Magazine of Magazines

4 ^ M A G A ^ t ^ l r. MAGA^IN 1HS,
He had a great compafs in learning.
What he knew, he had So perfectly
digested, that he was truly matter oS it,
But the largeness as his genius, and
the correctness of his judgment, earned
him much farther than the leisure
that he had enjoy 'd for study seemed
to enable him to go ; for he could proceed
great lengths upon general hints,
He always endeavoured to maintain
the cheiltian doctrine in its original
purity. Even in bis younger years,
when he had a great liveliness of thoutht
and extent of imagination, he avoided
the disturbing of the peace of the
cDurch with particular opinions, or an
angry opposition about more indifferent
or doubtsul matters. He lived indeed
in great friendship with men, who
differed from him. He thought that
the Surest way to bring them off from
their mistakes, was by gaining upon
their hearts and astections. And in an
a^.e of such remarkable dissoluteness,
as that in which he lived, be judged
that the hest method to pot a Stop to
the growing impiety. was firSt to establish
the principles of natural religion,
and srom that to advance to the proof
of Christianity and of the Scripture,
which being once solidly done would soon
settle all other things. He was theresore
in great doubt, whether the Surest
means to persuade the world to the
belief of the Sublime truths, that are
contained in the Scriptures, concerning
God the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost, and concerning the person
oS Christ, was to enter much into the
discussing of those mysteries. He
Seared, that an indiscreet insisting and
deScanting upon those points might do
more butt than good ; and thought
that the maintaining those doctrines, as
they are proposed in the Scriptures,
without entering too muth into explanations
or controversies, would he the
most effectual way to preserve the reverence
that was due to them, and to
fix them, in men's belief. But when
he was desired by Some, and provoked
by others, and Saw just occasions
moving him to it, he asserted those
great mySteries with that strength and
clearness, which was his peculiar
talent.
He thought, that the less men's confciences
were entangled, and the lets the
communion of the church was clog^'d
with disputable opinions or practices,
the world would be the happier, confciences
the freer, and the churcb the
quieter. The Scriptures were the rule
of his faith, and the chief Subject of
all his meditations. He judged, .that
the great design of Christianity was the
reforming men's natures, and governing
their actions, the restraining their
appetites and passions, the soitening
their tempers and fweetening their humours,
and the raising their minds ab
rve the interests and Sollies as this pre-
Sent world to the hopa and pursuit of
endlcls bleSSedness; and he considered
the whole christian doctrine as a lystern
oS principles all tending to this. Ile
looked on men's contending about lesser
matters, or about Subtilties relating tu
these, that are greater, as one oi the
chieS practices oS the powers of daiknefs,
to defeat the true ends for which
the Son of Gnd came into the world ;
and that they led men into much dry
and angry work, who, while they were
hot in the making parties, and settling
opinions, became So much the flacker
in those great duties, which were chiefly
designed by the christian doctrine.
The moderation both of his temper
and principles very early occasioned
him, as well as Mr. Chi^inworfh, and
others of the best and greatest men of
their times, to be rankld amongst thoSe
divines who were stigmatized with the
name oS Latitudinarians, by persons os
very opposite characters. In vindication
as them from the uSual reproached
annexed to that title, an anonymous
author had published at Loudon, in 4^'
as early as June i 662, A brief aotued
of the new sett of Latitndemen ; together
with fome reactions upon the newphi^P'
pby.' By S P. of Cambridge, is art'
see'er to a letter from his seirnd at Sdtford.
And he was seconded by the
pio'as and rational Mr. Edward