On the 23d of October he arrived at Hitchin, and met with a most cordial welcome. During his stay with this pious and warmhearted people, he preached to large and attentive congregations three times every Lord's-day. His public labours were abundantly blessed, and his society affectionately courted: but as he could not conscientiously yield the point of strict communion, walking one day in the burial-ground The writer, on his late visit, was he, on the 11th of January, 1774, attached to that meeting-house, acwith the most painful regret, quit-companied by his excellent friend the ted them.

ratists from the late Dr. Gill's as a distinct church. Mr. Booth began in prayer; Dr. Stennett then called upon the church to give an account of their proceed

of the deacons, Dr. Stennett delivered an affectionate address. Mr. Clarke prayed; after which Mr. Wallin preached from Ephes. xi. 22; For an habitation of God through the Spirit. Mr. Macgowan prayed, and Mr. Rippon concluded.

go down to that place. Immediately upon their arrival, they sent a message, requesting him to meet them at the inn, with which request he complied. They then represented to him the anx-ings; which being done by one iety of the newly formed church for his reply to their application, and entreated that be would give them his immediate decision. In the course of the day he delivered to them his written answer, which (being in compliance with their wishes) they received with great satisfaction, and on the following This interesting and solemn morning returned to London. service was printed. Mr. Wallin In this answer, (dated Decem-kindly offered this newly formed ber 18, 1773,) he assigns the rea-church the use of his meetingson of his not having replied to house on the Lord's-day morn their invitation earlier; which ings; and they applied for that was, that he feared it would be in Miles's-lane for the Lord's-day wrong in him to assist in dividing evenings, which was granted: a church; but as they were now and in these places Mr. Button themselves formed into one, that continued to preach until the new objection was obviated. He then meeting-house in Dean-street, adds, "You mention your desire Southwark, was erected. of my being with you for twelve months; which I have considered, and think it would be better for me and for you to come to this determination, viz. That I should preach among you for three months, and then, if you desire it, stay longer; because, should I fix for twelve months, and it should appear at the end of three, that my ministry is not in general acceptable, profitable, and useful, during the other nine months I should be a burden to you, as well as uncomfortable in my own mind; for I should never be happy if the people amongst whom I preached were not satisfied with my ministry." The latter arrangement was agreed to.

The day after Mr. Button's return from Hitchin, viz. January 13, 1774, a meeting was held at Mr. Wallin's place of worship, Maze Pond, Southwark, for the purpose of recognizing the sepa

In perusing Mr. Button's diary, it is impossible not to be forcibly struck with the genuine humility and piety of his character. The following is an extract from it. "March 5, 1774. Hitherto has the Lord helped me. I am this day twenty years of age. I look back with shame and confusion of face. What time have I lost! How many sabbaths thrown away! How many moments misspent! How many sins committed against God! Who but a God of love could have borne with me? Herein does his patience, his longsuffering, his forbearance, appear, that I am not cut off as a cumberer of the ground. What mercies have I received, and how have I slighted them, and like the children of Israel loathed the manna, ungratefully loathed it as light bread! Pardon mine iniquity, O Lord, for it is great."

On the 23d of the same month

he writes thus. "Went this morn- | affection towards each other, and ing to visit Dr. Stennett, who re- aimed with united hands to proceived me very kindly, and took mote the glory of God, and the me with him to the Library in enlargement of his visible church, Red-cross-street, and had my he was willing to continue with name registered among the gene- them for the remaining nine ral body of Dissenting ministers. months. He then thanks them O may it appear that my name for their remembrance of him in is registered in heaven in the their prayers, and says, Lamb's book of life among the persuaded, that so long, and no general assembly of the saints!" longer, will a minister be made Mr. Button's three months' en-profitable to a people than they gagement being nearly expired, a remember to pray to their heavenchurch-meeting was called, the ly Father in his behalf." following letter drawn up, and the next day forwarded to

him.

"To the Rev. William Button.

"March 30, 1774. "SIR,-Taking into consideration your answer of December 18, to our invitation, especially that part of it wherein you hint your willingness to serve us, but only for three months, suggesting at the same time, that if your ministry should be approved and blessed, you should be willing to serve us longer, on inquiry we find the church, with other friends, pleased with and profited by your ministry. We therefore desire you will regard our first request in point of time. We trust your labours among us will not be in vain in the Lord, but will be attended with a divine blessing. That so it may be, we hope that all and each of us shall send up our petitions to the Lord on your account.

"Signed by the request of the church, and in the name of the whole,

THOS, RIBRIGHT, } Deacons.'

"I am

The new meeting-house in Dean-street being finished, on the 27th of November, 1774, it was opened for public worship, and Mr. Button preached in the three services.

Having laboured among this people for eighteen months, he was on the 5th of July, 1775, ordained pastor over them. On this occasion the following ministers were engaged. Mr. Reynolds (of Cripplegate) began with prayer; Dr. Stennett introduced the service, and received the account of the proceedings of the church; Mr. Button then signified his acceptance of their call, and delivered his confession of faith. Mr. Booth prayed; Mr. Clarke gave the charge from 1 Cor. iv. 2,Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful; Mr. Wallin preached to the people; and Mr. Ryland, Seur. concluded.

During the time that Mr. Button was at Hitchin, he formed an acquaintance with Miss Anna James, second daughter of the Rev. Samuel James,* late pastor of the Baptist church at that

Author of those affecting narratives, entitled, "An Abstract of the To this letter he replied, that gracious Dealings of God with several as he considered them as a peo-eminent Christians, in their Conversion ple whom God had formed for and Sufferings. Taken from authentic himself, as they dwelt in perfect Comfort and Establishment of serious Manuscripts, and published for the harmony, manifested the greatest Minds."

place; and after a correspondence of two years and a half, they were, on the 22d of October, 1776, married at Hitchin church. After the ceremony was performed, upon Mr. Button's tendering the fee, the rector (the Rev. Mr. Morgan) thus addressed him. "You and I, Sir, are preachers of the same gospel; you are married into a respectable family; your lady's father I highly esteemed; and I wish you may continue long happy in each other. You will excuse my not receiving any thing at your hands upon this occasion." He then cordially shook them both by the hand, and withdrew. By this lady, who is still living, he had nine children, of whom three sons and one daughter survive him.

In 1785, Mr. Fuller's Treatise, "The Gospel worthy of all acceptation," having created a considerable sensation among various denominations of Dissenters, Mr. Button was urged by many of his friends to reply to it, which at length he did, and in that year published his "Remarks on a Treatise, entitled, The Gospel worthy of all acceptation, &c.' wherein the Nature of special Faith in Christ is considered, and several of Mr. Fuller's mistakes pointed out in a Series of Letters to a Friend."

These "Remarks" elicited a rejoinder from Mr. Fuller. The prescribed limits of this memoir forbid our attempting an analysis of this controversy: it is indeed rendered unnecessary from its nature being so generally understood. It was admitted on all sides that Mr. Button acquitted himself with considerable ability. Mr. Fuller himself once remarked to a minister in London, 66 Well, I suppose our friend Mr. Button said all that could have been advanced on his view of the subject."

This publication introduced him to an extensive correspondence in various parts of England, and also in America.

In 1786 he entered into business as a bookseller, and his next appearance from the press was in 1790, as editor and publisher of a volume of posthumous sermons by Dr. Gill, entitled, "Sermons on important Subjects, preached by the late learned Dr. John Gill.” This volume soon became scarce, and has for many years obtained a high price.

At the request of his congregation he printed a Fast Sermon, preached by him at Dean-street, February 28, 1795, under the title of "National Calamities Tokens of the Divine Displeasure." In the same year he published his answer to Mr. Peter Edwards's "Candid Reasons," &c. under the title of " The Candour of Peter Edwards exhibited, and his curious Reasons for renouncing Antipædobaptism examined. By a plain Countryman."

Disgust at the indecent flippancy with which he conceived that his intimate and venerable friend, Mr. Abraham Booth, was treated in the "Candid Reasons," gave rise to this ingenious and spirited Tract. It was at first generally ascribed to the pen of another powerful, though also anonymous antagonist of Mr. Peter Edwards. Among others, the Reviewer in the Protestant Dissenters' Magazine, in August, 1795, hazarded this conjecture, as will be seen by the following extract. Though this writer styles himself a Plain Countryman, it is easy to discern the man of education; and we should not be in amaze* to find that he was

this alluded, was at that period pastor *The respectable author to whom of the church in Maze-pond,

Having been for some time indisposed, and being recommended to try a change of air, he in the autumn of 1811 went to visit a friend in Staffordshire. While he was there, a curious incident occurred, which he thus relates in a

one of the body of London minis- | his pen, and wrote, " A Reply to ters." It is certain, however, that the Layman, containing Stricthat gentleman was wholly igno- tures upon his Notions of Chrisrant both of the piece, and who tian Liberty, in Opposition to was its author, until some months Church Authority. By Philoafter it was published. The only kosmos." This was published in friend to whom Mr. Button sub-1807. mitted this manuscript, or who knew any thing of his design, was the late Rev. Joseph Middleton of Lewes, whose letter (upon his returning the manuscript) is printed in the Preface to this piece. This year also, he received from America a certificate of his hav-letter to Mrs. Button, written a ing been elected honorary mem- day or two afterwards. ber of the "Pennsylvania Society for promoting the abolition of slavery, the relief of free negroes unlawfully held in bondage, and for improving the condition of the African race."

"Mr. A-- wished me to preach in the Wesleyan Chapel, and spake to Mr. W——, the local preacher there, who acquiesced in his request. I accordingly did so it was circulated round the town, and at seven o'clock the chapel was filled. My text was Acts xv. 14; Simeon hath de

visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. Heads. 1. The peculiar favour bestowed on the Gentiles ;-they had a visit from God. 2. The

His next publication was in 1806, entitled, "The Rise, Fall, and future Restoration of the Jews." This excellent compila-clared how God at the first did tion from Basnage, Herman Witsius, Gill, Whitby, Doddridge, President Edwards, &c. &c. he, with, his accustomed modesty, also published anonymously. This work was highly commend-intent of this visit;—to take out a ed by the various Reviews: in- people for his name. Under this deed it is perhaps the best com- head was observed, 1. There is pendium of the history of the a people denominated the Lord's Jews now in existence. The cri- peculiar people. 2. This people, ticism upon it in the Oxford Re- by nature lie in the ruins of the view for June, 1807, thus con- Fall. 3. The design of a preached cludes:-" In no one book can gospel is, to recover this people so much general knowledge of from their awful situation, and the Jews be found, as in that now that, for the glory of his name. under our consideration."

"I had not the least idea of giving offence; but Mr. W took offence; and, as soon as I had finished the discourse, he stept forward in the pulpit, and addressed the congregation thus:

Ever a strenuous assertor of order in a christian church, he viewed with holy jealousy every act which he judged a violation of it; accordingly, upon perusing a pamphlet written by a "Lay-You know, my friends, that I man," defending a member of a intimated last Sabbath evening Baptist church going forth to that it was my intention to speak preach without the concurrence on a particular subject; but at of that church, he again took up the earnest request of some per