September 29, Mr. Hoadley, who now became a strenuous asserter of our civil and religious rights, preached a sermon before the Lord Mayor, from Rom. xiii. 1. about the duties of governors and subjects. He represented the public good as the end of the magistrate's office, and the warrantableness of resistance when that end is destroyed. At this sermon some were much disturbed. Among the rest, the Bishop of London had a fling at it, in the Lords, when "the danger of the Church" was under debate ;* and several assaulted him from the press. He defended himself in his " Measures of submission to * Dec. 6, 1705, when the Bishop (Compton) complained that 66 sermons were preached wherein rebellion was authorized, and resistance to the higher powers encouraged," Bishop Burnet said, "his Lordship ought to have been the last man to complain of that sermon; for if the doctrine of that sermon was not good, he did not know what defence his Lordship could make for his appearing in arms at Northampton." See "Proceedings of the Lords," ii. 156. Burnet, relating how the Princess Anne fled from her father, in 1688, accompanied by Bishop Compton, says, "they went northward as far as Northampton. In a little while, a small army was formed about her, who chose to be commanded by the Bishop of London, of which he too easily accepted." "Own Time," ii. 792. See This Bishop "is said to have been in the field at Edge Hill fight, in his cradle," and to have "trailed a pike in Flanders, under the Duke of York. Upon the Restoration, he was made a cornet in Lord Oxford's horse. Afterwards he went to Cambridge." See "Lives of English Bishops," (1781) pp. 300, 301; Biog. Brit. iv. 53.-ED. the Civil Magistrate," answered by Dr. Atterbury, in a sermon preached before the London clergy, in 'vindication of the doctrine of Non-resistance.* April 2, died the celebrated Mr. John Howe,† some account of whose life I have since published. He was succeeded in the Lecture at Salter's Hall, by Mr. William Tong.‡ In May, died Mr. Joseph Kentish,§ at Bristol, which was a great loss to that city. There was this year (1705) printed at London, the New Testament, 12mo. in modern vulgar Greek,|| with a design to be given away to the poor Grecians in the Levant, and other parts, among whom any thing of that kind was a great rarity. The chief encourager and manager of this impression was M. Ludolph, a native of Germany,¶ who had been a * "Concio ad clerum Londinensem, habita in Ecclesia S. Elphegi," 1709. Biog. Brit. i. 338.-ED. † Aged seventy-four. Account, pp. 235-238; Cont. p. 257. See Vol. i. pp. 340-342, 344.-Ed. Author of "The Life and Death of Matthew Henry, 1716," his "Funeral Sermon," &c.-ED. § See Vol. i. pp. 127-129, 139, 311, 312, 316–318.-Ed. From a copy "printed divers years before, in two volumes, in Holland," and thus procured by "the Bishop of Worcester," Dr. Stillingfleet— "An ordinary man, dressed like a seaman, came to his door, desired to speak with him, produced those volumes, and offered them for sale;" which, "after the man had given some plausible account how he came by them, he purchased." Gen. Biog. Dict. viii. 352.-ED. ¶ See an account of him in the "Lives and Characters of the great traveller in the Eastern parts,* and an eminently pious gentleman, of good learning,† and full of benignity to mankind, with whom I became acquainted by means of Dr. Frederick Slare. most illustrious persons, British and foreign, who died in the year 1712," pp. 185, 186, &c.-C. Henry William Ludolph, "nephew of Job Ludolph, the celebrated Ethiopic historian," died in England, Jan. 1710, aged fifty-four. He had been "appointed, in 1709, one of the Commissioners to manage the charities" for the relief of “ number of Palatines," who then 66 came into England." Gen. Biog. Dict. viii. 352.-ED. a vast Particularly "Muscovy, at that time hardly known to travellers." There "he gave such uncommon proofs of his knowledge, that the Muscovite priests took him for a conjurer." As "Ludolph understood music," to which the "Muscovites were then" almost strangers, he had the honour to play before the Czar, at Moscow, who expressed the most wonderful surprize and delight." Ludolph "published, 1696," from "the University press, Oxford, a Muscovite grammar, by which the natives might be taught their own tongue in a regular form," designed as a "return for the civilities received in Muscovy." It was undertaken soon as his health would permit," after he had "returned to London in 1694, when he was cut for the stone." He travelled "in 1698, from Smyrna to Jaffa, Jerusalem, and Cairo." Besides "gratifying his great desire to inform himself of the state of the Christian church in the Levant," Ludolph examined "the productions of nature and art, and the government and religion of the countries, through which he passed." Ibid. pp. 350, 351.-ED. + In Muscovy," he met with some Jews," and "was so great a master of the Hebrew tongue, that he could talk with them in that language." Ibid. p. 350.-ED. The impression was printed by the help of a contribution, to which I subscribed five pounds. By letters afterwards received from abroad (several of which I saw), it appeared that though a good number of these Testaments were committed to the care of merchants to be dispersed among those to whom they might be of use, it was no easy thing to meet with any that would receive them, or that discovered any disposition to make a good use of them; which was very affecting, and just matter of concern and trouble. 1706. George Augustus, Electoral Prince of In which "the Bishop of Worcester, was distinguished." Gen. Biog. Dict. viii. 352.-ED. + For whom, however, Ludolph had not prepared a very favourable reception, in the character of Christian advocates. "In his passage to Alexandria, he was reading our Saviour's sermon on the mount, in the Arabic New Testament, printed at the charge of Mr. Boyle. The Captain, having listened some time, asked what book that was?' Ludolph answering, that 'it was the system of the Christian religion,' he replied, 'that could not possibly be, since they practised quite the contrary.' "Ludolph rejoined, that he was mistaken; and that he did not wonder at it, as the Turks had little opportunity of conversing with any others than sailors and merchants, few of whom they reckoned to be good Christians.' The Turk seemed to be very well satisfied, and thenceforward was extremely kind to him.” Ibid. The learned physician, Linacre," a little before his death, reading Matt. v. 34, threw away the book with these words: 'We are not Christians, or the Gospel is wrong: we swear too much, or Christ forbids too much."" See "Diary of Burton," ii. 278 -ED. Brunswick Lunemburg, (since George II.) was elected Knight of the Garter, and made a peer of England, under the title of Duke of Cambridge. The ensigns of honour were carried to the Court of Hanover, (with the Act of Naturalization and of Succession in the Protestant line) by Lord Halifax. But the great event of this year, and for which it will be most remarkable in future ages, was the Union between England and Scotland, much for the strength and safety of North and South Britain; and which her Majesty oft declared one of the greatest glories of her reign. Such an union had long been desired, and divers times attempted, both before and after the two crowns were united in the person of King James,* but without effect. Whereas, at this time, each side being willing, (and perhaps it showed as great a skill in politics to bring about that willingness, as ever was known) the measure was compassed effectually. The English Dissenters were very much for this Union, as the most effectual way for securing the Protestant succession, and even the continuance of their ecclesiastical establishment in North Britain, against such as were, by principle, bent upon opposing, or might be tempted to betray it. With great earnestness, therefore, did they recommend the forwarding the Union to their friends in Scotland; Barrington Shute, Esq. (since Lord Barrington,) being sent down by the Government into the North, See "Diary of Burton," i. 346, 347, 353, ii. 57.-ED. |