THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
a
coln in 1795; preached his first sermon 1796, and removed to Newark as assistant to Thomas Cooper, Wesleyan preacher; was received on trial at the conference of 1796, and into full connection as a traveling minister in 1801, having been stationed at Ashby-de-la-Zouche, Castle Donington, and Derby. Resenting a charge of Arianism, he withdrew from the Wesleyan connection, and joined the Methodist New Connection in 1803, being fully admitted to its ministry in 1807. He became assistant secretary of its conference in 1805, and secretary in 1807; he was first at Stockport, then from 1806 at Liverpool, where he engaged in literary work for Thomas Kaye. Resigning his ministry in 1807, he returned to the Wesleyan body, being reinstated, 1812. In 1808 he was engaged as editor of the Liverpool Courier by Kaye. In 1812 he was stationed at Wakefield, and at Hull 1814-16. In the Wesleyan movement of 1813 for foreign missions, and in particular for the evangelization of India, Watson drew up a plan of a general missionary society, which was accepted. Removed to London in 1816, and made one of the two general secretaries to the Wesleyan missions, he was resident missionary secretary in London, 1821-27, and again, 1832-— 1833. After holding an appointment at Manchester, 1827-29, he returned to London. At the request in 1820 of the conference he produced his Observations on Mr. Southey’s Life of Wesley (London, 1820), and later his own Life of Rev. John Wesley (1831). Active in the antislavery movement, he was not, however, for immediate emancipation. He was a strong upholder of the connectional discipline, and desired to maintain friendly relations with the established church. In the pulpit his power lay in appeals on great occasions’ he had a commanding and deliberate delivery, and was noted as a platform speaker. His works embrace an exposition of St. Matthew and St. Mark (1831); A Defense of the Wesleyan Methodist Missions in the West Indies (London, 1817); Theological Institutes (38d ed., 3 vols., 1829); Conversations for the Young (1880); A Biblical and Theological Dictionary (1831); his Works, with Memoirs by T. Jackson, appeared (12 vols., 1834-37); and his Sermons and Outlines (1865). BrsLiogRAPHY: On 1: Besides the Anecdotes, ut sup., con-
sult: J. Hunt, Hist. of Religious Thought in England, iii.
351, London, 1873; L. Stephen, Hnglish Thought in the
18th Century, passim, New York, 1881; J. H. Overton and
F. Relton, English Church (1714-1800), pp. 259-262 et
passim, London, 1906; C. S. Carter, English Church in
18th Century, passim, London, 1910; DNB, lx. 24-27.
On 2: Besides the Memoirs by T. Jackson, ut sup., con-
sult: J. Bunting, Memorials of the Late Richard Watson,
London, 1833; W. Willan, in Sermons and Outlines by
Richard Watson, ib. 1865; DNB, Ix. 27-29.
WATSON, THOMAS: Non-conformist divine; d. at Barnston (28 m. n.e. of London) 1686 (buried there July 28). He was educated at Emanuel College, Cambridge, and in 1646 was appointed to preach at St. Stephen’s, Walbrook. He showed strong Presbyterian views during the civil war, with, however, an attachment for the king; because of his share in Love’s plot to recall Charles II., he was imprisoned in 1651, but was released and reinstated vicar of St. Stephen’s, 1652. He acquired fame as a preacher, but in 1662 was ejected at the Restoration; he continued, however, to exercise
his ministry privately. In 1672 after the declara-
tion of indulgence he obtained a license for Crosby
Hall, where he preached for several years, till his
retirement to Barnston upon the failure of his
health. Watson was a man of learning, and acquired fame by his quaint devotional and expository writings. Of his many works may be mentioned, Avrap-
«eva, or the Art of Divine Contentment (London,
1653); The Saints’ Delight (1657); Jerusalem’s Glory
(1661); The Divine Cordial (1663); The Godly Man’s
Picture (1666); The Holy Eucharist (1668); Heaven
Taken by Storm (1669); and A Body of Practical
Divinity, . . . One Hundred Seventy Six Sermons on
the Lesser Catechism (1692).
Brisuiocrapuy: E. Calamy, Nonconformist’s Memorial, ed. S. Palmer, i. 188-191, London, 1775; Walter Wilson, Hist. and Antiquities of Dissenting Churches in London, i. 331-334, London, 1810; A. & Wood, Athene Oxonienses, ed. P. Bliss, iii. 982, 1001, 1235, 4 vols., London, 1813-20; W. A. Shaw, English Church ... under the Commonwealth, 1640-60, ii. 104-107, London, 1900; DNB, lx. 37-38. WATT, vot (VADIAN), JOACHIM VON: Re-
former of St. Gall; b. at St. Gall Dec. 28, 1484; d.
there Apr. 6, 1551. As a humanist Watt was known
by the name of Vadianus. He studied at the Uni-
versity of Vienna, where he took his degree in 1508,
and in 1517 became teacher of rhetoric and poetics
there. In 1518 Watt left Vienna to become city physician of St. Gall. Following the medical profession he was also a member of the legislative council of his native town. Watt’s ideas of reform emanated, much like the principles of his friend
Zwingli, from Humanism, striving for a simple per-
sonal faith, instead of the traditional dogmatism of
the church. He was an ardent admirer of Erasmus, whom he first met at Basel in 1522, while Zwingli in Zurich, with whom he had corresponded from
1511, exercised a leading influence over him. In
1520 he opened correspondence with Luther, and
distributed his writings among friends. Watt next
founded a ‘‘ Biblical school” at St.Gall. His lectures in this school resulted in the publication of his religious-humanistic work Epitome trium terre partium
Asie, Africe et Hurope (Zurich, 1534). Meanwhile
the Reformation movement had seized the city.
Overstrained enthusiasm for communistic chiliasm
made some reservation advisable, particularly in
consequence of the wish of the conservatives to avoid a rupture with the abbey of St. Gall. This sentiment controlled the smaller, or executive, council, while at the same time an Anabaptist idea of the kingdom of heaven continued to grow and excite many people, influenced in part by Kessler’s
Bible lectures. This more conservative party gained
the support of the larger or legislative council, where
Watt held the leadership, and opposed the radical
element. A motion proposed to the joint session, to
suspend public explanation of the Bible outside of the churches, made the radicals more determined in their effort for the recognition of their ideal of freedom. Provoked at their ill success and the preferment which Kessler had received at the hands of the council, they became outspoken Anabaptists.
They secured the personal aid of Grebel and Blau-
rock, and, led by Uoliman, gained control of the
radical element of the St. Gall populace. Uoliman was called before the council to justify the