But the presbyterians were now in great difficulties. 1661. They had many meetings, and much disputing about conformity. Reynolds accepted of the bishopric of Norwich. But Calamy and Baxter refused the sees of Litchfield and Hereford. And about two thousand of them fell under the parliamentary deprivation, as they gave out. The numbers have been much controverted. This raised a grievous outcry over the nation; though it was less considered at that time, than it would have been at any other. Baxter told me, that had the terms of the king's declaration been stood to, he did not believe that above three hundred of these would have been so deprived. Some few, and but few, of the episcopal party were troubled at this severity, or apprehensive of the very ill effects it was like to have. Here were many men, much valued, some on better grounds, and others on worse, who were now cast out ignominiously, reduced to great poverty, provoked by much spiteful usage, and cast upon those popular practices that both their principles and their circumstances seemed to justify, of forming separate congregations, and of diverting men from the public worship, and from considering their successors as the lawful pastors of those churches in which they had served. The blame of all this fell heaviest on Sheldon. The earl of Clarendon was charged with his having entertained the presbyterians with hopes and good words, while he was all the while carrying on, or at least giving way to the bishops' project. When the convocation had gone through the book of common prayer, it was in the next place proposed, that, according to a clause in the king's licence, they should consider the canons of the church. 186 fines then 1661. They had it then in their power to have reformed many abuses, and particularly to have provided an effectual remedy to the root of all those, which arise from the poor maintenance that is reserved to the incumbents. Almost all the leases of the church estates over England were fallen in, there having been no renewal for twenty years. The leases for years were determined: and the wars had carried off so many men, that most of the leases for lives were fallen into the incumbents' hands. So that the church estates were in them: and the fines raised by the renewing the leases rose to about a million and a half. It was an unreasonable thing to let those who were now promoted carry off so great a The great treasure. If the half had been applied to the buyraised on ing of tithes or glebes for small vicarages, here a foundation had been laid down for a great and effectual reformation t. In some sees forty or fifty thousand pound was raised, and applied to the enriching the bishops' families. Something was done to churches and colleges, in particular to St. Paul's in London: and a noble collection was made for redeeming all the English slaves that were in any part of Barbary. But this fell far short of what might have been expected. In this the lord Clarendon was heavily charged, as having shown that he was more the bishops' friend than the church's. It is true, the law made those fines belong to the incumbents. But such an extraordinary occasion deserved that a law should have been made on purpose. What the bishops did with those great fines was a pattern to all the lower dignitaries, who gene the church estates ill applied. t He judges here right, in my opinion. S. rally took more care of themselves than of the 1661. church. The men of merit and service were loaded with many livings and many dignities. With this great accession of wealth there broke in upon the church a great deal of luxury and high living, on the pretence of hospitality"; while others made purchases, and left great estates, most of which we have seen melt awayx. And with this overset of wealth and pomp, that came on men in the decline of their parts and age, they, who were now growing into old age, became lazy and negligent in all the true concerns of the church: they left preaching and writing to others, while they gave themselves up to ease and sloth. In all which sad representation, some few exceptions are to be made; but so few, that, if a new set of men had not appeared of another stamp, the church had quite lost her esteem over the nation. called rians. These were generally of Cambridge, formed under Divines some divines, the chief of whom were Drs. Whitch-latitudinacot, Cudworth, Wilkins, More, and Worthington. Whitchcot was a man of a rare temper, very mild and obliging. He had great credit with some that 187 had been eminent in the late times; but made all the use he could of it to protect good men of all persuasions. He was much for liberty of conscience: and being disgusted with the dry systematical way of those times, he studied to raise those who conversed with him to a nobler set of thoughts, and to S. " Uncharitable aggravation. the successors of the Caroline x A base innuendo. S. y (To omit the mention of several of the old clergy, distinguished by their erudition as well as their loyalty, who among bishops equalled in munificence 1661. consider religion as a seed of a deiform nature, (to use one of his own phrases.) In order to this, he set young students much on reading the ancient philosophers, chiefly Plato, Tully, and Plotin, and on considering the Christian religion as a doctrine sent from God, both to elevate and sweeten human nature, in which he was a great example, as well as a wise and kind instructor. Cudworth carried this on with a great strength of genius and a vast compass of learning. He was a man of great conduct and prudence upon which his enemies did very falsely accuse him of craft and dissimulation. Wilkins was of Oxford, but removed to Cambridge. His first rise was in the elector palatine's family, when he was in England. Afterwards he married Cromwell's sister; but made no other use of that alliance, but to do good offices, and to cover the university from the sourness of Owen and Goodwin. At Cambridge he joined with those who studied to propagate better thoughts, to take men off from being in parties, or from narrow notions, from superstitious conceits, and a fierceness about opinions. He was also a great observer and a promoter of experimental philosophy, which was then a new thing, and much looked after. He was naturally ambitious, but was the wisest clergyman I ever knew. He was a lover of mankind, and had a delight in doing good. More was an open hearted and sincere Christian philosopher, who studied to establish men in the great principles of religion against atheism, that was then beginning to gain ground, chiefly by reason of the hypocrisy of some, and the fantastical conceits of the more sincere enthusiasts. Hobbs's Hobbs, who had long followed the court, and Leviathan. passed there for a mathematical man, though he 1661. really knew little that way, being disgusted by the court, came into England in Cromwell's time, and published a very wicked book, with a very strange title, The Leviathan. His main principles were, that all men acted under an absolute necessity, in which he seemed protected by the then received doctrine of absolute decrees. He seemed to think that the universe was God, and that souls were material; thought being only subtil and imperceptible motion. He thought interest and fear were the chief principles of society: and he put all morality in the following that which was our own private will or advantage. He thought religion had no other foundation than the laws of the land. And 188 he put all the law in the will of the prince, or of the people for he writ his book at first in favour of absolute monarchy, but turned it afterwards to gratify the republican party. These were his true principles, though he had disguised them, for deceiving unwary readers. And this set of notions came to spread much. The novelty and boldness of them set many on reading them. The impiety of them was acceptable to men of corrupt minds, which were but too much prepared to receive them by the extravagancies of the late times. So this set of men at Cambridge studied to assert and examine the principles of religion and morality on clear grounds, and in a philosophical method. In this More led the way to many that came after him. Worthington was a man of eminent piety and great humility, and practised a most sublime way of self-denial and devotion. All these, and those who were formed under them, studied to examine farther into the na |