THE RELIGIOUS THOUGHT of RICHARD PRICE, D. D. (1723-1791) By Beauford A. Norris A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. May 1950 x) TO SHIRLEY AND BILL PREFACE It has not been within the compass of this thesis to attempt any analysis of Dr. Richard Price's valuable writings in the fields of philosophy, politics, and finance. Other writers have been concerned with these phases of his work. As the subject of the thesis indicates, my research has had to do only with the "religious thought" of the man. While Dr. Price has been re­ membered chiefly because of the success of his other writings, viz., his Review of the Principal Questions in Morals t his Two Tracts on Civil Liberty, and his Treatise on Reversionary Pay­ ments, his "life work" was that of a minister of the Gospel, and his religious publications, although perhaps less distinctive than his other works, are worthy of his great talents and mark him as one of the leaders of Christian thought of his day. It has been my purpose to present here, in a comprehensive and orderly manner, the main features of his ideas on religion, and to trace Dr. Price's application of these ideas to the problems of everyday life in home, community, church, and nation, uy work in the preparation of this thesis has been most profitable and stimulating. American spelling has been used throughout the writing except within quotations taken from British writers, where the original spelling has been retained. iii. Especially am I indebted to the Very Reverend Professor John Baillie and to Principal Hugh Watt, who have served as my supervisors. Both have been most generous with their time, and helpful in the giving of guidance and encouragement. Also, I wish to express my gratitude to the Reverend J. B. Primose/* and to Miss Erna Leslie for their unfailing co- operation in helping to locate materials during my research in New College Library. The staffs of the dcottish National Library, the British Museum, Dr. Williams*s Library, and the National Library of Wales have all been most cooperative and their assist­ ance has been both generous and gracious. To all the many individuals who have contributed to the progress of this re­ search, by supplying materials, information, and suggestions, I am truly grateful. And finally, I wish to express my apprecia­ tion to my wife, Shirley, for her patience and encouragement during these months of study; and for her invaluable service as typist and proof-reader of the thesis. Edinburgh, Scotland May 15, 1950 iv. C ONTENTS Page Preface ........................ iii CHAPTER I. The Life and Times of Richard Price ..... 1 The Setting .................... 2 The Early Years .................. 5 Academy Years in London .............. 10 Chaplaincy .................... 14 Marriage ..................... 17 The Philosopher .................. 18 Full Time Ministry ................ 21 Becomes F. R. S. ................. 24 The D. D. Degree ................. 27 The Gravel Pit Ministry .............. 31 The American Revolution .............. 32 Freedom of the City of London ........... 37 Additional Observations .............. 38 American Honors .................. 39 "A Free Discussion," Etc. ............. 42 Late Ministry ................... 44 The French Revolution ............... 49 Dr. Price's Last Days ............... 52 CHAPTER II. Natural Religion and the Christian Revelation ................ 56 The Challenge of Natural Religion ......... 57 The Foundation on Which Price Built ........ 63 The Principal Doctrines of Natural Religion .... 66 Revelation .................... 82 CHAPTER III. Price's Arian Theology ......... 100 Price and the Development of Eighteenth Century Arianism ................. 101 Price's Comparison of Other Theologies with the Arian View ............... 106 The "Middle Scheme" ............... 117 Christ as the Saviour of the World ........ 126 v. CHAPTER IV. Views Concerning Certain Particular Theological Doctrines . ........ .133 Providence .................... 134 The Doctrine of the Soul ............. 151 The Future Life ................. .160 CHAPTER V. Concerning Matters of Personal Religion ................. 168 Moral and Practical Preaching .......... 169 An Honest Heart ................. 172 Christian Duties to be Performed ......... 182 Christian Attitudes ............... 198 CHAPTER VI. Religious Liberty and Christian Patriotism ................ 202 On Liberty in aeneral .............. 203 Liberty of Conscience .............. 208 Appeals for Removal of The Test and Corporation Acts 1787-1790 ............ 218 Patriotism a Christian Duty ........... 227 Price's Fast Day Sermons ............. 233 CHAPTER VII. A General Estimate of Price's Contribution .............. 241 APPENDIX A ...................... 253 APPENDIX B ...................... 254 BIBLIOaRAPHY ...................... 257 vi. CHAPTER I THE LIES AND TIMES OF RICHARD PRICE THE SETTING Richard Price was born in Wales, lived most of his life in London, and, while minister of small Dissenting congregations there, enjoyed a unique international reputation, touching two continents. However, except for occasional notice by the philos­ ophers, his name has been forgotten by the modern world. This in spite of the fact that his friend and contemporary, Condorcet, referred to him as f'one of the formative minds of the eighteenth century"; and only recently he has been characterized as "a veritable giant among giants." 2 Suffice it to say that many who were great in their own day have not loomed so large when brought into the historical focus of the centuries. Nevertheless, Richard Price made significant contributions not only in his cho­ sen field of religion, but in philosophy, politics, mathematics, and business. 'The Age of Reason 1 has remained as the phrase most descrip­ tive of eighteenth century thought. V/ith the rise of empirical philosophy, logic had become the idol of the thought world of both Britain and the continent. It has been well said that Locke 1. H. N. Brailsford, Shelley, Godwin, and their Circle. London: n.d., p. 11. 2. E. S. Price, "The Stature of Richard Price", Faith and Freedom. II, No. 6, (Summer 1949), P. 136. and Newton ruled from their graves. Freedom of inquiry was a new and hard-won advantage, and by it many expected the early eman­ cipation of all mankind. Richard Price took his place in this age of rationalizing, and shared in this hope. This trend in philosophy gave to theology a new turn. It resulted rt in T religion 1 being displaced by a purely reasoned theology*, based on what can best be described as the ideas of an absentee God, and a self-sufficient humanity." There is also the fact that men everywhere were weary of the wars of religion of the previous centuries, and "a spiritual lethargy settled over Western Europe."^p A new sterile form of Christianity arose, finding expression in the terminology of natural religion and deism, as it challenged the old orthodoxy without the fears of martyrdom known in former times. On the continent this deism, practically unopposed, rapidly reduced theology to skepticism, but in England it encountered formidable opponents; and Butler's Analogy signalled the end of English Deism. However, other types of heresy were allowed to remain, mainly Arianism and Socinian- ism; and the first of these was to play no small part in the religious thought of Richard Price. The 'G-lorious Revolution* of 1688, which was of world- importance, had delivered the mortal blow to the ancient theory of the divine right of kings. Largely the political history of 1. W. R. Robinson, What Churches of Christ Stand For, Birmingham: 1926, p. 12. 2. Hugh Watt, Representative Churchmen of Twenty Centuries, London: 1927, p. 225. - 4 - the eighteenth century "consists of the effort to make actual what that event had made possible." John Locke, writing in the clos­ ing years of the seventeenth century, had justified the Revolu­ tion by vigorous and logical appeal to reason. This new trend in political thinking continued throughout the century, and it was to find one of its most zealous champions in Richard Price. It was in this field that he was to win international reputation. While the broad outlines of the century must be held in mind in considering the religious thought of Richard Price, it is far beyond the limits of this thesis to attempt any detailed analysis of the eighteenth century backgrounds, a subject which, in itself, has called forth several interesting volumes by leading scholars. However, for our present purpose, it is worth recalling that, in general, except for the Dissenting Academies, the level of edu­ cation in Britain was at a very low ebb. In discussing this area of the life of the century G-. M. Trevelyan pays tribute to the Sunday Schools and the Charity Schools for rising to meet the deficits in the education of the young, and to the Dissenting Academies which "to some extent made good the deficiencies of p Oxford and Cambridge." And a further interesting observation is made by the same author: "Yet the Eighteenth Century, in spite of its educational defects, produced a larger proportion of re­ markable and original English men from among those who passed through its schools than our highly educated and over-regulated 1. Roland Thomas, Richard Price» Philosopher and Apostle of Liberty, London: 1924, P. 2. 2. a. M. Trevelyan, English Social History, London: 1944, P. 365. - 5 - age is able to do."1 Though of Welsh extraction, Richard Price was to have his place among *remarkable and original English men 1 in this century which, though drab and placid in its early dec­ ades, was to behold much of revolution in government, industry, and agriculture before its close. The Christian religion was ever the first love and central interest of this man, and he v/as prepared to spend and be spent in carrying the claims of that re­ ligion into the realms of philosophy, politics, and business, as well as in the church life. Like many other eminent Dissenting ministers of his day, he was anxious for the social applications of the Gospel.