John  Newton,  of  St.  Mary  Woolnoth.  His  benevolence  was  as  unsectarian
as  his  general  habits,  and  "  he  stood  ready,"  said  Mr.  Cecil,  "  to  assist  a
beneficent  design  in  every  party,  btit  would  be  the  creature  of  none."
Hence,  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Newton,  and  some  excellent  men  among
the  Dissenters,  he  was  mainly  instrumental  in  establishing,  and  for  a  while
supporting,  a  Dissenting  Academy  at  Newport  Pagnell,  wliich  was  placed
under  the  tuition  of  the  Rev.  William  Bull,  whose  son  the  Rev.  T.  P.  Bull,
and  grandson  the  Rev.  Josiah  Bull,  continued  till  its  recent  extinction
to  conduct  its  studies ;  and  who  exhibited  the  very  rare  occurrence  of  men
of  three  generations  being  pastors  of  the  same  church,  and  tutors  in  the
same  college.  Mr.  Thornton,  as  intimated  above,  extended  his  patronage
and  pecuniary  assistance  to  the  institution  at  Marlborough,  under  the
direction  of  the  Rev.  Cornelius  Winter,  and  thus  was  brought  into  con-
nexion with  Mr.  Jayj  towards  whose  support  he  contributed  while  passing
through  his  academic  course.
Mr.  Thornton  spent  myriads  of  pounds  in   the  purchase  of  livings  for


LET.  v.]  PROPOSAL  TO  GO  TO  THE  UNIVERSITY.  43

man's  mouth,  and  for  years  to  come  we  dare  not  shut  it,  while
there  are  so  many  immediate  and  pressing  calls  for  exertion.^'
But  for  this  I  have  reason  to  believe  Mr.  Winter  would  have
had  then  no  objection  to  the  proposal.  As  it  was  not  made  to
myself,  I  was  neither  required  to  consent  nor  refuse ;  though,
had  I  been,  the  latter  I  am  persuaded  would  have  been  the  result.
