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ing for the church of England with my assistant Mr William Chamberlaine till his majesty's happy restoration.

"In the year 1660 his gracious majesty being returned, I was made his majesty's chaplain, doctor of divinity at 5 Cambridge and prebend of Christ's Church in Canterbury. In the same year 1660 ending, I was about Christmas time inducted into two parsonages, Stoke Bruerne in Northamptonshire by the presentation of the lord Hatton and Cotesmore in Rutlandshire by the presentation of Sir 10 Edward Heath.

"In the year of our Lord 1661 I was made by his majesty's command master of Benet college in Cambridge and the lady Margaret professor, and within a quarter of a year after about the commencement time chosen by 15 the university regius professor of divinity, and by an unanimous consent of the fellows of St John's college, master of St John's college.

"In the year of our Lord 1669 on the day of king Charles the First's martyrdom I was by his gracious ma- 20 jesty Charles the Second nominated and March the 6th consecrated by eight' [bishops] bishop of Chichester, and resigned up freely the mastership of St John's, only retaining by his majesty's gracious favour my regius professor's place in divinity at Cambridge' for four years 25 coming, if it please God I should live so long, which time his majesty by his special favour had granted me for the paying of my first fruits."

The account reaches no further, being taken, as is implied, when he was made bishop of Chichester. He 30 was afterwards removed to Ely an. 1674-5. What he says of his resignation is true, he did resign the mastership freely March 25, 1670, and yet not without an eye to his worthy successor, whose interest being secured,

1 [Gunning was consecrated at Lambeth Mar. 6, 169, by eight bishops. Stubbs, Registr. Sacr. Anglic. Oxf. 1858, p. 102.]

He held the place of regius professor four years after he was bishop.

His resignation is dated Mar. 26,
1674. Dr Beaumont was admitted
by virtue of the king's mandate
(dated Jun. 20, 1670). V. Vol. XXV.
MS. p. 303-4.
3 Regr. coll.

he more freely resigned. His government was generally good, regular himself and expecting it from others, strict in discipline and awful in his looks as well as his conduct; and yet as good men have their failings, so he was 5 not without some imperfection, especially in elections, that were not always the best. I have heard one of his fellows, that could neither write Latin nor pronounce it and was not over reputable in his life and morals, who continued a scab upon the society (as such 10 vermin usually do) till he was taken off late to a college living, where he died a sordid miser in the utmost contempt and execration of his people.

And yet this good master, who could consent to such a choice, being probably blinded with a mistaken zeal and 15 too much concern for a loyal family, when a case was proposed to him wherein the interest of the church was more directly concerned, refused his consent, though he was pressed thereto by a much greater man and the king himself solicited the affair by his letters under seal and 20 offered such an expedient as might have satisfied most other men that would have had less regard for the church's interest, for the which this good man would most undoubtedly have died a martyr: though there was no need of it in this case, being of another nature and the 25 thing being dropt upon his representation of the inconveniences and hurt that might attend it.

It is pity he did not live some few years longer, that he might have been brought upon a further trial of his constancy, for I can have no doubt but he would have 30 acquitted himself like a primitive prelate, like his successor at Ely and others that had been taught by him, and that he would have acted up to those principles that he had so long, so openly and so undauntedly professed. But it pleased God to remove him from the evil day, and 35 not to suffer his righteous soul to be grieved and exercised with such trials as he might have resisted, but could not have overcome. He died July 6th, 1684, as much beloved, as justly admired, reverenced and deservedly lamented, as ever any bishop was there.

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It were presumption in me to offer at his character,

after it has been done by two of the succeeding masters, the one in Latin, the other in English; to whom I refer much rather than to a certain prelate or Mr Baxter, who have been slurring enough in their account of him. He had been of three several colleges, this was his Benjamin, 5 his most beloved, and accordingly tasted most of his benefactions, so well known that they need not be mentioned. His books alone were a considerable gift', left entire to the library, where they yet and always will bear his name. He has not wrote many of his own, and more 10 is published for him than he intended, a catalogue whereof may be had in Mr Wood, who has claimed him as an Oxford author, with as much reason as he has done several others. The book or treatise entituled Certain Disquisitions etc. against the covenant was digested by him 15 from materials collected by him and others, but he and his assistants, viz. Mr Barwick' and Lacy of St John's, Mr Barrow of Peterhouse, Mr Ward of Sidney and Mr Baldro and Quarles of Pembroke hall, having been then young men, I suspect it was not wrote with the same 20 strength with that at Oxford. It is said to have been printed; I never could see it, though I looked for it very carefully when his books and scattered papers were sent into the library, nor did I ever meet with any one that did. Had it been a perfect work, it would have 25 been more taken notice of and would probably have been reprinted upon the return of the king. The two conferences or disputations were published by his adversaries*; and though I have heard that he used to complain of unfair dealing in the publication, yet he thought not- 30 withstanding the plausible glosses and false colours thrown upon them there was enough to inform and convince an impartial reader on which side the truth lay, and that

1 See more in his last will.

2 MS. Life of Dr Barwick.

3 I am much mistaken if it were not reprinted at Oxford under this title, Certain Disquisitions and Considerations representing to the Conscience the Unlawfulness of the Oath entituled A Solemn League and Cove

nant etc. publish'd by command at Oxford an. 1644. 4to. The preface and postscript (as well as internal arguments) seem to shew it.

4 In an answer to Denne, published the year after the conference 1659. Denn's account is then said to be contradicted by numerous auditors.

being secured, he was the less solicitous to do himself right.

Papers in MSS. he has left in heaps, many of which I have seen, and have perused some of them, and if the rest 5 be like these, I will venture to absolve his trustees that nothing has been published since his death. Had he been as good at methodizing as he was in collecting, we might have had fewer papers and more in print. For this reason he was not the most popular preacher, being 10 too digressive and immethodical; but what was wanting in his method, was made up by his looks, the most graceful and venerable I ever saw: so that though his discourses were generally long, yet to me they were never tedious, and I could cheerfully attend him through all 15 his rambles, having somewhat in them extremely charming and apostolical, either from the gracefulness of his person or the strength and authority wherewith they were delivered. He has often put me in mind of Gislebert the monk of Crowland, who being sent by his convent 20 to preach at Cambridge, though he were' rude of the English tongue (for he was a Frenchman) and was only master of Latin and French, yet he edified extremely and wrought strange compunction in his hearers. But whilst I speak against digressions, I must not digress.

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It has commonly been said, and Mr Wood seems to have believed it, that Mr Tillotson afterwards archbishop of Canterbury succeeded him immediately in his fellowship at Clare hall, upon his ejectment: that is sufficiently confuted by the archbishop's standing, and could not pos30 sibly be, unless we will suppose him to be elected fellow before he was admitted scholar in that house. He did not commence bachelor of arts till the year 16503 at Midsummer (being probably in no very opulent condition), and

1 Rudis in Anglicana lingua, sed expeditus et profundus in Latina et Gallicana sua...... Increduli.....compuncti accurrerunt. Petr. Blesens. p. 114, edit. Oxon.

2 Mr Clarkson was immediate successor to Mr Gunning, May 5,

1645, by warrant from the earl of Manchester.

3 Regr. acad. an. 1650. John Tillotson was admitted pensioner in Clare hall under Mr Clarkson Apr. 28, 1647; admitted fellow circa Nov. 27, 1651.

without that degree he was not qualified to be a fellow. But though he was not his immediate successor at Clare hall, he did immediately succeed him in his prebend of Canterbury not many years after; which could Mr Gunning have foreseen, he would hardly have turned him out 5 of his fellowship1, when he had no longer occasion for it himself. Nor did Mr Tillotson then foresee what heaven had in store for him, when by a good providence being sent forth to seek his fortune, he improved his talent of preaching so well, which he had never exercised at Cambridge, 10 that he became the greatest clergyman in England. Whereas had he kept in, having then no better prospect than to hold his ground, he might probably have sat down contented with such a subsistence, might have gone through college offices till he was senior of his house, and might 15 perhaps at last have died master of Clare hall, if Dr Blithe's better interest would have given him leave. This (with innumerable instances of the like nature) might teach men contentment under the dispensations of providence, at least never to repine or murmur at seeming evils; for no man 20 knows what is good for him, only this is certain, that what God in his providence orders is always the best. And this might teach us never to insult a falling man, for little do we know what shall be next, and how soon he that is now down may rise above us.

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Another great man our bishop was concerned with (Mr Gunning) was Dr Cosin afterwards bishop of Durham, in the way of friendship as may be supposed, though it was not cultivated and conducted in the most courtly manner2. It was Mr Gunning that had put the doctor upon compiling 30 his Scholastic History of the Canon of Scripture, and at his instance and for the service of the church the doctor had been prevailed with to undertake that work; and being finished it was sent over from Paris, and the doctor received the approbation of his friend (as he well deserved) in very lofty 35

1 This I have heard since questioned, and again confirmed from the original instrument and other papers at Clare hall. Mr Tillotson was ejected and Mr Gunning restored

and acted as fellow several months. 2 Dr Cosin's letters, MSS. [printed from Baker's copy in Cosin's Works, iv. 410-450.]

3 MSS. Letters.

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