Dear Brother,

"I having lately read over the Constitutions with "a defign of putting them in practice, as far as "they appear either clear in themselves, or agree"able to the other more uncontefted fcriptures, "defire you wou'd be pleas'd to give me your "opinion touching thefe few difficulties, which

have occurr'd in the reading thereof. I do not "intend hereby, as if I wou'd attempt any alte«ration in the public offices of the church, any "farther than by the bare omiffion of those forms, "which I conceive to be directly repugnant to the "word of God; because indeed thefe very Con

ftitutions, which do fo directly condemn fome «of those forms, do at the fame time ftrictly "enjoin a conformity to the injunctions of the « bishops; even of thofe fpiritual guides, without "whofe direction, we of the inferiour clergy are "required not to do any thing of moment, efpe"cially not in the public offices of the church; "my duty I conceive with refpect to them, is "earnestly to pray to God, which I never omit to "do, That he wou'd fo guide and govern the "bishops and paftors of his church, that we may

by their means be led into all neceffary truth; "particularly, which is the fincere defire of my

foul, that he would be pleased to remove their "prejudices, and open the eyes of their underftanding, that they may reftore to us that ancient " and truly pious form of worship contain❜d in the Conftitutions: in refpect of which, in my "humble opinion, especially as to that divine office

of the Eucharift, nothing can be said to be either "equal or comparable to it. The great plainnefs "and eafinefs of the ftyle, the piety, ardor, and

even ecftacy of devotion therein contain'd, and

" if any thing can be yet added to it, the amazing and comprehenfive view of providence through "all the periods of the world therein fet forth, do "all befpeak it to be of divine original. There "are indeed fome difficulties in feveral parts of the "Conftitution, which highly deserve to be con"fider'd and clear'd: this however I need not "fcruple to affirm, that I, who have read them "more with a practical than a curious eye, have

not found the tenth part of the difficulties in "them, either in respect of faith or practice, as I "do, when I read over the other uncontested books "of the New Teftament with the like view: they "being indeed more confiftent with themselves, " and with the other books of the New Testament, " than the faid books have ever appear'd to me to "be, especially if they are confider'd without that 66 great light and affiitance, which even the Con"ftitutions now give us both in explaining and reconciling them to each other, &c.

86

Your loving and affectionate brother,

Daniel Whifton.

"Pray inform me, what ftate Primitive Chri"stianity is in, and whether upon this great turn "of affairs, there are no hopes of having its "claim heard."

I come now to myself, and these Memoirs of my own Life: And to give the reasons why I write it at all, and especially, why I write it now. The occafions of which are as follow. About the middle of last May, 1746, came to me in London an Hanoverian fcholar, that had been three quarters of a year in England, and fpake English very well. His particular bufinefs with me was, to defire me to

revise

revife and improve a fhort account of Mr: Humphrey Ditton, who, as they knew in Germany, had been my intimate friend. This was defigned to be fet before his very excellent work concerning our Saviour's Resurrection, which was, it seems, already tranflated into the German tongue, and was going to be there publish'd. When this fhort account was fhewed me in English, I perused it, and found no fmall parts of it to be falfe; and fo I was forced to write it almoft all new, with this title, Mr. Whifton's Account of Mr. Humphrey Ditton, which I hear they will tranflate, and prefix to the German edition of that book. About a week afterward came another Hanoverian scholar to me, and defired me to write my own life: For he faid, that also had been written in Germany; but, as was now found, with feveral falfities likewise. My anfwer was, that though I had been long ago put upon this, I had not hitherto inclined to do it; yet rather than go down to pofterity with fuch falfities, perhaps I might fet about it; as I did immediately.

Now I was from my youth brought up with a religious education, and under deep imprefi.ons of piety; and in the diligent study of the fcriptures, and was no other than my father's amanuenfis for fome years. During which time, in 1682, Sir John Moor (who was born at my native town of Norton, of Charles Moor, husbandman, and Cicely his wife, and baptized there June 11, 1620) was become lord-mayor of London. Upon which, my father thought it a very fit thing for the minifter and inhabitants of Norton to prefent an address of congratulation to his lordfhip in his high ftation; with a defire, that he would, in fome way or other, as he pleased, remember the place of his nativity. Which propofal, when the inhabitants readily complied with, Mr. Swinfen, one of the fecluded members of the long parliament, at my father's

request,

request, drew us up a form of fuch an addrefs; which I remember I copied out, and a writingmaster of Tamworth engroffed fair for us; and Sir Edward Abney of Willesley, the father of the late Sir Thomas Abney, one of the juftices of the Common-Pleas, prefented it to the lord-mayor, who at first seemed to neglect it; but afterwards remember'd it effectually, when he built and liberally endowed that noble fchool at Appleby, but a mile from Norton, whither his relations were removed; and made Norton free of it, which will ftand as a memorial of my father's care of Norton, and of the generofity of Sir John Moor, by that donation, as the whole country's great benefactor.

In the year 1684, I was fent by my father to Tamworth, to that excellent fchool-mafter Mr. George Antrobus, one of whofe daughters I afterward married; who, with Mr. Samuel Langley, the vigilant paftor of that large parish, were great bleffings to the fame, and in intimate friendship with one another. Whether it was my want of exercife when I was my father's amanuenfis, and my long attendance both morning and afternoon on my father at home, while he learned the chapters, &c. for the Lord's Days; or whether it arofe from my original Stamina vita, I have been a valetudinarian, and greatly fubject to the Flatus Hypochondriaci in various fhapes all my life long, although old age, temperance, abftinence, and very great exercife, have made it a great deal eafier to me now for many years. My principal comfort was from my innocence, and was always this, that whenever it pleases God to take me from this miferable and uneafy world, I verily hope and trust, I fhall go into the bofom of Abraham, into Paradife, and be happier there than I can expect to be in this world.

Now, to prove what was the ftate of my indifpo fition at that time of my life, take one example. When I was become, fo vapoured and timorous at home, that I was ready to faint away if I did but go a few stones caft from our own houfe, my father obferved it; and fearing the increase of that diftemper, and its bad confequences in my future life, he forced me to walk with our clerk, John Flavell, four miles on a frofty morning, to my uncle Simmond's at Atherston; which force was yet the kindeft thing he could do to me. Accordingly, when I found myself pretty well, both on my journey and return, I began to take a little more courage; and that degree of melancholy wore off, though a leffer degree of it always has, and I fuppofe always will, continue with me all the days of my life.

And now, finding in my note-book fome account of the greateft froft that has happened all my life-time, A. D. 1683-4, I fhall fet that account down here, nearly in the words I then wrote it, though fomewhat fhortened.

About November 26, 1683, began in good earneft a very great froft; but it began to be more fenfibly extraordinary about December 23. It was somewhat more moderate a day or two in Christmas, yet during the reft of thofe days it was exceffive fharp, infomuch that, in a single night, it froze two inches and a quarter or half. About January 9th or 10th, 1683-4, it began to thaw for a day or two; but about the 13th or 14th it froze again a little for fome days. But from about the 21ft to the 26th, it froze exceeding hard; and, on the 30th [the folemn faft, which my father then kept for the murder of king Charles] and 31ft, it froze the hardest of all; in fome places three inches or more in one night. [This account, taken and written

when