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next proceeded to justify Christianity itself , from the attacks of sophistry , scepticism and infidelity . The late Mr . Gibbon , fond of ease , luxury and enjoyment , had relinquished his political opinions for a place ; but in his religious tenets , he appears to have remained firm and sincere until the
very last . In two of the chapters of his celebrated work on " The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire , " he had attacked the religion of Christ ; and he was now answered by means of a work , entitled , " An Apology for Christianity , in a Series of Letters , addressed to Edward Gibbon , Esq . ' *
This immediately became a popular production -y for , instead of calling in the assistance of the secular power , or commencing his attack with the violence of bigoted zeal , Dr . Watson displayed all the mildness of a true Christian , and all the good manners of a well-bred gentleman .
In 1780 , he published another Sermon , preached before his own University , in the beginning of the same year ( Feb . 4 th ) , on the day appointed for the general fast ; and in 1781 , he produced his first volume of " Chemical Essays . " This was soon after followed by four additional ones .
At length , by the influence of the Duke of Rutland , to whom this work was inscribed , he obtained the mitre \ and thus owed to a lucky incident , what his own merit had fully entitled him to . From that moment he seems
to have abandoned his once favourite pursuit , as will be seen from the following quotation from the preface to his fifth and last volume : " When I was elected Professor of
Divinity in 1771 , I determined to abandon , for ever , the study of chemistry , and I did abaudon it for several years ; but the veteris vestigia fiammtB still continued to delight me , and at length seduced me from my
purpose . ** When I was made a Bishop , in 1782 , I again determined to quit my favourite pursuit : the volume which I now offer to the public is a sad proof of the imbecility of my resolution .
** I have on this day , however , offered a sacrifice to other people ' s notions , I confess , rather than to my own opinion of episcopal decorum —1 have destroyed all my chemical ma-
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nuscripts . —A prospect of returning health might have persuaded me to pursue this delightful science , but I have now certainly done with it for
ever ; at least , I have taken the most effectual step I could , to wfean myself from an attachment to it ; for , with the holy zeal of the idolators of old , who had been addicted to curious arts
— / have burned ray boohs " Soon after his consecration , the new Bishop attracted the notice of both the clerical profession and the public at large , by " A Letter addressed to the Archbishop of Canterbury , " on the equalization of the Church
Revenues . His Lordship , on this occasion , proved himself the sincere friend of the great body of the clergy , by demonstrating the hardships to which those who possessed scanty livings
were subjected . Yet , although his arguments were conclusive , and his facts incontrovertible , neither the Metropolitan himself , nor any of those possessed of rich livings , were much pleased , perhaps , with this address . *
* As this work , which has been lately re-published in the Pamphleteer ( No . XVI . ) formerly excited much attention , and is still worthy of perusal , we shall here give an analysis of it . After some prefatory remarks complimentary to the clergy in general , and the Bench of Bishops in
particular , Dr . Watson fairly states his object to be two-fold , viz . " An Alteration re ^ specting the Revenue of the Bishops and , the inferior Clergy 5 "— not by means of a parity of'Preferments , but a better apportioned Distribution of what the State allows for the Maintenance of the
established Clergy . " 1 . He wishes to make the Bishoprics more equal to each other , both with respect to income and patronage , by annexing part of the estates , and part of the preferments of the richer bishoprics , as they become vacant , to the poorer ; which would prevent the holding of preferments in com ' ,
mendam , on the part of some of them ; and produce a greater independence of the prelacy in the House of Lords ; and lastly , by restricting them to their original sees , superinduce a longer residence in their respective dioceses , which would thus also be the means of rendering their places of abode more comfortable and commodious , when no translation was expected .
The Doctor maintains that the whole revenue of the church , including bishoprics , deans and chapters , rectories , ' vicarajres , dignities , and benefices of all kinds , did not . when he wrote , amount to more tham
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Memoir of the late Right Rev . Dr . Richard Watson . 323
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1817, page 323, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2465/page/3/
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