aware," fays he, "what a creature you are? I love you beyond expreffion, and admire your abilities, furniture, fpirits, &c. more than you imagine; and not a man in the world rejoices more in your ufefulness than I do; and yet I often make myself merry with your character and conduct. You are fo entirely devoted to God, to truth, and holiness, that it is very eafy to impose upon you under the appearance of any of thefe. And you are fo perfectly made up of civility, candour, and good nature, that a pious enthufiaft, or a godly dunce, is welcome to your table, arms, and heart. You are fo good yourself, that you think every body ten times better than they are; fee merit in the darkness of midnight; cannot fee faults without a noonday fun; forgive injuries before they are confeffed; and confer favours as a reward for affronts," With fuch a difpofition of mind, it is not furprifing that Dr. Doddridge fhould frequently be unable to refift the arts of deception: and yet this did not proceed from a general ig

norance of the world. He was well acquainted with men and with manners, and could often enter into, and difcriminate, with no fmall degree of penetration, the characters of mankind, But, at the fame time, so ardent were the feelings of his piety, and fuch was the fuavity of his temper, that he could not eafily perfuade himself that any perfons were infincere, who made a profeffion of religion and goodnefs. There is a confiderable difference between a speculative and a practical knowledge of the world, A man may poffefs much of the former, and yet, from a certain flexibility and tenderness of mind, have little of the latter. In particular inftances, he may have fagacity

enough to fufpect deceit, while he refufes to indulge the fufpicion, left it fhould lead him to err in his judgment, and be a motive for obftructing the exertions of his benevolence. Such was the cafe with Dr. Doddridge, and fuch, also, was the cafe with George Lord Lyttelton. They would both of them rather have chosen to be mistaken, than to have loft an opportunity of contributing to the relief of real diftrefs.

It

"In his fentiments of those who differed from him in religious opinions, Dr. Doddridge exercifed great moderation. He never confined truth or goodness to one particular fect; and he behaved with the utmoft candour to the members of the church of England.. Of the established religion of his country he always fpoke with refpect; and he never made any petulant objections to its worfhip or difcipline, or uttered againft it any fevere or unkind reflections. His correfpondence with various clergymen of the highest rank and merit has heretofore been noticed. was deeply lamented by him, that a feparation from the establishment was, in his apprehenfion, and that of many other good men, rendered fo neceffary; and he fincerely wifhed and prayed for a greater union among Proteftants. A like candid and friendly spirit he endeavoured to promote among his pu pils; and he did it with fuccefs; for few of them, I believe, can be mentioned, who have not, in this refpect, followed the inftructions, and imitated the example of their tutor. With all Dr. Doddridge's moderation of temper, he did not in every cafe meet with a fuitable return. Some time, after he had fet up his academy at Northampton, a profecution was commenced

againft

against him in the ecclefiaftical court, by the inftigation of feveral dignitaries of the church. The ftep, however, was totally difapproved of by many other eminent members of the establishment. Nevertheless, the perfons who had engaged in the bufinefs feemed determined to carry it on with vigour; and as the laws then stood, they must have fucceeded in their defign, had not an application been made to King George the Second, who received, from fome gentlemen of rank and influence, fuch a just representation of the Doctor's loyal, peaceable, and moderate principles and character, as induced his Majefty to give an exprefs order for putting a ftop to the pro

fecution.

"That candour of mind which Dr. Doddridge exercifed towards

the members of the established church, was cultivated by him with regard to his diffenting brethren, of different denominations. He was folicitous to be upon friendly terms, as far as poffible, with all of them; and by the generality of them he was held in high eftimation. If this was not the cafe without exception, it will not appear furprifing to thofe who reflect upon the diverfities of fentiment that are found among the Diffenters. There were a few among them who even went fo far as to charge him with infincerity. The accufation they brought against him was, that he nfed fome particular phrafes in his writings, in a fenfe different from that in which he himself underflood them, in order to please a party. A friend having acquainted hiin with this charge, he anfwered as follows: "My confcience doth not tell me that I am at all to blame on the head you mention. I write for the public (as I would alfo do in

every private correfpondence) as in the prefence of God, and in the views of his judgment. I would not purchafe that phantom, popularity, which is often owing to the very worst part of a man's character or performances, by any compliances beneath the dignity of a Chriftian minifter: an office, of which I think fo highly, as to be deeply fenfible how unworthy I am to bear it. On the other hand, I do indeed defire to give as little offence as I honeftly can; and I have high authorities for it: and though I am, and always declare that I am, in my judgment, greatly against the impofition of human phrafes, yet, as fome can hardly be avoided on the one hand or the other, I choofe to adopt and ufe fome that are am. biguous, in what I take to be a fair fenfe, though not the only fenfe they might bear; and by declaring it, to endeavour to fix a good idea to them, rather than abfolutely to declare against, or even totally to difufe them. Others, wider by far in their fentiments than I, are indulged in this, and even applauded for it: I have the misfortune (I cannot ufe the word more properly) to be condemned." Whilft I have a full conviction of Dr. Doddridge's fincerity in this matter, I cannot agree with him in opinion. Offenfive expreffions may juftly be avoided; but furely, ambiguous ones fhould never defignedly be adopted. The language we ufe, in delivering our views of things, ought to be natural, clear, and capable only of one fignification.

"The charge I have mentioned againft Dr. Doddridge with regard to his writings, has been extended to his preaching. By fome of his enemies it was afferted, that he was a trimmer in the pulpit. The fact, I am fatisfied, was precifely as fol.

lows.

lows. When he preached in different places, he fo far accommodated himself to the difpofitions of the people before whom he difcourfed, as to avoid giving offence. If a congregation confifted of perfons who were of free fentiments in religion, his fermon was entirely of a practical nature. On the other hand, in preaching before a. Calviniftical fociety, it was cuftomary with him to choose what was called an evangelical fubject. In neither cafe did he deliver any thing that was contrary to his fincere opinion. His accufers did not fufficiently recollect that he was far more devoted to what were deemed the orthodox doctrines than they were ready to imagine; and he had an undoubted right to be believed, when he declared, as he has done in the letter before cited, "On the whole, I know affuredly, that I have not on any occafion belied the real fentiments of my heart." The perfons who were moft difpofed to find fault with Dr. Doddridge, with refpect to the point in queftion, were thofe who are entitled the rational Diffenters. They could not easily perfuade themselves that a man of fuch abilities, and general liberality of mind, could entertain very different opinions from their own; and they wished to have him rank more explicitly among them. It cannot be denied, that in one or two inftances they had fome reafon to complain of his timidity: but, at the same time, there were many occafions on which he behaved with a very becoming fortitude. Once, I remember, fome narrowminded people of his congregation gave him no fmall trouble on account of a gentleman, in communion with the church, who was a profeffed Arian, and who other

wife departed from the common ftandard of orthodoxy. This gentleman they wifhed either to be excluded from the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, or to have his attendance upon it prevented. But the Doctor declared, that he would facrifice his place, and even his life, rather than fix any fuch mark of difcouragement upon one, who, whatever his doctrinal fentiments were, appeared to be a real Chriftian. When our author happened to be in company with perfons of rank and fortune, he never suffered the leaft tendency to profanenefs or licentioufnefs to pafs unnoticed; but manifefted his diflike to them, with the freedom of the divine, accompanied with the politenefs of the gentleman. A correfpondent having charged him with unfoundnefs in one of his publications, his only anfwer was, Quod fcripfi, fcrip

"What I have written, I have written."

"How fincerely Dr. Doddridge detefted the want of integrity in character, was difplayed in the following fact. One of his pupils was in the habit of making a jeft of what is called orthodoxy, and of ridiculing those who adhered to it: and this he continued to do, up to the time in which he began to preach. Then, to the no fmall furprife of his intimate acquaintance, it was rumoured, thar in the congregations where he had officiated in the neighbourhood of Northampton, he had appeared highly Calviniftical, and indeed much more fo than almoft any other of his fellow-ftudents. For obvious reafons he declined ever, preaching at Northampton. At length, the affair was brought before the Doctor; and both parts of the charge having been proved by decifive evidence, the young

man

man was difmiffed. Being a perfon of fome fortune, he was not involved by his difgrace in any pecuniary difficulties.

"With that impartiality which is the duty of every biographer, I have mentioned, in the course of my narrative, the inftances wherein it appeared to me that the character of Dr. Doddridge was fhaded with fome degree of imperfection. The fame impartiality obliges me to add, that, at times, he had too oftentatious a manner of speaking concerning the multiplicity of his employments, engagements, and correfpondences; and that he was fonder of applaufe, from every quarter, than was defirable in one who was fo juftly entitled to it, where applaufe was an honour. I have often thought that in certain points he had a refeniblance of Cicero. He refembled him in the love of fame, and in not poffeffing what may be called the fternnefs of fortitude. He refembled him likewife in more eftimable quali ties; in the copiousness, diffufion, and pathos of his eloquence; and in the fenfibilities and tenderness of his mind, especially as difplayed in the lofs of a daughter.

"When all Dr. Doddridge's imperfections are collected together, they will be found to have been very trifling in comparison with his excellencies. One or two more of his virtues I fhall touch upon before I conclude. Few have exceeded him in the exercife of humility, both with relation to God and man. With refpect to God, it was apparent in the deepeft expreffions of concern for the defects of his improvements and his fervices; and with regard to man, it was manifested in his condefcenfion, to the meanest perfons, in his behaviour to his pupils, and in the

patience with which he submitted to the words of reproof. He was even highly thankful to his friends for pointing out to him what they judged to be amifs in his conduct. The language of humility that was used by him, though undoubtedly fincere, was fometimes carried to an excefs. In a letter to Dr. Wood of Norwich, he thus expresses himfelf: "Pity me, and pray for me, as you do, in the midst of fo many hurries. Oh, my poor, poor attempts of fervice! They fhame me continually. My prayers, my fermons, my lectures, my books (in hand), my letters, all daily fhame me." Nothing can vindicate fuch humiliating terms from the charge of affectation but the remembrance that the letter was written under a peculiar depreffion of fpirits, united with that trong fenfe which Dr. Doddridge always entertained of the ardour, zeal, and diligence, with which the duties of life ought to be performed.

"Among the Doctor's other excellencies, I might infift upon the refignation, ferenity, and cheerfulnefs, with which he fubmitted to the diftreffes of the prefent ftate. One of his afflictions, and it was an affliction that called for the exercife of his meeknefs and patience, was the unkind treatment which he fometimes met with from thofe who owed him a far different kind of behaviour. Few men lefs de, ferved to be evil spoken of; but to pafs through the world without reproach is not the lot of the pureft virtue. Some of his pupils were angry with him, and fet themselves to mifreprefent his character, becaufe he would not recommend them to places they wifhed for, but for which he confcientiously judged them to be unqualified. His kind behaviour to them in other refpects

did not compenfate, in their eftimation, for the wound he had given to their felf-opinion. This is a difficulty which has been experienced by others, who, from their fituations among the Diffenters, are supposed to have any influence in recommending to vacant congregations. Dr. Doddridge was even afperfed in the cafe of a guardianship, where he had acted with the utmost probity, friendship, and benevolence. Whatever was the ill ufage to which he was expofed, he fuftained it with mildnefs, and was always ready to manifeft a forgiving temper. Nothing could be farther from his character than a refentful difpofition.

"Upon the whole, Dr. Doddridge was not only a great man, but one of the most excellent and ufeful Chriftians, and Chriftian minifters, that ever exifted. The impreffion of his numerous and amiable virtues will not be effaced from my mind fo long as it retains any fenfe of feeling or reflection. So far will be the impreffion from being loft upon me, that I fhall always cherith it with the utmost ardour; and I efteem it as no fmall felicity of my life, that I have been preserved to give this teftimony of duty, gratitude, and affection, to the memory of my benefactor, my tutor, my friend, and my father.'

"

OHN Whitehurft, whofe phi

"JOH lofophical and mechanical

researches have met with fuch univerfal attention, was born at Congleton in Cheshire, April 10, 1713: his father was John Whitehurst, clock and watch-maker, in that

town.

"Of the early part of his life little is known; he who dies at a very advanced age, leaving few behind him to communicate anecdotes of his youth. On his quit ting school, where the education he received was certainly very defective, he was bred up by his father to his own profeffion, in which, as in other mechanical and fcientific purfuits, he foon gave intimations

of future eminence.

"It was very early in life, as he himself tells us, that from his vicinity to the many ftupendous phenomena in Derbyshire, which

were conftantly prefented to his obfervation, his attention was excited to inquire into the various caufes of them. His father, who was a man of an inquifitive turn, encouraged him in every thing that tended to enlarge the fphere of his knowledge, and occafionally accompanied him in his fubterrane-ous researches.

"At about the age of twentyone, his eagerness after new ideas carried him to Dublin, having heard of an ingenious piece of mechanifm in that city, confifting of a clock with certain curious appendages, which he was extremely defirous of feeing, and no less fo of converfing with the maker. On his arrival, however, he could neither procure a fight of the former, nor draw the leaft hint from the latter concerning it. Thus difappointed, he thought of an expe