William Vidler
Encyclopedia
William Vidler was an English nonconformist minister and editor, ultimately of universalist views.
, he became an Independent
through the preaching of George Gilbert of Heathfield
, and himself began to preach in April 1777. He became a Baptist under the influence of Thomas Purdy, a Baptist minister at Rye
. Having received adult baptism in January 1780, he was set apart on 16 February for the ministry, and formed on 28 March a small Baptist church at Battle.
In May 1791 Vidler undertook to travel among Baptist churches to collect funds for building a chapel. This introduced him to Arminian Baptists, and some universalists. At the end of 1792 he professed universalism and his church divided; those who adhered to him were excommunicated by the local association in the summer of 1793. He accepted a call to assist Elhanan Winchester
at Parliament Court, Artillery Lane, London, and began his duties on 9 February 1794. Later in the year Winchester returned to America, and Vidler was appointed his successor, still giving half his time to Battle, till November 1796. He retained his ministry at Parliament Court till 1815, and was succeeded after a short interval by William Johnson Fox
.
Vidler's stipend was small, and from 1796 to 1806 he tried to increase his income as a bookseller. He was in partnership first with John Teulon; then in 1798, for a short time with Nathaniel Scarlett, whom he left because Scarlett published ‘The British Theatre;’ he carried on business by himself in the Strand and (from 1804) in Holborn
. In conjunction with Teulon he began in January 1797 The Universalist's Miscellany, a monthly periodical. This brought him into connection with Richard Wright
, who converted him to his Unitarian views by 1802. In January 1802 the title of his magazine was altered to The Universal Theological Magazine; it was run in co-operation with Robert Aspland
, and continued to the end of 1805, when Aspland bought it out, and began in January 1806 the Monthly Repository
.
Later in life Vidler did much outreach work with the Unitarian Fund (founded 1806). He died on 23 August 1816, and was buried on 28 August in the graveyard of the Unitarian chapel, Hackney
. He married (1780) a daughter of William Sweetingham of Battle; she died on 22 December 1808. His son, William Vidler (d. 24 March 1861), was for many years minister to the poor at Chapel Street, Cripplegate
.
Life
The tenth child of John and Elizabeth Vidler, he was born at Battle, Sussex, on 4 May 1758. As a boy he was kept from school by poor health, and was apprenticed to his father, a bricklayer. Brought up in the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, he became an Independent
Independent (religion)
In English church history, Independents advocated local congregational control of religious and church matters, without any wider geographical hierarchy, either ecclesiastical or political...
through the preaching of George Gilbert of Heathfield
Heathfield
There are a number of settlements called Heathfield:in Australia:* Heathfield, South Australiain South Africa*Heathfield, Cape Town is a suburb in Cape Town.in the United Kingdom:* Heathfield, Cambridgeshire, England* Heathfield, Croydon, London...
, and himself began to preach in April 1777. He became a Baptist under the influence of Thomas Purdy, a Baptist minister at Rye
Rye, East Sussex
Rye is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede...
. Having received adult baptism in January 1780, he was set apart on 16 February for the ministry, and formed on 28 March a small Baptist church at Battle.
In May 1791 Vidler undertook to travel among Baptist churches to collect funds for building a chapel. This introduced him to Arminian Baptists, and some universalists. At the end of 1792 he professed universalism and his church divided; those who adhered to him were excommunicated by the local association in the summer of 1793. He accepted a call to assist Elhanan Winchester
Elhanan Winchester
Elhanan Winchester was one of the founders of the United States General Convention of Universalists, later the Universalist Church of America.-External links:* -References:...
at Parliament Court, Artillery Lane, London, and began his duties on 9 February 1794. Later in the year Winchester returned to America, and Vidler was appointed his successor, still giving half his time to Battle, till November 1796. He retained his ministry at Parliament Court till 1815, and was succeeded after a short interval by William Johnson Fox
William Johnson Fox
William Johnson Fox was an English religious and political orator.-Life:He was born near Southwold, Suffolk. He trained for the Independent ministry, at the dissenting academy known as Homerton College...
.
Vidler's stipend was small, and from 1796 to 1806 he tried to increase his income as a bookseller. He was in partnership first with John Teulon; then in 1798, for a short time with Nathaniel Scarlett, whom he left because Scarlett published ‘The British Theatre;’ he carried on business by himself in the Strand and (from 1804) in Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
. In conjunction with Teulon he began in January 1797 The Universalist's Miscellany, a monthly periodical. This brought him into connection with Richard Wright
Richard Wright (Unitarian)
Richard Wright was a Unitarian minister, and the itinerant missionary of the Unitarian Fund, a missionary society established in 1806.-Life:...
, who converted him to his Unitarian views by 1802. In January 1802 the title of his magazine was altered to The Universal Theological Magazine; it was run in co-operation with Robert Aspland
Robert Aspland
Robert Aspland was an English Unitarian minister, editor and activist. To be distinguished from his son Robert Brook Aspland .-Life:...
, and continued to the end of 1805, when Aspland bought it out, and began in January 1806 the Monthly Repository
Monthly Repository
The Monthly Repository was a British monthly Unitarian periodical which ran between 1806 and 1838.The Monthly Repository was established when Robert Aspland bought William Vidler's Universal Theological Magazine and changed the name to the Monthly Repository of Theology and General Literature...
.
Later in life Vidler did much outreach work with the Unitarian Fund (founded 1806). He died on 23 August 1816, and was buried on 28 August in the graveyard of the Unitarian chapel, Hackney
Hackney (parish)
Hackney was a parish in the historic county of Middlesex. The parish church of St John-at-Hackney was built in 1789, replacing the nearby former 16th century parish church dedicated to St Augustine . The original tower of that church was retained to hold the bells until the new church could be...
. He married (1780) a daughter of William Sweetingham of Battle; she died on 22 December 1808. His son, William Vidler (d. 24 March 1861), was for many years minister to the poor at Chapel Street, Cripplegate
Cripplegate
Cripplegate was a city gate in the London Wall and a name for the region of the City of London outside the gate. The area was almost entirely destroyed by bombing in World War II and today is the site of the Barbican Estate and Barbican Centre...
.
Works
Vidler wrote sermons and tracts, and also published:- ‘A Sketch of the Life of Elhanan Winchester,’ 1797.
- ‘Letters to Mr. Fuller on the Universal Restoration,’ 1803. To Andrew FullerAndrew FullerAndrew Fuller was an eminent Baptist minister, born in Cambridgeshire, and settled at Kettering.Fuller was a zealous controversialist in defence of the governmental theory of the atonement against Hyper-Calvinism on the one hand and Socinianism and Sandemanianism on the other, but he is chiefly...
.