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fearless integrity ; warm and steady in his ^ attachments ; open and explicit in his detestation of arrogance and oppression ! With an income barely sufficient for the comforts of an individual , he was very liberal to the indigent , -especially to his
relatives in Wales , on whose account , it is Relieved that he often neglected to supply Ikimself with necessary subsistence . In his latter years , he was aot connected with any society of Christians whatever , but his < c religion was pure and undefiled before God and the Father . Regarding the Holy Scriptures with avowed and profound
veneration , like the ever-memorable John Milton , " his meditations were an habitual prayer . '—The Rev . J . Evans , of Islington , his particular friend , as well ^ ik one of his two executors , has in the press a brief Mbmoh * of his Character and Writings . The following' character of Mr . Richards has appeared in a provincial newspaper : — " The death of this ex cellent man deserves
tnore than a bare record of the event . Unassuming and void of all ostentation as he was , it is yet right that his virtues should not be suffered to pass unnoticed with him to the grave . — 'Mr . Richards was a native of Wales , and strongly attached to his country , and well read in its history . He
was for many years the minister of the Baptist congregation at Lynn , and was once invited to take the pastoral care of that in Norwich . He was early in fife educated in what are called orthodox principles £ these he found reason afterwards to change , though he never statedly exercised his of
^ ministry among that denomination Christians to which he latterly attached himself , increasing infirmity , and a severe domestic calamity , for several years occasioned his almost total seclusion from the world , and lie was seen only by a few most excellent and respectable friends at Lynn , who knew his worth , sympathized with his afflictions ,
and by whose kind attention he was once more restored to society . Of his truly jpious and benevolent character , of his de ~ fight to do good , varied and substantial are the proofs which might be furnished , and which must render him the subject of warm and grateful remembrance . His means were limited , and he often abridged himself of comfort and almost necessaries
that he might assist those who were in need . He was firmly and zealously attached to the religious principles which he professed , but no contentious spirit rendered trim uncharitable in judging , or unwilling to do good , to all to whom his kindness
could extend . Intolerance m all its forms was the object of his delimitation . * Of tbts * ( to use the vford « of his friend Robert Robinson ) he asked no pardon for expr * ssing > jii « abhorrence . Always when he tn « t it tn coarse of reading , hie tbonrhihe met the great deril ; and his resentment
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was never abated by bis appearing ill ti > habit of a holy man of 0 od . * Of civil and religious liberty lie was indeed the intrepid and zealous friend . All his writings breathe the freest and noblest spirit , and
he omitted , bo opportunity of inculcating and enforcing it among his fellofwtownsmen . They are indebted to him for a highly valuable history of Lynn , which he published some years since in 2 vols . 8 vo , It abounds with curious information and
elaborate research , not merely into the history of the town itself , but of the whole district of Marshland . We know of no topographical work of equal value . It com . bines the labours of the antiquary , the bistoria a ,. the biographer , and the geologist , and contains much accurate and useful
information on the present state of Lynn . Some parts of the work , doubtless , are not very palatable to * the powers that be' in this town , but the whole is marked with the integrity , the independence , and the philanthropy of Mr . Richards ' s character . He published also a History of the Welsh
Baptists , and a work in defence of adult baptism . A very curious find learned tract ' On the Introduction of the Gospel into Britain , was printed by him , but aot published . It was intended Jo fe * followed
by < A View of the State of Christianity among the Britons to die < ti » eotf W 4 c&lifie , * but we believe this never went to the press . A small publication caital < Tht Season able Monitor , * came from his pen , when any political want of sufficient interest seemed to him to call for it . From the 5 th
Number , published ion the occasion of the ThanksgiviDg-2 ) ay in January , 1816 , we extract the following pawage , which we trust will , on every account , be acceptable to our readers : — Now , as to the question here proposed to the intended observers of the approaching Thanksgiving-Day , What mean you by this service ? It certainly behoves them to be able to answer it to
their inquiring neighbours as Well as to their own consciences . Those neighbours would perhaps make their interrogatories , somewhat as follows : — We hear of some mighty benefits and blessings which we are now about to enjoy , a * the glorious fruits of the war in which we have so long been engaged , and for which we are required to offer to God our public thanks . We wish therefore to know what
those jbenefit * and blessings really are , * nd those precious fruits which art : become the subjects of so much exultation . Are we to reckon among them the reiteration of the Pope , the re-eatablisliment qf the Inauisitionj and the recall of the Je * uit * J These certainty are among the genuine fruits of oilr late n % hty tfxertfoils . >* t if "we mean tocall tb ^ rabeoe ^ ahd ble ^ nf »» our national character must tie ^ rcftily Ittrea . Is thtfittoratidix of ike wM > m
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650 Obituaryr—Mr . Willietm Riehitrds .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1818, page 650, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2481/page/50/
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