LINDSEY, REV. THEOPHILUS, was the youngest son, by a second marriage, of a respectable mercer and proprietor of salt-works, residing at Middlewich, in Cheshire, where he was born June 20, 1723 (Old Style). He entered St. Johg's College, Cambridge, iu 1741; and, after taking his degrees, was elected fellow in 1747, about which time, in his twenty-third year, he commenced his clerical duties at an episcopal chapel iu Spital-square, London. He then became domestic chaplain to Algernon, duke of Somerset, after whose death, he travelled for two years on the Continent with his son, subsequently Duke of Northumberland. On his return, about 1753, he was pre sented to the living of Kirkby Wiske, in the North Riding of York shire ; and in 1756 he removed to that of Piddletown, in Dorsetshire. In 1760 he married a stlp-daughter of his intimate friend Archdeacon Blackburne, and in 1763, chiefly for the sake of enjoying his society, and that of other friends in Yorkshire, he exchanged the living of Piddletown for that of Catterick, which was of inferior value.
Before this removal Lindsey, who had felt some scruples respecting subscription to the thirty-nine articles even while at Cambridge, began to entertain serious doubts concerning the Trinitarian doctrines of the offices of the Church of England, though, for reasons explained at some length by his principal biographer, on his own authority, he did not deem these a sufficient obstacle to the renewal of his assent to them on entering anew living. In 1769 his anti-Trinitarian opinions received additional strength from the commencement of an intimacy with the Rev. William Turner, a presbyterian minister at Wakefield, and Dr. Priestley, then a unitarian minister at Leeds, both of whom entertained similar views with himself. While contem plating the duty of resigning his living, Lindsey was induced to defer that step by an attempt which was made in 1771, by several clergy men and gentlemen of the learned professions, to obtain relief from parliament in tho matter of subscription to .the thirty-nine articles, and in which he joined heartily, travelling upwards of 2000 miles in the winter of that year to obtain signatures to the petition which was prepared. The petition was presented on the 6th of February 177'2, with nearly 250 signatures ; but, after a spirited debate, its reception was negatived by 217 to 71. It being intended to renew the appli cation to parliament in the next session, Lindsey still deferred his resignation; but when the intention was abandoned he began to prepare for that important step, which involved not only severe pecu niary sacrifices, but also the breaking-off from many esteemed friends. He drew up, in July 1773, a copious and learned Apology' for the step he was about to take, which was subsequently published. In the following December, notwithstanding the attempts of his diocesan and others to dissuade him from the step, he formally resigned his con nection with the Established Church, and, selling the greatest part of his library to meet his pecuniary exigencies, he proceeded to London, which ho reached in January 1774. On the 17th of April 1774, he began to officiate in a room in Essex-street, Strand, which, by the help of friends, he had been enabled to convert into a temporary chapel. His desire being to deviate as little as possible
from the mode of worship adopted in the Church of England, he used liturgy very slightly altered from that modification of the national church-service which had been previously published by Dr. Samuel Clarke; which modified liturgy, as well as his opening sermon, Lindsey published. Being very successful in his efforts to raise a Unitarian congregation, he was able shortly afterwards to com mence the erection of a more permanent chapel in Essex-street, which was opened in 1778, and which, together with an adjoining residence for the minister, was put in trust for the maintenance of Unitarian worship. His published 'Apology' having been attacked in print by Mr. Burgh, an Irish M.P., by Mr. Bingham, and by Dr. Randolph, Lindsey published a 'Sequel' to it in 1776, in whieh he answered those writers. In 1781 he published 'The Catechist, or an Inquiry into the Doctrine of the Scriptures concerning the only True God, and object of Religious Worship ; ' in 1783, 'An Historical View of the State of the Unitarian Doctrine and Worship from the Reforma tion to our own times,' an elaborate work, which had been several years in preparation ; and in 1785, anonymously, 'An Examination of Mr. Robinson of Cambridge's Plea for the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, by a late member of the University.' In 1788 he pub liehed •Vindicix Priestleianal,' a defence of his friend Dr. Priestley, in the form of an address to the students of Oxford and Cambridge; and this was followed in 1790 by a 'Second Address to the Students of Oxford and Csmbridge, relating to Jesus Christ, and the origin of the great error' concerning him.' In 17S2 he invited Dr. Disney, who then left the Established Church on the same grounds as he had done himself, to become his colleague in the ministry at Essex-street; and iu 1793, on account of age and growing infirmities, lie resigned the pastorate entirely into his hands, publishing on the occasion a farewell discourse (which be felt himself unable to preach), and a revised edition, being the fourth, of his liturgy. He nevertheless continued to reside at the chapel-house, as did his wife after his death. In 1795 he reprinted, with an original preface, the 'Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever,' which Dr. Priestley had recently published in America in reply to Paine's 'Age of Reason ; ' and in 1800 he republished in like way another of Priestley's works, on the know ledge which the Hebrews had of a future state. Lindsey's last work was published in 1802, entitled 'Conversations on the Divine Govern ment; showing that everything is from God, and for good to all.' Ile died on the 3rd of November 1808, in his eighty-sixth year, and was buried Besides copious biographical notices of Lindsey, which were published in the 'Monthly Repository' and ' Monthly Magazine' of December 1808, the Rev. Thomas Beisham published in 1812 a thick octavo volume of 'Memoirs,' in which he gives a full analysis of his works, and extracts from hie correspond ence, together with a complete list of his publications. Two volumes of his sermons were printed shortly after his death.