BARBICAN.Independent. likewise, his diligence and attention to his duty were highly honourable to him, many of his pupils, now respectable tradesmen, are living to bear testimony of his regard to their religion and morals, as well as to fit them for the middle. class of society. This useful employment of a Christianschoolmaster, soon after his second marriage, his health preventing him from attending to as he could have wished, upon medical advice, he gave up. Mr. Towers' labours were continued with this society for the long space of thirty-four years, and during that time he was highly esteemed by his people, and his labours rendered eminently successful. He was called home to his reward at by no means an old age; being but fifty-seven when he died. This event, happy for himself, but melancholy for his numerous connexions, took place on the 9th of July, 1804. On the 17th of the same month, his corpse was conveyed from his meeting-house in Barbican, attended by a long train of friends, and the carriage of Sir William Staines, late LordMayor of London, who was his firm friend and patron, and decently interred in Bunhill-Fields burial-ground. The Rev. Alexander Waugh delivered a solemn address at the grave, to an immense concourse of persons that attended. It being noticed by a person present, What a great multitude of poor surrounded the grave? it was justly remarked, That this excited no wonder; as there was scarcely a cellar, or a garret, around the neighbourhood, where human misery resided, that he had not visited, relieving the indigent and distressed to the utmost of his power. Mr. Towers had the rare felicity of being followed to his grave by the tears of the poor. His funeral sermon was preached by the Rev. W. F. Platt; but not published. Mr. Towers' character was truly amiable and respectable. Really devoted to the sacred function of a minister of the gospel, he appeared in it with great zeal, diligence, and success. In his views of the doctrines of the gospel, he VOL. III. C G BARBICAN.-Independent. must be ranked with the Calvinists; but he was no blind follower of Calvin, nor of any other master in Israel. The scriptures alone, as contained in the Old and New Testaments, were his standard of divine truth; all his doctrines, motives, and exhortations were drawn from thence. Hence his judicious reasonings in casuistical divinity. As a preacher, we have already seen that at his first setting out, he was amazingly popular; and he retained much of his popularity to the last. There was, indeed, a certain awkwardness in his action, and sometimes in his voice, which would give offence to a nice critic on pulpit oratory; but this was abundantly made up to those who pay less regard to those external circumstances, by the zeal and simplicity which characterized his pulpit performances. There was no act of kindness which this worthy man did not embrace, by his attention to the poor and distressed, for miles round the metropolis. In the several hospitals, prisons, and workhouses, within the sphere of his ability, he admonished, comforted, and instructed the poor inhabitants in the great truths contained in the scriptures; and with sedulous concern he watched over the poor children who attended his catechising. Mr. Towers was a firm Protestant Dissenter, and a steady advocate for our civil and religious liberties as settled at the glorious revolution. His love for the Protestant succession in the illustrious House of Brunswick, as centering in our venerable monarch, he manifested upon all occasions; and was of great service to the government when the wild, confused publications of Paine were distributed, in small tracts, among the lower classes. He attacked them with great success; and was the happy instrument of convincing many of the scepticism of these schemes, both as they related to the Christian church, and to the British government. Mr. Towers's publications consist of, An Answer to Mr. Madan's "Thelephora," and a few single sermons. Four of these are upon funeral occasions, and for the following BARBICAN.Independent. persons the Rev. Thomas Chorlton, 1774; Mr. Joseph Jackson, 1792; Mr. Johm Fonton, 1794; and the Rev. Thomas Markinson Morton, 1801. It should not be forgotten that Mr. Towers was brother to the late learned Dr. Joseph Towers, whose life will, probably, occupy a place in this work.* Upon Mr. Towers' tomb-stone, in Bunhill-Fields, is the following inscription: In Memory of The Rev. JOHN TOWERS, 34 years pastor Of the Independent Congregation In Barbican, Who died July 9th, 1804, JOHN GORE.-Mr. Towers was succeeded, after a lapse of several months, by the Rev. John Gore, who received his education at Hoxton academy, and commenced. preacher about the year 1796. He laboured first at Sandwich, in Kent, where, after two years, a society was formed, over which he was ordained pastor, in the old Presbyterian meeting-house, May 16, 1798. There he continued till the beginning of the year 1805, when he removed to London, upon an invitation from the Barbican society. The union took place in February, and he was publicly set apart to the work of a pastor, June 5, 1805. Mr. Buck prayed, and read the scriptures; Mr. Townsend delivered an introductory discourse; Mr. Simpson prayed; Mr. Burder gave the charge; Mr. Boden, of Sheffield, preached to the people; and Mr. George Clayton, concluded the service. • Gent. Mag. for July, 1804,-and Private Information. PAUL'S-ALLEY.-General Baptist, Ext.net. PAUL'S-ALLEY. GENERAL BAPTIST, EXTINCT, PAUL'S-A AUL'S-ALLEY is situated on the south side of Barbican, nearly opposite to Bridgewater-square. The meeting-house at the upper end is an ancient building, but the precise date of its foundation cannot be ascertained. The late Mr. Daniel Noble, who preached there about half a century ago, has been heard to say, that it was built originally for a play-house; but that the government would not licence it. Upon this it was taken by the General Baptists, who converted it into a meeting-house. It is a large, square brickbuilding, with three deep galleries, coveniently fitted up, and substantially built. In 1716, a baptisterion, with suitable appurtenances, was erected. The Baptists had been for many years in great want of a convenient baptizing place, and after many inquiries, at length fixed upon Barbican as the most eligible place, on account of the size of the meeting-house, and the large vacant space behind it, upon which three good rooms were built, for the convenience of dressing and undressing. The expence of these alterations amounted to more than six hundred pounds, and was defrayed chiefly by Thomas and John Hollis, Esqrs. who were good friends to the Baptists. Crosby has given the following description of this baptistery: "This Baptisterion, or cistern, is fixed just before the pulpit, the sides and bottom of which are made with good polished stone, and round the top is put a kirb of marble, about a foot wide; and round it, at about a foot or two distance, is set up an iron rail, of handsome cypher work. Under the pulpit are the stairs that lead down into it, and at the top of these are two folding doors, which open into the three rooms behind the meeting-house, PAUL'S-ALLEY.-General Baptist, Extinct. which are large, and handsomely wainscotted. Under one of these rooms there is a well, sunk down to the spring of water; at the top of this there is a leaden-pump fixed, from which a pipe goes into the bason, near the top of it, by which it is filled with water; at the bottom of the bason there is a brass plug, from whence there goes another pipe into the said well, to empty it again."* In the meetinghouse was kept a register of all the persons baptized, and by whom it was performed. The society in Paul's-Alley was of ancient date, being collected during the time of the civil wars, by the Rev. John Gosnold, who is mentioned by Dr. Calamy among the silenced nonconforming ministers. His church appears to have met at this place from their very origin as a society, and continued so to do till their numbers were so greatly reduced, as to render it expedient to dissolve their church state. In the earlier part of its history, this society was in a very flourishing condition. Mr. Gosnold is said to have had frequently nearly three thousand auditors, and among them some persons of consideration. This occasioned an application, after the fire of London, from the officers of the parish of Cripplegate, to request a collection for the poor, who abounded in that parish. The request was complied with a sum of fifty pounds and upwards was raised, and the church voluntarily continued the collection for twenty years afterwards. Though they were frequently scattered by persecution, yet when liberty returned, they again collected together, and resumed their former places in considerable numbers. In 1695, the Barbican church received a considerable accession by the union of the church at Turners'-Hall, where Mr. Richard Allen had preached, and who henceforward became pastor of the united society. It is at this period that the church books now in existence commence; but with the assistance of other materials, we * Crosby's English Baptists, vol. iv. p. 166. |