writers of controversy searched into their works, they were but ordinary men; but their excellency lay in that, which was least sought for, their sense of spiritual things, and of the pastoral care. In these he thought their strength lay: and he often lamented, not without some indignation, that in the disputes about the government of the church, much pains were taken to seek out all those passages that shewed what their 'opinions were; but that due care was not taken to set out the notions that they had of the sacred function, of the preparation of mind, and inward vocation, with which men ought to come to holy orders; or of the strictness of life, the deadness to the world, the heavenly temper, and the constant application to the doing of good, that became them. Of these he did not talk like an angry reformer, that set up in that strain, because he was neglected or provoked; but like a man full of a deep, but humble sense of them. He was a great enemy to large confessions of faith, chiefly when they were imposed in the lump as tests; for he was positive in very few things. He had gone through the chief parts of learning but was then most conversant in history, as the innocentest sorts of study, that did not fill the mind with subtility, but helped to make a man wiser and better. These were both single persons, and men of great sobriety; and they lived in a constant low diet, which they valued more than severe fasting. Yet they both became miserable by the stone. Nairn went to Paris, where he was cut of a great one, of which he recovered, but lived not many years after. Charteris lived to a great age, and died in the end of the year 1700, having in his last years suffered unspeak

able torments from the stone, which the operators would not venture to cut. But all that saw

what he suffered and how he bore it, acknowledged that in him they saw a most perfect pat tern of patience and submission to the will of God. It was a great happiness for me, that I fell into such hands, with whom I entered into a close and particular friendship. They both set me right, and kept me right.

CHARACTERS

OF

EMINENT CLERGYMEN.

THE conduct of many of the Clergy was at this time such, that if a new set of men had not appeared, of another stamp, the Church had quite lost her esteem over the nation.

These latter were generally of Cambridge, formed under some eminent divines, the chief of whom were Doctors Whitchcot, Cudworth, Wilkins, More, and Worthington.

Whitchcot was a man of a rare temper, very mild and obliging. He had great credit with some that had been eminent in the late times; but made all the use he could of it to protect good men of all persuasions. He was much for liberty of conscience and being disgusted with the dry systematical way of those times, he stu

* A. D. 1661.

died to raise those who conversed with him to a nobler set of thoughts, and to consider religion as a seed of deiform nature, (to use one of his own phrases.) In order to this, he set young students much on reading the ancient philosophers, chiefly Plato, Tully, and Plotin, and on considering the Christian religion as a doctrine sent from God, both to elevate and sweeten human nature, in which he was a great example, as well as a wise and kind instructor.

Cudworth carried this on with a great strength of genius, and a vast compass of learning. He was a man of great conduct and prudence: apon which his enemies did very falsely accuse him of craft and dissimulation.

Wilkins was of Oxford, but removed to Cambridge. His first rise was in the Elector Palatine's family, when he was in England. Afterwards he married Cromwell's sister: but made no other use of that alliance, but to do good offices, and to cover the University from the sourness of Owen and Goodwin. At Cambridge, he joined with those who studied to propagate better thoughts, to take men off from being in parties, or from narrow notions, from superstitious conceits, and a fierceness about opinions. He was also a great observer, and a promoter of experi mental philosophy, which was then a new thing, and much looked after. He was naturally ambitious, but was the wisest clergyman I ever knew. He was a lover of mankind, and had a delight in doing good.

More was an open-hearted and sincere Christian philosopher, who studied to establish men in the great principles of religion against atheism, that was then beginning to gain ground, chiefly by reason of the hypocrisy of some, and the fantasti⚫cal conceits of the more sincere enthusiasts.

Worthington was a man of eminent piety and great humility, and practised a most sublime way of self-denial and devotion.

All these, and those who were formed under them, studied to examine farther into the nature of things than had been done formerly. They declared against superstition on the one hand, and enthusiasm on the other. They loved the constitution of the church and the liturgy, and could well live under them; but they did not think it unlawful to live under another form. They wished that things might have been carried with more moderation, and they continued to keep to a good correspondence with those who had differed from them in opinion, and allowed a great freedom both in philosophy and in divinity from whence they were called men of latitude. And upon this, men of narrower thoughts and fiercer tempers fastened upon them the name of latitudinarians.

The most eminent of those, who were formed under those great men I have mentioned, weread Tillotson and Patrick. Tillotson was a man of a clear head, and a sweet temper. He had the brightest thoughts, and the most correct style of all our divines; and was esteemed the best preacher of the age. He was a very prudent man; and had such a management with it, that I never knew any clergyman so universally esteemed and beloved as he was, for above twenty years. He was eminent for his opposition to Popery. He was no friend to persecution, and stood up much against atheism. Nor did any man contribute more to bring the city to love our worship, than he did. But there was so little superstition, and so much reason and gentleness in his way of ex

* See this question examined in the Editor's Preface

plaining things, that malice was long levelled at him, and in conclusion broke out fiercely on him.

Patrick was a great preacher. He wrote much, and well, and chiefly on the scriptures. He was a laborious man in his function, of great scrictness of life, but a little too severe against those who differed from him. But that was, when he thought their doctrines struck at the fundamertals of religion. He became afterwards more moderate.

He

To these I shall add another divine, who, though of Oxford, yet as he was formed by Bishop Wilkins, so he went into most of their principles; but went far beyond them in learning. Lloyd was a great critic in the Greek and Latin authors, but chiefly on the scriptures; of the words and phrases of which he carried the most perfect concordance in his memory, and had it the readiest about him, of all men that ever I knew. He was an exact historian, and the most punctual in chronology, of all our divines had read the most books, and with the best judgment, and had made the most copious abstracts. out of them, of any in this age: so that Wilkins used to say, he had the most learning in ready cash of any he ever knew. He was so exact in every thing he set about, that he never gave over any part of study, till he had quite mastered it. But when that was done, he went to another subject, and did not lay out his learning with the diligence with which he laid it in. He had many volumes of materials upon all subjects, laid together in so distinct a method, that he could, with very little labour, write on any of them. He had more life in his imagination, and a truer judgment, than may seem consistent with such a laborious course of study. Yet, much as he was set on learning, he never neglected his pastoral