Six north country diaries - The MAN & Other Families

77
which book he was forced to recant. Uncle says Dr. Sanderson^"*
kept his livinj; all the troublesome times—he had a prodigious
memory, but could not preach without his notes—Dr. Hammond^i
once took his notes from him, but he made such work that the doctor
promised he would never do so again—it was liis extream modesty,
etc.
1717. Sept. 3rd. The Jews used to chuse one commandment out
of the Ten, and thought the strict observance of that would atone for
the breach of the rest—they observed nothing but the literal sense
of the commandments, so that to lust after a woman, to pray for our
enemies, was called a new commandment—so much had they corrupted
the law, when our Saviour came.
1717. Sept. 4th. The Pharisees were those men that stuck to
tradition. Antinomians are for no obedience but what arises out of
gratitude, founded upmi sucli texts, We are not under the law, but
'
grace,' etc.
1717. Sept. oth. Tlie Union occasioned by the Security-bill
which hindered the English from wearing arms, which they desired
because the Scotch did^^—Protagoras burnt in the streets with his
books publickly for denying a God.
1717. Sept. 6th. Sir Francis Child^^ said a competency satisfied
a man, but incompetency is what a man has not, etc. The moral of
the fable of Phaeton is to show what would become of the world, if
there were not a God, and it were left to men, etc.
1717. Sept. 7th. A philosopher aboard a ship in a great storm,
seeing a wicked man pray, said for God's sake man give over, least
'
God, observing that thou art here, should drown us all for thy sake.'
Uncle said he could make 12,000/. of his and father's estate (which
they intend me) in Blencogo,^^ and yet it will not yield much above
300/. per annum. Sell it of by parcels at 25 years purchase. He
says Car-row (which is but now 78/. per annum) might be improved
to 300/. almost—he would had my father come to live there and then
he would have bought 120/. per annum of one Armstrong—now to
be sold.
1717. Sept. 8th. He would have me sell it all—if I can gett a
living here abouts and a great fortune and buy about 500/. year
" The life of Robert Sanderson, D.D. (1587-1663), bishop of Lincoln, by Izaak
Walton, was published in 1878.
(jraphy.
"*' Henry Hammond, D.D. (1605-1660). C/. Dictionary of Xational Bio-
*'
The Act of Union between England and Scotland was accomplished in
1707.
"Sir Francis Child, tiie elder (1642-1713), was Lord Mayor of London,
and founder of Child's iJaiik.
" Blencogo in the jiarisii of Uromfield, near Wigton in Cumberland, where
William Tiiomlinson, tlie fatlier of tlie diarist, had projierty and where lie
resided. Armstrong's projjerty, adjoining Carraw, was pi obably Housesteads.