1653. being at that time no ways inviting, he was advised by his guardians and other relations to put himself under the conduct of some eminent divine, whose knowledge and skill might steer him right in his theological studies, which he purposed to prosecute, and whose pious example might season his mind with all those Christian virtues, which are requisite not only for the government of a private life, but are also necessary to discharge the duties of that sacred function in which he designed to engage.

The advan

tage of se

And upon this occasion I cannot help wishing, minaries from the hearty affection and good-will I bear to didates of the welfare of religion in general, and to the prosholy orders. perity of the church of England in particular, that

for the can

as we have noble foundations for the encouragement of all sorts of learning, and especially for divinity itself, in our two famous universities, which are the wonder of the world for the number of their colleges, their stately structures, and liberal endowments; so that we had also some of these foundations entirely set apart for the forming of such as are candidates for holy orders, where they might be fully instructed in all that knowledge which that holy institution requires, and in all those duties which are peculiarly incumbent upon a parochial priest. Where lectures might be daily read, which in a certain course of time should include a perfect scheme of divinity; where all particular cases of conscience might be clearly stated, and such general rules laid down, as might be able to assist them in giving satisfaction to all those that repair to them for advice in difficult matters. Where they might receive right notions of all those spiritual rights which are appropriated to the priesthood, and which

are not in the power of the greatest secular person either to convey or abolish; and yet are of such great importance, that some of them are not only necessary to the well-being, but to the very being of the church. Where they might be taught to perform all the public offices of religion with a becoming gravity and devotion, and with all that advantage of elocution, which is aptest to secure attention, and beget devout affections in the congregation. Where they might particularly be directed, how to receive clinical confessions, how to make their applications to persons in times of sickness, and have such a method formed to guide their addresses of that nature, that they might never be at a loss when they are called upon to assist sick and dying persons. Where they might be instructed in the art of preaching; whereby I mean not only the best method in composing their sermons, but all those decent gestures and graceful deportment, the influence whereof all hearers can easier feel than express. And where they might have such judicious rules given them for prosecuting their theological studies as would be of great use to them in their future conduct. But, above all, where they might be formed by constant practice, and by the example of their superiors, to piety and devotion, to humility and charity, to mortification and self-denial, to contentedness and submission to the will of God in all conditions of human life; and more especially excited to great zeal in promoting the salvation of souls, which is the true spring of all that industry and application which is required in the clerical function.

1653.

be reaped

It would be a mighty satisfaction to the governors The fruit to of the church, to ordain persons who had passed from them.

1653. some time in such seminaries with the approbation of their superiors. It would be no small comfort to the candidates themselves to be so qualified by the purity of their intentions, and by their personal endowments, as to find themselves able to answer, with a good conscience, that important demand in ordination, Whether they trust they are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon them that office and ministration? And it would certainly be a great blessing to the nation to have such labourers sent into the vineyard of the Lord, as had been wrought up by particular application and study to that purpose. That man knoweth but little of the dignity and importance of the priesthood, that can content himself with ordinary attainments for the discharge of so great and so sacred a trust; and yet he will find himself very much deceived, if he dependeth upon the greatest perfection of human knowledge, without constant and fervent prayer to God for his grace to enable him to make a right use of it. This is necessary to sanctify his learning, though it be of never so prodigious a size; by keeping him within the bounds of humility, and by rendering him serviceable to those who are committed to his charge. But to proceed.

He is put under the

mas.

The times being very distracted when Mr. Bull direction of was advised, as I said, to put himself under the Mr. Tho- direction of some eminent divine, his guardians and relations were very much divided in their opinions as to the choice of the person under whose care he was to be placed. His uncle, William Bull, esq.h

h

[He died in 1676, having married Jane, daughter and coheir of Henry Southworth, of Wells, esq.]

of Shapwick, and some others, inclined to Dr. Ham- 1653. mond, a most eminent episcopal divine, whose name will always be mentioned with honour and respect by those who are true friends to the church of England; for he adhered to her when her condition was most deplorable, defended her doctrines and discipline by his learned and judicious pen, and adorned them by a conversation strictly virtuous and pious. But they prevailed who proposed Mr. William Thomas, rector of Ubley, in the county of Somerset, to which preferment he was advanced by the free and unsolicited bounty of Thomas Egerton, baron of Ellesmere, and lord chancellor of England. This Mr. Thomas was then in great reputation for his piety, and esteemed one of the chief ministers of his time in the neighbourhood where he lived. He was always reckoned a puritan, and closed with the presbyterian measures in 1642, and was appointed an assistant to the commissioners of Oliver Cromwell, for the ejecting such whom they then called scandalous, ignorant, and insufficient ministers and schoolmasters. He lived to be ejected himself for nonconformity, though he died among his parishioners in 1667. Mr. Bull complied with the determination of his guardians, and put himself under the direction of Mr. Thomas, in whose house he boarded with some of his own sisters for the space of two years; where he had the advantage indeed

i [Wood says, that upon his leaving Oxford he "sojourned in "the house of Mr. Henry Jeanes, rector of Chedzoy, in the same "county, (Somerset,) and did under him improve his knowledge “much in academical learning." Chedzoy is not far from Shapwick. Bull must have resided there between his being at NorthCadbury, and his going to Ubley.]

1653. of living in a very regular family, but he received little or no real improvement or assistance from him in his study of divinity, and would often lament his great misfortune in that choice.

He contracts a

with Mr.

son, which

was very

ous to him.

However it must be owned, that there was one friendship circumstance that made Mr. Bull some amends for Thomas's the time he lost under this director, which was, the opportunity he had by this means of contracting an advantage intimate acquaintance with Mr. Samuel Thomas, the son of Mr. William Thomas; a person of a very valuable character for his piety and learning, who was afterwards chaplain at Christ Church in Oxford, vicar of Chard in Somersetshire, and prebendary of Wells. The friendship now begun, was afterwards cultivated by many mutual kind offices, and when they were at a distance it was supported by a frequent correspondence. Before this acquaintance with Mr. Samuel Thomas, Mr. Bull had spent his time entirely in reading little systems of divinity, and had arrived at so great a perfection in that method of study, and was particularly so thoroughly versed in Wollebius *, that he was master of all those objections and solutions which so frequently occur in those writings. But his judgment being now come to a greater ripeness, he grew more and more out of conceit with that sort of divinity, and applied himself to the reading of other books, such as he relished better, and were more adapted to his genius; such as Hooker, Hammond, Taylor, Grotius, Episcopius, &c. with which his friend, Mr. Samuel Thomas, was ready to supply him, though at the

* [Wollebius was a professor at Basle, and wrote a work called Compendium Theologiæ Christianæ, Amstel. 1638.]