tions are completed, there never could, or would be any regular church discipline in those parts, or any confirmations, or due ordinations, or any setting apart in ecclesiastical manner, of any public places, for the more decent worship of God, or any timely preventing or abating of factions and divisions, which have been, and are at present, very rife; no ecclesiastically legal discipline, or corrections of scandalous manners in the clergy or laity; or synodical assemblies, as may be a proper means to regulate ecclesiastical proceedings."

Dec. 15. Died Dr. Hicks,* the author of "Jovian," in answer to Mr. Johnsons's " Julian, the Apostate."+ He was one of eminent learning, formerly Dean of Worcester, and, after the Revolution, a non-juror ; and never could be prevailed with to take the oaths, Creed, and the phrase," he descended into hell." The other formulary, of which the English prelates had advised the restoration, was left, after re-consideration, just as Archbishop Tillotson (see vol. i. p. 469, note) would have desired.

"General Convention, Wilmington, Oct. 11, 1786. On the question, shall the Creed commonly called the Athanasian Creed, be admitted in the Liturgy? the ayes and nays being taken, it was determined in the negative." See "the Book of Common Prayer, &c. as revised, and proposed to the use of the Protestant Episcopal Church, at a Convention held in Philadelphia, 1785;" Lond. (1789) passim; "Journals of Conventions," annexed to "Observations upon the Liturgy. By a Layman of the Church of England, late an Under Secretary of State." (1789,) pp. 103, 126, 177, 205; "Monthly Repos." ii. 647, xiv. 407.ED.

Aged 73. Gen. Biog. Dict. vii. 89-96.-Ed.

+ See vol. i. pp. 93, 94.-ED.

either to King William, Queen Anne, or King George; though we are told,* that "he once intended and designed it." He at length ran to that height, that he was encouraged by some of the deprived bishops to assume the title of Suffragan of Thetford. After their decease, he made himself the principle of orthodox unity, and Jacobite loyalty, condemning the Established Church of England as schismatical, the Civil Government as tyranny and usurpation, the bench of Bishops and all other Clergy as of invalid orders, their ministration of the sacraments as null and void, and their very prayers a sin. Of what extravagance is not a man capable if he is left to himself!

December 18. Dr. Wake, Bishop of Lincoln, was nominated to the See of Canterbury. A little after, Dr. Gibson, Archdeacon of Surry, was made Bishop of Lincoln; Mr. Benjamin Hoadley, rector of Streatham in Surry, being about the same time made. Bishop of Bangor.†

December 28. Died Mr. William Carstaires, Principal of the College of Edinburgh, whose death was an unspeakable loss to North Britain; and particularly to that university.§ In May this year, he

* In" the Life of Bishop Kennett," in which there is a pretty large account of him," pp. 12, &c. 34, 160.-C.

+ See supra, p. 226.-ED.

See supra, p. 185.-ED.

§ Some few brief hints towards his character may be met with in the Preface to his nephew, Mr. William Dunlop's, first volume of sermons, printed at Edinburgh, 1722.-C.

had been Moderator of the general Assembly of the Church of Scotland, in which station he shone with a peculiar lustre. In Lockhart's "Memoirs,"* this worthy person is styled "a rebellious Presbyterian preacher," and accused of acting in concert with the Duke of Queensbury," and others, "to frame such a plot, which made a great noise;" and "when lodged upon those they designed it against, should, in all human probability, be their utter ruin and destruction." But there is nothing like proof produced; and I believe there are none that knew him, but will readily concur with me, that he was a man of that true honour, strict justice, and solid piety, as not to be capable of so vile an action.

Two others also this year (1715) left this world, that should not be forgotten, though they were of very different stations and characters.

Thomas, Marquis of Wharton, Lord Privy Seal, -died April 12, in the sixty-seventh year of his age.‡

+ On which, Lockhart remarks, "that the poet was very much in the right, when he asserted that

"Plots, true or false, are necessary things,

To set up Commonwealths, and ruin Kings."

Ibid. p. 75.-ED.

After his decease, his Life was published in octavo.-C. See supra, pp. 10, 37 notes. This "Life" (probably one of the too numerous biographies for which post funera virtus would supply a becoming motto) and the Spectator's dedication, prefixed to his fifth volume, might have deluded Dr.Calamy to bestow his unqualified praise on an unworthy object. Mr. Noble says: "Never Z 2

He was an able statesman, and ever zealous for the welfare of his country. Perhaps he was an example of the most public spirit, and as true a lover of his native land, as is to be met with in the British history.

The other was Mr. John Shower. He died June 28,* and was succeeded in his congregation, (who

"Never were excellent abilities more abused, than by this peer. He did not attempt to disguise, but even gloried in vice., He defied its effects, either as to his interest, or to his constitution. Oaths, falsities, and profaneness of every kind, were familiar to him. He exceeded the profligacy of the youngest men. His avarice kept pace with his profligacy: he was venal to excess. In fine, the strength of his constitution, the vigour of his mind, his great wealth and his high honours, were made subservient to very unworthy purposes." See "Biog. Hist." ii. 40, 41.-ED.

Aged fifty-eight. His father had been "a merchant with good success in Exeter," of which city his uncle, Sir Bartholomew, was M.P. 1698, to his decease, 1701. He was distinguished "at the bar and in Parliament;" and is mentioned (Diary, ii. 317) among the acquaintance of "Henry Earl of Clarendon."

Mr. John Shower, besides a liberal education began in England and completed at Utrecht and Rotterdam, made, in 1683 and 1684, the tour of France, Switzerland, and Italy, during which he collected many valuable books. His companions were "Mr. Barnardiston and Mr. Thomas Goodwin," (see vol. i. p. 325).

"Mr. Shower, accompanied by his fellow-travellers, was so curious and hardy, as to visit the top of the famous hill Vesuvius, and heard a terrible noise issuing from the bowels of the hollow mountain.

"From this scene of horror, he was relieved by another of as

built for him that handsome place of worship in Old Jewry, London,*) by Mr. Simon Browne, and in the

great pleasure, when looking eastward, he had a diffusive view of Campania Felix, the garden of Italy, and beheld a wide and fruitful plain, covered with beautiful cities."

He found, however, "the country in the compass of thirty miles about Rome, so dispeopled, that hinds were wanting to cultivate the land, to turn up and till the fields lying neglected and unlaboured, as well as undrained of stagnant and corrupted waters."

At Rome, during the Carnival, "Mr. Shower and his company were invited and admitted gratis to the operas and other dramatic performances in the palace of Prince Colonna."

He was "charmed with the exquisite taste of music in the Italian masters, when he went to the diversions at that Prince's house," and found (proh pudor !) "the performances of the stage in Italy, as well as France, less shocking to modest ears than those of Great Britain.

"Neither he nor his fellow-travellers had the curiosity to kiss the Pope's slipper, though he who then wore the triple crown, was very popular, and well spoken of by those of the reformed religion. His name was Odiscalchi [Innocent XI.] called by some the Protestant Pope, because he was a friend to the Austrian interest, and opposed the power of France." See "Mem. of Shower. By W. Tong," (1716) pp. 2, 4, 7, 21–43, 45–48. -ED.

• Pulled down in 1810, the congregation having erected a new chapel, in Jewin Street. From that street, Mr. Shower's congregation had removed in 1701.

"The first stone" of the second "Old Jewry Chapel" (for the name is retained) was laid "Sept. 5, 1808, being St. Bartholomew's day, O.S." by the minister of the congregation.

This was the Rev. Dr. Abraham Rees, (who died 1825, aged eighty-one) long known among Protestant Dissenters, by the influence of his talents and character, his attention to their public

Charities,