which the Original-of Liturgy and Epifcopacy is difcuffed, &c. written by Smectymnuus," a word compofed of the initial letters of its authors' names, viz. Stephen Marshal, Edmund Calamy, Thomas Young, Matthew Newcomen, and William Spurftow, all of them men of note and reputation among the non-conformists. Dr. Jofeph Hall, bishop of Exeter, who was mentioned in one of our preceding volumes, was the author of the Humble Remonftrance; and a controverfy of fome length was carried on between him and the Smectymneans. But the worthy and pious prelate was fcarcely equal to a contest with fuch acute and able antagonists, whatever advantage he might have in point of evidence and fact. Though Mr. Calamy was at firft rewarded for his loyalty by being appointed chaplain in ordinary to Charles the Second, he foon experienced the ingratitude which was fo peculiarly the characteristic of that execrable prince, and was ejected from his living, and even committed to prifon, on fome trifling accufation. The learned and pious Baxter was alfo at this period in fome repute among the prefbyte rians; but as his literary labours were chiefly confined to the fucceeding period, we muft referve his character for our next volume.

It is not easy to decide in what clafs to include the juftly celebrated bifhop Wilkins; fo unfettled were his principles, and fo varied his ambition. He was regularly educated and ordained to the church of England; yet, on the breaking out of the civil war, he united with the anti-epifcopal party, and foon after married the fifter of the protector Cromwell. Upon the restoration he again became reconciled to the church, renewed his oath of allegiance; and though he at firft was deprived of fome of his preferments, the lofs was, not long after, compen fated by his being appointed preacher to the honourable fociety of Gray's Inn, rector of St. Lawrence Jury, dean of Rippon, and at length bifhop of Chefter. In juftice to the memory of the bithop, it must be added, that he did not (like fome other converts) confider it his duty to per1796. fecute

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fecute the party he had deferted. He continued the firm friend of the diffenters through the whole of his life, manfully refifted every effort for their perfecution, and laboured to include them in a fcheme of comprehenfion. He was indeed, ftrictly speaking, what is termed a low churchman; and the differences between the low church and the prefbytery might, perhaps, be adjusted without much difficulty, were it not for the anti-chriftian intolerance of the bigots on both fides.

Bishop Wilkins is better known as a philofopher than a divine; yet his work on the Principles and Duties of Natural Religion would entitle him to a confiderable rank among theologians, had he written nothing elfe. His fermons are lefs remarkable for beauty of compofition, than for logical precifion and acutenefs of argument. His Ecclefiaftes, or Difcourfe on the Art of Preaching, was well calculated to reform the vitiated tafte which prevailed in the pulpit in his time, and to prepare for the rational exercife of their functions the candidates for the miniftry. His Effay towards a Real Character and a Philofophical Language is pronounced by a great modern writer to be one of the moft extraordinary combinations of human learning and human ingenuity that ever was produced; and his philofophical works in general fhew at once the correctnefs of the mathematician, and the energy of the man of genius.

Dr. Henry More and Dr. Benjamin Whichcot were alfo among thofe moderate men who confidered them-felves as not prohibited from the ufeful exercife of their functions by a change in the government of the church. The former of thefe divines is ftill to be regarded as one of the moft eminent champions of the free agency of man. He was born of a family who were rigid Calvinifts; yet he informs us, in the preface to his philofophical works," that he could never, in his carlieft youth, be prevailed on to fwallow that hard doctrine concerning fate, or Calviniftic predeftination," even though he was threatened

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threatened with the difcipline of the rod for prefuming to philofophize in fuch matters; and before he finished the ufual course of study at Eton school, he had finally difcarded it, "being firmly perfuaded, young as he was, that fuch tenets were utterly inconfiftent with the juftice and goodnefs of God." Towards the conclufion of his life, Dr. More mingled with his religious and moral fpeculation fome of the vifionary tenets of the latter Platonifts. But if he erred, it was on the fide of virtue, in prefuming that human nature was capable of a more exalted degree of purity than appears to be warranted by experience; and, in carrying the principles of mortification and felf-denial to a degree of afcetic aufterity. With the profeffion of the ftricteft purity and virtue his life correfponded. After the reftoration, he could not be prevailed on to accept of any preferment. Through the intereft of his friends he was appointed to a bithoprick; and, by fome pretence, they allured him as far as Whitehall, in order to undergo the common ceremony of kifling his majesty's hand on his promotion; but the modeft and pious teacher no fooner difcovered the defign than he parted from them, and could not be prevailed on, by any arguments or entreaties, to proceed. Dr. Whichcot was the author of several volumes of fermons, remarkable for condenfation of thought and fentiment, and which received the highest commendation from the noble and learned author of the Characteristics.

Dr. Robert Sanderfon, Dr. John Gregory, and Dr. Jeremy Taylor, were among thofe eminent characters, who, for their attachment to monarchy and the church, experienced all the rigours of perfecution from the pretended advocates of civil and religious libe ty. The moit remarkable works of Dr. Sanderfon were his treatife " De Confcientia" and his "Cafes of Confcience," both written. at the fuggeftion of his patron and friend Charles I. a few days before his death. Dr. Gregory published notes and obfervations on fcripture, with fome tracts on mathematical and philofophical fubjects; and the merit of Jeremy Taylor, as a moral and practical writer, is well

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known to every man who has a relifh for piety, or a heart capable of impreflion from that pathetic eloquence which is formed on the model of the firft teachers of our religion.

The controverfy which the bold and paradoxical fpeculations of Hobbes had excited, was carried on during this period with great vigour. Among the ableft of Mr. Hobbes's opponents was archbishop Bramhall, who was flightly mentioned in this connexion in our laft volume. On the fubject of free agency, he is thought by moft readers to have had the advantage over his acute antagonift; and the late learned and truly candid editor of the Biographia Britannica recommends his writings to the perufal of the modern difputants concerning liberty and neceffity. In detecting the anti-chriftian and anti-focial errors of Mr. Hobbes, archbishop Bramhall was still more fuccefsful in another tract, entitled, "The Catching of Leviathan." The archbishop compofed alfo a number of tracts in defence of the church of England, and againft popery. Mr. Granger characterizes him as one of the most able, learned, and active prelates of the age; and he certainly had great merit in reftoring order and difcipline to the church of Ireland after the restoration.

Dr. Henry More, whom we have already mentioned, was alfo a fuccefsful opponent of Hobbes upon fome topics, as well as Dr. Wallis, of whom we fhall have occacafion to fpeak under a different department of fcience. But the writer who was moft eminent in the fcience of metaphyfics, is the celebrated Dr. Ralph Cudworth..

The true Intellectual Syftem of the Univerfe" has been justly denominated "the greatest and most valuable magazine of learning and argument that ever appeared against atheifin,-a ftorehoufe of ancient literature;" and there is no doubt that many have been indebted to it for an appearance of learning, which they would not have otherwife been able to maintain. In the preface to this great work, the author informs us, that, when he engaged

in it," he intended only a difcourfe concerning liberty and neceffity, or, to fpeak out more plainly, against the fatal neceffity of all actions and events, which, upon whatever ground maintained, will ferve the defign of atheism, and undermine all guilt and blame, all punishments and rewards." The author afterwards confidered that fatalifm was maintained upon three different principles; the firft, fuppofing the material neceflity of all things without a God;" the fecond, "immoral theifm, or religion without any natural justice or morality;" and the third," a depraved fpecies of theifm, which acknowledges a fupreme being," and alfo," natural juftice and morality founded in him;" but which, denying the freedom of human action, confounds our notions of retributive juftice: whereas, he obferves, thefe three things are the foundations or effentials of true religion -1ft, That there is a God, the fupreme ruler and difpofer of all things;-2dly, That this God being effentially good and juft, there is fomething which is immutably good and juft in itself, independent of the arbitrary will of man;-and, 3dly, That we are fo far the masters of our own actions as to be accountable for them. Such was the great plan and outline of the Intellectual Syftem; but the author only completed the first part, which eftablishes the being of a God upon infallible proofs, and overthrows the doctrine of the material neceflity of all things. Thus far the work may be confidered as complete in itfelf; and the learned author represents it as intended not only to prevent the growth of atheism, but to confirm weak and fceptical theifts. An abridgement of the Intellectual System, entitled "A Confutation of the Reafon and Philofophy of Atheism," &c. by Thomas Wife, B. D. was published in 1706.

General literature experienced at leaft as much encouragement during the protectorate of Cromwell, as it does from the majority of kings and ftatefmen. Mr. Hume reprefents Cromwell as a barbarian; but he is no more. deferving of that title, than those are in general whofe

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