the Rev. W. Turner , Jun. , MA., Lives of the eminent Unitarians

‘Sacred to the memory of the celebrated James Foster, D. D., who in this humble and retired mansion, secluded from the fury of bigots and the cares of a busy world, spent several years, and composed many of those excellent discourses on natural religion and social virtue (with the annexed offices of devotion) which have been read with universal admiration during the last and present ages; and which, while they exhibit to posterity the most beautiful display of the divine attributes and important duties of human life, will immortalize the name and memory of their learned and pious author.’¹

Notwithstanding these discouraging circumstances, and the small prospect which the prevailing state of public feeling on the religious disputes of the day held out to him of acquiring that acceptance and opportunity of usefulness for which his dispositions and character fitted him, and to which his eminent talents entitled him to aspire, he still retained great cheerfulness, and pursued his studies with undiminished application. ‘His chief view,’ says a worthy divine who knew him well, ‘was to maintain his own integrity and to promote the honour of his great Lord; bearing difficulties with a rational firmness and calm submission to the Divine will.’² He was, doubtless, earnestly desirous to be actively employed in his Master's cause, and in the exercise