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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY.
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An Account of the Life of Daniel Williams , D . J ) . Founder of the Library , in Red Cross Street . [ By the Rev . Thomas Morgan . ]
DANIEL WILLIAMS , D . D . an eminent Welsh Protestant dissenting divine , ami founder of the public library in London which bears his name , was a native ofWrexham , in Denbighshire , where he was born about the year 1643 or 1644 . He
appears to have laboured under some disadvantages with respect to education , which the natural strength and vigour of his mind , improved by uncommon diligence and application , enabled him to surmount . Being of a serious disposition , he determined
to devote himself to the work of the ministry among the nonconformists ; and he was one of the first young men who had the courage to undertake that office , after witnessing the hardships and sufferings of the clergy
ejected by the Act o £ Uniformity in 1662 . He was admitted a preacher among the Presbyterians at the early age of nineteen , and for some years officiated occasionally in various parts of England , in continual danger of persecution . While thus circumstanced he received an unexpected invitation
to become chaplain to the Countess of Meath , in Ireland ; which he accepted , and removed into that kingdom , where dissenters then met with greater liberality than in this country . Some time afterwards he
undertook the pastoral charge of a highly Respectable congregation in Wood Street , Dublin 5 where he continued his very acceptable services for nearly twent y years , living in the greatest harmony with his brethren in the miand in
nistry ^ held respect and esteem J > y the Irish Protestants in general . Here he married a lady of an honourable famil y , with whom he received a considerable estate . Towards the latter end of the reign of James II . lie excited the hatred of the Romanists y his zealous opposition to Popery ; aiM as he found that he could uo
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longer hope for safety under the tyrannical and violent proceedings of * a popish administration , he withdrew to England in 1687 , and settled at London . In this city he soon distinguished himself at a meeting of dissenting ministers , from whom some emissaries of the court endeavoured to
obtain an address to the king upon his dispensing with the penal laws . On that occasion , his intrepidity and strength of reasoning had 110 little weight in determining his brethren unanimously to reject the motion for such an address .
At this critical period , when num * bers of Irish Protestants fled for . refuge to London * to escape the tyranny and persecution of Tyrconnel * Mr . Williams exerted himself for their relief , and not only liberally assisted them from his own funds , but
engaged the aid of his extensive connexions iti the same benevolent cause . After the glorious revolution in 1688 , at which he most heartily rejoiced ^ King William repeatedly consulted
him about Irish affairs , with ATmch he was well acquainted ; and great attention was paid at court to his representations on behalf of several re- ' fugeesfrom Ireland , who were capable
of rendering service to the government . When , in the year 1700 , he went to Ireland to visit his old friends , and to settle some affairs relating to his estate , he received many grateful acknowledgements for his conduct in these instances . Towards the latter
end of the year 1688 , he accepted an unanimous invitation to become pa , s « tor of a numerous Presbyterian congregation in Hand Alley , Bishopsgate { Street , London j in which connexion he spent the remainder of his days .
From the time of his arrival at the capital be had cultivated an intimate acquaintance with the celebrated Richard Baxter , who entertained a great regard for him ; and after the death of that gentleman in l 69 ! > he was chosen to succeed him as one of tjie preachers at the Merchants' Tuesday Lecture at Pinners * Hall . Am om ^
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THE
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No . CXH . 3 APRIL , 1815 . [ Vol . X .
History And Biography.
HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY .
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v X . o o
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1815, page unpag, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1759/page/1/
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