Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-07-24

will take place for mutual exchange of ideas ant
observation. The meeting of so large body o
distinguished men In our neighboring town, vii
be an important event, and the occasion long tC
be remembered. The name of Priestly has beer
remembered in this vicinity from the time Of its
earliest settlers. The family connection not n:
large as might be supposed, rs but few of thai
name arc living, two great grand sons, DIR. Jos
Priestley, and Marks b. Priestly, ard two great
grand daughters, ladies highly esteemed and re-
I spected wherever known. Joseph Il. Priestley,
grand son of DR.. Jos. Priestley, whose name is
to be commemorated on this occasion by some OF
the most eminent men in America il the sci
ence of Chemistry, acted for many years as Cash
ier of the Bank of Northumberland, which ,undGr
! his able management, and through his integrity
and business habits, gained a reputatian equal to
any other bank in the United States. lie died
suddenly at Reading, Pa, about fifteen years
ago.
DR.. Joseph Prestley, at whose tomb the CEN
tennial of Chemistry will be celebrated, was born
at Fieldhead, near Leeds, England. o. S. Cham
bers' Encyclopedia, speaks of. his early career
as follows:
'PRIEsTLEY, JOSEPH, son of Jonas Priestley, \
cloth-draper at Fiedhead, near Leeds, was born
at Fieldhead on 18th March, 1888, O.S. His mo-
ther having died when he was six years old, he
was adopted by an aunt, by whom he was sent
TO free school. There he learned Latin and
Greek. During vacation, he taught himself va
rious languages, both ancient and modern. For
some time he was obliged to abandon his stu
dies, owing 10 weak health: he then betook him
self to mercantile pursuits. With returning
Ia Il gn1ia nod md
successfully prosecuted at dissenting academy
at Dayentry under Mr.. (aftcrwards Dr. Ash
worth, successor to DIR. Doddridge Though his
father and aunt were strong Calvinists, their
house was the resort of many men who held very
different opinions and the theological discus
sions which he was il the habit Of hearing, seem
to have had much effect on young p. before he
was 10, he calls himself rather believer in the
doctrines of Arminius, but adds: i had by no
means rejected the doctrine of the Trinity or
that of tie Atonement.' Before leaving home,
he wished TO join Calvanistic communion, but
he was refused admission, the ground of refusal
being, that he had stated doubts as to the liabi
lty of the whole human race to the wrath of
God and pains of hell for ever During his re-
sidence at the academy, he conceived himself
called on TO renounce nearly all the theological
and metaphysical opinions of his youth. Il
came he,says. 'to embrace what Is called the
heterodoX side of every question: In 1855, he
became minister to a small congregation at Need
ham Market, in Suffolk, with an average salary
of $50 per annum. While here he composed his
work entitled Scripture Doctrine of Remission,
utich shoes that tie Death Of Christ is proper
Sacrifice nor Satisfaction for Sin. His leading
theological doctrine seems to have been, that the
Bible is indeed divine revelation, made from
God to man through Christ, himself a man and
no more, nor claiming to be more. He seems 10
have rejected all theological dogmas which ap-
peared to him to rest solely upon the interpreta-
tion put upon certain passages OF the Bible by
ecclesiastical authority. Even the fundamental
doctrines of the Trinity and of the Atonement he
did not consider as warranted by Scripture,
when read by the light of his own heart and un-
derstandng. 1t does not, however, appear that
these doctrinal errors produced any morally evil
results. He not only contrived to live on $50
year F; but by adding a little to his income by
means of teaching, he was enabled to purchase
a variety OF instruments TO help him in his scien-
tifc studies. In 175S, he quilted Needham for
Nantwich and in l76l he removed to Warning
ton, where he was appointed successor TO Mr..
afterwards Dr. Akin, as teacher of languages
and belles-lettres. At Warrington, he married
Miss Wilkinson, a lady of great talent and ami
ability. Here his Literary career may be said
first fairly to have begun. A visit to London
led to his making the acquaintance of franklin
and of DR.. Price. The former supplied him with
books which enabled him to write his History and
State OF Electricity, published in 1867. IL was
In 1852, he published his Theory OF Language
and UgiUerSGl Grammar. Il 1906, he was made
a member of the Royal Society, and a Doctor of
Laws by the university of Edinburgh. In the
following year, he removed to Milhill, near
Leeds, where he was appointed minister OF n dis
senting chapel. Poe :act Of q brewery being be-
ing beside his dwelling gave a new direction to
his energetic and versatile mind he began 10
study pneumatic chemistry, publishing various
important works connected with this science.
No one,' says DIR. Thomson, ever entered on
the study of chemistry with more disadvantages
than DR.. Priestley, and yet few have occupied
more dignifed station in it, While at Leeds, he
agreed to accompany Captain Cook on his Sc
eond voyage but certain ecclesiastics having OBJ
ected to the latitude of his theological views, ,the
Board Of Longitude refused 10 sanction the ar
rangement, and he did not go. In 1773, he was
appointed librarian and literary companion to
Lord Shelburn, with salary of f250 per annum,
and a separate residence. He accompanied the
earl on a continental tour in the year IVA. Hav-
ing been told by certain Partisan savans that he
was the only man they had ever known, of any
understanding, who believed in Christianity, he
wrote in reply, the Letters TO Philosophical U1t-
believer and various other works, containing cri-
ticsms on the doctrines of Hume and others. His
public position was rather hard one for while
laughed at in Paris a believer, at home he was
branded as an atheist. To escape the odium
arising from the latter imputation, he published,
in 1777, his DisqsdSitioH Relating 10 Mattsr aud
!Spird. In this work, while he partly material
ises spirit, he at the same time partly spiritual
ises matter. He holds, however, that our hopes
of resurrection must rest solely on the truth of
the Christian revelation and that on science they
have no foundation whatever. The doctrines of
a Revelation and Resurrection appear with
him TO have supported one another. He belev-
ed in a Revelation, because it declared Resur-
rection and he believed in Resurrection, be-
cause he found it declared in the Revelation. On
leaving Lord Shelburn, he became minister of
dissenting chapel at Birmingham. The publca-
tion, In l7S6, of his History Of Early Opinions
concerning Jesus Christ, occasioned the renewal
of a controversy, which had begun in IT'S, be-
tween him and DR.. Horseley, concerning the doc
trines of Free VIII, Materalism and Unitarian
ism. The victory in this controversy will proba-
bly, be awarded by most men in accordance with
their own preconceived views on the questions at
issue. His reply TO Burke's Reflections TIE
French Rsvolstioa led to his being made citizen
of the French Republic and this led to a mob
on the occasion breaking into his house, and de-
stroying all its contents, books, manuscripts,
scientific instruments, &c. He states that the
sum awarded to him as damage fell $1,000 short
of the actual pecuniary loss. brotner-in-aw,
however, about this time left him 10000, with
an annuity of goo. In 1891, he succeeded TO the
charge at Hackney, which had become vacant
by the resignation OF DR.. Price. He did not re-
main long here, however. His honestly-ayowed
opinions had made him unpopular as an ho-
nest avowal of opinions generally does. lie re-
moved to America where he was received with
respect, If not with enthusiasm. He had the Of
Ger of the professorship of Chemistry at Philadel-
phia, which he declined. He located in North
cumberland soon after with several other English
families of prominence In 1896 his wife died.
To the day of his death he continued to pursue
his literary and scientific pursuits with as much
ardour as he had shown at any period of his ac
tive life. He died 9th February, 1904 expressing
his satisfaction with his having led life so use
ful, and his confidence In immortality.
He was a man of irreproachabe moral and do
nestle character, remarkable for zeal for truth,
patience and serenity OF temper. He appears to
have been fearless in proclaiming his convictions
whether theological, political or scientific"
A MEETING Of the citizens of Sunbury was held
in the Court House on last Thursday evening, to
take action TO build an academy. On motion,
W. A. Sober, Esq, was called to preside, and A.
n. Biice appointed Secretary.
Gen. Jno. Kay Clement stated the object of
the meeting TO be TO raise money to build an
academy.