College was inftitlited
for the purpo'e of preparing minillers
for the Socniian deaominati^n — fup-
ported by men of affluence, lii'^ralif',
and independence— and noariJh.:d by
the ;ib eft defenders of Unitarunifm.
it then pr(->mifed to extend the rays of
fcie.Tce over the dark^.il regions of ig-
nor?;nce, and would have, no doubt,
continued till ihi* time in as flourifliing
a ft'tCj had not the appomtment of
Dr. Prieftley to the principal profeflor-
Ihip induced many of its beft fupp-nt-
ers to withdraw' their fubfcriptions, and
iikewife dil'concinue attendance at the
Gravel- pit ineeang-houfe,immed in tely
after his accciiion to the pafloral cflice
in that place. Such a reduction from
the annual inrome of this focie' 7 ne-
ceilanly occafioned a diminution of
the dependent: officers, and impaired
its dignity, credit, and grandeur. At
length, irtiiated by the inatteniion and
negl^it