being invited by Edmund Prideaux, Efq;* then Attorney General to Cromwell, to inftru&t his fon : and by his connection with Prideaux he procured a confiderable benefaction to Clare Hall.

At the Restoration he loft his fellowship, but conformed to the Church of England. He had never, indeed, been mastered by the prejudices of Puritanifm. The books put into his hands, while a youth, he had found too heavy to intereft his attention, and too auftere to influence his conduct. His mind was difpofed to notions more extenfive, and to a temper more amiable. And in fuch principles he was confirmed, by having met with that excellent work," The Religion of Proteftants."

Having been ordained by Dr. Sydferfe + bishop of Galloway, who demanded of him neither oath nor fubfcription; he began his miniftry in 1661, with the curacy of Chefhunt in Hertfordshire.

* Edmund Prideaux, Esq. received part of his education at Cambridge, whence he was removed to Oxford, and thence to the Inner Temple. He was member for Lyme, in the Long Parliament, in which he made himself so conspicuous, that the " pa"triots" appointed him one of the commissioners of their great seal in 1643, worth 1500l. per annum, which with the office of Attorney General, and other very lucrative employments, he enjoyed till the restoration. His Majesty's letters found after the battle of Naseby, were given him to inspect. He was a bitter enemy to that unfortunate Prince. He was created a baronet by Cromwell in 1658; signed the order to proclaim Richard Protector; was one of the members of the restored long parliament; and one of the commissioners of safety. He was certainly a good chancery lawyer. He died prodigiously rich. [See Noble's Memoirs of the Prot. House of Cromwell. vol. ii, 530.]

He was the only Scots bishop living at the Restoration, on which event he came up to London, expecting to be advanced to the Primacy of Scotland. But he failed in his expectations, having given offence to the English bishops by his promiscuous ordinations, when he first came to England. For when the Act of Uniformity required all men, who held any benefices there, to be episcopally ordained; he, who by observing the ill effects of the former vio lence of the Scots bishops, was become very moderate, ordained all those of the English clergy, who came to him, without demanding either oaths or subscriptions of them. Some suppose he did this for a subsistence from the fees of his letters of orders; for he was poor. However he was translated to the see of Orkney, one of the richest in Scotland; in which he lived little more than a year. Bishop Burnet has stiled him a very learned and good man.

Hertfordshire. In 1662, he was elected by the parishioners to the donative of St. Mary Aldermanbury, London, but declined the acceptance of it. In June 1663, he was prefented by sir Thomas Barnardiflon to the rectory of Kedington in Suffolk, where his continuance was but short. For in November he was elected by the fociety of Lincoln's Inn their preacher; and from a confcientious regard to that parochial refidence, which he now could not keep, he refigned the rectory. Of the judicious choice which that learned body had made, the world was foon convinced. The reputation of his difcourfes before them attracted general notice, and in the following year procured him, in addition to this appointment, the Tuesday lectureship at the church of St. Lawrence Jewry. He was always attended at this lecture by a numerous and refpectable audience, and especially by many of his own order, who could not pay a more decided tribute to the merit of the preacher, than by acknowledging that they came thitherto form their minds."

In 1666, he took the degree of D. D. In this year his masterly performance, "The Rule of Faith," made its appearance; to the publication of which he had been induced by his zeal against Popery. It was an answer to a book, confidered by the Church of Rome as an impregnable defence of her caufe, and entitled, "Sure footing in Christianity; or rational Difcourfes on the Rule of Faith;" the author of which was Mr. John Smith,* a fecular prieft. Nor was it long before the Rule of Faith was anfwered by Smith; to whofe exceptions Tillotfon replied, and the champion of Popery printed a rejoinder.

The merits of Tillotfon now became known at court; and in 1669, on the promotion of Dr. Gunning to the fee of Chichefter, he was prefented by the king to the fecond prebend in the church of Canterbury. He became about this time chaplain to the king, to whom he is faid to have been prefented

*This

by

person prefixed to his publication the assumed name of John Sarjeant. He was a Lincolnshire man, and had been of St. John's College, Cambridge, by the senior members of which he was recommended to be secretary to Dr. Morton, bishop of Durham; in which employment he continued, till falling into doubts about his religion, he went over to the college of secular priests at Lisbon in 1642, and was afterwards prefect of studies in that college; and in 1652, returning to England, was elected secretary of the secular clergy, and employed in propagating his religion, and writing books in defence of it.

by the famous duke of Buckingham, with this remarkable recommendation: I introduce to your majefty, faid the duke, the graveft divine of the Church of England,, (and then ftepping forward, added in a lower tone) "and of fo much "wit, that if he chofe it, he could make a better comedy than ever your Majefty laughed at." Of this kind of wit, however, Tillotfon has left no fpecimen. The compliment of Villiers was perhaps intended to ferve him, as it contained what was a powerful recommendation in the opinion of the gay monarch.

He was no favourite, however, of Charles. Yet on the death of Dr. Turner, he obtained the deanery of Canterbury; the application for which, in his behalf, had been made by archbishop Sheldon, the duke of Buckingham, and lord Berkeley. While he was dean of Canterbury, he paid a visit to his father in York fhire, and preached before him in Sowerby chapel against the doctrine of Calvin, probably with intent to foften the fevere notions which he entertained. But when the old man was afked by Dr. Maud (who ufed frequently to difpute with him concerning predeftination) how he liked his fon's difcourfe? he replied, in his ufual way when he af ferted any thing with earneftnefs, "I profefs he has done much more harm than good."

In 1675, the dean was prefented to the prebend of Ealdland in the church of St. Paul, London, which he refigned in Feb. 1677-8, on being admitted to that of Oxgate, and to a refidentiaryfhip in the fame church.

A

In 1683, he attended the unfortunate lord Ruffel, during his confinement, and at his death on the fcaffold. He was cenfured for that earneftnefs, with which he urged his lordfhip to a declaration against the Lawfulness of Refiftance. Yet he juftified his conduct to lady Ruffel, of whofe difpleasure he was apprehensive; and by his explanation, recovered her esteem.

Towards the end of the reign of Charles II. he published his "Difcourfe on Tranfubftantiation;" and this gave rife to the Controverfy with the Papifts, which was carried on during the reign of James II. And while the latter monarch continued on the throne, the dean exerted his abilities with unremitting attention, in order to expofe the principles and the defign of Popery. In 1688, he attended the meeting of thofe bishops at Lambeth, who formed the well-known petition, humbly requesting to be released from his majesty's injunction, in regard to the diftributing and reading the decla

ration for Liberty of Confcience. And to this petition, the dean, with other divines prefent, added his fubfcription.

The government being foon after fettled upon king William and queen Mary, they repaid that attention which the dean is faid to have fhewn to them in their paffage through Canterbury to Holland in 1677; by appointing him in 1689 clerk of the clofet, and by promoting him to the deanery of St. Paul's. He was admitted alfo to the prebend of Newington in the fame church. In this year, his attachment to a Čomprehenfion with Diffenters, induced him to recommend to his majefty a propofal, which he hoped would forward his defign. It was the appointment of a commiffion, consisting of ten bishops, and twenty divines (of whom the dean was one;) by whofe endeavours the intended union fhould be effected, rather than by parliamentary authority. The commiffioners, who acted agreeably to this view, determined on feveral alterations in the Liturgy, and the ecclefiaftical conflitution. Their proccedings were fubmitted to the convocation of the clergy, but without effect. The majority declared against any alteration whatever. Dr. Jane,* who was elected pro. locutor in oppofition to Tillotfon, triumphantly concluded his fpeech with the fenfe of that majority; Nolumus leges Anglia mutari.

When Tillotson was promoted to the deanery of St. Paul's, the king communicated to him his intention of advancing him to the metropolitical fee, in cafe Sancroft fhould incur the fentence of deprivation. That fentence was at length paffed on the primate: and the dean, after much confideration on the important office, which he had been urged to accept, was nominated archbishop of Canterbury, April 23, 1691, and confecrated May 31. At his confecration many of the nobility attended, to exprefs their efteem for his charafter, and their fatisfaction at his promotion.

But

William Jane, D. D. was a student of Christ-Church Oxford, of which he was afterwards canon, dean of Gloucester, and præcentor of Exeter. He was one of the four sent by the university of Oxford to the prince of Orange, then at Hungerford in his march to London, with an offer of their plate, which the prince refused. Dr. Jane is said to have then applied for the vacant see of Exeter, and on account of the refusal he met with, to have been ever afterwards a secret enemy to the government of king William. He obtained no further promotion, and died in February 1706-7.

But this ftation to which he was fo defervedly raifed, he, enjoyed but a fhort time. On the 18th of Nov. 1694, he was seized while in the chapel at Whitehall, with a fudden" illness, which turned to a dead palfy; and on the 23d he died. His fpeech was much affected by the violence of this attack, but he was heard to fay, "He had no burden on his confcience."

The

His death was univerfally regretted. For while his fplendid talents commanded refpect; his humility, his benevolence, his charity, and his moderation fecured efteem. king is faid to have deplored his lofs in this expreffive tribute to his memory I never knew an honefter man, and I never had a better friend."

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The works of Tillotfon are too well known to require a detail. His Sermons intereft the heart, and convince the understanding. Eafe and perfpicuity, good fenfe and fincere piety, are obferved by an elegant and judicious critic * to be their diftinguishing character. Some inftances perhaps may occur of incorrect expreffion, and uninterefting ftile. But when his many excellencies are confidered, he will for ever remain the boaft of this nation, as one of its best writers, and probably as its ableft divine. Of fuch influence was his example, that he "taught more minifiers to preach well, and more people to live well, than any other man fince the "Apoftles' days." He converted alfo more diffenters to the eftablished church, than any other divine of his time. The ardour of his oppofition to popery, it must be allowed, betrayed him into fome exceptionable affertions, which were expofed by his enemies with unfparing rancour. His difcourfe on the "Eternity of Hell Torments" occafioned also no small clamour against him, and "hath been attacked by cavillers at home and abroad." His opinions on this subject coincide with thofe of Epifcopius, and some part of the discourse appears almost a literal tranflation from the celebrated Arminian. This fermon, however has been ably defended by Le Clerc. He was charged alfo with Socinianifm, and pub lished his fermons On the Divinity of Chrift to vindicate himself from that charge. But the accufation, as the learned Dr. Jortin has obferved,† was entirely groundless. His fpirits

Dr. Blair.

+ John Jortin, D. D. one of the most learned and liberal divines of the eighteenth century, was fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, by which society he was in 1726, presented to the V. of Swavesey

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