a stop to the judgments which God has determined to "pour out upon the families which call not on His Name." This pious mother (in confidence that God would hear her prayers) being now become a widow, gave her son an education suitable to her abilities. She sent him first to Oxford, and afterwards upon the account of a less expensive education, to Trinity College near Dublin, where he proceeded Master of Arts, A.D. 1633, as afterwards in the year 1660, Doctor in Divinity. And now, having both in his own, and his mother's intentions, been dedicated to the more immediate service of God, he entered into Holy Orders, and had a cure of souls conferred upon him in Ireland, • He was "originally (as it is said) a Student of Magdalen Hall." Wood's Athen. Oxon. vol. ii. p. 833. d Wood (ibid.) leads us to suppose, that he was Ordained immediately after taking his Master's degree, and adds, that "soon after, he became Minister of several small parishes in Ireland, united together, and yielding no more than £80 a year." The Editor has not been able to obtain any particulars of his Ordination, nor the names of the united parishes in Ireland where he ministered. Canonically, he could not have been Ordained earlier than A. D. 1636. On his coming to Oxford, "he preached often before the Court and which he attended until he was forced to quit that, and that Kingdom by the rebellion which broke out in 1641. From thence he went to England, Chaplain to one of those regiments sent by the Marquis of Ormond to the King's assistance; and which soon after, were unfortunately routed near Nantwich. Upon this, Mr. Sherlock returned to Oxford, where he was courteously received, and soon after elected one of the Chaplains of New College, and continued there, until he was turned out by the Parliament visitors. Not willing to be unemployed, he became Curate to Dr. Jasper Maine, at Cassington, until both the Doctor and his Curate were ejected. About which time Parliament, became Chaplain to the Governor, as also Chaplain of this House, (New College,) and in the year 1646, had his Bachelor of Divinity's degree bestowed upon him." [Walker, Sufferings of the Clergy, part ii. p. 130.] Wood informs us, that this Degree was "conferred upon him in consideration of several Sermons that he preached either at Court or before the Parliament in Oxon." Whilst Curate of Cassington-" an obscure village near Woodstock in Oxfordshire," he was allowed £16 a year for his pains, the Vicarage being of trifling value,) "a good part whereof he gave away to the poor of that place." Athen. Oxon. Sir Robert Bindlosse of Borwick in Lancashire, returning from his travels, Mr. Sherlock was well recommended to him, and as kindly received for his Chaplain. It was at this time, and in this neighbourhood, that George Fox began to broach and vent his new doctrines. Mr. Sherlock being of reputation for learning and piety, Fox had the vanity to attempt to make him his proselyte, or, which is more likely, to make himself more famous by so remarkable an adversary. To this end he sends him a set of queries and demands an answer, in terms exceeding confident of victory. Mr. Sherlock was a man by no means fond of controversy; "Practical Christianity" was his talent and delight; and, but that this proud boaster gave him an insufferable disturbance, deluding many poor people into an opinion that his queries were unanswerable, perhaps he had never engaged in any thing of that nature. At last, to prevent the spreading mischief, he published several small tracts, namely "The Quaker's Wild Questions Briefly Answered;" to which he annexed, “ A Discourse of the Holy Spirit, His workings and impressions on the souls of men;" as also " A Discourse of Divine Revelation, mediate and immediate ;" and another " of Error, Heresy, and Schism." All which by the blessing of God had their effects, although that heresy spread too fast abroad, by being overmuch despised in other places. While he continued with Sir Robert Bindlosse he was, in the words of Micah', "A Father and a Priest to him." The office of a Chaplain is an employment that requires as much Christian courage, conduct, and piety, to discharge it faithfully (where there are so many temptations, and so much need of virtue to overcome them) as any state of life whatever. And therefore it often happens that such as seek or accept that charge in hopes of preferment, do find a necessity of quitting, either those hopes, or a good conscience. One instance of Mr. Sherlock's behaviour in this part of his life, in which he shewed Judges xvii. 10. a true Christian contempt of his own interest, will neither tire, nor be unedifying to the reader. His patron had a just esteem for the Church and her Ministers, both at that time under a cloud, and being every way what they call an accomplished gentleman, it was no wonder that very many where fond of the honour of conversing with him; which had this unhappy effect, that it made him in love with company and many of the evils that attend it, and too many of the family followed his example. To make some amends, as they thought, for these liberties, they expressed an uncommon concern for the interest of the suffering Church; not considering that if we shall be shut out of Heaven for our sins, it will be no great comfort to us what Church we were members of on earth. The Chaplain saw this with grief, and therefore, after general discourses and intimations had had little or no effect, he applied to his patron more closely, and in a letter he wrote to him, laid down his and the vices of the family in terms so home and serious and yet so mannerly, that one could not imagine a mind so void of goodness, as to be offended with his holy freedom. He desired him to consider what injury he did to the distressed Church, for which he always expressed so commendable a zeal. He intimated to him, that this was both the cause of her sufferings, and that which made her the scorn of her enemies; that her friends did her more dishonour than they could do her hurt; so that she may truly say in the words of Zechariah, 'These are the wounds which I received in the house of my friends"." He assured him that for his own part, he durst not seem to countenance such criminal liberties; lest the enemy should say, that the Ordinances of the Gospel were profaned with the consent of her Ministers. And then, forgetting, or rather despising his own interest, the uncertainty of the times, and all the expectations he might have from a person of so good an interest in the world, he earnestly pressed either to be 8 Zech. xiii. 6. 66 hearkened to in this matter, or to be immediately discharged from his office ". through, while his fellow-commissioners settled the Civil and Military affairs, to the entire satisfaction of the Lord and people of that island; which, by the blessing of God, continues as uniform in her Worship, as orthodox in her Doctrine, and as strict and regular in her Discipline, as any Christian Church in the world. Upon the Doctor's return from that happy island, by the favour of his noble patron, he obtained a presentation1 to the Parsonage of Winwick, from King Charles the Second, the patronage being at that time His patron was so far from being offended with this just liberty of his faithful Chaplain, that he heard him with submission, knowing well Whose ambassador he was, and ever after honoured him as his friend; and would by no means part with him, until he thought his own entertainment too mean for so worthy a person; and then he most effectually recommended him to a true son and lover of the Church, the Right Honourable Charles, Earl of Derby; who made him his domestic Chap-in dispute, and immediately lain, and reposed so much confidence in him, that upon the restoration of the Royal Family, he prevailed upon, and entrusted him with a commission to settle the affairs of the Church of Man, which during the great Rebellion had suffered in her Doctrine, Discipline, and Worship. This difficult work he went h Dr. Whitaker, in His History of Lonsdale, appended to his History of Richmondshire, (vol. ii. p. 312,) gives an interesting Memoir of Dr. Sherlock. Alluding to Dr. Sherlock's request to be discharged from his Chaplaincy, if his remonstrance after, upon the expiration of a lease of ninety-nine years, his Living became one of the best in England. This was so far from transporting him, that it made him grow more jealous of himself, knowing full well, that the more he had, the more he was to account for. The first thing therefore he set himself to, were not listened to, he remarks, "This it must be remembered was at a time when the regular Clergy were starving, and he himself would not have known where to procure a subsistence." i A.D. 1664. besides the ordinary duties of | Altar, Winwick became a very the Ministry, was to compose desirable place for young Divines to improve themselves in the work of the Ministry. An undertaking which, as well as any other art, requires time and good instructions and experience to be tolerably perfect in it. and publish a short and plain Paraphrase upon the Church Catechism, exceedingly well | suited to the capacities of his people. After this, to use his own words, because "Doctrine without practice is but a body of religion without a soul to quicken it," he published the following Summary of Christian Practice. And having freely given a considerable number of both these books amongst his parishioners, the good effect soon appeared in such a number of constant, devout communicants, as at that time, were hardly to be seen in any parish in England; and by the great care of its Rectors, that parish still continues exemplary for its order and discipline. His preaching was like his devotions, plain and practical. And although until he grew much into years he was a constant Preacher, yet he always entertained in his house, at least three Curates for the service of his Church and Chapels. So that both on account of the Doctor's primitive example, as also the choice he made of persons to serve at the Ars artium est cura animarum, saith St. Gregory. This is true priestcraft, to be able, by the grace of God, to conduct men to eternal life; an employment or craft, which we have no reason to be ashamed of, notwithstanding the reproach of late cast both upon the name and thing. Having so well provided for the instruction of his parish in "things pertaining to life and godliness," he set himself very earnestly to bring his people to a decent uniformity in the public worship of God. And this he brought about in a short time chiefly by the example of his own most humble and devout behaviour; and where that would not do, he made use of rebukes, and a zeal which few people were proof against. So that his Church and Chapels soon became remarkable for that good order he then introduced, and b |