Hoyle, and afterwards Robert Alderson, subsequently a lawyer, and father of Edward Hall Alderson. When Bourn became incapable of work, Alderson had to discharge the whole duty, and was accordingly ordained on 13 September 1775. Sermons and debates During 1758, Bourn went from place to place searching for subscriptions to his two books of sermons. He entrusted his manuscripts to Samuel Chandler of Old Jewry. In 1758 Bourn travelled around to obtain subscriptions for two volumes of sermons. He placed the manuscript in the hands of Chandler. In one of these sermons Bourn had espoused the doctrine of the annihilation of the wicked, but in London in 1759 he heard Chandler characterise in a sermon the annihilation doctrine as "utterly inconsistent with the Christian scheme". Deeming this a personal attack, he tried to draw Chandler into a controversy by a published letter. Like his father, Bourn rested in the Christology of Samuel Clarke. He was no optimist; he devoted a powerful discourse to the theme that no great improvement in the moral state of mankind is practicable by any means whatsoever (vol. i. 1760, No. 14). Unfortunately for Bourn he had found in Chandler an implacable deist who denounced Bourn's firmly held belief in 'annihilation of the wicked' which was Chandler's interpretation of the Doctrine of Original Sin. Bourn took this attack personally. In 1759 he published a self-justificatory letter rejecting Chandler's abusive charge. John Mason joined the debate conducted by published sermons in a two volume work called Christian Morals. He also engaged in debate with John Mason (1706–1763) over the resurrection of the flesh. Bourn's opposite view is defended in an appendix to his sermons on the Parables. Bourn published in 1764 a rejoinder encapsulated presbyterian doctrine appended to an earlier work known as Discourses on the Parables of our Saviour. During his career Bourn moved to a more Arian christology in the philosophical mould of Samuel Clarke, rejecting the trinity doctrine and justification by faith, rationalising Christ's deification as the Son of Man. A traditionally heretical position, he was pessimistic about Man's essentially fallen nature. His sermons were often characterized as solemn, and morose, sombre. In 1760 he published A series of discourses on the principles and evidence of natural religion and the Christian revelation. Bourn was a favourite with the local Anglican clergy; but he retired to Thorpe on a very modest income of £60. Samuel