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A friend in London, to whose care he had consigned a few copies, writes thus: "I sold one of your Sermons on the Divinity of Christ to a Unitarian, and have the pleasure to say, that, from reading it, he has been led to exchange his erroneous sentiments for the doctrine maintained by you.'

These pamphlets against Unitarianism were the occasion of numerous letters to the author, of which have space only for the following.

"Creed, June 17th, 1814.

"MY DEAR SIR,

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Many circumstances have prevented me from thanking you, as soon as I could wish to have done, for your very kind letter of the 10th of May, and for your pamphlet which accompanied it. I feel myself much obliged to you for both.

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"The object of your pamphlet is to establish what I conceive to be the very essence of our religion, and to vindicate important and awful truths from cavils. I have read what you have written with much satisfaction. There is considerable acuteness in your mode of treating your subject, and also originality in arguments, which, upon a question so often and so variously discussed, was not to be expected. It is, I think, calculated to do much good: it will have weight with those who are humble and teachable ;but, alas! there are those still in the world, who seeing will not see, and hearing will not understand.' I fear that Mr. Prout, and men of his character and opinions, will not easily be silenced. There is a flippant self-sufficiency in the style and argument of all the Socinian writers whom I have consulted, that seems to bid defiance to conviction. After what the sober part of mankind would consider as a defeat, they will patch up their broken weapons, and limp again into the field: and when they have tired and

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disgusted both opponents and readers, they will utter the shout of victory!

"The renowned Socinian champion, Priestley, with all his arts and antics of controversy, serves as their flügel-man, in the field. Your parallel between Thomas Paine and Thomas Prout happens very happily, and the coincidence is to be easily traced up to natural causes. Such men cannot brook to be hemmed in by the ordinary barriers which restrain opinions within reasonable limits. Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their cords from us !'-But professing themselves to be wise, they have become fools.'

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"I was concerned to see, that, in the preface to your pamphlet, you mention domestic afflictions;- I hope they are removed.

"Your's truly,

"WM. GREGOR."

In March, 1814, overtures were made to Mr. Drew, by a provincial publishing house, to write a History of all Religions, similar to that of Evans or Bellamy. This he at first felt disposed to undertake; but the terms offered were not such as he approved ; and he was dissuaded from it by his friend Dr. Clarke, who remarked to him, "You have earned a little reputation by what you have already written: it is the easiest thing in the world for an author to write himself out of credit. Beware of this."

A proposition from a London bookseller, to prepare a work on Witchcraft, Demoniacal Possession, Supernatural Appearances, &c., he also declined.

SECTION XX.

Death of Mr. Drew's father

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Examination of Dr. Kidd's Essay on the Trinity — Publication of the History of Cornwall - Mr. Drew is appointed by the Methodist Conference to write the Life of Dr. Coke.

EARLY in 1814, Mr. Drew had to follow his aged father to the grave. The good old man had, many years before, relinquished his farm; and, taking a retired lodging, depended chiefly upon his two children for subsistence. Labouring under the infirmities of more than fourscore years, his unusual octogenarian vigour and activity were now rapidly declining; and 'like a shock of corn fully ripe,' he was about to be gathered into the heavenly garner. There is so much simplicity and pious feeling in a short letter written by him to his son not long before his death, that its insertion, we think, will gratify the reader.

"MY DEAR SON SAMUEL,

"When it is poor times with you, it is miserable times with me. How can it be otherwise, when I am dependent upon you?—I have been asked whether you have been kind to me, and my answer hath been, that a better son was never born, and that your love and affection did sometimes overpower me. Our good God can make a little go a good way. I have had garments from Mr. P--, I have shoes from my son-in-law, I have money from you, and I

have got grace from God, who is the Author of all. Don't you, in any shape, reflect upon yourself, fearing I have been wanting any thing. While you live, I have no gloomy thoughts of wanting; and I am persuaded the Lord will prolong your life for some wise purposes. When I begin to reflect that you are my son, I can hardly bear the honour-that I should be raised up to be so favoured-I, who am not worthy of the ground I tread on-I, who was taken up out of the horrible pit of mire and clay-and, what is more than all, that I should be called a child of God. "The Lord bless you - the Lord be with youthe Lord be gracious unto you, and give you peace, and all your family for ever. Amen.

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In a subsequent letter, after describing his bodily pains and infirmities, he thus writes:-"My dear children, I have to tell you that death and I are very friendly. The thought of it is more pleasurable to me than all the treasure and pleasure this world can give. O could I but tell you the half of what I feel and see! It seems to me that the pearly gates stand open, and the crown glitters before my ravished eyes. Always something is saying The time of thy departure is at hand.' Sometimes my God doth so fill me with his presence, that my body is sinking to the dust. But still he doth not let me know when the happy time shall be-I must live by faith."

To his eldest son, then residing at a distance from St. Austell, Mr. Drew thus describes his father's decline and dissolution :

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March 23, 1814. Yesterday afternoon we brought grandfather to our house. He is reduced to a mere skeleton. We spread for him a bed in a covered cart, and he bore the journey exceedingly well. We have put up a bed for him in my chamber;" so that I write and tend him. We have watched by him regularly every night for nearly five weeks; but we think it will not be required much longer. He has no particular disorder. He is without pain.

Faintness and a want of breath seem to form his principal complaint. It appears to be a general decay of nature; and he has no wish whatever for recovery. In him I behold an evidence of what vital religion is able to accomplish. Having made his peace with God, and lived in a state of preparation for eternity, the prospects of death and judgment are so familiarized to his view, that he can contemplate both with tranquillity. May we be equally prepared!

"April 27. The event which we have long anticipated has at length arrived. Your grandfather is no more. Last night, about twenty minutes before ten o'clock, he departed this life, in the full triumph of faith. May you and I follow him, as he, for more than sixty years, has followed Christ, that, like him, we may at last end our days in peace! On the preceding evening, when I asked him how he was, he replied, Strong in faith-full of hope my fears are wholly gone.' He has left a journal of his life, which he kept for many years. In this he has uniformly expressed his strong confidence in God, and his desire

* Mr. Drew's common designation of his study.

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