JEWRY-STREET —Calvinistic Methodists.

street, where he was chosen to succeed Mr. Aldridge. As Mr. Povah had not hitherto been ordained to the work of the ministry, he now applied for orders in the Church of England. These he speedily obtained, and it was no great while before he took an opportunity of discovering his zeal for the national establishment. When he had been settled nearly four years at Jewry-street, he communicated to the Trustees, his desire to have the chapel consecrated, and placed under the jurisdiction of the bishop of London. But the managers, though many of them decidedly attached to the Church of England, declined placing themselves under the episcopal care, as they well knew, that by so doing, they should deprive themselves of the right to choose their own minister. After some debate upon the subject, it was agreed that Mr. Povah should resign his ministry at Jewry-street, which he did, at Midsummer 1801. Since then he has become curate and lecturer of St. James's, Duke's-place.*

JOHN BALL, the present minister of Jewry-street Chapel, is a native of Windsor, and was born about the year 1770. Being designed for the water, he spent a part of his youth upon the river Thames; but Providence intending him for a higher and more important employment, he entered the newly instituted academy at Mile-End, under the superintendence of Dr. Addington. Soon after his entrance upon the ministry, he went over to Ireland, where he had a meeting-house, and preached several years. Afterwards, he returned to England, and settled with a congregation at Westbury, in Wiltshire; from whence, after a few years, he removed to London, to succeed Mr. Povah at Jewry-street. Being recommended to that congregation by the Rev. Matthew Wilks, of the Tabernacle, he was requested in the month of July, 1801, to pay them a visit for a few weeks upon

• Private Information.

MARK-LANE.-Independent.

trial; and his ministry being approved, he was invited, in October following, to take upon him the pastoral office. Though Mr. Ball professes himself a strict Independent, he' has continued to read the Common Prayer, and, a few years ago, united with the Methodist associated congregations. Since his removal to London, Mr. Ball has enjoyed but an indifferent state of health; and we are sorry to add, that he is now in that disordered condition, that it is hardly expected he will ever be able to preach again.*

In 1807, Mr. Ball took up the cudgels in defence of the Rev. Rowland Hill, in a pamphlet entitled, " Animadversions on a late Pamphlet, entitled, An admonitory Epistle to the Rev. Rowland Hill, A. M. occasioned by the Republication of his Spiritual Characteristics, or most curious Sale of Curates." It is written in an ill temper, and has been severely censured by the Reviewers.

MARK-LANE.

INDEPENDENT.

At the time of the Revolution, in 1688, the Independent church under the pastoral care of the Rev. Dr. Chauncey, is said to have assembled at the house of a Dr. Clarke, in Mark-lane. It was there that the celebrated Dr. Watts was ordained to the pastoral office; and he preached there during the first two or three years of his ministry. At Midsummer 1704, the church removed to Pinner's-Hall; and from thence, in 1708, to the present meeting-house, in WhiteHorse-Yard, Duke's-Place, St. Mary Axe. To that place we refer the reader for a particular account of Dr. Watts's church.

• Private Information.

TURNERS'-HALL, PHILPOT-LANE.

PHILPOT-LANE reaches from Fenchurch-street North, to Little Eastcheap South, and is situated in Langbourn Ward, but the greatest part is in Billingsgate Ward. The Company of Turners, it seems, formerly had their Hall here; but their present one is situated on College Hill. At the time of the Revolution in 1688, Turners'-Hall was used as a meeting-house for Nonconformists. This is the earliest account we have of it in that connexion. It was occupied successively by several different societies, for upwards of half a century. After this, it was shut up for some time, but at length taken down; and the memory of it has, for many years, been entirely effaced from the neighbourhood. The first Dissenting society we find mentioned as meeting here, was of the General Baptist persuasion. The people who occupied it next in succession can scarcely be placed under any denomination. They were followed by another society likewise of a peculiar cast. A congregation of Particular Baptists next occupied it; and they were followed by a people of the Independent persuasion. We shall consider them separately in this order, beginning with the

GENERAL BAPTISTS.

THIS Society was collected, in the year 1688, by the Rev. RICHARD ALLEN, a respectable minister among the General Baptists. The occasion of its formation was this. The church at White's Alley, with which Mr. Allen was connected, both as a member and a preacher, adhered with rigid tenacity to the practice of laying on of hands on baptized believers. This, indeed, formed an essential article in their constitution. Any deviation, therefore, from this practice was considered as an infringement upon the rules of the society, and subjected the offending person to exclusion. Mr. Allen, it seems, had his doubts with respect to the

TURNERS'-HALL, PHILPOT-LANE. -General Baptists.

divine right of this institution; at least, he thought the matter should be left indifferent, and not made an indispensable requisite to church communion. This opinion, as opportunity offered, he declared publicly in the church; which giving offence, it occasioned some debates, and a separation ensued. The matter was deemed of so much consequence, that several other churches, who adhered to the practice in question, were invited, by their representatives, to attend at White's Alley, to discuss the subject, and sanction by their presence whatever proceeding the church should think fit to adopt.. Accordingly, a church-meeting was held at White's Alley, June 18, 1688, when the following resolution was passed, and signed by six elders of sister churches.

"For as much as Brother Allen hath this present day, "and at several other times, and upon several occasions, "denied the ordinance of laying on of hands upon baptized "believers to be a principle of Christ's doctrine, whereof "complaint having been made, and the matter several times "debated, at several church meetings, and adjourned to "this day, whether Brother Allen having declared his opinion "against this ordinance, it be for the preservation of the "truths of the gospel, and for the peace of the church, "that Brother Allen shall continue in the ministry as a "preacher amongst us, upon debate of the matter by the "elders of the several congregations in communion with us, "and of the church now assembled about this matter, the Church of Christ do hereby unanimously agree, That "Brother Allen be for the present suspended from being a "minister amongst us.

Mr. Allen being excluded the ministry at White's Alley, in consequence of the above resolution, proceeded to gather a separate church at Turners'-Hall, where he preached about seven years to a small, but affectionate people, and was much respected by his brethren. In 1695, on a

*MS. penes me.

TURNERS'-HALL, PHILPOT-LANE.-Reformed Quakers.

vacancy in the General Baptist church in Paul's-Alley, Barbican, occasioned by the death of the Rev. Thomas Plant, Mr. Allen was unanimously invited to take upon him the pastorship of that society. His attachment to the people at Turners'-Hall, caused him to hesitate, and he refused to desert his little flock. However, on union between the two churches being agreed upon, Mr. Allen removed to Barbican, where the union was publicly recognized, June 12, 1695.* A further account of Mr. Allen, will be given under the article "Paul's-Alley.".

REFORMED QUAKERS.

AFTER the removal of Mr. Allen's congregation, the meeting-house at Turners'-Hall was occupied for some time by a Mr. GEORGE KEITH, who seems to have been a singular character, and his congregation as much so. In 1698, there was published a pamphlet, entitled, "A friendly Epistle to Mr. George Keith, and the Reformed Quakers at Turners'-Hall: with some Animadversions on a Discourse about a right Administrator of Baptism, &c. and of Episcopacy: with a Postscript about the Education of Children, &c. By Calvin Philanax." From the title of this piece, the reader will be led to infer considerable eccentricity in the sentiments of Mr. Keith. (J) After continuing several years among the Nonconformists, he thought fit, in

* MS. penes me.

(J) In the "View of all Religions," by Hannah Adams, there is the following article, but whether it refers to the above person, does not seem quite certain. "KEITHIANS, a party which separated from the Quakers, in Pennsylvania, in the year 1691. They were headed by the famous George Keith, from whence they derived their name. Those who persisted in their separation after their leader deserted them, practised baptism, and received the Lord's-Supper. This party were also called Quaker Baptists, because they retained the language, dress, and manners of the Quakers.