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In 1767, Joseph Priestley had to give up his professorship at Warrington Academy and he became the minister at Mill Hill Chapel in Leeds. The change was necessary because it became impossible on a professor's salary to support his growing family. His daughter, Sarah, was 4 years old and his second child was expected.
His life, other than his income, while at Warrington was very enjoyable and much of that enjoyment came from his yearly trips to London where he met several of the leading intellectual and scientific leaders of his age. For example, he met Benjamin Franklin who encouraged him in his ambition to write a book about electricity. The book was completed within a year and was so impressive that he was proposed for membership in the Royal Society. His career as a scientist was launched.
He welcomed the opportunity to resume his ministry as he always considered that to be his most important life's work. By this move to Mill Hill Chapel he was, in a sense, going home, as he had grown up within 6 miles of Leeds. The congregation he took over he described as "liberal, friendly and harmonious"; it had been led by a Rev. Walker who had already introduced them to anti-Trinitarian belief and who had rejected the doctrines of original sin and atonement.
At Leeds Priestley clarified some of his beliefs about church organization and the role of the minister. He felt that the church should be governed by a body of elders or trustees who would be elected by vote of the congregation. The minister would have no special authority in running the church nor, in fact, in presiding at the worship service. Able lay persons in the congregation were just as well authorized to preside, he believed, and, in fact, later on, he advocated the establishment of lay-led churches.
It was also while at Leeds that he became a Socinian; that is, he came to believe in the teachings of the 16th century Polish writer, Socinus, that Christ was a mere man. He later expressed the opinion that Socinians were the only body of Christians who were entitled to be called Unitarians.
In the 6 years Priestley spent at Leeds he was engaged, extensively, in writing and speaking on the several theological questions which were being debated. He published a magazine called The Theological Repository and invited contributions from writers of all shades of opinion. Unfortunately, the orthodox ministers rarely contributed; their opposition to the dissenters mainly took the form of ignoring them.
Priestley fought two enemies, those whom he felt were corrupt Christians and non-Christians or "unbelievers", a term Priestley also applied to the Deists. As the rational defender of historic Christianity he was often attacked from both sides.
His scientific career was not abandoned while at Leeds. In fact, it was here that he first became interested in the study of gases for which he became most famous. He lived across the street from a brewery and he discovered that he could collect a gas from the fermenting brew which had an effervescent quality; it made bubbles when added to a liquid. He thought it might be useful in making sparkling wines and he suggested that it might prevent scurvy in sailors on long voyages. He had, in fact, discovered carbon dioxide and he could be considered the father of the soft drink industry.
His scientific reputation had grown to the point that he accepted an offer of a position as scientific adviser on Captain Cook's second voyage. However, the offer was withdrawn due to pressure from the orthodox clergy who objected to his religious opinions. After six years at Leeds he was offered a position in the Earl of Shelbourne's household as tutor, librarian, and companion to the Earl. The salary was very attractive and his family was still growing so he, reluctantly, once again gave up his ministry.