Dr. Cogan
Dr. Cogan, celebrated as a physician author of ‘’ Views on the Rhine/ and many other well-known works, was originally a Dissenting minister, educated at Homerton Academy, and officiating first at Southampton. But changing his sentiments, and abjuring his Calvinistic Creed, like an honest man, he informed the church of his new convictions, and resigned his pastorate. For some time he was subsequently a preacher at the Hague, but afterwards he was led, as the condition of a matrimonial alliance, to study medicine, and practised as a physician at Rotterdam. When the French poured into Holland, he feared, (as he had offended them by some public strictures,) and fled to this country with the Prince of Orange, Mr. Hope, the Malvers, and others.
He took a farm at Wraxal in Wiltshire, but soon found that the scientific agriculturist could not succeed so well as his plain practical neighbours. He then fixed his residence in Bath, and occupied a house of his own opposite the Reminiscent’s Chapel. He had married in Holland. His wife, being an orthodox Presbyterian, communed with our church. He always attended the Unitarian Chapel; but in the evenings he was seldom absent from Argyle Chapel. When my subject was of a more general and practical nature, he was pleased and sometimes flattering; at other seasons he was silent but never seemed offended, and was never censorious or severe. He allowed the liberty he assumed: but I
H H presume he thought we were not very well off in Bath, for he said more than once that, of the two ministers he heard, one of them preached about God, as if there had been no Christ; and the other about Christ as if there had been ho God; but he hoped from the pulling on each side he should be kept upright.
I sometimes found it trying to preach before such a superior man, and so often; but I am perfectly conscious I never yielded to the temptation of pleasing, by altering my matter or style. Though he passed, and wished to pass, generally as a Unitarian, he did not give that community in all things his preference or commendation. He wished they would give up reading their discourses, as less exciting and impressive; and often spoke of repubhshing a pamphlet; entitled —” Reading not Preaching.’^ He complained of their disuse of the awful terms of Scripture, such as fury J vengeance, the lake of fire and brimstone, observing they were words employed by the only wise God himself, and were adapted to strike the careless, and arrest the thoughtless. He disliked their glossing Scripture when read or quoted, and wished the language of revelation to be always left to speak in its own immixed simplicity. He also acknowledged that they never seemed to ascribe importance enough to the mediatorial work of the Messiah; especially to his sufferings and deaths as the (in some way or other) medium of Divine forgiveness.
He had the habit of too many of his party, and which may be deemed worse in its cause and effects than pure error itself; viz. the speaking lightly of Divine things, and even sporting with them. He also often joked about Satan. He kept back his attack on the agency and even existence of the apostate spirit in the last volume of his works, because he knew his more orthodox friends would never forgive him for the offence. He mentioned that, when he was in Holland, a minister put forth a pamphlet deemed by many atheistical in its tendency, yet he was not anathematized by the Synod to which he bloned j but afterwards when he published again, denying diabolical influence and existence, they immediately suspended him, — as if not caring what became of God, if they could but retain the devil. But it was not a bad thing he uttered, when in the fields I met him after a return from town, (though it was a little inconsistent with his avowed opinion,)^” When I am in London I believe in the devil, and when I am in the country I believe in God.’^ He was a great and consistent admirer of Nature, and I believe drew more of the materials and excitements of his devotion from wood and lawn, than from Bethlehem and Calvary.
He was truly generous and benevolent. As a companion he was most amiable and interesting; never obtruding or insinuating his sentiments among those who difiered from him. Like other great men, he was not so ready with his tongue as with his pen, nor so definite and lucid in his speech as in his writings. Nothing indeed can surpass the crystal clearness apparent in his works, for which see his “Treatise on the Analysis and Influence of the Passions,’^ and his “Theological Disquisition on the Characteristic Excellencies of Christianity.’^
The following is rather a curious circumstance. One evening at Argyle Chapel, he sat in the same pew, and close by the side, of Mr. Wilberforce. After the service, Mr. Wilberforce coming into the vestry asked me, who that very agreeable looking man was, who sat at his left hand. “Sir,’’ said I,” that gentleman is your opponent who has just published an answer to the Chapter in your work on Hereditary Depravity.” “Indeed! “said he,” had I known it I would have shaken hands with him, for he is a fair and able disputant.” Two days after this, dining at Dr. C.’s house with Mr. Fuller, of Kettering, (who was his guest,) Dr. Cogan soon asked, — “Who was that odd and very moveable gentleman, who sat last evening at my right hand? “—” What, sir, did you not know that that was Mr. Wilberforce? “—” Was that Wilberforce! I should much have liked to have been
H H 2 introduced to him; for though I have written against his sentiments no one can admire his character more as one of the best of men, and one of the greatest philanthropists: ‘’ — and went on justly eulogizing him.
Not being inclined or qualified for controversy, I never entered into dispute with him, but I sometimes dropped a few words from experience or observation, to which he listened, and which seemed to strike him, especially when I spoke of persons who” had recently died in confidence, peace, and comfort, commending and recommending those truths which they said were all their salvation and all their desire. And when I mentioned what I had lately met with, viz., a female young and beautiful, agreeably espoused, with two lovely babes, with everything that could render life desirable, dying of a consumption, (which destroys so many of our roses and lilies,) and when reduced by the lingering disease almost to a shadow, she asked an attendant to hand her the looking-glass, — after glancing at which she returned it, saying with a smile —
“Then while ye hear my heart-strings break, ’
How sweet my moments roll!
A mortal paleness in my cheek,
But glory in my soul!”
And soon expired, — he could not avoid weeping.
When also I sometimes mentioned instances, (and, blessed be God, I could mention such instances under my own preaching,) of persons converted from a sinful course to a life of morality and holiness; and where the change has not been produced by practice, but the practice has been the eflPect of the change; and sin has not only been left but loathed; and duty has not only been performed but delighted in; his silence and manner have seemed to say, ‘’Wh.j — we hear and see nothing of this!”
He went to see his learned brother, the Rev. Edward Cogan, (whose name so often appears as a contributor in the ^’Gentlemans Magazine/^) and who was the pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Walthamstow. Before his return home he died. I know not the manner or circumstances of his departure; but have been informed only that he ordered his tomb-stone to be inscribed with these words:” I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and he that liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this ?^’
I cannot help observing, that while Dr. Cogan was in Holland, from the existence and usefulness there of the Humane Society for the recovery of drowned persons, he recommended the institution of it in this country to his friend Dr. W. Hawes of London, an elder of Dr. Reess church. In consequence of which, that gentleman had the honour of establishing a similar Society here, by means of which so many lives have been restored and given back to their agonizing connexions.
Shall I remark, — that when Dr. Hawes called upon the Reminiscent to engage him to preach for the Society, our discourse naturally turned, upon the subject of suicide; and he expressed it as his opinion, that self-murder commonly sprang not from infidelity or insanity, but from some impression intolerable for the moment, but which might have been diverted or dissipated by some timely change of company, place, or action; and the event been prevented. And who has not felt a temporary gloomy depression, which had it been increased tenfold, or fivefold, might have issued in some fatal deed, (and it might have been easily so increased,) but which might have found relief by some means within reach?
He also remarked, contrary to a common opinion, that those who once attempt self-destruction repeat the attempt, and commonly succeed at last; but that the Humane Society had found comparatively few of those they had happily resuscitated chargeable with the repetition of the offence.
I remember Dr. Cogans saying he was once, when abroad, ‘^ walking with a young Portuguese lady, and saw at a distance a fire surrounded by a number of persons; and when I was disposed to notice it, she pulled me on, saying: ‘O, I suppose it is only the burning of a Jew! ‘Yet,” said he, “she was not wanting in humanity, yea she was even tender and benevolent.” But see the effect of persecution, education, and custom!