>siz <&. tt',/v,,^r, the former incumbent ; whofe cu- rate he had been, and was io fortunate as to fucceed him, of which Gabriel Roffe, my grandfather, who was rector of Norton near fifty years, and lived to A 2 eighty- * The reader is to obferve, that the intire hiftories of Mr. Whiston's prolecution at the univerlity of Cambridge ; with his banifhment thence ; of his deprivation of the mathematic profeflbrlhip there, and of the profits thereof; with the ecu- 4 Memoirs of the Life of eighty-feven or eighty-eight years of age, I remem- ber to have heard thefe tew things only, viz. That he was under the famous Camden, fecond mailer of JVejlminJier fchool ; that he refufed to read king Charles's Book of Sports on the lord's day , how- ever, when he heard he was beheaded, he fell a weeping , and that in his very old age, when he went to bed he ufed to fay , I go to my bed as to my grave. Now my father had been admitted into Queen's college, Oxford, tho' he did not I believe ftay there long. He had been approved by Peter Watkinfon, moderator, and feven others of the claffical prefbytery at Wirkfworth, in the province of Derby, and ordained a preaching prefbyter June 21, 1653, by fafting, and prayer, and impofition of hands. He was after the reitoration kept in his living of Norton by the favour and intereft of Mr. Merrey, his great friend of Gopjhill, in his neigh- bourhood , and was inftituted into that living by bifhop Sander fon, November 9, 1661. He was married to Mrs. Katherine Rojfe, May 13, 1657, by Mr. Francis Shute, ajuftice of peace at Upton; as was the practice at that time. The originals of all which inftruments I have now by me. However, fince there is fomewhat very remarkable relating to my father, in a note I lately made upon a palfuge in Sir Wtlliam Dugdale's Short View of the late Trou~ bles cf England, page 473, I mail here add that note. He there lets down my father's name in a lift of clergymen of the county of Leicefer, that addrefs'd fure of his notions by the convocation ; and his profecution be- fore the court of Delegates, and its upihot are here omitted ; as already at large publifhed after hio Hiftorical Preface, pre- fixed to the firft of his four Volumes of Primitive Christi- anity Revived, with fome additions there; and at the end of the Vth Volume. Where the reader will find compleat ac- counts of them all. See alfo the Mkmoirs of Dr. Ci ark's Life, per tot. and many other places of his writings hereafter fpecified. Mr. William Whifton. $ addrefs'd the parliament. Upon which my note was as follows. N. B. This Jofiab Whifion was my father, and at this time 1659, become fucceffor to my grand- father, Mr. Gabrkl Rofs , who died Ottober 19. A. D. 1658. When I as his amanuenfis (for he had himfclf loft his fight feveral years before his death) read the catalogue of fubfcribers, he was prodigioufly uneafy at his name being in it. His account to me was this : that when fome apparitor or mefTenger came from thofe at the helm to ob- tain the fubfcription, he was very unwilling to com- ply. He faid, he lived privately, and endeavour- ed to do his own duty without intermeddling with the affairs of ftate, and fo earneftly de fired to be excufed. But the apparitor or mefTenger would admit of no excufe, and told him, that if he refu- fed, his name mud be put into the roll of refufers, or into his black book, to be feen by thofe in au- thority. The confequence of which my father fo dreaded, that he did at iaft fubfcribe ; but deeply repented it all the days of his life, and upon his death-bed alfo. Nay, 1 believe he kept the 30th of 'January [the anniverfary day of humiliation for the death of king Charles 1.] more folemnly, as a religious fall, than any other clergyman in England, every year till the day of his death, A. D. 1685. He alfo wrote a book, though never publifhed, againft the lawfulnefs of that war j which I have now by me, under his own hand, in manufcripr, and a better copy of which, as I take it, the late Sir John Harpur had. My copy begins with this declaration, That his doubts about the lawfulnefs of that war began this very year 1659, and informs us, that tc this manufcript was begun January 11, ct and finimed February 19, 1665, 1 b66." His brother, Mr. Jofeph PFbiJion, of Lewes, in Sifjfex, a very pious difienter, that wrote icverai books for A 3 infant 6 Memoirs of the Life of infant baptifm [an account of whofe religious death I have now by me] had been chaplain to colonel Harrifon, one of the regicides. To whom my fa- ther made me write long letters, to convince him of the unlawfulnefs of that war : (a copy of one of which letters I have ftill by me) but all in vain. Their differences in opinion however did not break their brotherly friendfliip, as appeared by his leav- ing what he had amongft us, his brother's children, when he died. All this I atteft, April 25, 1746. But before I proceed to my own hiftory, I cannot omit to mention the relations that came to my fa- ther at Norton, when I was but a child under ten years of age, concerning that wonderful and unde- niable inftance of the punifhment of one John Dun- calf of Kings Swinford, about thirty miles from us in Stafford/hire ; of which I well remember we had feveral atteftations at the very time, either from eye and ear-witnefles, or thofe who had fpoken with eye and ear-witnefTes. This John Duncalf had curfed himfelf, uponhis dealing a bible, and had wifhed, that if he ftole it, his hands might rot off, before he died ; which proved mod true, and moft affect- ing to the whole country and neighbourhood. A juil account of which, after many years, I have very lately read ; and find all things therein related as I remember I heard then at that time. The exact narrative itfelf, written by Mr. Illingworth, and the judicious fermon that accompanies it, preached by Dr. Ford, are now before me ; and ought, in this fceptical age, to be reprinted, and re- commended to all, who either deny, or doubt of the interpofition of a particular divine providence fometimes, for the punifhment of notorious wicked men, even in thefe laft days. And I am, and have long been, of the great lord Verulam's opinion, here j uft ly referred to by Dr. Ford, page 52, who takes notice of it as a defect in the hiftorical part of Mr. William Whifton.' 7 of learning, that there is not extant an impartial and well-attefted Miftoria Nemefios^ as he calls it ; An account of the mod remarkable judgments of God upon the wicked, and complains of it accord- ingly. Now, fince two remarkable things happened to me before, and when I went to fchool, which was A. D. 1684, I mall here relate them: The firft belonged to my grandmother, Mrs. Rojfe, who then lived upon a fmall eftate of her own at Rat- cliffe, three miles from us at Norton ; but ftill had her coffin at our houfe many years. About the year 1680, we heard fhe was fick, and fo we might have fome apprehenfions, thaf, fhe being of a great age, this ficknefs might be fatal to her : tho' I do not remember any particular tokens of her end approaching. However, at this time I had one night a melancholy dream, and thought f faw very diftinctly her funeral go along by the fide of her rails to Ratcliffe church -yard, in a folemn man- ner. After which I awaked, and was comforting myfelf, that all this was but a dream, and my grandmother might ftill recover. At which time I heard a lumbring noife about the place where her coffin was , and inquiring what was the matter, the anfwer was, that my grand mother was dead, and they were come for her coffin. The fecond very remarkable thing that happened then to me, was before my going to Tamwortb fchool, A. T). 1684. At Whitfontide^ my mother went with me to Swepfton (my father wanting his fight) to our neighbour and friend Dr. Grey, rector of that place, which was but two miles from Nor- ton. He had his fecond fon, Mr. Grey, then under the care of Mr. George Antr obits, at Tamworth : whither I was to go foon after the holidays weie over ; whilft that fon of Dr. Grey's was, during the holidays, at Swepjlon, with his father. With A 4 whom 8 Memoirs of the Life of whom I now aimed to contract an acquaintance before I went to Tamworth : accordingly we were that day very familiar together, and hoped to be fo ever afterward. Mr. Grey, in the evening, was fo complaifant as to conduct my mother and myfelf part of the way to Snarefton, which lay in our way to Norton. At length we parted -, and we went up a fmall afcent one way, as he went back a greater afcent the other. At which juncture a ftrong fore- boding impreflion came upon me, from no foun- dation that I know of, that I mould never fee him more : which made me look backward upon him feveral times : tho' I endeavoured to put fuch a difagreeable thought out of my mind. Upon Mr. Grey's going back to fchool, before I was ready to go, he fell ill of the fmall -pox at fchool. , This affrighted me, and made me earneftly defire to be fent to tamworth immediately, that when I had once feen him alive (for I had already had the fmall- pox myfelf) the foreboding impreflion might be over. However, it fo proved, that either my fa- ther's horfes, or fervants were out of the way ; or fome other impediment hinder'd my going fo long, that he vyas dead before I came to fchool, and the other fcholars had made elegies upon his death ; fo that, according to this my ftrange impreflion, I never did fee him more. Which accident greatly affected me at that time. Several other relations of this nature, I mean, relating' to the invifible world, I have made flrict inquiry about, and collected fome myfelf in the courfe of my life ; and have frequently been intirely iatisfkd of their truth and reality. But becaufe they were not of my own original knowledge, I rather referve them till fome other fober and judici- ous perfon lhall make an authentic collection of fuch relations of that nature, as may have fufficient vouchers, and may be both to my own iatisfaction, and Mr. William t Whifton; 9 and to the public benefit , when I fhall be ready to communicate my relations to the authors of fuch collection. And here it may not be amifs to take notice, how excellent a pallor of a parifh my father was, even after the lofs of his fight ; his great infirmities of body; and. his lamenefs : nay, even when, for a- bout fix weeks, his hearing was almoft intirely lofi: alfo. During which times, he ftill continued offi- ciating and preaching twice every Lord's -Day. He alfo, before his want of fight hindered him, ufed to go yearly to the feveral families in his parifh, to catechife the children, and inftrudt, or if occa- fion was, to reprove the grown perfons, in a free and familiar manner : and particularly, to fit the younger perfons four times in the year for their firft communion. Which method he alfo continued when he had loft his fight, with only this difference, that he fent for the feveral families to his own houfe for the fame purpofes. Nor was there any more than one family which refufed to come. The mafter of which family was afterward fo fenfible of the good influence of fuch private inftructions, that when I once came into that country, and, as ufual, gave the parifhioners of Norton a fermon, he la- mented to me' the negligence of the incumbents, after my father's death , and complained, that fince that time, they could not govern their children and fervants as they did before, and would I thought have gone down on his knees, that I might have had the living, and done as he did. My father chiefly depended on Dr. Hammond'' % Paraphrafo and Notes on the New Teftament, (who was ten years rector of that very parifh of Penfehurft in Kent, which I was oflrcred about fix years ago-,) which work I ufed to read to him, and which work was in thofe days the great ftandard of the fenfe of the text among the middle fort of our divines, nay, almoft So Memoirs, {f the Life of almoft among all the preachers of the church oF England , till at laft Grotius's reputation greatly prevailed againft his, and generally againft that of all our other commentators. Altho' I cannot but fay, that how great foever Dr. Hammond's reputation was with me, when I was young, and Grotius's and bifhop Patrick's, &c. when I was of middle age , yet in the laft thirty years, I have difcovered fo much greater light, by the moft fre- quent perufal of the two or three firfl centuries of chriftianity, and by a clofe attention to originals, that I cannot but look upon all fuch commentaries as at prefent much lefs confiderabJe. But this by the way only. My father performed all parochial duties himfelf ; in faying the prayers, pfalms, and leffons, and preaching every Lord's Day twice, and adminiftring both Baptifm and the Lord's Supper by heart. (To which laft he admitted me at fourteen years of age) excepting the office of matrimony, which he left to others. Nor did this extraordinary diligence in his function pleafe feveral of his neighbouring clergy : "Who, as uiual, thought it to be, as it really was, a tacit) but fevere reproof of their own negligence. As to which excellent character, I have now by me an original petition of the parifhioners of Norton and neighbouring gentry, to the Lord Protector, before the death of Mr. Gabriel Rojfe, his father-in law, who was then about eighty-leven, to beg of him not to fuffer Mr. Whifton to be taken from them, when Mr. Roffe fhould die, as they were greatly afraid he fhould be. Tho' I fuppofe the petition was never prefented : the reafon of which I do not know. I alfo remember what my father told me; that after the reftoration, almoft all pro- feflion of ferioufnefs in religion would have been laughed out of countenance, under pretence of the hypocrily of the former times, had not two very excellent Mr. William Whiftorf. fi excellent and .ferious books, written by eminent Royal ills, put fome flop to it : I mean The whole Duty of Man *, and Dr. Hammond's Praclkal Cate- chijm: (The latter of which I fometimes read in evenings to my pupils, when I was a tutor.) I alfo remember his observation on Mr. Hoards book concerning God's Love to Mankind^ as the firft that began to fet afide the Calvinijls unhappy fcheme of election and reprobation in England^ which till then was the current opinion of the members of the church of England^ as it is ftill the doctrine of her thirty-nine articles. I farther remember, that when the hill for the txclufion of the duke of York was in agitation, my father was fo fearful of popery, that he wiftjed fuch a bill were lawful : but did not think it was fo. Which fear of popery had fo great an influence upon him, that it had almoft prevented his confent to my being bread a fcholar, in order to my being a clergyman ; which yet he greatly defired ; for fear the popifh religion mould come in, and I mould become a popifh prieft : againft which religion I had then read fo many proteftant books, that I Was in very little danger of ever embracing it. I remember alfo, that fome time before his death, great numbers of French refugees came over hither, at the revocation of the edict of Nantz, 1685. This fo greatly affected him, that confidering them as confeffors for religion, as they really were, he preached feveral fermons to his fmall parifh, to excite them to an uncommon libe- rality on that occafion. In particular, he told them from the pulpit, which I myfelf heard, that he in- tended himfclf to give them fix pounds. By which means I believe the parifh of Norton made up a greater fum than perhaps any other in the king- dom, of no larger wealth and magnitude. Now x2 Memoirs of the Life of Now it ought here to be mentioned, that my father was acquainted with that mod eminent dif- fenter and moft vigilant paftor, Mr. Richard Baxter \ and had a great efteem for him, and his practical writings : infomuch that he caufed me to learn his fmall catechifm, of xii articles by heart. And cer- tainly, as Mr. Baxter put a great flop to the folly of the Antinomians, who in the times of anarchy were ready to over-fet the majority of weak, but zealous chriftians ; fo, had he been as well verfed in the original writers of the two or three firft centu- ries, as he was in the fchoolmen, his parts were fo confiderable, that he afforded very great light to the chriftian world. Nor indeed by the by, could I ever prevail with myfelf to preach againft our dif- fenters, even when my principles were very different from theirs , on account of that ferioufnefs of piety, which I found in many of them. Nor do I at this day approve of one party of chriftians preaching againlt another, where they are not allowed to plead for themfelves ; but think they had better all of them look into their own errors, and leave them -, and all of them unite upon the only wife foundation, the original fettlements of primitive chriftianity. As to my father's death, it was after a mod chriftian manner. For when he faw it approach- ing, he faid, be was not afraid to die. And calling for us his children, he gave us all a folemn charge for leading a religious life, and caution'd us not to meet him at the day of judgment in an unregene- rate ftate ; and then folemnly prayed with us, and for us. A few hours after which, he flept in the Lord, the beginning of January, 1685-6, in the 63d year of his age, and lies buried in the chancel of Norton: with only this original infeription, now worn our, Depofitum Jofia Wbiflon, bujtis Ecclejix ReiJoris, and had his luneral fermon preached by Dr. Grey. As Mr. William Whiflon. 13 As to my mother, Katherine Rojfe, the youngeft child of Mr. Gabriel Roffe, fhe was baptized Janu- ary 19, 1639-40, and died December 1, 1701, at near 62 years of age. She was a very good, fincere, religious woman, who took great care of her hufband under all his infirmities, and of us, a numerous family of children. We had been ten in all , but fix fons and one daughter lived to be grown men and women. The youngeft of whom, Daniel by name, befides myfelf, is Hill alive, and is ftill no more than a curate at Somerjham, under the Regius ProfefTor of Divinity of the univerfity of Cambridge : his fincerity obliging him not to figrt the 39 Articles for farther preferments, and never to read the Athanafian Creed : For refufal to read which he was once in danger of expulfion from his curacy. But by Dr. Clarke'' % interpofition with a noble peer in that neighbourhood, it was pre- vented. He has, I believe, compofed more fer- mons, and thofe not bad ones, than any other clergyman in England ; I have heard him fay, above 3000 in number. But his principal and moft ufeful work is, his Primitive Catechifm , which, when I had myfelf greatly approved and improved, I publifh'd under the title of a Prejbyter of the Church of England, and (till infert it among the catalogue of my own writings, as I have long made ufe of it, and of it only in my Catechetic In- firuttions, inftead of our other more modern com- pofitions, which feem to me quite inferior to this, as it is wholly taken out of the Bible y and the ylpoflolical Conjlitutions : but what opinion my brother had of thofe Conjlitutions, I fhall here give the reader in his own words, taken out of his letter to me, not dated, but written about A. D. 171*5, as follows : Deaf j 4 Memoirs of the Life of Dear Brother, <{ I having lately read over the Conftitutions with u a defign of putting them in practice, as far as *' they appear either clear in themfelves, or agree- ' able to the other more uncontested fcriptures, * defire you wou'd be pleas'd to give me your " opinion touching thefe few difficulties, which c 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 thofe forms, " which I conceive to be directly repugnant to the word of God ; becaufe indeed thefe very Con- it JlitutionS) which do fo directly condemn fome c of thofe forms, do at the fame time ftrictly < enjoin a conformity to the injunctions of the bilhops , 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 l earneftly to pray to God, which I never omit to tl do, That he wou'd fo guide and govern the '* bifhops and paftors of his church, that we may c by their means be led into all necefTary truth ; ct particularly., which is the fincere defire of my ( foul, that he would be pleafed to remove their *' prejudices, and open the eyes of their under- * c ltanding, that they may reftore to us that ancient *' and truly pious form of worfhip contain'd in ct the Conftitutions : in refpect of which, in my " humble opinion, efpecially as to that divine office Ct of the Eucharift, nothing can be faid to be either ** equal or comparable to it. The great plainnefs " and eafinefs of the ftyle, the piety, ardor, and M even ccftacy of devotion therein contain'd, and if Mr. William Whiflon. 1 5 * if any thing can be yet added to it, the amazing vhicb. tc <20 Memoirs of the Life of .which, I imagined this might arifeonly from my too much application to my ftudies ; and I thought proper to abate of that application for a fort-night, in hopes of recovering my ufual fight by walking, during that time, much abroad in the green grafs and green fields ; but found myfelf difappointed : which occafioned fome terror to me, efpecially becaufe of my father's lofs of fight before. At this time I met with an account, either in conver- fation, or writing, that Mr. Boyle had known of a perfon who had new whited the wall of his ftudy or dumber,, upon which the fun fhone, and ufed to read in that glaring light, and thereby loft his fight for a time, till upon hanging the place where he ftudied with green, he recovered it again ; which was exactly my own cafe, in a lefs degree, both as to the caufe and the remedy. For I and my chamber- fellow had newly- whitened our room, into which almoft all the afternoon the fun fhone, and where I ufed to read. .1 therefore retired to my ftudy, and hung it with green, by which means I recovered my ufual fight, which, God be prailed, is hardly worfe now, that I perceive, at fourfcore years of age, than it was in my youthful days. During the fame time, while I was an under graduate in the reign of king James II. and, in the year 1688, I went with the fenior fellow of our college, Dr. Nathaniel Vincent, into Norfolk, on account of my health. It was near the end of May, and when we came thither the doctor found that he was put up to preach at the cathedral of Norwich upon May 29, the folemnity for the reftoration. Now the doctor was known to be a great friend of king James's, and perhaps hoped to be made a bifhop by him ; which is fufficient for underftand- ing his temper and principles ; and this at a time when the body of the protectants, and the univerfity in particular, were in very great dread of popery, and Mr. William Whifton. 21 and were thereby become much more ferions in religion, much more fedulous in attending divine fervice, and much more charkable and friendly to diffenters than formerly. [And happy, thrice happy mould I have thought this unhappy nation now, if, upon our late fears of the pretender and of popery, we had been brought into the fame ex- cellent temper. But, alas! alas!] When Dr. Vin- cent found himfelf in thefe circumftances, and un- provided of a compleat fermon fuitable to the occa- sion, he found, however, that he had fome notes with him that might aflift him in a new compofition. He made me therefore his amanuenfis for many hours, where we then were, and fo compleated his fermon. His text was, Rebellion is as the fin of witchcraft, 1 Sam. xv. 23. Which he, as is uluai, underftood of the rebellion of fubjects againft their kings-, whereas it was meant, moft evidently,, of king Saul's rebellion againft Almighty God, who had made him king. We then dined at the bimop's, Dr. Lloyd's palace, who was in great re- putation at that time, and proved to be one of the nonjuring bifhops afterward. The next Lord's Day, there was fo excellent a fermon preached at the fame cathedral, by a clergyman, to me un- known ; but, by his hood, feemed to be a doctor of divinity , I now fuppofe it was Dr. Prideaux, and focrrreiSly fitted the unhappy circumftances we were then in, the imminent clanger of popery and perkcution, that we, the hearers, were prod igiou fly attentive to it, and deeply affected by it. The fu eject was, The proper Preparations of a Chrijtiau for Times of Persecution. [Almolt like bifliop Sherlock's moft excellent fermon at Salijhury lafb Oclober, which I have fince republjftied, with addi- tions of my own] yet with fuch caution, that, though we well knew the preacher's meaning, no handle was given for any accufation at court -, only B 3 fo 42 Memoirs of the Life of fo far we were advifed, that, if danger mould approach, we IhouJd hold faft to our [proteftant] bifhops, as the mod likely way to efcape the dan- gers we might be in. I hardly ever in my life faw iuch an impreflion made by a fermon, as was made by this, on any audience. We were then for cer- tain in earneft, and had, I believe, very little regard to Dr. Vincent*^ court-fermon jult before (as fuch fermons generally deferve no better) : However, it foon happened, that the prince of Orange came to our deliverance, and the Cambridge mob got up, and feized Dr. JVatfon, the bifhop of St. David*s, of much the fame character with Dr. Vincent, and threatened Dr. Vincent himfelf; who thereupon thought of faving himfelf by going out of the col- lege, for awhile : Accordingly, he called for me, as then his fizor, to aflift him in preparing for his re- moval. But what may be here moft worth men- tioning is this, that I happened, by inadvertency, to overthrow his fait towards himfelf at fupper: Which put him into a great concern ; and made him fay very folemnly, that " It would be a fad * completion of this omen, if they (hould find him " dead in his bed the next morning:'* To which no reply was made. Yet was this fo far from being accompli. 'bed, that the doctor lived a great many years after it : So vain are the pretended fignals of this fuperftitious nature. Tho' the affrightment they may caufe in melancholy perfons may be fome- times really mifchievous to them. In my note- book I find about this time the fol- lowing memorandum. Sept. i, 1687. Dr. Henry Mere of Chrift's- CoUege died , and was buried by torch-light the third day, being funday. His laft words, as I heard, were thefe, or to this effect : calling his nude, he faid to her, nurfe, I am going a long journey, where I mail change thefe for better pof- (cfllons % Mr. William Whifton. 2$ fefiions ; and fo prefently departed. Sic Obijt Di- vinus ille Pbilofophus Cantabrigienfis : Extinclus amabitur idem. Nor can I well mention this Dr. Henry More, without the mention of his prodigious admirer and executor, Dr. Davies of Haidon ; who was one of my belt friends when I was baniflied the univerfity ; and whole brother-in-law, Mr. Ward, was alio my very good friend, and Dr. More's great admirer, and wrote his life very well. I mould digrefs too much, if I fhould go on with thefe two very valuable clergymen's characters, and charitable endeavours; one thing only I (hall mention of Dr. Davies -, that when fo early I and another christian friend found great fault with his reading the Athancfian creed, of which he was no admirer, he faid in excufe, that he read it only as he would read Greek to his Englijh congregation. However, we fo fatisfied him of the impropriety of reading it, that he promifed us to read it no more. But to return to my own hiftory. I was admitted of Clare-Hall \ Cambridge, as I have already faid, about the middle of 1686, while a very fmall part of the old college was ftanding : tho' I queftion whether any of it was {landing when I came to relide, which was the September following. My father being now dead, we were all of us under the care of our mother the widow, whofe comparative fmall means for (cve.n children, made it difficult for her to fuppc": me there. And had the expences of a collegiate life been as extravagant then, as they are now come to be, or had 1 not lived as frugally as pof- fible, fhe would not have been able to have given me my degrees ; elpecially that of mailer of arts. In which the prefent of 5 /. from bilhop More, was then a kind and feafonable addition ; and partly an occafion of my acceptance of the place of his B 4 chaplain 24 Memoirs of the .Life of chaplain afterward. However, I find by my ac- counts ft ill preferved, that tho' 1 was a pensioner for the Jaft half year, yet did my whole expences for the three years and half, till my firft degree inclufive, not amount to fo much as 100L See Dr. Newton's very prudent pamphlet, called, The Ex-pence of Uniierfuy Education Reduced. Soon after I was made fellow of Clare- Hall, I fet up for a tutor there. And to encourage me in that em- ployment, archbifhop Tillotfon fent his worthy chaplain Dr. Barker, who afterwards publihVd his works, to the univerfity ; partly to perfuade the heads of colleges to take more than ordinary care of giving Commendamus's for holy orders, and partly to bring his nephew Mr. Tillotfon, to be my pupil at Clare-Hall. An honour and advan- tage this at that time of life very considerable to me, had my ill health allowed me to go on in that way in the college. But as it did not, that excellent tutor Mr. Richard Laughton, my bofom friend, who was then chaplain to Dr. More, bifhop of Norwich, foon took my pupils, eleven in num- ber, and I was kindly invited by the bifhop to' be chaplain in his (lead, which I accepted of. How- ever, foon after the archbifhop had fent me his nephew, or in 1694, I waited upon him at Lam- beth. And being at chapel diere, with that defign, I found bilhop Burnet theie alio; who, as I was told, had bufinefs with him. So that, upon fome of the family's fuggcftion, I went away ; in- tending in a few days to come again ; but in thofe few days the archbifhop was dead. So very un- certain is human life! So that I did never converfe with him at all : Tho' I once heard him preach upon New-Tears Day, 1688-9, one f nis excellent fermons at his lecture at Laurence-Jury ; Circumcifion is nothing, and Uncircumcifion is nothing, but the keeping oj the Commandments of God, i Cor. vii, 19, 1 Iowever, Mr. William Whifton." %$ However, having had occafioh to mention the arch- bifhop's chapel at Lambeth, give me leave to take notice how little courage both he and archbifhop Sharp had in the rejection of that publick curfing of chriftianity, the Alhanajian Creed, even as to their own cathedrals or chapels. For tho* it be well known how little they both approved this creed (fee Dr. Clarke's Life, ift edit, page 81. and Mr. Emlyn's Life, page 58 J yet does it no way appear that either of them had christian courage enough to banilh it out of thofe places : however, fince I have by me an authentic paper commu- nicated by Dr. Laughton, which vindicates this excellent archbifhop Tillotfon from fome falfe re- ports, which had been told of him, altho* I for- merly permitted it to be publifh'd, yet (hall I here repeat it. It runs thus, verbatim. Mr. Denton's Paper. SIR, " I have thus long defen'd to return an anfwer to your letter, about the late worthy archbifhop of Canterbury, becaufe I was defirous to give you as punctual an account as I could of thofe things laid to his charge in the libel. I have found out two perfons, who, befides myfelf, were in Clare-Hall that fummer, in which IVorccfier fight was, viz. Sir fVatkinfon Payler, who was a nobleman, and Mr. James Mountain, who was fellow of the college; and if there had been any fuch alteration made by him in the college graces, as the pamphlet mentions, furely fome or us who daily heard it read would have known it , but thofe perfons do profefs, as I do, they never knew, or heard of any fuch thing done, P or 26 Memoirs of the Life of " or attempted to be done, but do believe it to be ' a malicious lie. I perceive I was miftaken in " the time of his being made fellow, which (you fay) by the buttery-books appears to be fome cc time before Worcejier fight, and I muft believe ct that record before my memory at this diftance * 6 of time. I was alfo in the college when king ' Charles I. patted by Cambridge^ and whether " Tillotfon went to Sir John Cuts's houfe, amongft " feveral that did, I have forgotten, but I am " pretty confident the ftory of his being denied " the honour to kifs his majefty's hand, is not " true ; for I never heard of any fuch thing, which *' (if it had been fo) I mould certainly have done, " if not from him, from foma others, feveral of ** my acquaintance being there. It is true, that * he had Dr. Gunning's fellowfhip, but whether cc by a Mandamus^ or the college election, I cannot * c certainly tell, but believe the latter , for when " You defire to know what the opinion of the ingenious " is concerning Mr. Whifion*% book. I have not " heard any one of my acquaintance fpeak of it, but *' with great commendations, as I think it deferves, foon wrote fomewhat againft it twice, yet was it not till after fuch fair conceflions as defeated, in great meafure, his own pretended confutations. However, 1 immediately reply'd twice ; and the fubftance of thofe replies is inlerted in their proper place?, in the later editions : tho', indeed, the third edition had, by far, the greater!: improvements : fince which, I have made very few alterations that are confider- able. In the New Theory, fifth edition, Lem. xii. page 13. read 3 innermost fatellities him. And the 4th is but a fmall matter eccentrical. hem. xiii. in the figure, the letters // at the focus, and / at the end of the axis are wanting. hem. xx. Corol. 4. read Saturn, and of Jupiter's Fourth planet about him. But his three innermoit fatellities revolving C 4 Leml 40 Memoirs of the Life of Lem. xxx. Scholium 2. inftead .of the greateft pare of that Scholiuto, lead thus : but as to the fixed ftars, which are not reprefented in the figure, they are ftill fo vaftly more remote trom the fun, that it is hardly certain that they are fubject to any fen<- fible parallax at all, even not to that of the- annual orbit' itfelf. For akho' the great Hugenius-, by "a new and no very improbable method of conjecturing their diftance in his Cofmotheorus, page 137, com- puted, that the neareft of them could not well be at a lefs djftance from the fun or from us then 27664 femidiameters of the Magnus Orbis, each of which femidiameters cannot well be much lefs than eighty millions of Englijh ftatute miles, as- we fhall fee prefently. So that by this calculation, the neareft of the fixed ftars muft be about- 2,240,784,000, of miles from us : and altho' Dr. Hook's, and Mr. Flamjlead*s attempts to difcover that parallax, did produce fomewhat more than one third of this diftance of thofe three ftars they tried ; yet has Mr. Mo!yneaux*s i and Dr. 'Bradley* s much nicer, and more certain obfervatioris determined fuch an- nual parallax, to be hardly more than one fecond, which is fo very fmall a quantity, as to leave us in doubt, whether it is to be efteemed as at all fenfible, and to make us certain that the diftance of thofe fixed ftars, which they tried cannot be left than 30.000,000,000,000 Englijh miles : an amazing diftance this! and were not the evidence for it un- deniable, as I think it is plainly incredible! but then, as to the nature of the fixed ftars. Lem. xxxii. SchoL inftead of its latter part, read, as Sir Jfaac Newton alfo did in his latter writing of this nature, I mean the Theory of the Moon, pub- limed by Dr. Gregory, and has fuppofed the fun's parallax, jo"; and from this hypothefis I made thefe and the following calculations. Which there- fore cannot be far from truth ; tho' at kit he ufed Mr. Mr. William Whifton. 41 Mr. Pound's and Mr. Bradley** mean quantity of idi, which would diminim the earth's diitance from 81,000,000 to 77,000,000 miles, and the reft in proportion. But many of thefe and the following numbers may be Mill a fmall matter cor- rected from Dr. Smith's Opticks. hem. Ixxxii. Add in the margin, fig. 7, after Hypoth. IV. add. ^ N. B. [Since my difcovery of fome other ancient apocryphal fragments, or remains of ancient tra- ditions, I have determined the place of Paradife more nicely, as near to the city of Damafcus itfelf. See Authentic Records , page 883, 884, 885.] Hypoth. VII. 6. page 131. read, That three of the four little planets, &c. After Hypoth. IX. 2. add. N. B. [When I re-examined the old chronology, and found that there was about 600 years more between the flood and Abraham, than the maforete Hebrew allows, I was forced to place Fohi, much later than the days of Noah, See Six Dijfertations, page 195 2ii.] Hypoth. XI. page 222, dele the latter half of the corollary, and read thus in its ftead *, I for- merly fuppofed the year before the flood to be only 560 days long, as it was in many places after the tiood, and on that hypothefis have here made a calculation of the quantity of earth or water, that proceeded from the comet , which then amounted u " to a vaft magnitude. If any prefer the teftimony of Enoch, preferved by Syncellus, from Alexander Polyhijler, Authentic Records, page 268, 269, which allures us that the year before the flood was juft 365 days -, the calculation muft be altered accord- ingly, and the quantity received from the comet will not be a 20th part of the former, or will be to that as 5h. 49m. = 349. to 5d. 5I1. 49m. = 7549 only. In Corollary (3.) change the note, as directed page 452. Solut. 4 z Memoirs of tlx Life of Solut. LXXI. CorolJ. 3. dele the latter 4 lines. Now to return a little backward ; while I was refident at Cambridge^ which I was in all about 17 years, I obferved great defects and diforders in the conftitution of our college of Clare-Hall ; as alfo in that of the univerfity in general. And I accord- ingly drew up two papers, the one under the title of Emendanda in Collegio, the other of Emendanda in Academla \ the former paper, which was of lefs confequence, I have not preferved, but the latter of greater confequence 1 have by me, and, as im- proved a little afterward, flood thus Verbatim* Emendanda in Academia. (See Parfons advice to a Roman catholick king of England. ,) All old ftatutes to be repealed : yet fo that their ufefui parts be taken into the new ftatutes ; and the defigns of the founders preferved, as much as may be. The new ftatutes to be Few in number : Plain in words : Practicable in quality : Known by all. No more than one civil oath, that of allegiance, to be impofed. Penalties, and not oaths, to be fecurities in all other cafes. No more than one ecclefiaftical fubfcription to be impofed, that to the original baptifmal pro- feffion ; with the owning the facred authority of the books of the Old and New Teftament ; and this only on ftudents in divinity. Civil authority and courts to be put into the hands of proper perfons, diftinct from the univer- fity : with one appeal to the judges, and all to be governed by the common law, Vifitors Mr. William Whifton. 43 Vifitors to be appointed where there are none j but ftill with one appeal to the judges. Expences to be limited within certain bounds. Particular tutors in colleges to be appointed by the mafter, and to unite in common for the teach- ing that particular fcience they are belt ac- quainted with. Public profeffors to confent to the matter's appoint- ment ;, and to be overfecrs to all thofe tutors and pupils in their own faculties ; and to ex- amine the fcholars ever year, to fee what pro- ficiency they have made the foregoing year. Rewards or privileges to be allotted to the ben: fcholars upon fuch examination, and the grofly idle, ignorant, and vicious not to advance in Handing, till they have made fome competent proficiency. All elections into fcholarfhips and fellowfhips to be after open examination and trial, as to learn- ing ; as well as full teftimony as to morals. And the times for fuch election to be known long beforehand, and fixed in the ftatutes. Vifitors may openly examine again upon complaints ; and in notorious cafes may alter the election. Defer t for learning and morals ; fitnefs for the duty ; and ceteris paribus^ want the only qualifications for free elections, viz. m all fuch cafes as are without propriety. No perfons to interpofe to hinder the freedom of elections. And the procurers of letters from great men to be incapable. No prefent poffeffors to be difplaced ; [upon a vifitarion- of the univerfity :] otherwife than according to their former ftatutes, or thofe of the realm. Fellowfhips to be annually diminifhed, if not va- cated, after a certain number of years ; ex- cepting [heads of colleges] tutors, and pro- feffors. 44 Memoirs of the Life of feflbrs. And this for the advantage of fending men into the world while they may be ufeful, and the procuring a quicker fucceflion. Heads of colleges and profefibrs to be chofen as now , but from any college or place whatfo- ever, and to be approved by the bifliop of the diocefe where the founder lived : and in all royal foundations by the king. Difcipline to be ft rid, but not rigorous, prayers not to be too long, nor too early: fhort prayers at nine at night in winter, and ten in fummer, for all to be prefent at. Scholars to be encouraged to do their duty rather than forced, efpecially in the cafe of the com- munion, which mould at leafl be monthly. Fellows to be obliged to frequent the publick wor- fhip as well as the fcholars. The college fervants to be inftructed and catechized, either in their feveral parifhes, or colleges, and to frequent the prayers. Scholaftic difputations about modern controverfies in divinity, to be changed into lectures on the fcriptures, cr mod: primitive writers, &c. Preachers not to meddle with ftate affairs farther than the gofpel directly requires or allows. No modern fy (terns of divinity to be followed ; but the original languages ot the Bible, and moft ancient authors, with fuch later helps as are necelTary to the understanding of them, to be recommended. Admiffions into colleges to be better taken care of. No uncertain fyftems of philofophy to be recom- mended ; but mathematics, and experiments to be prefc-i'd. None in holy orders, nor under-graduates to go to taverns or public houles at all, without par- ticular bufmefs with ftrangers there, and at early Mr. William Whilton; 45 early hours. Others to be r'eftrained from much frequenting the fame. All under-graduates to be in their feveral colleges by nine at night in winter, and ten in fummer: and all graduates within an hour after. New galleries to be built at St. Mary's to hold all the fcholars, and the colleges to go thither on, Lord's-Days in order, as they do now to Clerums. None to have teftimonials for orders till they have ftudied the fcriptures and antiquity for three years. No treats for degrees to exceed a certain fmall fum, to be fixed for them. All pecuniary punifhments to go to the charity- fchools, or poor of the parilhes in Cambridge, April 15, 17 1 7. Will. Whiston; But to proceed : While I was an under-graduate at Cambridge, I ufed to note down the heads of the fermons I heard there, with the preachers names, and the opinion I then had of their performances, which I have ftill by me. In which I had a peculiar regard for thofe preached by Mr. afterward bifhop Fleetwood^ by Mr. Gervafe Needham, of Emanuel college, at St. Mary's, and at Sturbridge fair; and a fingie fer- mon of Dr. Gouge's (the fon of that Mr. Gouge, the apoftle of the Welch, whofe funeral fermon was preached by archbifhop Tillotfon) before the uni- verfity, at St. Mary's, Feb. 8, 1690. And fince I have ftill preferved ten religious Meditations of mine, which I wrote in the five firft years of my refiding in Cambridge, between 1686 and 1691; I fhall here infert them. M E D I- 4.6 Memoirs of the Life of . . . -... MEDITATIONS. % Dec. 19, 1686. I. Upon the fcandalous Lives of many Minijiers. 1 I Have always Jook'd on fuch men, who have taken upon them this facred fun&ion, and thereby not only obKg'd themfelves to a good life, but alio taken upon themfelves the care of a multi- tude of other fouls, of which they muft give a find account at the great day to be the moil defpicable and miferable of mankind, when they do not only neglect the care of thofe committed to them, but by their excefs in drinking, or their carelefs, loofe, and pleafurable converfation, prove the greateft temptation to all under their charge and conduct ; nay, and to all others, that obferve them ; and do more encourage them in their fins by their ill exam- ple, yea, perhaps by one fingle inftance of debau- chery, than they can difluade them from them by all thofe long harangues and difcourfes from the word of God, which from the pulpit they make unto them. For there is fcarce any man of fo dull apprehenfion, but will reafon thus : If this man believed himfelf in what he preaches to us, if he really believed that there is fuch a great reward for the godly, and punifhment for the wicked in another world ; and that the word of God requires fuch ftrictnefs and conftant carefulnefs in the keeping its commands, to be fure he would be more temperate in drink, and more exact and careful of his converfation, and not live as the reft of the carelefs world do, who fcarce believe any thing in earneft of a world to come : and then, perhaps, he thinks he has reafon to conclude, that, in reality, he does not believe what he declares to them, but preaches only for Mr. William .Whifton. 47 for a livelihood, as other perfons follow their trades to get a fubfiftance. Oh how fad will the account be one day for fuch paftors, who inftead of being an example to their flocks, of fobriety, contempt of the pleafures, riches, and honours of the world, heavenly-mindednefs, felf-denial, and all other chri- ftian virtues, mail be found to be one great occa- fion of their eternal ruin and deftruetion ! When even their very tythes and maintenance, which was appointed for the ufe of perfons to take care of the people's fouls, mail rife up in judgment againft fuch as received them, but never took care to dis- charge that duty which fuch plentiful provifions required at their hands ! O bleffed God, if thou pleafeft to lengthen out my life, and to call me to ferve thee in the mini- fiery, to which my father has devoted me, I hum- bly befeech thee, to make me fenfible of the weight of the charge I undertake, and careful and confcien- tious in the difcharge of the fame ; and especially that I may by my good example constantly edify and inftruct. my flock, and do my utmoft diligence both to fave myfelf and them that hear me ; through Jefus Chrift our Saviour. Amen. February 6, 1686. II. Of the Negleft of the Sabbath [or Lord's -Day,'] I Think 'tis a true obfervation of fome, that 'tis one of the firft fruits or flgns of a perfon's converfion, to be careful in a ftrift obfervation of the LordVDay, or Chriftian Sabbath; and then, by the rule of contraries, it mud be a fign of a carelefs and prophane temper to difregard 1 and flight the fame : which, alas! is too common even among the learned themfelves, who feem too much to have loft the fenfe of their duty as to the keeping holy this 4$ Memoirs of the Life of this day ', ' and is, methinks, one of the worft pre- fages and forebodings of fome future judgment im- pendent on this land. The eminent judge Hales obferves that he had long taken fpecial notice that, according to his ferioufnefs or carelefhefs on the fabbath, fo on the week following his temporal concerns did profper or not ; God immediately rewarding his care of keeping holy the fabbath, by the profperous fuccefs of his affairs the week fol- lowing; as you may fee in his directions to his children about the fabbath. And furely when we by experience find the well fpending of that day to be fo beneficial to our fouls, too apt to be clogg'd and taken up by the bufinefs, and cares, and pleafures, of this world ; unlefs we fet apart fome times on purpofe, wherein, withdrawing ourfelves from the world, we may have leifure and oppor- tunity to take care of our fouls, and prepare for another world : and when we find God had ordain'd one day in feven for his immediate fervice, even immediately after the creation, which command was never, I fuppofe, abrogated, but only changed, inafmuch as the refurrection of our Saviour was fuch a fignal mercy as made the apoflles think fir, (I fup- pofe by the direction of the fpirit of God) to alter thtjewijh Sabbath to the chriftians Lord's- Day, that we might in particular remember the refurrection of Chrift, as they did the creation of the world ; I fay, when we find it both a duty and an exceeding benefit, it may juftly feem a wonder that it fhould be (o pub- lickly and openly profaned, even when the laws of the land are fo good and fevere as to the obfervance of it: and, if not repented of, I much fear God will, by fome judgment, (perhaps fire) revenge himfelf on a finful and difobedient people. For certainly the fanclification of this day cannot confift with that carnal eafe, mirth, and rejoicing, which on this day is now grown too common among us. VT.B. Mr. William Whifton. 49 [AT. B. When I wrote this, I was not appriz'd that the fabbath was never changed : but was ever to be obferved in a ldTer degree, as the Lord's- Day in a greater, by all chriftians.] March 6, 1686-7. III. Of the Temptations of the Devil, ALTH O' there is no queftion but wicked men do oft, to excufe themfelves, lay the fault of their evil deeds to the charge of the evil one \ when it is the naughtinefs of their own hearts, which love and practife fin, that is the real caufe of fuch actions ; yet it cannot, I think, in reafon, be denied, but the devil has a great and fecret hand, efpecially in fome fort of temptations, and often does fuggefl fuch fufpicious objections, and oftentimes blafphemous, horrid, and ftrange appre- henfions to the mind, as are hardly fo accountable any other way : for they are often, efpecially in melancholy perfons, fo contrary to the conltant fentiments and belief of a man's mind, and fo contrary and abhorrent from the fettled temper and inclination of a perfon i yea, not feldom lb black and difmal, fo odious and ugly, and the mind is fo fiird with fad terror and amazement at the con- fideration of them, that they feem to own their original from nothing fo fitly, as from that roaring lion, that goes about feeking whom he may devour. To this fource and fountain may well be referr'd thofe atheiltical, unbelieving, diftruftful, defpair- ing fuggeftions, which too many, by woful ex- perience, have felt in themfelves. Hither alio may be reftrr'd many of thofe idle, vain, diftracYing and wandering thoughts, which are fo often caft into the foul, when it is about the great duties of religion, and come in withcut any other appa- D rent 50 Memoirs of (he Life of rent caufe, directly contrary to the defire and pur- pofe of the perfon, which it ought to be our great care to avoid. Neither, perhaps, can we fo well refer the extreme wickednefs, debauchery, pro- fanenefs, perjury, and other the faddeft instances of the depraved nature of man, which appear fo vifibly in the world; contrary to all the dictates of fober reafon, counfel, and intereft itfelf, to the defilement and pollution of human nature (which yet is very great) as to the violent temptations of the devil ; who hurries fuch perfons, as, by their former evil lives, have banifhed the good fpirit from them, to fuch degrees of wickednefs, as, otherwife, 'tis fcarce credible that a reafonable creature fhould ever be induced to commit. Yea, tho* in' the mean while they do profefs to believe that they are in that way, where, in the end, they muft expect eveilafting damnation. But, O gracious Father, thou lover of fouls, fend down thy Holy Spirit into my heart, to afiift, coun- fel, comfort, and conduct me fo fafely through the wildernefs of this world, that, whatfoever fuggeit- ions the devil may caft into my mind, I may abhor and caft them out again, without the leaft defile- ment by them , and, at laft, may, by that Holy Spirit's guidance and afliftance, be brought fate to the vifion of peace. Through Jefus Chrift. Amen. . March 2 J, 1687, being Easte r-Day. IV. Of the Reafonablenefs of Religion. WHEN the ends and defigns of true religion, (fuch as are the glory of God, and the happinefs of man, in raifing thofeaioble faculties cf his foul to the higheft pitch, and mod worthy objects, and, even in this world, the peace and profperity of all human focieties j and as well the welfare Mr. William Whifton. p welfare of the world in general, as of each perfon in particular;) are fo apparently excellent and rea- fonable ; and the ways and means it prefcribes fo conducive and proper to the attainment of the fore- mentioned ends j it mud needs follow, that religion is really reafonable in itfelf, and every way worthy of human nature ; and altho' it mould lay more reftraint upon the affections and actions of men, than indeed it doth, they might well be borne, in confederation of thofe greater benefits and advantages which it produces. But wherein lies this hardnefs, and what are the reftraints which are fo burthen- fome, that religion mufb be thought unreafonably fevere in impofing them on us? is it in that tem- perance, fobriety, chaftity, and diligence, it ill- joins? the contrary vices bring fuch real difad van- tages not feldom in this world, that might more reafonably deter a prudent man from them, tho* they were forbidden by no law; fo that here is apparently not only no juft caufe of rejecting, but very juft caufe of embracing religion, which pro- pofes fo noble a reward to the exercife of thofe virtues, which a man would think were fufficiently rewarded by. the bleffings they procure in this life. Is it unreafonable for a creature to love, worfhip, fear, truft, ferve, and obey his great and good Creator ? why then is it not thought as unreafonable for a child to perform the like in a lower degree to his parents ? or why do parents require and think it fitting that their offspring mould be obedient to 'em, when it very much croffes their inclination ? when we all have a more immediate depen dance on God, tlr.vA a child on his parent. Sure this unreafonable- nefs cannot be charged on the duties of juftice and charity: without which, indeed, all focieties would be in miferable circum (lances ; and which, if follow- ed, would render man's life far more cafy and com- fortable than 'tis like to be, while men arc fo care- D 2 Ids 52 Memoirs of the Life of lefs in performing the duties relating to one ano- ther. Where then is it? in thofe felf- denials, and bearing the crofs ; in thofe perfecutions, troubles, and difficulties, that religion fometimes expofes men to ? . well, fuppofe thefe things do fall to the portion of good men : yet, for anfwer, I afk, are they the only miferable ? do no calamities light on the reft of the world ? is there no hard- nefs and difficulty in conquering the reafon and {topping the mouth of the conferences of the pro- fane and wicked, before they can get leave of themfelves to follow fuch courfes as they cannot but difallow ? is there no torment in an accufing, Hinging, and condemning confeience ? no croffes and troubles in the way to d effraction ? is all fo fmooth and eafy, fo plain and fafe, free and un- difturbed, that no troubles or afflictions can pof- fibly reach or affect them ? nothing lefs. Nay, I think that it may be queftioned whether the life of wicked perfons, all things confidered, be not the harder and fuller of difficulties, excepting only fome particular times of perfecution, when God calls men to lay down their lives for his fake. How often does one vice contradict another ? what quar- rels and contentions do arife among copartners ? what fears of the detection of fecret crimes ? what horror of death, and future account? what poverty, difgrace, ficknefs, and a thoufand inconveniences do they often bring upon themfelves ? and however a perpetual guilt dogging and accompanying them wherefoever they go, which will return again with the greater horror, by how much the more they mall have drowned the fenfe of it in debauchery and drink- ing. Nay farther, I fuppofe, that intemperance, lux- ury, quarrelling, and other vices, have brought innu- merable more to an untimely death than ever re- ligion did : fo little reafon men have to complain of the hardnefs of the way to heaven, when they take fuch Mr. William Whifton. 53 fuch pains to go through with that cotirfe which, in the end, will requite them with eternal miftry. Never let me, O Lord, perform that drudgery, the wages whereof is eternal death, only to efcape fome difficulties and hardfhips in that way which leads to eternal blifs ! Through Jefus Chrift. May 5, 1689. V. On the late great change s, and the prefent pojliire of affairs in England, C5Y. WHOEVER he be that fets up his reft here below, and is not fufficientiy convinced of the vanity and uncertainty of all worldly goods ; let him but ferioudy within his own breaft reflect on thefe Jate great and aftonifhing mutations, and he need go no further for a convincing evidence of what he is fo unwilling to believe, viz. That it is the greateft folly imaginable to lay up treafure, or place any confidence in this frarl, mortal, and more than unconftarit (fate, and vale of tears. The Divine Providence feems in all ages to have given inftances fufficient to all mankind, to deter them from doating on earthly goods, from depending on princes favours, or thinking themfelves fecure in the mod profperous times, thereby to prepare their minds the better to attend the motions of his Holy Spirit, and the conftant fuggeftions of the law of nature written in their hearts. For while we think we are fecure, and likely to enjoy innumerable days of eafe, honour, and fatisfaction, we put the thoughts of death, judgment, and eternity, out of our minds ; and we are apt to think we are fo well provided for already, that we are in no need of looking out for another manfion, when our bodies are laid in the duff, and our fouls fled to another region. We feldom care fo to number our days D 5 aa 54- Memoirs of the Life of as to apply our hearts to wifdom, and the fear of God, while we are on every fide encompafied with friends, treated with refpect and obfervance, and carefs'd by the pleafing fmiles of fortune ; but when an adverfe gale fhall ftop us in our career, and when the Almighty, by his providence, takes from us all the props and confidences wherein we trufted, and reduces us to ftraits and difficulties, then we are at leifure, and can freely look upwards to our Maker ; then we are willing to entertain thoughts .of God and religion, and can be content, feeing this world either gone or going, to look after a more durable felicity hereafter : and when we feel all our worldly holds to fail and deceive us, we erect our eyes and hopes towards a kingdom that cannot be moved , which no ill-will of a prince can deprive us of , nor any alteration of government eject us from. Good God ! how adorable are thy dif- penfations, who, by denying us earth, giveft us heaven : by afflicting us in this world, prepareft a place for us, where we (hall for evermore be freed from all manner of afflictions ! But we may make a farther, ufe of theCe things, we may obferve how hard a venture they run who proftitute their confeience to their intereit ; and venture on fin, to get the favour of thofe in autho- rity. How loon are they, with their protectors, caft down, and made, the fcorn and the laughter of their neighbours? and how miferable muft they needs be, who have an accufing confeience within, and nothing without to give them any fupport, or re- lief-, when as he that in all times acts according to the dictates of reafon, and is always true to his Well fettled principles, if affairs change, and he happen to be in adverfity, he is efteem'd and ho- nour'd by all lbber men : and however, he has that within which is a fcvereign cordial againft all the mifchiefs he may fall into-, and can, with an hum- ble Mr. William Whifton. 55 ble afilirance, look up to heaven, and folace him- felf in the favour of God, and the hopes of a bleffed immortality : He can, as Horace fays, Sua virtute fe involvere ; and be as fafe and happy with the defence of a good confcience, as if he had walls of brafs encompaffing him. If it pleafe the Divine Providence to profper and exalt him in the world, he is thankful, humble, and takes care to make ufe of his place, and power, for God's glory, and the benefit of mankind. But if the fame Providence deprives him of all his honours and preferments, he knows 'tis becaufe it will re- ward him fevenfold hereafter, and he is fatisfied and contented , being aflur'd, if his gracious Father had feen it beft for him to have been ftill a courtier, or great, he mould fo have remain'd ftill : and he is not fo foolifh as to wifh for what he believes would have been to his own harm and detriment, at the upfhot : but heartily joins with that peti- tion in the Lord's Prayer, Thy Will be done. But as to the actors in this great change, whether they can juftify themfelves before that God, who trieth the heart, and fearcheth the reins, mud be left to the determination of the Great Day, where no cun- ning fliifts, and pretences- of piety, will pafs for a fufficient excufe for rebellion, and difobedience to lawful magiftrates. Or whether it be lawful to comply with thefe things, and fwear allegiance to a new king, the other claiming his right, 'tis net very eafy to determine. [But more about this fee, in my paper call'd The lawfulness of the new oath of al- legiance fiber ly difcufs V. ] Shew me thy way, O Lord, and teach me thy aths. Make thy way plain before my face, that may always have a confcience void of offence a j wards God, and towards men. Amen. D 4 May 56 Memoirs of the Life of May 12, 1689. VI. A Lamentation of the Decay of true Piety, and Practical Chrijlianity. THERE needs nothing but a right fenfe of religion, following from a true notion of it, to make us forely bewail its decay and difefteem in the world. When a man ferioufly confiders the excellency, noblenefs, necefiity, ufefulnefs, and pleafantnefs of religion; its fitnefs to man in every relation and condition of life; the peace and quiet of every particular foul, and of human fo- cieties and conftitutions, which it aims at ; the greatnefs of its object, even the one eternal Majefty of heaven and earth, the immenfity of its rewards in another world; and withall takes a view of human nature, its faculties, and defires, its ca- pacities, and endowments, exactly fitted and adapt- ed to religion ; as religion in the reverfe is exactly calculated to fupply the wants, remedy the evils, enlarge the powers, raife the mind, erect the hopes, and finally perfect and compleat man- kind : and at the fame time fees how little it is heeded, how vilely it is abufed, how it is pro- ftituted to every unworthy purpofe, and now fo intolerably fpoil'd and corrupted in its practical part, which is the main aim and fcope of it, that one may almoft cry out, Away with it out of the world, let it divide no more minds, deltroy no more kingdoms, butcher no more innocents, cloak no more crimes, nay, debauch no more principles any longer: he that (ball foberly reflect on thefe things together, will be ready to fay with the prophet Jeremiah, O that my eyes were waters, and my head a fountain of tears, that I might lament, day and night, (he miferable fate and condition Mr. William Whifton. 57 condition of the generality of mankind ! that I might bewail the madnefs, folly, and fiupidity of wretched men ! That there fhould be fuch a price and opportunity put into the hands of fuch fools to get wifdom, who have no heart to it! that fo precious a privilege, purchas'd with the blood of the Son of God, as the promifes of religion pro- pofe, of being heirs of eternal felicity, mould be Co undervalued and rejected by ungrateful mortals ! that what the Almighty defign'd for the perfecting human nature fhould be fo deform'd, alter'd, and chang'd, to be inftrumental too often to its bane and mifery ! Such confiderations as thefe might well make a man conclude there were fome great cheat in the bufinefs of religion , fome mighty impo- fition and abufe put upon mankind ; and that its principles were quite of a different nature from what it is above reprefented ; or elfe it mud be refolved that, by one means or another, human nature is ftrangely diftorted, and out of order, thus to convert meat into crudity ; phyfick into difeafes , and the mod fovereign and univerfal medicine, into the moll pernicious and epidemical malady. Which lafb will loon be found to be the real cafe of the world, when, (1.) 'tis undeniable to any one reading either the law of nature en- graven in all men's hearts, or the law reveal'd to the Jews under dark reprefentations, and to the Chrifthns in its meridian fplendour in the holy records, that the precepts, promifes, threatenings, examples, and counfels of religion, are uniformly adapted, and do univerfally concenter in thofe noble ends, the glory and pleafing of God, in the per- fecting and making happy of human nature, &c. (2.) 'Tis evident man's nature is a capable and pro- per fubj.ct of religion ; and that the ends pro- pos'd by ic are attainable : becaufe de fatlo we rind in the firft ages of the church, that religion in a f Batchelor of Arts WITH how great defire, and even impa- tience, does every one wait for the leaft ho- nour or advantage in this world ! How earneftly does our foul pant after the leaft accommodation which it fancies will pleafe, trim, and adorn it ; and make it look a little considerable in the eyes of the reft of mankind ? with what heat, paflion, and ardour of affection, are honours, dignities, and promotions, fought after ; as if they were an effen- tial ingredient in beatitude ; and, as if they would make a mighty acceflion to the heap of thofe goods, the accumulation of which is fuppofed to contain that which nature does incline us all to, plenary and perfect happinefs. This is the cafe of mankind when they are in the purfuit of honour and advantage. But when the defire is accomplifhed, the dignity arrived at, inftead of proving a tree of life (the emblem of compleat beatitude, and perfect contentment} as the fatis- faction of reafonable defires is to the wife and moderate , it not feldom becomes a vexatious bur- then ; and we have more reafon to wifh it off our gall'd moulders, than before we had to purfue it fo furioufly. But here what do men generally do in this cafe ? Do they renounce and defpife the gaudy happinefs with which they are adorned ? Do Mr. William Whiflon.' 6g Dq they quietly return to their former condition ? No fuch matter : the gilded, and varnifhed troubles pleafes awhile, and though they feel them- felves no better, perhaps worfe at eafe within, yet to be look'd at, and cring'd to, makes full amends for all other things. And fuch a one doubts not the next degree, the next ftep of preferment, the next apartment in the temple of honour, will fully fatisfy, and rccompenfe his late difappointment, and fo with as fwift a wing he fpeeds on to the next ftage of dignity, as he did to that which he is now pofTefTed of; which, when arrived at, in the fame manner pleafes and takes with him awhile, till at laft he is fated and cloy'd with what he fo am- bitioudy courted : yet he will not leave his beloved evil, his tickling torture , but infenfible of his re- doubled experience, vainly promifes to himfelf peace, comfort, and full fatisfaction, if he may be allowed to climb one degree higher ; till at laft, when he has this his ultimate wifh, he grows giddy with the height, and falls lower than ever he was before, the example of the prudent, and laughter of fools. All this Vv'hile I may teem to flioot very wide off the mark, and not to confider on what occafion I am meditating. But if it be confidered that (mall and great honour differ but in degree ; and that a tradefman will be as earned for the mayoralty of a fmall town, as a duke for a king- dom proportionally ; it will appear I have noc wholly deviated from my propoied fubjecl:. For at Cambridge I will maintain fome will look as big, and be as proud and conceited upon the change of a year, or the obtaining the degree of batche- lor, as Alexander on the conquefts of India , or Ceefar on his victory over Pompey his rival for the empire of the world. Nay, you (hall fee a Soph, who never yet faw eighteen, as high and lordly, as hectoring and imperious, as if he was newly E made 66 Memoirs of the Life of made emperor in Utopia. So much does the defire of honour, and the fancy of being above others, prevail in all mankind. But to come clofe to the point. When I ferioufly confider my degree, and the duties belonging to it, or that are like to be fubfequent of it, fuch as being at liberty, &nd at one's own difpcfe-, and more from under the care of tutors and overfeers ; being thereby obliged to greater gravity, ferioufnefs, and to carry one's felf like men and fcholars ; the being fhonly to be employ'd, if God fpare life and health, in the facred, and vaftly important office of the miniftry ; and fuch like. Thefe confi- derations, I fay, rather induce me to follicitude, and fervent prayer to God Almighty, that he would be pleafed to take care of me, and enable me to difcharge faithfully the feveral duties I am, or may hereafter be called to. I have very great caufe I confefs of adoring, blefling, and celebrat- ing the name of my good God, who has kept me hitherto through all the dangers of infancy, child- hood, and youth, and preferved me untainted from any of thofe notorious vices which abound every where, and efpecially who has been my guide, helper, and father, at Cambridge, where 1 have been far from my dear mother, and kind relations, and fo more immediately committed to the Al- mighty's providence , and here, indeed, I have had various, and great inftances of the tender care, and blefling of God, in preferving my foul free from thofe infectious vices which the univerfity too much abounds withal ', though I muft acknow- ledge, with fhame and regret, that I have often been chill'd and cool'd in my religion, with the conftant worldly difcourfe, and converfe ; and the rare examples, among my equals, of a lively icnfe of God end religion ; and with the too for- mal, though irequent and re-iterated cxercife of public Mr. William WhiftoiL 67 public devotion : though I fay, from thefe things, and my own backwardnefs, and want of ferious improvement of facraments, fabbaths, and thofe many excellent fermons I have hearp! here, I can- not brag of much improvement as to my fpiri- tual concerns ; yet God has by no means been wanting with his grace, both preventing and amft- ing to me, and has continued his mercy alfo to me to this very moment : and, in particular, has fo far preferved my health, under- a weak frame of body, that I have never been fo ill for any time as not to be able to help myfelf, and fo commit myfelf to fome who oft prove murderers, if reports be true, inftead of nurfes. This I efteem a very great favour, for methinks I could be content, if it pleafed God, to endure much more ficknefs un- der the care of my mother and friends, than at Cambridge ; where I cannot have thofe comforts and fupports both for foul and body, as in the country 1 may reafonably expect, from thofe who have as well a nearer relation, as a greater affection for me. To my great and chief benefactor therefore do I addrefs myfelf. O thou Father of mercies, through whom I was born ; who haft exercifed a particular care and providence over me in foul and body all my life long ; who haft led me fafely through the various ilages of infancy, childhood, and youth , and haft efpecialiy manifefted the care of my eternal in- tereft, O thou lover of fouls, in giving me pious parents, and inclining my heart to thee early, in keeping me out of temptation, and in preventing my going aftray from thee, efpecialiy at Cambridge^ where fo many temptations on every fide did fur- round me , accept of this unfeigned facrifice of praife and thankigiving, which I offer to thy Majcfty, for all thefe, and all other thy innume- rable and undeferved benefits to rac j who am lefs E 2 than 68 Memoirs of the Life of than the leaft of all thy mercies , and a miferable offender againft thy divine Majefty, and holy laws. To thee I defire to offer all Jaud, love, adoration, and blefiing, for all thefe thy infinite favours. What am I, O Lord, that thou fhouldft fo regard me, and be fo loth that I mould perifli ? what am I but duft and afhes, that the Lord of Glory fhould lead me by the hand to this com- fortable time, and not fuffer my enemies to tri- umph over me ? I thank thee for my life, health, food, cloathing, prefervation, protection, kind relations, and friends, and all other the mercies thou haft heaped upon me as to this world , but above all, for what concerns another, the conftant afiiftance of thy grace, checks of my confcience, happy providences, and every thing elfe that thou haft done in order to my falvation. To thee do I dedicate and devote myfelf foul and body, to be a reafonable, holy, and lively facrifice, to be always employed in religion, or innocence, to do thy will, and obey all thy commandments. Do thou therefore pardon all my paft fins, and grant me thy grace, that hereafter J may always be dying to fin, and rifing again to righteoulhefs, conti- nually mortifying all my evil and corrupt affec- tions, and daily proceeding in all virtue and god- linefs of living. That I may perform every truft and duty incumbent on me faithfully, and with an upright heart, do thou direct me as to my choice of my condition of life, and in ah' things in which I may ltand in need of, that williom which only flows from thee its fource and fountain : and in whatfoevcr employment or place thy provi- dence fiiali cali me to, that 1 may obtain mercy to be faithful; and may always endeavour ro have a confcience void of offence towards thee, and to- wards ail men , that when thou fhalt call me out of this world, i may be willing to depart, and to be with Mr, William Whifton, 69 with (Thrift; faying with the apoftle,. I have fought a good fight, I have finifhed my courfe^ I have kept the faith ; henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteoufnefsy which the Lord the righteous judge fhall give me at that day. Grant all this, O Father! thro' Jefus Chrift our Lord, and Saviour. Amen. Sept. 21, 1690. IX. Of Atheifm fpeculative and praclicai. IT was a noble faying of a heathen, that fup- pofing he thought there were no God to govern the world, it would not be worth his while to live in it; and certainly, were all acknowledgment of a fupreme all-feeing power banifhed from among men, it would be highly eligible tor a wife man to choofe to be annihilated, and return to a ltate of infenfibility, or at lead to the condition of the brutes that perifh, rather than live among canibals and lawlefs monfters, (fuch as mankind, by fuch a difbelitf, would degenerate into) a prey to every- one itronger than himfelf, and without any hope or glimmering expectation of ever feeing the world reformed , and in utter defpair ot ever en- joying himfelf better than he would then do. What comfort could a man reap in any affliction, if ail were nothing but inexorable fate, or unthinking chance? whither fhould a diftreffed innocent ap- ply himfelf when he is unjulfly condemned ? what could engage a prudent man to generofity, and patience under the irremediable load of worldly cares, troubles, difappointments, and vexations? finally, where fhould a fick, dying creature ad- drefs his prayers ? whither mould he look for a little fupport and ailay for his heart-piercing throws and pangs ? and how, with any toler- able view, could he reflect on the king of" ter- E 3 ror'& 70 Memoirs of the Life of ror's approach, and Aide into an abhorred non- entity ; as he muft fancy at bed. But far worfe is the atheift's cafe, if his confcience awakes before he dies ; and he finds, by its cutting laities, and dire forebodings ; by its condemning fentence, and dreadful foretelling the approaching Judgment, and fubfequent burnings ; that his fullen and ob- ftinate incredulity has not annihilated the God of heaven, but only heated the fire of his indignation feven times hotter than otherwife it would have been ; if, I fay, the cafe mould ftand thus with the guilty wretch, where now is the confidence with which he dared the Almighty ? what will .all his fenfual pleafures now confer to his comfort and fatisfaction, and his jolly company, the clubs of debauchees ; how will they be able to adminifter one dram of confolation in his greateft need ? re- ferable, thrice miferable man ! thus to have, by thy own obftinacy and infidelity, precluded all hope from thyfelf at thy latter end ! thus to have been with- out God all thy life, but only to be thy torment at thy dying minute ! fo to have fpent that life, which might have been improved into never-fading plea- fures in heaven, as to have precipitated thyfelf headlong into thofe flames which have been thy fport and paftime, and now like to prey upon thee to all eternity ! wretch that thou waft ! for a wan- ton, vile, contradictious humour; for a few fade- ing, withering, beaftly pleafures; for a not con- fiderable time of licentioufnefs and uncleannefs, of fin and profanenefs ; for the fake of fome bafe, hectoring, damning companions ; to have denied and provoked that infinite Being, which would have been thy fupport and protector, thy hope and fatisfaction, thy comforter and benefactor, and to have rendered him bound in juftice to make good his infupportable threats in thy everlafling perdition ! this, this is the fad and deplorable cafe of Mr. William Whiflon. 71 of an atheift awakened juft as the pit of hell is opening its mouth to receive him ; not to men- tion all the fecret flings and goads of his con- fidence in an affliction, or in a fober interval ; the meannefs and pufillanimity his atheifm betrays him into ; the voice of nature, and the fears and mif- givings, left at laft he mould be miftaken, and fo be loft irrecoverably. This is the way of them that forget God, and endeavour to root out the belief of the being of their own omnipotent Creator, from the minds of men : and fuch are the wages of their daring fin, and hectoring profanenefs. O my foul, come not thou into their fecrets ; enter not into their fociety here, as ever thou defireft not to enjoy it hereafter. The condition of the fpeculative atheift, as is defcribed before, one would think were as bad, as miferable as is any way pof- fible to fancy. But yet the worfe half is yet to come ; the folly of the former is notorious , but confider awhile, and you will fee the practical atheift is the greater fool, and more inexcufable, and fo, perhaps, muft abide a greater punifhment in hell. The other had fo much cunning as to fee the belief of a God would be a fevere reftraint to his jollities, and put a ftop to his career of fenfu- ality : he forefaw his confcience, if trufted with a belief of the almighty power and unrelenting jus- tice, would be always an impertinent, troubi'efome interrupter of his unhallowed mirth, and give him now and then a fevere reprimand for his unreafon- able vices. Therefore he craftily undermines the root, and aims at the extirpation of that Being which he could not love, and imitate, and was loath to fear and dread. At lead providing, as well as he could, for a prefent enjoyment of fin, if he fail of avoiding its punifhment hereafter. But the man before us, the practical atheift, fcorns to trouble himfelf with fo prevailing a belief, contents E 4 himli.!: 72 Memoirs of the Life of himfelf with following his fwing of luft at a ven- ture, and refolves (vivens videnfque pereo) let what will be the ifiue of it, he will have his vices , and, though his life be fhort, the devil fhall have as much of it as he can give him : come what will, he refolves not to be a renegado, or turncoat; and though hell be the end of his Journey, he con- fefics, he finding much company in the road, is fixed to go with them, and fliift hereafter as well as he can. He dares heaven, and openly in the face of God blafphemes him by his actions, and feems fearful of nothing, but left he fhould be a fmali fin- ner, and fo mould have but final] torment in the other world. His confeience tells him of his duty and obligations to God ; of his breaches of the divine law ; warns him of the feverity of abuied patience, and affronted omnipotence; prefents to him the jaws of hell gaping to receive him, and fets before his eyes the miferies of an everlafting hell, which muft foon be his portion, without timely and ferious repentance. Yet all this not- withstanding, the hardened wretch flops his ears, runs to his companions, and fo, with new fins, takes away the remembrance of the former. But, O molt miferable man ! what doft thou do ? with whom doft thou contend ? with the eternal God. What joys doft thou lofe ? pure and never-failing at God's right-hand for evermore. What tor- ments doft thou run ftrait into? endiefs, eafelefs, and remedilefs. And who can abide devouring fire? who can dwell with everlaftins; burnings? conhder a little with thyfelf the joys which thou now haft will be gone, and the torments prefenr, what wilt thou then do? or to whom wilt thou flee for help and fuccour? no one can be ab!e to give thee any comfort or releafe, but that M;jefty whom thou art rendering inexorable; and who is trealurir.g up wrath againft the day of his righ- teous Mr. William Whifton. 7$ teous judgment, to pour down on thy head, and confume thee with a never-dying death. What wilt thou do on a death- bed, when all thy friends cannot help thee, and the phyfician gives thee over for incurable? and how inexcufable wilt thou be at the great day, when the doom which then will be pronounced has been thy free choice, and uncom- pelled election : depart thou cuffed into everlafi- ingfire, prepared for the devil and his angels ; into outer darknefs, where is weeping and gnrfhing of teeth, for evermore \ where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. O my foul ! envy thou not the finners, and choofe none of their ways ; for their fteps lead to deftruc- tion, and the chambers of death. If thefe are the paths, luch the folly, and madnefs, and punifhmenc of finners, and atheiftical perfons, good Lord deliver me from them. Deliver me not into the bitter pains of eternal death ! let my flelh tremble for fear of thee, and make me fo afraid of thy judgments, as to work out my falvation with fear and trembling, as to go through any the mod irkfome and tedious duties of religion, rather than thus to fall into the hands of the living and incenfed God ; who is a confuming fire, and can deftroy both foul and body in hell. Through Jefus Chrijl, our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen ! X. On occafwn of Mr. HolIisV death, July 15, 1691. and my being chofe Fellow the next day. SAD and miferable is their end, who have lived without God in the world. Deplorable is their cafe, who never laid up a good foundation againft the time to come, that they might lay hold on eter- nal life. Affrighting is the approach of death in any fhape ; but when it comes on a fudden, in the mid it 74 Memoirs of the Life of midft of jollity and drinking, debauchery and merry company, and on a fudden fcizes the tremb- ling finner, and in a very little time hurries him out of this world ; how much more terrible muft it be ! to be hurried from the noife and huzza' s of a jolly afllgnation to the judgment-feat of Chrift ; from bowls of wine to the wrathful tribunal of an offended God ; from finful time to a miferoble eternity ; is an amazing fcene of horror and aflonifhment, not to be mentioned without conster- nation, nor thought of without a groan, nor re- membered without commiferating tears. Were death nothing but the meer leaving thofe pleafures, and being for ever deprived of thofe bewitching paftimes, it might torment the man with the thoughts of it : how much more when it is the departing from that life to another ; from a care- lefs world to a ftrict judgment ; and, to ill men, from vain jollities to intolerable torments. This profpect of death fhould fpoil the mirth of fecure finners, and dull all their jovial affignations , fhould, like the hand-writing on the wall to Bel/hazzar, make their joints tremble, and their knees fmite one againft another. One would think it im- pofiible for any man of reafon to be fo fatally befool'd and fafcinated with the charms of fin, as not to be awakened with the daily fpectacles of mortality before his eyes , and rouzed out of his lethargy and ftupidity by that doleful knell which fhews his fellow-chriftian to be newly launched into the ocean of eternity. One would think each fu- neral fermon (which, if any thing can, will affect men) fhould convert multitudes , and that, as Solo- mon fays, Tbofe that go to the houfe of mourning Jhculd lay it to heart, Ecclef. vii. 2. But, alas ! daily examples of carelefnefs and unconcernednefs about thefe things, too plainly prove that nothing can affect a hardened finner 3 nothing can make him ferious j Mr. William Whifton. 7$ ferious , no, not his neareft relation's death before his eyes ; thofe who will not be wrought on by the word of God, are not often truly converted by the molt aftonifhing accident, not would be perfwaded though one role from the dead. Men are a little ftartled at the news of a friend's death, and the lofs of an old companion ; and for a few hours perhaps have ferious thoughts and refolutions. But then the reft of the club foon drive away fuch melancholy whimfies, and the bottle is an infalli- ble cordial, and comfortable diverfion from thofe importunate and unwelcome reflections of their own confciences, which, if followed on, might have made them happy for ever. Lord, let me in health ferve thee, that thou mayft be with me in ficknefs, and at the hour of death. And let me not one moment remain in a condition, in which, if death does furprize me, I am for ever miferable. Let me live the life of the righteous, that fo I may die his death -, and that my laft end, how fudden, or in what manner foever, may be like his, fafe, fecure, peaceable, and full of a joyful hope of a glorious immortality. Amen. This fudden providence, and furprizing acci- dent of Mr. Hollis's death, (who was meruy enough but a week before at the commencement) feems providentially difpofed for my warning and cau- tion, juft upon my advancement to a fellowship ; not to be proud and conceited, forgetful ol God, and unmindful of eternity : and may be looked on as an awakening memento of mortality , than which there is not a more powerful argument to all diligence, lbbriety, watchfulnefs, and piety, while we have our lives continued to us. And, O that this, as well as other examples of mortality, may have their due influence on us all ! in parti- cular, may Mr. Hol/is's end effectually work upon all the members of this college, and make them more y& Memoirs of the Life of more cautious of fpending their time, more care- ful left their hearts be overcharged with forfeiting or drunkennefs, and fo the day of death overtake them unawares. May it be long confidered and reflected on, till it puts them all upon a ferious con- fideration of their duties, and make them all an- fwer the end of their maintenance in college, by conftantly endeavouring, by their learning and re- ligion, to fet forth God's glory, and let forward the falvation of all men. And thofe who are de- figned for the facred function, may they labour to iave their own fouls, and the fouls of thofe that hear them. As to my own advancement, I have reafon to thank God, and acknowledge my friends kindnefs to me, who have, without the leait recom- mendation from any other friend, by their fuf- frages obtained this place for me. And I fincerely beg of the divine Majefty, that as he has hitherto fhewn a very tender, fatherly care over me, as to fpiritual and temporal concerns, for which I ought never to forget to blefs and adore his holy name , and by his providence and fpirit has guided me, and kept me hitherto ; fo that, he would itill go on to do me good, and to perfect that which concerns me, and not forfake the work of his own hands : that he would keep me from evil, and in his fear continually, that I may not grow cold in, or back- flide from any part of my chriftian duty, but grow in grace, and in that practical knowledge or his will, as may influence ail my thoughts, pailions, de- fires, refolutions and actions. That I may be faith- ful to the' death, that fo I may at length receive a crown of life. Amen ! Amen ! Bleffed Father ! N. B. It will not be much out of the order of time, if I here fubjoin that Sermon, or Common- Place, as we ordinarily call luch performances in colleges, at the commemoration of our benefactors at Clare- Mr. William Whifton. 77 Clare-Hall, preached December 17, 1698, it being fhort, and mitable to the occafion, and giving ac- cidental hints at fome irregularities of our college at that time, which may fupply in part the lofs of that fore- mentioned paper, Emendanda in Col- legio. Clare- *?8 Mynoiri of the Life of Clare- Hall, Decemb. 17, 1698. Deu T. vi. 10, II, 12. It Jhall be when the Lord thy God Jhall give thee great and goodly cities which thou buildeft not ; and houfes full of all good things which thou filledft not 5 and wells dig- ged which thou diggedft^ot -, vineyards and olive-trees which thou plantedji not-, when thoujhalt have eaten and be full ; then be- ware left thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt. THESE words are part of a ferious exhorta- tion of the great legiflator of the Jews to that people, after their deliverance out of Egypt, and before their admifiion into the land of Ca- naan. In which he takes occafion to remind them not only of the great obligations to the worfhip of the God of Ifrael, their great benefactor, from the confideration of his miraculous deliverance of them from the Egyptian bondage already paft ; but farther afTures them, that the fame obligation would be mightily increafed hereafter ; and that the plentiful provifion he would make for them, at the coft and pains of their enemies, and the conveniences and advantages his providence would fecure to them, without their own care or trou- ble, ought to be looked on as the greateft tye pofiible to their duty and obedience. As if Mo- fis had faid, Almighty God, by the continuance or that merciful courie of his gracious providence, which Mr. William Whifton. J which he has already begun, and out of his ten- der care of you, his chofen people, will in a fhort time compleat your deliverance, and fettle you with peace and fecurity, with plenty and abun- dance, in the Land of Promife. He will, in a lit- tle while, blefs you, who have hitherto endured the inconveniences of a wildernefs, and of a wander- ing and uncertain ftate, with cities and houfes of your own -, and thofe great and goodly, well fur- nifhed and adorned : he will blefs you alfo with wells of water for your neceflities, and with wine and oil for your pleafure and entertainment : In fhort, he will make every way fuch plenty and abundance round about you, that it will be in your power to enjoy all the pleafures of affluence, and all the delicacies and fatisfactions of a wealthy and an eafy ftate of life. This will foon be your con- dition after you arrive at the land of Canaan : but when this is your cafe, be not like ungrateful Je- Jhuriin, who waxed fat and kicked ; who for fo ok God that made him, and lightly efieemed the rock of his fahation, Deut. xxxii. 15. Remember who it is to whom all the happinefs is owing, and that every blefTing you receive from God is to be re- turned back in gratitude and obedience. Confider the ends and intentions of all the divine good- nefs to you ; to lead you to repentance ; to en- courage your religious fervices ; to take off from you the burdens of poverty, and the diffractions and interruptions of want, in order to your en- joying more time, and employing with greater alacrity more of your fpare hours in the offices of his worfhip. Do not forget when you reflect upon your brave cities, your fine houfes, your handfome furniture, your conveniences for plea- fure, as well as necefferics for life, that all thefe advantages were not originally your own, nor from yourfelves j were not the product of your own Bo Memoirs of the Life of own induftry or diligence, but the proper gifts of Almighty God, and the fole effects of his goodnefs and love to you. When you think up- on your cities or your houfes, remember withal they were not of your own building, nor enlarged and furnilhed at your own coft , but by thsfe ene- mies whom the power of God alone has difpof- fefied for you. Whenever you make ufe of the water of your wells, or of the wine and oil of your plantations, confider it was others that digged the former, and planted the latter ; and that it is only the title of God's donation by which you claim a right to any of thefe things. Beware therefore left you, who are but tenants or flew- ards, behave yourfelves as if you were lords and pofleflbrs. Take heed left that abundant provifion the divine bounty has made for you, have fo fatal and mifchievous an effect as to encourage your floth, your luxury, your pride, and your irreli- gion. Then above all times, beware left thou for- get the Lord; left thou be unmindful of the rock that begat thee, and forgetteji the God that formed thee, Deut. xxxii. 18. In thefe words therefore we may obferve how much Almighty God expects from thofe who are plentifully provided for by his providence ; and particularly from thofe who are taken care of by fuch means as themfelves could not have any hand in, but accrue to them from the labours and wealth of others, without any pains and toil of their own in the acquifition , which, by the blef- fing of God, and the liberality of thofe our pious and generous founders and benefactors, whom we are now met thankfully to commemorate, is our cafe at prefent ; and will therefore be a fubject very fuitable for our meditations at this time. The obfervation therefore which the words of the text afford us, if we confider them with a peculiar regard Mr. William Whiflon; 8x regard to our own circumftances, and as appro- priated to our prefent bufinefs is this : that [the plentiful provifion which is in this place made for us, and] the great advantages we reap by the liberality of our benefactors to us, lays a mighty obligation upon us to obedience to that God,whofe providence by fuch methods takes care of us ; and to a careful anfwering the pious intentions of thofe who aimed at the glory of God, and the good of men, and not our bare private maintenance in thofe endow- ments they have fettled upon us. In difcourfing upon which, I fhall (i.) enquire whence, and from what heads this obligation arifes. (2.) What our principal obligations themfelves are, or to what duties and offices we are in particular obliged by the enjoyment of thefe advantages. (1.) 1 am to enquire whence, or from what heads our obligation in the prefent cafe does arife. And I think, I need not go farther in fearch after thefe points, than thofe three obvious particulars which immediately prefent themfelves to our confidera- tion. (1.) This obligation arifes from ftridt and abfolute juftice. (2.) From that branch of juftice which ties us to veracity, and the performance of our promifes. (5J From gratitude, and the fenfe of favours bellowed upon us. I. This obligation arifes from ftrict and abfolute juftice. For we ought not to think, that the great advantages we here enjoy belong to us as an eflate of inheritance belongs to the immediate heir : fo that without any more ado, we may efteem them our own, and behave ourfelves under them as we pleafe. But we are to look upon them as beftowed upon us conditionally, and with at lead a tacit agreement and covenant, that our true right and property fhall depend on our good behaviour, and on our faithful performance oi thofe duties and F offices, 82 Memoirs of the Life of offices, whether of piety or charity, which foch generous endowments were defigned to promote. As it is in all our worldly pofleffions with regard to Almighty God , fo is it, in fome meafure, in our collegiate enjoyments, with regard to our foun- ders and benefactors. For as our title to this world's goods, when confidered with refpect to other men, is by no means founded on our good- nefs and virtue ; and fo is intirely valid in human judicatures, be our morals never fo bad, and our lives never fo fcandalous ; tho' at the fame time we are but ftewards under the great poffeffor of heaven and earth, and muft be accountable to him for the abufe of all thofe things, whofe abfo- Jute title and property he ever referved to him- felf. So in the cafe before us, we may have fo juft and legal a right to the advantages belonging to a collegiate fcciety, that none can, or ought to dif- poffeis us , while at the fame time we may be fo little careful of our duties here, and fo little anfwer the main ends and intentions of our foundation, (in view of fecuring which thefe endowments were made, and which are a tacit condition implied in the very nature of the donation itfelf) that we may juftly be called to account hereafter for our unjuft. intrufion ; or, at lead, unworthy mifmanagement and abufe of fb great, and fo well- defigned bene- factions. If we be willing to enjoy the benefits, we ought never to think ourfelves excufed from the duties of a college. And I cannot tell whether we ought in juftice, and with a fafe confcience, to reap the advantages, if we be not careful to difcharge the offices, and perform the truit belonging to thofe, by the exprefs will of the donors, who are intitled to them. I am fure it will deferve every one of our fober confederations, how hard it will lie upon us at the lad day, if we have, for a long time, ventured to live upon the profits of a learned and Mr. William Whiftori. %\ and religious foundation, and all the while have had no regard to thofe great ends and conditions annexed to them , and what we mail be able to plead in our own behalf, if, inftead of purfuing with all iincerity the glory of God, the advancement of learning and religion, the difpofing ourfelves for the fervice of (Thrift's church, and the doing good to the fouls of men (which our very acceptance of thefe benefits implies our obligation to) we make no other ufe of them, than to live an eafy and plea- furable life ; and to privilege ourfelves from the? bufinefs and offices, whether of piety or humanity, which otherwife in the world we mould be unable fo readily to avoid. And if the mere omifljon of our duty, and the fingle unprofitabler.efs of our lives here be fo criminal, and fo perilous, how much more fo mull be the pofuive abufe of our plenty' and leifure ; the actual difcouraging of virtue or learning ; the affording real examples of intem- perance, profanenefs, lewdnefs, or debauchery ; and thereby doing all we can to hinder and prevent thofe pious intentions of our religious founders and benefactors, which we ought, with all our might, to promote in the world ? Such as thefe are fo far from having a proper right and title to what they have from thefe charitable foundations, that, if thole who fettled them could be fuppofed capable of re- viewing the fad mif-employment of their dona- tions, they would be under a temptation of repent- ing of the whole benefaction, upon the account of thofe abufes in fome parts thereof-, and would be ready to ufe the mod violent means to free their endowments from fuch ungrateful and unjuft usur- pers, who fhould fo wretchedly pervert their pious defign, as to lead men down to the chambers of fin and death, by thofe very means, which were fitted and intended for the promoting of mens holinefs here, and happinefs hereafter. V 2 II. This 84 Memoirs of the Life of II. This obligation is alfo founded on that part of juftice which requires veracity, and the perfor- mance of our promifes. All we, who, in the moft peculiar fenfe, are members of this collegiate fo- ciety, have folemnly engaged ourfelves at our ad- miftion thereinto, to obferve the pious rules and ftatutes of our foundations; and do our utmoft alio to induce all others of our body to obferve the fame. And tho' the change of times and circumftances may fometimes make it lefs necef- fary to urge the actual obfervance of the letter of every ancient conftitution , yet the main defign of the foundation itfelf, and all thofe rules and fla- tutes which really tend to promote the fame, I mean, all which are necelTary or ufeful for the peace, the difcipline, the fobriety, and diligence of the members of the fociety ; or, in fhort, are proper to encourage the good, and difcourage the bad ; to advance true religion, and difcountenance ungod- linefs and impiety amongft us : all thefe rules and ftatutes, I fay, we are to obferve inviolably ; or elfe we muft needs incur the heinous fin of perjury : and be not only unjuft intruders into others pof- feflions, but perfidious and forfworn peribns alfo. And tho* this obligation does chiefly belong to thofe who are molt ftrictly members, and have by their own voluntary engagement and oath parti- cularly bound themfelves to the rules and ftatutes of the fociety , yet even thofe others, who are members in a lefs degree, ought not to think them- felves, even on this account, wholly free and at liberty ; the very defire and acceptance of ad- mifTion into a fociety, which is known to be under certain laws and inftitutions, being a tacit agree- ment to them, and implying fome kind of promife of the obfervation of the fame. So that upon the whole, no one among us can intirely be difengaged, even Mr. William Whifton. 0*5 even in point of veracity and faithfulnefs to his promifes, from obeying the pious rules of our fociety, from the endeavouring with all zeal and fincerity to promote the great ends of this, and all other fuch like religious and charitable founda- tions, the advancement of virtue, learning, and true religion in the world. III. This obligation is alfo founded upon grati- tude, or the fenfe of favours bellowed upon us. And this particular, to be fure, reaches every one of us, and ought to fecure our univerfal compliance to all that is good and ufeful in this fociety, of which we are members ; and that whether we re- gard thofe generous founders and benefactors, by whofe immediate bounty we are maintained, or whether we go a ftep farther, and have refpect to the providence of God ; which 'is the ultimate fource and original of all our bleflings. And fure, in the firft place, if we go no farther than our im- mediate founders and benefactors, we have fuch mighty obligations to them, as mould be abundantly fufficient, even tho' they had only defired, and not at all commanded any of thofe duties which are proper in fuch focieties ; according to all the rules of generofity and good-nature, to fecure their performance. If we had been only told by their lad wills and teftaments, that they, out of a fenfe of God's mercy, in bellowing this world's goods upon them, and for the continual advancement of the chriflian religion, and promoting of all thofe fciences, thofe offices, that virtuous behaviour, and unblameable converfation, which mould mod adorn and advance the fame ; and particularly, in order to the Uriel: and regular, the fober, pious, fludious, and religious education of thofe who might afterwards enter upon the mod facred func- tion of the miniftry, and become learned and ex- F 3 emplary 86 Memoirs of the Life, of emplary preachers of the gofpel, that they, for thefe great and noble ends and pu,rpofes, did be-. queath fuch large portions of their eftates for a col- legiate foundation ; conjuring all thofe who mould in future ages, to the end of the world, be par-? takers of the benefits of their endowments, that, without any other force or tie upon them, as eve? they had any fenfe of gratitude to themfelves, and inclination to fulfil the laft requefts and dying words of their benefactors, they would ftrictly and conftandy perform the duties of their places, and anfwer the ends of their infticution. [Nay* as ever they hoped to fee them with alacrity and comfort at the laft day,] If, I fay, we had no other obligations laid upon us, than fuch parting defires of our founders and benefactors (which are no other than the juft conftruction, if not fometimes alfo the proper fenfe of thofe writings, thofe wills and teftaments, by which our colleges were fet- tled and eftablifhed for us) we muft forfeit our pre- tence to all that is humane, if we reject thefe obli- gations of gratitude, and can refolve to behave ourfclves flil!, as if we owed no acknowledgments to them. And mall even the mofb preffing and af- fectionate intreaties of our belt and mod generous benefactors, have no manner of influence upon us 5 even when they importune us only to take care of our duty, and {o, by confequence, to fecure our prefent and our future happinefs ! But if this part of gratitude, which regards men, and thofe who arc the bare inftruments of our bleflings, fhould be too weak to affect us ; yet fure the other part, which regards Almighty God, the fountain and origin of all our enjoyments, will prove ftronger, and engage us effectually to a ready return of duty and obedience, in confederation of his peculiar bounty to us, and that plentiful provifion he has made for us in this place. We, indeed, can only fee the Mr. William Whifton. 8? the external means which confer thefe benefits upon us-, but cannot fo readily obferve that invifible hand, which fecretly, but moil properly, orders and dif- pofes of all events, and beftows the good things of this life on whomlbever ic pleafeth. It was the complaint of God, by his prophet Ho- fea, Ch. ii. 8, 9, 12. concerning the people of Jfrael in their plentiful flate, that they did not take notice of his iecret providence and bounty in that affluence they enjoyed, nor ufe it to his iervice as they ought to have done , and threatens, that, to convince them of their ingrateful and wicked mif- take, he would take it away from them. She did not know that 1 gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multi-plied her filver and gold : therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof; and my wine in the feafon thereof ; and will recover my wool and my flax, and will deftroy her vines and her fig-trees. And the like complaint, I am afraid, the Almighty may but too juftly take up againft the preient, as well as the pad generations; nay, againft: us in particular, who in this place enjoy i'o many of his bleffings, and are fo abundantly pro- vided for by his gracious providence over us. And I wifli we may every one be tor the future fo deeply fenfible of the divine Goodnefs to us, in thefe our great advantages here, that eafe and lecurity ; that maintenance and leifure -, that freedom from the cares and troubles of lire; that happy opportunity of an ingenious and learned education, 'as may hi fome good meafure correfpond to the proportion of God's mercies, and oblige us to fiiew our grateful refentment of them, not only with our lips, but in our lives , not only with verbal praifes and acknow- ledgments, which yet are very fit and luitable in our cafe ; but with a great zeal for God's honour, with a fervent endeavour of doing good in our places, with a hearty dedication of our time and F 4 lives 88 Memoir i of the Life of lives to the fervice of our Saviour ; and, in one word, with leading a godly, a righteous, and a fober life, both during our flay here, and in our future behaviour in the world : which are the bed expreflions of our thankfulnefs to God ; the beft returns to the kindnefs of our benefactors ; and will yield us the greateft comfort both now in our own mind, and at the laft day of account. Which brings me to the lid general head of my difcourfe, which is to enquire what our principal obligations themfelves are ; or to what duties and offices we are in par- ticular obliged by the enjoyment of thefe advan- tages of our religious foundations. And here, be- caufe the time will by no means give me leave to be at all large, 1 fhall confine myfelf to a few parti- culars ; and only take occafion to recommend to your practice three things, the obfervance of which will be of fpecial advantage in a collegiate fociety, and will, in great part, fecure the main defigns of thefe charitable endowments. And thofe three things I fhall pitch upon fhall, agreeably to the known divifion of our duty to God, toourfelves, and to our neighbours, be (i.) The confhnt attendance upon the worfhip of God in this place. (2.) A ft rift temperance and fobriety towards ourfelves. (3.) A diligent im- provement of ourfelves in learning for the advan- tage of others. (1.) We, who by the good providence of God are here fo plentifully maintained, and fccured from the cares and bufincfs of the world, are under a mighty obligation to a conftant and fcrious atten- dance upon the worfhip of God in this place. This is one of the principal defigns of all retired and monaftic focieties, and was undoubtedly a main part of the intentions of our religious founders, that Mr. William Whifton. 89 that being fequeftered from the common toils and anxieties of life, we mould, with lefs interruption and diftraction, every day apply ourfelves to devotion ; that we mould continually own the di- vine providence, and implore its blefiings on our ftudies and enquiries 3 that we mould begin and end every day with the more immediate fervice of God, and attain, by degrees, that devout and heavenly temper of mind, which may direct all our ftudies to the fervice of religion, and devote even our profane learning to the miniftry of the altar. And it will be worthy our care to provide, that, while we are labouring to improve ourfelves in human fciences, we at the fame time may not neglect what is of much greater importance, I mean, that heavenly-mindednefs, devotion, refig- nation to the will, and dependance upon the goodnefs of the Almighty : In fhort, that divine nature, and god-like difpofition of foul, which is the perfection of the chriltian life here on earth, and will make us meet to be partakers of the in- heritance of the faints in light hereafter in heaven. And give me leave in this place to fay, that as this conftant and ferious attendance upon the publick prayers, is a duty incumbent upon all who are, in any degree, members of our fociety , lb is it moft efpecially fo, of thofe who enjoy the greateft advantages, and have the principal fhare in the government of the fame. It is an obfervation that is fornetimes made, (and I fear me is not al- ways without truth ,) that thofe who enjoy lefs of the advantages, and fo are, on that account, un- der fmaller ties to our daily morning and even- ing facrifice of prayer, are yet, by fome motives or other prevailed upon to a more conftant and un- interrupted attendance on the fame, than, perhaps, fome of thofe whofe years and confideration, to fay nothing of any other motives, ought to prevail upon qp Memoirs of the Life of upon them to fet a better example, and take a better care of the conftancy of their devotions. Nay, I doubt fome have been fo ready to betray the imperfection of their religion in this point, that they have chofe that very time for the flackening their attendance on thefe daily prayers, when, by their ad million to the higheft benefits and advan- tages of the fociety, they were under a new and ftricter obligation to a greater conftancy ; and when their example and authority was likely to have a greater influence on the reft of the college. Which obfervations, if in any cafe true, are fo fhameful, that a juft indignation will not permit me to wave the taking notice of them. And I wifh that all future obfervations may fhew, that every one concerned is fo conltant, as well as ferious, in the worfhip of God in this place, that no one may be able to make any reflections of this nature ; but that all of us, from the higheft to the loweft, as far as our health, pur age, and our neceffary engagements will allow, may meet unanimouQy together, and join univerfally, with one heart and one voice, in the prayers and praifes which are here offered to the Almighty : it being not fit for us to expect, that our inferiors mould be by us obliged to a conftant attendance on thole prayers, which we ourfelves but rarely frequent ; and our loeiety never to be fo properly filled a religious one, as when equal numbers appear in the chapel at their devotion, as do the like in the college upon the other occafions of life. But (2.) befides devotion towards God, we of thefe collegiate focieties are under the higheft obligations to temperance and lobricty towards ourielves. And, indeed, this is a duty that has a very necefiary dependance on the nature ol our foundations ; which are no other than thofe of charity. And lure it is the grolleft piece of abuie of Mr. William Whifton. 91 of the charity of our founders, to fpend in ex- travagancies that allowance, which was only in- tended for the relief of our neceffities, and the affidance of our learning. But to wave that con- sideration, there is another, which ought to have the greateft influence upon lis in this cafe; and it is this : that nothing has more contributed to the difnonour of our way of education here , to the reproach of the bed of churches ; and to the ren- dring its clergy contemptible, and their labours unfuccelsful *, and to the increafing the unreason- able divifions and Separations in this kingdom, than the general opinion of the too free and loofe courfe of life which fome amongft us, and that without any effectual difcouragement, are fup- pofed to lead. How far this opinion or prejudice taken up againft us is falfe, or at lead aggravated by our enemies, as is too ufual in all fuch cafes, I mall not now enquire. But I Shall only fay, God fend our future reformation in this point, (of fo vaft importance to the well-being of our whole community, nay, of the whole church of England,) may be remarkable enough to filence even our Sharped enemies ; and may every one of us in par- ticular, who either have already, or are here de- Signing to take upon us the holy office of the mi- nidry, be fo far from any indances of rioting, or excefs, that, with the bleffed apodle St. Paul, we may be temperate in all things-, and be on the other fide difpofed to beat under our bodies, and bring thenr into Subjection , led, when we have preached to others, we ouriclves Should at lad be- come cadaways. 1 Cor. ix. 25, 27. (3.) Ladly, we, who enjoy the advantages of theie generous foundations, are under a mighty obligation, not only to devotion towards God, and fobntty towards ourfelves, but alio to diligence in our dudies and learning, in order to the ad- vantage 92 Memoirs of the Life of vantage of others. Since the extraordinary effu- fions of the gifts of the bleffed fpirit are ceafed in the church, thofe qualifications which are proper. to fit us for the understanding the holy fcriptures, for the propagation of chriftianity, for the con-* verfion of infidels, for the edification of believers, and for the maintenance of true religion in the world, are to be acquired, under the divine blef- fing, by our own labour and diligence; by con- ftant ftudy and application. And this acquifition of folid and ufeful learning was generally one prin- cipal intention in all the collegiate foundations of the chriftian world, as well as of ours in particu- lar. So that a diligent purfuit of ufeful know- ledge, and found learning, mud needs be one of the great duties which is incumbent on us all in this place ; and which no fecurity of a perpetual provifion ought to excufe us from, nor any ability of living without the dependance on learning for our fubfiftence, ought to difcourage us in. Let us all then, upon the confideration of the bounty of our benefactors, and that plentiful provifion of books, the instruments of learning, as well as of a liberal maintenance, without our own folicitude about it, which is the great encouragement to the fame; let us, I fay, look upon ourfelves obliged both to a conftant application to our (ludies-, and, by all proper means, to the affiftance and encou- ragement of thofe who do fo likewife. That being the true welfare and happinefs of a fociety for learning, when all the primary members of it do not only apply themfelves to the improvement of their own, knowledge, but do all they can, that thofe, and only thofe, who, to their piety and good morals, have added diligence in their ftudies, and made the belt progrefs in learning, may have encouragement and advancement in the fociety : and when defert and preferment conftantly accom- pany Mr. William Whifton." 93 pany one another in a college, then and only then, do we intirely fecure the ends of a collegiate body, and take an effectual care that the fame mall be iecur'd for the future generations alfo. To con- clude, God grant, that we may lead fuch piou9 and devout, fuch temperate and fober, fuch dili- gent and ftudious lives, in this religious fociety, inftituted by our generous and bountiful bene- factors, whom we are now to commemorate, that we may bring glory to God, and fecure our own and others everlafting falvation, in the great day of the Lord Jefus. To whom, &c. But to go on now with my other materials. In the year 1692, Dr. Bentky preached Mr. Boyle' 's lectures ; which, indeed, were the firft that were preached , and, perhaps, are the mod valu- able of all that great critick's performances. Herein he demonft rated the Being and providence of God, from Sir Jfaac Newton's wonderful difcoveries, to fuch a degree of fatisfaction, as to the fcepticks or infidels themfelves, that he informed me him- felf, of a club of fuch people, who had heard his fermons, and were afked by a friend of his, at his defire, What they had to fay againft them ? they honeftly owned, they did not know what to fay. But added withal, what is this to the fable of Jefus Chrift ? Which made him fay, that he doubted he had done harm to chriftianity by thofe fermons ; as occafioning thefe fcepticks or infidels to divert from their denial of a God and a provi- dence, from which they might be always driven with- great eafe, to the picking up objections againft the bible in genera! ; which would certainly afford them a much larger field for contradiction. But this has been already related in my agronomical principles of religion, page 243. Very foon after the preaching of thefe fermons it was, that Dr. Bent ley t as he inlormed me him- 94 Mmoirs of the Life $? lelf, went to bifhop Lloyd* of whom he had then the greateft opinion, both as to his fkiil in chro- nology and the fcriptures, and particularly in the fcripture-prophefies; and this, in order to fee, whe- ther it might not be fit for him to infert fome of his predictions from thofe prophefies into a preface to thofe fermons ; that upon their completion they might be of fervice to chriftianity ; upon fome of which prophefies he alfo himfelf preached part of his fecond year's fermons , as his relation, who Is now in pofiefiion of thofe fermons, as well as another friend of mine who heard fome of them, have informed me , though he never printed them ; the reafon of which will appear by what follows. For, upon his application to the bifhop, and the bifhop's frank and open anfwers, he was fo far from being fatisfied, that he immediately began to fuppofe, that his difappointment arofe from the facred books of Daniel and the Revelation them- felves, and not only from his own, or the bifhop's mifunderftanding them. He was offended, that the bifhop underftood a day in the prophefies to de- note a year in their completion , as all expofitors had done before him, and as the ancient language of prophefy plainly imply'd. [See EJfay on the Revelation, 2d Edition, page 5 18.] Nay, fo greatly was he offended at this interpretation, that he long afterward bluntly afked Sir Ifaac Newton himfelf (with whom I had brought him acquainted about A. D. 1696.) who thus expounded the pro- phefies alfo, whether he could demonjlrate the fame. Sir Ifaac Newton was fo greatly offended at this, as invidioufiy alluding to his being a mathematician ; which fcience was not concerned in this matter; that he would not fee him, as Dr. Bentley told me him- felf, for a twelvemonth afterward. Nay, ib far did he carry this matter, as to perfuade the learned Mr. Daubuz, though in the way of banter only, but fuch Mr. William Whiftoiu 95 f\ich a banter as Mr. Baubuz did not perceive, that he ought to demonftrate this expofition, not a po- fteriori only, as did others ; but a priori alfo ; which he injudicioufly attempted to do, in the pre- face to his Expofition of the Apocalypfe -, which ex- pofition yet, on account of the great critical faga- city of its author therein mewed, Dr. Bently had in high efteem. He pretended alfo, that there had never been a verfion of Daniel made by the Septua- gint interpreters ; which yet is notorioufly known to have been feveral times quoted by the moft ancient fathers ; altho' this was afterwards banilhed out of the church, by Tbeodotion's verfion. Nay, when Dr. Bentley was courting his lady, who was a moft excellent chriftian woman, he had like to have loft her, by ftarting to her an objection againft the book of Daniel^ as if its author, in de- fcribing Nebuchadnezzar's image of gold, Daniel vi. to be 60 cubits high, and but 6 cubits broad, knew no better, than that mens height were jo times their breadth, whereas it is well known to be not more than 6 times. Which made the good lady weep. While the ftatue, with a pedeftal, might eafily be 10 times high, even fuppofing it were a figure of a man ; which yet is not at all in the text. It might be an idol Handing on the top of a pillar \ as there is, I remember, one in old Perfepolis, as the cuts of it in one of our latter tra- vellers demonftrates. He aimed alfo to pick a quarrel with fome fmall niceties in Daniel's chronology s and fuppofed the book to have been written after the time of Onias, the high pried -, and that this Onias was Daniel's. Mejfiab ; and the (laughter of this Onias at/Intiocb was the cutting off the Meffiah. Dan. ix. 26. 2 Maccabees ii. 34, 35. In flhort, he was very defirous to get clear ot the authority of the book of Daniel. Yet, when he was put in mind how our blciled Saviour exprclly quoted this book, as 9$ Memoirs of the Life tf as written by Daniel the prophet himfelf, Matt, xxiv 9. Mar. xiii. 14. Luke xxi. 20 ; he toid Dr. Clarke, from whom I had it, that at firft this made his Hairs ft and an End: but that at laft he preten- ded that was done only ad hominem, as we fpeak ; or by way of condefcenfion to the Jewijb prejudices. He alfo tried to run down the Apocalypfe, as not written by the apoftle John; tho* I told him it agreed to his own character of St. John's ftile, which he had obferved to have much fewer particles of connection, fuch as v, Je, yap x. t. X. than the other evangelifts. He alfo talked ludicroufly of this author's heads and horns. And he alio tried to find fome perfons or times to which the author might allude ; as he had fancied of Onias for Daniel. However, he confeffed, that he had not then been able to do it, but hoped he fhould find it fome other time. Thefe accounts 1 had from his own mouth. But what he faid of Ifaiah's naming Cyrus fo long before he was born, viz. that he fuppofed it an interpolation, I had at fecond-hand from a learned bifhop: But it fo exactly agrees with what I had from his own mouth, concerning Daniel and the Jpocalypfe, that I have no doubt of the truth of it. Nor need any one hereafter wonder at Dr. Bentley's Scepticifm, as to both the Old and New Teftament. But take notice, that I only fay Scepticifm, not Infi- delity. For I take the evidence for the truth of the Bible to be fo prodigioufly ftrong, in all original authors, that no perfons, fo learned as Dr. Ber.tley and Dr. Hare, can, I believe, by any temptation, proceed further than Scepticifm : How much farther foever comparatively ignorant and unlearned writers, I mean, fuch as Collins, Tindal, Toland, Morgan, and Chubb, may have proceeded in their groffer degrees of infidelity. As to Dr. Bentley's grand difpute with Mr. Boyle, and his learned triends at Oxford, about the Mr. William Whiftoru g ? the epiftles of Phalaris, which was elteemed then fo important, that the great bifliop Lloyd was drawn into the chronological part of it ; and which then made a mighty noife in the world ; I cannot but wonder, that any ferious clergymen fhould fatisfy themfelves to divert from their facred employment, and enter into fuch ufelefs and trifling fpeculations. Laymen, I allow it, may divert themfelves as well with fuch literary amufements, as with hunting, or hawking : but for clergymen, who are to give themfelves wholly to facred matters, i JV. iv. 15. To avoid foolijh and unlearned queflions, knowing that they do gender Jlrifes. 2 Tim. ii. 23. How they can fatisfy their confeiences in fo doing, if they be in earnejl in their religion, is hard, exceeding hard, to fay. If any wonder, that I added Dr. Hare to Dr. Bent- ley, as a kind of fceptick, I mail give my reafons for fo doing. Tho' when I firfl: published my EJfay on the Revelation, Dr. Hare greatly attended to it (which eflay had alfo preferved a courtier, a friend of mine, from infidelity for a great while ; and which, among other books upon the prophecies, had in- tirely recovered the late lord Abercom, a confider- able member of the Royal Society, from his fcep- ticifm or infidelity , as he fully owned to me him- fclf long before his death :) yet did Dr. Hare fo accuftom himfelf to talk ludicroufly of facred mat- ters; (which Mr. Rundle greatly complained of to me, when I firfl: introduced him to Dr. Cannon and his acquaintance.) He was for laying wagers about the fulfilling of fcripturc- prophecies, in the fame ludicrous way : nay, when he wrote about the difficulties and difcouragements to the fludy of the fcriprures, he could not forbear doing it after a ludicrous manner, tho' he firmed then to mean it very honclfly : he was greatly fimiiiar with Dr. Cannon, one of the greateft fecpticks that ever v. as G bom. 98 Memoirs of the Life of born. He put fuch a flight upon our mod au- thentick hiftorian Jofephus, in the preface to his pfalms, which hardly any but fuch fcepticks ever do. Nay, he once blabb'd out to me, that grand fecret which I fuppofe Dr. Cannon had afTerted : v iz. that " He feared Chrift and his apoftles were *' fo weak, as to depend on the double fenfe of " prophecies for the truth of chriftianity :" fuch as Grotius, and all our late modern commentators admit of ; and which even fuch ftill later learned men as bifhop Chandler, and Dr. Clarke, made ufe ofi till 1, upon Sir Ifaac Newton**, original iuggeftion, (hewed them the contrary. It now fully appearing, that fuch foolifh expofitions were fo far from being ufed in the firft or fecond cen- turies, that they are no older than the fourth , and were indeed mainly introduced by the learned Je- rome, in order to apologize for fome knavifh quo- tations of his out of his Hebrew copies. [See Sacred Hijtory of the New Teftament, page 334, 235.] And I well remember, that when I once told Dr. Hare, that I feared Dr. Cannon had made him a fceptick, his reply was, That he was not fo great a fceptick as Dr. Cannon. No, faid I, you are a better lcholar: for as Dr. Cannon thought mathe- maticks themfc-lves, with Sir Ifaac Newton's phi- lofophy built thereon, to be uncertain, as being no mathematician himfelf; Dr. Hare being a pretty good mathematician, could not go fo great a length with him. But as for Dr. Cannon, he was fo tho- rough a fceptick in religion, that had not my lord Townpend prevailed with him to the contrary, he was once refolved to have caft off his gown and cafTock ; and refund to have allowed himfelf to be a clergyman any longer , ytt would he join with the church in figning the thirty nine articles, without believing them, as legal qualifications for preferment only, and join with the Athanafian creed itfelf Mr. William Whiftori. 99 itfelf in the cathedral at Ely, at a time when I was there and refufed it. I afked him, How one that believed fo very little could join in a thing fo ab- furd ; his anfwcr was, What is one maris meat, is another man's pot fin. He alfo told Mr. Jackfin> that if he were at Paris, he would declare himfelf a roman catholick ; and if he were at Constantinople^ he would declare himfelf a mujfulman, as taking religion to be an engine to promote peace in this world, rather than happinefs in the next. He was ready to wonder at Mr. Jack/on for believing St. Paul before himfelf, when they were of contrary fentimcnts. So great an opinion had he of his own fagacity. Yet, when he car/ie to write a fmall pamphlet about the convocation, of which he was a member, it appeared to be a very contemptible performance : which opinion of mine, when 1 plainly told him, he had little to fay in his own juftification. Only fo much juftice I muft do him, that, when bifhop Trimnell, my old intimate friend, and Dr. Cannon, with whom I had long had great acquain- tance, and from their natural tempers, I thought the former would endeavour to lave me from publick cenfure and punifhment, when I was per- secuted ; and the latter would be feverer upon me; the reverfe proved true. Nor could bifhop Trim- nell, the grofTeft tritheift that I ever knew, bear one that was fuppofed to be an Ariau, notwithftand- ing the latter doctrines were very ftrongly fupported, and the former utterly condemned by all chriftian antiquity. Soon after archbifhop Tillot fin's death, 1694, died that molt excellent lady queen Mary. Bifhop Eurnet, in the hiftory of his own times, lays, th^c 4t king IVilUam then turned himfelf much to the " meditations of religion, and to fecret prayer : " that the new archbifhop (Ten: fin) was often and " long with him j and that he entered into fo- G 2 " lemn j oo Memoirs of the Life of " lemn and ferious refolutions of becoming in all tl things an exact and an exemplary chnftian." But he gives no particular inftance of fuch folemn and ferious refolutions. I can give a remarkable one, that tends greatly to the honour of both the king and the archbifhop, which I had then from my patron bifhop Moor ; who was one of thofe forrowful company of bifhops, of whom bifhop- Burnet fpeaks a little before, who attended her in her receiving her laft communion. It was this , there was~ a court lady, the lady Fillers, with whom it was well known king William had been too familiar, and had given her great endow- ments. Upon the queen's death, the new arch- bifliop, whether as defiied by the queen before her death, or of his own voluntary motion, I do not know -, took the freedom, after his lofs of fo ex- cellent a wife, to reprefent to him, the great inju- ry he had done that excellent wife by his adultery with the lady Fillers. The king took it well, and did not deny his crime, but faithfully promifed the archbifliop he would have no more to do with her. Which refolution I believe he kept i I having heard another way that this lady wondred Ihe could never fee that king after the queen's death. Now for an atteftation to this hiftory, the bifhop added, that the archbifhop's fermon con- cerning holy refolution, which was preach'd in the king's lodgings at Kenfington, before he appeared publickly, was defign'd particularly to confirm him in that refolution of never feeing her more : It is in print , and, to an attentive reader, upon this key, will appear to agree very well with the foregoing circumftances. But having now mentioned two fuch eminent and learned men, as Dr. Bentley and Dr. Hare^ it will not be amifs to relate what hand they had in fome great affairs of learning in their time, wherein Mr. William Whrfton. 101 wherein I was alfo deeply concerned myfelf, and particularly with relation to the apcftolical confti- tutions, by me firft introduced to publick notice ; and to the harmony of the four evangelifts, by me a Jittle earlier determined to include above four years. As to the former, the apoftolical con- stitutions, when Dr. Bentley, was about to peruie them, upon my firft proving them to be ge- nuine, he pretended to me, that he would cut the grafs from under my feet , as his expreffion was, and prove them to be fpurious : I reply M, mailer, you will not write againlt me upon that head ; for when you examine them you will find them to be genu- ine. Accordingly, when he had, in fome meafure, examined them, he gave this for his opinion ; that fome things in them he could correct as a cri- tick ; but that for other parts, they were ab ultima antiquitate. Nor did Dr. Hare (who had procured for Dr. Grabe and me, the collation of two Vienna MSS. of the conftitutions, by that very good man Mr. Anderfon, then our ambaflfador's chaplain at Vienna, and afterwards rector of Lutterworth ; and one who feemed ftill to fuppofe them genuine :) nor did Dr. Hare, I fay, appear to me ever to deny their being fo , altho* neither were Dr. Bentley, nor Dr. Hare firm believers enough, nor ferious enough in chriftianity, to hazard any thing in this world, for their reception. And as to the latter, the har- mony of the four evangeiifls, Dr. Bentley had ^f old revived, from his own perufal of Matthew, M x whom I have heard fpeak of it with concern. This no- tion, I fay, came firft from Dr. Bentley, to Dr. Hare x and from him to his pupil, Mr. Nicolas Mann, now mafter of the Charter- Houfe ; who being unacquainted whence it came, till I informed him of it j but a per- G 3 ion 102 Memoirs of the .L(fe of fon of very good learning, and fagacity, managed the hypothefis fo well, that I once told the bifhop of Durham, he had demonitrated an impoftibility, as well as an impofiibility could be demonftrated. And which yet I throughly confuted from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, as well as John, afterward. See that confutation at the end of my VI. Differ tations, page 347 355, of which hereafter. Dr. Hare alfo, about the end of queen Anne's reign, wrote a mod remarkable paper, that fold greatly, intituled ** The difficulties and difcouragements which at- " tend the ftudy of the fcriptures, in the way of pri- 4< vate judgment. In order to (hew, that fmce fuch " a ftudy of the fcriptures is mens indifpenfible du- " ty, it concerns all chriftian focieties to remove (as " much as poffible) thofe difcouragements". This was done in fuch a feeming ludicrous way, that the convocation fell upon him, as if he were really againft the fludy of the fcriptures. And he finding this paper rather an hindrance to the preferment he foon after was feeking for, aimed to conceal his being the author, which yet every body was fa- tisfied he really was. I mention that pamphkt in this account of my own life particularly, becaufe he there introduces me, as well as Dr. Clark, and gives both our characters. Mine is in the words following, at large. u There are, fays this author, two clergymen of * the town, who have ftudied themfelves into Ih- (l refy, or at leaft into a fufpicion of it. Both of iC them men of fair, unblcmifhed characters. One c has all his life been cultivating piety and virtue, " and good learning-, rigidly conftant himfelf in ; the publick and private duties of religion ; and *' always promoting in others virtue, and fuch * c learning as he thought would conduce moft to * c the honour of God, by manifefting the greatnefs " and wifdom of his works. He has given the tC world Mr. William Whiilon. 103 world fufficient proofs that he has not mifpenc " his time, by very ufeful works of philofopby, and mathematicksy he has apply'd one to the expli- cation of the other \ and endeavour*d, by both, to difplay the glory of the great Creator : and to his fludy of nature, he early joined the ftudy of the fcriptures; and his attempts, whatever the fuccefs be, were at leaft well meant ; and, i confidering the difficulty of the fubjects he was c < engaged in, it muft be allowed, that, in the main, they are well aimed \ and if he has not ' fucceeded, no more have others who have med- died with the fame fubjects j nor is he more to be blamed than they. To be blamed did I fay ? I " mould have faid, not lefs to be commended: for " fure 'tis a commendable defign to explain fcripture- c difficulties, and to remove the objections of pro- tC fane men, by (hewing there is nothing in the M facred writings but what is true and rational. 4< But what does a life thus fpent avail? To ' what purpofe fo many watchful nights and but it being from peribns al- together 122 Memoirs of the Life of together unacquainted with you, I thought it the part of a friend not to give credit to it ; and there- fore did endeavour to quafh that kind of difcourfe, and alledg'd, what I thought rendered it impro- bable : but cafually meeting with a common friend of ours, I was fore'd to believe, what was fo much againft my inclination. I need not apologize to you, that I ufe this liberty of writing to you upon that fubjeel:. It is the part of friends to deal freely with one another ; and, efpecially, when any thing is obferved, that allays the pleafant remembrance of former converfation. If I mould urge you with the circumftances which the unhappy notions you have lately enter- tained are like to bring you into, I could not pro- mife myfelf that it would have any great influence upon you : for a generous mind will not be fwayed thereby, contrary to its own apprehenfions. Leav- ing then the confederation of worldly emoluments, which, tho' they may excite us to caution and de- liberation, yet ought not to rule us, let me mind you of what I always judged to be your great aim and defign, the doing good in the world : which, I conceive, will be much prejudiced thereby : and of this we on our fide have had a very melancholy initance, in a perfon of great accomplifhments for fervice, but now by fuch notions become wholly ufe- lefs ; [I fuppofs he meant my great friend Mr. Tbo. Emlyn\ and it really grieves me to think, how much people will be prejudiced againft your other writings, and particularly thofe on the Apocalypfe, by this means. Bear with the freedom of a friend, who loves you as a brother. It is really amazing to me, that you mould ever fall in with the Unitarians \ I mould have thought you were moll effectually fecured againft danger from that corner, by that one no- tion, which you formerly entertained, and which I think Dr, Sect has well eftablilhed : that the God of Jjraely Mr. William Whifton. 123 Ifraek of whom fo many and great things are fpoken in the Old 'teftament, is no other than the XoFog, wno afterward became incarnate : I cannot apprehend how an Unitarian can hold this , and it is plain that thofe, who in thefe later ages have op- pofed the deity of Chrift, have much infilled upon our producing fuch great things fpoken of Chrift, as are in the Old Tejlament fpoken of the God of Ijrael', wherein they have, in my apprehenfions, betrayed their own weaknefs. But you, my dear friend, that have been throughly convinced of that truth, let me afk you, how have you got off it ? or, how can you make it confift with your prefent fcheme ? I understand you lay great ftrefs upon the fathers of the two firft centuries ; but why fliould you leave the fure rule for a fallible one ? I own a deference due to them , but it ftems un- reasonable to me, to form our notions firlf. from them, and then to drain the fcriptures to fpeak their fenfe. Not that I think they favour your caufe. I think it a plain end^ that, as all the chriftian churches in the world do now, fo they did then worfhip the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I will mention two places in Juftin Martyr's Apo- logy, both to the fame purpofe, but the one clear- ing the other from the popifh glofs that would elta- blifli the worlhipping of angels. In the third page of his fecond Apology we have thefe words, as an account of all chriltians. Ilium (Patron) ipfiufq; Filium venientem et nos et exercitum bonorum angelorum fui fequacium et /milium docentem, et [pint urn propheticum adoramus et coliw.us. About two pages atter he exprefly fays, they wovfhipped the Father in the rirft, the Son in the fecond, and the fpirit of Prophecy in the third place. Now in my apprehenfion, this declaration of the object of worfhip has great weigh:, and is of much greater lorce than any pafiages which may feem rather to exprefs 124 Memoirs of the Life of cxprefs the author's peculiar fentiment : for if this were the conftant and univcrfal practice of chrift- ians, what could it be built upon, but fuch prin- ciples as are held by the defenders of this blefifed trinity? I think I could eafily, produce a great deal more from the moft ancient writers ; but I have exceeded the bounds of a letter* already : I fhall therefore break qff, when I have added, that it is my moft earned defire that God would lead us, and all his people, into all truth. I am, Tour affectionate Friend and Servant, J. Peirce. Pardon my furmize, that you did not firfl: ground your notions on the holy fcriptures : I think it is not without foundation , for while I liv'd near you, no man fludied the fcriptures more, and no man freer from thofe apprehenfions. This makes me judge that fomewhat elfe gave the firffc turn, which, in my judgment, was not iufficient. But obferve that the fame Mr. Peirce had be- fore fhewed himfeif to me as a like zealous Atba- nafian in the year 1706. For when he perufed my Effay on the Revelation in MS. and found that I had in general affirmed, that our Saviour did not know fome, divine myfteries, and particularly the time for the day of judgment, till after his death and refurrection, in a plain way, without the ad- dition of the ufual words in bis Human Nature, he would have no nay, but I muft add thofe words : wfiich I then did, by his over perfualion, againfl my own judgment. But fince I have feen full reafon to omit them, as he did himfeif afterward. Even fomewhat after this time, he was fo ftanch an Atbanafian, that when at my recommendation he had read over that ancient and eminent book, No- vatian Mr. William Whifton. 125 Dalian D. Trinitate, and acknowledged, it favoured the fame Eufebians or Unitarians, yet did he hold fail his Athanafian doctrine ftill. However, when the fame Mr. Peirce came to London, foon after I had publifhed my four volumes, which was in 1 7 1 1 ; he met me, accidentally, at Mr. Bateman's, the bookfeller's (hop, in Pater-nojier-row. I aflked him whether he was reading my volumes? he con- fefifed he was not ; and began to make fome excufes > why he was not bound to read them. Upon this I fpoke with great vehemence to him ; " That a per- *' fon of his learning, and acquaintance with me, " while I had publilhed things of fuch great corrfe- ' quence, would never be abletoanfwer his refufal " to read them to God and his own confcience." This moved him. He bought my books immedi- ately, and read them, and was convinced by them to become an Unitarian, or Eufebian, as I was, and was perfecuted for the fame by the Dijfenters, as I was by the church of England afterward. In the year 1 709, I printed Sermons and Ejfays upon fever al Subjects. (1.) On the penitent thief. (2.) The peculiar excellency of the chriftian reli- gion. (3.) The antiquity of the chriftian covenant, [which two laft give, I think, more light to iome difputes now on foot about Mofes's law, and his omifiion of the fanftions of the rewards and punifhments of the next world, in his legis- lation, than all that has been of late written upon that argument.] '4.) Againft the fleep of the foul. (5.) Charity-fchools recommended. This is the fame fermon that was preached at Trinity- Church, January 25th, 1704-5, but now reprinted with the addition of 3 particular account of our charity- lchools in Cambridge, of which already. (6.) U r on 126 Memoirs of the Life of (6) Upon the feveral afcenfions of Chrift. [Re- printed and enlarged.] (7.) Upon the brethren and lifters of Chrift. (8.) Reafon and philofophy no enemies to faith. (9.) On the reftoration of the Jews. (10.) Advice for the ftudy of divinity : with directions for the choice of a fmall theological library. N. B. When I firft wrote the 8th difcourfe here fet down, I pafl*ed by Atherjlon, a market-town in Warwickfhire, where I ftayed all night, with a very, valuable friend of mine, Mr. Shaw, who was then a fchool matter there , and whofe worthy fon was lately his fuccefibr. I left the paper with him for his perufal, that we might difcourfe of it in the morning : when he came to me, with a good deal of furprize, that I therein had declared 1 did not believe the proper eternity of hell tor- ments : which he faid was a fubject he had written upon, for the fatisfaction of a neighbouring gen- tleman, who made the doctrine of their eternity an almofl inkiperable argument againfl the chrif- tian religion. But my friend, faid I, you wrote for that doctrine, I believe, becaufe you thought it was contained in the New Tejlament ; he confefled it was fo ; but Sir, faid I, fuppofe -I can fliew you that this doctrine is not contained in the New Tejlament, will not that alter the cafe ? he confefs'd it would : upon which we got Dr. Hammond** Dif- courfe for that Eternity, with a Greek New Tejla- ment, and the Septuagint for the Old Tejlament : when, in about two hours time, I demonilrated to him, that the words ufed about the duration of thofe torments in the New Tejlament, all over the Septuagint, whence the language of the New Tejla- ment was taken, did no where mean a proper eternity : which he confeiTcd before I left him ; and acknowledged that I had given him a freedom of Mr. William Whifton. 127 of thought in that matter, which he had not before. Of all which matters, fee my own largq: pamphlet upon that fubject ; of which hereafter. I alfo once talked with him about the Athanafian doctrine of the Trinity, and its abfurdity : he told me he had not ventured to think upon that fubject , and whether he afterward ventured to do it, 1 do not know. He was a very considerable man -, and had he not been deprefled by his confinement to the paftoral care, in two fmall neighbouring villages, Badgly and Baxterly, where I ufed fometimes to preach for him, together with the bufinefs of a i'chool; I always thought him capable of being a considerable man in the learned world. N. B. When the 10th difcourfe, or Direftiom for the Study of Divinity, came to be perufed by Mr. Halle t 9 a dififenter, who kept an academy at Exeter, he was prodigioufly pleafed with them, and, with the higheft compliments, defired fome farther directions in that matter; but he withal cautioned me not to direct my anfwer to himfelf ; for, as he intimated to me, " if it were known that he kept " correfpondence with me, he fhould be ruined." Such, it feems, was the zeal of our diffenting bre- thren at that time at Exeter : (of which my old friend Mr. Peine partook plentifully afterward.) However, I having kept a copy of my Reply y I ihall give it the reader prefently, for his own in- ftruction, as it was then written ; tho' fome few things might be full corrected and improved. (11.) To thefe 10 was added at firft Incerti Autloris de regula Fen tat is, five Fidei : Vulgo Novatiani de Trinitale Liber. But fince my learned friend Mr. Jackfon publiGied, 1728, this excellent trea- tife, with very large and ufeful notes, while my edition had no notes at all ; I defire this may bi omitted in all future editions. Camb. 128 Memoirs of the Life of May i, 1 7 10. S I R, THO' I received your very kind letter fome time ago, yet have I not been at fall lei- fure to anfwer it till now. I am very glad that any of my books have given you, or any other honeft chriftian, any light and fatisfaction in your facred enquiries. As I fully and thankfully own the goodnefs of God to me in bleffing my fludies, fo far as any of his facred truths are illuftrated by them ; fo do I heartily defire that all other well dif- pofed perfons, would themfelves go to the fame fountains that I have recommended, and correct any occafional errors and miflakes I may have fallen into in matters of fuch importance. The ancient chriftian doctrine is plainly the fame which the body of the chriftian church, even fo low as the fourth century, maintained againft the Athana- fian herefy ; and which the Athanafians would needs call Arian: without any other juft occafion for fuch a title, but that Die would not defert any chriftian truths, becaufe Arius and his particular followers aflerted them ; nor would fhe perempto- rily condemn the Arians, ftriclly fo called, for fome novel exprefiions, which yet fhe did not approve nor juftify, becaufe fhe was not fully fatisfy'd of their being falfe. As to the method of your fludies, Varenius's Geography will be very proper to be'read for the doctrine of the fphere, and other things, before you come to my AJlronomy. After which, bifhop Beveridge's Chronohgy will be pro- per. After which, archbiihop Ujhcr's Chronology and Annals come in order, with my own Chrono- logy of the Old Tejlament, and Harmony of the Evangelifts. For geography, get the belt fcripture maps by you, particularly that in Lamy, and tra- vel along the fame all the way ; and then alone read the defcription.% and fearch tor the tefti monies, when Mr. William Wbifton." 12$ when you nicely examine that geography *, which will not be neceffary the firft time. You are right as to the bifhop of Worcefter's Bible : 'tis now grown the common Bible in the Jarger editions. As to the method of common-placing in an inter- leav'd or interlin'd Bible, 'tis not difficult. Thus upon Daniel's weeks, Dan. ix. refer to the tenth hy- pothefis of my New Theory, where you have my learned friend Mr. Allirfs proofs, that the old year was 360 days, which year I then thought to be us'd in thofe weeks, and to be the very key of that prophecy. Thus alfo upon Gen. iii. 15. Note all the places whence it appears that the Meffias was to have a mother, but not a father j as I have noted them in my Boyle's Lectures, page 92, 93, A little ufe will make you ready at this way : tho* I myfelf rather wifh I had, than really have purfu'd it all along my ftudies. But if I were to begin again I fhould certainly do it. The original doxo- logy, Glory be to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Ghojl, fcems to mean thus, Glory be now, and ever given to the fupreme God the Father, by the mediation of the Son, and affiftance of the Holy Spirit. I have now anfwer'd your particular queftions, and hope that thefe fmall additions, join'd to my former larger directions, will be of ufe to you in your ftudies, and fufficient to fet you in the right way in general : which, when you have made fome progrefs in, you will be able to be your own guide in fuch matters. As to the dangers and perfections I have expofed myfelf to by my late writings, I knew my duty as a chriftian, and did relblve to hazard all in the world, rather than be unfaithful to the truths of Chrijl, or fuffer the church to be any longer fo grofly imposM upon, as fhe has long been, by the writers of controverfy, and the tyranny of antichrift. Yet, blefTed be I God, i$o Metobirs of the Life of God, I have been all along fo providentially di- rected and preferved in this perilous undertaking, that my loffes have been none at all from the pub- lick, and my dangers foon over : fo that I now efteem thefe facred truths paft danger of being fupprefs'd, and myfelf, in great part, paft the dan- ger of violence on their account. Tho% if God fee fit, ftill farther to try me, his will be done. The dpojlolical Conjiitutions, in Greek and in Eng- lijhy are now in the prefs ; as will my EJfay upon them foon be alfo. But my Account of the Primi- tive Faith will, I hope, come to a publick exami- nation before it is printed. I fuppofe you have feen my imperfect EJfay on the Epiflles of Ignatius, which I am now compleating , and which, if not throughly anfwered, will gain all I contend for; efpecially when the Apojlolical Conjiitutions them- felves, fo undoubtedly fupported by them, appear more commonly among chriftians, and appear to be of equal authority with the four gofpels them- felves, as they really were in all the firft times of the church. I pray God profper your honeit ftudies and endeavours, and make you an ufeful member of his church, and am, Tour very humble Servant, Will. Whiston. About this year, 1 710, Menkenius, a learned man in Germany, wrote to Dr. Fiudfcn, the learned keeper of the Bodleian library at Oxford, to pro- cure him an account of me , vvhofe writings then made, as he faid, a great noife in Germany. Dr. Hudjon employ'd his darling pupil and relation Mr. Fifher, my late very good friend, and very ufeful juftice of peace, at Ihirlby near Bourn, Lin- coi'i/mre, but now dead, to go to my patron bifhop Moor, Mr. William Whifton: fr$f Moor, for a character of me, who, when he had given me a very good one, faid, that "~A very " good man may be miftaken." Mr. Fifher afked his lordlhip, whether he would give him leave to ufe his name for my character: but he was unwilling to it. This account I had from Mr. Ft/her himfelf. Some time in the fummer this year, 1710, or rather the foregoing year, 1 709, it muft have been, when my belt friends began to be greatly affrighted at what they heard I was going about, both as to the Eufebian Dotfrine, which then was univerfally called the Jrian Herejy, which I had embrac*d; and as to the Apoficlical Conjlitutions, which fa- voured that doctrine, and were by me fully afferted to be genuine. Two of them, Dr. Laughton and Mr. Priefiy came together, in a way of kindnefs, to diffuade me from going on, and to reprefent to me the hazards and dangers I mould bring upon my- felf and my family thereby. My reply was quick : " Dr. Laughton and Mr. Prieft, you are my very " good friends, you love me well, and I love " you well ; but as to what I am now about, I " know you are both quite flrangers to thofe mat- " ters, and fo your arguments cannot influence me: " but for myielf, I have ftudied thefe points *' to the bottom, and am throughly fatisfied - K 2 k-mr.U- 15a Memoirs of the Life of lemnly attefted the truth of it, which they well re- membered. So the chriftians carried their caufe intirely , and the toleration which they ftill enjoy at Confiantinople, muft be owing to their fuccefs in this important tryal, with the Sultan's own fubmiffion to their (acred Coran, and ftrict regard to their league. Nor was he able to do more againft the chriftians at this time, than to order the demolition of the generality of the chriftians fine churches there, buiit of ftone , and to oblige them to be content with more humble ones, built of wood. Which decree was not contrary either to the Coran or league. This was executed accordingly. I wifh, heartily wifh, that the mofi Chrijlian and Catholick Kings , with our own Defender of the Faith, may fhew as great a regard to the Bible, as the Sultan did to the Coran. In the year 1710, Oftob. 30, I was banifhed the univerfity of Cambridge , with which feverity, when Mrs. Roberts of Glaifton, afterward reproached Dr. Richardfon, rector of that town, and Matter of Peter-houfe in Cambridge, one of thofe that banifhed me,, he replied, " Of what they did at Cambridge " they were not bound to give an account to any " body." Accordingly no one, that I know of, has ever written in contradiction to my accounts, or in vindication of that banifhment, to this day. In this year 17 10, but before that banifhment, I publifhed Prslelliones Phyftco Mathematics, Canta- brigis, in Scholis publicis habits. Qiiibus Philofphia llluflriffmi Newtoni Mathematica explicatius tradi- lur -, et facilius demonflratur . Comctographia etiam Halieiana Commentariolo illujlratur. In ufum Juven- t litis Academics. Typis Acadcmicis, 8vo prctitun, qs . N. B. Thefe lectures were alfo put into Engi-Jh afterward at London, and publifhed there, under my own review, but corrected by Mr. Cunn. In page 53, 54, of the Latin edition, there was a miftake made in the rule for finding the motion cf Mr. William Whifton. 151 of elaftick bodies after their collifion : which was rectified in the Englijh by Mr. Cunn. N. B. I had been feveral years, before my banifh- ment, a member of that mod valuable fociety, cal- led, The Society for Promoting Chrijlian Knowledge; one of thofe greatly encouraged, if not firft formed, by my old friend Dr. Bray, already mentioned. Now it happened, that from the year 1708, I had gone into deeper enquiries and defigns , no lefs than the difcovery and reftoration of truly Primitive Chriftianity, as our Saviour and his apoftles left ir, without all regard to modern ages : while this fo- ciety thought themfelves only capable of fupporting things as they then flood in the church of England, *by law eftablifhed : I therefore foon found my fre- quenting that fociety any longer, would rather oc- cafion contefts and difputes, than promote chrifti- anity ; would hinder rather than further even thofe really good defigns, as I mould efteem them, of the fociety. Hereupon I thought it beft to with- draw my attendance. And, on December 18, 17 10, I wrote a letter to their fecretary, to be communi- cated to the fociety -, fuch an one as Mr. Nelfon, one of the beft of all our members, as I have been told, greatly approved of. It was inferted into the books of that fociety ; and thence I prefent it to the reader-, having not my fclf found a copy of it among my own papers. It was in thefe words ; directed to Mr. fecretary Newman, who had long been my great friend. Union- Court, 18 Dec. 17 10. 5 I R, TH IS comes to give our fociety, for promot- ing chriftian knowledge, the reafon of my abienting myfelf from their meetings now I am come to refide in town; whereas 1 fo feldom utal K 4 to 152 Memoirs of the Life of to fail them, when I was but occafionally there. I confefs, I am not able to enter into this matter, nor to abfent myfelf from the fociety without fome concern and uneafinefs. I have the fame defigns for advancing true genuine chriftian knowledge and practice that the reft of the fociety have. My heart is entirely with them, in their brave and re- ligious, 2nd charitable and chriftian undertakings. I am ftill as willing and as ready as ever to aflift and encourage, and advife in any of their affairs. I own myfelf to receive no fmall benefit, comfort, and edification myfelf from their fociety ; and I cannot, without unwillingnefs and regret, bear to be excluded or banifhed from them. Yet do I by no means think it prudent in me, confidering the circumftances I am at prefent under, any longer to frequent their meetings, fince there may fuch in- conveniencies thence arife, as may hinder, not only myfelf, but the reft, from doing that good which otherwife might be expected. Infomuch, that the very fame defign of doing good, which prompted the fociety to chule me at rirft, and me to accept the fame, and to frequent their affemblies, feems now to require my abfenting myfelf from them : fo Jong I mean, as the reafons for fuch abfenting fball ftand good ; and till thofe important thing?, I have to propofe to the chriftian world, be fo throughly ex- amined, that I may ftand juftificd before all good men, and they may fee it neceflary to join my defigns with thofe which they are already engnged in, in order to a thorough reformation of the chriftian church, and the haftening the coming of our Saviour's king- dom of peace and holinefs. This, I very believe, will be found neceflary in no very long time. But fince it is not in that ftate at prefent, and fufpicions and jealoufies may eafily rife in the mean time, I do hereby take my leave of the fociety ; begging of God to blcfs them in all their religious undertakings, and Mr. William Whifton. 153 and to open the eyes of the chriftian world, to fee, believe and practice exactly according to the revela- tion by his Son : and offering my hearty fervice to the fociety, and every member of it, in any fuch defigns as in my prefent circumftances I may be afllfting in, in a more private manner; and hoping that Almighty God will, in this matter, accept of my hearty good will for the deed, and not exclude me from all rewards of thofe pious undertakings, which I have hitherto been ready to promote more openly, and which I mall (till be ready to promote by my own private endeavours, good wifhes, and prayers for their fuccefs, and advancement in the world. / am, Sir, the Society's, and Tour moji humble Servant, Will. Whiston. Having juft now mentioned fo excellent a per- fon as Mr. Nelfon, who wrote againft Dr. Clarke, and tranfmitted the folemn thanks of the clergy of the Gallican church to bifhop Bull, for his vindica- tion of the council of Nice, and moderate Athana- Jianifm, when her two mofl learned men, Petavius and Huetius, had, in effect, given it up , I fhall here infert a letter of mine to him, never before printed, upon the fame fubject. Camb. July 31, 17 10. Much honcur'd Sir, I Heartily thank you for your good wifhes and prayers for me ; as foppofing me running into a .dangerous herefy -, and nothing can be more charita- ble or more chriftian than what you do upon that fup- pofition. But fure, good Sir, the opinions I have entertain'd, 154 Memoirs of the Life of entertain'd, after moil frequent and fincere prayers to God for his direction ; after an unbiafs'd and thorough examination of all the facred and authen- tick writers of the firft times; after the hazard of all my hopes and preferment, of my family, nay, of my life itfelf in this world ; after not only, the attainment of full and clear fatisfaction in my own mind, but the affording the fame fa- tisfadtion to fome others, who came with dread and caution every Hep, yet were not able to deny the evidence that J produced ; after not only offering, but earneftly preffing the examination of my pa- pers upon the archbifhops and bifhops, and the univerfity , after having plainly filenc'd the truly learned, fo far that not one of them appears wil- ling to anfwer what I have to fay. After all this, certainly you ought not to write as if I were evi- dently in the wrong ; and that, inftead of any exa- mination, whether it be fo or not, you only would have endeavours us'd for my conviction. 1 am fo well affured that the doctrine, which that body of the chriftian church, which their adverfaries would call Arian, teach, is no other than the plain doctrine of the New leftament, of the apoftolical conftitutions of Ignatius, and all the ancients -, that it is with me a branch of my common chri- flianity : and as to the main, not to be difbeliv'd by me while I am a chriftian. And the evidence I have for what I fay is undeniable: as I am ready to fhew at what time, and before what company, you fhall pleafe to hear it debated. And, good Sir, give me leave to fay, that fuch doctrines as you and bifhop Beveridge do fupport in thefe mat- ters, are no better than the heretical notions which TertuWan and fome of the Montanijls took from elder Hereticks , and which were afterward pro- pagated by thofe ignorant and pernicious Hereticks, Marcellus and Athancfius, contrary to the fenfe of the Mr. William Whifton. 155 the body of the ehriftian church in their times r and which, as improv'd by the later ignorant ages, have come down to our days ; but begins to be feen and rejected by all the moft Jearned and moft im- partial enquirers. Sure, Sir, we are not to believe Myfteries farther than they are a part of the reve- lation of Chrtji ; and fo far I fully believe any that are laid before me. But to believe any on the credit of fuch ignorant forgers as Athanafius, or Vigilius Thapfuanus, you muft excufe me. We are to call no man mafter upon earth ; fince one is our mafter^ even Chrijt. Even an apoftle would not pretend to have dominion over the faith of chriftians\ but ex- actly kept to that which Chriji had deliver*d. Nei- ther they, nor an angel from heaven, could preach any other doclrines of the gofpe I than had been committed to them by Chrifi himfelf, and which now appear in the apoftles conftitutions. And as I am fully fatisfy'd that thofe conftitutions are of equal au- thority with the four gofpels themfelves, and con- tain no other than that faith I contend for, fo do I think you greatly guilty of the neglect of thofe cautions before-mentioned, when you declare fo firm a belief of, and eager concern for fuch doc- trines, as have plainly no foundation in all the ori- ginal books of our religion. I run no hazard as to another world, becaule I keep clofe to that faith and practice which was once delivered to the faint 'r, without fuffering any fynod or human authority to turn me at all out of the way : whereas you ven- ture in the moft facred concerns, to believe and practice as the country and church, wherein you were educated, happen'd to inftruct you, and feem to think it a piece of impiety to do otherwife. I muft confefs, I cannot but wonder at the learned, and efpecially at the clergy ; that when things of that mighty confequence are fo folemnly proposed to their confideration, they generally fatisfy them- felves 156 Memoirs of the Life of fclves to go on year after year, without troubling themlelves about them : nay, they ftill venture to ufe the moft heretical creed that is now extant in the world, I mean that afcrib'd to Athanafius: as if there were no account to be given hereafter, but the authority of the church were fufficient to fet afide that < f our blefled Saviour, and his holy apoftles, and to excufe all fuch antichriftian practices now among us. I heartily wifh that your zeal, integrity, and concern for true religion, might be made an in- ftrument of bringing thefe moft important matters to a fair and publick examination -, for then 1 eafily forefee the confequence. Pure and primitive chrif- tianity muft then obtain : and the conftitutions of Chriji by his apoftles, inftead of human laws and articles, muft be the ftandard of our religious actions, and of our faith alfo. Which that they may foon be, is the earneft endeavour and prayer of, Tour mojl affectionate Servant, Will. Whiston. At the end of the fame year, 1 7 1 o, I firft pub- limed my Hijiorical Preface. It was afterwards improved, and made a real Preface to my four volumes-, which came not out till 1711. It then included, as a firft appendix, an account of my profecution at, and banifhment from the univer- sity of Cambridge. But fince that edition, this laft account was repiinted 1718, with fome addi- tions ; I defire the future editions may be made from that copy. The fame thing is true of that Account of the Convocation' 's Proceedings with rela- tion to me , which, at firft, was publilhed by itlelf, fome confiderable time before the end of the year 171 1. But this having been reprinted, and made 'The Second Appendix to my Hijiorical Preface, when Mr. William Whiflon. 157 when it was become the real Preface to my firft volume, which was publifhed a little before the end of that year, thither I refer the reader. N. B. I alfo read about a year other publick lectures, after thofe before- mentioned, and before my banifhment from the univerfity : which con- tained an account of all the ancient eclipfes of the fun and moon, that have been preferved to us, in the very words of the original hiftorians. A copy of which lectures was repofited in the archives of that univerfity. Which lectures were afterward printed, and ought to be added at the end of fome of the fore- mentioned aftronomical, or phyfico mathematical lectures. The reader is alfo to obferve, that I invented the Copernicus^ an aftronomical inftrumenr, and after- wards publifhed, for the examination of all thofe, and indeed of all the ancient eclipfes, that could pofllbly be feen in any parts of the world, of which we have any ancient hiftories preferv'd, and this with much greater eafe, tho' not with quite the ex- actnefs, than formerly, by the ufual tedious calcula- tions , that fo no hiftorians or chronologers might ever be at a lofs hereafter, for the circumftances of fuch eclipfes as are mentioned by any ancient author whomfoever. Accordingly I calculated by it the eclipfes of the fun and moon for four feveral periods of eclipfes, /'. e. for four i8y. 1 id. yh. 43m. |, at the diltance each from other of 800 years, i. e. for 418 to 400 years before , and 400 to 418, and for 1 200 to 12 1 8 years after the chriftian rera : befides thofe in my own time from 1700 to 1 718. A table ot which eclipfes, 250 in number, I have now by me, not yet publifhed ; but which ought to be added to the future additions of thefe lectures, both in Latin and Engliflj, It j 58 Memoirs of the Life of It muft have been about the year 1 7 1 1, when I was come newly to London^ upon my baniihment from the nniverfity, that Dr Clarke introduced me into the company of the lady Caver ly, in Soho-Square ; whole daughter by her firft hufband, or niece, had been married to bifhop Lloyd's fon ; which occa- /Ioned her acquaintance with that great man, and her (ludying the revelation of St. John, about which fhe was greatly inquifitive. She had now living with her one Sir John Hubern t a fort of a fecond- hand hufband, but fuch an one as neither owned her for his wife, nor gave her his name ; and, in fhort, as I learned afterward, was fufpected to live with her in fornication : however, fhe being a believer, loved to have chriftians of good reputa- tion come and dine with her, fuch as fhe thought Dr. Bradford^ Dr. Clarke, and myfelf ; as Sir John Hubern, being an unbeliever, loved to have perfons like himfelf ; fuch as Mr. Collins, and Dr. Tyndal, and where accordingly we ufed to meet, and to have frequent, but friendly debates, about the truth of the bible and chriftian religion. After fome time, when I was informed of this very fufpicious affair, I was uneafy ; and told Dr. Clarke that he had brought me into a fnare ; and defired him to let me know whether the lady Caver ly and Sir John Hubern were marred or nor ? his account was blind and uncertain : that he fuppofed they had been married fomewhere beyond iea, when fhe met with him in the army, after fome aukwark fort or other; and that they had lived as man and wife ever fince, tho* he would never own her for his wife. This account made me fo uneafy, that I could not go on with my vifits to my own fa- tisfaction, till the matter was better cleared up ; and I defired to know the bottom of it before I proceeded; of which I had a very good opportu- nity foon offered, which 1 took hold 'of immediate- ly : Mr. Willi&n* Whifton. 159 \y : it was this , dining myfelf alone with the la- dy Caverly one Saturday, I happen to fay, that I defign'd the next day to go to Bow Church, of which Dr. Bradford was minifter, and indeed one of the belt of all the London minifters ; to ftay the communion with him. Upon which flie faid, flic would alfo come to the communion with me. Whereupon I went immediately to Dr. Bradford, who knew the report of her living in fornication with Sir John Hubern as well as I, and defired him to deny her the communion upon that report ; and we would then go home with her, and talk with Sir John about it. Dr. Bradford thanked me for my information and advice, and refolved to act accordingly: fo in the morning we both came, as was agreed , and Dr. Bradford told the lady, that upon occafion of this fcandal, he muff refufe her the communion, if (he offered herfelf: upon which (he fell into tears; as earneftly defiring to be owned for Sir John Hubern's wife, but not able to compafs it. After the communion was over, the lady carried us home in her coach, where we found Sir John. I foon broke the matter to him, and told him, that Dr. Bradford had been forced to do an hard thing to the lady Caverly, and to refufe her the communion, becaufe they lived as man and wife, but he did not own her for his wife. I faid, that this behaviour was unjuftifiable, not only upon the foot of chriftianity, but of com- mon morality and humanity while an heathen ought not fo unworthily to expofe the honour of a lady. Sir Jobti, upon this charge, pretended to deny his living with her as man and wife, and made as if he only managed her affairs, as a lawyer, or a friend only. I reply'd, that the lady was there, and knew it to be otherwife , and that it was no doubt but he lived with her as his wife, as much as Dr. Bradford and mvfelf lived with our wives. So he 160 Memoirs of the Life of he found this would not bear : I added, that what- ever imperfection there had been in the manner of their former marriage, Dr. Bradford and myfelf were both clergymen, and would either of us, if he pleafed, marry them publickly again , in which I knew no harm. When he would not agree to that, I ventured to declare my own opinion, that the lady ought to leave him, as the mod unexceptionable way fhe could take in her prefent circumftances. Dr. Bradford was too tender in that matter to agree with me for her leaving him, now they had lived fo long together. Upon which Sir John went his way in great difcontent and uneafinefs, as not liking our freedom with him-, yet too genteel to put any affront upon us. Then it was that Dr. Bradford told the lady, that fince he now faw that fhe could not help herfelf, he would no more refufe her the communion; which was the upfhot of this con- vention; and we went on with our ufual vifits accordingly at her own houfe, till in no long time Sir John died, and what he left her in his will was not left as to his wife, but only as to the lady Ca- verly. In fome time fhe alfo died, after a very long and very tedious Illnefs of a cancer in her breaft, and defired me to attend her and pray with her, with I did. She alfo left my wife 50/. in her will; to her I fay, not to me; who, as fhe fup- pofed, would quickly be in prifon, and ruined for herefy. And lince 1 have laid thus much of good Dr. Bradford^ exerciie of fo much chriftan difci- pline, as is the refufal of the communion for ftrong iufpicion of fornication ; I will give another example of it. When Sir Charles Duncomb was lord- mayor of London^ A. D. 1709, lie was to come, accord- ing to cuftom, to Dr. Bradford at Bow Church, to take the communion : the Dr. heard that he kept an whore in his houfe, and went to him to talk with him about it, and to let him know that he could not Mr. .William Whifton. jf6i not give him the communion-, Sir Charles pvrt a good face upon a bad matter, and pretended to wonder at fo unjuft a-fcandal? and promifed, that he would J take care that no farther occafion mould be given for any fueh fnfpicion. Whereupon, Dr. Bradford gave him the communion that time. But after that, the Dr. heard that Sir Charles did ftil), for certain, retain his old whore: on which account Tie wrote him a letter, that he would no more give him the communion. Thefe inftances of difcipline were fo very right, and chriftian, and yet are fo rare amongft us at this day, and I fo throughly knew them both to be true, that I could not fatisfy myfelf to omit them in this place. The fame year, 171 1, I pubJifhed A reply to Dr. Alix'j remarks on fome places of my booh \ either printed or MSS, with an Appendix; contain- ing (1.) The Preface to the doblrine of the Apo- files. (2.) Propo/itions, containing the Primitive Faith of Chriftians, about the Trinity and Incarna- tion. (3.) A Letter to the mofi Reverend Thomas Lord Archbifhop of Canterbury, Prefident of the Convocation^ 8vo. Price 6 d. Page 4, 5. About the double date of the fir ft prophecy of Ezekiel, in our prefent copies, I have propofed another and a better conjecture in the Effay on the Old Teftament, page 82, 83. And I add h^re, that in all the prophetick books of the Old Tcfiament, we have none, even in our prefent copies, but Ezekiel and Jonah, that begin with and, which naturally implies, that fome other prophecy or pro- phecies originally went before thofe now extant. And that accordingly, we have great reafon to be- lieve, from other ancient teffi monies, that thefe two principally had other predictions, befides thofe that now appear in their prefent copies. See the fore- mentioned EJJ'ay, page ^y, 58, 83, 84. Note alio, that the able nee of the and, in the fecond verfe of L Ezdiel, id Memoirs tf the Life of Ezekiel, is an argument that this verfe might, at firft, well begin chat prophecy. Page io. Concerning the two Oxford MSS. fee Dr. Grabe's eflay upon them , of which prcfently. Page 1 8, 19. Note, that the anfwers to certain objections againft the Apojlolical Conjlitutions here offered, are but imperfect : as to which, more will occur when I come to the third Volume of Primitive Chrijiianity Reviv'd ; and to St. Clement's, and St. Irenaus's Vindications of tbofe Conjlitutions. Page 25, &c. as to the Appendix, the reader may alfo find more fatisfaction in the fame third Volume of Primitive Chrijiianity Reviv'd, page 287, fcfr. Page 36, 37. at the bottom, that claufe in the common copies of the council ot Nice, that this council anathematiz'd thofe who affirmed that Chrift was %\i$-oq created ; and which I both here, and elfewhere, for fome time,, allowed to be genuine, proved afterwards, for certain, to be an interpolation , nay, for certain, an Athanafian interpolation ; nay, with very great probability, an interpolation made by Athanafius himfelf : See my Atbanafius convicled of forgery. Of which hereafter. Soon after this, the fame year, 171 1, I publifhed A Second Reply to Dr. Alix j with two Pojlfcripts , the firft to Mr. Chlfloul; the fecond to the author of Reflections on Mr. Whifton'j Conducl, [Dr. Smallbroke.~\ 8vo. price 6d. Page 15, 16, 17. See, as before, what will be noted upon the third Volume of Primitive Chrif- tianity Reviv'd, and upon St. Clement's and St. Ire- naus's Vindication of the Apojlolical Conjlitutions. Page 37, 38. As to my aifertion concerning the ^rar.fpofitions in St. Matthew's gofpel, here refer'd to , lee what I have in my corrected copy quoted out of Monf. Toinard's Harmony, to the fame pur- pofe, page of this laft Harmony, 108, 109. In Mr, William Whifton. 163 In the fame year, 171 1, I published Remarks on Br. Grabe's EJfay upon two Arabick MSS. But fince both the hiftory of thefe two forts of MSS. as well as what Dr. Grabe and I underftood of them, is much fuller fet down in the third Volume of my Primitive Cbrifiianity Reviv'd, page 525 564. I defire this very imperfect paper may be printed no more. N. B. What I had afferted here, and elfewhere, in my earlier writings, viz. That Eufebius, and the generality of the ancient writers had, in my opinion, copies of the eight books of Apofioli- cal Conjlitutions by them continually ; tho' they thought themfelves obliged to conceal them from the publickj (which lafl thing is yet very clear for the church of Antioch t in St. Ignatius' s epiftles to the Philadelphia, . 8, 9.) and to refer to them in a more obfcure manner, as Apofiolical Didafcaly, or Doclrine, or Apofiolical Preaching, or Apofiolical Tradition, &c. I afterward faw reafon to fufpecl. Nor ami unwilling to grant on the contrary, that al tho' their contents were univerfally owned to be of apof- tolical authority , and that thefe contents were all along tranfmitted down from the firft to the fourth and foil wing centuries, in the feveral churches, by fome authentick method , which things appear to me certain ; yet there is great room to doubt whether that method was the prefervation of intire copies of the books themfelves down, in all or the greateft part of the apoftolical churches, to which they were originally committed by the apoftles, from one ge- neration to another, VI. 14 18. VII. 46. As was the cafe of the publick books of the New- efi anient : or whether thole books were them-_ felves feen by the generality of thofe writers, \v| fo frequently and undeniably bear witnefs to tfiF Contents of them. It indeed appears to me very L 2 evident. m 164 Memoirs of the Life of evident, that they were truly Written by Clement, in the days of the apoftles j who in all copies and verfions attefts them in the 85th canon. See EJfay en the Old Teftament, Appendix. Number II. page 116- 1 $8: That their Contents, are all along as fully attefted to, as are the Contents of the other books of the New teftament, by Clement, Ignatius, Jufttn Martyr, Irenaus Or i gen, &c. See the third Volume of Primitive Chriftianity Revived ; with St. Clement's, [and St. Irenaus's Vindication of them. That 'Irenaus, in his noble fragment, late- ly recovered by Pfaffius, quotes them as a Book or written Record-, tho' as not then commonly known, or read by chriftians. See the laft mentioned pa- per, page 19 26. That Origen alio at laft law them and ufed them as the mod fa'cred conceal- ed record of chriftianity ; and that the author of the Synopfis facra Scripture, contemporary with Origen, as I iuppofe, knew of thefe Clementines, as apocryphal or concealed, but in part infpired books of the New Tejlament. Of both which laft, fee the Collection of Authenthk Records, page 695, and 703 707. That when the churches of Ethio- pia were fettled in the days of Aihanafius, they were then eight books, as they are now, and in the fume order as they are now. See Primitive Chriftianity Revived, vol. III. page 520 564. That when Didymus, or whoever was the author of the -counterfeit works of Dionyfius the Areopa- gite, wrote his books, they were then a book alio, as they now are ; but ftill a book concealed with the biihops, and only epitomiz'd for the ufe of the people. See the fame volume, page 564 580. That when the dilpute happened between the [lurch and the Audians, in the days of Epiphanius, y were a book, frequently acknowledged by 'both parties, to be really apoftolical, and in thofc p^r:s leem to have been a publick book alio. See the Mr, s William Whiilon. 165 the fame volume, page 585 H?(H. That yet it was 150 years or more after that time, before it became a publick book in other parts of the chri- ftian world ; or was freely cited as fuch by any writers now extant : all which appears by the evidence refer'd to. So that the main queftion, with me is plainly this; not whether thefe conftitu- tions be really genuine, canonical, and apojlolical^ which fecms to me perfectly undeniable > but how ic has come to pafs that fuch important records, for certain genuine, canonical, and apcjlolical, fhould be transmitted down, not as a publick record, but rather as private or concealed books of the New Tcjlamcnt. Of which true ftate, of this matter, fee what I have faid in St. Clement's, and St. Irenes' s Vindication of thefe Con/lit utions, page 43 48. and chiefly in the Colleclion of Authentick Records, page 88 92. N. B. It may not be improper to give an ac- count here of a converfation i had with bifhop Burnet, foon after the publication of my four vo- lumes, concerning the third of thofe volumes -, wherein I affcrted and proved thefe conftitutions to be really genuine and apojiolical; Mr. Benjamin Hoad- ley (now bifhop) had informed me, that the bifhop was furprized, that one of my fagacity mould believe fo ; whereupon I waited on the bifhop, and defired to know his reafons againft them : his lordfhip re- plied, that he had fome reafons againit them, but did not now remember them. However, he foon recollected one of thofe reafons, viz. the dry- nefs and dulnefs of the prayers. To which I an- fwered, that his lordfhip greatly furprized me by faying fo : fince I thought all that perilled them al- lowed they were among the belt prayers now in the world. The bifhop laid farther, in excufc for his prefent unacquaintednefs with fuch matters or antiquity, (which Mr. Hcadlcy had hinted to nip L 3 ' -70 1 66 Memoirs of the Life of already,) that 'twas thirty years ago fince he read over the three firft centuries; which well agrees with his notes, which I have by me, on the firft and fecond canons of the apoftles, printed A. D. 1673; and with his fon's account of his life; where he informs us, that for four years and a half at Glafgow, from 1669, to 1673, he, every other Thurfday, " Explained fome portion of the " ritual and constitution of the primitive church ; '* making the apoftolical canons his text, and " reducing every article of practice under the *' head of one of thole canons." N. B. As a Poftfcript to my Account of the Con- vocation's Proceedings, I made this year, 1 7 1 1 , A Reply to the Con/i 'derations on my Hiftorical Preface, written by Dr. Knight, of St. Sepulchre's, a learn- ed and pious man. And to the Premonition to the reader, thereto prefixed, written by the not lefs pious, but much more learned and judicious Dr. Lee, 8vo, price of the whole pamphlet 1 s. The fame year, 1711, a little before the publica- tion of my four volumes, I printed an half meet, intitled, Animadverfions on the New Arian Re- proved, which had been publifhed by Dr. Smallbroke ; it is to be found among my collection of fmall tracks, belonging to my five volumes. Before this year, 171 1, was out, I publifhed my principal work, Primitive Cbrifiianity Revived, in four volumes 8vo. Vol. I. Containing 'The epiftles of Ignatius, both larger and fmaller, in Greek and Englifh. Vol. II. The apoftolical conftitutions, in Greek and Englifh. Vol. III. An cffay on thofe apoftolical conftitutions, to prove them genuine. Vol. IV. An account of the primitive faith, con- cerning the Trinity and Incarnation. Price 1 I. S s Vol. I. Mr. William Whifton. 167 Vol. I. The Epifiles of Ignatius ; bifhop of v#z- tiocb, both larger and fmaller, in Greek and Eng- lijh : With the various Readings from all the MSS. ^divided now into verfes.] To which is prefixed, An Hijiorical Preface, in- cluding the accounts of the univerfity, and convo- cation's proceedings with relation to the author. "With a Supplement and Pojifcript. As alfo, A Preli- minary Dijfertation, proving, that the larger copies of Ignatius'* epiftles are alone genuine: and the fmaller only heretical extracts from them, made in the fourth century. To which preface is prefixed the apologetick of Eunomius intirej m Englijh. N. B. The name of each epiftle is to be added at the top of each page hereafter. Vol. II. The Conftitutions of the Holy Apoftles % by Clement^ in Greek and Englijh : with the vari- ous readings from all the MSS. [divided now into verfes.] N. B. The number of the books is wanting at the top of each page, till the Vllth book : nor are the breadths of the Greek and Englijh columns well adjufted to one another. The Greek being ufual- ly a little too narrow, and the Englijh a little too wide \ which may be prevented, with a little care, in fucceeding editions. N. B. We have in Conjlitutions V. 17. An aftronomical determination of the place of the vernal equinox, when the fecond rule for finding Eajler was promulgated , viz. That it then fell on the 2 2d. of Dyjtrus, or March \ which, within about 134. years, or rather the greater part of them only, determine it to have been about A. D. 135. Which was the firft proper time when this rule could take place, upon the deftruction of the church L 4 ot 1 68 Memoir s of the Life of - of the Jews at Jerufalem, by Adrian , when the equinox was leaving the 23d, and coming upon the 2 2d day of March) as the aftronomical obferva- tions, and tables agree. Now fince the firft rule belonging to the original copies of the Conftitutions, itill preferv'd in Bpiphanius, was tfoXu Trpc-rspov, much ancienter than this fecond rule ; as we learn from Eufebius and Epipbanius ; that firft mle, and the Conftitutions to which it belonged, muft have been much ancienter than A. D. 135, or before the fecond century began. But what ftrongly confirms this rule as really apoftolical, or. rather as really de- riv'd from our Lord himfelf, is the denomination which the learned Anatolius gave it, when, about A. D. 270, he (tiles its contents in the plaineft words poflible, The Lord's own Demonfirations \ tho* none of the translators or criticks durft fo under- ftand them : for had they fo done, they muft have confeffed that the lateft of thefe Conftitutions was not only of apoftolical, but of Divine Autho- rity, in the opinion of Anato'ius. III. An EJfay on the Apoftolical Conftitutions, wherein is proved that they are the mod facred ot the canonical books of the New 'Tejlament. N. B. That in my firft edition of thefe four volumes, I introduced the fourth book of Ejdras, as a fpurious book, written in a fictitious manner, and under the fictitious name of Ezra or Efdras, whereas the honourable Mr. Archibald Camfbel y as he told me himfelf, firft ftarted an opinion, that it was a true genuine prophetick book of the Old Teftament \ and Dr. Lee afterward examined it with the utmoft nicety : and though he could by no means anfwer feveral of the objections made againfc ir, yet, upon the whole, he took it to be ge- nuine, and frequently quoted or alluded to by Chrift and Mr. William Whifton. j6p and his apoftles. Dr. Knight, of St. Sepulchres, his great friend, as I think, believed italfo to be genuine. And when I came myfelfto examine it through- ly, I fatisfied myfelf that fo it was, and anfwered, with great eafe, almoft all the objections made againit it. Dr. Lee not only wrote an intire dhTerta- tion upon it, which is in print , but alfo wrote a mod valuable expofition of its VII. vifions, which I have formerly read in MS. and publifhed my ex- pofition of its Vth vifion, by way of Supplement thereto ; which is contained in my Authentick Re- cords, page 75 88. Note alfo, that the text of this author is to be hereafter publifhed in two Co- lumns, from the vulgar Latin, and from the Ara- bick copies, as it (lands at the end of my fourth Vo- lume, and with the various readings given me, ei- ther by Mr. Crufius, and fet down at the end of the firft volume of thofe Records ; or in my own copy, given me by Mr. Confett, from the Sclavonian edi- tion of this book, according to the vulgar Latin \ the Greek being long ago folt. IV. An account of the Faith of the two fir (i Cen- turies, concerning the ever-blejfed Trinity, and the In' carnation of our Lord ; in the words of the facred and primitive writers themfelves, both in their Ori- ginals, whether Greek or Latin, and in Engiijh. To which is fubjoined, the lecond [or rather the fourth] book of Efdras, both from the common and thzArabick copy, juft now mentioned. In January 171 1- 1 2, I fent the following Letter to the archbifhop of Canterbury, Dr. Tennijon. Lower End of Crofs-ftreet, Hatton- Gardcn, January 9, 1711-12. May it flcafe four G RACE, II lave been fo often and fo certainly informed that your Grace lias not only received feveral very unjuft, falfe, and ill- grounded reports, and ito- rics of late againft me, even as to the honeftyand integrity 170 Memoirs of the Life of integrity of my conduct in feveral matters, but has given fuch credit and encouragement to them, as frequently to fpeak of them with approbation, to my great difad vantage ; nay, to the great difadvan- tage of that facred caufe I am engaged in j and that without being pleafed to afford me any notice of your having received fuch information, or of giving me the opportunity of a vindication, that I can no longer forbear complaining of that and the like hard treatment \ and I humbly beg for the equity and juftice of a hearing in my own defence. I fhall not here mention your grace's kind promife in your letter, that when you faw my fcheme, you would freely and without biafs give me your thoughts of it, which promife has not yet been perform'd ; nor will I complain of the hardlhips which the laft convocation put upon me, nor of the neglect of the publick communication of that letter, which I in- tended for the convocation ; nor of that unfair treatment I have met with in print, from one of your own chaplains ', nor of the fevere ufage I have received from my diocefan, and the rector of the parifh, by not admitting me to the Holy Commu- nion -, nor of the hard meafure I have had both the laft year and this at Cambridge ; becaufe all thefe things, how material foever in themfelves, are ei- ther not intirely owing to your grace, or are fome- what foreign to my prefent defign. But then, al- though I fhail not here complain of thefe things, yet I cannot but complain of thofe other things, in which I think the hardfhipl am under is very great, afreets my reputation very much, and is fo far owing to your grace, that I cannot properly apply myfelf to any one elfe for relief therein. And tho' I own the great diftance there is between your grace's high office and dignity, which you have fo long and fo worthily held in the church, and the mean place and ftate I am in , together with the ^reat duty and obfervance that is owing to that Mr. William Whiflon. 171 that your facred office and dignity, which I am ever mod ready to pay : yet are the primitive truths, and books of our holy religion, of much greater confequence than the reputation and authority of any man whomfoever. In the propofal whereof to the chriftian world, the providence of God has been pleafed to make ufe of me, as an inftrument, and for my faithfulnefs to which truft all this hardfhip has befallen me. I cannot therefore be filent under your Grace's ill opinion and cenfures any longer, without being wanting to my duty. I do therefore hereby humbly beg it as a point of fa- vour, if I may not infill on it as a point of juftice, that I be openly heard before your Grace, and whom elfe you pleafe to choofe to be prefent, as to thefe ftories or informations you have received to my difadvantage. I only hope that I may be al- lowed to bring with me a few friends, as witnefTes on my fide , that any exprefiions I may ufe in my own vindication may not be imputed to me as a crime, and that no informations may be admitted, as foundations for cenfure, but from perfons then to be prefent, or letters with names to them , that fo fuch ftories, as have no authors to fupport them, may be quite difcouraged, and I may have after- ward the better opportunity of fully clearing my reputation to all the world. This is what I cannot but expect from your grace's equity and juftice in the prefent matter. I am, I confefs, not a little fur- priz'd, that a perfon of your grace's fincerity, pru- dence, and experience, mould fo eafily change your opinion of my integrity, as you feem of late to have done ; and that without any other foundation than hearing partial and grofs miftakes, and mifreprefen- taiions of matters of fact, without your once de- firing to know the real truth, and what I had to fay in my own vindication , efpecially when your grace cannot but be fenfible, that in fuch a cafe as mine, the 172 Memoirs of the Life of the like fcandals and falfe reports will of courfe abound every where. Were .thofe reports indeed never, fo true, they would not invalidate my evi- dence, nor render a folemn examination of my Writings unnecefTary. Yet becaufe it is of great confequence, as the prejudices of mankind are, that they fhould be publickly. known to be vain and ground lefs ; and I am fure, that by the affiftance of God, I have all alQng acted fo,fairly, openly, and honeftly in thefe matters, that I fear no examination , I do therefore defire a publick hearing ; being very confident, that whatever fufferings may come on. me as a cbrijiian, I (hall be able to fatisfy your Grace and the world, that they cannot be inflicted on me as an evil-doer. 'Tis very hard, my lord, that be- fore the learned jhave anfwered the evidence I have laid before them, for the authority of thofe facred books and doctrines of our religion which I em- brace, any fhould endeavour to run me down by reproaches, calumnies, violence, and perfecution ; and the hardeft of all, that your grace's character and authority mould be made ufe of for the cre- dit of fuch unjuft reproaches and calumnies, and by confequence at laft, for the encouragement of fuch violence and perfecution alfo. I humbly beg your grace to receive this with your wonted equity and candour, and to believe me to be, with the. greateft fubmiffion and humility, Tour Grace's tnoft obedient Servant^ Will. Whiston. To which I had the following anfwcr from his grace's chaplain, Mr. Benjamin Ibbot, a friend of mine. My Mr. William Whifton; 173 ' Latnbeth-Houfe, Jan. 15, ijil-iz, SIR, . TH E letter you lately fent inclos'd to me, I deliver'd to his grace, and hehasorder'd me to acquaint you with two things. Firft, That the reafon why he formerly abftain'd from writing to you, was his obfervation of the manner of your dealing with others, in publifhing, without leave, what they wrote to you. Secondly, That the reafon why he does now for- bear to correfpond with you, is the unfitneis of it from the nature of your cafe, which forbids him to intermeddle otherwife than in a publick capacity. He is forry that you have written in this letter what is falfe, concerning the laft you fent to him at Lambeth, and which, upon the lean: enquiry, you might have found to be fo ; viz. That he neglected the publick communication of a letter intended for the convocation. I know it was fent over to his grace's fubftitute, as foon as he had receiv'd and read it. It is true, it came to him juft after the bifhops were rifen ; but that happened from your own flownefs in fending of it; and it was not judged of moment enough to be laid before the fynod on the following fynodical day. My lord affures you, that he wiihes you no ill ; but cannot do unfitting things for your fake, and mould rejoice more at your converfion, than your ruin. 1 am, your affectionate friend, end brother, Ben. Ibbot, To 1 74 Memoirs of the Life of To which I replied the next day, January 16, 171 1-12. SIR, 1 Received yours ; and find thereby, that the an- fwering the main defign of my letter is intirely avoided. 1 perceive alfo, that his grace, as well as the reft of the learned, are not willing their pro- per unbiafs'd thoughts mould be known to me and to the world : fo I fhall no longer expect what his grace fo freely promifed me on that head ; tho' he may be allured, that the leaft hints of his defire againft a publication would certainly have prevented any fuch thing ; had thofe his thoughts been never fo freely communicated to me. As to the fal/e- hood of what I faid, that his grace neglected the pub- lick communication of my letter, intended for the convocation, that very account of the matter which you give me proves that it was not falfe : Since I meant by the neglect of that publick communication, that letter was not communicated to the convocation publickly, as it was defigned to have been, in diftinc- tion from any communication to any other perfons. Nor am I any way relieved by faying his grace's fub- fiitute dropt it for private reafons ; fmce he could not have done fo had he had it in charge to do otherwife : nor do I know who was then his grace's fubfittute, to make my complaint to him. And if it came too late the firft day, certainly that was no reafon why it might not have been communicated the nexr, or fome of thofe that followed : if his grace wijhes me no ill, I hope he will pleafe to fhew ir, by Hopping all reports againft my integrity, till that hearing is allowed me, which I infilled on in my laft. And if his grace jbould rejoice more at my ccnverfion than my ruin, I hope he will fhew it in reali- ty hereafter, and put my matters into that way of fair e>:aminaiiGn t which is the only method for my con- Mr. William Whifton, 175 conviction and conversion ; and not that of legal frofetution, which is the only way to my ruin, either in this world or the next ; fince his grace knows, that fuch a legal profecution can have no other ef- fect, than either to expofe me to excommunication and imprifonment, fo as to ruin me and my family in this world ; or, in order to the avoiding thefe temporal penalties, lay me under temptations of prevarication and hypocrify ; and fo can only tend to my utter ruin for ever in the world to come. I do not know that I ever defired his grace to do unfit- ting things on my account, unlefs it be unfit for a judge to hear before fentence, and for a chriftian to examine what comes recommended to him under the facred authority of Chrift and his apoftles. I am, Sir, (with humble duty to his grace.) Tour affectionate h other andfervant, Will. Whiston. To which I never received any anfwer , but only the archbifhop complained to my old patron, bifhop More, how hard my letters were upon him : the reafon of which is very obvious. In February 1711-12, 1 published, in a half fheet, TheSuppofaly or Anew Seheme of Government ; hum- bly offered to publick confideration, by a lover of truth and peace ; which I afterward reprinted, and owned it for mine. It is republished at the end of my Scripture Politicks , of which hereafter. In the fame year, 171 1- 12, that great general, prince Eugene of Savoy, was in England : and bc- caufe I did then, as I do now, interpret the end of the Hour, and Day, and Month, and 2"eur, for the Ottoman deviations, A'oc. ix. 15. to Lave been put by his glorious victory over the Ti 0. S'. or die fucceeding peace of Car- lowitZy 1698. 1 printed a fliort dedication of my firft imperfed: Ejfay on the Revelation of St. J.ohn y and fixed it to the cover of a copy of that Effay, and prefented it to the prince 3 upon which he fent me a prefent of fifteen guineas. The Dedication was thus , , lllujlrijimo Principi Eugenia Sabaudienfi, Vatici- niorum Apocalypticorum Unum, Turcarum Vafla- tionibus finiendis deji inat urn, dudum adimpknti ; Alter um etiam, de'Gallorum imperio fubvertendo, magna exparte, utifpes eft, mox adimpleturo, bunc Libellum fummd qua decet reverentia, dat, die at , confecrat. 8 id. Mart. 1711-12. GuLIELMUS WHIST0N. In April 17 12, I publifhed what had been in part difcovered by Dr. Robert Cannon, and ftill farther improved by my great and learned friend Mr. Rich. Allin, a pamphlet, filled, Athanafius convicled of For- gery. In a letter to Mr. Thirlby, of Jefus College ; in Cambridge, in two meets. But becaufe it was af- terwards twice improv'd, and reprinted ; once in the three Effays, Page 196 203, and again, more compleatly, in the fecond appendix to my Argu- ment \ where was added withal, A Reply to Mr, Thirlby's fecond Defence of Athanafius ; i refer the reader to this laft edition for his fatisfaction. In the fame year, 1712, I publifhed Primitive ChriJliaHity Revived, Volume V. containing, The Re- cognitions of Clement : Or, The Travels of Peter ; in ten Books , done into EnglifJj. As alfo two Ap- pendixes, the one containing, Some obfervations en Dr. Clark' j Scripture Doclrine of the Trinity ; and the other, A farther Account of the convocation" 's and other proceedings with relation to me. Svo. price 5 s. But with the four Volumes, 1 /. 13 s As Mr. William Whifton; %jy As to Ithe Ebionite edition, and interpolations of the catholick edition of thefe Recognitions, fee the Collection of Authentick Records, Appendix VIII. In the fame year, 171 2, I publifhed a fmall pamphlet, entitled, Primitive Infant -Baptifm Re- vi% id: Or, An account of the doclrine and praclice of the two firfi centuries, concerning the Baptifm of Infants, in the words of the facredand primitive writers themfelves, 8vo. to which is to be added, the Memorial for fetting up charity-fchools in Eng- land and Wales, dated June 10, 1610 ; of which already. This treatifeof Infant- Baptifm was after- ward reprinted, without any alterations, and added to the fmall edition of my four volumes. Now the occafion of my difcovery of this antient error, of the baptifm of uncatechiz'd infants, was a queftion put to me by Mr. Shelfwell, when I was preparing to baptize him and a filler of his, who were good chriftians, excepting that they had never been baptiz'd before, whether I mould not think it were better, if baptifm were deferred till after in- ftruction, than ufed before it ? My anfwer was this ; That I muft honeftly confefs, I mould myfelf have thought fo : but that I was no legislator, and fo fubmitted to what I then took to be a law of Chrift. Conftitut. VI. 15. " Do you alfo baptize your *' infants, and bring them up in the nurture and ad- " monition of God ? For, fays he, fuffer the little '* children to come unto me, and forbid them not." When Mr. Shelfwell was gone, I reflected upon what had been faid, and was diflatisHed that 1 had been forced to allow that, in my opinion, this law of Chrift was not fo rigiitas it mould be. Where- upon I immediately fet myfelf to examine, what the New Tefiament and the mod early fathers meant by the words which they ufed, when they fpeak of baptifm of Infants, or Little Children, 1 mean vr-Tioc 6c wai^ix, and which they eileemed not in- M capabl -bk :7 Memoirs of the Life, of capable of that holy ordinance. And I foon dis- covered, that they were only thofe that were capa- ble of catechetick inftruction, but not fit for under- Handing harder matters ; and that none but fuch infants and little children were ever, m the firft and fecond century, made partakers of baptifm. This mod important difcovery I foon communicated to the world, in this paper ; which both bifhop Hoed- ly and Dr. Clarke greatly approved j but hull went on in the ordinary practice, notwithstanding. I fent this paper alfo, by an intimate friend, Mr. Haines, to Sir Ifaac Newton, and defired to know his opinion : the anfwer returned was this, that they both had difcovered the Tame before : nay, I after- ward found that Sir Ifaac Newton was fo hearty for the baptifts, as well as for the Eufebiam or Arians y that he fometimes fufpected thefc two were the twa witnejfes in the Revelation. See Autbent. Rec. pare II. page 1075. I now defire my readers to divert a little from my books of learning, to take my account at large of what highly concerned me and my family, with re- lation to Dr. Thomas Turner's great benefaction to the corporation for relief of poor widows and children of clergymen : which, tho' it were not written and dedicated to the governors and bene- factors of the corporation, 'till May 1 731, when my family was in diftrefs ; yet does it really belong to this year 1712, when I fent the letter therein contained to Dr. Turner. Mr. Mr. William Whiftosu ty$ Mr. Whifton'j Account of Part of Dr. Thomas Turner'j great Eenefaclwn to the Corporation for the Relief of poor Widows and Children of Clergymen j Humbly dedicated to the Governors and Eenefaclors of that Corporation. IT cannot be unknown to many of this fociety, that Dr. Thomas Turner, brother to Dr. Francis Turner, late bifhop. of Ely, continued prefident of Corpus Cbrijli College in Oxford, a place of about 3CQ /. per Annum, for about 12 years : that he con- tinued alfo rector of Tharfield y near Royjion \ a liv- ing of near 300 /. per Annum, for about the fame twelve years: and that he continued alfo preben- dary of Ely -, which prebend was worth about 1 20 /. per Annum, for the fame time, I mean all thefe af- ter the impofition of the abjuration oath, A. D. 1702. It cannot alfo but be well known" to this fociety in general, that the fame Dr. 'Turner gave to them by will, not much !efs than 20,000/. as the infcription on his noble monument, at Nine Churches, Northampton/hire, which I myfelfhave feen, fully informs us. But then, by what means, upon what occafion, and by whole lofs he came to die poifefs'd of fuch good preferments, and was able to become ib great a benefactor to the fociety, I fuppofe, but very few of its members do at all know , nor do they probably in the leaft imagine that one, comparatively fo poor and fo low in the world as my felf, has been in no fmall meafure, the perfon who occafion'd and enabled him to be fo great a benefactor : which yet is the certain truth , although I have not hitherto infilled on any equitable right for my family on that account : nur indeed had I now done it, had I not been M z con- i8o >M*moirs of the Life of conftrained by almoft a conftant feries of difap- pointments elfewhcre, in providing a competent maintenance for fome of them , yet is it by no means improper forme to addrefs myfelf on behalf of my children to this fociety ; which was infti- tuted for the widows and children of clergymen only ; becaufe they all bear the neareft relation to the clergy; and are both by the father's and mo- ther's fide, the children, the grand children, and the great grand children of Clergymen ; if that may deferve any consideration with this fociety. Be pleafed therefore to know, that upon the im- pofition of the Abjuration Oath, A. D. 1702, to be taken by all in church preferments, by Aug. 1, on penalty of voiding all fuch preferments, Dr. Turner went down from London to Oxford, July 28th, with a refohtion not to take the oath, but to quit all his preferments : that the A. B. of Canter- bury, Dr. 'Tennifon, thereupon wrote immediate word of fuch his refolution, to the Bp. of Ely, Dr. Patrick -, that fo he might have time to think of a proper fucceflbr to hisprebend of Ely : that Bp. Patrick did, in the mod kind, but unexpected man- ner, immediately, with his own hand, write to me to Cambridge, to come to Ely, to take that pre- bend : and that accordingly 1 did then go to Ely, with a full expectation of returning back a prebenda- ry of that church. But as foon as I came thither, I met the bifhop with a fecond letter to me in his hand upon that fubjccl: , which letter will fully prove the truth of my narration hitherto. And tho' lean- not yet find the firft letter, this which 1 have now by me, will, of itfelf, abundantly fupply the other's place alfo. It was in thele words. Ely. Mr. William Whifton. \%\ Ely, Aug. 18, 1702* Good Sir, HAVING the intelligence which I fent you about Dr. Turner, from no lefs perfon than his grace the archbifhop of Canterbury, I thought it might be relied on ; for he faid he had it from good hands. But hearing it contradicted, I wrote to his grace, to know whether there were any cer- tainty in it, and by the laft poft received an an- fwer, that he doth not know what to believe, re- ports are fo various. Certain it is, he went on the 2 8th of July from London, with a refolution not to take the oath, but quit all his preferments : and yet, on the 3d of Auguft, one of my acquaintance came through Oxford, lay there all night, and dined with the head of a houfe next day, and was with feveral others, but heard not one word of his laying down his prefidentfhip, as was reported. This he told me laft week : and on Sunday I faw a letter to one in this town, from a fellow of his college, who fays, he faw their prefident, Dr. Turner, at prayers that day in the chapel, which was the twelfth inftant, which makes me think he changed his mind when he was gone from London -, and hath qualified himfelf to keep his preferments : however ir be, I intended very fincereiy towards you, who may look upon it as a token of my future kindnefs, if it be in my power. 2'curs, Sy. Kliens, But then, not long alter I was returned from Ely to Cambridge, a very good friend of mine, Mr. Lunn, by name, lately archdeacon of Huntingdon, who had been made acquainted with the imposition M 3 that 182 Memcirs of the Life of 'hat Dr. 'turner had put upon the world, and upon the bifhop of Ely in particular ; and after what an unwonted manner I had loft my preferment ; came and told me, " that if he had as good a promife, " from the bifhop of Ely, as I had, he would foon <{ be a prebendary there j that "Dr. Turner had not " taken the oath : but upon advice that a blot was ,** noUot till it was hit, he acted as if ne had taken ." it-, and fo retailed his preferments without taken lt it at all:" upon this information I had great de- bates with myfelf ; the refult of which was, that I would enquire after Dr. Turner's character ; and if I found it a bad one, I would not fcruple to difco- ver the grand fecret, and endeavour to difpoflfefs him, and recover my prebend ; but if it proved a good one, I would not do fo, but content myfelf with my prefcnt ftate, and truft the good provi- dence of God to make fome farther provifion for me and my family, which was then ftrait enough, in fome other way, to me more unexceptionable. Upon which enquiry, finding that the doctor's character was not only in general a good one, but that he was one of the .greateft exemplars and pro- moters of learning, virtue, and good difcipline in the univerfity of Oxford, I refolved to keep that grand piece of knowledge fecret ; and accordingly did fo , and fuffered him all along to enjoy all his preferments, without the lead mokftation : and this notwithftanding the additional confirmation I fome time afterwards had, of his not having taken the oath, from both Sir Peter King, afterward lord chancellor , and Dr. Rundle, afterward bifhop Run- ale , who themfelves knew Dr. Turner's cafe : to whom I rhen communicatee! my know .'edge of it al- fo, and to no other perfons living. However, about ten years after, when my bamfhment from the uni- verfity of Cambridge had brought my affairs low, and redue'd ;r.e to leek the greateft part of my daily bread Mr. William Whifton. 183 bread in the wide world, I thought proper to let Dr. Turner know the circumftances I was in, and to inform him what expectations I had then to par- take of his chriftian companion and charity ^ which I did by the following letter. Lower End of Creft-$treet> Hatton-Garde*, Oftober 25, 1712. Hon. Sir, THO' I am not perfonally known to you, yet are your circumftances and mine fuch, as make it not improper for me to addrefs myfelf to you. 'Tis not impoflible but you may have heard, that fome years ago, when the oath of abjuration was impos'd, you declared yourfelf intirely diffatisned therewith , and when by confequence your prebend of Ely would have been void by your refufal of that oath, I was the perfon on whom bifhop Patrick in- tended tobeftow it : as accordingly his lordfhip was pleafed to write to me, to come to Ely to take it ; which I did accordingly. At which time, news was come, that you did not openly refufe the oath, nor quit any preferment thereupon , and fo that matter was over for the prelent. Upon this, tho' I was pretty authentickly inform'd, that you had never taken that abjuration oath , (which I have fince heard confirm'd from more hands than one, and thofe fuch as 1 believe may be depended on ;) and tho* it was in my power to have made full enquiry, and thereupon to have vacated your preferments, and to have fucceeded to one ol them, yet would I not then nor fince do it, and that chiefly on account of that very good character which I heard of you, and which has been all along confirm'd to me : and be- came I was very unwilling to enjoy any advantage, which muft ar;:e from a fort of profecution or per- fection of a very good man. who, out of a real principle of conicience, was unwilling legally to quality himiilr for his preferments, which 1 abhor' d M .t ta 1&4 Memoirs of th Life ef to do. And you will eafily fuppofe, that I have been as fecret in this matter fince, as in bifhop Patrick** days. Now this being the cafe, that you, by my fi- lence, enjoy great advantages and preferments, while I am under banifhment and profecution, as to what fmall place and profits I enjoy'd, and am indeed fore'd to be beholden to the generofity of fome good friends forpaitof my fupport; I think it very rea- sonable to inform you of this matter, and of the foregoing circumftances ; and to hint to you my ex- pectations from you : for fince I loft a very good preferment by my regard to your confeience, which accordingly you (till enjoy, I think you cannot ex- cufe yourfelt from affording me fome confiderable afliftance, now I am, on the like account of confeience, depriv'd at leafl: of the prefent advantage and income of that fmall imployment or preferment which I had in the univerfity. And I do verily believe I have given the world as convincing evidence, that what I have done, is truly and really from that honeft principle, as you can eafily give that your avoidance of the abjuration oath was fo. I heartily wifh that all doubtful oaths, tefts, and fubferiptions were taken away ; and that all chriftians might unite to en- quire after, and obey only thofe doctrine?, laws, and difcipline, which were originally eftablimed by Chriit and his apoftles. But, in the meantime, 'tis fit that all really good men, who are forced to un- dergo any fort of difficulties on account of confei- ence, be willing to afiift and fupport each other in all their necefiities which arife on that accounts Which is all that is defired and expected by Tour very humble and obedient Servant, Will. Whiston. And here the fociety may pleafe to obfervc, that altho' this letter produced not the leaft effect in Dr. Turner, to my advantage, nor did I ever receive ar.y fort of anfwer to it, yet was I willing to fup- pofe Mr. William Whifton. liSj pofe that it was (till a fcruple of confcience, and an opinion eafily gone into, by perfons of his educa- tion and notions, that tC fuppprting me would be " fupporting an heretick, and encouraging his he- " rely againlt the church ," which prevented the effects of his compaflion and charity towards me : {o that I Hill kept the grand fecret to myfelf, not only during the life of bifhop Patrick, who had promifed the prebend to me ; but alio during the life of my own patron bifhop More, till Dr. Turner's own death : after which the difcovery could void none of his preferments. And I mult needs fay, that notwithstanding Dr. 'Turner's hardfhip to me in refufing me any allittance, and the many other hardfhips I have elfev/here met with in my tempo- ral affairs, yet have I been fo far from repenting of my procedure, with regard to Dr. Turner, that I have ever taken true pleafure and fatisfaction in it ; and in particular, have ever rejoic'd that I have thereby been a kind of joint benefactor with him, to fuch clergymens widows, and orphan?, and their families, as are in greater diltrefs than myfelf and my own family have hitherto been. However, tho* I am and have long been myfelf, by principles of confcience, render'd incapable of any preferments among my brethren of the clergy, in the prefent circumftances of the church, and very well fatisfled without them , yet ought J not to neglect any pru- dent care of making provifion for thofe my chil- dren, who being in a manner, together with their father, incapable of fuch preferments, yet have ren- drcd. themfelves, I believe, neither unworthy of, nor unfit for other employments, and thofe even relating to the facred function ; 1 mean, to both learning and religion ; which fort of employments, therefore, they arc, which 1 humbly hope for of this fociety, cither confidered as fuch here, or in their private capacity and intereft elfewhere. And fince 1 86 Memoirs of the Life of fince I think, on a very moderate computation, and without reckoning intereft, it may well be fuppos'd, that Dr. 'Turner was, and this ibciety is, 5000 /. richer, and myfelf 1200/. poorer by my behaviour towards him, I may juftly efteem myfelf, per acc> dens, a benefactor to this charitable fociety in the former, and fomewhat more than per accident, a benefactor in the latter fum. Which circumftances are hereby humbly offered to the confideration of this fociety. Loadon, May 13, 1731. Will. Whiston. N. B. When the fociety were informed of this matter, it was not denied but I had an equitable claim to fome afliftance for my family , but no oppor- tunity offering, I was obliged to fit down contented without it. In this yearalfo, I publi fried Propofals for erecling Societies for promoting Primitive Chrijtia?iity, and gave them away in great numbers, gratis, in half a meet *, which I (hall reprint at the end of thefe Me- moirs, with the like intention of reviving that fociety. N. B. Thefe propofals were afterwards reprinted, and inferted at the end of the fmall edition of the four volumes of Primitive Chrijliamty Revived. But becaufe they were a few years afterward careful- ly revrs'd, ab.idg'd, and improv'd, at the frrft fit- ting up of fuch a fociety at my houle, of which prefently. This firft copy is to be looked on as not fo perfect, as the other : tho' I would not have it omitted in any future editions of the book before- mentioned : the perfect copy is already printed in my Uft of Dr. Clarke. About Mr. William Whifton. iW/ About the fame year, 1 7 1 2, I printed fifty pro- pofals, for printing a cheap and correct Edition of all the Primitive Fathers, before the coanciJ of Nice ; ending with Eufebius'j Ecclefiafjtical Hifiery, in twelve volumes: and communicated the fame to many of my learned friends, for their improve- ments and corrections. But not meeting with en* couragement then, thedefign dropt. However, it was about 1723 reviv'd, with great improvements, and fome hopes of fuccefs, that fuch an intire fet might be gotten into all the parimes of Great- Bri- tain, till Mr. Collins, the author of Grounds and Reafvns, quite diverted mine and others thoughts another way. Which amended propofals are by me inferred into the fixth volume of my Sacred Htjiory of the Old and New Tejlament, now publifhed, Page 609 613. in thefe two years, 171 r, and 1712, my affairs were before the convocation, as the hiilory of that convocation, fo far as I was concerned, already men- tioned, will fhew. What I would here add, is, fomewhat about this matter in bifhop Burnet's His- tory of his own Times , which I efteem a moft au- thentick, and a moft valuable hiltory : [efpecially the conciufion, which is hardly parallelled in any modern compofition that I have ever .met with.] Now as to this bifhop's account of my affairs, they nearly agree with my own, as to the facts ; and fo they need not here be repeated. But his character of mc, and his opinion of the cenfures of fuch convo- cations, cannot be omitted. They are in thefe words, on thefe two years, and did me great fervice among his friends ever after. " 1 7 1 1, An incident happened that diverted the " thoughts of the convocation to another matter. " Mr. Whijlon, the profefibr of mathematicks in " Cambridge, a learned man, of a fober and ex- * emplary life, but much let on hunting for para- " doxes, ]8a Memoirs of the Life of * doxes, fell on the reviving the Avian herefy* H tho' he pretended to differ from Arius in feveral * particulars ; yet, upon the main, he was partly " Apolinarijt, partly Arian. For he thought the f* Nous or Word was all the foul that acted in our U Saviour's body. He found his notions favoured ' by the Apojiolical Conjlitutions ; fo he reckon'd them a part, and the chief part of the canon of " the fcriptures. For thefe tenets he was cenfured at Cambridge, and expelled the univerfity. Upon ' that he wrote a vindication of himfeJf, and his " doctrine, and dedicated it to the convocation , * promifing a larger work on thefe fubjects. " At the convocation meeting in winter, no an- which are qualifica- tions fo very uncommon, and fo very valuable, efpecially at this time, in an Englijh temporal peer, that his lordihip juftly deierves very great commendations on thefe accounts. But how ho- nourable fo ever it be for an Englijh peer among the laity, to be able to write fuch an anfwer, I venture to fay, it is not at nil honourable for thofe learned bodies of the clergy, to have fo folemnly celebrated that anfwer, as if it were a really learn- ed and confiderable performance, and likely to contribute to the determination of the contro- verfy itfelf. They mult themfelves be very weak, and 224 Memoirs of the Life of and very much unacquainted with chrijiian antiquity that think fo. Nor, indeed, have I heard that any one truly learned mafter of chrifiian antiquity, has ever faid fo. What is then the meaning of all thefe learned thanks, and this learned noife from the clergy, about my lord Nottingham's anfwer-, I believe the thinking part of mankind obferve, that to the Anfwer itfelf there is a Pofifcript, where- in my lord Nottingham, an eminent peer of Great Britain, has openly declared for church power, and for perfecution ; and that bine tile laudes f hinc gratia. But thofe laft words, church power and perfecution, brings me naturally to the prefent bill for fubferiptions, and for an inquifition to fup- port them. Yet certainly, my lord, this unhap- py nation has, of late, had oaths enow, tefts enow, fubferiptions enow impofed upon them : certainly this unhappy nation has, and that in great meafure, by fuch means, fufficiently funk the real and confeientious regard to Almighty God-, to his true religion, and to all common honefty, juftice, truth, and integrity ; unlefs the nation be refolv'd utterly to exclude thofe few, very few honed men, and fincere chriflians -, I mean thofe who are fuch by thorough examination and conviction -, who ftill remain, from the common privileges of men and of chriflians, on that very account , and of fet purpofe determine to felecl thofe, and thofe only, tor indulgence and preferment, who, with or with- out conviction, according to M. Hebbes's notion, will always be as near as pofllble, to the legal and eftablihYd religion, whatfoever it be. Nor indeed, my lord, if the publick proceeds much farther in this way, will there be almoft any openly honeft men, and fincere chrijiians, that dare to appear publickly in thefe kingdoms. However, my lord, ir the church and llate do relblve to quench thole frnall remnants of learning, juftice, and inte- Mr. William WhiftQn; 225 grky, which ftiJl remain among us, by the intro- duction of an holy office into thefe kingdoms, with your grace at the head of it ; it would cer- tainly be convenient, for its future reputation, that the feveral forts of blafphemy referred to in the pre- fent bill, may be diftinguifh'd by feveral forts of penalties -, and that blafphemy again ft Almighty God himfelf ; or againft his Only Begotten Son ; or againft his Holy Spirit, mould be punilhed fomewhat more feverely than blafphemy againfb Athanafius : which yet I perceive is not taken care of in this bill ; which emendation I would therefore humbly offer to your grace's confideration. I conclude with two plain obfervations ; the one made by an honed Italian, who, in the fincerity of his foul, turned proteftant, and came into England, in expectation of finding true religion and piety to flourifh here; it was under the miniftry of the earl of Oxford, when, upon his great difappointment, he faid to me with great grief, No religion in Italy : No religion in England : all politicks, politicks. The author of the other fhall be namelefs, but he is one that for fome time has carefully obferv'd the circumftances of ecclefiaftical affairs, and of the principal eccle- fiaftical perfons in thefe nations , and begs of your grace, and of all others conccrn'd, ferioufly to re- flect upon it, before it be too late. Happy, faid this perfon, is that man who is not made a worfe chriftian by being made a bi/hop ; and thrice happy that man who is not made a much worfe chriftian, by being made an archbifloop. I might here add fomewhat concerning certain difcoveries of my own, of very great conic quence, as to the facred fcriptures, and, particularly, the facred chronology that lies now by me, no ways unworthy of your grace's, or of the learned's con- fideration, and patronage : the fubftance of fome part whereof I had, indeed, thought long ago to P have a 26 Memoirs of the Life of have communicated to your grace, before it were printed , but fince you feem to me now to have engaged yourfelf for modern church power, inftead of primitive ckriftian difapline, and for perfection , inftead of examination in the moft facred matters : I have no more to fay, but mail forely lament your grace's fall from your old pure and peaceable chrifiianity ; as did the dthanafians the fall of the great Hoftus, from their novel and pernicious herefy. I am, my lord, Tour Grace* s very humble Servant , Will. Whiston. P. S. Since I have above made mention of your grace's very ufeful Englifh edition of the apofto- lical fathers, give me leave to fet down here a famous pafiage out of the principal of thofe fathers ; I mean Clement of Rome, one fo little favourable to the athanafian doctrine, that it was with fome difficulty that he efcaped the cenfure of blafphemy from Photius on that account, Cod. cxxvi. and yet one whofe name your grace, with all the learned chrifiian world, own, after St. Paul, to have been in the Book of Life, Philip, iv. 3. And lee what he thought of perfecution and of perfecutors ; even in cafes where the pretended cri- minals had the charge, at leafr, of con trad idling fome fundamentals of the cftablifh'd religion, if not of blafphemy, and of atheifm alio laid upon them, in order to cover the barbarity of their ene- mies proceedings againft them. The words are thefe, according to your grace's own verfion, page 0,6. *' Look into the holy fcriptures, which " are the true words of the Holy Ghoit. Ye 41 know that there is nothing unjuft or counterfeit cc written in them. There you mail not find that " righteous Mr. William Whifton. 227 righteous men were ever caft off by fuch as " were good themfelves: they were perfecuted, 'tis true, but it was by the wicked and unjuft : * they were caft into prifon ; but they were caft " in by thofe that were unholy : they were ftoned ; " but it was by tranfgreffors : they were killed -, " but by accurfed men, and fuch as had taken up " an unjuft envy againft them : and all thefe " things they underwent glorioufly. For what *' mall we iay, brethren ? was Daniel caft into " the den of lions, by men fearing God ? Ananias, " Azarias, and Mi]ael y were they caft into the thren, thefe things ought not fo to be. And now having had occafion lately to mention Dr. Run die, as one vehemently oppoled by the bifliop of London, when the lord chancellor Talbot re- commended him to the court lor a bifhoprick ; and his character and affairs having made a very great noife, it is fit that I, who knew him long and intimately, fhould a little enlarge upon him in this place. I was acquainted with him firft at Oxford, in the year 1 7 1 2 , when I came thither to fearch lor records, relating to the apoftolical conflitutions ; and when I was endeavouring to form our Society for Promoting Primitive Chrijlia- tiiiy. He was of Exeter College ; and foon intro- duced himlelf and his tutor Mr. Rennet into my acquaintance: they both feemed very fenfible of modern errors and corruptions; ajul very ready P i to 230 Memoirs of the Life of f o join with me for reftoring primitive chriitianity ; but Mr. Rennet always feemed to think Oxford could not afford any but themfelves as willing to join in fuch a fociety. When Mr. Rundle came afterward to London, he became an hearty and zea- lous member of our fociety , and introduced into it another excellent young man, Mr. Talbot, the fon of bifhop Talbot, who afterwards took holy orders , but died very young ; tho' not till he had recommended to his father, who was then bilhop of Oxford, but afterwards of Durham, not only Mr. Rundle, but fe- veral others of his intimate friends; who were greatly prefer'd by him, and at the late queen's recom- mendation before me died, have by the king been ftill higher prefer'd to be bifhops or deans \ and have I think, been fome of the beft that have been prefer'd in this reign. Dr. Rundle in particular was taken into the bifhop's boiom, and family -, and thence came into the great favour of another of that bifhop's ions, the truly excellent lord chan- cellor Talbot, (whole fudden death v/as the moft greatly lamented by good men, of almoft that of any one, in this age.) However, before this time, and before Mr. Rundle entered into holy orders, he became fo difgufted at the corrupt (late of the church, and at the tyranny of the ecclefiaftical laws, that he fometimes declared againft obeying them, even where they were in themfelves not un- lawful ; which was farther then I could go with him. For altho' I think our Saviour never gave even the apoftlcs themfelves, much lefs any modern fynods or crnvocations, any power to make new laws for chriflans ; he having himfelf delivered fuch a body of laws to the apoitles, and they to us in their confiitutions: yet in cafes where they are filent, and r he injunftions lawful, I always aim to go by St. Paul's excellent rule, As far as is poffible, and as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Rom, Mr. William Whifton. 231 Rom. xii. 18. Which is, I confefs, the proper foundation of my obedience in fuch cafes. Now at this time, when he had no defign to take or- ders, but rather defired to proceed in my down- right upright way, and to hazard all he had for promoting primitive chriftianity, he was recom- mended to John Cater of Kempjion, Efq; n^v Bed- ford, to teach his only fon -, where I was once with him ; and where another time my old friend Mr. John Lawrence was with him ; whofe character, at that time of his life, take from the fame Mr. Law- rence's letter to me. " When I came from Aynho y * I found a letter from Mr. Cater, inviting me to * c Kempfton, whither I accordingly went. And c< becaufe I found there the molt agreeable conver- '* fation, efpecialiy in Mr. Rundle, I could not 9 that faved him, made, with ornaments about it ; and, as he faid, " He hoped Almighty " God v/ould accept of this his will for the deed, and allow him to be a martyr for religion.' * So he ordered, by his will, that the fame image mould be tranfmitted down, in the eldeft branch of his family, for a memorial to all generations ; and there it is preferved to this day. When I was there, I either did not know of it, or quite forgot to defire to fee it. Nor did I ever remember to inform queen Caroline of it, or procure her the fight of it, as it highly deferved , it being, in my opinion, a nobler monument to the honour of that family, than any monument of the military achievements of Alexander the Great, or Julius Cafar, or the like murderers of men, could be of theirs. Mr. Fox having omitted this moft eminent cafe of a pro- teftant martyrdom, I thought it by no means im- proper to preferve it in this place. About this or the next year, upon the death of Mr. Flamfteed, which I did not hear of till two or three days afterward, my friends would needs per- fuade me to put in for that place , as requiring no iubferiptions againft my confeience, tho' fomewhat againft my inclination, as rather too old to begin aftronomical obiervationF, and not having mecha- nical accuracy, nor the iharpnefs of fight, which were requifite thereto. However, I went to my very valuable friend and patron, the then 'lord chancellor Parker, and fpake to him about it. His anfwer was, that he was lorry that I came fo late ; for he had fpoken already to the king for Dr. Halley. Whereupon, to make me eafy, and fhew his great kindnefs to me, he prefented me with a roll ot fifty guineas ; Mr. William Whifton. 253 guineas; highly to my fatisfaction : Nor could I avoid my acknowledgments here for that, and his other generous benefactions to me. In the year 1721, I publiflied The Longitude and Latitude found by the Ine Unitary or Dipping Needle: wherein the laws of magnetifm are alfo difcovered. To which is prefixed an Hijiorical Preface : and to which is fubjoin'd Mr. Robert Norman's New Attractive \ or, Account of the firfi Invention of the Dipping Needle. Price is. 6d. N, B. After the publication of this treatife, t found fo much encouragement from many bene- factors, that I was enabled to procure fome new obfervations of the angle of dip in feveral parts of the world, in order to perfect: this difcovery ; the fubftance of which is printed at the end of my Calculation of Eclipfes, without Parallaxes; of which prefently. Which upon the whole coft me a very great deal of pains, to contrive the inftruments, and hang them in mips, fo as to take the dip, with an exactnefs fufficient for my purpofe ; but found the power of magnetifm fo very weak, and the concuffion of a fhip fo very troublefome, that I had little hopes of fucceeding. And when I knew of Mr. George Graham % new difcovery of an Horary uncertain Inequality, as I may call it, both in the variation and dip of magnetick needles, in N 383 of the Philofophical Tranfaelions, and this as fir as half or two thirds of a degree, if not fome- times of a whole degree (which Jail quantity I once obferv'd myfelf in a dipping needle of my own, of almoft four feet long, in the ipace of eight hours) ] perceived that all my labour was in vain, and I was obliged to drop that defign intircly. Tn the latter part of Augttft, and the former part oi September, this year, 1721, 1 tranflated the pfalnis 254 Memoirs of the Life of pfalms of David into Englijh, from the beft copy now known in the world, which is evidently that in the Roman Pfalter : which almoft always agrees with the feptuagint verfion ; but is ftill fomewhat more correct, and more agreeable to the oldeft quotations. This has not yet been printed-, but ought to be not only printed, but ufed in all our churches, inftead of our other more imperfect copies and verfions. The Prefaces alfo to the pfalms them- felves ought to be taken out of my Authentick Re- cords, page 795 845, and prefixed to each pfalm, in a new edition. In the latter part of this year, 1 721, a large fub- fcription was made for the fupport of my family, and for the carrying on my difcovery of the longi- tude by the dipping needle. It is dated November 20, 1 72 1 ; and ought to be here exhibited, as a memorial of the publick fpirited men, and my particular friends at that time: and was, by far, the greateft fum that was ever put into my hands, by my friends, excepting the 500 /. for the furvey of our coafls, which yet did not pay the difburfe- ments for which it was allotted : of which in my Hiftorical Preface to the longitude difcovered by 'Jupiter' s planets, Preface, page 60. King George I. Deduct the Treafury Officers Abatements, . s. d. 100 n 1 6" ss 18 6 5 3 1 10 21 10 2 1 212 18 6 Bi ousht Received The Prince of Wales, The Princefs of Wales, The Lord Chancellor Parker, The Duke of Chandos, Carried over, - Mr. William Whifton. 212 *5S Brought over, Matter of the Rolls Sir. J. Jekytt, 3 1 Mr. Molyneux, . Mr. Cartwrigbty Mr. Hutton, _ Mr. Hedges, Mr. Wejtern,- Col. Wyndham, ' Lord Paijley (a Terrella,) Dr. Crow, . Sir George Markbam, Duke of Montague, Lord JJlay, < Mr. Edgcome, Earl of Derby, Mr. Ward, ' Mr. Sanbroke, Mr. Folkes, Mr. Thompfon, Mr. Edwards, < Mr. Parker, Mr. Anfon, Mr. Nailor, Mr. Archer, . Sir John Guife, Duke of Kent, 3i 10 10 io 10 10 5 10 10 21 10 10 10 10 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 s: 18 10 10 10 10 10 5 10 10 o d. 6 o o o o o IO o 10 o o o o o 10 o 10 o 10 o 10 o o o o o o o o o o o Sum total, 470 3 6 About the end of this year, 1 72 1, by the leave of the editor Mr. Ticket!, as well as the bookfeller Mr. Tonfcn, I collected the fcveral ancient teftimonies, refer'd to by my great friend Mr. Addifon, in his potthumous excellent, but unfiniuYd difcourfe of the Chrijlian Religion: which tcftimonies. could not be found among his papers, after his death, by the editor. This collection I made new myfelf, and left 2 $6 Memoirs of the Life of left it with the bookfeller, Mr. Ton/on, both in their originals ; and m Engli/h, to be added in the future editions of that difcourfe, as well as to be printed by themfel ves, for the ufe of thofe that had the former edition, tho' neither he nor his family have yet publifhed it, in thefe twenty -feven years time, to the difappointment of myfelf, and all inquifitive readers, who cannot but take it very ill from them ; nor have I kept any copy of them myfelf. So that if Mr. Ton/on fuppreifes that paper, or has loft it, it is intirely loft both to me and to the publick. However, I having preferved an account pro- cured from a Jewijh Rabbi, upon this occafion, which is hinted at by Mr. Addijon, feet. viii. . 6. concerning the difappointment of the Jews, under Julian the apoftate, as to their rebuilding their temple at Jerufalem ; [of which fee my Thundering Legion, page 42. "] I here produce it. In the days of Rabbi Jehojhua, the fon of Hana- niaSy the emperor [Julian] commanded that the temple mould be rebuilt. Now Papus and Julian had prepared a very plentiful table for the Jews, who came out of their captivity, (to help the- work forward) from Hako to Antioch. But the Cutheans y or Samaritans, affirm'd to the emperor, that if Je- rufalem mould be reftor'd, the Jews would pay no more tribute, and would thenceforward rebel againft him. To whom the emperor laid, u How * 4 c^n I leave off this my attempt, after 1 have pub- " iiihed my orders for it ?" To which the Samaritans replied ; " Sir, do but then give order that they change " the place of the former temple, or elfe, that it be ct enlarged or dimihifhed fome five cubits. This will " make them leave off their work without any ne- " ceflity of compulsion." This advice the emperor agreed to, and accordingly he fent fuch frefli orders to the Jews, when thev were gathered together in the Mr. William Whifton. 257 the valley of Betrimon ; upon the hearing of which they ourft out into tears plentifully ; and being in a furious rage, they talked of a rebellion j but their great men being exceedingly affrighted at the con- fequences of a rebellion, begged of Rabbi Jehojhuay that he would make a fpeech to the people, and en- deavour to perfuade them to a peaceable behaviour; which he did by the fable following : There was a lion who was in great diftrefs by a piece of a bone that ftuck in his throat , he promifed a great reward to any one that could get that troublefome bone out of his throat. A crane came to him and got the bone out of his throat, and afked for the re- ward , to whom the lion made this anfwer, glory iri this, as a privilege of thine, that thou haft entered into the lion's mouth in fafety, and art got out of it in fafety. So my brethren, fays the Rabbi, let us be contented that we are come under the power of this nation in fafety, and let us go out of it in fafety. Thefe are the words in Berefit Rabba, faithfully tranflated from the end of chap. 64. This happened about the year from the creation 4833, according to Rabbi David Ganz, in his Zemah David, in the 27th leaf of my edition, and page 2d. Rabbi Gedaliah, in Shalfchekt HaccabbaJa y afferts, that this temple, rebuilt at a great expence, fell down ; and, that the next day, a great fire, from heaven, melted the tools that remained, and de- ftroyed an innumerable multitude of Jews. Baf- nage*s hiftory of the Jews, p. 547. Upon occafion of the mention of this pcrfon, Mr. Addifon, who was excellent every way, as a traveller, as a profe writer, and as a poet, who was my particular friend ; and who, with his friend Sir Richard Steel, brought me, upon my banifhment from Cambridge^ to have many agro- nomical lectures at Mr. Button's coffee- houfe, R near 258 Memoirs of the Life of near Covent- Garden, to the agreeable entertainment of a good number of curious perfons, and the procuring me and my family fome comfortable fupport under my banifhment. It may not be amifs to fay fomething concerning them both ; with a few words concerning my principal auditor there, the lord Stanhope, alfo. As for Mr. Addifon himfelf (whofe father, when dean of Litchfield, laid his hands on me as a prefbyter, at my ordination, 1694.) he was brought up at Oxford, with inten- tion to take holy orders ; and I have heard it faid,' that the Saturday's papers, in his famous Spectator, which are generally on religious fubjects, were in- tended originally for fermons, when he mould be in holy orders. However, his parts appeared fo promising to the lord Hallifax, and iord chan- cellor Somers, that they diverted him from his purpofe, and procured him 400/. a year of king William, to enable him to improve himfelf by tra- velling : which when he had accomplifhed, he was at laft made fecretary of ftate. Yet did he retain fuch a great regard to the chriftian religion, that he began to read the ancient fathers of the three firft centuries, before he died j and the laft of them that I knew of his reading was Jitftin Martyr, the firft of the heathen philofophers, whofe writ- ings are now extant, that became a chriftian, and a martyr : about which time of his life it was, I fuppofe, that he wrote his before-mentioned work on the chriftian religion. Now not to enter far- ther into his life, as foreign to my prefent defign, J fhall only relate what I was concerned in myfelf -, I mean my fruitlefs attempt to fee him in his laft ficknefs : for when I was at that time pafling to the queen at Richmond, by Holland Houfe, where I knew from the publick papers he was then fick, and from which ficknefs he was not likely to reco- ver, I went up 10 the houfe, and deli red to fee mv Mr, William Whifton. 259 my friend Mr. Addifon , but the anfwer was, that the phyficians had given order that no-body mould be admitted to fee him ; I replied, that notwith- {landing fuch order, if he knew I was there, I believed he would fee me; but I could not prevail 5 fo I faw him not. As to Sir Richard Steely he has given a character of me in his addrefs to the pope, but tis too ludicrous to appear in this place. Sir Richard was indeed eminent for wit ; yet was he deftitute of true wifdom, in the whole conduct of his life : he wrote very well, but lived very ill : he was a chriftian in principle, but not in prac- tice : however, not to go too far out of my way in his character, I fhall only fet down one en- counter I had with him at Button's coffee-houfe, when he was a member of parliament, and had been making a fpeech in the houfe of commons, in the days of king George I. to pleafe the court, but againft his own confcience, for the South-Sea directors, then under the great difgrace of the nation ; and againft which South-Sea fcheme, he had be- fore, for fome time, written weekly papers, till he faw he could not recover his poll of cenfor of the play- houfe, from which he had been turned out, which ufed to bring him fome hundreds a year, without making fuch a fpeech. I accofted him thus. They fay, Sir Richard, you have been making a fpeech in the houfe of commons, for the South-Sea di- rectors. He replyed, they do fay fo. To which I anfwered, How does this agree with your former writing againft that fcheme? His rejoinder was this : Mr. Whifton, you can walk on foot, and I cannot. Than which a truer or an acuter anfwer could not have been made by any body. As to my principal hearer and friend, the lord Stanhope, I knew him well, and efteemed him to be a perfon of uncommon natural probity. Yet after he had been fometime a courtier, L freely afked R 2 him, 26a Memoir i of the Life of him, whether he had been able to keep his integrity at court? To which he made me no reply; whence I concluded he had not been able to do it. For he would never tell me a lie. Which opinion is but too certainly confirmed by another paffage, which I had from the beft authority : it was this 5 lord Stanhope was once in company, but leaning on his arm, in a mufing pofture, feemed to take no notice of them. At laft he ftarted up, and in a kind of agony faid, well, I am now fatisfied, that a man cannot fet his foot over the threfhold of a court, but he mull be as great a rogue as ever was hang'd at ^Tyburn. And tho' fuch a faying may be efteem'd fufficiently extravagant, yet have I feen fo few, or rather none at all, either of the clergy or laity, men or women, made better by a court, and its preferments, and fo great a number utterly ruined thereby, as is very melancholy for a good man to think of. It puts me in mind of what that excellent preacher and liver bifhop Fleetwood, as I have been informed, faid upon the like occafion. This good bifhop once came to the houfe of lords a little too early, and over-heard certain per- fons debating this queftion, Whether a courtier could be a Chrijiian or not ? and when, at length, the company perceived he was there, they would needs have his opinion : he reply'd, He was no courtier, nor would determine that queftion : but he acknowledged, that he had learned fo much by their difcourfe, that it was not very fit for a good Chrijiian to go to court. Had I been there, I fhould probably have given the fame rcafon that I had once a particular occafion to give myfelf there alfo, viz. That the maxims of a court are againft the maxims of Christianity ; the maxim of a court is this-, that you muff, always lay and do as the firft minifter would have you : The maxim of Chrijlianity is this j that you muff, always fay and do Mr. William Whifton. 261 do according to your own judgment and con- science. Yet alas! alas! all our prefent bifhops and deans, C3V. are made by the court ! Nine ilia lachrymal But to proceed. In this year, 1721, I publifhed A Chronological Table, containing the. Hebrew, Phoenician, Egyp- tian, and Chaldean antiquities, compar'd toge- ther, both before and after the deluge ; from the Samaritan Pentateuch, Jofephus, Sanchoniathc, Herodotus, Dicaarehus, Manetho, Eratojlhenes, Abidenus, Berofus, Varro, Ptolemy of Mendes, the Egyptian obelifk, the Parian marble, 3nd all the other original authors : begun by bifhop Cumber- land, by me improved, and brought down to the sera of Nabonajfar. Whence Dr. Prideaux, in his Connexion of the Old and New Tejlament, and Mr. Marshall's edition of bifhop Lloyd's Chronological Tables, carry on the feries 'till the times of Chri- ftianity. In two large meets, price 2 s. See Col- leclion of Aathentick Records, page ion, 1041, 10 55* 1068. and Supplement to Literal Accomplifi- ment of Prophecies, page 124, 125. and EJfay on the Old Tejlament) Appendix, page 223, 224, 225, of which lull immediately. In the year 1722, I publifhed An EJfay towards rejloring the true Text of the* Old Tejlament, and for vindicating the Citations made thence in the New Tejlament. With a large Appendix. Containing, in the treatife itfelf, the following propofitions. I. The prefent text of the Old Tejlament is, generally fpeaking, both in the hiftory, the laws, the prophecies, and the divine hymns, or. as to the main tenor and current of the whole, the fame now that it ever has been from the utmolt antiquity. II. The Greek, verfion of the Old Tejlament, called the Scplaagint verfion, as it ftocd in the R 3 days z62 Memoirs of the Life of days of Cbrift and his apoftles, was agreeable to the genuine Hebrew text, as it was in that age. III. The prefent Hebrew copies of the Old Tefta- ment are different in many places, from thofe genu- ine Hebrew and Greek copies thereof, which were extant in the days of Cbriji and his apoftles. IV. The modern copies of the Septuagint verfion, fince the fecond century, efpecially fince the days of Origen, are alfo confiderably different from thofe genuine Hebrew and Greek copies, which were ex- tant in the firil century, in the days of Cbriji and his apoftles. V. That intire change, which has been made in the characters of the Hebrew Bible, from the Old, Samaritan, to the New Cbaldee, was not done by Efra, as the modern Jews pretend ; but by the Jews themfelves, about the beginning of the fecond century of Cbrijlia?iity. VI. The Samaritan Pentateuch, even as among us, is generally a faithful and uncorrupt copy of the five books of Mcfes, as that Pentateuch was extant, both in Hebrew and Greek, in the days of Cbriji and his apoftles. VII. The prefent Septuagint verfion of the Pfalms of David, efpecially as ftill preferved in its moil ancient Latin verfion, the Roman Pfalter, is a faithful and uncorrupt copy of that facred book, as it flood both in the Hebrew and Greek copies of the firft century. VIII. Philo the Jew, the facred authors of the New Teftament, the Apqfiolical Fathers, with the primitive Greek and Latin writers now extant, of aim oft four intire centuries, do every one make their citations out of the Old Tejlament, not from the prefent Hebrew original, but from one agree- ing with the Septuagint verfion thereof; or from fome Latin tranflation made according to that Scpupgint vcr fi on . IX. Jofephns, Mr. William Whifton. 263 IX. Jofephus, the famous Jewi/h hiftorian, co- temporary with the apoifles of our Saviour, always made ufe of the then Hebrew copies of the Old Teftament, and not of the Septuagint verfion, in his Antiquities. X. The genuine chronology of Jofephus agrees neither with the prefent Hebrew, nor with the prefent Greek, but almoft always with that of the Samaritan Pentateuch. XI. The particular periods of Jofephus's chro- nology dated. XII. The Jews, about the beginning of the fecond century of the gofpeJ, greatly nltered and corrupted their Hebrew and Greek copies of the Old Teftament, and that in many places on purpofe, out of oppofuion to Chri/iianity. XIII. The texts cited by our Saviour and his apoftles, and the reft of the writers of the New 'Tefiament, out of the Old, were truly cited by them, and in agreement with the genuine Hebrew and Greek Bibles of that age. The APPENDIX contains, I. The variations of the Samaritan Pentateuch from the Hebrew. II. A demonftration that the Apoftolical Confti- tutions were written in the firft century. III. That Sefoftris was that Pharoah who was drowned in the Red-fea. IV. A collection of original monuments referred to in my Chronological Tables. To which I added the next year, 1723, A Supplement, proving that the Cant'ides is nor a facred book of the Old Te/lament, nor was ori- ginally owned as fuch by the Jewi/h or Chrijiian church, $vo. Price together, 6 s. 6d. R 4 AbouC 264 Memoirs of the Life of About this year, 1723, as it is in my life of Dr. Clarke* ift Ed. p. 127, 128. 1 revifed, and im- proved, and corrected my Grand Propofal for pub- Jiming a very cheap and correct edition of the Primitive Fathers ; to be tranfmitted to every parifh of Great Britain and Ireland* and our plan- tations; which propofals are printed in my Vlth volume of The facredHiftory of the New Teftament, page 609 613. And give me leave to add farther, that I find mod of our prefcnt bifhops, priefts, and deacons, fo little acquainted with the primitive writers, that not only our own difTenting brethren, who ufed to be far inferior to the church of England clergy in fuch learning, but the ordinary popifli piieits themfelves, will be foon able to run them a-ground. And had not our clergy been very much more verfed in them, at the end of King Charles II. and through king James lid's reigns, we had, humanly ipeaking, been quite over- borne by the Jefuits, and they had intirely conquered us. I give one in- ftance of my own knowledge. My fon-in-law, Mr. Barker, and myfeif, wanted the Synoffis Satr# Scripture : one of the mod valuable remains of chriftian antiquity now known. It is only extant in Athanajius's works, which are voluminous, and the principal fountain of orthodoxy among papifts and proteftants. However, this excellent piece being no where elfe to be had, I went to one of our principal bookfellers, and afked for lome edition of Alhanqfms that had the Synopf.s. At length Commeline > % edition appeared in the mop, which had it. It is a thick folio, and before the Bcncdifi'.ne edition, in three folio's, I fuppoie the beft edition of that celebrated father's works. I afked the price, and no more was demanded than 5 j - . fo contemptible is the fludy of the fathers grown ! and fo unconcerned are even our Atha- nrfians Mr- William Whifton. 265 nafians grown about Athanafim himfelf ! Nor, by my obfervation of the books bought by our clergy, are the bare two firft centuries read by one in an hundred : which yet I have read twice over in five months time. If the two or three firft centuries, fay the moderns, in effect, be againit us, we will alfo be againft them. At the end of March, 1724, I wrote a pretty remarkable letter to a young man, a very honeft, inquifitive, deferving friend of mine, Mr. William Paul, a ftudent ofGlafgow in Scotland, from whom I have received leveral very kind letters, which are ftill preferved. He was then labouring in that univerfity ,for the reftoration of Chriftian Liberty, and Primitive Cbrifiianity, as I had done at Cam- bridge, and elfewhere. It had not yet been pub- lifhed, fo I here exhibit it verbatim. Great Rujfil-Street, ever-agaitif} Montague- Hcu/e, London, March 30, 1724. Dear Sir, I Received your kind and obliging letter, dated from Glafgow the 16th inftant ; and tho' I be removed from Crofs-Streei, Hatt on-Garden, your letter readily found me; nor am I apprehenfive that we have any reafon to expect an unfair in- terruption of any literary intercourfe between us, of which you feem fo very apprehenfive. If I fee any of the perfons you refer me to, or any of thofe friends you defire me to-fpeak to on your account, I will mew them your letter, as I have done already to Mr. Emlyn. The length of your addrefs, and your over-great reipect will be bed fpared hereafter. I fha!l be a plain hearty friend to yourfelf, or any other the like pious and fin- cere inquirers, and therefore I beg you will pleafe to look upon me accordingly. I am very forry that 266 Memoirs of the Life of that when you came into thefefoutbern parts, 172 1, you did not meet with me, nor fufficiently inform yourfelf where I then was : for tho' I was ab- lent from London, yet, very probably, I muft have been at my fon-in-law's, Sam. Barker, Efq ; at Lyndon, Rutland, within five miles of Stam- ford, the great North road. Mr. Emlyn is alfo very forry you did not go to his bookfeller, and enquire him out, he being, very probably, in Lon- don at that time. As to your coming hither a- gain, in order to our . mutual converfation, and the clearing any difficulties you feem to be un- der, we mould be very glad to fee you ; and with the greateft readinefs fhould communicate our advice and afliftance ; but the journey is fo long, and the charges fo great, that unlefs your own private circumftanccs will admit of it, or you will venture by fea, as your great mathematician Mac- Laurin of Aberdeen, I think did, cither coming or going, or both, of all which circumfhnces you are the beft judge, we know not how to expect. it. You feem to me to refolve openly and honeftly to bear the like teftimony to fome mod facred, but long difcarded truths of Chrijlianity in Scotland, which Mr. Emlyn did in Ireland, and I here in England: In which open and honeff. way, we have had fome few, and but a very few fol- lowers here j while almoft all thofe who are pri- vately of our judgment, temporize, or prevaricate, or ufe political management, to avoid the lofs of preferment or perfecution. You have, 1 hope, counted the Coft, and are aware that polfibly Bonds and Ajjlitlions may be the confequence of fucli a fincere and undifguis'd adherence to primitive Chrijlianity, tho' here, indeed, we feem not to be in danger of fuch ufage at prefent. However, we, as well as you, are incapable of preferment under the legal eftabiifhments, and but a very few of Mr. William Whifton. 267 of the diflenting congregations will bear perfons of our characters to officiate. As for myfelf, I think it beft generally to communicate, as a layman, with the church of England, while they permit me to do fo, and yet to join no farther than my con- fcience gives me leave , only we have many years made up a few times in the year, a very fmall congregation of Cbrijiians, at my own houfe, where we there ufed my liturgy of the church of England, reduced nearer to the primitive Standard. We alfo, for two years time, had a weekly meeting at the primitive library, for folemn examinations of the old ftate of Chrijiianity, in order to reftore it. But it has dropt feveral years ago, for want of the afiiftance of the learned : tho' the minutes of it, fo far as we proceeded, are exactly preferv- ed, and ready for publication, when it mall be thought fit. Nor am I willing to engage in any other dififenting publick worfhip, unlefs the original form in the Apojlolical Conjiitutions may be our foundation. As to your particular queftions , the debate be- tween the convocation and the then bilhop of Bangor cams to no other ifiue, that I know of, than to make wife men fenfible they had both run into great extremes, while neither fide would recede from their own imaginations. Dr. Clarke has long defifted from putting his name to any thing againft the church, but privately afiifts Mr. Jack/on ; yet does he hin- der his fpeaking his mind fo freely, as he would otherwife be difpofed to do. The difpute with Dr. JVaterland feems juft now over ; and I think the doctor has not made any profelytes this good while, and that Mr. Jackfon's laft book, lately publifhed, tho' anfwered already, will (lick by the doctor while he lives. If the truly great and learned men, who are throughly mailers of Cbri- ftian antiquity, would openly declare what they know 268 Memoirs of the Life bf know to have been the ancient doctrines and wor- lhip of Chrijlians, I believe that difpute would be at an end. But they are, in general, too worldly- wife for that. The lord chief juftice King, when very young, was the author of the Enquiry into the primitive Confiitution of the Church, which book is in very great efteem. Mr. Emlyn meant Dr. Bent ley in his 331ft page, who read a very learned lecture at Cambridge, to prove 1 J oh. v. 7. to be fpurious. But he dares not now wholly omit it in the text of his edition of the New Tefiament, which he has promifed, but not yet performed. The non fubfcribers, I think, gain ground generally with the betrer fort of dilfenters, but the fubfcribers keep the lower fort. They have much ado to agree together. The addrefs to king George you mention, like all fuch addreffes, came to nothing. The unbelievers write fo bare- facedly againft the Bible, and would fo far pais for free-thinkers in our fenfe, that it does" our honed and Chrijlian defigns a great deal of prejudice, efpecially with the high church , and fince the publick will amend nothing, and the court is un- concerned about religion, they pervert not a few to their infidelity. This is the fad ftate of things among us ; nor is there any profpeft of amendment, 'till providence open fame new fcene for the revival of primitive Chrijlianity. However, my refolution is one : to do all I can in that glorious defign, while God continues my life and health, with the liberty of the prefs ; which, tho' prodigiously abufed by others, yet affords great opportunities to good men to lay their fincere thoughts before the world, feris faftura nepotibus umbram. I heartily pray God to blefs your, and our honeft endeavours, for the recovery of the pure and holy religion of our Bkffed Saviour-, and to keep us fo undefined in- this wicked generation, that we may not fail of our Mr, William Whiflon, 269 our reward from him at the great day of his appearing: And am, with the utmoft fincerity, and affection, Tout 'very cordial Friend and Servant, Will. Whistont. In the fame year, 1724, I publilhed The Calcu- lation of Solar Eclipfes without Parallaxes , with the Difcovery of the Geographical Longitude of Places by fuch Eclipfes. And an Account of fome Obfervations made with Dipping- Needles, 8vo. Price u. 6d. N. B. This book has fo many millakes, that 'till they are corrected, I do not defire to have it fpread abroad any longer. I am myfelf now too old to take pains in the review : and as I have heard Sir lfaac Newton fay, that no old men (excepting Dr. Walks) love mathematicks ; I may well be excufed here, efpecially when I have been long fo bufy about things of much greater confe- quence, as the world has long known, and will foon know it more fully, now my Sacred Hiftory of the Old and New Teftament, in fix volumes, 8vo. is publilhed. In the fame year, 1724, I publilhed The literal Accomplifhment of Scripture Prophecies, being a full anfwer to Mr. Collins's difcourfe of The Grounds and Reafons of the Chriftian Religion : with a large Appendix, proving that Arifteus*% hiftory of the ver- fion of the Pentateuch, by the LXXII. Interpreters, itill extant, is genuine. To which is added, afingle Sheet, formerly written in oppofition to the forelaid difcourfe, containing alio Propofals tor a collection of Authcntick Records concerning the Jewfi and Chrijlian religion, 8vo. Price is, 6d, N, B. 270 Memoirs of the Life of jV. B. Mr. Collins* s pamphlet here oppofed, when it came firft out, made a very great noife, and occafioned me to publifli immediately the Sheet already mentioned ; to fhew how very little of what Mr. Collins objected, had any real evidence for it; which he never pretended to anfwer. I well remember that I was then teaching mathema- ticks to a very ingenious German youth, the baron Gemmingen, who, upon his curfory looking at the bottom of feveral leaves of that pamphlet, juftly, of himfelf, obferved, that the evidences or citations were generally confin'd to the Jaft 200 years, in- ftead of originals ; which was an inftance of fagacity in the baron, and a kind of confutation of the extra- vagant pretences of that author. However, fince in the fecond page of that fheet, I had publickly invited all the unbelievers, and indeed all others whomfoever, to produce and communicate to me their real and original evidence, or genuine teftimonies of antiquity, whereby they thought they could difprove the Jewijh and Chrijlian records, if they had any fnch in their native fimplicity. And I had, at the fame time, folemnly promifed them to infert them faith- fully into a collection I was then making : I do hereby declare, that I have never received one fuch teftimony upon that invitation , nor could they fend me what could not be produc'd, as will pretty plainly appear, by the fourteen latter pages of that meet, where I fully confuted Mr. Collins'?, pretences of that nature. About this year, 1724, it might be, that Dr. Wilfon, the bifhop of Man, was heard before the privy council, in a caufe wherein he had been put in prifon, by the earl of Derby's governor of the ifle of Man, for executing, as tenderly as he could, the ecclefiaftical law for defamation of an inno- cent woman by the governor's wife. I heard the caufe ; Mr, William Whifton. 271 caufe , and, with Dr. Nathaniel Marjhal, did the bifhop what good offices I could. He carried his caufe ; but was almoft ruined by the fuit, the charges were fo great. The bifhop had long been my acquaintance, and had many years before given me the firft, or rather only book, then printed in the Manks language ; being an explication of our church catechifm. He has always appear* d to me as one of the beft bifhops of our modern ages ; and fo much the better, as he is clear of the fnares and temptations of a lord of parliament. His great worth has been principally acknow- ledged in the plentiful provifion made for his fon ; who told me very lately, that his father (till preaches every Lord's Day, at eighty- three years of age. May the divine providence fend forth more fuch labourers as this bifhop into his vineyard, which, perhaps, never flood in greater need of them than at this day. As I went to Batb and Brijlol, in the year 1724, I pafTed through Marlborough, and there met with one Mr. Morgan, who was then a Diffenting minifter there ; but foon left oft" that employment, and, fo far as appeared, becaufe he was become one of us that are called Avians. However, he foon fell upon the ftudy of phyfick, with great pre- tences of noftrums, and with a great degree of real fkill in the Newtonian philofopby. When he came to London things did not lucceed with him ; tho' he turned infidel, and with very little know- ledge of the fcriptures, fell upon them outragi- oufly. yet, when he was going to practice phy- fick at Brijlcl, among the rich Quakers there, he wrote a pamphlet for fuch divine afiiftance of good men, as might recommend himfelf to them. Now when I was this time at Bath and Brifiol, 1 there met with one of the it range il and vileft in- ltances ot wickednefs, that I have ever heard c\\ 1: 272 Memoirs of the Life of It was done by the earl of Ejfex \ one who was afterward fent envoy to the then duke of Savoy, or king of Sardinia ; but would not admit of any of the Vaudois minifters to come and officiate at his chapel, as the ufual cuftom was. Take this ac- count in the words of that Memorial, which I drew up at that time, in order to lay it before the then prince and princefs of Wales, tho' I do much doubt whether it was erer preiented to them or not. A Memorial concerning the Earl of Eflfex, humbly fubmitted to tbe Ccnjideration of their Royal High- neffes the Prince and Princefs of Wales. UPON the 1 6th of September laft I came to Bath, and the next day I dined with my great friend and patron Sam. Molyneux, Efq-, fecretary to the prince, who was then at the Bath, where iaw his brother-in-law, the earl of Effex ; his lord- fhip was then in no very good ftate of health, tho' fomewhat recovered from a much worfe ftate, in which he had been fometime before. The fame day I went to Brijlol, whither I had been invited, in order to go through a courfe of experiments there ; and lodged with Dr. French, in Queen- Square. Soon after I came thither, I met with one Mr. Martin, of 'Taunton Bean, at Dr. French's, whofe father was a fadler, of good account, the doctor's tenant. He was there, and was juft come thither from the Bath, with a lamentable complaint againft the Earl of Ejfex, and told a very fad (lory of that Earl's open impudence and lewdnefs, in decoying away and debauching his own filter ; which yet is well known at Brijlol, not to have been the firft at- tempt of that kind there. The (lory was this, That a little while ago his filler, Martin, had been apprentice to a manteau- maker at Brijlol, and Mr. William Whiftoiv 273 and was juft: out of her time, and muft needs fee a play there, before fhe went home to Taunton, at which play the Earl of EJfex happened to be pre- fent alfo ; that upon his fight of her, he pretended greatly to admire her, and his paflion for her grew loon to that degree, as to offer ten guineas to one Smitl\ a procurefs in Briftol, to decoy the Girl, who was about eighteen years of age, from her parents, in order to debauch her. This Smith ac- cepted the offer, and took a friend of hers, whofe name was, or had been, Morgan, with her -, they were openly fent down by the earl, in a coach and fix, to Taunton, with a letter under his lordmip's own hand ; which letter the girl's mother told me fhe ftill had in her poiTcfTion, to perfwade her to fubmit to his inclination ; affuring her, upon honour, that every thing mould be according to her own defire , but % without any promife of marriage. Smith, the procurefs, allured her, that the earl was a perfon of great honour, and one that never did an ill thing ; and that, without queftion, he meant no other than to mar?y her. Upon that, the mother, Mrs. Martin, went to advife with a gentlewoman of her acquaintance in Taunton, whether it were fit for her and her daughter to go upon this offer, in order to treat with the earl or not ? who was fo very weak as to advife her, by all means, to go, left it mould be faid, that fhe had neglected an opportunity of marrying her daughter to ib great advantage. That upon this they went all back towards Bath, and met the earl about ten miles off the place; that the mother and daughter foon began to acknowledge the great favour and honour his lordfhip did them, in think- ing ct a marriage fo much beneath himfelf, and fo much to their advantage-, that the carl immedi- ately difclaim'd all fuch intentions, and denied that ever he had given any com million to Smith, to fry S any * 74 Memoirs of the Life of any fuch thing in his name, and ftorming at her for pretending to do it ; and owning, plainly, that he intended her only for his miftrels, or whore. Smith's apology was, that the girl coihd not be perfwaded to come without that , nor would fhe, at this interview, bear the thoughts of being a ftrumpet to any king in the world. So the earl fent them back, in his coach, to Taunton, without fuccefs. What fecret letter or meffage the earl fent afterward to the girl, or whether the girl repented of her former denial herielr, and lent a letter to his lordfhip to refign herfelf up to his will, does not fully appear; tho* the earl ieemed to" fuppofe the tatter cafe to be truth, in his cifcourfe with me afterwards: however, on Saturday, September 19, the earl fent a fervant again, on horfe-back, pri- vately to Taunton ; who, under a frivolous pre- tence of wanting fome whip- cord, came to this Martin, the fadler, and, as fuppos'd, gave the girl fome private letter, or made fome private agreement for her to go with him. For, on Sunday, the girl pretended to be fick, and while the family was at church, went off with the earl's fervant to Bath ; which, when the mother and brother came to know, they took horfe on Monday, and followed her ; but net being able to feize her on the clowns of Baib, where (lie w r as, in the earl's coach, at the race, they came both to Bath, and made enquiry after her , but, at firft, without fuccefs. The brother went foon to the earl, who, after a faint denial of knowing any thing of his filler, at laft, confefs'd all ; and faid, tho' he did not keep her by force, yet fhe was too well guarded for him to feize upon her; and, that unlefs all the town of Taunton came to refcue her, fhe was fecure from his attempts ; giving him, withal, a caution, by way of threatening, that he had belt take care how he ventured to meddle with her, for fear of mif- chief Mr. William Whiftom $p chief to himfelf. The brother went to the town- clerk of Bath for a warrant, to fearch for his filter, as one who was gone away from her parents, and whom he perceiv'd, at laft, to be kept in an houfe adjoining to the play-houfe : but the town- clerk, after a frivolous delay, directly refufed the warrant. Upon this he went to the mayor of Bath, for the like warrant, without any mention of the earl ; who bid him go to the town- clerk for a form, and he would fign it} but as he was at the town-clerk's, in order to gain that form, the mayor himfelf came by, of whom he again defired the warrant \ but, when the mayor had difcours'd with the town-clerk, he alfo directly refufed it. Upon which the mother and brother, hearing where the girl was, went to the houfe, and defired to fpeak with her , but me was under the guard of the miftrefs of the houfe, and would not be fpoken with, faying, if fhe mould fee her mother, fhe mould drop down dead. Upon all which difappointments, they both came to Brijiol, to their landlord, Dr. French, where I lodged, and where I heard, and with great indig- nation heard from them, the foregoing account. The next evening I fpoke of this matter, which was already become very publick and notori- ous at Taunton, Bath, and Brijiol, to the lord Barrington, and counfelior Row, who were both in our courfe of experiments, and defired their advice what was fit to be done to recover the girl to her parents ; to bring fuch notorious lewdnefs in the earl to punifhment ; and to correct fuch an open denial of juitice in the officers at the Bath ; or, at lead, to prevent the like for the time to come. Two ways were propofed ; either to defire a warrant from the lord chief juftice of the king's bench, to recover the girl to her parents ; or to indict the earl in PFeJlminJler-lkii!, for de- S 2 coying zy 6 Wetnoirs of the Life of coying her from them, or both. But before any resolution could be taken, the earl himfelf came to Brijtol, September 27, being Lord's-Day, and fupp'd in Queen's- Square, within a few doors of my lodging, at alderman Elton's, who was one of the members of parliament for Taunton, and who, at the defire of the girl's relations, had already fpoken to the earl to reftore her to them -, but all to no purpofe. The earl hearing that I was fo near, fent for me ; I waited upon him according- ly , and found him in company with colonel RoJJe, Capt. Ballandine, and Mr. Fielding. After fome time, I faid to my lord EJjex, That I had fome- what to fay to his lordfhip in private ; and I de- fired therefore that we might withdraw into another room ; upon which the company offered to with- draw : but his lordfhip not ftirring himfelf, nor feeming defirous of the company's withdrawing, I repeated my former motion, and told his lord- fhip again, that 1 had fomewhat to fay to him in private, and delired we might withdraw. But he reply'd, He had rather I mould fay what I had to fay before the company. I then took the freedom of reprefenting, with the utmofb plainncfs, to his lordfhip, the heinous wick- ednefs he had been guilty of, in decoying and detaining a girl from her parents, in order to de- bauch her ; that he had lately loft his lady at Paris, and was returned home, in a very ill ftate of health; that providence had juft given him fome relief, and hopes of recovery, and that this was a very ill requital for fuch a blefling -, that fuch an open and publick attempt, to cor- rupt this girl's chaftity, was not very unlike the violence offered to hucretia, by Tarquin , which the Romans would not bear even in their king ; but expell'd Tarquin for his lewdnefs, and thence- forward altered the form of their government ; that Mr. William Whifton. 277 that marriage was honourable in all, and the bed undefiled; but that whoremongers and adulterers God would judge , that his lordfhip was at liberty to marry a fecond time, if he found it proper, and was therefore under no temptation to fuch loofe practices ; that he ought to fend the girl to her parents, and to make what amends he could to them, for dealing away and ruining their daugh- ter ; that there was advice taking to lay this mat- ter before the lord chief juftice, or bring it into Weftminfter-Hall \ that alfo it ought to be laid be- fore the prince and princefs of Wales^ in order to their difcarding a perfon of fuch a wicked and lewd character from their fervice ; and that as I myfelf could, I believed, have accefs to their royal highneffes, it was probable I mould think fit to lay it before them with that defign ; of which I gave his lordfhip notice before- hand. To which his lordfhip reply'd, without any paflion at all, that he was utterly againft fecond marriages, and there- fore muft have a miftrefs ; that he did not keep the girl by force, but that if (lie would go home fhe might ; his affection for her (however) proba- bly, would not laft above three months ; and that fhe was not now in the cafe of Lucretia ; that how- ever, iier brother had befl have a care of attempt- ing to feize her, left he came to ibme mifchief himfelf ; that for the lord chief juftice, and TVefl- minfter- Hall y he did not much care, fince he could appeal from thence to the houle of lords, which, he believed, would not hurt him , and that for the prince and princefs, they were perfons of too good fenfe, to be concerned at what he had done : with die like impudent expreffions, in way of juftifi- cation, and refolution to go on in his wickednefs. This behaviour save me fo great an indignation, that I could bear the converlation no Ion. or , and io I took my leave very abruptly, in thefc or the S 2 like 278 Memoirs of the Life of like true, but fevere words, "My lord, you *' are the moft abandon'd perfon that I ever con- " vers'd with in my whole life.'"' That if he perfifted in fuch his lewdnefs, I fhould be a wit- nefs againft him at the great day, when both his lordfhip and myfelf mould ftand before ChrijFs judgment-feat. After all which, I am inform'd his lordfhip has fent this his (trumpet in a coach, well guarded, to London ; where I fuppofe he keeps her at this day. This, may it pleafe your royal highneffes, is a faithful account of one of the moft avow'd and publick inftances of wicked lewdnefs that I have ever met with, in all my knowledge of mankind. And I verily believe that if you would pleafe to difmifs the earl from your fervice, on this account, you would thereby do a thing greatly acceptable to God, and to all good men, as well as to the real benefit and advantage to the earl, who will otherwife foon bring himfelf to the grave, by his prefcnt lewdnefs. It would alfo greatly tend to your own honour and re- putation, and intereft, in this kingdom : and if you take due care of the better character of him, who {hall fucceed, you would thereby give an eminent fpecimen of the difcouragement of vice and immorality, and incouragement to virtue and goodnefs in thofe about your royal highnefles perfons, which the king himfelf has been pleas'd to promife, as to thofe about his own royal perfon. All which is moft humbly, and out of the moft fmcere good will to your royal highnefs, and to the earl himfelf, fubmitted to your royal highneffes ferious confideration, by Tour mojl obliged humble Servant, Will. Whjston. In Mr, William Whifton. 279 In the year 1725, I publifhed A Supplement to the "Literal Accomplifhment of Scripture Prophecies. Containing obflrvations on Dr. Clarke's and bifiiop Chandler's Difcourjes of the Prophecies of the Old Jefiament : With four differtations , I. Upon Ifaiah's Prophecy, concerning a Son to be born of a Virgin. II. Upon Daniel's LXX Weeks. III. Upon the fourth Eclogue of Virgil, as com- par'd with the Sibylline Oracles. IV. Upon the Curfe denounced againft Cain and Lamech, before the Flood : Proving that the Africans and Indians are their Pofterity, 8vo. Price is. It was about the fame year, or rather long before it, as I have learned lately, that Dr. Calamy* a' leading teacher among the diflenters, travelling for his health into Scotland, came to Edinburgh, when the general aflembly was fitting, and there heard fuch a very nice and particular fcrutiny made into the opinions and conduct of a clergyman that came before them by appeal, from fome lower judicature, as fhewed too great an inclination to fet him afide, and provoked Dr. Calamy fo much, that he whifpered to one that was near him, that he never knew there was an inquifition in Scotland before ; which was overheard by fome, who handed it about till it came to the prolocutor himfelf: where this freedom of cenfuring the acts of the general afTembly was very ill taken. This I had from the doctor's fon's own mouth, and from another perfon then prefent. And it puts me in mind of the very learned Mr. Simpfon's cafe, who was deprived of his profeflbrfhip in Scotland, for being only an Athanafian fomewhat milder than ordinary. For after that time, I was once at S 4 Hamlin's 280 Memoirs of the Life of Hamlin's coffee- houfe, by the Royal Exchange, and was (hewed this Mr. Simffou, a brother iufferer, at fome diftance in the coffee- hcufe. But I, by choice, avoided to go, or to fpeak to him there -, left fo fmall a converfation mould be a foundation of a farther accufation againft him in his own country. In the next year, 1726, I publifhed a pamphlet Of the 'Thundering Legion : or, Of the miraculous Deliverance of Marcus Antoninus and his Army, on the Prayers of the Christians. As alfo, Of Alex- ander the Great's meeting the High Priefi of the Jews at Jerufalem ; occafioned by Mr. Moyle's works then lately publifhed, 8vo. Price 6d. In the next year, 1727, I publifhed Mr. Henley's Letters and Advert ifements which concerned myfelf-, with a few notes, 8vo. Price 6d. See more hereafter. In the fame year, 1727, I publifhed A Colleclicn of Authentick Records, belonging to the. Old and New Teflament, tranflated into Englifh : In two parts and volumes. Containing, PART. I. I. A DifTertation on the Book of Baruch : To prove that it is a Canonical Book of the Old 'Teflament. II. The Epiftle of Baruch to the nine Tribes and an half; with its Poftfcript. III. Obfervations to prove them genuine. IV. The Septuagint Verfion of the Defcription of EzekieJ's Temple, according to the Alexan- drian Copy. V. A large DifTertation on the IVth Book of EfdraSy to prove it genuine. VI. A Mr. William Whifton. 281 VI.. A particular Explication of the Xlth and XHth Chapters. , VII. Eighteen Pfalms of Solomon lid. VIII. A DifTertation to prove them genuine. IX. The third Book of the Maccabees. X. Some Account of the fourth Book, now loft. XI. The Epiftle of the Jews of Jerufalem to the Jews of Egypt. 2 Mace. i. and ii. XII. A DifTertation to prove it genuine. XIII. The true Origin of the antient Sect of the Magians in Per/ia, from the ten Tribes in Captivity there. XIV. That Zerdujht their Legidator did not live in the Days of Darius Hyjtafpis, but of Artaxerxes Mnemon. XV. That the Religion of Zerdujht was that of the Jews, without Circumcifion, as it was in the Days of Abraham. XVI. That the Occafion of his Inftitution of covered Fire Temples, was the Miracle that is related in the forementioned Epiftle of the Jews of Jerufalem to the Jews of Egypt* XVII. Extracts out of the Book of Enoch. XVIII. A DiiTertation to prove it genuine. XIX. The Teftaments of the XII Patriarchs. XX. A DiiTertation to prove them genuine. XXI. Fragments of Apocryphal Books of the Old Teft anient now loft ; with Notes upon them. PART II. I. Arijleus's Hiftory of the Septuagint Verfion of the Law of Mofes. N. B. The Genuinenefs of this Hiftory has been proved at large in my Appendix to The Literal Ac- ccmplijhment of Scripture Prophefies, p. 1 1 7 1 54- II. An 3 8* Memoirs of the Life of II. An Epiflle of the Corinthians to St. Paul y with St. Paul's Anfwer : In Arabick, Latin and Englifh ; recovered now firft intire from the Armenians. N. B. It was afterwards publifhed by my Sons in Armenian and Latin. III. Reafons for their being genuine. IV. The State of Spiritual Gifts in the Churches ; and their Government by Bifhops, Priefts, and Deacons, in the Age of the Apoftles. V. Of the MagicaJ Arts of Simon Magus. VI. That the Ebionites rejected the Authority of all the ApolHes. VII. The Unlawfulnefs of eating Blood among Chrijlians. VIII. A Demonftration of the Truth of the mi- raculous Gifts in the Age of the Apoftles. IX. Fragments of the Apocryphal Books of the New Te ft anient, now loft. X. An Ebionite Apocryphal Fragment. XL A large Part of the Synopfis Sacra Scripture, with Athanq/ius's Feftal Epijlle, in parallel Columns. XII. A Scholium, proving the Synopfis to be as old as Origen : With other Obfervations. XIII. A compleat Collection of the ancient Catalogues of the Books of the Old and New Teftament, Canonical, Contradicted, and Apo- cryphal : With Notes. XIV. Appendix (i.) A Table of the Subject and Order of the feveral Prophecies of the Old Teftament, from lfaiah to Efdras. XV. Appendix (2.) Arguments to the Pfalms of David. XVI. Appendix (3.') A Sufpicion that a Pro- phecy of Mtcah has been diilocated. XVII. Mr. William Whifton. 283 XVII. Appendix (4.) A Sufpicion that a Pro- phecy of Zephaniab has been diflocated. XVI I J. Appendix (5.) The feveral Predictions concerning the Deftruction of the AJfyrian Army of Senacherib before Jerufalem : "With the undeniable Evidence of their Completion. XIX. Appendix (6.) Concerning the different Statures of Mankind in different Ages, from the Deluge to the Days of Chrifi. XX. Concerning the Statures of three Sorts of Giants before, and after the Deluge. XXI. Appendix (7.) The exact Time when mi- raculous Gifts ceas'd in the Church. XXII. Appendix (8.) Of the Corruptions brought into the Church by the Ebionites. See alfo the Sacred Hiftory of the New Teftament, page 279 283. XXIII. That Jofephus the Jew was an Ebionite. XXIV. Appendix (9.) A Confutation of Sir Ifaac Nezvton's Chronology. XXV. Appendix (10.) Armenian Records taken from the Archives of Edejfa. XXVI. Reafons for their being genuine. In the year 1726, I procured to be made me, by Mr. Crofedale, a very fkilful workman, but according to my own directions, and at the ex- pence of about forty guineas, a model of the ta- bernacle of Mofes, and of the temple at Jerufalem, ferving to explain Solomon's, Zorobabel*s, Herod's, and Ezekiel's temples ; and had lectures upon that at London, Briftol, Bath and Tunbridge-wells. The fubftance of which important lectures, I ad- ded about the year 1728, or 1729, to a large fcheme of that model, after I had compared it with Sir Ifaac Newton's fcheme of the temple of Solomon, then juft pubifhed in his chronology, to which it almofl entirely agreed. I have alfo had the like 284 Memoirs of the Life of like lectures upon the fame model above two years ago, at Hackney, and Tunbridge-wells, to the great fatisfaction, I think of both my audiences , as I in- tend many more the like lectures, and thofe that are a preparatory to the reftoration of the Jews hereafter, while it (hall pleafe God to continue my health and abilities to go through them. And this I take to be my peculiar bufinefs at prefent ; fince Ihave, I think, plainly difcovered, that it will not be many years before the Meffiah will come For the refto- ration of the Jews, and the firft refurrection, when the laft of thefe temples, the temple of Ezekiel, will be built upon Mount Sicn,- as the three former had been built upon. Mount Moriah. Of which more towards the end of thefe memoirs. One thing, however, I will add as to this model, when twenty- two years ago I explained it at Briftol, viz. that a fchoolmafter there, Mr. Cat cot, by name, one of my auditors, was fo affected and pleafed with the model and the lectures, that long before I had made that fcheme or ground-plot which is now in my Jofephus, he, from his memory, made one for himi'elf, and brought to me to be corrected . This Mr. Cat cot I then took to be one or the beft icholars, and of as fober a mind as any of my auditors or friends at Brifiol -, whatever un- happy biafs afterward made him a profelite, to my real grief and furprize, to that wild Hebrew enthu- fiaft Mr. Huichir'fon. It may alio be worth mentioning, that in this year, 1726, and at my courfe at Brifiol, the bidiop of the diocefr, Hcoper, who had bren one of the court of delegates, that fat upon me in contradiction to the opinion of good bifliop Waddiugton. who uled to kneel by me when we were there at the communion together, lent orders to the incumbent of the parifh to refufe me the communion , which was figoified to me by my old friend Dr. Siddal, afterward Mr. William Whifton; 285 afterward bilhop of Gkucefter. Upon which I quietly withdrew, without making any complaints to the publick of fo great an hardfhip. In the year 1728, Dv. P ember ton publifhed his View of Sir Ifaac Newton's Philofophy. I would fain have had him added thofe famous Scholia, or Corollaries of his, which are of the greateft value for the fupport of natural and revealed religion 5 but I could not perfuade him to it. Upon his refufal, I tranflated them myfelf into Engltjh, and publifhed them, with fome few additions and notes, the next year, 1729, both in 410. and 8vo. Price 6d. In the year 1730, 1 publifhed tfheHoreb Covenant Revived : or, An Account of thofe Laws of Moles which oblige Chriftians. To which is added, Apofto- Heal Rules for Ecclefiafiical Courts. Written 1739, upon occafion of the trial and conviction of poor Mr. Robert Hales, for forgery, Svo. Price to- gether is. 6d. N. B. I entered deep into Mr. Hales's character and behaviour, which was fupported by twenty- leven molt eminent testimonies in his favour , and I was to come in for the twenty-eighth, but they durfl not call me, lince 1 might have difcompofed the fcheme that was laid by the pleaders. Yet up- on hearing the trial, both I and Dr. Nath. Mar- fhal alfo, as weli as fome others, were fatisfied of his innocence , the papers and vouchers lor which, I have (till by me. And indeed that trial gave me fuch a terrible idea of our prcfent courts, and of fome of the maxims of law there followed, even where neither the judges nor the juries can be charged with any intention to act unjurtly, that I canno: but earneitly defire to fee that time, when the facred gofpel of Clriji may regain its liberty -, and when the laws of God ihall every- where take 286 Memoirs of the Life of take place, inftead of the laws of men ; and when no corrupt maxims or quirks may oblige any then to break that eternal rule of equity, He that juftifietb the wicked, and he that condemneth the juji, even they both are abomination to the Lord* Prov. xvii. 15. The fame year, 1730, I publifhed Memoirs of the Life of Dr. Samuel Clarke ; being a fupple- ment to Dr. Sikes and biihop Hoadtey's account : including certain memoirs of feveral of Dr. Clarke's friends, Svo. What a worthy friend of mine, Mr. John Lau- rence, thought of this pamphlet, will appear by the following letter. Dear Sir, I Have received and read your memoirs, &c. with a great deal of pleafure ; and I herewith return you many thanks for the fervice you hrve done to religion in general, and the Chrifiian re- ligion in particular ; by fo freely, and fojuftly re- proving our bifhops, for that fecularity of fpirit, which i'o vifibly reigns in moil of them. I cannot fee how they can poffibly wipe off the offence and fcandal which hath been both given and taken by their fhameful non-refidence, and neglect of their diocefTes, but by a fpeedy reformation. And it hath been juftly and rightly obferved, that for near two years lad pad, there hath not been one bifhop appeared amongft us in all the north part of England. To your honeft freedom, in repre- fenting the odium, which muff arife from luch grofs neglects ; you might, in your memoirs, have added the fatal mifchiefs and inconveniences that mult neceffarily follow, from the evil example of fuch bimops. For with what grace can a non- re fident Mr. William Whifton. 287 refident bifhop reprove, (and fure reproof is ne- ceffary) his non-refident clergy ? and fo indeed it proves in fact, the mutual connivance becomes thus almoft nccefTary, and the word Incumbent too frequently lofes its name; for I could give you inftances of rectors, who have not, like a certain bifhop, fet foot on their rectories for fix years together ; and of another living, near me, on which there has been neither refident rector, nor refident curate, for above twelve years together. Hinc ilia lacryma ! I had feveral things more to have faid ; but my heart being full of forrow, for thefe things, I could not let flip this firft op- portunity of letting you know how much I fympa- thize with you, and lament fome of the caufes of the decay of Chrijiian Piety. We frequently re- member you all with pleafure. And I defire you to believe that I am, with great fincerity, (Dear Chum,) Bijhops Weremouth, Tour affectionate Friend, Sept. 15, 1730. J. L. P. S. Bifhop Burnet has wrote a book called the Pajioral Care, I would fain have fomebody write the Epifecpal Care. In the year 173 1, my great friend, Dr. Sydal, (who, with Mr. Pyle, fen. of Lynn, were the two belt fcholars that I ever examined for holy orders while I was chaplain to Dr. Moor, bifhop of Norwich) was made bifhop of Glouceftcr. The mention of him in this place is made, on account of a remarkable fact by him related to me, of Mr. William Needham, wao had been chaplain to archbiihop 288 Memoirs of the Life of archbifliop Saner oft, and was a member of that convocation, which fell upon me A.J). ,1711, and whofe conduct relating to me, is fet down at large after my Hijlorkal Preface. Dr. Sydal, who was alio a member of the fame convocation, finding Mr. Needbam, otherwife a good man, very bitter again ft me, faid to him, " What you are doing " againft Mr. Whifion is like the proceedings in the ac for a faenfice. IV. A large enquiry into the true chronology of Jofephus, V. An 304 Memoirs of the Life of, &c. V. An extract out of Jcfephus's exhortation to the Greeks, concerning Hades, and the refurre&ion of the dead. VI. Proofs that this exhortation is genuine. VII. A demonstration that Tacitus the Roman hiftorian, took his hiftory of the Jews out of Jofephus. VIII. A differtation of Cellarius's againft Har- duin, in vindication of Jofepbus's hiftory of the family of Herod, from coins : With an account of the Jewifh coins, weights, and meafures, folio. In the fame year, 1 73 7, I publifhed An Account ef the Dceminiacks, and of the Power of cafiing out Damons, both in the New Teftament, and in the four firft Centuries ; occafioned by a late pamphlet of Dr. Sykes's, intituled, An Enquiry into the Meaning of Dsemoniacks in the New Teftament. To which is added an Appendix, concerning the Tythes and Oblations paid by the Chrijiians, during the fame four centuries, Svo. Price is. 6d. The End of the First Part.' MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE and WRITINGS O F Mr. WILLIAM WHISTON. PART II. N the year 1738 I fcnt the fol- lowing letter to Mr. John Depee, at Norwich. He was a Itranger to me, " but one that was to commu- nicate the letter to feme worthy Unitarians v Norwich, who had de- fired my opinion and advice in fome points of great confequence. U April 306 Memoirs of the Life of April 20, 1738. For Mr* John Depee, near Coflany Bridge, Norwich. SIR, I Received yours of the 8 th inftant, by the perfon you intrufted it with , and by Mr. Killingworth, an eminent Baptift, and a very good writer, on their fide, and return you this fhort anfwer to your queries. (1.) That the wordGW, when it is made the fubjecl: of a propofition, means always the moft High God, which you fay Dr. Clarke and others grant, I do not know. That it ufually does fo is very plain, and confeffed by all. However, the text your Athanafian has pitched upon, 1 Tim. iii. 16. is unluckily chofen for a Determination of fuch a controverfy ; fince it is fo very doubt- ful whether the true old reading had the word God or not. I have now by me a differtation of Sir Ifaac Newton's, to difprove that reading. And upon its perufal, I cannot fay, whether the word written by St. Paul, were &io ; , or Aeye;, or XpTo?, or S : which laft all the Latin copies fuppofe, and implies the context to have been, Great is the myftery of godlinefs, which was manifested in the flefh, &c. Thus do the A- thanafians take it alfo for granted, that our Sa- viour is called, Rom. ix. 5. h ' m \ v i^ m Gto< or, The God over all, againft the conftant language of Chriftians in the two firft centuries, which appropriated that character to the Father. Ac- cordingly it appears by no fmall evidence, that the word q^ was inferted by the Montanijls > and from them derived to their offspring the Atbanafians. See Athanafian forgeries,/. 612. As Mr. William Whifton. 307 As to your hypothefis-maker's famous difcovery of a fuperangelical Spirit united to the A6yo if whether taken from Dr. Knight, or Dr. Bennet, it deierves no anfwer, till we have fome proof, that itv was the doctrine of the Apoftolical Age ; to which I am fully fatisfied it was an intire ftranger. The notion then being conftant, that the a<>Vc himfelf was no other than fuch a fuperangelical fpirit, begotten or created by the Father before the world began. Thefe hypothefis-makers are the great corrupters of true religion. For my- felf, I dare make none in fuch a cafe.' But having moft frequently and carefully perufed all the books of the New Teftament, received from the Church of Rente, and {landing in our com- mon Bible, and all the reft unjuftly rejected by the Athanafians, and by that Church, and even by us from them, and commonly ftiled Apoftoli- cal Fathers only ; I atteft to the world what doc- trines, worfhip, and difcipline I find therein con- tained; and this without any imaginary fuppo- fals whatfoever. See Athanafian forgeries, pag. 105 no. (2.) Nor do I much deal in fupporting by reafon what I find in the fame facred books, I now mean thofe of the Old, as well as New Teftament, as un- derftood in the very next ages alfo, viz. That the Divine Perfon that fo often appeared to the Patri- archs was not the moft Kigh God, but the Aiyo;, having the Name of God in him ; Ex. xxiii. 21. and the name Jehovah communicated to him ; and fpeaking and acting always in the name of the Moft High God, and by his authority, as his minifter, and vicegerent among mankind. This is almoft the conftant voice of Chriftian antiquity; Pbilo the Jew is alfo full of it ; and Jofcphns had the fame notion, as alfo I fuppofe, had all the Pro- phets. But whether the vulgar carnal Jews did U 2 not 308 Memoirs of the Life of not imagine that Divine Being, which fo often appeared to their fore-fathers to have been the Moft High God himfelf, I cannot certainly tell j however I have treated fo fully of this in my IVth volume, article XIII. that I fhall add no more in this place. (3.) As to my great friend Mr. Emlyn's Previous Queftion about Baptifm, it was written [long ago, before I was acquainted with him, or had dif- covered the miftake about infant baptifm, and that upon the principles of Doctor IValPs hifto- ry of infant baptifm, or] with acutenefs ad ho- minem, as we fay, but feems to me deftitute of all real foundation. The authority of the Tal- mud, and the modern Rabbins no way deferv- ing any regard, when they not only are unfup- ported but contradicted by all other genuine evi- dence. Nor do I believe any fuch baptifm of profelytes, till John the Baptift. I have lent you my old paper of baptifm, which includes the testimonies of two centuries relating to that mat- ter, wherein, page 25, you have this apoftolical injunction, let no one eat of the Eucharift that is not initiated , but thofe only who have been bap- tized unto the death of the Lord ; and in page 34. the exprefs teftimony of Juftin Martyr, one that might be ten years old when St. John died, it is not lawful for any to partake of the Eucha- rift, but fuch as believe die things we teach, and have received that wafhing which is for the re- miflion of their fins, and regeneration ; fo that you mult then confine the Eucharift to profe- lytes alfo. By infants and little children the con- stitutions and other ancient writings mean only fuch with relation to baptifm as were catechifed before baptifm, as their whole current implies ; and as the paper about infant baptifm will a- bundantly prove ; the difcovery of which fecret made Mr. William Whifton. 309 made me a Baptifl twenty-fix years ago. I have fent you alfo my old paper of the ancient creeds, which I call the Magna Charta of Chnftianity ; in oppofition to which evidence for the ancient faith of Chriftians, I take the pretended occafio- nal criticifms, and little hypothefes of the Atha- nafians to be mere trifles. I heartily wifh Mr. Scot the younger all happinefs and fuccefs in his intentions to reftore Primitive Chriftianity, but hope he would avoid, as much as poflible, the introducing of any controverfies into the pul- pit, which ought generally to be facred to the fundamental doctrines, and practical duties of the Gofpel. / am, SIR, your hearty well wiper, and bumble fervant, Will. Whifton. IN the fame year, 1738, I publifh'd The Longitude discovered by the Eclipfes, Occul- tations, and Conjunctions of Jupiter's Planets. To which was added the Configurations of thofe Planets for the latter Half of that year. But I afterwards added, in its Stead, A Ta- ble of the Eclipfes, Occultations, and Con- junctions of fuch of thofe Planets as might be ufeful in the difcovery of the Longitude for the years 1730, 1740, 1741? and I74 2 - With a large Hiitorical Preface, reaching till the year 1745, 8vo. Price is. 6d. U 3 N. B. 310 Memoirs of the Life of N. B. I procured a copy of thofe tables by which thefe eclipfes were calculated for that fkil- ful Author or our- annual Ephcmerides, the late Mr. Weaver. Whence he has every year fmce given us their calculations to the great ad- vantage of Aftronomers and Obfervers. Since I have fo long and fo kindly been treated at Finchley, by the now very old Man Mr. Henry Whichcote, and particularly by his Son, Mr. Paul Whichcote, fo as to make it, when I pleafe, my place of reft and retirement, and where I take always the freedom to communi- cate and debate any of my notions and difco- veries before they are publifhed : And fince I was in thefe years, 1738 and 1739, intrufted with the recommendation of a good number of poor Clergymen, to a charity left by one of that family, I cannot but add a fmall ac- count of it in this place. Dr. Whichcote was the moft noted perfon in it, who in Oliver 's days was provoft of King's College, Cambridge, and one whom Bifhop Burnet, in the Hiftory of his Own Times, juftly recounts among the belt of the clergy and preachers in the next reign ; whofe fermons were admired and publifhed by Archdeacon Jefferies : he was brother to the father of the family, of which family I am go- ing to fpeak. Sir Paul Whichcote of Quoi, by Cambridge, was the eldeft Brother -, whom I knew : and who had a fmall but elegant chapel for his family prayers, which were twice in a day there attended : Which his fon Sir Francis Whichcote, in Lincoln/hire, with whom I am al- fo acquainted, imitates. Sir Paul died at about 79 years of age. The next brother of the fa- mily died about 83. The next was a filter, the Lady Pemberton, who lived till about 87. The next alfo lived till about 87. Who be- iidc Mr. William Whifton. 311 fide the large provifion he made for his rela- tion, my friend, Mr. Paul JVhichcote, left 1200/. among 30 clergymen of good reputa- tion, who had not of their own, or in Church- preferment, fo much as 30 /, a year, /. e. 40 /. a-piece. Mr. faul Whichcote, who was the perfon that took the care of this benefaction, de- fired my Affiftance in finding out fit objects, and took near half of my nomination : and by his and my own great care, fuch objects were found out, and had each their 40 /. undiminjfh- ed, as, upon after enquiries, not one have ap- peared to be unworthy of it. Which is a cafe fo uncommon, that it well deferves to be re- membered and imitated by others on the like occafion. The laft of the brothers, Mr. Henry, a worthy and religious man, is now in the 96th year of his age, and, abating his deafnefs and blindnefs, is ftrong and hearty at this day. In May 1739, after the Death of Mr. Sander- fon, my fucceffor in the Mathematic Profeffor- fhip at Cambridge, I wrote, and fent the follow- ing Letter to Dr. Ajhton, mailer of Jefus Col- lege , the only furviving head of a college that figned my banifhment from the Univerfity , tho' by all that I could learn, he did not fo much as fliew it to any other of the Heads, till after they had chofen Mr. Colfon for another of my fuc- cefibrs. An hardfhip this plainly indefenfible and unnaccountable ! London, May 10, 1739, Much honoured Sir, IT having pleafed God to prolong my life and health till after the death of my fucceffor, Mr. Sander/on ; and you, Sir, being the only I lead of a College now alive, whofe name is to U 4 my 312 Memoirs of the Life of my banimment from the Univerfity; an hard- ihip, indeed, that I could not but forely re- gret, from ,-fo good a fcholar, and fo good a man as yourfeif ; I think \ may now venture to put in my claim to the fame ProfefTorfhip a- gain : the right to which was never any further taken from me than in confequence of that ba- nifhment. I then, by the beft advice, made a Deputy ; as, by Mr. Lucas's Statutes, I was impowered to do, Mr. Chriftopher Hujj'ey of 'Tri- nity College ; who was ready to perform his duty, had not the heat of that time prevented him. You know, Sir, very well, that I was not banifhed for any immorality, or negle<5b of my duty as ProfefTor, nor by Mr. Lucas's Statutes , but barely for ( i ) my affirming, with our Saviour, St. Paul, the Nicene, and all the ori- ginal Creeds, and moll ancient Fathers, that the one only God of the Chriftians is God the Father. (2) My afierting an undoubted matter of fact, that the original Chriftian Doxology was not the common one, but Glory be to the Father* through the Son, or, and the Son, in the Holy Ghojh (3) My propoftng to prove that the Con- Jiitutions and Dohrine of the Apojlles, are facred Books of the New Teftament , and the former of them, the moft facred of the Canonical Booh. As the authentic accounts of that tranfaction, long ago by me made public, do clearly prove. Certainly, Sir, the lofs of about twenty feven years fakry of my Profeflbrfhip, with the other confequent difficulties, put upon me during all thofe years, is more than a fufficient punifhment for thofe offences of mine, if fuch they were : and that it is high time for you, Sir, in parti- cular, to move the other Meads of the Uni- verfity to confider of the equity, if not of the juftice of my cafe , and to reftore me to my mem- bership Mr. William Whifton. 313 berfhip again : the confequence of which will be this, that I be either re-admitted or re- elected into my former Profefforfhip. Which when done, I do hereby promife the Univerfity either to come and relide, and do the duty of my place myfelf, if it may be done without the diflatisfadion of that body; or elfe I will, according to the power given in the ftatutes, make a good and fufficient deputy to fupply my place, and do it for me. Sure, Sir, this pro- pofal cannot be efteemed other than very reafon- able by any ; much lefs by yourfelf, whofe for- mer banifhment of me mould make you more ready to procure me fome redrefs for all thofe unhappy troubles that fucceeded it. My diffe- rences in opinions from yourfelf or others, no way relating to the Profefforfhip of the Mathema- tics, cannot certainly merit the continuance of my punifhment any longer , which therefore I hope you will endeavour to prevent : and if you do fo endeavour to prevent it, I have little rea- fon to doubt but you will fucceed in it, So far at leaft I infill on your fairnefs to me, that you communicate this letter to the Vice-chancellor, and the reft of the Heads of Colleges, as foon as may be, before they are engaged for any other, that they may not be unapprifed of my claim, my defires and promifes in the prefent cafe. It not being my intention to write to any other of them in particular, but to yourfelf only , to whom I heartily wilh all happinefs, as well as to the whole Univerfity, of which I was many years for- merly, and defire once more to be admitted a member : And, I am, SIR, Tour very affetiionate Brother^ and humble Servant, Will. Whiston. N. B. This 3 14 Memoirs of the Life of N. B. This Dr. AJh ton published himfelf many years ago, an excellent edition of Origen, nipt Et^?. After which I afked Dr. Bentley, then Matter of Trinity College, and Regius ProfefTor of Divinity, why they did not banifhDr. AJhton, as they had done me for Arianifm ? fince he had publifh'd the grofleft Avian book extant in all antiquity , as this treatife of Origerfs is known to bew He replied , but the Notes are Orthodox. To which I anfwered, will orthodox Notes make an Arian book other than Arian ? In the fame year 1739 I publiflied A Collec- tion of Original Texts and Tejlimonies of Antiquity that relate to Chriftian Difcipline, with Notes. As alio An Humble and Serious Addrefs to the Cler- gy, for the Reftoration of the fame Difcipline, 8vo. Price is. 6d. N. B. Since the publication of this pamphlet, I have met with light as to both thofe practices, which I doubted of when I firft wrote it, pag. 44. I mean the anointing the ftck with oil, which I have very lately fatisned myfelf to be certainly a Chriftian duty at this day ; as has already appear- ed , and the ufe of incenfe at the Eucharift ; which I have found not to be lb. In the year 1 740 was publifh'd at Utrecht, by that prodigy of a young man, Mr. Philip Bara- tier, A Chronological Enquiry about the mojl ancient Bifhops of Rome, from Peter to Victor ; with, four other dijfertations about the Apoftolical Conftitutions, and Ignatius'.? Epiftles, &c. Of which I gave an account in my three Tracts, p. 43 89. Out of which I got far more light, as I there profefs, in feveral points relating to the original date of Chriftianity, than from all the other writings that have been publifh'd, fince I ftrlt publiih'd mv own Works Mr. William Whifton. 315 Works thereto relating, p. 45. where alfo I have ordered this addition to be made in any future, edition of thofe tr?c~ts : that " till Mr. Baratier " wrote upon thefe Conftitutions, and Ignatius\ " larger Epiftles, like a real fcholar, and one " well verfed in Chriftian antiquity, thefe pre- *' cious remains of the Apoftolical Age were hard- " ly looked into with the leaft degree of judg- " ment and impartiality by any of the learned ; *' even fince I publilhed them, and wrote fo fully '* and largely in their vindication. The learned *.' Mr. le Clerk wrote againft the Conftitutions fo " poorly, in the preface to his edition of Cotele- M rius, that I had not patience to confute him. " and for the learned Dr. Whitby \ he was fo fe- " cure of their being fpurious at random, that he * c feemed to think them unworthy of any fcholar*i " confideration. He only faying, as I have " heard as to my believing them genuine, that " this was for a Madman to do, or rather for one * c worfe than a madman. Non fani effe hominis y pt non f anus juret Orefles. To fuch a degree of " contempt have the original laws of Chrift " therein contained been reduced among the moft *' learned modern Chriftians ! In the next year, 1 740, I publifhed a Treatife, entituled, The Eternity of Hell Torments conjidered: or, a Collection of Texts of Scripture, and Teili- monies of the Three FirftCenturies relating to them . With Notes and Obfervations, $vo. Price 2 s. In the following year, 1741, I publim'd An Appeal to xxx primitive Councils againfi the Atha- nafian Herefy. A finglc Jbeet, as an Appendix to the Athanafian Forgeries already mentioned. 8vo. Price 3 608, that I defire thofe pages may be quite omitted in future Editions. About the year 1744 Dr. Webfier publifhed and fent me a fmall paper, for the Payment of Tythes to theClergy,and that as of fuch indefeafi- ble right, that the Meffiah himfelf could hardly alter it >> and at the end, hinted that this his writ- ing was, in a manner, put upon him by infpira- tion. Whereas the fact is plain, and proved in my account of tythes before mentioned , that thofe tythes were indeed to be paid originally into the Bifhop's hands, but not to fupport either him- felf or his Prefbyters or Deacons, but to be di- flributed to the widows, the orphans, the poor, and ftrangers in diflrefs -, and befides to the orders inferior to deacons, who mofl probably were of the poorer fort alfo ; while the firft fruits and voluntary oblations were allotted to the maintenance of the Superior Clergy, Biihops, Priefts, and Deacons. See the forementioned paper, page Jj, 78. But when Dr. Webfier in- timates Mr. William Whifton. 3 21 timates a divine impulfe for a Clergyman to write in vindication of Tythes to be paid Clergymen, contrary to the original law of Chriftianity , Credo.t Judas Apella, nonego. Cbriji has indeed ordained that thofe that -preach the Go/pel Jhould live of the Gofpel , which gives the Clergy a right to a maintenance: But that the maintenance fhould be by the Application of the Tythes thereto, is no where ordained : However, Clergymen fhould always get Laymen to write for their maintenance, but never mould do it themfelves. In the year 1744 I publifhed a Jingle Sheet about our Saviour's RefurrecJion, from Beza's dou- ble Copy of the IV Gofpels, and Acts of the Apoftles-, with fome Obfervations, fhewing that almoft all the difficulties which have'long puzzled the moil learned Commentators in our vulgar Copies are here cleared, by this much more anti- ent and much more authentic Copy, 8vo. price %d. It is added alfo a little corrected at the end of my Primitive New Teftament. In the year 1745-6 I publifhed Bifhop Sher- lock's mod excellent Sermon, preached at Salif- bv.ry, Otiober 6th, 1745, when he was in dread of Popery and Perfccution ; which makes men much better Chriftians than times of Profperity. Concerning whom I fhall add a few things. When his Lordihip made a Speech for Bribery and Cor- ruption, in the Houie of Lords, for it was efteem'd no better at that time, I took fuch a prejudice againfl him, that I did not go to dine with him for a great while, as I ufed fometimes to do before. This I told Mr. Venn, who was ac- quainted with us both , and this was fo well un- derilood by the Biihop, that he told Mr. Venn himfelf, that he believed fomewhat was the mat- ter between us : Mr. Venn knew what it was, but durft not tell it. At lait, when 1 was ence at the 322 Memoirs of the Life of Matter of the Rolls, Sir Jcfeph JekyVs, the Bi- fhop came upon us on the fudden, and afk'd me, what the matter was that I did not come as ufual to dine with him fometimcs ? I laid, no my Lord, never fince your political Speech in the Houfe of Lords. He reply'd, that 1 knew he took my re- proofs patiently, and he was defirous I would come to him as formerly. I anfwered, No my Lord, political Bifhops are the ruin of all [Re- ligion :] and lb I went away in forrte indignation. Moreover, I well remember, that when I had prefented to his Lordfhip the fecond Edition of my EJJ'ay on the Revelation of St. John, and he had found I had introduced a Brother Politician of his, the Author of the Codex, as one that was aiming at a new kind of Perfecution, which I call the Codex Perfecution , he knew not how to bear my new expofition. I acknowledged it to be a new one, but jufrified what I had fo lately difcovered ; and I venture to affirm flill, that I take that my late difcovcry and expofition of thofe matters to be both very true and very confiderable alio. I alio well remember, that I once enquired of his Lordfhip, " How the Church of England " could pretend to be fo pure and primitive, as tc fhe has long boafted herfelf to be, while fhc " flill retains the Book of Canticles in her Bible, " and the Athanafian Creed in her Common Prayer *' Book?" To which he made me no anfwer. And I really believe no good anfwer can poflibly be made to either of thofe queftions. I farther wifh, very heartily wifh, that this Bifhop Sherlock^ who' is fo well able to fpeak both in Parliament and Convocation, would be the firll to propose the exclufion of that Book and that Creed. It he would do it, I verily hope feveral good men would fecond him, and not one fober man would oppole him, in either of thole places-, and he mi slit Mr. William WriiiTon. 323 might thereby begin that public Reformation, without which not only revealed, but even natu- ral Religion are loon likely to be banifhed out of thcfe Kingdoms. And when they are once baniifi- ed, where I pray will be the Church of England? In the year 1 745 I publifhed my Primitive l New Teftament in Englijb^ in IV Parts. Part I. Containing the IV Gofpels of Matthew, Jchn % Luke, and Mark; with the Acls of the Apoftlcs $ according to the Greek Part of the Manufcript of Beza, now probably above 1600 years old, in the! public Library of the Univerfity of Cambridge^ collated by Patrick Toung, Abp. UJher-> and at leafl: twice by Dr. Mills, befides a ftill later col- lation. The imperfections of this Copy are here: fupplied from the vulgar Latin* Part II. Containing the XIV Epiflles of Paul According to the Greek of the Clermont manu- fcript, now probably between 1400 and 150a years old, in the King of France's Library as Paris : According to the collation in Dr. Mills's New Teftament ; the Latin of which copy is. part of the old Italick verfion, made early in the iecond Century. Part III. Containing VII Catholic Epiflles. Part IV. The Revelation of John. All according to the Greek Alexandrian manu- fcript, now about 1400 years old, according to Dr. Mills's collation. N. B. The obfervations belonging to this and the other Books of the New Teftament are all to be found in my Sacred Htjtory of the New Te/!a~ went, in their proper places. X 2 N. B. I 324 Memoirs of the Life of N. B. I was at Cbrift's Church in this year, 1746, as ufual, on Midfummer-Day, when near 5000 poor Charity Children appeared in their new Cloaths, and had a very good Sermon preached before them, and their Stewards, and a pretty numerous congregation, by Dr. Lavington. I mention this becauie iuch a fight is to me a far more agreeable one, than what all the Court and City can furnifh ellewhere , as giving me a kind of profpecl and hopes of the real Reflitution one Day of the Prim/ live Catechumens and Illuminates , with their Chriilian Inftructions, Baptifm, and the Eucharifl, all fucceeding one another : "Which may they quickly be reftored among us, and in all Chriftendom 1 N. B. When I was at Penfehurjl, Dr. Ham- mond's old Living, during my firft day's flay at Tunbridge Wells , on Saturday Auguft 23^, 1746 (Which Living of near 400/. a year had been offered me by the Earl otLeice/ler, with whom I had not the lead acquaintance, above 5 years be- fore, but was by me refufed; as the Reader may find in my Letter to the Archbifhop of Canterbury thereupon, printed in my Three Traffs, Page 1 1 2) I was very kindly received by my Succeflbr,for fo I call him, Mr. Williams \ and was very glad to find that the Flock which fhould have been committed to my Care, could my Confcience have complied with the qualifications our unhappy Laws have made neceffary, (which what they are, the Rea- der may fee before, Page 72 75) were under the Care of Mr. Williams^ a worthy perfon and very good Pallor, as he is univerfally allowed to be. J went thither twice, and Was the fecond time fhewed by Mr. Perry\ the prefent poffeffor of the Sidney eftate there, a lingular pafiage, taken out of a printed original letter, written about A. D. Mr. William Whifton. 325 A. D. 1642, which di redly imports that the great Mr. Chillingworth, how fagacious and honefl lbever, at laft defended Socinianifm, and was therein utterly and immediately confuted by that excellent perfon, the Lord Falkland. See papers of State belonging to the Sidney family, Vol. II. Page 669. (I mean this only in cafe the Writer of the Letter well undcr- ftood the difference between Arianifm and Socini- anifm, which are often confounded one with ano- ther.) So that this Mr. Chillingworth had a ftrange diffidence and mutability of temper ; wtiich had made him when firft a Proteftant to turn Papift ; and when a Papift to turn Prote- ftant again ; then to favour Arianifm^ as it is called, and on that account, in part by refufing to fign the 39 Articles, to lofe fome expected preferment; then to fign the 39 Articles, and accept of preferment, and after all to defend Soci- nianifm itfelf. Which is fuch a round of contrari- eties, as is hard to be parallel'd in any other learned man whomfoever. To be fure he at firft wanted my darling motto, Confider well and atl jieadily ; nor had he afterward the Apojlolical Con- Jlitutions and Canons for his immoveable guide and ftandard, as I have now had near 40 years, which would have prevented all this uncertainty of con- duct ; and without which the feveral parties in Chrijlendom have long been, and are dill likely to be, in polemical Contrcverjies, polemical endlefs Ccn- troverjies, one with another. Nor will thole pole- mical Control' erfics ever ceafe, 1 venture to affirm it, till thofe Apojlolical Conjlitutions and Caucus are admitted as the Handing rule ol Chriftianity. Memorandum, That on Aitgujl the 24th this Year 1746, being Lords Day, and St. Bartholomew's Day, I breakfafted at Mr. Zfo/s, a dhTrnting Minifter dXTunbridge. [Fells, and a fucceflbr, tho' X ^ not 326 Memoirs of tie Life of not immediate to Mr. Humphrey Ditton, and like him a very gOGd Mathematician aifo : I told him, that I had juir. then come to a refolution, to go out always from the public worfhip of the Church of England^ wheneyer the reader of Com- mon Prayer read the Aihanqfi&n Creed ; which I efleemed a public curfing the Chriitians: As I expected it might be read at the Chapel that very day, it being one of the thirteen days in the year, when the Kubrick appoints it to be read. Accord- ingly I tpld him, that I fully refolved to go out ,of the Chapel that very day, if the Minifter of the Place began to read it. He told me, that Mr. Downing 'the Minifter, who was then a per- fect ftranger to me, had omitted it on a Chrifimas- J)ay, and fo he imagined he did not ufe to read it. This proved to be true, fo I had no opportunity afforded me then, to fhew my deteftation of that monftrous Creed : Yet have I fmce put in practice that refolution, and did fo the htft time at JLin- (olm-Inn Chapel, on St. Simon and St. Jude's Day, Otlober 28 th, 1746, when Mr. Rawlins began to read it, and I then went out and came in again when it was over, as I always refolvcd to do after- wards. Accordingly on St. Andrew's Day, No- vember 30th, the fame year, when Mr. Harrijbn began to read it, at St. George's Church, Queen- Square, I then went out, and came in again when it was over : However, before I went to Tunbridge Wells Chapel, that very morning I received by the London Poft, from a perfon perfectly unknown to me, a very remarkable and important letter j which will be fet down in due place hereafter. Now before I declare my direct opinion in this im- portant matter, which was defiled by the writer, I fhall endeavour to vindicate myfejf, at leaft m fart, from this fad imputation of Hypocrify, as to my former practice -, tho' perhaps it will not be fufneient Mr. William Whiflon. 327 fufficient to vindicate me in the whole, becaufe I might have more fully declared my abhorrence of the Athanafian doctrines and curies, by going out of the Church while they were read, than by barely omitting to repeat that creed, with which I contented myfelf feveral years at firfb ; or by fitting down alio, while it was read, as I have now done for many years. However, that no honed man may blame me more than I deferve, I fhall repeat here what I formerly faid, when Mr. Henley charged me with joining in Idolatrous JVor- jkip, or even of bowing down in the Houfe of Rimmon, by my frequenting the public fervice of the Church of England. Upon which occafion my words were thefe in the paper to him relating, page 29, 30. Where I " openly declare that how 44 unjuftiriable foever I have long thought fome * 4 inftances of worfhip in the Athanafian Churches, 44 and particularly in the Church of England, 44 with which I ufually join in public worfhip W and the Eucharift -, I mean during the great dif- 44 trefs I am at prefent in, between joining in a 44 Church not yet free from the Athanafian herefy 44 in public Worfhip, or of omitting almoft all 44 public Worfhip at all ; yet did I never think 44 that undue Worfhip of the Son and Holy 44 Spirit, as equal to God the Father, which the 44 modern Athanajians have long ventured upon, 44 without, I verily think, nay againft the entire 44 Old and New Teftament, and without, nay, " againit all the other ancient records of Chrif- 44 tianity , to be, ftrictly fpeaki ng, in the lan- 41 guage of Scripture, the crime of Idolatry. It is 44 neither the worfhip of falfeGcds, nor of Daemons* 44 nor of their Images Or Idols ; as was that of the 44 Syrian Idol Rimmon, which was Idolatry againft 44 theory? Commandment. Nor is it the worfhip 44 of the true Gcd by an Image or Idol ; as was that X 4 " of 328 Memoirs of the Life of c of the golden Calves by Aaron and Jeroboam, purfued by fome companies of Grenadiers, who charged them fword in hand upon the defcent of the mountain. Of the 14 battalions which we had with us, viz. 10 Piedmont efe and 4 Aufirian^ there were but eight of the former, and two of the latter, who could by their fituation have any fhare in the action. Our lofs amounts in all to 120 men. The enemies lofs amounts to at lead 5000 men ; amongfl which the Lieutenant-General Chevalier de Belliejle was killed , and whole death cauied them- to retreat. It is reckoned they have loft above 300 Officers, they left at Sceau 600 wounded, who were not in a condition to be carried off. There Mr. William Whiflon. 337 There is another authentic account in the Ga- zette that came loon afterward* from one in the action, viz. Major General Count Coloredo, and dated July 20th. The 6th of the month I re- ceived orders from Turin to march forthwith, with the four battalions, towards Peru/a (clofe by, or among the Vaudois) and (e,t forward accord- ingly : But before I got thither, I had notice from the Commandant of Fentftrelks (another place clofe by, or among the Vaudois) of die ap- proach of the enemy, and was earncftly prels'd by him to advance that very day to that place ; which I executed after a very fatiguing march. The 17th, as the enemy approached more and more, I ordered the two battalions of Traun and Hagenbach to march quite up to the intrenchments, at the Col della Stela, advancing myfelf with the two other battalions, viz. thole of Coloredo and Forgatfch, upon the heights of Barboti\ Irom whence I faw in the valley oppofite to me a body of the enemy, from 12 to 15 battalions. The 1 8th, we (till faw the enemies tents, but the greateft part of their troops was gone, where- upon I quitted that poll towards the evening, ad- vancing in the night with incredible fatigue, through roads almoft impaflfable in the mountains, as far as Valjla, and reached the Col della Sieta before day-break , keeping along the fide of the intrenchments. The 19th, the two battalions had hardly in- ramp'd when the enemy came exactly in the front of the intrenchment, confiding according to the accounts of their own officers, now our prifoncrs, of 44 battalions , whillt their advanced pofts were foirmifning with our voluntiers, an i even driving them lrom a hill clofe by our re- doubts, they planted 7 cannons upon the fame hill, and began to flank our retrenchments with Y them, 338 Memoirs of the Life of them, and formed themielves there in touf columns : They began to affault us on all fides, with fuch vigour, or rather fury, that their firft column puttied on quite to the parapet of the redoubt ; but it met with fo warm a reception from the Grenadiers of the Sardinian Regiment of Guards, that after a combat of three hours it was almoll totally ruined. The fecond column which attacked the Flank where I was poftedj with the battalions of Traun, and Forgatfch, had the misfortune to be likewife repulfed with a great daughter, after two hours combat. The third column which poured down from a mountain upon the left flank of the intrenchment was repuls'd five times. The fourth column appeared veiy little ; and the iflue of the whole was, towards feven in the evening, the enemy rallied their broken and flying troops, retreating to the place from whence they let out, and leaving us a compleat victory : Our whole lofs is inconfiderable, whereas that of the enemy exceeds 4000 men killed, and wounded, and priforters amongft the flain is the Chevalier de Belkijle, commander in chief, and the Major General Arnault ; with a great number of other officers. Amongft the prilbners, the number of whom amounts to 11 or 1 200, is the Brigadier Bor- gete. The enemy left 600 wounded men at Say, &c, N. B. As I look upon this as a providential delivery of thefe Vaudois, fo do 1 look upon the tak- ing of Cape Breton by us in the year 1 745, as well as the difappointment of the French the next year 1 746, when they attempted Annapolis, and other of our plantations in A?nerua % to be highly provi- dential Mr> William Whifton. 339 ckntial alfo .: And both- of them the more remark- ably fo, on account of the unexpected and mofl providential Peace and its confequences, that have followed thofe events, and which we now enjoy. Both of them have been in a very excellent man- ner fignalized by Mr. Prince, in his two Sermons at Boftdn in" New-England -, the ferious perufal of which I do heartily recommend to every Chriftian. A Letter to the ArchUfljop of Canterbury. * From Sam. Barker's Efq% at Lyndon, Rutland, near Uppingham, Jan. 23, 1747-8. ) My Urd, - AFter my hearty good willies for your efcap- ing the dangerous temptations of your high itation, and your doing much good to true reli- gion therein, I think it proper to inform you, that in the days of Archbimop Potter I wrote to his learned Chaplain Dr, Chapman, and complain- ed of the poor mean compofition of the Forms of Prayer for the Days of Fading during this War : Which as they were plainly beneath thofe of Mr. Qveral, my friend, a layman among the Diflen- ters, who had then publiihed others for the like occafion, fo did I defire him to inform me, whe- ther that admirable Collect of Thankfgiving and Prayer on occafion of the great Storm, Novem- ber 27, 1703, for which I have long fought in vain, were to be met with at Lawbeth , and if it were I defired a copy. To which I had no anfwer. That Form, if it could be found, would be an excellent pattern for future Forms. How- ever, if that cannot be found, I beg that you will provide better Forms for the time to come -, and particularly that you will infert into the next Y Form 2 34 Memoirs of the Life vf Form for the Fall, February 1 7. what has hitherto been utterly neglected, I mean fome ferious Collect on occafion of the long and fore Murrain or Plague, now deftroying the Horned Cattle : Which how far it may extend we none of us know. This may not only then be ufed, but afterwards alfo during the continuance of that diftemper ; which has been no way flopped hitherto either by natural or political means uled for that purpofe. I fay na- tural and political means only -, for neither do any medical methods of cure conliderably avail, nor have any other means but political, beentryedbythe public hitherto, as if we had no notion of the inter- pofition of Providence in fuch a terrible, and gene- ral, and long a Judgment as this has been. I know that my brethren the Baptiits in /this neigh- bourhood have earneftly and frequently petitioned God Almighty in their places of public Worfhip, for a ftoppage of fo great and uncommon a calami-, ty : And I fuppofe other DifTenters do the fame in their places of public Woriliip alfo. While our Churches, intended for higher purpofes, have been only employed to read orders of the State relating thereto. But how it has come to pafs that the eftabliflied Church of England has been quite filent all along, as to the religious part, I believe no good reafon can be given. If our thirteen times a year curfing the Eufibians or Primitive Chriftians by public authority in the Athanafian Creed were once corrected ; our Man- ners in Court and Country throughly amended, and our Prayers on all fuch occafions were more folemn and ferious than they now are, we might hope that God Almighty would pity us and our poor dumb creatures, and procure both them a releafe from this diftemper, and ourfelves a deliverance from the effects of it, and from thole other great and amazing Judg- ments Mr. William Whifton. 341 ments which I fully and fuddcnly expect; as a confequence of what is already begun, and this upon the molt authentic evidence. I am, My Lord, Tour obliged and very bumble Servant, Will. Whiston t . N. B. On that Faft-Day, Feb. 1 7th, I went to our congregation at Morcot, which was very Iblemn, and fupplied by the Prayers of our fe.ve- ral Preachers one after another, with a fermon on- the occafion by one of them. Where alfo I myfelf read that excellent fermon about the Murrain, on Exod. ix. Part of the 3d and 6th verfes, which I had before read at our Family Morning Devoti- ons that day. And which I told them I wifhed had been preached in every Church and Meeting- in thefe Kingdoms. The JrchbiJhop*s Answer. Revd. Sir, I Thank you moft kindly for your good Let- ter, and am better pleated with your Chriftian wilhes for me, than with a hundred compliments I have received in pick'd and elegant phrafes. Yours, I am fure, comes from a good heart, and a fober judgment ; I will do the beft I can in this ftation, to which indeed I have been forced. And as neither pride, nor ambition, nor covet- oufnefs tempted me to defire it, fo it is my daily prayer to God, that in the ufe and exercifc of this great Office, I may keep my heart and my hands free from thofe fad temptations. What you hint about X 3 the 34-2 Memoirs of the Life of the F Form of Prayer, your age and' teaming, and experience give you a right to fay i but it be- comes thofe who have lefs of all thole to be a little more referved : The fame Form is come out by authority for this year. Many good men concur with you on the fubjecl: of the Murrain ; and I am afraid in a little time it will make the ftouteft of us cry out for Mercy, and reach thofe high places which feem almoft out of the reach of fuch calamities. Upon your hint I looked over the Forms of Prayer, and find one for the . 1 7th of Jan. 1703-4. This I fuppofe is what you mean, and I fend you one of the Prayers tranf- cribed. / am, Reverend Sir, Tour ajfured Friend, 'Kenfmgton, Jan.. 28, 1747. Tho. Cantuar. The Prayer. GReat and glorious Lord God, jufr, and ter- rible in thy 'Judgments, and unfearchable in all thy ways : At whofe rebuke the earth trem- bles, and the veiy foundations of the hills make ; who alfo commandeft the winds and the fea and they obey. We vile dull, and miferable Tinners, in a moft awful fenfe of thy amazing Judgments, our own great and manifold provocations, and thy tender mercy to the penitent, do with aH hu- mility of foul, call ourfelves down before thy footftool j bewailing our unworthinefs, and im- ploring thy pity, and the bowels of thy com- panion. We befeech thee, O Lord, to awaken our confeiences, that we may fee and duly con- fider thy hand, which in lb aflonifhing a manner has Mr. William Whiilon. 343 has been lifted up againft us. Pardon our own crying fins, and thofe of the whole nation ; which have drawn down this thy heavy difpleafure upon us \ and grant us fuch a meaiiire of thy grace, that we may no more difobey thy laws, abufe thy goodnefs and forbearance , or defpife this and other thy chaftifements, left a worfe thing come unto. It is of thy goodnefs, O Lord, that we were not all confumed by the late Winds and Storms, which fulfill'd thy command- ment j and that in the midft of judgment thou didft remember mercy ; fhewing forth the care of thy Providence in fo many wonderful prefervati- onsof thy people. Let the Remembrance of them work in us fuch a thankfulnefs of heart, and fuch a ferioufnefs and watchfulnefs of fpirit, that no calamity may ever be a furprize to us, nor death itfelf come upon us unawares. That ib we may at length arrive fafely at that blefTed Kingdom which cannot be fhaken, for the Sake of Jtfus Chrijl, our only Mediator and Advocate. N. B. On Afcenfwn-T)ay, May 19th, 1748. The Collect on account of the Murrain was firft read at Lyndon Church. A fljort view of thofe National and Perfonal Sins which call for Humiliation and Repentance. By Mr, Ovcral. WHEN we are called upon by public authority, to humble ourfelves in the fi;ht of God, on account of our manifold (ins and trefpafies againft him, we mould, in order to prepare our minds for that folemn work, fe- rioully reflect upon thofe national and perfonal tranigreflifcns, which render us unworthy of the Y 4 divine 344 Memoirs of the Life of divine favour, and expofe us to his juft dif- pleafure. ... .^i If it mould be afked, what fins may properly . be called National ? I anfwer all fuch Laws and Cuftoms of a Nation, as are contrary to the Laws of God, or tend to fubvert the foundation of Re- ligion and Virtue, of which kind I am afraid we have too many , amongft us : I fhall take notice of them, in hopes that they who have it in their power, will either repeal or amend them, Thofe Lav/3 which enjoin unnecefiary and ^im- practicable- Oaths, and require the great and tre- mendous Name of God to be ufed upon trifling occafions, are not in my apprehenfion among the leaft of our National Sins. It would be end- lefs to run over all the plades where this ungodly traffic is carried on, and therefore I fhall only mention two of diem, one in the Commercial, and the other in the Learned World. That . in the Commercial World is our CuftomHou- fes, where a multitude of Oaths are taken, fome of them abfurd and impracticable, and I think moft of them unnecefiary-, fo that they feem to be adminiftred more for the fake of the Fee which is paid for them, than for any thing elfe. There is likewife fo little reverence obferv- ed either in the adminiftring or taking thofe Oaths, that a by-ftander, who was a flranger to the affair, would never imagine that the great God of Heaven and Earth was appealed to in that transaction ; for which reafon, together with the known abfurdity of fome of them, a Cuftom- Houfe Oath is become a proverbial expreflion, for a thing not to be regarded. The pretence for thefe Oaths is the prevention of frauds, but is it likely that they'ihould anfwer fuch an end, when no man is, or indeed can be. punifhed for the breach of Mr. William Whiflon. 345 of them ? for it feems our wife Lawyers have de- termined, that the breach of an Oath, is not a perjury punifhable by Law, unlefs fuch Oath is taken in a Court of Record, which diftinction I am perfuaded hath been the occafion of numberlefs Perjuries. Frauds in the Cuftoms are punifha- ble by Law, and would be fo if no Oaths were ta- ken : But if a fraudulent man is not deterred by fuch punifhments, it can hardly be fuppos'd that he would be deterr'd by any Oath which hath no punifhment annexed to the breach of it; and therefore as thefe Oaths do not anfwer the end propofed by them, and as the frauds committed in violation of them, are as punifhable without them, as with them, they are evidently unneceflary, and ought to be laid afide. The other place where fwearing abounds, an4 unneceflary and impracticable Oaths are admi- niftred, is our Univerfities, where every Student, foon after his admifiion, is to take what they call the Matriculation Oath, wherein he fwears to be obedient to the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor; and to obferve the Laws, Statutes and Cuftoms of the Univerfity, and this without fo much as knowing, what thofe Laws, Statutes, and Cuf- toms are ; and which if ever he does know them, he will find to be fuch, as neither he, nor any man living can obferve , and yet this Oath of Obedience to the Statutes, the Student is to take again when he comes to be of the foundation, or Scholar of the houfe , and when he takes his de- gree of Batchelor of Arts, and Matter of Arts, and Doctor of Divinity ; as if every ftep to college-preferment was to be afcended by perjury : A man would perhaps be thought very uncha- ritable, who mould fay that there is not a man jn either of our Univerfities who is not forfworn. And yet harfh as this may fecm, it is, God knows 346 Memoirs of the Life of knows, too true. To fay that thefe arc only cuftomary Oaths, doth by no means lefifen the guilt of continuing them, A cuftom of finning is an aggravation, and not an extenuation of the crime : Befides there feems to be lefs occafion for Oaths in fchools, or feminaries of learning, than in moft other places, for as fcholarfhips are not places of Truft, nor afford opportunity of Fraud, nothing but the unworthy behaviour of the Stu- dent can render him obnoxious to punifhment : And if his conduct is fuch. as to deferve it, the Society have power to expel him ; which power may be as effectually exerciied if no Oaths at all were taken or required : And therefore they are evidently unneceffary and ought to be left off; and the more lb, as they cannot poilibly be pro- ductive of any good, but may have a very bad effect upon the minds of youth, and lay the foun- dation of many and great immoralities in the af- ter part of their lives: For it is highly probable that their being educated under a difregard to what are called cuflomarv Oaths, taken to ob- ferve impracticable ftatutes, or elfe their being put to mean quibbles and evafions to avoid the obligation of them, may fo debauch their tender reafon and confcience, as to occafion a difregard to folemn Oaths, in affairs of the greateft import- ance. Let us therefore lay afide this ungodly practice of taking the name of God in vain, fir the Lord will not hold him guiltlefs that taketh bis name in vain. There is another law, and I think a very un- iuft one, which bears hard upon men of Univer- fity education -, as it lays them under ftrong temp- tations to act againft the Light and Reafon of their own minds : For after a man has fpent many years in ftudy, he cannot be admitted to fuch degrees in the Univerfity, as his learning and Handing Mr. William Whifton. 347 ftanding may intitle him to : Nor if he is defigned for a Clergyman, be capable of holding any Liv- ing or Church Preferment, unlefs he fubfcribes and folemnly declares his afient and confent to Articles and Creeds of human compofition, which he neither does nor can believe. It is a melancholy confideration, that men mould fpend fo much time in fitting themfelves for a profef- fion, which they cannot be permitted to exercife without great prevarication. How can Clergymen expect that their miniftration mould be attended with the Divine Blefling, or have any good ef- fect: upon the confciences of other men, when they begin them with fuch a notorious violation of their own. For God's Sake let us remove this (tumbling block out of the way, and lay afide Articles and Creeds drawn up by weak and fallible men, and make the Word of God the only rule of our Faith and Practice, left we provoke him to remove our candleftick out of its place, and to transfer that Light which we have defpifed to a people more worthy of it. Another addition to our load of national guilt, and a very heavy one too, are thofe Laws which require the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to be taken as a qualification for a civil employment. That fuch laws fhould be approved and vindi- cated by Chriftian Bilhops and Clergymen, is alto- nifhing ; and yet this is done under pretence of their being a iecurity to the Church of England. But how the proftitution of a folemn ordinance of the Church of Chrift, to Atheifts, Infidels and Debauchees, can be a fecurity to the Church of England, I am at a lofs to imagine ; unlefs the Church of England, and the Church of Chrift, are fuppofed to be different things. But as fuch a practice cannst inthe nature of the thing have any tendencj* to fecure Piety and Virtue, it is plain 348 Memoirs of the Life of plain that worldly riches and power, or the tem- poralities of the Church, are the only things in- tended to be fecured by it ; if fo, may it not be expected that when a Sacred Rite, appointed by the King and Governor of his Chureh, as a ftanding memorial of his love to it, is perverted from its original defign, and made fubfervient to worldly ends and purpofes, that it will be looked upon as a difhonour done to the inftitution, and be refented accordingly ? How fuch of our Bi- fhops and Clergy, as contend for the continuance of thefe laws, will anfwer it to the great Shep- herd, and Bifhop of Souls, at the laft day, muft be left to themfelves to confider: I hope God will put it into the hearts of our King, Lords, and Commons, to take away this reproach from our Church and Nation, that this Sin may no longer be laid to our charge. Another of our errors eftablifhed by law is, the taking away men's lives for robbery or theft ; which I think is neither warranted by the laws of God, nor by the reafon and fitnefs of things. By the law of God, we are exprefsly forbid to kill i fo that it muft be unlawful to take away the life of a man in any cafe, or for any crime, unlefs fuch crime is particularly excepted out of the command by the fame authority, as Murder and Adultery, and lbme other crimes are ; but robbery or theft is no where excepted out of this law , but, on the contrary, has a particular pu- nishment annexed to it by God himfelf: And therefore I am afraid we prelume too far, and in- trench too much upon the divine prerogative, when we make laws to punifh it with death, and aft not only without, but againft the authority of him, who hath faid, Thou /halt not kill. It may perhaps be thought ftrange by the Li- bcrtinesof ourAge,that God ihould annex a greater punifhment Mr* William Whiflon. 349 punifhment to Adultery than to Robbery , but be it known to them, that in God's account the one is a greater Sin than the other; and indeed it feems to be fo ; for there is a poflibility of making refutation and reparation for the damage done by Robbery , but the injury done by Adultery can never be repaired, nor the loft Innocence reftored, but this only by the way. If it mould be faid in favour of thefe laws, that all Societies muft have within themfelves a power of making laws, for the fecurity of property, and of annexing proper puniihments to the breach of them, otherwife there would be nothing but ra- pine and violence amongft mankind. I anfwer, that as God is the fupreme Lord and Governor of the World, no man, nor body of men can have any power or authority to make laws contrary to his, nor to annex any punifh- ments to the breach of them, which he hath ex- preQy forbid. If it be alledged, that when men enter into civil Societies, they may for their mutual benefit give up fome of their natural Rights, and agree to hold their Lives, Liberties and Properties upon cer- tain terms and conditions, and to forfeit them upon the breach of thole conditions ; which compact Or agreement, when voluntarily entered into, Ought to oblige the contracting parties ; and therefore, as every man in this Nation, hath ei- ther in perfon, or by his reprefentatives, given his aflent to thofe laws wich punifh robbery with Death , the inflicting fuch a punifhment upon the offenders of thefe laws cannot be unjuft. To this it may be replied, that the great Author and Giver of Life is the fole difpofer of it; and therefore, as no man hath a right to difpofe ei- ther of his own, or of other men's Lives, all compacts $$o Memoirs of the Life of compacts or agreements entered into for that pur- pofe, muft of confequence be null and void. If it be further urged, that every man, who robs, fins with his eyes open, and knows the pe- nalty beforehand ; and therefore if he commits the crime, the law is not to be blamed, if he is hanged for it, fmce it was done knowingly and wilfully. To which I anfwer, that the wilfulnefs of a tranfgreflion is not a fufficient reafon for an ex- cels of punifhment , and therefore if laws ordain punifhments for crimes, as greatly exceed the de- merit of them, fuch laws muft be blame- worthy ; which brings me to the next head, wherein I pro- pofe to fhew, That the taking away men's Lives for Robbery is not warranted by the reafon and fitnefs of things. The reafon of things, or the law of equity requires, that punifhments mould be pro- portioned to the crimes committed : But what proportion is there between the Life of a man* which when once loft, is loft for ever, and a little money, the lofs of which may foon be recovered ? Or is it fit and reafonable, that for a few temporal goods a miferable Sinner mould be for ever de- prived of all opportunities of repentance and amendment, and hurried into an eternal World, with all his crimes about him, as it is to be feared is the condition of moft of them ? O cruel Juftice! I heartily wifh that the Souls of thefe poor wretches may not cry to Heaven for venge- ance againft us. This feverity I am perfuaded hath been the occafion of a great many Murders, which would not have been committed, if Robbery, hadnot been made puniihable with death, for when men know that they mail be hanged for Robbery, and that they can be but hang'd for Murder, the prmcipie of ielf-prefervation will oftentimes prompt them to commit the one, in order to conceal Mr. William Whiftom 351 conceal the other; this likewife renders them defperate and bloody-minded, when they are un- der any apprehenfions of being difcovered and taken. I mail conclude this head with obferving, that thofe laws which make no distinction in the pu- nishment of crimes, fo vaftly different, as Rob- bery and Murder certainly are, cannot be agreea- able to the eternal and immutable reaibn of* things ; and therefore I cannot but wilh they were altered. And that the punifhment annexed to Robbe- ry was only to be (lavery, and confinement to hard labour for Life, or at lead, until * fome reftitution was made, and fome plain figns of repentance and amendment appeared , and that perfons con- victed of Murder mould not be executed by hanging them by the neck -, but that their blood mould be fried by cutting off their heads, as is practifed in Holland ; thele, I think, would be punilhment more agreeable to the Laws of God, and the reafon or things , which require no more in cafe of Robbery than ample reftitution, r perpetual flavery , but in cafe of Murder, the Law of God directs, that -f who fo fheddeth Man's Blood, by Man his Blood mould be fhed -, and indeed this method of execution feems to be -moll proper in the nature of things, and is moil likely to have a better effect upon others -, for when thofe Crowds of Spectators, who ufuaily attend executions, fee the blood of a Murderer flowing from his veins, it will itrike them with more terror, than if they faw him only turned off a Ladder, with a cap before his face, to hide the diftortions of his countenance , and confequently be more apt to reftrain them from the like Sin, which is the chief end of all puniihments. I (hall only add * ExoJut xxii. 3. f Genefu ix. 6. one 352 Memoirs of the Life of one one obfervation from the celebrated % Sir Thomas More \ That if under the Mofaic difpen- fation, which was rigorous enough, Theft or Robbery was only punilri'd with fine or flavery ; it can never be fuppofed, that under the Chriitian Difpenfation, which is infinitely more merciful and gracious, men mould have a greater liberty to deltroy their Fellow-Creatures. Another Sin under which this Nation groans, though not encouraged by any Law, is that Lux- ury and Extravagance in Eating and Drinking, and in Drefs and Equipage, and all manner of Diverfions, efpecially that curfed one of Gaming, which fo generally prevails amongft us. It is a melancholy Truth, but true it is, that more mo- ney is often fpent by the Dives's of our Age, in one day's luxurious entertainment, than would feed an hundred poor Lazarus's for fome weeks , and that greater fums are frequently laid out in cloaths and ornaments for a Bride, or a Birth-Day, than would cloath a thoufand poor Creatures, who are almoft naked , and more loft in one night's gaming than would fupport ma- ny families for a whole year. But let thoft who are richly cloathed, and fare fumptuoufly every day, remember that temporal riches are talents which muft be accounted for , and if they are not laid out in Alms-giving and Charity, the fcene will foon be changed, and the time come, when they who have enjoyed this World's Goods^ but they have fhut up their Bowels of Com- panion from their Brethren in Want, mall themr fclves beg ir> vain, and be told, that they in their Life-times were pofTefs'd of abundance of good X The practice of putting men to death for Robbery was very jufily cenfured by Sir T. Mere, i ord Chancellor of England, in the Reign of Henry VIII. in a Book called Utopia, but is neverthelefs continued among us. thing; Mr. William Whifton. -353 things, which the Poor were never the better for, but were fpent in vanity and pleafure, which they efteemed as their chiefeft good j and therefore, as they had already received that portion of hap- pinefs which they chufe, there now remained no- thing for them, but great and endJefs miiery % but for thofe who had received evil things, and had born them with patience and resignation to the Divine "Will, endlefs Joy, and ever during Felicity. God grant that this confideration may abate our Luxury and Pride, and increafe our Charity and Humility. To the Sins which have beeri mentioned, may 1 be added a multitude of others, which tho' llrictly fpeaking they are perfonal, yet by reafon of their general prevalence, may in fome fenfe be called national. Such as the general neglect of divine wormip, in public and in private, and the taking the holy and reverend Name of God in vain, both in common converfation, and by that horrible cur^ fing and fwearing which is daily heard in every place ; the little care and concern in parents and mailers of families to train up their children and fervants in the principles of Religion and Virtue ; and as the natural confequences of fuch neglect, the difobedient, rebellious, and profligate conduct: and bevaviour of the rifing generation -, the whore- doms and adulteries, which in this brazen age of ours are not only committed but boafted of; the murders and robberies which are fo frequent amonglt us ; and that fpirit of detraction and calumny, envy and covetoufnefs, which every where abounds, which are fad prefages of ap- proaching ruin, and unlefs fpeedily repented of and amended, mult draw down the vengeance of Heaven upon us, and make it neceflary for the righteous Governor of the World to vindicate Z the 354 Memoirs of the Life of the honour of his moral Government, by the de- ftruction of a finful Nation. In the year 1 748 I publifhed my Sacred Hi- ftory of the Old and New Tejlament, from the crea- tion of the world, till the days of Conjiantine the Great : reduced into annals. Containing withal the Fulfilling of Scripture Prophecies all along : A compleat Catalogue of the Eclipfes of the Sun and Moon mentioned by the Antients : Biihop Uoyd's Origines of the Jewijh Church, from the Exodus out of Egypt, till the Death of Mofes. The Preface to his Exposi- tion of Daniel's L.XX Weeks. Both thefe never before publilhed : Fragments of the oldeil Gof- pels : Fragments of the Abls, &c. of Peter and Paul: An Account of the oldeft Copies of the New Tejlament, efpecially of Beza's ineftimable Greek and Latin Copy of the four Gofpels and Afts of the Apoftles, now in the Library of the Univerfity of Cambridge : From which, and from the Clermont and Alexandrian Manufcripts, Mr. JVhiJlon's Primitive New Tejlament is now publifhed in Englijh. Containing alfo CLV Obfervations, for cor- recting the modern errors in facred chronology : For difcovering the true chronology of Peter : For determining the Authors, times and places 0$ the publication of the IV Gofpels, and the other books of the NewTeJlament : For correction of the miftakes in our modern copies -, and, for dating the proper rules of judging about true readings, &V. Timothy's Epiftle to Diognetus, now fbft put into Englijh, and proved to be genuine. A future State frequent in the original copies of the Old Tejlament : A Confutation of Porphyry : The Martyrdom of Polycarp : The Martyrdom of Perpetua and elicit as, with notes : The Acts of the Council of Antioch in the third century, &V. A Mr. William Whifton* $$$ A Proposal for a new and cheap edition of the primitive Writers, and for fixing them, as lend- ing Libraries, in every parifh of Great-Britain and Ireland, a'id the plantations thereunto be- longing : A Table of LXXXI of Paul's Journeys and Voyages, in VII Periods, and XXXV years after his Converfion : Together with other pro- per Chronological Tables and Indexes are added at the end. London printed for the Author, and fold by John Whifton in Fleet-ftreet, and Francis Bijhop, m Little Turn-fiile Holborn, 1748. Price to Subfcri- bers 1 /. 6 s. but to others a Guinea and half in Sheets. N. B. When I was at Newberry with Mr. Collet, in the week after fVhitfiin--wtck, A. D. 1748, I met with very agreeable Company, and heard the worthy Mr. Mace preach twice on Sunday in the fame Meeting-houfe, where my old learned Friend Mr. James Pierce had preached, before he went to Exeter. I there alfo met with a very authentic account of the impofing and oppreflive Spirit of the late Mr. Edward Harley, and his Aihanafiims among the Diflenters : For he fent down an un- fcriptural Formulary of the Athanqfian Doctrine into Cumberland, to be fubfcribed by fuch cf the diflenting preachers as defired afliftance out of the Diflenters fund at London ; the difpofal whereof lay much in his power. This was fubfcribed by four of thofe preachers, before they were aware, and before they had consulted their brethren. But when it came to the turn of one of much better confideration, he put a (top to it, and on the con- trary drew up a very excellent declaration againfr. fuch impofitions, and againft taking away the ufual allowance to preachers on any fuch ac- counts ; which ws fully approved by the reft of Z 2 his 3 5 6 Memoirs r of tie Life\ of his brethren, and even by the lour who' had been betrayed into the former fubfcription. On the 1 9th of December, 1717, Dr. Colbatch preached his excellent fefmon in commemoration of the founders and benefactors of* Trinity College, Cambridge. Of which Dr, Smalridge, then Dean of Chriji's Church, Oxford, faid to me, that it was fit to be read over,onceL a Quarter by all Gover- nors of Colleges. In this Sermon, p. 30. :he fpeaks thus of my moft intimate friend Dr. Laugh- ton, then a Tutor at Clare Hall, who yet w r as very oppofite to him in party Notions : " We fee 44 what a Confiuerice of Nobility arid. .Gentry the " Virtue of one Man daily draws to one or our 44 leaft Colleges : And is it pofiible that this 44 fhould lye hid in an inglorious obfeurity, when 44 governed according to our Statutes, and con- 44 fequently filled with perfons every way fit for 44 their refpective ftatkms ? " Now this Dr. Col- batch was my particular Friend, and a perfon of great learning and regard to the fevereft disci- pline, and of the ftricteft virtue ; tho' that vir- tue feemed to have fomewhat of the dif agreeable, as his Friend Dr. Newton of Oxford** virtue, feems to me to have fomewhat that is peculiarly agree- able. Dr. Colbatch and I were hearty friends ro Dr. Bentley, the Mailer of that College, for kve- ral years, while he appeared to act uprightly ; but when he altered that his conduit, we Wefe both of us forced to leave him : Nay the Doctor was at length fo offended at his conduct, that he was at the head of a party in the College that pro- fecuted the Mafter in order to his expulfion, tho* to no Purpofe. In which Profecution he told itk he had expended near 1000/. He was Reef or ot Orwell, five Miles from Cambridge, and is lately dead, and has bequeathed his Library to the Uni- verfity of Cambridge, and fettled a Charity School at Mr. WiHiam. Whifton. 357 at Orwell for twenty-five children for all gene- rations, . And ib much I. thought fit to add here concerning two of my friends in Cambridge, that highly deierved to be known to pofterity, who otherwife, by not affecting to be writers them- felves, might eafily be forgotten. Nor will it be improper to add, that when I once afked Dr. Colbatch-, who had lived fome time in Portugal, as Chaplain to our Factory, or to our Conful, what it was that in fuch a grofly ignorant Popiffe Communion could preferve any ferious religion ? His Anfwer was, that fome of the Popifh Con- fefibrs were fo honeit, as to afiure thofe that made confefiion to them, and received abfolution from them, that unlefs they amended their lives, their abfolutions would be of no advantage to them, which was highly for their commendation. Nov by the way did there want a Bifhop in our time, who, as the News told us, . perfuaded the French Monarch himfelf, when he was in danger of death and was to receive the Extreme-Unction, to dil- mifs a famous Harlot of his upon the like prin r ciple ; tho' I think that King, upon his recovery, took her again, and fent the Bifhop away from the Court down to his Diocefe for his pains ; which was but too plain an indication that his repentance was not fincere in her former difmiflion. May all Princes, Popifh and Proteftant, with their Cour- tiers and Nobility, learn this important LefTon, which will equally hold true of them as of the lowefl of their Subjects and Inferiors. Marriage is honourable in all, and the Bed undefilcd ; but IVhore- mongers and Adulterers God will judge. Out 358 Memoirs of the Ltfe of Cut of the General Evening-Poft, from Jan. 5th to Jan. 7th, 1747-8. To the Printer. _ J I Ry HAvingjuft feen Mr. Carte's Hlflory of Eng- land, I found the following remarkable ftory which he has laborioufly introduced by way of Note, to illufirate his Hiftory a thoufand years preceding. Speaking of the Unction of Kings, and the Gift of healing the Scrophulus Humour, called the King's Evil, exercifed by ibme Euro- pean Princes, anointed at tlieir Coronations, and fucceeding lineally to their Crowns by Proximity of Blood, he fays : * But whatever is to be faid in favour of its being appropriated to the eldeft De- fendant of the firft Branch of the royal Line of the Kings of France, England, &c. I have myfelf feen a remarkable inftance of fuch a Cure, which could not pombly be afcribed to the real Unction. 1 One Chrijlcpher Lovel, born at Wells, in So- tnerfetjhire, but when he grew up, refiding in the city of Brificl, where he got his living by la- bour, was extremely afflicted for many years With that diftemper, and fuch a flow of the fcro- phulous humour, that tho' it found a vent by five running fores, about his breaft, neck and arms, there was fuch a tumour on one fide of his neck, as left no hollow between his cheek and the up- per part of his left moulder, and forced him to keep his head always awry. The young man was reduced, by the virulence of the humour to the lowed ftate of weaknefs ; appeared a mifera- ble object in the eyes of all the inhabitants of that populous city , and having for many years tried all the remedies which the art of phyfic could ad- minifler, Mr. William Whiilon. 359 minifter, without receiving any benefit, refolved at lad to go abroad to be touched. He had an uncle in the place, who was an old Seaman, and carried him from Brijiol at the end of Auguft 1 746, along with him to Cork in Ireland , where he put him on board a fhip that was bound to St. Mar- tin's, in the ifle of Rhee. From thence Cbrifiopher made his way firft to Paris, and then to the r lace (Avignon) where he was touched in the beginning > of November following, by the eldeft lineal defen- dant of a race of Kings, who had indeed for a long fuccefiion of ages cured that diftemper by the Royal Touch : But this Defcendant, and next Heir of their Blood, had not, at leaft at that time, been either crowned or anointed. The ufual effect however followed, from the moment that the man was touched and inverted with the narrow Ribband, to which a fmall piece of Silver was pendant, according to the rites prefcribed in the office appointed by the church for that folem- nity, the Humour difperfed infenfibly, his Sores healed up, and he recovered Strength daily, till he arrived in perfect Health, in the Beginning of January following, at Brijiol, having fpent only four months and fome few days in his voyage. There it was, and in the week preceding St. Paul's fair, that I faw the man in his recovered vigour of body, without any remains of his complaint, but what were to be ken in the red fears then left upon the five places where the fharp humour had found a vent ; but which were otherwife entirely healed, and as found as any other part of his body. Dr. Lane, an eminent Phyfician in the place, whom I vifited on my arrival, told me of this aire, . as the moft wonderful thing that had ever hap- pened, and prefTed me as well to fee the man up- on whom it was performed, as to talk about his cafe with Mr. Samuel Pye, a very fkilful Surgeon, Z 4 and 360 Memoirs of the Life of and I believe flill Hying in that city, who had tried in vain for three years to cure the man by phyfical remedies. I had an opportunity of do- ing both, and Mr. Pye, after dining together, carrying me to the man, I examined and in- formed myfelf fully- of all particulars, relating as well to his illnels as his cure, and found upon the whole, that if it is not to be deemed miracu- lous, it at leaft deferved the character given it by Dr. Lane, of being one of the mod wonderful events that had ever happened. There are abun- dance of inftances of the cure of the King's Evil by the touch of our Englijh Princes in former times, mentioned by Tucker, in his book on that fubjed : And it is obfervable, that the Author, Mr. Carte, was himfelf an Infidel on that head, till convinced of his miftake by the late learned Mr. Anjiis, Garter King of Arms, who furnifhed him with thofe proofs out of the Englijh Records, which atteft the facts, and are printed in that treatife. But I am apt to think there never was an inftance in which the diitemper had prevailed to an higher degree, or the furprizing cure of it was known to fuch infinite multitudes of people, as in the cure of Chrifiopher Lovel. Tranfcribed by me Will. Whiston Jan. 15, 1747-8. Out of the General Evening-Pott, from Jan. 14th to Jan. 1 6th, 1747-8. Brijlol, Jan. 13. To the Printer. SIR, IObferved in your paper of the feventh inftant, a quotation from Mr. G?r//s ffifiory of England, of one Chrifiopher Lovel, ot~ this city, whom the Author affirms he fuw after he had been cured or Mr. William Whifton* 361 an inveterate King's Evil, by the Touch of a cer- tain R -1 hand, when the fkill of the moft .able phyfician and furgeon,- he had employed be- fore had proved ineffectual, and was indeed fur- prized to fee fuchi an idle J te tale calculated to fupport the old thread-bare notion of the di- vine hereditary right of a certain houfe ; which notion I thought had been long exploded by men of fenfe, and exifted no where but in the brains of Popifh enthufiafts, and credulous bigots. The illuftrious Royal Family now on the throne defpife fuch childifh delufions, fuch little pious frauds, to prove their divine right to the crown. They act upon noble principles; they want no chicanry to fupport their throne ; they profefs an honeft open plainnefs in all their pub- lic actions ; the hearts and affections of their fub- jects they depend upon for protecting them on their throne, which they cannot fail of by protecting their fubjects in the full enjoyment of their civil and religious rights and liberties : Whereas, Jefuits and Popifh emiffaries make life of frauds, and pretend ed miracles, and authority from Heaven, to fup- port arbitrary princes on their thrones, in order to enflave their innocent credulous fubjects. I have made a faithful enquiry into the flory of this Cbriftopher Lovely and mall endeavour to prove the fallacy of it, by fetting this wonderful event in an honeft and fair light. 'Tis acknowledged that the rumour of this re- markable cure made a great noife in this city, among the ignorant and difaffected ; great num- bers vifited the patient, to be convinced of the truth of this miracle , who greedily fwallowed the delufion, as the doctrine of divine hereditary right had been indultfioufly propagated for fome years before, to prejudice the minds of the people againft the iuccemo.n of the prefent Royal Family. Every 362 Memoirs of the Life of Every Phyfician and Surgeon well know, that high fcorbutic ulcers will accidentally cicatrice, and dry up, and afterwards break out in other parts of the body from unknown caufes. But I will account for this cure in a natural way. Phyficians and Surgeons all agree, that change of air, and diet, with a long courfe of exerciie are the moft probable means of removing and curing all chronic diforders. All thefe Lovel muft ne* celtarily have had from St. Martins in France* to Avignon^ and back again to England. Every day, nay every hour he travelled, he muft imbibe new columns of air : His food, which before was beef, pork, and fuch fort of courfe fcorbutic diet was thin light foups, and vegetables. His drink at home was generally a large draught of ale, and fpirituous liquors : Whereas aboard it was water, or perhaps fometimes a little wine. This altera- tion of diet, with daily exercife, muft doubtlefs have a falutary influence upon his difeafe. When he had been touched by the P r, at Avignon, he was immediately put under the care of Phyficians and Surgeons, who ufed their art upon him, imagining the latter more efficacious than the former. After near five months abfence, he returned to Briftol, and declared himfelf healed by the touch. But alas ! his cure lafted but a fhort time ; his fores broke out in many other parts of his body with violence : So he returned into France again, in hopes of the fame fuccefs : But the poor wretch never reached Avignon, but died miferably upon the road. This, upon my reputation, is the bed hiftory I can gain of this tremendous miracle in Mr. Carte, which can be well attefted if required. It is granted that this hovel was in appearance cured of the King's Evil ; but then this cure was only temporary. That the fhort interval of health Mr. William Whifton. 363 health was not owing to any R 1 Touch, or Charm, or any fupernatural cafe, but to perfect natural means meerly adventitious. In the neighbourhood where he lived and worked as a labourer, (to turn the wheel for the pewterers) he had a very ill character in his mo- rals ; but of great pretended orthodoxy, and the divine hereditary right of an abjured family. Can any man with a grain of reafon, believe that fuch an idle fuperftitious charm, as the touch of a man's hand, can convey a virtue fuf- ficiently efficacious to heal fo ftubborn a chronic diforder, as an ulcerated inveterate King's Evil ? As I have given you a faithful narrative of this J : te miracle, if you think it worth in- ferting in your paper it may be a means of con- vincing many of your readers of the folly of crediting tales, and vifionary fables, which hifto- rians abound in. Tranfcribed by me Will. Whiston, Jan. 18, 1747-8. AMICUS FERITjriS. Out of the General Evening-Poft, from Feb. 20th, to Feb. 23d, 1747-8. To the Printer. SIR, WHEN I publifhed my Hiftory, I did not doubt but a flioal of anonymous Writers, would be nibbling at fome particular pafTages in it-, and in defect of fomething more material would attack any fmall incident even in the notes, though not hiferted in the body of the work. It 364 Memoirs of the Life of It is the duty of an Hiftorian to give an ac- count of every inftitution when it comes to take piate-inu kingdom ; and I have difcharged that .duty fo far as I have gone (I would fain hope) to the fatisfaftion of the Reader. This obliged me to make a fhoft Difcourfe ori the Unclion of Kings, and to take notice or the extravagant effects af- cribed' to - that .Unclion. The Sanative Virtue of touching for the King's Evil, being one of thofe 'effects, -the relation, of Chrijlopher hovel was in- ferted in a note, to fhew it was erroneoufly af- "crroed to the Unclion. It was put there, with no other view, than to refute that notion ; and with- out any deftgn of publishing it : But the Note (^er^aps for want of a mark, directing it mould not be copied, as J ufed in fome other cafes) be- ing tranferibed together with the Difcourfe, for the Prefs, I did not, when the proof meet was fent me, ftrike it out-, -obferving nothing in it that could reafonably give offence, were it not for the comments of malevolent people ^ for the per- fon touching is not named, and what is faid of him agrees to more than one perfon. I have not in that difcourfe delivered my own opinion on the fubjefr , contenting myfelf with relating thofe mentioned by W. of Malmfbury. Several curious and knowing perfons have wrote upon it, particularly Dr. looker, a Divine, and Mr. John Brown, Surgeon to King Charles the lid. The Book of the former being publifh- ed A. D. 1597, under the title of Charifma, that of the latter A. D. 1684, under the title of Cha- rifma Bajilicon. I have not feen Tucker, or Toa- ker's book thefe thirty years, fo long it is fince the relation I quoted thence was copied. I have tranferibed others very remarkable (particularly the cure of a German, who had been thirteen months his patient, by the Royal Touch) from ClowS) Mr. William Whifton. 365 Clows, an experienced Surgeon, in Queen Eliza-' beth\ time, who publifhed A. D. 1602, a treadle of the Artificial Cure of that diftemper ; though he owns throughout it, that the Queen's Touch was. the only infallible remedy. But though I have not thefe books by me, nor a thoufand others! from which I have extracted pafTages, 1} think I may fairly make ufe of my own tranfcripts. The late, learned Mr. Anftis, in the twenty.-fixth page of a MS. difcourfe on Coronations , which he left at his death unfinifhed, hath thefe words : .'' " The Miraculous Gift in curing this diftemper, [the King's Evil] by the Royal Touch of pur 1 Kings, as well as of the French King, is undenia- ble j" and in p. 49 taking notice of his having convinced a Surgeon of the antiquity of our Kings touching by feveral citations, he adds that he [the Surgeon] publilhed thefe citations ; and therefore I refer you [/. e. his fon, the prefent garter, to whom the difcourfe is addrefs'd] to that pamphlet. I paffed fome days with him, at Mortlakc, about twenty-fix years ago,' when a pamphlet wrote by a Surgeon about the King's Evil, was advertis'd in the News-Paper, and had a good deal of difcourfe with him on the fubjecl: ; and by what was then faid, I am perfuaded that Mr. Becket's enquiry into the antiquity and efficacy \ of touching for the King's Evil, printed in ' Svo. A. D. 1722 (according to the Bookfeller's Stile, who begin their year even before Chrifimas) was the pamphlet in queftion. But I never law it, and had intirely forgot the name of the Surgeon : When having Mr. Anfiis\ Difcourfe abovementi- oned before me, and confulting a learned gentle- man (who had ftudied phyfic above forty years, and tranferibed my note for the Prefs) about the name of the Surgeon referred to by Mr. Anjiis ; it was either by his opinion or my own inadvertance that 366 Memoirs of the Life of that I put down Tucker for the name of that Sur- geon. I have endeavoured to find out thi9 pamphlet, but in vain. The prefent Mr. Anftis hath neither that or any other treatife on the fubject in his library. Whoever hath it may ob- serve by the records cited in it, (efpecially if the Account- of the Houjhold in the 6th of Edward I. which there is fcarce a man in England befides the late Mr. Anftis hath ever look'd into, be cited for the cure of 182 perfons of the King's Evil by that Prince) whether the author be the Surgeon to whofe book, he refers. After all, whether the Surgeon's name be Tucker, or Becket, or any other is a matter of very little confequence. Deans Tard, Feb. 13, 1748. Fours, Tho. Carte. Tranfcribed by me Will. Whifton, Feb. 24, 1 747-8. N. B. What remarkable facts we have well atteft- ed of the cure of the King's Evil by the touch of one or two old families in Europe, and is fuppofed to be a kind of miraculous operation, done by thofe and only thofe families, of which already, feems to me to be a great miftake, and to be rather a remains of the old healing of the Sick by the anointing them with the Holy Oil, or in the want of fuch Oil, by the prayers and impofition of the hands of Prefbyters, in St. Mark. St. James, and the Apoftolical Conftitutions, of which in part already. For though the Kings or Queens ftroke the part affected, which is called the Im- pofition of Hands, and ought probably to be done by Prefbyters, and charitably bellow the gold and filver pieces, and put them about the necks of the patients, while they are on their knees Mr. William Whifton. 367 knees in the pofture of Prayer ; yet are the Pray- ers themfelves, and the Benediction, pronounced only by the Chaplains in waiting, who are always Prefbyters. See the Form of Healing in the Com- mon Prayer Books, printed in the reign of Queen Anne, who ufed to touch for the Evil ; though I think that neither King William, nor Queen Mary, nor King George the Firft or Second have ever done it -, while yet I fuppofe they might have done it with the like fuccefs as our former Kings, and even Queen Elizabeth herfelf had done it before. Mr. Carte, in the firft volume of his hiftoryi lately publifhed, book IV. p. 291, has given us fo extraordinary an hiftory of the healing of one Chriftopber hovel, of Briftol, in the year 17 16, juft now fet down , as did Mr. Bates, the King's famous Surgeon in my hearing, do the like in another inftance many years ago, that I cannot but think this matter deferves a more ferious and exact oonfideration and examination than it has of late met with, while it ought al- ways to be impartially taken notice of, in what cafes and circumftances, and how far this Touch has been effectual, and when, as well as how far it has failed. For that it has by God's Blefiing frequently healed the patients, at leaft in part, and for fome time, is I believe abfolutely unde- niable i nor is it, I prefume, pretended that it has never failed of its effect. But of this Royal Touch, fee Dr. Tucker's book on that fubject, and Mr. Fuller's Church Hiftory, pretty largely, under Edward the Confejfir, Cent. VI. p. 145 148. As to any plea for the Title of Royal Fami- lies, from the fuccefs of this Touch, I know no- thing of it : Nor can I find in the Sacred Writ- ings, any other divine right they have, but trie choice and recognition of the people. Nor by confe- 68 Memoirs of the Life of confequence can I find any other rightful and law- ful King of Great -Britain, than our prefent King George II. See my Scripture Politicks through- out. . 'The Form of the Healing in Queen AnneV Time. PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings with thy molt gracious Favour^ and further us with thy continual Help ; that in all our Works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally by thy Mercy obtain everlafting Life, through Jefus .Chriji our Lord. Amen. The Holy Gofpel is written in the 16th Chapter of St. Mark, beginning at jhe i^thVerfe. Jefus appeared to the Eleven, as they fat at meat, and upbraided them of their Unbelief and Hardnefs of Heart, becaufe they believed not them which had feen him after he was rifen. And he faid unto them, Go ye into all the World, and preach the Gofpel to every Crea- ture : He that believeth and is baptized mall be faved , but he that believeth not mall be damn'd. And thefe figns mall follow them that believe: In my name they mail call out Devils ; they mail (peak with new Tongues, they fhall take up Serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it fhall not hurt them : They fhall lay their- -hands on the Sick, and they f hall recover : So then after the Lord had fpoken unto them, he was received up into Heaven, and fat on the Right-hand of God : And they went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with figns following. , Let Mr. William Whifton; 369 Let us pray. Lord have Mercy upon us. Cbriji have Mercy upon us. Lord have Mercy upon us. Our Father* &c. with the Doxology, and Amen. Then fhall the infirm perfons, one by one, be prefented to the Queen, upon their knees; and as every one is prefented, and when the Queen is laying her hands upon them, and put- ting the gold about their necks, the Chaplain that officiates, turning himfelf to her Majefty, fhall fay thefe words following. God give a bleffing to this work \ and grant that thefe lick perfons, on whom the Queen lays her hands, may recover, through Jefus Chriji our Lord. After all have been prefented, the Chaplain mall fay, Verf. O Lord fave thy fervants, Refp. Who put their trufi in thee : Verf. Send them help from thy Holy Place, Refp; And evermore mightily defend them : Verf. Help us, O God- or our Salvation, Refp. And for the glory cf thy Name delivef Us \ and be merciful to us Jinners, for thy Name's Sake : Verf O Lord hear our Prayers ; Refp. And let our cry come unto thee. Thefe anfwers are ro be made by them that come to be healed. Let Us Pray. O Almighty God,who art thegiver of all health, and tl.e aid of them that leek to thee for fuccour, A a we 370 Memoirs of the Life cf we call upon thee for thy help and goodnefs, mercifully to be mewed Upon thefe thy krvants , that they being healed of their infirmities, may 'give thanks unto thee in thy Holy Church, through Jefus Chrijl. our Lord, Amen. Then the Chaplain, fianding with his face towards them that come to be healed, Jhallfay. The Almighty Lord, who is a ftrong tower to all them that put their truft in him, to whom all things in Heaven, in Earth, and under the Earth do bow and obey ; be now and evermore your defence, and make you know and feel, that there is none other' name under Heaven given to man, in whom, and through Whom, you may receive Health and Salvation, but only the name of "our Lord, Jefits Chrijl, Amen. The Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrijl; and the Love of God - 9 and the Fellowihip of the Ho- ly Ghoft, be with us all evermore, Amen. N. B. It appears by Mr. Fuller, that the Gof- pel in his days, was the firft nine verfes 6f St. John's Gofpel ; and that the King or Queen made the fign of the Croft upon the lore, in the im- pofition of hands. Lyifdori, Jan. 20, 1747 Will. Whiston. Calvijius from Vafccus, at A. D. 6yi, and 680, fpeaks of Batoibd, a very religious Goihick King in Spain, ' that when Ervigius had infufed ' poifon into his food -frhich quite took away .his c memory, and brought him into fuch a diflem- * per, that he feemed'to be "giving up the Ghoft, Mr. William Whiflon. 371 * the Bifhop offered him the facrament of ex- ' treme unction. But when he was recovered, 4 and made acquainted with the offer he had 4 had of the facrament, he utterly renoun- 4 ced his kingdom, and the world, and re- * tired into a monaftrey.' Mr. Grantham, in his Chriflianifmus Primitivus, page 38, 39, upon James v. 14. fays, ' The gift 4 of healing is not wholly taken away : If we ' dare believe our eyes, or the perfons who have 4 been reftored to health very fuddenly, at the * earned prayer of faithful men, and oftentimes 4 in the uie of that ordinance, Jamesv. 14 18. * The truth is, that miracles are rarely found; 4 yet from what my eyes have feen, and from ' what I have heard by report, from fome 4 whom Charity will not fuffer me to think, * would affirm an untruth, I may not fay (as ' fome) that they are not at all to be found, &c* I mall add one very remarkable paffage, in Mr. Fuller's Church Hiflory, page 146. U Nor " will it be amifs here to relate a paffage, which 44 happened about the midft of the reign of " Queen Elizabeth, after Pope Pius did let fly " his excommunication againft her. There was " a ftiff Roman Catholic, (as they delight to " term themfelves) otherwife a man well ac- " complifhed, and of an ingenuous difpofition, " who being caft into prifon ( I conceive for his " religion) was there vifited in a high degree " with the King's Evil ; and having, with great " pain and expence, but no fuccefs, long ufcd " the advice of phyficians, at laft he humbly ad- " drefs'd himfelf to the Queen's Majeity , by " whom, with God's help he was compleatly " cured. And being demanded what news ? I " perceive, faid he, now at lalt by plain expe- 44 rience, that the excommunication denounced,- A u 2 " by tc 372 Memoirs of the Life of ct by the Pope, againft her Majefty, Is in very " deed of none effect ; feeing God hath blefTed her with fo great and miraculous a virtue. For which relation Mr. Fuller quotes Tucker^ in " Charifmate, cap. 6, page 92." Wixl. Whiston. Now when I difcourfed with that eminent Bap- tift Mr. Grantham Killingworth, about this matter, he was thoroughly fatisfied of the fuccefs of this holy unction, and toid me, that fome of thofe cures were fo remarkable, that a memorial of them was put on a graveftone of a Baptift that had cured feveral by the fame unction. I alfo William Whifton have enquired of our own Elder or Prefbyter, Mr. Matthew Stanger, whofe elder brother, Mr. William Stanger, was that Baptift Bifhop, or mefienger, that anointed a a Tick woman at Ijham, near Kettering, when he was prefent and joined in the prayers ; though without faith in the operation himfelf, which woman recovered. The fame Mr. Matthew Stanger allures me, that his mother, when fhe was alive, ufed to tell him, that this anointing was more frequent among die Baptifts formerly than it has been of late. I have alfb been in- formed, by Mr. Copper, an acquaintance of Mr. Killingworth* $, and the prefent Baptift Bifhop, or mefTenger, at Tunbridge-Wells, that he had been himfelf with other Baptift Bifhops, or mefiengers concern'd in the anointing one under an ill tongue, as he called it ; which I fuppofe to be the fame diflemper, with what the Apoftles would have railed Demoniacal Madnefs: While after arirft and Fecond failure it was found a fort of magic ceremo- nies or conjurations had been ufed by fome peo- ple for the cure. But when thofe wicked methods had Mr. William Whifton. 373 had been detected, and laid afide, the cure was perfected. Our Bifhop or MefTenger Mr. Goods, alfo writes to me thus. Rev. SIR, According to your requeft I made fome farther inquiry into the circumflance you afked me of, relating to the inftitution of anointing with Oil, according to St. James, chap. v. ver. 14, 15, 16, though time has eras'd fome things out of the minds of thofe who were either eye or ear witneffes, yet that which they remember, very much agrees with that which I formerly received from feveral perfons of great credit. According to the accounts I have received, Mr. Thomas Level, a Prefbyter of the Baptift Church' of JVejlon, in the parifh oiWeedon in the county of Northamp- ton, fome time about the year 1720, was very ill, of a pleuretic fever, and had the late Mr. Hodges, apothecary in Tocejler to adminifter phyfic to him; he declared that, if his illnefs re urned, he could not live to furvive it; and immedi- ately went to bed in the next room to that were Mr. hovel lay. There was at the fame time in the houfe Mr. John Britain, a Prefbyter of the Baptift Church at Stony Stratford, in Buckingham* /hire, who came to vifit him. Mr. Level's illnefs returned in the night, with a violent pain in one of his fides, and perceiving the approaches of death to draw near, exercifed faith in his in- ftitution, and defired Mr. Britain to be called up, who was in bed in another room, to admi- nifter it to him. He arofe, and after afking him fome queftions relating to his faith, and other qualifications, adminiftered it : And immediately his great pain abated, and he was quickly reftored to health. I have been alio informed, that Mr. A a 3 Hodges 374 Memoirs of the Life of Hedges who heard the fervice performed, declared in the morning, that if God had not heard thefe Prayers, he mufl inevitably have died immedi- ately , and that he could raife a man up by fuch religious means, when all the arts of men failed. Secondly, Mrs. Boddington of AJher, in War- the Moravians, of whofe ferioufnefs in religion I had heard a good cha- racter. Accordingly I went to their bookfeller, Mr. Mutton's fhop, in Fetter-lane, to enquire about them, or buy fomc good account of them. But not meeting with him at home, nor any fuch ac- count, I bought however a fmall book of their fermons, and reading fome of them I found fo much weaknefs, and enthufiafm mixed with a great degree of ferioufnefs, that I was cured of my incli- Mr. William Whifton, ^7 inclination to go to their public worfhip, and avoided it. I fhall now add my laft famous difcovery, or rather my revival of Dr. Giles Fletchers famous difcovery, that the 'Tartars are no other than the ten tribes of Ifrael ; V/Jiich have been fo long fought for in vain. &* A Difcourfe concerning the Tartars, proving (in all Probability) that they are the Ifraelites, or Ten Tribes, ivhich being captivated by SalmanafTar, were transplanted into Media. By Giles Fletcher, Dotlor of both Laws, and fome- time Ambaffador from Elifabeth Queen of Eng- land, to the Emperor 0/Ruffia. For Zion\ fake I will not hold my tongue, and for Jerufalem\ fake I will not relt ; until the righteoufnefs thereof break forth as the light, and the falvation thereof as a burning lamp. Ifa. lxii. 1. [This was found in Sir Francis NetherfoleV Jludy after his death.'] The TARTARS. WHat is become of thofe Ten Tribes which were fubdued and carried captive by the , tffyrians , and whether they live and hold toge- ther as a people apart or feveral by themfelves, or are confufed with other nations , and where they arc ? is often queftioned by divines, but not re- folved (for ought I know) with any reafonable probability. That they have loft their name, and the diftinc- rion of their tribes, is more than probable. For no nation of the world are called Ifraelites, and fo divided at this day. Neither was there caufe why the diilincYion of their tribes mould be continued , B b 2 feeing 388 Memoirs of the Life of feeing the end for which the people were difparted by God himfelf, is pafied, and fully accomplished long ago. For that men might know where to look for that bicfibd feed, it pleafed God to elet one nation of ail the world ; and out of that na- tion, one tribe, or kindred , and out of that tnbe one houfe or family, whereof the Mefiias mould be born, as touching the flefh : Who being now come, there is no caufe the diftinction of their tribes mould frill continue. Only the Jews, or the tribe of. Judab retain their name, but are fo commixed with that of Benjamin, as that they are called by one name, (o that neither the Benjamites, nor r!he Jeivs can tell of what tribe they come. But that the Ifraclitijh ten tribes are fomewhere extant, and (by God's providence) as a people kept intirely and unconfufed with other nations, is plain by this" ; for that they were not quite de- ftroyed, nor difpecpled, but only captived or tranfplanted by the AJfyrians. And becaufe all Jfrael (whereby is meant the whole nation) mall be called to the acknowledgment of Jefus Chrijl, to be the Mejjias, fo long expected ; yet refufed by that people, when he came : Which general Calling cannot be true, except thofe tribes be ftill continuing, and fomewhere extant in the world, to be conjoined and reunited as one nation, as once they were. As for thofe other two tribes, to wit of Judab and of Benjamin, which for their notable infidelity, and contempt of the Son of God, are made a fpectacle to the world, and plagued with this fo horrible a defolation, and difperfion through the world, it is well known both where they are, and how they live , not diftinguifhed by their tribes, nor yet united into one policy or community among thcmfelves, but diffufed, tho' not confufed ; and difperfed in fmall numbers here and there ; de- prived Mr. William Whifton. 389 prived of all fave their name, which they retain ; and that rather for a reproach, than for any ho- nour or eftimation in thofe places where they live; that they may be known by other nations to be that people whom God hath punifhed, and re- jected for that fin in fo rejecting the Son of God; but will receive and call again for his own mercy and promife fake. A thing exemplary to the world ; as well of the rigour and feverity of God's juftice, which he would have pbferved and marked by all ; but efpe- daily by thofe Chriftian ftates wherein they live, left for like contempt and infidelity they procure unto themfelves the like judgment. As alfo that of his great and infinite mercy in preferring that people from mixture and confufion with other nations, that the truth and certainty of his Word may fo be known, when they ihall be called to the public knowledge and profefiion of Jefus'CbriJt, as by his Apoftle he hath foretold, and will per- form in good time. But thefe other tribes, whereof we ipeak, that were not mafiacred nor extirpated, but tranfplant- ed by the AJfyrians, where they now are, and how they have lived ever fince, and whether they be a feveral people, or elfe commixed with other na- tions, is no where mentioned, either in heathen or facred ftory, for ought I know. Yet is it not hard to find them out, if we enquire and leek for them where it is likely they may be found. And the likelier!, place to find them in, is it not in or near thofe Colonies where they were planted at firft? And what I pray you if we fhould feek them among the Tartars, who are efteemed to be the mod vile or barbarous nation in the world : You will fay perhaps, a thing unworthy and unbe- ieeming that great mercy which God vouchsafed B b 3 to 390 Memoirs of the Life of to that people, when they were yet his own pecu- liar, an holy nation, eleded by God, out or all the nations of the world ! And if it could not ftand with that moil holy and perfect juitice, fo to abafe a wicked people, and lb rebellious againil their God, as were thefe lfraelites -, tho' he had caft them down from the higheil heaven to the loweft centre of all dilhonour, even ad Tartaros ; whereby (in the poets phrafe) is meant the place of the damned fouls, and hell itfelf ; in a reiem- blance (as may be thought) of like diforder and confufion in both places. As for that conjecture of fome divines that they are the people called Alani, it is not only a very improbable, but a very abfurd and grofs opinion. Thefe Alani (as all Men know) being a people not of Afia but of Europe ; by their other name called Triballi, and this their palTage and expedi- tion through the one country to the other (which was to be made through fo great nations, both of the upper and lower Afia) being impoflible (at leaft very unlikely) to be palled over by all ftories, which fince have written in every age. Only I hear the fame affirmed by that learned Frenchman, Philip Morney, Lord of Plejfey, (whom I name for honour's fake ; both for his learning and no- bility thrice renowned) but not confirmed by any reafon, fave that he drav/eth from the notation of the word. For that Tartar, in the Syrian tongue, fignifieth Remnants or Remainders. But that the Tartars are the lfraelites, which were tranfported into Media, and the other two adjoining countries, you fhall hear fuch reafons as 1 obferved when I remained among the Ruffes, their next neighbours, fome years ago , which il they be not demonftrative, yet to me feem fo probable, as that myfelf am now periuaded and fully fettled in that opinion, that Mr. William Whifton. 391 that they are the natural and true offspring and pollen ty of thole Ifraelites. My firft reafon is from the place. The place whither they were traniported by the Affyrians, and there planted (as is in the manner of great Conque- rors, when they afpire unto a monarchy, to abate the fpirits of fuch a people as may be dangerous to their State, and likely otherwife to make a revolt, as were the Ifraelites, who could not endure a fo- reign prince, to break their ftrength by dividing them into many parts) were the cities and parts of Media, then a province, and in fubjection to the Ajfyrians ; where they placed the greateft number, as by the ftory may be gathered, the reft in Ha- rack, and by the river Habor. Of which the one is part of Chaldaran, the other a river of Mefopo- tamia, with a town adjoining of the fame name. The country of Media (as it is defcribed by cofmographers, but more particularly by our merchants, and other travellers which have been there) lieth about the Cafpian Sea ; which the Ruffe calleth Bachualenjkey, and by taking away the firft fyllable for ihortnefs fake (wherewith the Sclavon and Ruffe tongues are much delighted) Cbualenjkey More. All which countries lying upon the north-eaft and northern fide of the Cajpan or Cbualenjkey, to the Siberian and northern fea (which containeth in it a large territory, by the defcription of cofmographers, and the report ex fuch as have been there) is now poflefled and in- habited by the Tartars , and by the confent of all itories, which fince have written ot the Affy- nan and Per/tan monarchies, hath fo continued fince Cyrus's time , who, after he had obtained the monarchy, did firir. invade thole Scythian fhepherds, or Tartar people, two hundred years (or thereabout) after the Ifraelites deportation, who were grown by that time a very great and mighty B b 4 people. 3$2 Memoirs of the Life of people. For we may not think, neither is it likely, that the Ajlyrians, who were the monarch* of all the Eali, would place a conquered and captive people in the fan eft cities of all Media, and plcafanteft places of that country, which lie on the Jbuth and fouth-weft parts of the Bacbualenfkey or Cafpian fea , which by report of all {lories and travellers which have been there, is one of the fweeteft and fcrtileft countries of ail the world, and bcil replenished with all things neceffary and dejightful , but rather in the remote and barren places of that country, which were beyond the Cafpian fea, upon the north and north-eafr. parts ; where thefe Tartar people have had their dwelling and habitation ever fmce. As for thofe other two colonies of the Ifraeliles y which were placed in Ilaracb and Habere, they bordered both upon the Medians \ fo that all thefe tribes might eafily meet and join together, when opportunity ferved their turn ; which happened to them not long after, when ail thofe provinces of Media, Chaldaran, Mefopotamia, with their gover- nors, Merodacb-Bdadan, and Deicces, by a defec^ tion fell away from the Ajfyrians, in the tenth year of Affcr-Adcn. And that thefe tribes not long after did reunite thcmfelves, and join together in one nation, as they were before, being induced partly by their own defire ; (as ever difdaining to live commixed with other people-,) and partly- forced by the violence of the Medians, who ex- pelled them thence ; being but ftrangcrs and thruft upon them by .the Afjyrians^ iha.il appear plainly by that which follows. 2. A fecond reafon is from the names and ap- pellations of their cities and great towns, which are fituate upon the eail and north-tail fide oi the Bacbualenfkey or Cafpian Sea. Thefe 'Tartar cities, which yet are extant, have many of them the lame names Mr. William Whifton. 393 names as had thofe ancient towns and cities which were inhabited by the Ifraelites, while they enjoyed their own country. Their metropolite or chief city (though now deformed by many ruins) is Samarchian ; which hath many monuments of that nation (as they report who have been there : ) Where the great Tamerlane, who led about in a golden chain the Turkifh Emperor, called Bajazet, had his feat and place of refidence. And how little is Samarchian from Samaria, the chief city of thefe Ifraelites, the feat and chamber of their kings ; only differing in termination ; a thing ufual in proper names of men or cities, when they are pronounced in divers languages. For what differs the name of Londres (as it is termed by the French) from this of London ? or the Town of Antwerp from that of Anverfe? or Edinborougb from Edinburgum ? The fame difference may bfc obferved in the proper names of men and women, both in the front and firft fyllable and termination of the name. For what confonance hath Maria or Mariamne with that of Miriam among the Hebrew; ? or the Englijh James, or the Scottifh Jamie, with the French Jaques, or the Latin Ja- cobus ? and yet thefe names are all one. They have alio Mount Tabor, a great town and well fenced with a ftrong fort, fituate upon an high hill, nothing differing in form or name from that Mount Tabor of the Ifraelites, fo often men- tioned in the Scriptures. They have a city called Jericho, feated upon the river Ardock, near the Cafpian, upon the north and north -eaii. They have Corazen the Great and Lefs, whereof the lefs was furprized not long ago ( deeft tionnibil, I guefs by the Rnjj'e) upon whofe country the Tar- tar people fometime encroach, and he on theirs. This univocation of Tartar cities with thofe of Jjrael, concurring with the former reaibn from die place 394 Memoirs of' the Life of place and country, whither they were fometime tranfplanted by the AJJ'yrians, doth plainly fhew that the Ifraelitifo people have been there, and given the names unto thefe cities ; as the manner is in all places, lor remembrance of their coun- tries and dwellings from whence they came, or of the planters and firft founders of the colonies , as of Galatia, by the Gauls ; and the Tyre of Afrhk> from that of Pbcenice \ the like is now ufed in new colonies, as Nova Francia, Nova Hifpania, St. Domingo, Carthagena, and other like. Thefe Tartar cities are inhabited by {o many as are fuflicient to defend them from the hoftility of the Per/tan and other borderers. But the greater part, which are commonly called <"a& rf* ; , or Scythian fhepherds, do feldom come within any city or Handing houfes, except it be in winter time y but abide in tents, or walking houfes, which the Latin writers call Weij ; which are built and carried upon wheels, like carts or waggons. Their manner is in fummer time, when grafs is grown, and fit for pafturage, with their herds and flocks to march northward and north-weft, from the fouth-eaft parts (where they continue all winter) not altogether, but in their Hoards and feveral armies, under the conduct and direction of their Morfeyes and Divoymorfeys, which are their Princes and Vicegerents, under the great Cham, their Emperor ; and to graze along by the way they go until they come to their next itage, or refting-place ; where they plant their Veij or wag- gon-houfes, and fo make the form of a great city, with many ftreets, continuing there till their cat- tle have grazed up all. Thus they proceed by fmall ftages till they arrive at the fartheft point to- wards the North, and then return toward the South, or fouth-eaft parts, by another way ; where their cattle have frefh pafturage : And fo retiring by Mr. William Whifton. 395 by fhort journeys, by the end of fummer, they arrive again in the fouth-eaft country, near the Cafpian, in a more mild and temperate climate ; where they continue all the winter, within their cities or cart-houfes, fet together, in form and fa- fhion of a town, as before was faid. 3. My third reafon is from the Diftintlion of their tribes, which by the Tartars are called Hoords y which being united in one Government, and com- municable in all things elfe, yet may not unite or mix together by intermarriage , but keep apart, to avoid the confufion of their kindred , except it be for the defence or public benefit of the whole. And this divifion of the nation into tribes, with- out commixion of their kindreds (which was no where ufed by any nation, fave the Ifraelites) is ftill continued, and obferved among the Tartars molt religioufly. A fourth reafon is, from the number of their tribes, which are ten in all, neither more nor lefs, as were the Ifraelites. Their names are thefe : r. The Crim Tartar ; who mod infefteth the Ruffe Borders , for which refpect the chief leaders of this tribe, whom they call Morfeys, or Divoymorfeys y receive their penfions from the Ruj/e, not to in- vade or hurt their country : 2. The Chercmijjim : 3. The Morduit Tartar : 4. The Nagay, whereof the one is the warlyeft people, the other the cruelleft, and mod barbarous of all the reft : 5. The Zeibair \ from whence the Siberes, or Si- berians, which dwell by the river Obba, derive their pedigree,, and are therefore reckoned and annumbered to this tribe: 6. The Mecrit Hocrd : 7. The. Shalcan: 8. The Chircajfey ; the moft ci- vil Tartar of all the reft , of a comely perfon, and much afle&ing to be like the Lachifi or Polonian, in his habit, gefture, and whole behaviour : 9. The Cajfacb : The 10th and lalt is called Tur- chijtan\ 396 Memoirs of the Life of cheftan ; which imports as much as Herdman-Tar~ tar ; becaufe this Hoord is the greateft herd-mafter and cattle-breeder of all the reft ; from whom the Turks had their beginning, as faith the Ruffe. And that this is true, befide the report of the Ruffe people, and other borderers, which have beft caufe to know their pedigree, it is the opinion of all hiftorians which lived about the time when the Turkijh nation firfb invaded the upper Afia, and began to grow a great and mighty monarchy. Among the reft it fliall not be idle or impertinent to report here what Laonicus Chakocondylas (the Athenian) briefly writeth, in the beginning of his ftory, touching the origin of the Turks. It is thought (faith he) that the Turkijh nation derives their pedigree from the Scythians, which are commonly called the Tartarians\ very pro- bably, becaufe they differ very little in tongue or manners. That the Tartar people have fundry times invaded Afia (what time the Parthians held the monarchy of the Eaft',) firfb the upper, and then the lower, zsPhrygia, Lydia, andCappadocia, it is well known to the inhabitants of thofe countries. And truly even at this day you may fee a great number of fuch people difperied abroad here and there through all Afia, who in their diet and whole Behaviour refemble the Scythian or Tartar people. And a little after ; It is a very manifeft truth, that the Tartars which now inhabit a part of Europe towards the Eaft (whereby he meaneth the Crim Tartar) have a refemblance every way with the Turkijh nation, which are of Afia \ daily bartering and commercing with them in diet, habit, and whole behaviour, agreeing with the Turk. And no marvel is it, becaufe the Scy- thians or Tartar people were fomctimes Lords both of the higher and lower Afia. The name of Turk, whereby is fignified an Herdman, or one that Mr. William Whiflon. 397 that liveth a wild life among beaits and cattle, doth likewife argue the very fame, that the Turkijh nation hath their beginning from the Tartars, or Scythian fhepherds. Thus i-iv Laonicu's Cbalcocondytas, in his itory, written in Greek, where he beginneth with the Qgujians, the Turkijh Emperors, afterward called Othomans, about the year of Chrift 1294. But to return : Thefe Scythian fhepherds, now called Tartars (as by all Stories both Greek and Latin may appear) have contained themfelves in thofe countries betwixt the Cafpian and Northern Seas fince Cyrus's time , when for their victory againft fo great and mighty a monarch, they be- gan to be nrft known, and famous to other na- tions. How long before it is not recorded by any (lory, but that they inhabited not that country which is now poffeiled by the Tartars, till after the Ifraelite deportation into Media (which was 240 years or thereabout before Cyrus's time) may be collected out of the beft and ancienteft ftories. 5. Themfelves affirm (as they have received it by Tradition from their anccftors) that they had their origin from the Ifraelites, who were trans- planted near the Cafpian or Hircane Sea. By which tradition (as by the ftories of thofe times is re- ported) the great Tamerlane would boait himfelf that he was defcended from the Tribe of Dan. 6. Sixthly, Though the Tartar language be yet unknown, becaufe they live as a favage people, without fociety or commerce with other nations, iuffcring none to come within them, yet it is conjectured by certain words of the Tartar lan- guage, which I have heard repeated by the Ruffe. \ that they have many Hebrew and Chaldce words : Whereof alio this may be an argument, that the Turkif}) is a dialect little differing from the Scythian or Tartar tongue. But the Turkijh language, though it be mingled with much Arabic and fome Greth 39^ Memoirs of the Life of Greek, hath great confonance with the IMrezc\ as by learned travellers is obferved. 7. Seventhly, They are circumcifed, as were the Ifraelite and Jeivijh people. 8. The laft reafon (which I allege to give oc- eafion to our divines to confider better of this place) is taken out of the fixteenth chapter of the Apocalypfe : Where the Angel of the fixth Phial is commanded to prepare the paffage for the kings of the Eaft, by drying up the river Euphrates, which by all Interpreters of that place is under- ftood of the Jews calling from the difperfion among the Gentiles, unto their ancient dwelling, and native county, there to profefs the true know- ledge of God in Chrift : which (as I take it) can- not be meant of the tribe of Judah, for the ex- ceptions which may be forced from the very place, and text itfelf. Firft, Becaufe the tribe of Judah, and the re- mainder of that of Benjamin, which were difpeo- pled, and carried captive by the Romans, have their being, and are difperfed, not in the eaft, or north-eaft countries, from whence the paffage to- ward Syria and Palefiine lyeth over the river Eu- phrates ; but in thefe weftern and fouthern parts of AJia, Africa, and Europe, where ever fince they have continued in that exiled and fervile ftate. From whence the paffage toward Syria and Pale- fiine, lieth not over the river Euphrates, but is far wide and diftant from it, toward the North and North-eaft. Secondly, becaufe the perfons there mentioned, which are to pafs over the river Eu- phrates, are called Kings, which being taken for ipiritual kings (as they intend it) is but a forced cxpofition , the whole number of the faithful Chriftians (in this fenfe) being kings alike ; nei- ther is it agreeable with the meaning of that place, which fpeaketh plainly of fuch kings, as are to lead Mr. William Whifton. 399 lead fome great army over the river Euphrates. But being literally underftood of Kings indeed, can no ways fuit with the Jewi/h tribe, which hath no kings ; but is all a poor and fervile people to the towns and countries where they dwell. The place' therefore is litterally to be underftood of thefe Ifraelitijh ten tribes, which we affirm to be the Tartar. Firft, Becaufe thefe ten tribes, or Hoords of Tartars from the ifle olPatmos, where John wrote, are an orient or eaftern people, on the Eaft and North-eaft of the Cafpian -, which cannot be faid of the Jewi/h tribe, or that of Benjamin, as now they dwell in the hither parts of Afia, Africa^ or Europe, which lie fouth and fouth-weft towards Euphrates. Secondly, From the fituation of the place : For that the Tartars, whom we fuppofe to be the Jfraelites, can no way pafs out of the countries where they now dwell, toward Jud which fignifieth holy people : This is not foundation enough to build fuch an afTcrtion upon : It would have been a better argu- ment for this purpofe, had he urged for it, that II the Colchiam and neighbouring nations are laid anciently to have ufed circumcilion , for not far from the Colchians was the country of the Cadufians. [But that this opinion is not an improbable one, * Strabo, lib. 2. p. 507, $o3, 510, 523, 52.J. \ Pint arc hus in Artaxtrxe. X Mi feci. lib. 2. C. 5. i; He cJofus, lib. Z. Dicdorus Siiuhs, lib. I. C c 2 fee 404 Memoirs of the Life of fee Authent. Rec. part 1. pag. 53, 54. This coun- try is alfo by Xenophon called Cald and drawn moft of their darling opinions from their own interpretation of Paul's epiftles, and principally of this his very obfcure epiftle to the Romans. (3.) The original compleat catalogues of the fundamental doctrines of Chriftianity , near to which fuch as thefe have been long fuppofed to be, I mean thofe delivered to the twelve Apoftles by our Saviour himfelf, in the forty days after his refurreetion, in the Catholic Didafccly of the fixth, and contained alfo in the Baptifmal Creed of the feventh book of thofe Conftitutions ; while Paul himfcif informs us, that what he received from Chrift afterward in all things agreed with them, Gal. ii. 1 9, have not a fyllable of thefe notions, but rather the contrary > I mean they contain the rational doctrines of the freedom of human actions ; and of God's dealing with men according to their works only, and not according to election and reprobation. (4.) Paul Addenda & Emendanda. 42 g (4.) Paul himfelf, in all the reft of his epiftles, thirteen in number, feems to have no fuch opi- nions ; but ftill to deliver very different doctrines ; as the freedom of human actions, and of God's dealing with men according to their works only, without regard to election and reprobation, as is very evident on their perufal. So that there muft have been fome particular occafion for thefe par- ticular reafonings in this epiftle to the Romans^ which had no place in his other epiftles. (5.) Paul ever dilclaims all authority in him- felf, as well as in the other Apoftles, for deliver- ing Chrift's religion any othenvife than they re- ceived it from Chrift himfelf; which authority he does not in the leaft pretend to in any of thefe chapters. He blames the Corinthians for following either himfelf, or Apcllos, or Cephas, i. e. Peter, in any fuch feparate manner , and affures them they ought to follow Cbrijl only, 1 Cor. i. 12, &V. and iii. 4, 5. He alfo, more diftinctly than any of the reft, obferves what he had from Chrift, and what were his own opinions or directions, 1 Cor. vii. 10, 12, 25, 40. The former of which he in- fills on as intirely obligatory to every Chriftian ; but the latter as not fo. (6.) None of Paul's companions, Luke or Ti- mothy, or Barnabas, or Clement, or Hertnas, re- mains of every one of which are ftill extant, have any doctrines of this nature, but rather the contrary every where ; as is obvious on their pe- rufal alfo. (7.) Peter himfelf, in the Recognitions of Cle- ment I. 17. II. 33, 34. (a work of the firft cen- tury. See Sacred Hiflory of the New Tejlament, pag. 373.) fuppofes that he might be fometimes overcome in difputation with Simon Magus, yet itill without any impeachment of the truth of Chrift's religion, of which he was a preacher. And 43 Addenda & 'Emendanda. And that the Apoftles themfelves had not the leaft authority to add to, or alter that religion -, but were only to deliver what they received from Chrift himfelf, uncorrupted and unaltered to all the churches. (He indeed feems to have known of no other Calling and EleElion, than might be made fur e by mens own diligence, I. 10. (8.) The fame Peter gives us a particular cau- tion, i Pet. iii. 1 6. about fome things hard to be underftood, in PauPs Epiftles, even in the apofto- lkal age itfelf ; and which the learned and unftabU wrefted, as they did the other Scriptures, to their own deftruftion. Poflibly Peter might have thefe chap- ters in his eye, among others ; and might in- clude the errors thence arifen, when, in the verfe following, he bids good Chriftians beware left they alfo being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from their own ftedfaftnefs. Which caution Augu- ftm, and Calvin, and their followers, efpecially the fynod of Dort, feem to have quite difregarded, to the unfpeakable mifchief of the church of Chrift. So far however feems to me undeniable, that all Paul's companions, nay all the companions of the other Apoftles, with the other ApoftJes themfelves, nay indeed almoft all catholic Chriftians, till the days of Auguftin, either entirely underftood Paul, as not meaning what they think they find in thefe chapters, or elfe they had no regard to what he there faid about fuch abftrufe matters at all ; but always went upon the plain principles of com- mon fenfe, natural religion, and their original Chriftianity ; while yet thefe Calvimfts flill think the like Jcwifh reafonings in Barnabas, Paul's own companion, of almoft no authority at all : Which yet is no other than a great degree of prejudice and partiality. But Addenda & Emendanda. 431 But if, after all, any think that this my opinion takes away the ftridt. Infpiration of Paul's Epiftles, which they fuppofe of dangerous confequence to Chriftianity, I confefs it does imply, that under what degree of Divine Conducl, or Wifdom foever, Paul wrote his Epiftles, as the Conftitutions, II. $j. and Peter, 2 Pet. iii. 15. do affirm, yet is that' degree to be efteemed inferior to what ought to be properly called Infpiration ; fuch as the prophets were under in the reception of their prophecies ; which proper Infpiration I take to be here ground- lefs, and never pretended to by any writers of the New Tefiament, excepting the prophetic parts of Hernias, in his admirable vifions ; and the prophetic parts of St. John, in his no lefs ad- mirable Revelation. See Sacred Hijiery of the New Tejiament, pag. 122, 123. Addenda . [ 432 ] Addenda to thefe Memoirs* N. B. In the beginning of the year 1716, Mr. JVilfon, Archdeacon of Nottingham^ about 90 years of age, publifhed a fmall pamphlet, entitled, The Wonders of the Tear 17 16. It was taken almoft entirely out of the firft imperfect edition of my EJfay on the Revelation of St. John y without once citing me, or that Effay. The fecond edition was alfo printed at Nottingham towards the end of the fame year 17 16, and dedicated to Archdeacon JMarfden his, fucceffor. What corrections ought to be made in this extract: will eafily be learned From the vaftly more correct fecond edition of that Effay itfelf, printed A. D. 1744. An Alpha- An Alphabetical index T O Mr. JVHISTON'% LIFE. Page ABDTEL 41,42 Abercorn, Lord, 97 Abiathar 1 1 7 Abney, Sir Edward, 257 Addifon, Dean, 28 Addi/cn, Mr. 257, 25$, 259 Adrian 1 68 Aetius 295 Ahimelcck 1 1 7 Ainhce 2 1 2 Alcoran 148, 150 Aldgate 133 Alexander, Mr. 1 95 Alexander the Grtat 65, 280 ^/r>, Dr. l6i, 162 Allegories Allin, Mr. Anatolius Anderfon, Mf. Anicetui Annapolis Anne, Queen wfyfa, Mr. Ahtrobut, Mr. 198, 201 129, 176, 232 168 101 409 365, 368 360, 365, 366 17 Apocalyffe 24, 96, 1 24, -98 Apolinarians 1 88 Apology for Dr. C/arit 25 1 Apology, old, remitted 1 98 Apojfolie&tjalhf** 226 Appleby ! 7 ^<&c J 97 Archimedes Ardeck Argyle, Dake 0/, Armagh Armenia, Ararath t Arnald, Mr. Artaxerxes Page JI 5 393 119 211 4OI 4IO, 4H 402, 403, 404, 405, 407, 408 Articles xxxix. 145, 146 Afbton, Dr. 311, 314 AJjembly for Worjhip 202 ^/o 392 Ajlronomers 204 A ft)' ages 40 4. Athanafms and Athanajian.'y 121, 125, 128, 153, 155, I56, l62, 176, 212, 24Q, 301, 306, 307, 315, 316, 317, 327, 328, 355, 409 Athanafian C> eed 13, 23, 25, 98, 105, 106, 216, 218, 298, 301, 3*2, 326, 327, 328, 340, 383, 385. Audians 164 Aviius 295 Auitiius, Marcus 280 B. Bachelor, Mr. HO Bachualcnjkcy Sta 391, 392, 403 Eadgly and Baxttrly 1 27 e Bajaztt INDEX. tttjemt 3.93 Baker, Mr. 29 Ballandine, Capt. 376 Bamba 370 Bangor 209 Banijhment, my, X 50, T 56, 245 Baptift, John //*, 1 20 Baptijis 148, 190 Barrailer, Mr. 241, 515,316, 407 Barber, Mr. 252 Barker, Dr. 24 Barker, Mr. 23.1, 364, 266, 359 Baron, Dr. 289 Barrow, Dr. 135 Baruch 40 4 Bafnage 257 Bate man, Mr. 125 iteyj, Mr. 325 Baxter, Mr. 222 Becket, Mr. 365 &//^r, A/. <& 336, 338 Belgrade, Mr. 383, 385 Bennct, Dr. 307 Benjamin, Tribe of, 388, 398, &c. Bently, Dr. 38, 93, 97, 100, l5, 107, 108, 212, 245 BenjeriJge, Bifhop, 1 28, 154 ifozrt, Zv'j MS. 323 i?// 3 2 9> 33 2M, 216, 230, 2 33> 2 3v Diony/ius t''t ' -^ r pagite 104 3 2 5 Ditto/. Mr. Ee? l6, 202, 32(1 Di^enions I N D Diver/ions 352 Doarine of the Jpofles 246, Dod, L.C.J. ? 94 -W, Mr. 377 Donvdixg, Mr. 326 Doxologfes, I / 6, 1 29, I 30, 3 1 2 Duncalf, John 6 Buncomb, Sir Charles 160, 161 Durham, Bifhop 0/* 101 E. Ec bar ana 40 c *#?*, Earl 0/ 272, 278 Eafter, 202, 206, 385 Echard, Mr. 38 !>% 204, 205, 2q6, 253, z 95 Edinburgh Clergy zz$ E Jf> M*. 374, 375 Elizabeth, Queen 251, 252, 367, 387 //, Alderman 278 Emendandain Acadetnia 28,31, 244, 245 Emmanuel College 1 46 Emlyn, Mr. Thomas 122,141, 215, 232, 233, 238, 265, 368, 308, 31S, 319 Emlyn, Mr. Sollom 318 Epiphanius 1 64, 68, 24 1 Equinox 1 67 Ervigius 370 j?jtfmJ 244, 399, 404, 40; JJ/S& ;/7 367. 37o, 37* Fuller, Mr. A r /V. 403, 406 Galatia Gaming Garret, Mr. 394 352 375 Gedaliah, Rabbi 2 57 Geminger, Lady Genferick George, King George, Son German Tkefes '35 295 215, 268 412, 41* 316 Grey, Or. 7, 12 Grey, Mr. 7,8 Gibbs, Mr. 3'9 Gibfon, Bifhop 141, 142, 214, Gill, Dr. Godolphin, Lord 215, 219 3S6 205 Goocb, I N D Goor, Dr, 96, 97, 98, 100, 105, 136 Harduin 3*4 Har/ry, Mr. Fdtvard 355 Harpi., , Sir _7o^a 5 Harris, L'T. 1 1 6 Han is, ! ifhop 1 35 Harrifen. Col. 6 Harrifon, Mr. 326 Haukjbee, Mr. 201 VII Heavens, at the End, Hebretv Language 397 He// /Yrt' C/tfM 134, J 3 5 Henchman, Mr. 114 Henley, Mr. 2 1 5, 327 Hr wry VIII. 2 ah of 217 Herring, Archbifhop 115, 339< 343 Hi r cane Sea 397, 399 E X. Hoadley, Bifhop 1 65, 1 78, 208, 209, 210, 214 Hoadley, Archbifhop 210, 21 1 Z/o&r, Mr. 215, 224 /frW, Mr. 11 Hodges, Mr. 373 //*///j, Mr. 74, 75, 76 fov 426, 427 Hooper, Bifhop 196 Hoards of Tartars 395, 399 Horace 55, 61 //or/, Mr. 416 Hubern, Sir John 158, 160 Hudfon, Dr. 1 30 Huetius 153 //a#, Sir Edward 298 Huffey, Mr. 312 Hutchinfon, Mr. 284 //>'<&, Mr. 404 fadfon, Mr. 99, 141, 267, 3'9 fames I. King 401 fames II. King 19, 20, 27, 29, 264 fani furies 1 49 /Wo/, Dr. 173 fefferies, Dr. 38 Jehojbua Hanania flius 256 fofephfekyl, Sir 145, 190, 237, 290, 296, 322 fennings, Mr. 410 fericho 393 ferujalem, Drfruiiioh of Wj fetus, Charity to the 29 i Ignatius I 30, 154, 1 6', 164, 212, 213, 219, 220, 29, 24I, 314 Jilirgivortb, Mr. 6 lmmerjion, trine 20 1 7'/v/'j College, St. 37 Incenfe 3 1 4 Inquiftion 224, 225 Inter lint d Bible 423 fonah 1 6 1 fordan R'v r 401 fortin, Mr. 298, 299 7c/r// I N D E X. Jo/epbus 98, 114, 307 lren>, Dr. 121 Laonichus, Chalcoccndylas 3q6, 397 Lavington, Dr. 324 Laughton, Dr. 24, 25, 131, 219, 356 Lawrencr, Mr. 1 1 2, 1 1 3, 1 93, 214, 231, 286, 287 Lawrin, Mac 266 Lechmere, Lord 194 LeSures 117, 129, 157, 159, 352. 333 , Dr. 166, 169,244,411 leicefier, Earl of 324 L/?, ^Ireland, Mr. 290 Original Letter*. ( T . 1 Brother Daniel's to me 14, l> 2.) Mr. Denton's to . , 25, 16, 27 3.) Mr. Lock's to Mr. M>-- a*.*r 39 4.) Mr. Pcirce\ tome 121 124 5.) Ma* A* Mr. Hal let 128 130 6.) Arbifhop Cranmer's to Lord Cromwell 137 140 7.) Mine to Mr. Newman 150,152, 153 8.) Mine to Mr. AV^a 153 -156 9.) Ma* /*^>f* 306 309 21.) Mine to Dr. >^#r(w 311 313 22.) Mine to Mr. Sollcm Em- lyn 318, 319 23.) Mine to Archbifhop Her- ""g . 339 341 24.) The Arclibifhop'j An- fwer 341 25.) . . . To the Printer 358*-? 360 {26.) I N D (16.) . . . To the Printer 360 3 6 3 (27.) Mr. Carte's to the Prin- ter 363 366 (28.) . . . ?o the Printer 378, 379 (29.) ... . To myfelf 379382 (30.) Mine to the Speaker of the Houfe of Commons 414, 4*5 Library, Theological 1 26 Linus, Bilhop /Rome 228 Lloyd, Bifhopo/ Norwich 21 Lloyd, the Great, Biftiop 28, 32,94,97, IO9, 129, 212 His Son 1 5 8 Aoyoj 123 Lock, Mr. 39, 251 London Clergy 7MZ, 249. 250 Love I, Mr. 373 Lovel, Chrijiopher 358 Lucas's, Mr. Profejforjhip 1 1 8, 312 Lucre ti a 276 ., Archdeacon 181 Luther and Lutherans 208 >'< 396 M. Machin, Mr. 118 M, Mr. 355 Magic Art 20; Mahometans 148 Mahometan Envoy 205 Mahomet, Sultan 148 Malmjbury, William of 364 Man, BiftiOp of 270, 271 Mandamus 26 Mann, Mr. 10 1 MSS. Vienna 101 Mar cell us, I 54 Mark, St, 117, 366 Mar/hal, Dr. 31, 32, 26 1 Martin, Mr. Jcfah 202, 333 Martin, Mr. of Taunton 272, 273 hfafett, Mr. .134 Mifauerades 215 E X. Mather, Dr. 19I Matthews, Stephen 374, 375 Maforete Hebrew 1 14 Mary, Queen 100,251,367 M? 356 ,A7, Council of 153, 187, 312 A7 Churches 179 Nineveh 40 1 Norfolk 20 Norman, Mr. 253 Nottingham, Lord 37, 141, 193, 204, 219, 222, 223, 224, 249 ///'j Father 1 07 Novation I 24, 125 Number of Books of the New . Teftament 334 Oates^i Plot 295 0/j, 28, 29, 39, 55, 180, 344-. 346 Owa Riqjtr 395 Ojma; /A* &j Pr/*^ 95, 96 O//, anointing with 296298 - A - 34>37 377 Onflow, Mx. Arthur 35,211, 233, 296 Orange, Prince of 22 Ordination, my 28 Or*/? 3 1 9 Origen 201, 314 Orontes 402 O/ttw, King 400 Orton's Death 59 Ottomans or Ogufans, 148, f 7S' 176,397 0rj, Mr. 324 I N D Perfection 218,226 Perfepolis 95 Perfia and Perjians 391,394, 403, 404 Pit annus 153 Peter, St. 302, 303 Peter at Rome 407 Pfafjius 164, 206 Phalaris 97 Phial VI. 298,401 Phih 201, 261 Phrygia 396 Picart 3 3 Pierce, Bifliop 30 1 Pope Pius 371 Plume, Dr. 116 Pluralities 1 35 Plutarch 466 Poly carp 132,409 rtyw ufurped Power 148 Potter, Archbifhop 2 1 3 , 300303 Ponvet, Mr. 339 Prebendaries I 3 7 1 40 PrediSlion for the Refl oration of the 'Jews 333 Preferment 135 Pretender 362 P', Baron 193, 194 Prideaux, Dr. 261, 289 Pr/V//, Mr. 131 Primitive Faith 130 Prince, Mr. of Neiv England 339 Profejfor Regius I 3 Propofals 186. 264 Prtfecution, my 3, 4, 245 Pudens 223 />*/, King, 4#r/ 404 JV, Mr. 359, 360 Pyle, Mr. 287 Quakers Pamphlet 333, ^ , ,334 Qualification, the Lcrd's Sup- t tr 347 348 E X. Queen Caroline 198, 247, 254, 258, 298, 300 Queens College Oxford 4 R. Rawlins, Mr. Recognitions 326 176, 204, 408 Records authentic 1 65, 254 Reformation, llijiory of the 137 Remarks on a Bill 219 Renaudot 2 {$ Rennel, Mr. 230 Renjhavj, Mr. 335 Rejignation, Bonds of 36, 37 Revelation, EJJay ok the 1 24, 218 Revenues efjevjijh Governors 136 Richard/on, Dr. 150 Rimmon, Houfe of 328 Rivers in Scotland 377, 378 Roberts, Mrs. 150 Robinfon, Mr. 289 Robinfon, Bifhop 247 LaRoch, Mr. 244. i?0f r Horeb 426 /?*/, Col. 276 ^/ Society 204, 249, 250, 251 Rundle, Bifhop 97, 98, 218, 229 235 Rujffia 387, &c. Sachcverell, Dr. 192, 203, 206, 247 Salmanaffar 387, 400, 404 Samarchian 393> 46 Sanderfon, Bifhop 4 Sanderfon, Mr. 108, 311 Sarum, Bilhop of 209 Scyth, INDEX. Scythian Shepherds 391, 394, 397>4 QI Scott, Dr. 122 Scott, Mr. rf Norwich 309 Seconds 118 Sultan Selim 1 48 &f#fcr, Bifhop 291 294 Senex, Mr. 191, 193 Septyagint 95,114 Sharp, Archbifhop 101 Shavj, Dr. 426 Shaiv, Mr. 126 fit's Son 1 33 She(pwell, Mr. W Aw Sifter 177* 2* Sherlock, Bifhop 321, 322 Shute, Mr. 4 Siberia 39 1, 395 Sibylline Oracles 231,232 Simmonds, Uncle ItJ Simon and Jude 326 Simon Magus 408 Simp/on, Mr. 279 Sloan, Sir Hanfe 249 Smalbroke, Bifhop 162,166, 197, 216 Smelridge, Bifhop 28,197,356 f^/, Dr. 1 1 8 Societies 133, 151, 152, 153, l86, 190, 202, 203, 212, ?29> 2 3 6 Socinians 2 37> 3 2 5 Somerjham 1 3 Spain, Paul in 408 Speclator 258 Speaker, Mr. 0/" /* //*/ 0/" Commons 4 ! 4> 4' 5 Stangers, three Baptifts 297, 37 2 >375 Stanhope, Lord 204, 258, 260 S/^7, Sir Richard 145, 257, 259, 260 Stonehoufe, Mr. 216 Storm, great, in 1703. 1 1 5, 116.339,342,543 Strabo 405 &**; Dr. 10$ S/o^j, Mr. 106 Subjecls, only Brethren 228, 229 Subfcription to Articles 27, 224 Subfcription for me 254,255 Suppofal 254 S (7.) Shale an (8.) Chircaffey (9.) Gj0* f (10.) Turcheftan Teftar Dar 149 Temples of Jerufalem 256, 2 57, 33 Tcnnifou, ABp. 99, l>o, 115, 169, 172 Terence 247 Tertullian 213,297 Theodctios 95 T/^r>', IN D E X. Theory, my new 129 Tickill, Mr. 255 Thirlby, Mr. 130, 176 Thank/giving, Form of 342, 343 Tharfeld *79 Thomas, St. Chrijiians of 297 Tiglath Pul Afar 44 Tillotfon, Archbifhop 24 26 45. 99 Tillotfon, Mr. 24 7*$/? 348 Tindal, Dr. 96, 158 Tiribazus 402, 405 7iV/, Flattering 228, 2Z9 TzVu/o/ i?/T;r 378 Tobias, jun. 409 Towards Harmony 114,162 Toland, Mr. 96 Tomkins, Mr. 251 Tw^a, Mr. 256 Torpacio 297 Tcujnjhend, Lord 98, 202 Trorj, Mr. Juftice 194 Traditions 408, 409 Trelanuny, Biftiop 194, 195 Tribe of Dan 397 Trimnell, Biftiop 99, 290 Tripoly 205 Trinity College 1 05 Troughton, Mr. l\>8, 109 H3 Tacfcr, Dr. 360, 364, 367 Tunbridge Wells 192, 324 3 z6 > 333' 372 7W// 7fV f ;/.. iUi,T., I N P E X. William, King 27, 99, 105, Wren, Sir Chriftopher jS 258, 367 Williams, Mr. 324 X. Wilfon, Archdeacon 431 Winifrid, St. 208 Xer.ophon 404 #^, folemn, the fcventh time 424 y. Witnejfes, the t