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faction of the reader, I shall give a short account, both of Dr. Mather* and of Bishop Burnet.†

June

*Dr. Gotton Mather, an eminent American Divine, was born at Boston in New-England, in 1663. He became Minister of Boston in 1684, and spent his life in the discharge of his office, and in promoting several excellent societies for the public good, particularly one for suppressing disorders, one for reforming manners, 'and a society of peace-makers, whose professed business it was to compose differences, and prevent lawsuits, His reputation was not confined to his own country; for in 1710, the University of Glasgow sent a diploma for the degree of doctor in divinity; and, in 1714, the Royal Society of London chose him one of their Fellows. He died in 1728. His chief work was, Magnalia Chrifti Americana, or an Ecclesiastical History of New-England, from its first planting in 1620, to 1698, in folio.

+ Gilbert Burnet, was born at Edinburgh in 1643, of an ancient family in the shire of Aberdeen. His father being bred to the study of the law, was, at the Restoration, appointed one of the Lords of Session, with the title of Lord Grimond. Our author, the youngest son of his father, was sent to continue his studies at Aberdeen, at ten years of age, and was admitted M. A. before he was fourteen. His own inclination led him to the study of the civil and feudal law; and he used to say, that it was from this study he had received more just notions of civil society and government, than those which divines maintain. About a year after, he began to apply himself to the study of divinity, and was admitted preacher before he was eighteen. Sir Alex. Burnet, his cousin-german, offered him a benefice, but he refused to accept of it. In 1663, he came to England, and spent a short time at Oxford and Cambridge. In 1664, he made a tour through Holland and France. At Amsterdam, by the help of a Jewish Rabbi, he perfected himself in the Hebrew language; and likewise became acquainted with the leading men of the different persuasions tolerated in that country; as Calvinists, Arminians, Lutherans, Anabaptists, Brownists, Romanists, and Unitarians; amongst cach of which he used frequently to declare, he met with men of such unfeigned piety and virtue, that he became fixed in a strong principle of universal charity, and an ivincible abhorrence of all severities on account of religious dissentions.

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Upon his return from his travels, he was admitted Minister of Salton, in which station he served five years in the most exemplary manner. He drew up a memorial, in which he took notice of the principal errors in

the

June 22, "I met (says he) a daughter of my worthy old friend Mr. Erskin, at the Foundery: she was deeply

the Scots Bishops, and sent a copy of it to several of them, which exposed him to their resentments. Being engaged in drawing up the "Memoirs of the Dukes of Hamilton," luke Lauderdale invited him to London, and introduced him to King Charles II. After his return to Scotland, he married Lady Margaret Kennedy, daughter of the Earl of Cassilis, a Lady of piety and good understanding, and strongly inclined to the Presbyterians. The day before their marriage, he delivered the Lady a deed, renouncing all pretensions to her fortune, which was considerable, and which must have fallen into his hands, she having no intention to secure it.

Burnet's intimacy with the Dukes of Hamilton and Lauderdale, occasioned him to be frequently sent for by the King and the Duke of York, who had conversations with him in private. But Lauderdale, being cffended at the freedom with which Burnet spoke to him, took pains to prejudice the King against him In 1675, Sir Harbottle Grimstone, Master of the Rolls, appointed him preacher of the chapel there, notwithstanding the opposition of the Court. In 1679 and 81, he published his History of the Reformation, for which he had the thanks of both Houses of Parliament. About this time he became acquainted with the Earl of Rochester, and spent one evening in a week with him, for a whole winter, discoursing on those topics on which Sceptics, and men of loose morals, object to the Christian religion. The happy effect of these conferences, occasioned his publication of the account of the life and death of that Earl. When the inquiry concerning the Popish plot was on foot, the King consulted him often, and offered him the Bishopric of Chichester if he would engage in his interest; but he refused to accept it on these terms.

On the accession of King James to the Throne, he obtained leave to go out of the kingdom. He lived in great retirement for some time at Paris, then travelled to Italy and Rome, where he was favourably received by the Pope. He afterwards pursued his travels through Switzerland and Germany, and in 1688, came to Utrecht, with an intention to settle in some of the Seven Provinces. Here he received an invitation from the Prince and Princess of Orange, to come to the Hague, which he accepted. He was immediately acquainted with all their designs, and entered heartily into them. When the Prince of Orange came over to

England,

deeply wounded by the sword of the spirit; confessed she had turned many to Deism, and feared there could be no mercy for her.-July 18, I had the satisfaction of bringing back to Mr. Erskin his formerly disobedient daughter. She fell at his feet; it was a moving interview-all wept-our Heavenly Father heard our prayers."--December 2. Being in Wales, he observes, “I encouraged a poor girl to seek a cure from him who hath wounded her. She has the outward mark, too; being daily threatened to be turned out of doors by her master, a great swearer and strict churchman, a constant communicant and habitual drunkard."

1751. James Wheatley was at this time a Preacher among the Methodists, and a dabbler in physic, Some very heavy complaints were brought against him, for improper conduct to several women, of which Mr. John Wesley has given a pretty full statement in his printed Journal for the year 1751, which account is fully confirmed by Mr. Charles Wesley's private Journal, now before me. They brought Wheatley and his accusers face to face, and the charges were so clearly proved, that he was obliged to confess the truth. To screen himself as far as possible, he accused others, the rest of the Preachers were like himself. a serious charge. Ten of them were called together to meet Wheatley; and T. Maxfield first, then each of the others, asked him-What sin can you charge me

and said This was

with?

England, Burnet attended him in quality of Chaplain, and was soon advanced to the See of Salisbury. He declared for moderate measures with regard to the Clergy who scrupled to take the oaths; and many were displeased with him, for declaring for the toleration of Nonconformists. In 1699, he published his Exposition of the 39 Articles, which occa sioned a representation against him in the Lower House of Convocation, in 1701; but he was vindicated by the Upper House. He died in 1715, and was interred in the Church of St. James, Clerkenwell, where he has a monument erected to him. See Encyclopædia Britannica.

with? Wheatley was silent; which convinced them that he was guilty of wilful lying. They were now obliged to silence him, and Mr. John Wesley has been censured for using too much severity towards him; but as the facts' were clearly proved, he and his brother, for they acted jointly in the matter, could do no less than put him away from the connexion.

Mr. Wesley goes on with his Journal, and observes, that Wheatley's charge put his brother and him upon a resolution of strictly examining into the life and moral behaviour of every Preacher in the connexion with them; "and the office (says he) fell upon me.”—It certainly could not have fallen into fitter hands. Mr. John Wesley's great weakness was, a proneness to believe every one sincere in his professions of religion, till he had the most positive, and, perhaps, repeated proofs of insincerity; and to believe their testimonies of things as true, without making proper allowance for their ignorance. This exposed him to frequent impo,

sition and mistake. The case was far otherwise with Mr. Charles: he quickly penetrated into a man's cha racter, and it was not easy to impose upon him. He totally differed from his brother concerning the qualifications necessary for an Itinerant Preacher, and sometimes silenced a man whom his brother had admitted. The one looked at the possible harm an unqualified Preacher might do to many persons; the other, at the possible good he might do to some. This was the real principle which governed the two brothers in their very different conduct towards the Lay-Preachers ; which made some of them represent Mr. Charles as an

enemy to them all. But this certainly was far from being the case. Mr. Charles Wesley being clothed with his new office, set, out the next morning, June 29, to visit the Societies in the midland and northern counties,

as

as far as Newcastle; in which journey Mrs. Wesley accompanied him. I do not find, however, in the whole of his Journal, the least accusation, of a nature similar to that of Wheatley, against any Preacher in the connexion. In this journey he was a great blessing to the people where ever he came; many were added to the Societies, and the old members were quickened in their zeal and diligence, to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.-July 21, he observes, “I rode to Birstal (near Leeds) where John Nelson comforted our hearts with his account of the success of the Gospel in every place where he has been preaching, except in Scotland. There he has been beating the air for three weeks, and spending his strength in vain. Twice a-day he preached at Musselborough to some thousands of mere hearers, without one soul being converted. I preached at one, to a different kind of people. Such a sight have I not seen for many months. They filled the valley and side of the hill as grasshoppers for multitude; yet my voice reached the most distant. -God sent the word home to many hearts."—July ́25th, he was taken ill of a fever, and on the 28th, his fever increasing, he says, "I judged it incumbent on me, to leave my thoughts concerning the work and the instruments, and began dictating the following letter."— Unfortunately the letter was not transcribed into the Journal, a blank space being left for it: we apprehend it is not now to be found any where.

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He goes on. August 3d, I was enabled to ride out, and to confer with the Preachers and others. August 5th, I went to the Room, that I might hear with my own ears, one (of the Preachers) of whom many strange things had been told me. But such a Preacher never have I heard before, and hope I never shall again. It was beyond description. I cannot

say

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