with him. To which I may properly here add what the fame author and cotemporary with our Prelate remarks of him in the firft volume of the Hiftory of his own Times, p. 189. He [Tillotson] was a man of a clear head and fweet temper. He had the brighteft thoughts, and the most correct ftile of all our Divines; and and was efteemed the beft Preacher of the age. He was a very prudent <" man; and had fuch a management, with it, that I never knew any Clergyman fo univerfally efteemed and beloved, as he was, for twenty years. "He was eminent for his oppofition to popery. He was no friend to perfecution, and ftood up much againft atheism. Nor did any man contribute more to bring the city [London] to love our worfhip, than he did. But there was fo little fuperftition, and fo much reafon and gentlenefs in his way of explaining things, that malice was long level led at him, and, in conclufion, broke out fiercely on him. And there being too many of this caft about the court, it was a long time before the good and learned man was rewarded with any preferment from thence. " agents, it would be eafy to difcredit them, and to carry off the weight of any discoveries they could make, by fhewing they were mad-men, and fo not like to be trufted in critical things (page 230.), On March the 14th, 1669, the Dr. was admitted Prebendary of the second ftall in the cathedral at Canterbury. He was foon after preferred to the Deanry of Norwich; and on November the 14th, 1672, to the Deanry of Canterbury, which was augmented by the Prebend of Ealdland, on December the 18th, 1675, in the caz thedral of St. Paul's, London, that was afterwards, February the 14th, 1677 exchanged for the Prebend of Oxgate, and Refidentiary ship in the same church. His Majefty King Charles II. haveing published a declaration in 1674, for enforcing a late order of Council for reftraining diffenters, and prohibitting their meetings for public worship: Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Stilling fleet, jealous of the popish defigns at court, defired a meeting with Dr. Manton, Dr. Bates, Mr. Pool, and Mr. Baxter, in order to confider of an accommodation, and faid they had the encouragement of feveral Lords both spiritual and temporal. Mr. Baxter, who had declared from the pulpit, That he did not keep up a meeting in oppofi tion to the public churches, but to help the people, who were more than the parish churches could hold, met the two Doctors, at first, alone: and after confidering and canyaffing various draughts, at laft fixed on one, in which they agreed; the chief of whose heads were as follow: In 1666, he proceeded Doctor of Divinity at Cambridge, and was fo diligent in his enquiries into the means by which the city of London that year was reduced to afhes, that he was thoroughly convinced, it was contrived and effected by the Papifts and their emiffaries. For, though the French man, Hubert, that was hanged for it, is reprefented as a half-witted, or a mad man; that was not fufficient to elude the Doctor's judgment, who found him to be a popifh emiffàry, and, as he told Dr. Burnet, a more, proper inftrument for fuch a work:tion, inftitution, or induction, but the becaufe, as he had been informed by Langhorn, the popish Counsellor at Law, before the restoration, it is a maxim with them, in dangerous fervices, to employ none but half-witted men, if. they can but be fecret, and obey orders for if they should change their minds, and turn informers inflead of That no covenant, promife, of oath fhould be required to ordina oaths of allegiance and fupremacy; and a fubfcription to the doctrine and facraments of the church of England, as expreffed in the 39 articles, and a general declaration against rebellion and fedition.-That 'till the Non-Conformists could be better provided for, they fhould be pers 'mitted were mitted to teach schools, ferve cures, and preach lectures in the established churches and that in the mean time their meeting-places that ⚫ convenient, fhould be continued in ufe as chapels.That no one fhould That no be molefted for joining together in think it unlawful to take it kneeling. That the ufe of the furplice be left indifferent; and that people who live under an ignorant or fcandalous 'minifter have liberty to join with thofe, with whom they can better' profit, in any neighbouring church ⚫ private affemblies (amongit neigh-in the fame diocefe, paying the in bours) in prayers and praises to God, and repeating fermons. That no minifter fhould be obliged to read the apocryphal leffons. That parents might be admitted to become fureties for their own children in baptifm. That the ufe of the fign of the crofs in baptifm be left to the minifter's inclination and difcretion. -That minifters be not forced to baptize a child whofe parents are • denied the communion of the church, unlefs fome ferious chriftian under⚫ take for its education, according to the chriftian covenant. That none •be forced to receive the facrament ⚫ while unfit, or averfe. That minif'ters be not forced to adminifter the facrament to unbaptized perfons, or to fuch who refufed to own their baptifmal covenant, though they publickly profess their adherence to it; or to fuch who are guilty of fcandalous immoralities, till they have pro⚫feffed repentance. That minifters be not forced to publish an excommunication or abfolution, against their confciences, upon the decrees of a Lay Chancellor, &c. or harraffed by attending their courts, to bring ⚫ witneffes against those to whom they ⚫ have refused the facrament upon the ⚫ aforefaid reafons. That it be left to ⚫ the difcretion of the minifters, whom ⚫ they will abfolve in fickness, and to whom they will give the facrament, and over whom they, at their interment, will use those few words which import the juftification and falvation of the deceased; and that the fick and dying have the liberty of choofing what minifters they will to attend and affift them without re• ftraint. That no minister be forced to deny the facrament to fuch as દ 'cumbent his dues. That no ordained minifters be put upon renouncing their ordination; but upon proof of their fitness for the ministry, re'ceive by word, or a written inftrument, a legal authority to exercife their miniftry in any congregation in his Majefty's dominions, where they 'fhall be lawfully called.-That no 'excommunicate perfon, as fuch, be 'imprifoned or ruined; and that after all, chriftian lenity be ufed to all confcientious diffenters, and that the tolerable be tolerated under laws of and fafety.' om tal peace This being communicated to the Non-Conformists, was agreeable; but when they communicated them to the Bifhops, the treaty came to nothing, by the intrigues of Morley and Ward, who had done the fame thing before, when the like terms were delivered by Mr. Baxter to the Earl of Orrery. So the thing dropped. In 1675, Dr. Tillotfon obliged the world with Bishop Wilkins's treatise of the principles and duties of natural religion, with a preface by himself; and as he found himself too weak to effect a wholefome comprehenfion amongst proteftants, which was what the popithly affected feared of all things the most, he applied himself moré itrenuoufly, with his great friend and admirer, Dr. Stilling feet, to ftop the growth of Popery by found argument, and a chriflian refolution not to be fhaken by threats on perfecutions. In this work of the Lord, he was bleffed with great fuccefs; and amongst other converts from the Romish communion, we find the Earl (afterwards Duke) of Shrev:fbury; for whofe falvation he thenceforward fhewed a more than ordinary regard, as may be feen in the follow ing ing abftract of a letter written to that noble Lord, upon a report of his keeping a mistress: My Lord, It was a great fatisfaction to me to be any ways inftrumental in the gaining your Lordship to our religion; but I am, and always was more concerned, that your Lordship would continue a virtuous and good man, than become a Proteftant; being affured, that the ignorance and errors of men's understandings will ⚫ find a much easier forgivenefs with God, than the faults of the will. I • remember that your Lordship once ⚫ told me, that you would endeavour to juftify the fincerity of your change by a confcientious regard to all other parts and actions of your life. I am fure you cannot more effectually condemn your own act, than by being a worse man, after your profeflion to have embraced a better religion. I will certainly be one of the laft to believe any thing of your Lordship that is not good; but I always feared I thould be one of the firit that fhould hear it.-To fpeak plainly, I have been told, that your Lordship is of late fallen into a converfation, dangerous both to your reputation and virtue.-Therefore, I earneftly befeech your Lordfhip to confider, befides the high provocation of Almighty God, and the hazard of your foul, whenever you engage in a bad course, what blemish you will bring upon a fair and unfpotted reputation; what uneafinefs ⚫ and trouble you will create to yourfelf from the fevere reflections of a guilty confcience, and how great a violence you will offer to your good "principles, your nature, your education, and to a mind the best made for 'virtuous and worthy things. And do you imagine you can ftop when you pleafe? Experience fhews the contrary; and that nothing is more • vain than for men to think they can fet bounds to themselves in any thing that is bad. I hope in God, no 6. 6 6 temptation has yet prevailed on your Lordfhip fo far as to be guilty of any loofe act. If it has, as you love · your foul, let it not proceed to an habit. The retreat is yet eafy and open-and God is not only ready to forgive us, upon our repentance and refolution of amendment, but to affift us, by his grace, to do better for the future. Determine rather upon a fpeedy change of your condi tion, than to gratify the inclinations of your youth in any thing but what is lawful and honourable.-I pray to God every day for your Lordship, ' with the fame conftancy and fervour as for myself; and do now most earneftly beg, that this counsel may be acceptable and effectual," I am, &c. The next memorable paffage of this great man's life, was his refufing to fign the Clergy of London's address of thanks to the King, for not agreeing to, or rather for finding means for the bill of exclufion of the Duke of York to be caft out of the House of Lords. This bill for excluding the Duke of York, the King's brother, from the fucceffion to the Crown, for being a Papift, paffed the Commons on the 11th of November, 1680; on the 15th it was carried up to the Lords, by the Lord Ruffel, and there, at the fecond reading, it was thrown out by a majority of thirty voices, of which fourteen were Bifhops. Bishop Burnet fays, That it was caft out at the first reading, and that the whole bench of Bishops was againft it. This mifcarriage of the bill for the exclufion, as it, in the end, proved the ruin and death of Lord Ruffel, whò moved it first in the House of Com mons, fo the Dean's refufal to fign the Clergy's addrefs rendered him ftill more obnoxious to the Court, and the Duke's party; wherefore he and his friends thought it moft prudent for him to retire, for the prefent, out of their way. And accordingly, he fet about the publication of a volume of Bishop Wilkins's fermons; which made their appearance, with Dr. Tillotson's preface, in 1682. In which we find him extolling the moderation of the author, and then adds, I am of the old opinion, that moderation is a virtue, and one of the peculiar ornaments and advantages of the ex⚫cellent conftitution of our church, and must at last be the temper of her members; especially the Clergy, if ever we ferioufly intend the firm • establishment of this church, and do ⚫ not industriously defign, by cherishing heats and divifions among ourfelves, to let in Popery at these breaches. And in the fame year he published the works of Dr. Barrow. But nothing could terrify him from paying the laft duty, as a friend and minifter of God's word and facraments, to Lord Ruffel, under condemnation and on the fcaffold, who may be properly faid to have fell a facrifice to the popib faction. The whole proof against him, and for which he was condemned and executed, amounting to no more than that he had been prefent, by accident, or for fome inno-cent purpose, where treasonable matters were difcourfed, without bearing a part in that discourse, or giving any affent, by words or otherwife, to what was fo difcourfed; which, at the moft, amounts to mif-prifion or concealment. of treafon only. Bishop Burnet informs us, That all poffible methods were used to have faved his life, but all in vain. And the Duke of York was for carrying his revenge fo far against him, as to perfuade the King to order his execution before his own house in Southamptonfquare; but the King rejected that as indecent, and fixed it to be in Lincoln's Inn fields. The day before his death, he bled at the nofe, upon which he faid to Dr. Burnet, then prefent: I fhall not now let blood to divert this, That will be done to-morrow. At night it rained hard: and, he said, Such a rain to-morrow will fpoil a great fhew, which is a dull thing in a rainy day. He faid the fins of his youth of lay heavy upon his mind, but he hoped God had forgiven them; for he was fure he had forfaken them, and for many years he had walked before God with a fincere heart; if in his public actings he had committed errors, they were only the errors of his understanding, for he had no pri vate ends, nor ill defigns of his own in them. He was fill of opinion, that the King was limited by law;" and that, when he broke thro' those limits, his fubjects might defend themfelves, and reftrain him. He thought a violent death a very defirable way ending one's life, when not brought upon one's felf wilfully; for, faid he, it is only the being expofed to be a little gazed at, and to fuffer the pain of one minute, which, he was confident, was not equal to the pain of drawing a tooth. He faid, He felt none of thofe tranfports that fome good people felt; neither had he any palpitations at heart, nor trembling at the thoughts of death; but enjoyed a full: calm in his mind. He was much concerned at the cloud that feemed to be now over his country, but he hoped his death fhould do more fervice, than his life could have done. He wrote a letter to the King, in which he asked pardon for every thing he had faid or done, contrary to his duty, protefting he was innocent, as to all defigns ] against his perfon or government, and that his heart was ever devoted to that, which he thought was his true intereft. He added, That tho' he thought he had met with hard measure, yet he forgave all concerned in it from the higheft to the lowest, and ended with hopes that his Majefty's displeasure at him would ceafe with his own life, and that no part of it should fall upon his wife and children. The day before his death he received the Sacra-" ment from Dean Tillotson, and heard two fermons preached by Dr. Burnet," with great attention. On the morning of his execution, hè, by his own order, was waked at four, though he did not go to bed till two. He was quickly dretted, dreffed, but would lofe no time in fhaving; for he faid that he was not concerned in his good looks that day. He went into his chamber fix or feven times in the morning and prayed by himself, and then returned to Dr. Til latfen and Dr. Burnet. He wound up his watch and faid, Now I have done with time and am going to eternity. He asked what he fhould give the executioner? Dr. Burnet told him, ten gaineas; to which he replied with a fmile, It is a pretty thing to give a fee to have one's head cut off. Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Burnet went in the coach with him to the place of execution. He fang pfalms a great part of the way, and faid, he hoped to fing better very foon; and on the scaffold, amongst other things, He prayed God to preferve the Proteftant religion, and wished all Proteftants might love one another, and not make way for Popery by their animofities. Dr. Tillotson prayed with him. He delivered a paper to the Sheriffs, which is too long to be inferted here, but gave fuch of fence to the court that both the Divines were ordered to appear before the Cabinet-Council. Dr. Tillotson confefied that he had feen the fpeech the day before the Lord fuffered, and that he spoke to him, what he thought was incumbent on him, upon fome parts of it, but that he was not difpofed to alter it; and Dr. Burnet offered to give his oath, that the fpeech was penned by Lord Ruffel himself. After this the Dean withdrew once more into his retirement; and in the year following published the works of Mr. Hezekiah Burton, Minifter of St. George's Southwark, and afterwards of Barns. Dr. Tillotson prefixed a preface to these alfo; in which we have the following remark on the times: It pleafed the wife providence of God, fays the editor, to take this good man from us in the ripeness of his age, when he was capable of doing the greatest fervice to the church of God, and in a time when he was moft likely to have contributed con 'fiderably to it, as being by the in comparable sweetness of his temper, and prudence of his behaviour, admirably fitted to allay those heats, which then began to break out, but are fince blown up to all the degrees ⚫ of a violent and implacable enmity, by the fkill and industry of a crafty ⚫ and reftlefs party among us, playing upon our weakness, and perfuading · us to receive odious names of diftinction, and to fling them like fquibs and fireballs at one another, to make the Philifines fport.' The violence of the Duke's party ran fo high, and all that he fufpected to oppofe his acceffion to the throne, were fo apprehenfive of being perfe cuted and cut off by falfe witneffes, packed juries, and fham-plots, that the prudent Dean contented himself with his ftudy, and by his preaching and writings to promote godliness, when there was fo much danger of atheism: which was artfully propagated by the enemies of the proteftant religion, as the more certain means of introducing fuperftition and popery, when the power should come into the hands of a popish Prince. And after the Duke of York's acceffion to the throne, to which he afcended, not without fufpicion of having poifoned the King, his brother, the Dean found it still more neceffary for him to live upon the referve, and at a distance from court; though, where his religion called him forth, he always appeared with the fpirit and power of a Prophet. Thus, when the Clergy addreffed King James II. for his promise to maintain the church, and preserve the government in church and state, as it was by law established, this wife and good Divine was not fo complaifant, as the most courtly were, to put all the church's fecurity upon the King's promife, but prevailed with the London Clergy to add a word to this in their addrels, Our religion eftablished by law, dearer to us than our lives: which menacing form was ever after remembered to the disadvantage of those that prompted |