[1010] They run thus—
“Orders to be observed at the Society when met together—1. That there be a meeting of the several members every Lord’s day evening, after divine service, for religious conference, to be managed in manner following, viz. One of the Stewards with the whole society kneeling, to read the Collect for the second Sunday in Advent, adding thereunto any particular Collect according to his discretions (but he shall make choice of no other but those appointed for Sundays and holidays) and if a chapter be read out of the N. Test, then the Society to discourse of the contents of that chapter, aiming thereby each to improve himself in the undertaking thereof, and in the more lively application thereof to his own heart and conscience, and to render the influence more powerful to the mind both of himself and his brethren.—That every member at his going away, according to his ability, put what he please into the poor-box, which is heartily wished may be done not grudgingly or of necessity, but with joy and alacrity, for God loveth a cheerful giver: After which to conclude with two Collects, one of the Steward’s choice, and the last to be that in the Communion Service, (Prevent us O Lord, &c.) Moreover, beside the forementioned general method of reading and discoursing the scriptures in order, any member hath the liberty to raise any argument of a spiritual or religious nature, provided it be not above our reach and capacity, nor leading to doubtful disputations, but such as may conduce to general benefit and advantage, to counselling the doubtful, and instructing the ignorant, confirming the weak, and encouraging one another to run with patience the race that is set before us. But matters of controversy to be avoided, especially state affairs, as not belonging to us, who pretend to be instructed by that grace of God that teacheth us to be holy without blame before him in love. Wherefore upon deliberate consideration, reflecting upon the confusions and distractions that have been raised by societies on such occasions, it is ordered with full consent, that whosoever shall pretend to start any thing of debate or controversy concerning state affairs, after the first or second admonition, shall be excluded from the society: also all discourse of matters of trade, or other temporal concerns to be forborne.—2ndly, that every respective member shall have liberty to recommend an object of charity to the Stewards, to whom a satisfactory account being given of the particular circumstances of those unto whom they, with the consent of the rest of the society, or the greater part of them, shall give out of the aforesaid collections as necessity shall require.—3rdly, That every one that is absent from the society at their meeting together, if on a frivolous occasion, such as shews any backwardness to attend, or a mean and slight esteem for the society in conformity to these rules and orders, shall incur the penalty of 6d. to be paid into the bank for defraying the necessary charges of the society, for the convenience of meeting; and if a Steward, one shilling: but if any person’s absence appears to be involuntary, as from a master’s restraint upon a servant, or otherwise, not proceeding from sloth or backwardness, a sufficient answer being given to the Steward who shall enquire the cause, the said answer shall suffice for his absence: but if any one be absent four times together without a very sufficient cause, he is to be looked upon as dissaffected to the society until he gives the Stewards satisfactory reasons for his said absence.—4thly, That upon the Lord’s day next before Whitsunday there shall be an election of Stewards for the year ensuing, to be made in manner following, viz. Every member of the Society to put into a bason two tickets, whereon are written the names of the two persons he desires may be stewards: that is to say, the one name on the one, and the other on the other, each of the present stewards to have duplicate votes, each putting in four tickets, having on two of them the names of the one, and on the other two the names of the other person they prefer for stewards: then the tickets being told over by the old stewards, those two persons whose names are written on the greatest number of tickets are the Stewards elect; and if at any time an equality shall happen, then the determination to be made by lot.—5thty, That for the admitting a new member into the Society it is requisite to be introduced by one of the members, who is to accompany him into the Society at their usual meeting, where giving an account of the knowledge he hath of his life and conversation, if approved of by the Stewards and the rest of the Society, the rules and orders to be read to him; and after one month, if none of the society make objection against it, he is to be admitted, by subscribing his name to these rules and orders, expressing his approbation of them and resolution to live up to them.—6thly, That six times a year every member meet at St. Margaret’s Church to take the holy sacrament together, extent upon unavoidable hinderance.—7thly, That the major part of the society shall upon any necessary occasion have power to make a new rule or order with the approbation of a minister of the Church of England, which shall be equally binding with the present upon every member of the Society.—8thly, That the rules and orders be read over at least six times every year at the usual meeting of the Society, and every member have liberty to take a copy thereof.—9thly, That the person who hath the greatest number of lots next the Stewards, shall be deputy in the absence of one of the Stewards.—These are the Rules and Orders of a Religious Society in King’s Lynn, under the patronage of the reverend Doctor Littel, Anno Domini 1704.”
The author has more materials relating to this remarkable society, but what has been here given throws a sufficient light upon its character and its objects. Such a society in every parish would be no way dangerous to either church or state.
[1015a] It must not here be concealed, that his reputed heterodoxy, especially in regard to the Athanasian trinity, might also be among the causes, if it was not indeed the very chief cause of his failure in the point of ecclesiastical preferment. That he was decidedly averse to Athanasianism, and made no secret of that aversion, is very well known; a remarkable instance of which was related by his son Dr. Edmd. Pyle in a letter to one of his female friends, dated August 4. 1747; a copy of which has fallen into the hands of the present writer. The passage alluded to is as follows—
“My F—r has been excessive hoarse and stuffed and oppressed on the lungs, and after physic had in vain attempted his relief, he went abroad, the weather being fine, to view his new ch—h, [1015b] where they are putting up a magnificent p—lp—t, as the finishing stroke. There the sight of the Tr—ty in Un—ty emblematically displayed in the front pannel of the said p—l—p—t put him into such a passion, that you would have sworn, that with distemper and indignation he must have been suffocated: but G—d be praised nature got the better both of the m—st—y and the disease, and the conflict produced, what medicines could not, a free and large expectoration, which was succeeded by a fit of as clear and audible raving, as a man would wish to hear from a sound protestant divine, on so provoking an occasion.”
This letter-writer to be sure was an arch and wicked dog; but there can be no doubt of his statement being founded on fact: and when it is considered how their reputed heterodoxy affected Clarke, Whiston, and others of Pyle’s eminent contemporaries, it will not appear very strange that his rewards were not equal to his merits, or that his preferments were few and inconsiderable.
[1015b] This was St. Margaret’s then rebuilt.
[1017] The correspondence between these two eminent men did not close here. It is certain that some letters afterwards passed between them, as appears from the fragment of Mr. Pyle’s answer to one he had received from the primate, and which reads thus—
“I no sooner received the great favour of your Grace’s kind and good Letter than I wrote to the person intimated therein, and deferred my dutiful answer to it no longer than till I was enabled to acquaint you with his truly filial reply, that he should never find greater pleasure than that of complying with every desire of a father, and the honorable friends of that father.—Meantime I am sorry for the ill state of my friend C—st—l, which gives occasion to this affair. I loved the man: my Sons honoured him much. I thank your Grace for your very good remembrance of me and my Sou. Age, my Lord, confines me at home, when yet good providence blesses me with eyes and faculties, still enabling me to read, and even to preach once a day generally. I read every thing and make use of the glorious prerogative of private judgment, the birth-right of protestants. I pass free sentiment upon Mddltn, and on all his opponents stronger or weaker. So I shall upon what he is going to say on the only piece of that great man of L— that ever gave me pleasure.—I read Disquisitions, and when I’ve done fall to my prayers and wishes, that the good thing desired may be put into the hands of the able, knowing, and impartial, that no church-tinkers may be suffered to mend some few holes and leave others open, at which some vital part of the noble christian scheme may run out and be lost. But no wish of mine is so ardent as that your Grace may live with that excellent [mind [1018]] of Tlltsn, which is in you, to preside in, to direct this same good thing, and bring it to perfection.”
Of the residue of this letter we know nothing: this part of it sufficiently shews whereabout Mr. P. and the Primate stood as to the points afterwards agitated in the Confessional &c. This epistle is supposed to have been written about 1753, three years before the death of Mr. P. and four years before that of the Abp. than whom it does not appear that a worthier prelate ever occupied the See of Canterbury.