mont on , ▁he ▁was ▁art ic led ▁as ▁house ▁pup il ▁to ▁Samuel ▁Part ridge , ▁then ▁house ▁sur geon ▁at ▁the ▁B irmingham ▁General ▁Hospital . ▁In ▁B irmingham ▁Taylor ▁under w ent ▁a ▁religious ▁conversion , ▁after ▁hearing ▁Edward ▁Burn ▁pre ach . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 5 ▁Taylor ▁continued ▁as ▁a ▁medical ▁student , ▁walking ▁Guy ' s ▁and ▁St . ▁Thomas ' s ▁hosp it als ▁in ▁London ▁under ▁Sir ▁Ast ley ▁Past on ▁Cooper ▁and ▁Henry ▁C line , ▁and ▁was ▁admitted ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁Sur ge ons ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 7 . ▁Under ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁Thomas ▁Cot ter ill , ▁perpet ual ▁cur ate ▁of ▁Lane ▁End , ▁Staff ord shire , ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁study ▁for ▁the ▁church . ▁ ▁Qual ification ▁and ▁turn ▁to ▁anti - cler ical ism ▁Taylor ▁studied ▁at ▁St ▁John ' s ▁College , ▁Cambridge ▁for ▁three ▁years ▁to ▁qual ify ▁as ▁a ▁cl erg yman . ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Cambridge ▁was ▁domin ated ▁by ▁the ▁established ▁Church ▁of ▁England ▁and ▁most ▁students ▁were ▁prepar ing ▁for ▁positions ▁in ▁the ▁Ang lic an ▁church . ▁The ▁Rev d . ▁Charles ▁S ime on ▁got ▁Taylor ▁his ▁first ▁cur acy , ▁but ▁five ▁years ▁after ▁ord ination ▁Taylor ▁abandoned ▁orth odox ▁Christian ity ▁for ▁evangel ism ▁and ▁then ▁ecc ent ric ▁anti - cler ical ism . ▁ ▁Taylor ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁Christian ▁Ev idence ▁Society ▁and ▁lect ured ▁in