Memorials of the Independent Churches in Northamptonshire: with biographical notices of their pastors, and some account of the puritan ministers who laboured in the county.Coleman, Thomas
History
Memorials of the Independent Churches in Northamptonshire: with biographical notices of their pastors, and some account of the puritan ministers who laboured in the county.
Coleman, Thomas
Clergy -- England -- Northamptonshire; Independent churches -- England -- Northamptonshire; Puritans -- England -- Northamptonshire
After some time they sent an invitation to Mr. Saunders, of Bedworth,
who they understood was desirous to remove; but the invitation not being
unanimous, it was declined.
Their attention was soon after directed to the Rev. T. N. Toller, who
was a student in the academy at Daventry. Mr. Toller first preached to
them as a supply, October 1st, 1775, when he was not quite twenty years
of age. The first text was Acts xiii. 26: "Unto you is the word of this
salvation sent." In the following April, two of the deacons went to
Daventry to invite Mr. Toller to become their stated supply for three
months; at the expiration of this time, he was again invited for nine
months; after which he received an invitation to become their pastor,
which invitation was cheerfully signed, June 15th, 1777, by 87 persons,
as the call of the Church to the pastoral office. The ordination service
was held May 28th, 1778, when Messrs. Gregson, of Rowell, Palmer, of
Hackney, Addington, of Harborough, Robins, of Daventry (Mr. Toller's
tutor), Toller, of London (uncle to the pastor), and Bull, of Newport,
engaged in the services of the day.
Thus commenced the longest pastorate with which the Church had yet been
favoured; for Mr. Toller continued to labour amongst them until February
26th, 1821, making forty-five years and five months from the time of his
first preaching at Kettering until his death. It was a ministry of much
acceptance, extended influence, and great usefulness. It restored peace
to a divided people; it preserved them in unbroken harmony through all
its course; the congregation having often a crowded appearance, and the
Church being generally in a prosperous state; not so much perhaps by the
numbers added to the Church, as by the advancing piety, devotion,
consistency, and intelligence of its members.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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