Watson's influence has been great and enduring. His premature death was greatly lamented; but, "with an intellect so intense, mental labor so abundant and untir- ing, activity so incessant, and feelings so deep, we are not surprised that Watson fell a martyr to his exertions in the midst of his years" {Lond. Quai: Review, 1854, p. 237).
Besitles missionary reports, essays, pastoral addresses, and other Conference documents, Watson wrote the fol- lowing: An Apoloffy for the Methodists (1799), in a let- ter to Rev. J. Hotham, A.B., rector of St.W^erburg's, Der- by, in answer to a pamphlet entitled An Address to the' People called Methodists : — Memoirs, in the Meth. New Connection Magazine, 1805, etc. : — Popular Bisto?-y and Description of the City of Liverpool (1807) : — Brief His- tory of the Reign of George III (1807, 12mo) : — Editori- al Articles, in the Liverpool Courie?; 1807 sq. : — A Let- ter to William Roscoe (1808), containing strictures on his late publication on the present war with France: — Defence of Wesleyan Methodist Missions in the West Indies (Lond. 1817, 8vo): — Remarks on the Eternal Sonship of Christ ; and The Use of Reason in Matters of Revelation (ibid. 1818), suggested by passages in Clarke's Commentary on the N. T. : — Observations on Southey's Life of Wesley (ibid. 1821, 8vo; bound with W^atson's Life of Wesley, ibid. 1835, 8vo) : — The Lab- yrinth, or Popvih Circle (transl. from the Latin of Simon Episcopius, 1650; Lond. 1826), being a confutation of the supposed infallibility of the Church of Rome: — Theological Institutes (ibid. 1824, 3 vols. 8vo; 8th ed. 1850, 4 vols. 12mo; reprinted in N. Y., Nashville, etc.) : — Life of John Wesley (Lond. 1831, 12mo, often reprint- ed; Amer. ed. N. Y. 1831 ; Cooperstown, 1845) : — Affec- tionate Address to the Leaders of the London South Cir- cuit (Lond. 1830), in opposition to certain tendencies to- wards Independency : — Conversations for the Young (Lond. and N. Y., 1830, J2mo), designed to promote the profitable reading of the Holy Scriptures: — Biblical and Theological Dictionary (Lond. 1832, royal 8vo ; 10th ed. 1850; N. Y., Nashville, 1857, 8vo, revised with additions b\' T. O. Summers) : — Sermons, and Sketches of Sermons (Lond. 1834,3 vols. 12mo; 1854,3 vols. 8vo; N. Y. 1845) : — Expositions of the Gospels of M atthew and Mark and other Portions of the Holy Scriptui-es (Lond. 1833, royal 8vo; 5th ed. 1848, 12mo; N. Y. 1837, 8vo). Watson projected sermons on the Epistle to the Romans, and a complete exposition of the New Test. His Works -were published in London in 1834-37, with Life, by Jackson (13 vols. 8vo ; 2d ed. 1838, 12 vols. 12mo)! An A nalysis of the Institutes was prepared by Dr. jMcClintock in 1842, bound with a new edition of the work (N. Y. 18.50, 2 vols. 8vo), and revised by James A. Bastow (published separately, Lond. 1876, 12mo).
Besides the authorities cited in the article, see Jack- son, Life of Watson (Lond. and N. Y. 1834, 8vo) ; Ste- vens, IJist. of Methodism (see Index, vol. iii) ; Smith, Hist, of Wesl. Methodism (see Index, vol. iii); Meth. Qnur. Review, 1861, p. 15 sq. ; Gorrie, Lives of Emineid Methodists (Auburn, 1852, 12mo); Scott, Obituary, in Minutes of the Conference, 1833; Lowndes, Bibliog. Man- ual, s. V. ; Jacoby, Geschichte des Methodismus, i, 335. For able reviews of the apologetics of the Institutes, see Bangs, in the Meth. Qnar. Revierv, July, 1837; Jan. 1838; and of their metaphysics, see Cocker, ibid. April, 1862. For a reply to both Bangs and Cocker, see Lev-
WATTS
WATTS
ington, Watson's Theolorjical Institutes Defended (Detroit and N. Y. 1863, 12mo). Against Levington, see Whedon, Meth. Qnar. Review, 18G4, p. 155. For a review of the moral philosophy of the Institutes, see Cocker, in the Jfeth. Quar. Review, Jan. and April, 1864. See also Bunting, Memorials of the Late Rev. Richard Watson (Lond. 1833, 8vo) : id. Sermons and Outlines by Rev. Richard Watson ; Dixon, I/in Character and Wrilint/s, edited, with Biographical Sketches, by Rev. William Willan (ibid. 1865, 8vo).
"Watta, Isaac, D.D., a celebrated divine and poet, was born at Southampton, England, July 17, IGT-l. His father was the master of a boarding-school in that town, a man of strong devotional feeling, and a rigid Noncon- formist. He was imprisoned, on account of his Noncon- formity, in the time of Charles H ; and, during his con- finement, his wife sat on a stone at the prison door with Isaac, then an infimt, at her breast. Young Watts ear- ly displayed a love for books, and imbibed, under the training of his parents, that turn of mind which prompt- ed him to become a Dissenting minister. lie entered upon the study of Latin at four years of age, and very soon after began the study of Greek and Hebrew un- der the Rev. John Pinhorne, master of the free gram- mar-school at Southampton. He was very studious, spending for books the little money given him in pres- ents, and devoting his leisure hours to study and read- ing instead of joining the other boys in play. The progress he made here induced some friends to raise a sum of money sufficient to maintain liim at one of the universities ; but he decided to remain among the Dis- senters, to whom his ancestors had belonged for several generations. Accordingly, in 1690 he was sent to an academy in London kept by Rev. Thomas Rowe. then minister of the Independent meeting-house in Haber- dasher's Hall. Here he remained three years, studying with such zeal and application as permanently to injure his health. He allowed himself no time for exercise, and very little for sleep. He used to mark all the books he read, to abridge some, and annotate others of them. Of his classical acquirements at this period. Dr. John- son says, " Some Latin essays, supposed to have been written as exercises at liis academy, show a degree of knowledge both philosophical and theological, such as very few attain even by a much longer course of study." His leisure hours seem to have been early occupied in poetical efforts. He intimates in his miscellanies that he was a maker of verses from tifteen to fifty. His Lat- in verses, " written to his brother, in the glyconic meas- ure, at the age of seventeen, are remarkablj' easy and elegant." He made considerable proficiency in the study of Hebrew, logic, and scholastic divinity ; but his acquirements in mathematics and the physical sciences were inconsiderable. In 1698 he joined in communion with the congregation of Mr. Rowe; and in 1694 returned to his father's house, where he spent two years in private study and devotion. It was dur- ing this period that the greater part of his hymns, and probably most of his juvenile productions, were composed.