“Beccles, Feb. 13th, 1834.
“My dear friends,
After labouring among you for upwards of thirty years, I am brought to the painful necessity of resigning my connexion with you as your minister and pastor. I resign with humility, acknowledging my unworthiness, and craving the mercy of our Lord Jesus at his second coming.
“If I have offended any of our friends I ask their forgiveness, and commend them all to the divine mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto life eternal. It is a comfort to me that, while I feel imperiously required by my imperfections to resign my pastoral relation, I can commend to you my dear friend and brother Flower, to take the oversight of you in the Lord: and this I do with sincere affection, and with earnest prayer that the divine blessing may remain with you for ever.
“Begging my affectionate regards to all classes of my friends—to the aged, the poor, and the young—I am
Yours with the most affectionate regard,
and most earnest prayers,
Isaac Sloper.”“To Mr. John Crisp,
and the other Deacons, &c. &c.”
The best testimony to Mr. Sloper’s ministerial character and exertions, is the effect of his devoted services. It is sufficient to point to a church remarkable for its numbers—to a congregation constant and attentive, and comprising many who had not formally joined the church, but were the friends of Christ—and to prayer-meetings, and other week-day services, regularly and well attended:—a minister of the gospel needs no other commendation.
Some intimations of Mr. Sloper’s personal character have appeared in the previous pages. It was formed from an assemblage of those attractive and useful, though unobtrusive, qualities, which are not the best adapted for elaborate description, but are peculiarly conducive to the respectability of the individual and the happiness of society. His predominant quality was benevolence, ennobled and directed by deep and abiding piety. With him it was not a sickly sentimentalism exhausted upon objects of no moment, nor a heated enthusiasm aiming at projects of extravagance; but a principle which could expand to the great interests of humanity, or contract itself to the minute charities of domestic life. It guided his energies to the work of evangelizing heathen millions, and pervaded his ordinary intercourse with friends and neighbours. Those who occasionally saw him were struck with the urbanity of his manners; those who were favoured with his intimate friendship knew that his heart was all kindness. He rejoiced with those that rejoiced, and wept with those that wept. Much of his happiness consisted in making others happy. Once speaking of a servant visiting her friends, he observed with true generosity, “It is right she should go; she has the same feelings with ourselves.”
No one was more free from the unamiable passions. Although he never deemed it necessary to merge the citizen in the saint, or forgot how inseparably blended are the interests of civil and religious liberty, he was unstained by political animosity. The avowal of his opinions was never unaccompanied by candour and charity towards those who differed from him. By his explanatory and conciliatory addresses on various suitable occasions, there is reason to believe that he contributed in no slight degree to prepare the minds of those within the circle of his influence, for the more cordial reception of the great legislative changes of which he lived to witness the consummation.
If ever he was betrayed into a warm expression, he was remarkably candid and placable: once convinced that he was wrong, he made haste with kindness and compunction in his heart, and frankness on his tongue, to repair the momentary error. Nor was he less ready to forgive. Some years ago a vexatious injury was committed in his garden. He remarked respecting it, “I wish the man a better heart.” It is in matters of such comparatively trivial importance that character exhibits its true features.
Even when affliction had partially obscured his mental powers, and his faith and patience were called into constant exercise, the holy love of the Christian still burst through the cloud, and irradiated the long evening of his pilgrimage.
It is not to be wondered at that he was greatly beloved, not only by his immediate friends, but by persons of all ages, classes, and callings, wherever he was known. “I was present,” says one of his most esteemed brethren in the ministry, “at his ordination; I was present at his interment; I enjoyed a large share of his friendship in the long interval between the two events; and I never witnessed his approach without gladness, or parted from him without regret.”
Mr. Flower’s ordination took place June 5th, 1834. The Rev. Wm. Ward, of Stowmarket, delivered the introductory discourse, on the scriptural character of a christian church. The usual questions to the deacons and the new minister were put by the Rev. John Dennant, of Halesworth. Prayer was offered by the Rev. Andrew Ritchie, of Wrentham; and the charge to Mr. Flower was given by his father, the Rev. John Flower, of Titchfield, Hants. On the evening of the day, the Rev. John Alexander, of Norwich, addressed to the church and congregation an affectionate and excellent discourse.
About five weeks after the above event, Mr. Flower was visited with a painful and alarming affliction, which laid him aside from his public duties until the 7th June following.
During those months, the public services of the congregation were conducted by a succession of ministers.