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WEIGH HOUSE, LITTLE EASTCHEAP.Independent.

Bentley continued to preach at Turners'-Hall, till 1740, when his congregation having grown numerous, removed to a larger meeting-house, in Crispin-street, Spitalfields.+ Under that article we shall give a further account of Mr. Bentley. (N)

WEIGH-HOUSE, LITTLE EASTCHEAP.

INDEPENDENT.

THE King's Weigh-House is situated at the corner of

Love-lane, in Little Eastcheap. On the same site formerly stood the church of St. Audrew Hubbard, which was burnt in the fire of London, and the parish united to that of St. Mary-Hill. The King's Weigh-House then stood in Cornhill; but after this catastrophe, was removed to the spot where it now stands. The object of this building was, (for the prevention of frauds,) to weigh merchandise brought from beyond sea, by the King's beam; but of late years, little has been done in this way, as there was no compulsive power, and the merchants alleged it to be an unnecessary

+ MS. penes me.

(N) Mr. Wesley, in one of his Journals, has the following paragraph; "Thursd. Sept. 27, 1739. I went in the afternoon to a society at Deptford, and then at six came to Turners'-Hall, which holds by computation two thousand persons. The press, both within and without, was very great. In the beginning of the expounding, there being a large vault beneath, the main beam which supported the floor broke. The floor immediately sunk, which occasioned much noise and confusion among the people. But two or three days before, a man had filled the vault with hogsheads of tobacco; so that the floor, after sinking a foot or two, rested upon them; and I went on without interruption."

WEIGH-HOUSE, LITLE EASTCHEAP.-Independent.

trouble and expence. It was under the government of a master, and four master-porters, with labouring-porters, who used to have carts and horses to fetch the merchants' goods to the beam, and to carry them back. The appointments were in the gift of the Grocers' Company. Over this building stood the former meeting-house; from which circumstance it derived its name. It was built in 1697, for Mr. Thomas Reynolds, and after standing nearly a century, was taken down, when many human bones were dug from the foundation. The Weigh-House being discontinued, a large warehouse was erected in its room, and over it the present meeting-house, which was finished in 1795. It is a large, handsome, oblong building, with three deep galleries, and an upper one for a charity-school. The pews, in the body of the meeting, are raised one above the other, in a very tasty manner. The pulpit stands somewhat higher than customary, but has a light appearance, and is very handsome. In short, the whole is fitted up in an expensive manner, and in a style of great elegance.

The Society assembling at the Weigh-House is of early origin, being collected in the reign of King Charles the Second, soon after the Act of Uniformity, by Mr. Samuel Slater. It met originally at St. Katherine's, and afterwards in Cannon-street, or rather, in Great Eastcheap; and removed from thence to the Weigh-House. From a small this became a large and flourishing Society, and having many wealthy persons belonging to it, made, for many years, the largest collection for the fund of any congregation in London, Saiter's-Hall excepted. The pastors of the church before the present one, carried their contributions for country ministers to the Presbyterian fund, but Mr. Clayton, soon after his settlement, jomed the Independents. In point of religious sentiment, there has been but little variation; and for numbers, and affluence, it is at present one of the most respectable of our Dissenting Churches. During the greatest part of the last century, a lecture was preached at

WEIGH-HOUSE, LITTLE EASTCHEAP.-Independent.

the Weigh-House, on a Friday evening, by some of the most eminent ministers, of different denominations, in London. Four volumes of sermons, on singing, praying, hearing the word, and reading the scriptures, delivered in an early stage of the lecture, were afterwards published. An annual sermon in commemoration of the great fire, in 1666, which began near this place, was also preached here for a century afterwards. The following table will give the reader, at one view, the names of the different ministers who have been connected with the church, at the Weigh-House, both as pastors and assistants.

MINISTERS' NAMES.

As Pastors. As Assistants.

From To From Το

Samuel Slater, Sen.

Richard Kentish,

Thomas Kentish,
John Knowles, .
Thomas Reynolds,
Jabez Earle,
James Read,
James Wood,

Samuel Sanderson, .
William Langford, .
Samuel Palmer,
Edward Vennor,
Samuel Wilton, .
John Clayton,

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SAMUEL SLATER, Sen. Of this venerable Divine, but little information is now to be obtained. As he is not mentioned by Wood, it is probable that he received his education in the University of Cambridge. After preaching about

WEIGH-HOUSE, LITTLE EASTCHEAP.-Independent.

ten years at some place in the country, he removed to London, and became minister of the collegiate chapel of St. Katherine's, in the Tower. He continued in the city during the time of the plague, in 1625, when many others left it, and endeavoured by his good offices to alleviate the miseries of the suffering inhabitants. Though his income did not exceed forty pounds a-year, he lived upon it very contentedly, being happy in the esteem and affection of his parishioners. After preaching nearly forty years at St. Katherine's, this venerable man was deprived of his small living, in 1662, for not violating his conscience by subscribing the Act of Uniformity. Something of his disposition and strain of preaching may be learnt from his farewell sermon, on 1 John, v. 1 and 21. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and he that loveth him that begut, loveth him also that is begotten of him. Little children keep yourselves from idols. The discourse is plain and practical, and addressed to the conscience. Concerning the immediate occasion of it, he remarks, "I suppose you all know there is an act come forth by supreme authority, and it is not for us to quarrel at it, but to submit as far as we can with a good conscience; there being many besides myself who cannot comply with the injunctions, but are willing rather to submit to the penalty. You have had the benefit of my poor labours for nearly forty years; during which I have performed my service to God, Christ, and his people, and I bless his name, not without acceptance and success. My work, so far as I know, in this course, as in the weekly course, is now at an end. My desire is, that you whose hearts have been inclined to wait upon God in the way of my ministry, may be kept faithful, and that you may have the blessing of the everlasting covenant upon your souls: that you may have the power of this doctrine, held forth in this sermon, put forth upon your hearts, that as you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, you may carry suitably to your profession: that you may walk in love to

it

WEIGH-HOUSE, LITTLE EASTCHEAP.—Independent.

God, love to Christ, and love to one another: that you may labour to manifest a noble generous spirit, in overcoming the world, its errors, corruptions, false doctrines, and unwarrantable worship: that you may in all things labour to approve yourselves. And little ch ldren keep yourselves from idols. Amen."*

After his ejectment, Mr. Slater collected a small society at St. Katherine's, and continued to exercise his ministry in private, as he had opportunity. This venerable man died about the year 1670, when he must have been between eighty and ninety years of age. He had been a preacher sixty years, and was considerably above seventy years old, when he was silenced. Dr. Calamy speaks of him as a man of eminent piety, of great plainness, and remarkable sincerity. He left a son in the ministry of the same name, who was likewise one of the Bartholomew Confessors, and afterwards preached to a congregation in Crosby-square. Under that article we shall have occasion to give a particular account of him.

Mr. Slater published a metrical version of the Songs of Moses, Deborah, Hannah, and Solomon, and of the Church in the xxvi of Isaiah. 8vo. 1653. Also, "The Plague Check'd; in a Letter to a Friend." 8vo. 1665. He was also the author of several other pieces, the titles of which have not reached us. After his death, appeared his "Treatise of Growth in Grace; in nineteen Sermons." 8vo. 1671. The editor of this volume, in an address to the reader, speaks of Mr. Slater as "A Reverend, laborious and judicious preacher, whose growth in grace was well

known."

RICHARD KENTISH.-He was fellow-labourer with Mr. Slater at St. Katherine's in the Tower, and ejected at

* Farewell Sermons, p. 469.

+ Calamy's Continuation, p. 39, 40.

Ibid.

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