which still continues a pattern to most other Churches. He would not suffer even strangers to give an ill example of irregularity or indevotion to his parishioners, so that, either for fear, or for conscience sake, all complied with the edifying usages of the place. I will give the reader but one instance, to shew how far a holy boldness and zeal for the honour of God and His service may go towards reforming an abuse, which all people of piety would wish to see done. half so much, as I do that old gentleman in the long beard: meaning. the Doctor. He suffered none to be baptized in private houses except in cases of necessity, as the Rubric directs, and he had the satisfaction of seeing this complied with, without those ill consequences which people are apt to fear; who had rather give way to the importunities of the ignorant, than be at the pains to inform them better; and can with less reluctancy disobey the Church than disoblige a private person. The truth is, if clandestine baptisms are less scandalous than clandestine marriages, yet the consequence of the first may be more fatal. And ment should thereby become contemptible, as they say it is A person of the first quality being at his Church, and a gentleman of his retinue not behaving himself with that discretion and seriousness which the place and service required; | the danger is, lest that Sacrathe Doctor, without any regard to the number or quality of the gentleman's friends, order-in some parts of the Greek ed him to be turned out of the Church. This unexpected rebuke soon changed his behaviour; and being by the Church-Wardens permitted to stay till the service was ended, he then according to the notorious pofane way of that gentleman said to his company-They threaten us with the devil, but I fear him not Church, where it is deemed of little more importance, than as it is an occasion of the meeting of friends and their good entertainment. Some years before his death, when he had well considered all that had been said upon that subject, he published a small tract, "Of the irregularity of a Private Prayer in a Public Congregation." He was indeed of opinion that there was no occasion for longer prayers than what the Church prescribes in her Liturgy, which provides for all the ordinary wants of Christians, and which, where it is read with deliberation, and heartily closed with, is found to be long enough to satisfy, and were it not for the excellent variety of its offices, to tire the generality of worshippers, for whom it was composed. And verily, if such as are most fond of the other way would but sincerely make the experiment, and endeavour to keep their minds intent upon the public service, they would find their souls sufficiently satisfied with the provision the Church hath made for them, without longing for a less choice if not a less safe entertainment. During his stay at Borwick Hall, "he was compelled in order to prevent his being silenced by the governing powers, to decline the literal use of the Common Prayer, but he digested out of it a formula of worship as nearly approaching to it as he thought safe, and constantly used it to the great edification of a crowded audience." pel where Dr. Sherlock officiated, "is now razed to the foundations ;" but Borwick Hall "is still standing." [Dr. Whitaker. Ibid.]-Bor The Cha It is true while he lived with Sir Robert Bindlosse, he was obliged through the iniquity of the times, and that his Ministry might not be stopped, to compose a prayer out of the Church Service; and the reader may be assured that few of the gifted preachers of those days were more admired than was Dr. Sherlock, for his very plain and affecting prayer before his Sermon, even by them that would have despised him, had they known whence he borrowed it k He was so strict a resident, that for near thirty years he was scarce so many weeks all put together absent from his flock. During which time, he kept up a constant and decent hospitality, but the greatest part of his revenues, which were very considerable, he employed in charities of one kind or other 1. wick is in the parish of Warton, and Lucas in his history of Warton, speaking of Dr. Sherlock, tells us, that "his memory is yet precious in this parish." 1 Not to name many other valuable gifts, both in his life-time and at his death, to his own and many other parishes, the sum of £11. 88. 5d. arising chiefly from Dr. Sherlock's charitable bequest, is yearly expended in the purc! ase of bread which is distributed among the poor of the parish of Winwick. Indeed, he considered his | teously, but thinking himself great incomes as a mere depositum, and himself only as a steward; and therefore though he was kind enough to his relations, yet he did not think fit to confine his kindness to them. Possessio Ecclesiæ sumptus est egenorum, was his maxim, as well as St. Ambrose's. Any worldly aim or concern had so little share in his affections, that after he had been for so many years possessed of one of the best Livings in England, at his death he left | behind him not above one year's profits, and even these in a great measure to pious uses. He always satisfied himself with the bare necessaries of life, and his temperance was every day such, that one of his Curates' allowance would have defrayed all his personal expenses. in his old age unequal for so great a burden, he desired him to accept of the cure and the profits of that great Rectory, reserving to himself a very moderate share of the incomes for his own future subsistence. As he had lived, so he died, a member as well as an ornament of the Church of Eng. land; notwithstanding the reproach raised and industriously spread abroad, that he was a Papist in disguise. This was said both by Papists and Dissenters, and both had the same end in propagating the calumny-the disservice of that Church which he adorned by his most exemplary life. After all there was no ground for this slanderous report, except such as might shame those that built any thing thereon. It was said, for instance, that he burnt incense in the Church. Now the truth of that matter was this: his worthy patron, Charles Earl of Derby, the Easter after the Restoration, desiring to countenance by his own presence the now re-established worship of the Church, chose to receive the Lord's Supper at his parish m Obadiah Walker, M.A. About three years before his death, being informed that the next advowson of Winwick had been obtained for the Master of University Collegem, the Doctor immediately invited him down into the country, and without being offended with the sight of his successor, he not only received him cour Church, rather than in his Chapel at Latham. The Doctor suspecting what he found too true, that the Chancel had been as little regarded as the Lord's Supper, which had not been administered in that Church for some years past, went a few days before to see things put in order; and cleansing the Chancel, which it seems had been more frequented by dogs and swine than men, it raised such an insufferable stench, that he was obliged to order frankincense to be burned the day before the solemnity, that his congregation might not be discomposed by such an unexpected nuisance. This was improved so far as to make him a Papist. Nay so unreasonable a prejudice had many against him, that reading upon his induction the title of the twenty-second Article, "Of Purgatory," one who had not the patience to hear any more, went out of the Church in great indignation with these words spoken aloud, "If you be for purgatory, you shall be none of my teacher." As for the Papists themselves, his excellent answers to some persons of note, who had written to him after they had been perverted to that Communion, will witness for him, at least to them, that he was no favourer of their errors. They might indeed envy the Church of England such an ornament, who most truly practised the Christian duties of temperance, mortification, self-denial, chastity, and devotion after a primitive manner, and which are by the members of that Church too often made a work, not of love to God, but of necessity, and therefore are performed by halves. Whereas he voluntarily chose the severities of a single life, at the same time that he approved of chaste marriage in others of his own order. If he fasted much, and was continually in prayer, he called these means of religion, and not religion itself. If he gave much alms to the poor, and denied himself many satisfactions, which he could easily have purchased, he did not, however, pretend to merit by these exercises of piety, no more than a steward pretends to merit by being faithful, or a sick man by being orderly. He died some months after the Revolution, and before any measures were taken to try who did not approve of the ways engaged in to bring it about; so that it would be impertinent to say what he would have done, had he lived a few weeks longer, in a case in which he was exceedingly reserved. He had always preached up passive obedience and nonresistance in the sense of the Church in her Homilies, and he was of a life too retired, of a religion too practical, and of a mind too regardless of any worldly interest, to have concerned himself in a controversy altogether new to him. It is probable the barbarous anarchy, the confusion and misery of the late Rebellion, in which he had been a sufferer, had made strong impressions upon his mind in prejudice of what was then acting. He had in his younger years been imposed upon by some people, who n 2 Sam. xix. 24. • The following extract from Dr. Sherlock's will, is instructive, as shewing the character of his piety, after so long a life, spent in the practice of self-denial and other acts of practical obedience. "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, Amen. The fourteenth day of June 1689. I, Richard Sherlock, Doctor of Divinity, of the Church of England, Priest and Rector of Win | seemed to have nothing so much at heart, as the glory of God and the welfare of the Church and nation. But when he saw what in truth they aimed at, he abhorred their hypocrisy, and became so affectionate a lover of the Monarchy, and of that Church which suffered with it, that with the zeal of Mephibosheth" he would never be prevailed on to shave his beard after the King was murdered. He was neither surprised by death nor afflicted with any of those ailments which are generally the forerunners of that great change. As he had lived a life of the strictest temperance, and had enjoyed an uninterrupted health, scarce knowing by experience what sickness was, his dissolution was accordingly without violence or any remarkable agonies. He was of a body so spare wick; being though far in years, yet God be blessed of sound mind and perfect memory, and mindful of the great account I must give up before the just Judge of the world, of all my actions and enjoyments in this present life. In order thereunto I do make this my last will and testament, revoking all other by these presents heretofore declared by me either in word or writing. First, in all humility and all godly sorrow for my sins, my many, very |