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PAUL'S ALLEY.-General Baptist, Extinct.

answer to this defence, when the world was deprived of the benefit expected from some of his other projected labours by his premature death.

Dr. Gale had entertained a design of offering to the public some means for facilitating the study of the oriental languages, as indispensably necessary for the perfect understanding of the scriptures. He had also intended to publish "An English Translation of the Septuagint, according to the Edition of Dr. Grabe;" and "A History of the Notion of Original Sin," in which he intended to shew its total inconsistency with just and honourable conceptions of an infinitely wise and good Being. But what appears to have most occupied his thoughts, and to have been in the fairest train for being carried into execution, was a scheme which he had formed of a complete exposition of the whole New Testament from the pulpit. From the excellent plan of this exposition, which was found among his papers, and printed in the Life of the Author prefixed to his posthumous Sermons, we may conclude that such an undertaking, had he lived to execute it, would have proved of considerable importance and benefit to the Christian world. While Dr. Gale was employed in preparing for these useful labours, he was attacked by a fever, in December, 1721, which proved fatal to him, when only in the forty-second year of his age.

Dr. Gale was rather tall than otherwise, and possessed a manly gracefulness of person, exceeded by nothing but his negligence to adorn it. His countenance expressed the innocence as well as greatness of his mind; and always appeared with that calm which springs from inward tranquillity and composure. To what has been already mentioned respecting his character we have to add, that he was truly pious without ostentation, serious without moroseness, humble, though in such high reputation for his learning, cheerful without levity, and on account of his benevolence of disposition, and mild courteous manners, the object of very general respect and esteem. Some of the most eminent men in his day lived in

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From an original Painting

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PAUL'S-ALLEY.-General Baptist, Extinct.

habits of friendship with him, and among others the Lord Chancellor King, Dr. Hoadly, at that time Bishop of Bangor, and Dr. Bradford, Bishop of Rochester. Dr. Gale left a widow and several children, whose only sup port arose from a contribution set on foot by friends, which enabled her to open a coffee-house in Finch-lané. In that situation, her submissive and obliging behaviour, and her easy compliance with her humble fortune, shewed how much she merited a better.*

Soon after his death, four volumes of "Sermons upon several subjects, by the late Reverend and learned Dr. John Gale," were given to the public, and met with such a reception as might be expected from the author's reputation while living. They passed to a second edition in 1726, and are distinguished by the utility and importance of their subjects, strength and clearness of reasoning, and masculine unaffected eloquence. To the first volume is prefixed a life of the author, and a portrait of him by Vertue.†

JOSEPH BURROUGHS, a learned and respectable Divine of the Anti-Podobaptist denomination, in the last century, was born in London,on the first of January, 1684-5. His father, Mr. Humphrey Burroughs, was a respectable weaver in Spital-fields, and by the smiles of Providence upon his industry, arrived at considerable affluence. He was many years a member and deacon of the Baptist church in Virginia-street, and afterwards sustained the same office in the General Baptist society, Paul's alley, Barbican. This gentleman narrowly escaped being ruined in his circumstances by the infamous Titus Oates; and his deliverance was annually commemorated in a day of thanksgiving, by his descendants. A very particular account of the transaction here Atterbury's Correspondence, vol. iii. p. 538.

+ General Biography, Art. GALE.-Prot. Diss. Mag. vol. iii. p. 41–46. -Crosby's English Baptists, vol. iv. p. 366–375.---Life of Dr. Gale, prexed to his Sermons. Univ. Theol. Mag. for Jan. 1803.

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PAUL'S-ALLEY.-General Baptist, Extinct.

referred to, may be seen in Crosby's History of the English Baptists.

His son, Mr. Joseph Burroughs, was early inclined to the work of the ministry, which was a proof of the seriousness of his disposition; as his circumstances were such as enabled him to pursue a more lucrative profession. With a view to this sacred employment, his father gave him a very liberal education, first in a private academy at Highgate, under Dr. Ker, and afterwards at Leyden. In that university he made such progress in many different branches of knowledge, especially such as had a real connexion with the ministerial profession, that he became entitled to great distinction in the literary world. After a few years occasional preaching, he was invited in May, 1713, to the co-pastorship with the Rev. Richard Allen, pastor of the General Baptist congregation in Paul's-alley, Barbican. This offer his great modesty induced him to decline; he, however, coutinued his occasional labours in that church, till the death of Mr. Allen, when he was chosen to succeed him in the pastoral charge, to which he was ordained May 1, 1717.† The service was conducted in the following manner; Mr. Nathaniel Foxwell opened the work of the day, by reading 1 Timothy, chap. 3 and 4, and then prayed; Mr. Benjamin Stinton explained the duties and office of an elder, in a discourse from Phil. i. 1. The form of ordination was then explained, and vindicated, in another discourse, from Titus i. 5. by Mr. Nathaniel Hodges. After this, the members of the congregation being desired to assemble around the pulpit pew, and the rest of the assembly to withdraw into the galleries, Mr. Stinton, in a short address to the church, called upon those who approved the election of Mr. Burroughs to the pastoral office, to signify their concurrence, by holding up their hands; which was done nem. diss. Mr. Burroughs was then desired to signify his acceptance of the

Vol.s. p. 170--180.

+ Mr. Noble's Sermon on the death of Mr. Burroughs, p. 31.

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