Job David

Job David (1746-1812), a Welshman, attended Bristol Baptist Academy from 1766 to 1771, with Caleb Evans serving as his primary tutor. Apparently, he was traveling from Bristol with another minister who was either on his way to Lymington (south of Broughton, near the coast) or was possibly the minister there. Another possibility is that his traveling partner was Evans. Whatever the case, David, nearing the end of his ministerial education, preached three times at Broughton during a time when the church was without a stated minister. Marianna’s prediction that David would prefer Frome over Broughton would indeed come to pass. In 1773 he became pastor of the Particular Baptist meeting at Sheppards Barton, Frome, remaining there until 1803, when he succeeded Joshua Toulmin as minister of the General Baptist (Unitarian) congregation at Mary Street, Taunton, Somerset.  Evans and Daniel Turner of Abingdon preached at David’s ordination, their sermons reflecting some concern over David’s embryonic heterodoxy. David would later engage in a pamphlet war with Caleb Evans over the latter’s criticism of David’s adoption of Arian and Arminian positions; nevertheless, David’s ministry was highly regarded among nonconformists in the West Country. See Caleb Evans and Daniel Turner, A Charge and Sermon (Bristol: W. Pine, [1773]); Job David, Letters Addressed to the Ministers of the Orthodox, or, Calvinistic Baptists ... shewing the Inconsistency oftheir Conduct and Worship, and proposing a Remedy (London, n.d.); Caleb Evans, Remarks on a Letter [by Job David] addressed to the Ministers of the Orthodox or Calvinistic Baptists (London, [1780]).