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Untitled Article
Qn D /* Taylor ' s death , he was unanimously chosen bis successor in the theological chair , His diffidence , however , rendered him very reluctant to undertake it , and
lie took great pains to persuade his friend , Mr . Clark , of Birmingham , to accept the place . A happier choice , however , could not have been made , than that which was made . Without any
disparagement to his venerable predecessor , to whom he was not , perhaps , much Inferior in Hebrew literature , and decidedly his superior in the other languages of
antiquity , he possessed also this advantage , that with a very large and extensive acquaintance with theological works , on each side of every question , he had no system of his own construction to
maintain , and , having never committed himself as a controversial writer , he could , with more complete impartiality , examine all
sides , and place the evidence for each before his pupils * By those who are acquainted with the power of habit and association ,, this remark will not be considered as
conveying the slightest imputation on the memory of Dr . Taylor ; who , the writer is persuaded , was equally clear of all conscious pre * possession , but who , if he could at once have laid aside all bias
towards the tram of thought which he bad been pursuing through the laborious investigation * of a long life , must have been something ixknto or less than man . Concerning jtbemode in which ,
from the begwningj *> r . Aikin can . ducted his theological lectures , the writer is happy in being per . * mitted to avail himself of the in * formation of one of his earliest pupils , who is still a living credit
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to his Alma Mater , and wkose writings on the Language of Scripture , and on the Internal and Presumptive Evidences of Christianity , evince the excellence of his
tutor ' s instructions . V Dr . Aikin used some printed text-book for most of his lectures ; for others he had written analyses or hints of his own . Upon all of these he enlarged much in his
discourse , with great fluency , propriety and impression- His modes of illustration were uncommonly distinct and various , and pointedly adapted to the different talents of his pupils . He was always inter- *
esting , and frequently animated * He stated the arguments an both sides of any disputed point , with great clearness $ nd precision . After this , his custom was to stop , and say , * Gentlemen , have J ok *
plained the subject to y « wr satis - faction ? ' or some equivalent dxpression . Any one , who did Dot fully comprehei * d him > was asked to state his difficulty . We then , in order to illustrate further , raq *
ceeded up on a quite different mode of explanation , which he would vary again , if requested by any > present * In any disputed point in metaphysics , morals or theology ,
he avoided' any dictatorial declaration of his own opinion , and freely encouraged his pupils to form their own . When any stiw dent embraced a sentiment differ **
ent from what he imagined to be his tutor ' s , he , without any scruple , mentioned it , together with bis reasons for it . A difference of opinion , in the pupil produced no diminution of regard in the tutor , or of attention to his instruction *
So attractive , indeed , wa £ bis man * ner of teaching , that 1 have seen gentlemen , who f some years after
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l € S Historical Account of the Warrington Academy .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1813, page 166, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2426/page/18/
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