,transcribed from the #ahac ,r4 ,bell second edition by ,david ,price1 email ccx#jgdpglaf4org ,many thanks to the ,bodleian and ,british ,library for allowing their copies to be consulted4 ,picture3 ,public domain book cover ,second ,edition4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,religion ,,morality ,,vindicated1 ,,against ,hypocrisy and ,pollution2 ,,or1 ,,an ,,account ,,of ,,the ,,life ,,and ,,character ,,of ,john ,church ,,the ,,obelisk ,,preacher1 ,,who ,,was ,,formerly ,a ,,frequenter ,,of ,,vere-,,street1 ,,and ,,who ,,has ,,been ,,charged ,,with ,,unnatural ,,practices ,,in ,,various ,,places4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,to ,,which ,,is ,,annexed1 ,a ,fac-simile of a ,letter1 ,,written ,,by ,,him ,,to ,,james ,,cook1 ,,who ,,kept ,,the ,,infamous ,,house ,,in ,,vere-,,street4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,printed by and for ,r4 ,bell1 ,proprietor of the ,sunday ,dispatch1 ,bride ,lane1 ,fleet ,street4 ,sold by all the ,booksellers and ,newsvenders in ,town and ,country 99 99 99 99 99 ,,to ,,the ,,public4 ,,the following statements will fully explain the motives which induced the ,editor to expose the crimes of the individual who is the subject of them4 ,the demand for those numbers of the ,,weekly ,,dispatch in which they appeared1 was so great1 that many hundreds of persons were unable to procure the papers1 as no more could be printed than those which were called for on the days of publication4 ,the ,editor1 therefore1 wishing to extend his efforts in defence of religion and morality as widely as possible1 by holding up to all mankind a true picture of a blasphemous hypocrite who is a contemner of the one and a violator of the other1 has thought it advisable to publish the whole of his narratives and remarks in a separate pamphlet2 to which are subjoined many additional facts that could not appear in a ,sunday ,paper4 ,the reason this publication has been so long delayed was1 in expectation that ,,john ,,church would have been brought to trial in the beginning of ,june1 for an abominable offence with which he stands charged and committed1 but as there is some reason to suspect that this trial will be put off even at the ensuing ,sessions for the ,county of ,middlesex1 the public curiosity cannot be kept any longer unsatisfied4 ,june #cj1 #ahac4 ,,john ,,church1 ,,the ,,obelisk ,,preacher4 ,extract from the ,weekly ,dispatch of ,april #ah4 ,,among the various duties of a newspaper editor1 one of the most arduous is1 that of determining what sort of domestic events it may be useful to cover over with a veil of silence1 and what sort are they1 of which the concealment would operate as an injury to the public4 ,occurrences will often take place in private life1 which1 on every principle of moral expediency and justice1 ought never to be born beyond the threshold of the place where the parties reside4 ,and1 on the other hand1 there are certain acts1 which1 if passed over without notice by civil authority1 or animadversion on the part of the press1 may produce evils destructive to society4 ,another laborious task imposed on a journalist is the dilemma in which his duty to the public and his fear of offending the delicacy of individuals1 frequently places him1 when he is about to record events which cannot be suppressed without doing a serious injury to public morals4 #e ,i am well aware that things must not be related in all that naked grossness of truth1 which a legal tribunal requires for promoting the ends of justice2 and that as much delicacy as is consistent with correctness of information1 is necessary in narrations of the sort to which ,i allude4 ,this has been the principle on which ,i have uniformly acted in the conduct of this paper4 ,but to suppress in a newspaper the publication of a fact which meets the eyes and ears of all people would be at once absurd and mischievous4 ,for instance1 in the month of ,october1 #ahaj1 #f or #g miscreants were placed in the pillory in the presence of many thousand spectators2 they were then conveyed through the most public streets in an open cart1 during which time they were pelted with mud and dirt by an indignant populace3 all the inhabitants of the streets viewed this disgusting exhibition from their windows2 and could it have been possible--nay1 must it not have been mischievous to conceal from any body the crime for which these culprits were then punished8 ,how foolish then would it have been for any reader of a newspaper to be offended at seeing it mentioned in print8 ,i have thought it necessary to preface with these remarks1 the narrative of facts which ,i am now about to relate2 and which ,i should at present abstain from noticing were it possible to give them publicity through the medium of any court of justice4 ,but as two eminent counsellors #f have given an opinion against the legal practicability of such a procedure1 for reasons which ,i shall presently state2 and as in the mean time the public morals may suffer2--the press must on this occasion interpose as their guardian4 ,the readers will recollect having seen in last ,sunday's ,dispatch1 a report of the proceedings before the magistrates at ,union ,hall1 when a conventicle preacher of the name of ,church complained of a riotous mob having assembly near the entrance of his ,chapel at the ,obelisk in ,st4 ,george's fields1 and attempted to commit violence upon him and his congregation4 ,that report was copied from a daily paper1 and was very imperfectly stated4 ,i have since then1 made a full enquiry into all the circumstances of this case2 and ,i shall now briefly state them from authentic documents1 that are ready to be produced if necessary4 ,for a considerable time past1 the person just named has been getting a living by preaching as a ,minister of the ,gospel in an obscure conventicle close to the ,surrey ,theatre4 ,in the mean time1 reports had gone abroad that he was addicted to certain abominable propensities1 and certain gentlemen in the neighbourhood1 not actuated by any jealousy towards a successful 8rival in the vineyard10 as the ,union-hall report falsely stated1 but dreading the disgrace and pollution which ,christianity might suffer from the immoral character of any of its teachers1 investigated these rumours2 and the facts ,i shall now relate came to light4 ,james ,cook1 who kept the infamous house in ,vere ,street1 was released from his two years imprisonment in ,newgate1 on the #bast of ,september last4 ,in the course of a few days after1 ,i understand1 he accidentally met ,john ,church1 and recognized him as the gay parson1 whom he had formerly seen at a certain house in the ,london ,road1 and at his own house in ,vere ,street4 ,a friendly correspondence then took place between these two old acquaintances4 ,about the #acth of ,october1 ,cook received a letter1 of which a fac simile has been published in ,st4 ,george's fields1 #g and of which ,i have seen the original in ,church's own handwriting1 7having compared it with other writings of his74 ,in this the ,minister of the ,gospel offers his assistance to the 8,vere ,street ,culprit10 to enable him to set up another public house1 as the reader will perceive from perusing the letter itself3-- ,dear ,sir1 ,lest ,i should not have time to call on you or converse with you as ,i shall not be alone to ,day ,i thought it ,but ,right to ,drop you a ,line ,i wish you all the success you can desire in getting a house fit for the ,business in the public ,line and as you had a great many acquaintance1 they ought not to fail you if evey one acted right according to there ability ,i am sure you would soon accomplish it4 ,as ,i am ,by no means ,rich1 ,but rather em barrassed ,i hope you will acept my mite towards it #al4 #as4 and you shall have another as convenient wishing all prosperity1 ,i ,remain ,your's1 sincerely1 ,j4 ,,church4 for ,mr4 ,cook1 at mr4 halladays ,richmond ,budgs ,dean ,st4 ,there is another letter bearing the two-penny post mark of the #bjth of ,october1 which ,i have also seen4--,it is as follows3-- ,dear ,sir1 ,i received your note this morning in ,bed1 as ,i have contracted such a ,dreadful cold ,being wet on tuesday ,i am very much grievd i have not been able to comply with the request concerning ,mr4 ,c-- ,but ,i shall certainly keep my eye upon him and ,do him all the ,good it lays in my power where ever he is he knows my ,disposition too well to impute any remissness to my conduct ,but ,i cannot ,do impossibilities as ,i have ,lately had and have now ,got so many ,distressing cases in hand ,beside1 ,i will ,be sure to call on you as soon as ,i can-- ,but am not able to day ,i remain ,yours ,j ,,church #cb hercules ,buildings ,badly directed to ,mr4 ,oliver1 or 7,holloway7 ,no4 #f1 ,richmond's buildings1 ,dean ,street1 ,soho4 ,the next document is a letter dated ,march #g1 #ahaj1 from a person at ,banbury named ,hall1 who says that there was a report there against ,church of a very scandalous nature4 ,and that the managers of the chapel1 after making enquiries into it1 sent him positive orders never to return to ,banbury again4 ,then follows a letter from ,wm4 ,clarke of ,ipswich1 a young man between #ai and #bj years of age1 which contains an account of attempts too horrid to be published in this paper4 ,i have within the last four days seen the written confession 7frightful indeed it is7 of this poor simple young man1 whose mind was bewildered by the canting exhortations of ,church2 and ,i have heard the whole of his statements corroborated by the oral testimony of a ,mr4 ,wire who resides at ,colchester1 and knows ,clarke very well4 ,the circumstances related by ,clarke1 would have furnished an ample ground for a criminal prosecution had he made his complaint immediately after the assault was committed3--but suffering under the influence of ignorance and fear1 he kept it a secret too long1 and afterwards accepted of a pound note from ,church4 ,a case was laid before two eminent barristers1 to have their opinion whether such a prosecution could be carried on with any prospect of conviction4 ,their opinion1 which ,i now have before me in their own hand writing1 is1 that after the long concealment of a ,charge1 a ,jury would pay no attention to his evidence1 unless he was confirmed in his story by other evidence4 ,the peace of this poor lad's mind however is completely destroyed1 so fatally has the event preyed upon him3--so far so as to fill the bosom of his aged father with such a spirit of indignation and revenge1 that he actually came up to ,london with a full determination to be the death of him who had thus ruined the peace of his beloved son1 while the mother's mind was not less distracted than that of the father4 ,in consequence of this1 the father entered ,j4 ,church's meeting house1 with two loaded pistols1 one in each pocket1 but under the excess of agitation1 he fainted away1 and was carried out of the place4 ,there are various other documents which are too voluminous to notice at present4 ,the point to which ,i now wish to direct the attention of the public is1 the extraordinary circumstance of a man continuing to exercise the functions of a christian pastor with such heavy imputations as these hanging over his head4 ,he knows that the whole neighbourhood rings with accusations2 he knows that some hundreds of publications containing charges so severe1 that my statements compared to then1 are 8lenity and compassion10 have been sold in ,st4 ,george's-fields2 and why has he not brought his action against the printer in order to let the world see that they are false4 ,the printer is a respectable and responsible house-holder residing in the neighbourhood4 ,he has sent forth from his press many hundred sheets of paper filled with direct allegations of criminality against ,church3 and ,i again ask1 why does not ,church take that step which an honest innocent man would take in vindication of his character1 namely--that of bringing an action for damages1 wherein evidence to their truth or falsehood may be legally admitted8 ,why has he gone to ,union ,hall with a counsel at his elbow1 and called on the magistrates to do no more than require the printer to suppress the publication of these printed papers1 which request the magistrates have complied with1 on the ground that such publications tended to a breach of the peace8 ,i hope that no person--and ,i am confident that no reader of the ,weekly ,dispatch will be so foolish as to join in any riotous proceedings4 ,but is ,christianity1 in the mean time1 to continue suffering under such a slander as that of being promulgated by a man who is even suspected8 ,a ,clergyman of the ,church of ,england1 under similar circumstances1 would be immediately suspended by the ,bishop of his diocese4 ,and is there no power in the state that can impose a temporary silence on a dissenting minister1 until an investigation shall take place respecting accusation publicly exhibited against him8 ,is not the ruling power of the state as interested in preserving the morals of dissenters as of any other class of subjects8 ,the reader may probably have some curiosity to know what sort of a preacher this person is4 ,i have gone to hear him2 and ,i pity his poor deluded followers4 ,he does indeed deliver himself in a full1 clear1 articulate tone of voice2 but to criticise style1 or analyse the substance of his discourse1 would be a fruitless labour3 it would be like dissecting a cobweb4 ,unmeaning rhapsodies1 and unconnected sentences1 through which the faintest gleam of morality is not to be traced1 must1 from their evanescent nature1 set the powers of recollection at defiance3 they even escape from the lash of one's contempt4 #aa ,in his countenance there is none of that dignified mildness1 none of that subdued expression of piety which one often observes in ,christian preachers whose habits of life are conformable to their precepts4 ,his manner is forward and imposing2 and his eyes are continually employed in staring at some person among his auditors4 ,but these being people of the very lowest description1 and1 to all appearance1 wrapt in a cloud of superstitious stupor1 scarcely ever examine the physiognomy of their idol4 ,i have a word or two1 to add on the subject of riotous proceedings4 ,on ,sunday evening last there was a large crowd of people assembled near the entrance of the ,obelisk ,chapel4 ,there were several groupes of persons holding arguments on the merits of the preacher1 but not the slightest indication of riot4 ,and the only noise or disturbance that ,i observed1 was created by a gang of fellows who rushed through the crowd in the character of peace officers with drawn cutlasses in their hands4 ,extract from the ,weekly ,dispatch of ,april #be1 #ahac4 ,,when the late ,lord ,chief ,justice ,mansfield promulgated his doctrine 8that truth was a libel10 he went upon this principle1--that no man could be justified in publishing any thing respecting the character or conduct of another1 which should appear1 whether true or false1 to be of so abusive and defamatory a nature as to provoke him to commit a breach of the peace2--that if the person so defamed had committed any offence against the law1 he should be dealt with according to law2 and that no unauthorized individual had a right to become his judge4 ,but ,lord ,mansfield little thought at that time1 that about thirty or forty years afterwards1 a case would occur1 wherein1 although the 8offence was rank and smelt to heaven10 the arm of the law was powerless2 and wherein an appeal to public opinion became indispensible towards arresting the havoc which the most destructive of all vices that can exist in society was making upon the public morals4 ,we have now before us a case precisely of this nature4 ,here is a man of the most infamous character--a man notoriously addicted to the most horrible of all vices--a man who has been in the constant habit of corrupting youth1 by the instrumentality and under the mask of religion--this man is exercising all the functions of a ,christian minister of the ,gospel--such as reading prayers1 preaching sermons1 baptizing1 and administering the holy sacrament2--a man at the very idea of whose guilt1 every body1 except his deluded or sympathetic auditors1 shrinks back with feelings of disgust and agony2--and yet there exists no power either ecclesiastical or civil to arrest his career of blasphemy and guilt6 ,under such afflicting circumstances1 is the press to continue silent1 because the law tells me that ,i am not to speak reproachfully of another1 although ,i should speak the truth8 ,if ,i see my neighbour's house on fire1 am ,i to look on with cold-blooded indifference1 without trying to save the whole street from being involved in flames1 because a law may have declared it a crime for any man to stir1 until the beat of a drum or the ringing of a bell shall have called the people together8 ,if ,i see that sort of moral contagion that has been the ruin of ,empires1 spreading around me while all the engines that were intended for its suppression1 remain motionless1 am ,i to refrain from raising my feeble voice against it1 because ,i run a risk of offending against the letter of the law8 ,the law in this case is1 in some manner at a stand1 as will appear from the report ,i give of the recent proceedings before the ,surry magistrates4 ,it is supposed be unable to act here1 because it was not called into action when the crime1 that has been sworn to1 was perpetrated4 ,yet the enormity of the crime not only remains undiminished and unatoned for1 but the criminal is going forward in the same career1 and is in possession of the same influence1 that gave scope to his criminality3 and what is still worse1 the ,christian religion is suffering under disgrace and pollution6 ,in such a case then1 the press is the only power that can act3 and is that power to be suspended by cold calculating timidity8 ,the chief duty of a ,journalist is to check the progress of any public evil1 by giving activity and force to the ,,law ,,of ,,opinion1 when the municipal law cannot reach the same4 ,this duty ,i am now exercising2 and ,i do it without fear1 because ,i feel conscious that ,i am serving the public2 and because ,i may be instrumental in saving a large portion of the rising generation from ignominy and ruin4 ,that the public feel an uncommon share of interest in this question is evident1 from the great increase of sale which this paper experienced on ,sunday last2 and their continued demand for it ever since4 ,i therefore conceive that my readers would not be satisfied without some more information respecting the person to whom ,i allude2 and ,i now present then1 with the chief incidents of his life1 as well as some additional traits of his character1 most of which have come to my knowledge since last ,sunday4 ,the sketch of his life has been furnished me by a respectable ,gentleman on whose veracity ,i can rely4 ,it is as follows3-- ,dr4 ,jortin1 in his ,adversaria1 very justly remarks1 that 8a sudden rise from a low station1 as it sometimes shews to advantage the virtuous and amiable qualities1 which could not exert themselves before1 so it more frequently calls forth and exposes to view1 those spots of the soul which lay lurking in secret1 cramped by penury1 and veiled with dissimulation40 ,the ,obelisk ,parson1 ,john ,church1 was found1 when an infant1 on the steps1 or near the porch1 of a church1 7some say that of ,st4 ,andrew1 in ,holborn73 and the overseers of the parish not being able to discover who were his parents1 or by whom he was thus abandoned1 had him sent to the ,foundling ,hospital1 where he received that name1 which bears the nearest analogy to the place near which he was found4 ,here he remained until he was nine years old1 when a complaint to the ,governors having been made against him by the nurses1 that he was addicted to improper and disgusting practices1 it was thought prudent to apprentice him out at that early age1 to obviate the possibility of the contagion spreading among the rest of the boys who partook of the bounties of that charity4 ,from his evident illiteracy1 and from the badness of his writing1 it is certain that he must have quitted the ,hospital at an earlier age than usual1 because1 in general1 none leave it who are not good scholars4 ,he was accordingly placed out as an apprentice to a gilder1 in ,black friars' ,road4 ,before the expiration of his indenture1 he was married to his present wife1 and he quitted the service of his master4 ,shortly afterwards1 he worked for a composition ornament maker1 in ,tottenham ,court ,road4 ,this immaculate ,minister of the ,gospel here commenced his religious career1 and1 under the assumed garb of sanctity1 took upon him the office of a teacher to the ,sunday ,school1 at that time established at ,tottenham-,court ,chapel4 ,it was here too1 that he first became acquainted with ,mr4 ,william ,webster1 who has been under the necessity of holding him to bail1 to appear at the next ,middlesex ,sessions1 where an indictment will be preferred against him for attempts too shocking to be related in print4 ,thinking that preaching was a better trade than that which he was employed in1 this precious teacher1 together with two other young men1 who were candidates for the gown also1 hired a garret in ,soho1 where they used to learn the method of addressing themselves to a congregation4 ,an old chair was the substitute for a pulpit4 ,he now began 7to use his own expression17 8to gammon the old women40--,good fortune happened at length to procure him the notice of ,old ,mother ,barr1 of ,orange-street1 who1 being interested in his behalf1 allowed him the use of a room of her's1 in which he treated her and a few other choice labourers in the field of piety1 with his rapturous discourses4 ,from this he used to hold forth more publicly4 ,his virtues and acquirements now recommended him to one ,garrett of notorious memory1 who obtained him a living at ,banbury4 ,it was at this place that he first became obnoxious4 ,having made several violent attempts upon some young men while at that place1 he was driven out from thence1 by the trustees of the chapel1 in which he preached1 and ordered never to shew his face there again4 ,he hastily decamped1 leaving behind him his wife and children1 and the police officers having been sent in pursuit of him1 their searches proved fruitless1 and it was a long time before he was heard of4 ,he once more retired into the country1 but was called from his solitude to use his influence in town1 by a man of his own disgraceful kind named ,kitty ,cambric1 and well known in ,vere-street4 ,it is proper to observe here1 that some of these wretches assume the names of women1 and that they are absolutely married together1 as will be shewn presently from ,church's having been the parson who performed the blasphemous mock ceremony of joining them in the ties of 8,holy ,matrimony40 ,he now settled himself at ,chapel ,court in the ,borough1 when his old ,garrett publicly charged him with a wicked and diabolical offence as the law says1 8not to be named amongst ,christians10 and he was obliged to run away from this accusation4 ,by some fortuitous event he at length got possession of the ,obelisk ,chapel1 where he began to deliver his doctrines to those who were foolish and ignorant enough to attend to his fulsome and incoherent exclamations4 ,several young men1 whose names we are in possession of1 and who were accustomed to hear him1 were obliged to leave him in consequence of his having used them in a manner too indecent to be mentioned or hinted at4 ,mr4 ,e-- ,b-- has informed the writer of the present article1 that this parson--or rather this monster--when he was about to preach1 would frequently say1--8,well1 ,i am going to tip 'em a gammoning story1 my old women would believe the moon to be made of green cheese1 if ,i was to tell them so2 and ,i must tell them something40--,the writer has also been informed1 from credible authority1 that ,church was a constant attendant in ,vere-street1 and that the gang of miscreants who met at the public-house there1 some of whom stood in the pillory about two years and a half since1 had nominated him to be their ,chaplain2 and that he officiated in that capacity4 ,by virtue of his functions1 in this situation he was often employed in joining these monsters in the 8indissoluble tie of matrimony6660 ,they were absolutely wedded together4 ,one evening1 when ,church visited this infamous place of resort1 one of the gang observed1 8,here is ,parson ,church4 ,aye1 ,parson1 how d'ye do8 ,have you come to see our chapel80--,church replied1 8,yes1 and to preach too40 ,in addition to the above account1 ,i have next to mention some circumstances that have been communicated to me by ,mr4 ,e-- ,b--1 who is a respectable young man1 and a tradesman1 residing in the ,borough of ,southwark4 ,mr4 ,b-- happened1 unfortunately1 to be an attendant at ,church's meeting house1 when the latter took notice of and formed an acquaintance with him1 commencing as usual with pious exhortations1 and then followed up by disgusting freedoms4 ,mr4 ,b--1 however1 struck with horror at such conduct1 abandoned the place1 and then he received two letters from ,church1 of which the following are copies4 ,had this wretch received a classical education1 one might suppose he had been writing a paraphrase on ,virgil's eclogue1 beginning with the line--,formosum ,pastor ,corydon ,ardebat ,alexin4 ,the thoughts1 however1 originated in his own polluted mind4 ,the letters will serve to gratify curiosity1 and give a further illustration of his stile and character4 99 99 99 99 99 ,copy of a ,letter1 written by the ,rev4 ,john ,church1 ,minister of ,obelisk ,chapel1 ,blackfriars'-road1 to ,mr4 ,e-- ,b--1 ,rodney-street1 ,kent-street1 ,borough1 dated #c;d ,march1 #ahji3-- ,dear ,ned1 ,may the best of blessings be yours in life and in death1 while the sweet sensations of real genuine disinterested friendship rules every power of your mind body and soul ,i can only say ,i wish you was as much captivated with sincere friendship as ,i am but we all know our own feelings best ,friendship those best of names1 affection those sweetest power like some powerful charm that overcomes the mind--,i could write much on this subject but ,i dare not trust you with what ,i could say much as ,i esteem you--,you would consider it as unmanly and quite effeminate1 and having already proved what human nature is ,i must conceal even those emotions of love which ,i feel ,i wish ,i had the honor of being loved by you as much and in as great a degree as ,i do you4 ,sometimes the painful thought of a separation overpowers me1 many are now trying at it but last night ,i told persons that called on me that let them insinuate what they would ,i would never sacrifice my dear ,ned to the shrine of any other friend upon earth--and that them who did not like him should have none of my company at all ,i find dear ,ned many are using all their power to part us but ,i hope it will prove in vain on your side1 the effect that all this has upon me is to make me love you ten times more than ever1 ,i wish opposition may have the same effect upon you in this particular but ,i fear not1 however ,i am confident if you love me now or at any other time my heart will ever be upon you nor can ,i ever forget you till death4 ,your leaving of me will break my heart1 bring down my poor mind with sorrow to the ,grave and wring from my eyes the briny tears1 while my busy meddling memory will call to remembrance the few pleasant hours we spent together4 ,i picture to my imagination the affecting scene the painful thought1 ,i must close the affecting subject 'tis more than my feelings are able to bear--,my hearths full1 my mind is sunk1 ,i shall be better when ,i have vented out my grief1 ,stand fast my dearest ,ned to me ,i shall to you whether you do to me or no1 and may we be pardoned1 justified1 and brought more to the knowledge of ,christ4 ,o help me to sing-- ,when thou my righteous ,judge shall come ,to fetch thy ransom'd people home1 ,may ,i among them stand1 ,let such a worthless worm as ,i1 ,that sometimes am afraid to die1 ,be found at thy right hand4 ,i love to meet amongst them now1 ,before thy gracious feet to bow1 ,tho' vilest of them all2 ,but can ,i bear the piercing thought1 ,what if my name should be left out1 ,when thou for them should call4 ,learn these two verses by heart and then ,i will write two more1 as they are expressions of mind fears sensations and desires--,i must close1 ,i long to see your dear face again1 ,i long for ,sunday morning till then ,god bless you4 ,i remain unalterably thy dear thy loving friend1 ,j4 ,church4 99 99 99 99 99 ,this letter1 without a date1 was written by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,church1 ,minister of ,obelisk ,chapel1 ,blackfriar's-road1 to ,mr4 ,e-- ,b--1 at #c1 ,rodney-street1 ,lenox-,street1 ,borough2 and received by him on or about the #aeth day ,march1 #ahji3-- ,dear ,sir1 ,is this thy kindness to thy once professed much loved friend1 surely ,i never1 never did deserve such cruel treatment at you hands2 why not speak to me last night in ,james-street when you heard me call1 ,stop6 stop6 ,ned6 do1 pray do2 but cruel1 cruel ,ned1 deaf to all intreaties--,o why was ,i permitted to pass the door of ,mr4 ,gibbons when you and ,west were coming out4 ,why was ,i permuted to tramp up and down the ,new ,cut after you2 ,i only wanted to speak one bitter heart breaking painful distressing word1 farewell2 ,i only wanted to pour my sorrows into your bosom1 to shake hands with you once more1 but ,i was denied this indulgence4 ,i never1 never thought you would deceive me--,o what an unhappy man am ,i2 the thing that ,i most feared is come upon me1 no excuse can justify such apparent duplicity2 ,o my distress is great indeed4 ,o my ,god6 what shall ,i do8 ,o ,christ6 ,o ,god6 support me in this trying hour1 what a night am ,i passing through1 ,i cannot sleep1 tis near three o'clock2 alas6 sleep is departed1 how great my grief1 how bitter my sorrows1 the loss of my character #bj is nothing to the loss of one dearer to me than my thing else4 ,o let me give vent to tears1 but ,i am too1 too much distressed to cry1 ,o that ,i could4 ,i feel this like a dagger2 never1 never can ,i forgive the unhappy instrument of my distress in ,charlotte-street4 ,why did my dear friend ,edward deceive me8 ,o how my mind was eased on ,wednesday night2 alas1 how distressed on ,thursday4 ,i have lost my only bosom friend1 nearest dearest friend1 bosom from bosom torn1 how horrid4 ,ah1 dear ,suffolk-court1 never surely can ,i see you again4 ,how the ,philistines will triumph2 there1 so would we have it2 how ,ebeir1 ,calvin1 ,thompson1 ,edwards1 ,bridgman1 all will rejoice1 and ,i have lost my friend1 my all in this world1 except the other part of myself1 my wife and poor babes2 never did ,i expect this from my dear ,e-- ,b--4 ,o for a calm mind1 that ,i might sleep till day light2 but no1 this ,i fear will be denied me4 ,how can ,i bear the piercing thought1 parted2 a dreadful word1 worst of sensations1 the only indulgence1 the only confident1 the only faithful1 the only kind and indulgent sympathising friend1 to lose you4 ,o what a stroke1 ,o what a cut1 what shall ,i do for matter for ,sunday2 ,o that ,i could get some one to preach for me2 how can ,i lift up my head4 ,o ,sir1 if you have a grain of affection left for me1 do1 do intreat of ,god to support me2 this is a worse affliction than the loss of my character nine months ago4 ,a man cannot lose his character twice4 ,o ,i did think you knew better2 ,i did think ,i had found one in you that ,i could not find elsewhere2 but no1 the first object presented to you seen suddenly gained your mind1 gained your affections2 and ,i1 poor unhappy distressed ,i1 am left to deplore your loss4 ,o for submission1 but ,i am distressed2 woe is me4 ,o that ,i had never1 never known you1 then ,i should never feel what ,i do2 but ,i thank you for your company hitherto1 ,i have enjoyed it four months exactly1 but this is over for ever2 miserable as ,i am1 ,i wish you well for ever1 for ever4 ,i write in the bitterness of my soul which ,i feel4 ,may you never be cursed with the feelings ,i possess as long as you live4 ,what a day ,i have before me2 ,i cannot go out of my house till ,sunday morning4 ,how can ,i conceal my grief from my dear wife8 how shall ,i hide it8 what shall ,i say8 ,i am miserable1 nor can ,i surmount the shock at all4 ,i have no friend to pour out my sorrows to now1 ,i wish ,i had2 ,i am sorry you are so easily duped by any to answer their purposes2 my paper is full1 my heart is worse2 ,god help me2 ,lord ,god ,support me6 what shall ,i do1 dear ,god6 ,o ,lord6 have mercy on me1 ,i must close2 this comes from your ever loving1 but distressed ,j4 ,,church4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,another ,,fact4--,it appears from the testimony of ,george ,turner1 and ,james ,russell1 of ,redcross-street1 of ,richard ,jessop1 of ,cattle-street1 and ,william ,williams of the ,mint2 that the ,revd4 ,john ,church1 on the #afth of ,november1 #ahji1 attended at the funeral of ,richard ,oakden1 a clerk in the ,bank1 who was executed before ,newgate on the #aeth for a certain horrible crime4 ,the hearse and coach set out from the ,hat and ,feathers public-house1 kept by a ,mr4 ,richardson in ,gravel-lane1 to which place ,church and his company returned to partake of a jovial dinner4 ,in the course of the evening the latter behaved with great indecency4 ,the following bad character has also been given of ,church1 by ,mr4 ,george ,gee and his wife1 who keep a cake shop in the ,new ,cut4 ,i have heard them both declare it to be true3 8,mr4 ,church the ,minister lodged at our house a year and a half1 and left last year at ,lady-day40 8,we were in hopes that we were about to have a godly praying minister in our house1 and to be sure1 the first night he had somewhat like prayer1 #ba and that and once afterwards1 were the only times he ever went to family prayer in our house4 ,nor could they have any prayer as he would be frequently out almost all hours of the night1 and would lie in bed till ten o'clock in the morning4 ,several times he and his wife would have skirmishings and fightings between themselves1 while their children would be left to run about the streets out of school hours1 and allowed to keep company with children1 that would swear in our hearing most shockingly4 ,his children were always left to be very dirty1 and would be sent sometimes three or four times in the morning for spirituous liquors of all sorts1 as for reading good books or even the ,bible1 he scarce ever thought of it1 but would spend a deal of his time in loose and vain talk1 in walking about1 and in fawning on young men1 that was his chief delight40 8,sundays and working days were all alike to them1 for they would send out to buy liquors and whatever else they wanted1 on ,sundays as well as other days40 8,the house would be frequently more like a play-house1 7,i might say a bawdy house7 than a minister's house1 where a set of young people would come1 and behave more indecently than ought to be mentioned4 ,even one ,sunday morning they made such an uproar1 as that they broke one of the windows1 and after that1 they would go with him to his ,chapel1 and after that he would give the sacrament to such disorderly people1 let their characters be ever so loose40 8,he was always ready to go fast enough out to dinner or supper1 where he could get good eating and drinking2 but poor people might send to him from their sick bed1 times and times before he would come to them4 ,seeing so much of his inconsistencies and shocking filthiness in their rooms1 7though they always paid the rent17 we were determined to give them warning to quit our house1 and we do think that a worse man or woman ever came into any man's house before2 especially as ,mr4 ,church pretended to preach the gospel2 such hypocrites are much worse than others1 and besides this1 we never heard any man tell lies #bb so fast in all our lives4 ,it is a great grief to us1 that ever we went to hear him preach1 or suffered him to stop so long in our house40 8,,george ,,and ,,frances ,,gee40 ,i now proceed to relate and comment upon some remarkable circumstances that have occurred since my last publication4 ,during the greater part of ,sunday1 my office was beset by gangs of fellows who came in successively and threatened prosecutions for what appeared in the paper about ,church4 ,in the morning a constable named ,holmes 7hired no doubt for the purpose7 was employed with a ladder1 in tearing down the bills that had been posted up1 announcing the publication of that morning respecting ,mr4 ,church4 ,about noon1 a man of the name of ,shawe1 who1 ,i understand is a sort of an attorney1 residing in ,st4 ,george's fields1 and who1 it appears has also been employed by ,church1 was standing in the midst of some persons outside the door of the chapel1 with the newspaper in his hand1 and was commenting on the infamous libels1 as he called them1 that were published against that most virtuous character1 ,mr4 ,church4 ,he seemed as if he wanted to provoke somebody to speak3 and he soon had his wish2 for a ,gentleman of the name of ,webster1 with whom ,i am well acquainted1 and whom ,i know to be as peaceable and correct a young man as any in the world1 came up1 and feeling indignant at the recollection of certain transactions which ,i shall state presently1 declared that every thing stated in that paper 7,the ,weekly ,dispatch7 was true4 ,this was the tremendous riot which this most dangerous gentleman committed4 ,the peace-restoring ,mr4 ,shawe went immediately for a peace-officer--the same fellow of the name of ,holmes who for three hours before had mobs of people collected around him while he was tearing down my bills1 gave charge of ,mr4 ,webster as a breaker of the peace1 had him dragged like a felon to the watch-house1 and afterwards conveyed him to a filthy lock-up-house in the ,borough1 where he was kept in a state of imprisonment1 from his comfortable house and family all that day and night1 until #ab o'clock on ,monday1 when he was brought before the magistrates at ,union ,hall4 ,of the proceedings that then took place1 the following account appeared in the ,morning ,chronicle of ,tuesday3-- ,,riots ,,at ,,the ,,obelisk4--,tuesday1 a ,mr4 ,webster1 who is employed in the house of ,messrs4 ,evans and ,co4 eminent hop-merchants in the ,borough1 was charged by a person of the name of ,shaw1 with committing a riot and breach of the peace1 on ,sunday morning1 at the ,obelisk1 in ,st4 ,george's-fields1 near the entrance of a chapel belonging to a preacher1 named ,john ,church4 ,the ,magistrates said1 that as ,mr4 ,birnie1 who had1 on a former day1 heard another case similar to this1 was absent1 they wished the case might be deferred until next day1 and desired ,mr4 ,webster to attend accordingly4 ,the prosecutor observed1 that it would be dangerous to allow ,mr4 ,webster to be at large1 and desired that he might either be kept in custody or held to bail4 ,the ,magistrate asked if there was any person present ready to be bail for his appearance4 ,mr4 ,robert ,bell1 the ,editor of the ,,weekly ,,dispatch1 who accompanied ,mr4 ,webster as his friend1 a housekeeper in ,lambeth1 said he was ready to bail him4 ,the prosecutor then said1 he had also a very serious complaint to make against ,mr4 ,bell1 for the article which he published in his last ,sunday's newspaper1 respecting ,church1 and he had one of the papers in his hand4 ,mr4 ,bell told the ,magistrates that he was ready to meet any complaint of this kind2 that he conceived it to be his duty as one of the guardians of public liberty1 and public morals1 to send forth the statement in question2 that he could prove the truth of every thing he had written and published4 ,the worthy ,magistrate then asked ,mr4 ,webster if he would promise on his honour to attend next day1 which ,mr4 ,webster assured him he would do1 and he retired4 ,it is necessary to mention that ,mr4 ,webster had been in a state of imprisonment during the greater part of ,sunday1 and all ,sunday night4--,morning ,chronicle1 ,april #bj1 #ahac4 ,this report is very correct1 so far as it goes2 but the reporter might have added1 that ,i told the ,magistrates ,i had a volume of documents in my possession to prove ,church to be a most infamous culprit1 and that it was a disgrace to the moral character of the nation1 to suffer such a man to be a minister of the ,gospel4 ,i have now a short comment to make on this occasion4 ,i am still at a loss to know what complaint it was that ,shawe intended to prefer against me4 ,i had committed no riot1 nor did ,i ever mix in any crowd1 7in fact there was no crowd or noise1 except what the associates of ,church had created74 ,did he mean to complain to the ,magistrates of the publication in my paper8 ,if so1 he must be grossly ignorant of law1 not to know1 that the magistrates for the county of ,surrey could take no cognizance of that which ,i published in the city of ,london4 ,and if they had1 did he imagine that ,i would enter into any such recognizance as ,mr4 ,theodore ,page1 the printer1 in ,blackfriars road1 was obliged to do8 ,no1 ,sir2 so long as ,i continue to live in a free country1 ,i will suffer no ,justice of peace to lay an illegal imprimatur on my press4 ,mr4 ,page1 as quiet and discreet a man as ever existed1 who was not seen in any crowd1 and who would be the first to get away from any place where there happened to be the slightest disturbance1 is now bound in the penalty of #ajjl4 to preserve the peace6 and for what1 because he printed some hand-bills1 giving an account of ,church's infamous practices4 ,and now1 reader1 mark again the conduct of this immaculate preacher4 ,he adopts no course of proceeding1 by which he may be enabled to falsify the accusations made against him4 ,no1--he wants to crush and smother everything by violence2 and still continue to levy contributions on some poor fools who go to hear him2 or1 perhaps1 occasionally to convert his conventicle into an accommodating shop for the use of others4 ,on ,tuesday last ,mr4 ,webster again appeared at ,union ,hall1 accompanied by his father1 his brother1 and some friends4 ,in support of the charge of riot1 an old man and an old woman1 of the meanest appearance1 declared1 that ,mr4 ,webster expressed a wish to set the chapel on fire2 but their evidence was not believed1 and they were turned out of the office4 ,goff1 the officer1 had seen no act of riot4 ,mr4 ,webster being called on for his statement1 said1 he had not uttered a word that could provoke any disturbance4 ,when he made the reply to ,shawe's comments on the ,newspapers1 he did assert1 that he could prove ,church to be the character therein described1 because1 about ten or eleven year1 ago he had been guilty of most abominable conduct toward1 his 7,webster's7 brother1 then a lad of #af4 ,the moment the ,magistrates heard this1 they appeared struck with amazement4 ,they stopt all proceedings against ,mr4 ,webster1 and desired his brother to be brought forward4 ,the office was cleared of all persons1 except the parties immediately concerned2 the brother's deposition was then taken1 and a warrant was issued for ,church to appear there the next day4 ,on ,wednesday ,j4 ,church appeared in consequence of the warrant issued the day before for his apprehension on a charge of abominable practices1 attended by a number of his deluded followers4 ,mr4 ,w4 ,webster having deposed as to his attempts on him1 ,church was ordered to find bail for his appearance at the next ,middlesex ,sessions and ,mr4 ,webster bound over to prosecute4 ,the magistrate observed that from the length of time which had elapsed since the offence had been committed1 he thought a jury would not feel justified in finding him guilty4 ,mr4 ,johnston1 a young ,gentleman of the law1 who attended for ,mr4 ,webster1 replied1 that it was not the time for them to discuss what was likely to be the verdict of a jury2 that he had recommended ,mr4 ,webster to prefer an indictment against ,church1 and ,mr4 ,w4 had come to that resolution2 and that whatever might be the result of the trial1 the evidence relating to the conduct of ,church would be of that disgusting nature as to stamp his name with eternal infamy and disgrace4 ,church's attorney observed that it was a conspiracy amongst another sect to ruin ,mr4 ,church's character4 ,this ,mr4 ,johnston denied1 and said that it was only a desire to bring him to merited punishment4 ,mr4 ,johnston also said that if ,mr4 ,church acted like a man of prudence1 and consulted his own interest1 he would desist from preaching until the indictment had been tried1 as it would be the means of preventing a breach of the peace1 but this he declined2 and ,shawe his attorney said they should follow their own advice4 ,mr4 ,johnston informed ,church's attorney that it was ,mr4 ,webster's intention to indict1 or bring an action against him for assault and false imprisonment4 ,on that very evening 7incredible as it may appear7 this very man1 held to bail for trial on the most horrid charges given on oath1 had the impudence to go into his chapel and preach to a crowded audience4 ,but his is a very convenient conscience-healing system of faith1 #bg and perhaps his followers do not like him the worse for his system of practical morality4 ,r4 ,,bell4 99 99 99 99 99 ,extract from the ,weekly ,dispatch of ,may #b1 #ahac4 ,the statements published in the two last numbers of the ,dispatch respecting this person have excited a degree of public attention unexampled in the history of newspapers4 ,i am rejoiced at the circumstance2 because it serves to shew how large a mass of virtuous feeling prevails among the people of ,england1 and how much alive they are to any transactions that appear to violate the morals1 or profane the religion of their country4 ,it is impossible for any one who knows me1 or is acquainted with my character1 to suppose1 that ,i could have felt any thing like personal hostility against this man4 ,my sole motive for sending forth these publications1 has been to defend and preserve the public morals4 ,in doing so1 ,i have disregarded all risks1 and set all threats at defiance4 ,the reader may naturally ask whether ,i have not said enough on this subject already4 ,i thought so this day week4 ,since last ,sunday's publication1 however1 a volume of new matter1 respecting this prophaner of religion and violator of morality has been communicated to me4 ,among the recent communications that have been made to me in the course of the week1 the following are the more remarkable1 and ought to be proclaimed through all parts of the kingdom4 ,several persons have been at a loss to know by what authority this man presumed to take upon himself the functions of a minister of the gospel4 ,they have asked how could a man so profligate--so notoriously criminal1 come forth to instruct others in religion4 ,the question was natural1 and ,i will answer it4 ,the practice among ,dissenters is1 that when any man feels a strong desire to become a preacher1 he communicates the same to several ,ministers1 who make strict enquiry into his qualifications as to piety1 learning1 morals1 c4 and if they find these established on satisfactory evidence1 they confer on the candidate a sort of ordination1 without which he can have no authority to officiate as a minster of the gospel4 ,i understand that ,church did receive some ordination of this kind at the town of ,banbury1 in ,oxfordshire2 from which place1 as ,i stated in a former number1 he was driven away for his mal-practices4 ,since then he has not been under the control1 and has acted in defiance of all the ordinances of the ,dissenting ,church4 ,he has in fact gone about as a mere isolated adventurer2 and ,i am informed that no minister will preach in any pulpit belonging to him4 ,yet he continues to preach1 in defiance of ,christian1 as well as of moral ordinances2 because he cannot be silenced by any legal authority1 and because he rejects all ecclesiastical government4 ,this is the reason why ,i labour to rescue religion from the disgrace which he throws upon it4 ,and ,i again ask if it is to be tolerated in a ,christian1 in a moral country1 that a man ordered by the magistrates to be tried for the basest of all crimes1 alleged against him on oath1 should be suffered to collect an assembly of ,english subjects around him under pretence of giving them religious instruction8 ,is the government to suffer its subjects to be thus contaminated8 ,the magistrates of ,sparta and of ,rome 7which were heathen nations7 would have permitted no such sacrilege as this4 ,one character peculiar to the person ,i am speaking of is1 that wherever he has been admitted as a preacher1 he has disturbed the religious system1 and upset the order of the place4 ,no later than ,wednesday last1 a gentleman from ,colchester called at my office1 and told me that he has done so in that town2 that he turned the whole congregation against their minister1 by preaching doctrines tending to encourage licentiousness1 and foster the worst passions4 ,all persons acquainted with history will recollect1 that this mode of healing the consciences of profligate men was practised by the ,romish ,church before the reformation1 and when it flourished in its rankest state of corruption--when indulgences for sins to be committed1 and pardon for sins past1 were openly sold for money4 ,the manner in which the ,obelisk ,preacher conducts the affairs of his chapel bears some resemblance to this practice4 ,in other places of worship1 the practice is1 for persons1 who have been appointed as trustees1 to take charge of all the money collected once a mouth1 and after allowing a reasonable remuneration to the minister1 apply the remainder to the relief of the poor1 and to the repairs of the place4 ,hitherto1 however1 ,mr4 ,c-- has been in the habit of putting into his own pocket all the money which he has raised by inflaming the passions and exciting hopes and fears4 ,i am informed that for the purpose of encreasing his revenue1 he has even administered the sacrament to persons who were nearly introxicated with gin66 ,at present my pen is unable to proceed any further on this most disgusting subject4 ,r4 ,b4 ,extract from the ,dispatch of ,may #i1 #ahac4 ,the promise made in last ,sunday's ,dispatch1 that a description should every week be given of some conventicle preacher noted for ignorance and absurdity1 was at the time rather premature1 and the fulfilment of it must be suspended for two or three weeks longer2 because ,i wish to mark out a boundary of separation1 like an impassable chasm1 between the character ,i have hitherto been developing1 and those ,i intend hereafter to criticise4 ,however great may be the mass of folly1 ignorance1 and fanaticism1 which prevail throughout most of the low conventicles of this metropolis1 and however injuriously they may operate on the human mind1 their effects are innocence and virtue1 compared to the influence of that guilt which ,i have exposed1 and which ,i am prepared to expose still more effectually in any ,court of ,justice4 ,i believe that the poor silly visionaries who deal in pictures1 in miracles1 and monstrous conceits1 are not wilfully or practically vicious1 and that they have lashed themselves into a belief1 of what they preach2 therefore ,i cannot think of dragging them forward so close upon the heels of ,mr4 ,john ,church1 as to hold out an appearance of their belonging to the same society4 ,some interval of time1 therefore1 is necessary for the distinction which ,i wish to draw4 ,when ,i come to speak of them it shall be in a spirit of playfulness1 and not with a feeling of abhorrence4 ,respecting the last mentioned person ,i should have been silent ever since the #ahth ultimo1 had he preserved that silence which a sense of common decency would have pointed out to any other person1 except himself4 ,after having been held to bail for the purpose of being tried on charges not to be named among ,christians1 he ought to have abstained from entering his pulpit1 and shunned the very light1 until his character was cleared to the satisfaction of his congregation1 who ought to have deemed it a sacrilege to be present while he attempted to promulgate the doctrines of ,christ in a place of divine worship4 ,but one would think there was a congeniality of sentiment and of sympathy between the pastor and the flock6 ,indeed this latter remark is founded upon something more than conjecture3 for a great number of persons who are in the habit of frequenting the obelisk chapel1 have taken up the cause of their preacher with a zeal that cannot easily be accounted for in any way but one4 ,they will investigate no charge2 they reject all evidence4 ,their ,temple is open1 and their ,high ,priest is in as much favour as ever he was4 ,they are1 ,i am told1 raising money to carry on prosecutions against those whom they call his calumniators2 but it is probable that the money will be expended in some other place1 besides ,westminster ,hall4 ,i have been threatened with an action as will appear by the following notice1 which was left at my office last ,friday se'nnight1 and which for the amusement of the reader ,i publish verbatim and literatim4 ,to ,mr4 ,r4 ,bell the ,editor and ,proprietor and also--to ,mr4 ,robt ,barber--the ,printer1 of a ,certain ,weekly ,publication or ,newspaper ,calld the ,weekly ,dispatch and to all others whom ,it doth shall or may ,concern4 ,my name appearing ,in some of the ,above-named ,newspapers and ,in other ,publication ,issued by ,some of you or by your ,directions ,i do hereby--give you and ,each of you1 ,notice from1 henceforth to ,desist from the further ,printing or ,circulation--of ,such ,papers and that ,in ,case ,my ,name1 or any 7thing7 ,respecting 7me7 or ,tending1 to ,inflame the ,public ,mind against me1 ,shall appear ,in any future ,publications ,sanctioned or ,authorisd by you or ,under you ,direction's ,i shall ,commence ,such ,legal measures1 against you for the ,same ,as the ,law ,enable ,me and ,counsel shall advise and ,i ,do hereby--give you and ,each of you further ,notice that 7as7 ,i am about to ,commence--and acxtion against you for the ,publication above alluded to1 that you do not ,part with or alter1 or ,in any manner mutilate the manuscripts from which ,publications were ,printed4 ,date--this #cj ,day of ,april #ahac ,john ,church4 ,this precious composition 7no attorney could write any thing like it7 bears the real signature of ,john ,church which exactly resembles that of the letter he wrote to ,cook of ,vere-street4 ,i now then call on him to put his threat into execution2 ,i call on him to bring his action against me2 and he may depend on it1 ,i shall be prepared with my proofs and my ,,justification4 ,i repeat what ,i said in my last1 that ,i bear this man no resentment of a personal nature1 ,i can have none towards one ,i never spoke to1 and never saw but once1 and then in his pulpit4 ,my sole object is to do that which the civil power seems unable to do--to prevent one of the most horrid of vices1 from being propagated through the medium of pretended sanctity4 ,the person of whom ,i am speaking1 has called at my office1 and expressed a wish to see me 7this was very like bringing an action67 fortunately ,i was not there at the time2 and ,i now desire that neither he nor any of his associates may call on me1 for ,i will speak with none of them except in a ,court of ,law4 99 99 99 99 99 ,to the ,editor of the ,weekly ,dispatch4 ,banbury1 ,may #e1 #ahac4 ,,sir1--,in your ,paper of the #beth ult4 in an article relative to ,john ,church1 you say1 8,the ,magistrates sent him away from ,banbury40 ,as some persons might1 from this erroneous statement1 conceive that the people to whom he preached then1 heard with indifference of his vile propensities2 we beg of you1 in justice to them1 to correct this error4 ,it was the ,trustees of the ,chapel who gave him his immediate dismission from their place1 on the first intimation of his destestable practices1 to which they could attach any credit4 ,we are1 ,sir1 ,your humble ,servants1 ,,joseph ,,gardner4 ,,thomas ,,gardner4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following are the letters referred to in pages #h #i4 ,honoured ,sir1--,in reply to your letter concerning ,mr4 ,c4 ,i can only inform you1 there was a report against him of a very scandalous nature2 but how far his culpability extends1 it is quite out of my power to determine4 ,he was absent from hence when the rumour first spread4 ,the ,managers of our ,chapel took great pains to enquire into the origin of such reports1 and the result was1 they sent ,mr4 ,c4 positive orders never1 on any account1 to return to ,banbury again2 which advice he has hitherto wisely observed4 ,now1 ,sir1 after giving you the above information1 ,i beg leave to conclude the subject1 by referring you to your own comment hereon4 7,signed7 ,s4 ,,hall4 ,banbury1 ,march #g1 #ahaj4 ,the next extract exhibits the confession of ,wm4 ,clarke1 of ,ipswich4 ,having been called by providence to ,colchester1 ,i went to hear ,john ,church preach in a barn1 was invited to ,mr4 ,abbott's2 was prevailed upon to sleep with ,john ,church2 ,i did sleep with him three nights2 after being enticed to many imprudences1 ,i was under the necessity to resist certain attempts1 which1 if ,i had complied with1 ,i am fearful must have ruined both soul and body2 the crime is too horrid to relate4 ,,william ,,clark4 ,,richard ,,patmore ,j4 ,,ellison ,c4 ,,wire ,h4 ,t4 ,,wire ,witnesses4 ,p4,s4 ,this took place in ,march last1 #ahab4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the third letter casts still further light on the dark business of the former4 ,colchester1 ,september #af1 #ahab4 ,,sir1 ,last evening ,i had an interview with ,clark's father1 who wishes him to comply with your wishes4 ,i mentioned to him respecting ,church's conduct1 and ,i find the last night to be the worst4 ,likewise that he would have committed the act had not ,clark prevented him4 ,the particulars ,i told was when in ,london1 but find them worse than what ,i describe to you4 ,they are not able to be at any expence2 but if the ,gentlemen wish to prosecute1 and to pay ,clark's expences up to ,london1 c4 he will have no objection to come1 when you please to send4 ,i need only say1 ,i wish you to inform the ,gentlemen1 and give me a line4 ,i am1 dear ,sir1 ,yours1 c4 ,c4 ,,wire4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following is the narrative which ,cook has given to his acquaintance with ,parson ,church2 and which was taken down from his own dictation by ,mr4 ,e-- ,b--3 ,in ,may1 #ahaj1 ,j4 ,cook was in company with ,mr4 ,yardley and another young man by the name of ,ponder4 ,i found after that the said ,ponder was a drummer in the ,guards2 but ,cook went to call at a house in the ,london ,road1 where ,i saw ,mr4 ,church the first time in my life2 there was at this house about twelve or fourteen altogether drinking gin1 and ,mr4 ,church handed me a glass of the same1 which ,i took2 ,church behaved very polite to me1 and said what a fine fellow ,i was1 he pressed me very much to stop and get tea with them1 for he said he would call and see me when ,i was settled in the house in ,vere-street4 ,i stopped a little while and was about to leave them when ,church said ,i should not go before ,i had tea1 and flung down a dollar1 and a man by the name of ,gaiscoin took the money and went for the tea and other things but ,i would not stay1 ,church came out of the room with me1 and walked with me as far as the turnpike1 there he met another ,gentleman which ,i never saw before1 and ,i went on and left him for that time1 ,i think it was #f or #h days4 ,i went to live at the ,swan1 and saw ,church again1 he came about #c o'clock in the afternoon1 and ,mr4 ,yardley accosted him1 #8,parson what are you come to see the ,chappel8' he said #8yes1 and to preach too3' ,church asked me how ,i was1 ,i said ,i was not very well1 he asked me why ,i went away in that shy manner1 ,i told him he was a stranger to me1 and ,i did not like to be intruding on strange people1 he said ,i was shy1 he did not know what to make of me1 he also pressed me very much to take a walk with him1 but ,i declined it1 he said ,i must go1 but ,i still declined1 and did not go with him1 he staid some time and joined the company that was in the ,back ,parlour1 persons by the name of ,miss ,fox and ,miss ,kitty ,cambrick was among them1 and the ,queen of ,bohemia4 ,as ,mr4 ,c4 was going away1 he came to the bar and spoke to me1 and said ,i must take something to drink1 which ,i did1 and he paid for it1 and left the house for that time4 ,in a few days he called again in the afternoon1 and there was not many people there1 he asked if ,yardly was at home1 ,i said he was not1 he said he was very sorry for it1 ,i asked him what he wanted1 he said he came on purpose for me to take a walk with him1 but ,i did not go1 he said he would wait until ,yardly came in1 ,church said ,i should do him a great favor if ,i would take a walk with him1 ,i would not go1 he still pressed me very much to go1 ,i said ,i would if he would wait till ,i had cleaned myself1 he waited more than two hours for me1 ,i went to steep because ,i would not go with him1 and in the mean time he waited so long that he was tired1 he sent the waiter to call me1 which he did1 and said the ,parson wanted me1 and had been waiting two hours for me1 ,i said him wait1 for ,i should not come1 he returned and said if ,i would but speak to him1 he should go away happy4 ,i found ,i could not get rid of him1 ,i went down stairs1 he said well1 ,sir1 ,i hope your nap has done you good1 ,i said ,i dont know1 dont bother me1 he said ,i was very cross to him1 ,i told him there was other men without me1 if he wanted to preach1 not to preach to me about crossness4 ,he said well if that was the case he was very sorry he had offended me1 ,i told him he had not offended me nor pleased me1 but as ,i was not well and the less any one talked to me the better ,i liked it4 ,he said if ,i was but friends with him1 and shake hands with him1 he should go away happy4 ,mr4 ,yardly said1 ,i never see such a fellow as ,i was1 for ,i had affronted every body that came to the house4 ,i then shook hands with the ,parson1 for at that time ,i did not know his name4 ,he shook hands with me1 and we had something to drink1 and ,mr4 ,church paid for it and went away4 ,i never saw him until ,i came out of ,newgate1 ,i was talking to ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,holloway1 and telling them there was a ,parson somewhere about ,st4 ,george's ,fields1 but his name ,i did not know4 ,he asked me if ,i should know him if ,i saw him1 ,i said ,i should1 by that ,i went to the ,chapel and saw ,mr4 ,church1 and then ,i asked the people what was the ,parson's name1 they told me his name was ,church4 ,i said he ought to be ashamed of himself to preach there1 a 999999 and rascal1 and left the place1 and went home in the greatest pains ,i ever felt in my life1 and was resolved to see him1 which ,i did the next day1 and give him one of the hand-bills1 and the manner he received me1 was like a young man would his sweetheart1 ,i begun my conversation3--,well1 ,sir1 ,i suppose you do not know me4 ,he said he did not4 ,i said my name was ,cook1 that kept the ,swan1 in ,vere street4 ,he said he thought so1 but was not sure3 he said1 why did ,i not call before and shake hands with a body4 ,i told him ,i did not know where he lived1 nor ,i did not know his name until ,i went to the ,chapel and found him out4 ,he told me not to make it known that he ever came to my house1 for he and ,roland ,hill had daggers drawn1 and that he should be obliged to indite ,hill to clear up his character1 and for ,god's sake do not expose me4 7,here the ,narrative breaks off47 ,,postcript4 ,in addition to the above testimonies1 the ,editor has received a very long narrative of atrocities committed by ,,john ,,church while he resided at ,banbury1 which has been written by a ,minister at that place2 but the facts are too disgusting and shocking to be published4 ,on the #fth of ,june #ahac1 the ,grand ,jury for the ,county of ,middlesex found a ,bill of ,indictment against ,john ,church for his attempt some years ago on a lad named ,webster4 99 99 99 99 99 ,printed by and for ,r4 ,,bell1 ,bride ,lane1 ,fleet ,street4 ,,second ,,postcript4 ,july #ae4 ,this ,pamphlet was printed and ready for publication some weeks since2 but the ,editor thought proper to keep it back until the trial of ,john ,church1 which came on at the ,middlesex ,sessions on ,monday the #abth of ,july #ahac2 when he was acquitted4 ,indeed the ,editor never imagined that any other verdict than one of acquittal1 would have been given on that particular prosecution4 ,if the ,reader looks back to pages #be and #bf1 he will find in the account there given of the proceedings at ,union ,hall1 that this prosecution was ,,ordered by the ,magistrates of that ,office1 and did not originate with the prosecutor1 ,william ,webster1 on whom the abominable attempt was alleged to have been made eleven years ago2 that the very mention of the attempt was a mere incidental circumstance arising out of another proceeding then before the ,magistrates2 and that the latter1 upon hearing it1 dismissed the first complaint1 and obliged ,wm4 ,webster to become 7what he never until then intended to be7 a prosecutor against ,church4 ,let the ,reader also take notice of the following sentence in the report in page #bf3 8,the ,magistrate observed1 that from the length of time which had elapsed since the offence had been committed1 he thought a ,jury would not feel justified in finding him guilty40 ,this ,william ,webster1 therefore1 considered1 in all respects1 as an unwilling prosecutor1 who was supported only by one counsel of young standing1 #ch;a and had to struggle against two of the most able advocates #ch;b in the criminal courts4 ,the ,editor 7for he was not present at the trial7 understands that ,webster gave his evidence with embarrassment and trepidation1 and he suffered himself to fall into some inconsistencies4 ,with this solitary and confused evidence1 and after a lapse--after a silence of ,,eleven ,,years1 was it possible to suppose that a ,jury would have found any man guilty8 ,it must here be observed that the decision on this solitary complaint of eleven years standing1 does not in the slightest degree affect any of the numerous accusation at a more recent date1 which have been made against ,john ,church4 ,,footnotes4 #e ,in the ,,dispatch of the #bast ult4 the ,editor1 when speaking of the publicity given to the evidence respecting the ,princess of ,wales1 expressed the following sentiments on this question3 8,there are cases in which a great deal more injury both to morals and liberty1 may arise from the suppression than the exposure of indecencies40--8,complaints have often been made from very high quarters of the publicity given to certain proceedings in ,courts of ,justice2 and it is but justice to say1 that within the last twenty years1 the press has been very cautious in its manner of relating them4 ,but it is a matter of doubt with many wise men whether the suppression of facts in such instances does not1 upon the whole1 do more injury to public morals than a complete disclosure of them2 particularly so1 if there be any suspicion that facts have been suppressed40 #f ,messrs4 ,gurney and ,alley4 #g ,the ,reader will find this fac simile accompanying the present pamphlet4 ,picture3 ,facsimile of ,john ,church's letter to ,james ,cook #aa ,a ,correspondent1 who happened to attend two or three times at ,church's ,meeting-house1 took down the following sentences from his ,sermons4 ,they may gratify the curiosity of the reader4 8,god is frequently going forth1 and we also are often going to the window to look for him2 ,the more vile ,i am made to appear to the ,world the more ,god will assist me4 ,every citizen is a free-born4 ,many have wondered how ,i could go thro' so much trouble4 ,there have been a great many that have wished to see me--,i can inform them ,i had much rather they had wished to see ,christ4 ,people may be laughed at for being fools1 but you may depend upon it the more ,god will like them4 ,all that believe not will certainly be damned4 ,the duties of ,christianity are not to be preached to an ungodly world2 ,john ,church is very much spoken of1 but they had much better speak of ,jesus2 the people of the established church feel no spiritual joy4 ,spiritual discourse is enlivening to the senses1 c4 ,the bread of life is not to be given away to ,dogs4 ,i am not going to turn auctioneer1 but ,i am going to inform you that next ,lord's ,day ,i am going to publish a book proving that ,god the ,son1 and the ,spirit1 are all one great ,god4 ,my sermon will be good news and comfort to all poor sinners2 ,satan and all his spirits never sleeps2 the power of life and death is only in the hands of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,devils are allowed to harrass the people of ,god day and night--no wonder they perplex those they cant destroy4 ,people are mostly liable to fall in their first love into awful heresies and temptation4 ,all the ,lord's people do not see into the glory of my text--'tis like a jewel in a rock of ,adamant4 ,the worst sin was the murdering of ,god's saints4 ,when ,i sit in darkness the ,lord will be a light unto me4 ,many men laugh at the doctrine of the new birth1--are there not many learned ,doctors that know nothing of it8 ,let a man come under any circumstances ,i will receive him2--,don't laugh at the doctrine of inspiration2 he wise1 it has often been preached by our church1--,i am never tired of preaching1 and ,i believe my dear brethren are never tired of hearing me4 ,if every one that is saved should be as bright as the sun1 what a place heaven must be1 where there will be so many millions6 ,angels beckon me away1 and ,christ bids me come4 ,the sight of ,christ1 you may depend on't1 will be worth suffering for4 ,o that ,i had the voice of an archangel1 ,i would indeed do wonders4 ,i doubt the superiority of one angel over another in heaven--,christ is entirely independent1 of or with ,god4 ,we must have the spirit of ,god before we are his people4 ,believe in the predestination of eternal life1 but not in eternal death2 people that suffer were beforehand predestined so to do1 by ,god4 ,bad or horrid is the religion of a proud ,pharisee4 ,that religion that is preached by the people of ,god is ,god himself4 ,there can be no going forth until the ,spirit of ,god has entered4 ,the ,,mob is seldom stirred up but thro' ,priests1 there is now a case of the very kind2 when envy bursts forth thro' jealous and envious neighbouring ,priests1 and published by ,deists1 there can be nothing to fear2 and ,i verily believe that any thing prayed for to ,christ will certainly be granted1 as has always been the case with me4 ,let us for ever endeavour to turn every thing1 whether good or bad1 into good4 ,i do not not believe that ,god begot ,jesus ,christ--they say too that ,joseph was an impostor at this very day2--every thing that is done against the church is done against ,christ2 also that which is done against ,christ is done against the ,church2 and any thing done against the people of ,god is done against ,christ4 ,it is a most blessed thing that we can throw our burthens upon ,christ2--,i do not care who hears me1 whether ,god1 or ,man1 ,friends1 or ,foes1 ,devils or ,angels1 or any thing else1 and let them call me an ,antinomian again if they please4 ,there must be spiritual life in the soul4 ,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ and the people of ,god are all one4 ,christ has no sorrow but the people of ,god must sympathise with him2 and the people of ,god have no affliction but that ,christ sympathises with them40 #bj ,alluding to his being turned out of ,banbury4 #ba ,before ,church got to bed to young ,clark1 he scoffed at secret prayer4 ,what abominable hypocrisy1 to hear the same man pretending to pray before a public congregation1 where he can get himself paid for his devotions6 how he must hate and despise himself on account of his own most odious cant666 #bb ,a full proof of this has been given1 in the falsehoods he has repeatedly urged1 to ward off the charges brought against him in these papers4 #bg ,i am informed that ,church belongs to that sect called ,,antinomians1 which is thus described by the ,rev4 ,john ,evans in his 8,sketch of the ,denominations of the ,christian ,world03-- 8,the ,antinomian derives his name from ,,anti and ,,nomos2 signifying1 against1 and a ,law1 his favourite tenet being1 that the law is not a rule of life to believers4 ,it is not easy to ascertain what he means by this position1 but he seems to carry the doctrine of imputed righteousness of ,christ and salvation by faith without works to such lengths as to injure1 if not wholly destroy the obligation to moral obedience4 ,antinomianism may be traced to the period of the reformation1 and its promulgator was ,john ,agricola1 originally a disciple of ,luther4 ,the ,papists in their disputes with the ,protestants of that day1 carried the merit of good works to an extravagant length2 and this induced some of their opponents to run into the opposite extreme4 8,this sect 7say the ,encyclopedia7 sprung up in ,england during the protectorate of ,oliver ,cromwell1 and extended the system of libertinism much farther than ,agricola1 the disciple of ,luther4 ,some of their teachers expressly maintained1 that as the elect cannot fall from grace nor forfeit the divine favour1 the wicked actions they commit are not really sinful1 nor are they to be considered as instances of their violation of the ,divine ,law2 consequently they have no occasion to confess their sins1 or to break them off by repentance4 ,according to them it is one of the essential and distinctive characters of the elect that they cannot do any thing displeasing to ,god1 or prohibited by ,law40 #ch;a ,mr4 ,adolphus4 #ch;b ,messrs4 ,gurney and ,alley4