Is made Chaplain at the he was recommended by the Lord Holles to the friendship of Sir Harbottle Grimfton, Mafter of the Rolls, by whom he was appointed preacher to the Chapel there; and though the Court fent firft a Bishop, and then Mr. Secretary Williamfon, to perfuade Sir Harbottle to difmifs him, as one highly unacceptable to the King, yet he perfifted in the nomination he had made. By this means, our author obtained a fettlement in London, in which he continued above nine years; he was foon Rol's, and after chofen a Lecturer at St. Clement's, and grew Lecturer to be one of the moft followed Preachers in town. His Sermons had not in them the ftudied phrases or the rounded periods, which were then too much in vogue; but there was a force in his reafoning, a warmth in his expreffion, and a dignity in his manner, joined to a gracefulness in his perfon, which commanded attention; and as the heart always fpoke in him, fo it feldom failed of fpeaking to the hearts of his audience. at St. Clements. Writes the the Refor mation. As the apprehenfions of Popery grew daily Hiftory of stronger, the most eminent Divines of the Church, of England fignalized themfelves in the Romifh Controverfy: Nothing of that kind was more taken notice of, than the Account our author printed in the year 1676, of a Conference, which himself and Dr. Stillingfleet were engaged in with Coleman and the principal of the Romish Priefts: This made him confidered, as one who flood in the very front of the Oppofition to Popery. His reputation, upon that account, was foon after raised to the higheft pitch, by that great performance, The Hiftory of the Reformation; in which, as he took a method wholly new, fo was it univerfally applauded. The firft volume lay near a year, after it was finifhed, for the perufal and correction of friends; fo that it was not publifhed till the year 1679, when the affair of the Popish Plot was in agitation. This Book This Book procured our author an Honcur, never before or fince paid to any writer; he had the Thanks of both Houses of Parliament, with a Defire that he would profecute his undertaking and compleat that valuable Work. Accordingly, in lefs than two years after, he printed the fecond volume, which met with the fame general approbation, as the first and fuch was his readiness in compofing, that he wrote the historical part, in the compafs of fix weeks, after all his materials were laid in order. As our author, though he had at this time no His conParochial Cure, refufed not his attendance to any verfion of fick perfon, who defired it; he was fent for, amongst Wilmot others, to one, who had been engag'd in a criminal Rochester amour with Wilmot Earl of Rochefter: The manner he treated her in, during her illness, gave that Lord a great curiofity of being acquainted with him: Whereupon, for a whole winter, in a Converfation of at least one evening in a week, he went over all thofe Topicks with him, upon which Scepticks and Men of loofe Morals are wont to attack the Chriftian Religion. The effect this had, first in convincing that Earl's judgment, and afterwards in making him a fincere penitent, is fo fully related in the account of it pubifhed in 1681, that it will be needlefs to add any thing here upon that Subject *. During The Editor here fubjoins a letter from that Lord, before his death; the original of which is in his hands. Woodstock-Park, 25 June, 1630. "My most honoured Dr. Burnet, "My fpirits and body decay fo equally together, that I fhall "write you a letter as weak as I am in perfon. I begin to "value Churchmen above all Men in the world, and you above all the Churchmen I know in it. If God be yet pleased to fpare me longer in this world, I hope in your conversation to "be exalted to that degree of piety, that the world may see, "how much I abhor, what I fo long loved, and how much I glory in repentance, in God's fervice. Beflow your prayers upon me, that God would fpare my life, if it be his good ❝ will, to fhew a true repentance and amendment of life for the "time a 4 Earl of Refufes the Bifhoprick of Chichester. to the During a great part of the time, when the enquiry into the Popish Plot was on foot, our author was frequently fent for by King Charles, and confulted by him as to the ftate of the nation: His Majefty made him an offer of the Bishoprick of Chichester then vacant, provided he would " en"tirely come into his interefts." He answered, "That he did not know what might be meant by "that expreffion; and he was unwilling to fuffer "any one, even to deceive themselves by what he "fhould fay. He knew the Oaths he was to "take on fuch an occafion, these he would re ligiously obferve; and defired to be excufed from any further engagements or general pro"mifes, which were liable to different con"ftructions." But if his free accefs to the King did not procure him that preferment, which very few with the fame opportunities would have mifs'd; it engaged him to write his Majesty fuch a Letter, as may perhaps offend the delicacy of fome, yet in juftice to his memory ought not to be fup-. press'd. "I 29 Jan. 1678. May it please Your MAJESTY +, His letter "Have not prefumed to trouble Your Majesty for fome months, not having any thing "worthy your time to offer; and now I choofe "rather this way, fince the infinite duty I owe you King. "time to come. Or else, if the Lord pleafeth to put an end "to my wordly Being now, that he would mercifully accept of my death-bed Repentance, and perform that promife he hath "been pleased to make, That at what time foever a finner doth repent, he would receive him. Put up thefe prayers, moit dear Doctor, to Almighty God, for 44 "Your most obedient, and The original of this Letter is now in the Editor's hand, wrote by the Bishop, with a memorandum how it was delivered, and when: And how it was received. puts puts me under restraints in difcourfe, which I "cannot fo eafily overcome. What I fhall now fuggeft to your Majefty, I do it as in the pre"fence of Almighty God, to whom I know I "muft give an account of all my actions: I there"fore beg you will be graciously pleased to accept "this most faithful zeal of your poor fubject, who "has no other defign it, than your Good, and the "difcharge of his own confcience. "I muft then firft affure your Majefty, I never "difcovered any thing like a defign of raifing "Rebellion, among all thofe with whom I cOR"verfe; but I shall add, on the other hand, that "moft people grow fullen, and are highly dif "fatisfied with You, and diftruftful of You. Formerly your Minifters, or his Royal High"nefs, bore the blame of things that were un"grateful; but now it falls upon Yourself, and "time, which cures moft other diftempers, en"creases this. Your laft Speech makes many tr think, it will be easy to fetch up petitions from "all parts of England: This is now under con"fultation, and is not yet determined; but I find "fo many inclined to promote them, that as far "as I can judge, it will go that way. If your "Majefty calls a new Parliament, it is believed, "that those who have promoted the Petitions will "be generally elected; for the inferior fort of People are much fet upon them, and make their judgment of men, from their behaviour in that matter. The foberer fort of thofe, who are ill pleafed at your Conduct, reckon that either the "state of your affairs beyond Sea, or of your Exchequer at home, will e'er long neceffitate your meeting your Parliament; and that then things must be rectified: and therefore they ufe "their utmost endeavours to keep all quiet. If your Majesty has a feffion in April, for fup"porting your allies, I find it is refolved by many, "That the money neceffary to maintain your Al 66 : "liances, fhall be put into the hands of the Com"miffioners, to iffue it as they fhall answer to the two Houfes and these will be so chosen, that as it is likely, that the perfons will be very un"acceptable to You, fo they being trufted with "the money, will be as a Council of State, to "controul all your Councils. And as to your 66 Exchequer, I do not find any inclination to "confider your Neceffity, unless many things be "done to put them into another difpofition, than "I can obferve in them. The things that will be "demanded, will not be of fo eafy a digeftion, as "that I can imagine You will ever be brought to "them, or indeed that it will be reafonable or honourable for You to grant them. So that, " in this diforder of affairs, it is eafy to propofe "difficulties, but not so easy to find out that, which may remove them. દ "There is one thing, and indeed the only "thing, in which all honeft men agree, as that "which can eafily extricate You out of all your "troubles; it is not the change of a Minifter, or " of a Council, a new alliance, or a feffion of "Parliament, but it is (and fuffer me, Sir, to fpeak it with a more than ordinary earneftnefs) a change in your own heart, and in your "courfe of life. And now, Sir, if You do not "with indignation throw this paper from You, 66 permit me (with all the humility of a fubject "proftrate at your feet) to tell You, That all the "diftruft your people have of You, all the ne"ceflities You now are under, all the indignation " of Heaven, that is upon You, and appears in "the defeating all your Councils, flow from this, "That You have not feared nor ferved God, but "have given yourself up to fo many finful pleasures. "Your Majefty may perhaps justly think, that 66 many of thofe that oppofe You have no regard "for Religion, but the Body of your people con"fider it more than you can imagine. I do not "defire |