T. Latham

“ Professors like Church are the bane of christianity. They are tares among the wheat. Jesus may be in their mouths, penitence and pardon their prayers, but their practice is that of Satan!
The Reverend John Church is pleased to charge the present Publishers with “the revival of old tales, printed about five years ago;” ”

“ J. and T. Gardenner now went over to Kingham to investigate the whole affair, the particulars of which are as follows:—It appeared that whenever Church had occasion to sleep from home he always wished to have a man or boy to sleep with him. At Kingham he sometimes slept with the son of a gentleman, who always made him welcome to his house when at that place, whom he used to clasp round the neck, after preaching, and say to him, “Come, now, you must be my bed-fellow to-night.” ”

“ But the son at length refusing to be his bed-fellow, he had the servant boy in his place, for as yet nothing was suspected; at length both of them refused sleeping with Mr. Church; and when the reason p. 10was demanded, the son said “I don’t like to deep with Mr. Church, because he always — on me in bed;” the boy said “I don’t like sleeping with Mr. Church, because he — me so much.” ”

“ Lambart, the acting deacon, positively refused to give his signature, and without it they could not be properly considered as the Churches act. At this, the other parties were very much displeased, but could not prevail on Mr. Lambart, by any means, to sign his name. The reason he alledged for not doing it was this, Mr. Church was indebted to him sixteen or seventeen pounds, and he said, that if those papers appeared in London against him, his friends there must all forsake him; and then he, Mr. Lambart, must loose his money, which he could not afford to do ”

“ THE TRIAL AND CONVICTION OF JOHN CHURCH, the Preacher or the Surrey Tabernacle, Borough Road, at the Surrey Assizes, at Croyden, on Saturday, the 16th of August, 1817, for an Assault with Intent to Commit an UNNATURAL CRIME. Taken in Short Hand, by a Barrister. The profits arising from this Publication will be given to the Prosecutor to assist in defraying the expenses of the Prosecution. London: Printed and Published by Hay and Turner, 11, Newcastle Street, Strand ”

“ Burton, of Warwick, stating, that he had at last prevailed upon Church to accompany him to Kingham, and that he had examined the boys before Church, who told the same story as before, when all that he offered as an excuse was, that “it was possible for such things to have happened when he was asleep;” and that Church appeared to him deeply sensible of and humble for his imprudent conduct. ”

“ Church, while at Banbury, was very popular as a preacher; he seemed fond of preaching at many places round the neighbourhood, and was always well received: among other places, he was in the habit of preaching at Kingham, at which place he was held in very high esteem, and had many marks of the peoples’ favour. He had made an engagement to go to Birmingham; but a few days before he set off for that place, Mr. T. Gardenner also received a letter, from a gentleman at Kingham, at whose house Mr. Church was usually entertained, directed for Mr. ”

“ Some of their teachers expressly maintained, that as the elect cannot fall from grace nor forfeit the divine favour, the wicked actions they commit are not really sinful, nor are they to be considered as instances of their violation of the Divine Law ”

“ Church’s leaving Banbury, and earnestly wished me to send him and Mr. Nivin the particulars.
After shewing the letter to Mr. Lambart and Mr. Hall, I asked their counsel on the business (being a stranger to the whole affair) who advised me to take the letter to some of the principal-persons of the meeting; accordingly I went with them to Mr. J. Gardenner and others, to whom Mr. Garrett’s letter was shown, when it appeared that several letters of inquiry had been sent them from different persons p. 8in London, but they from delicacy had declined giving any answer ”