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had serious thoughts of betaking himself to a secular employment, and with this view set about learning the trade of glove-making, which was the occupation of the person with whom he lodged.
At this time, however, he met with a kind and valuable friend in
Robert Houlston,
Esq., who took him into his house in the capacity of domestic chaplain, and treated him with much kindness and generosity; for which he did not fail to come in for his share of the obloquy and abuse heaped upon his protege by those who, in the superabundance of their zeal for what they held to be Christian truth, were but too apt to forget Christian charity.
A virulent pamphlet, in reply to the Essay on Fundamentals, supposed to be written by a clergyman, falls foul both upon the author and his patron, calling the one a deceiver and an antichrist, and invoking the displeasure of heaven upon the other for harbouring a pestilent heretic.
During his residence with Mr. Houlston, an opportunity was afforded to Mr. Foster of cultivating a more extended and varied intercourse with general society, in which his talents and character gained him much acceptance.
Here, however, he did not continue long; for in the year 1724, on the death of Dr. Gale, he was invited by the Baptist congregation in Barbican, London, to become their minister; and on the first of July in that year was ordained to this charge as colleague with Mr. Burroughs, with whom he laboured in the pastoral connexion with the utmost cordiality for more than twenty years. Thus he was enabled, much sooner than could at one time have been anticipated, to enter upon the
