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books , it becomes no rule of faith to them , as they only form opinions as their fancy or their prejudice directs . " It was seldom that he said much , unless I asked him a question ; and many morel should have asked , had I been less ignorant of many of his valuable friends and intimate connexions in this country . While we were thus employed , my eyes were often turned upon him , and my sympathy excited at the persecution he had ! endured , for judging for himself in matters of religion ; but he was always ready to extenuate the persecution he had endured , and the guilt of his persecutors , and observed ^ with a smile , one day , when we were talking about the strength of religious prejudices— In these things I was once a slave . ' * How different the character , and opposite the conduct , of the persetutors and the persecuted ! Who can refrain from exclaiming , " Oh , ye lords over God ' s heritage ! Ye holders of the key of knowledge ! compare ¦ you-r fierce enjoyment with that of the
humble , dispassionate Priestley , who , unwearied in his researches after the uncorrupted word of truth willingly bent his mind to follow its dictates !" Diligence and industry eminently characterised Dr . Priestley in America as well as in England ; for 1 always found him up , and writing , when I went to the house , which seldom exceeded six o ' clock in the morning * He usually took a walk after
breakfast , and employed the remainder of his time in writing till noon . In the after-part of the day , he would frequentlycome to me in the garden , or visit the people employed in building his house , and then return to his study . After tea , he and Mrs . Priestley frequently took a walk in the town , or elsewhere , till the evening , which was generally spirit in reading ,
and concluded with family prayer . The Doctor kept me on in a course of reading , all the time I was at Northumberland . The choice of books [ referred to him . He seldom allowed me more than one at a time ; and I < umld not but admire , that , when I returned them , he would ask me my thoughts concerning them ; and these , whatever they might be , seemed to guide him in his next choice . Once he gave me the ^ life of Robert Robinson , by Dyer ; and when I took it him ag ; ain— cc Now , " said he , " what think -you of
this character ? " I said it was a singular one . " Yes , " said he ; but he was a vain man . " This opinion he had formed From the evidence which had occasionally fallen in his way , Mr . Robinson ' s ' * Plea for the Divinity of Christ" proved sa ^ tisfactorily to him , that popularity in that instance overcame his love of truth , as he quoied passages of Scripture to support Ci
that Plea ** which his better judgment aim extensive reading tau ght him to view as originally intended for another purpose .
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Memoirs of pr . l riestley . - zr :
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1806, page 507, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1729/page/3/
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