or a Burn. It should also be remembered that Whichcote, and other episcopal clergymen, preached without notes, though not without study; which certainly is no disparagement of any one, but more worthy a christian minister than the mere reading a sermon like a school-boy: a custom which in many foreign churches, both popish and protestant, would not be tolerated. Many discourses taken in shorthand, after both Presbyterians and Episcopalians of that period, have long since been printed; and those of the former * will bear a comparison with those of the latter. As to the length of their sermons, and the number of divisions in them, the Dr. himself acknowledges this was a fault common to both parties. If the use of an Hour-glass was a crime, it was not peculiar to the puritanical clergy; and it was used in many country churches long afterwards.

This learned writer's closing reflection deserves peculiar animadversion.-" Those twelve years of usurpation, says he, so far as one can judge "from the printed discourses of those times, did not

produce one rational preacher." If he uses the term rational in that irrational sense in which some have used it, the truth of the assertion will be admitted; but this can hardly be supposed, from the complexion of the discourses which he has republished. If by a rational preacher he means a solid, judicious preacher, his impartial readers will think, either that party-zeal has perverted his judgment, or that he has never seen the principal of the printed sermons of these authors.-The censure indeed extends farther than the writer meant it should. Does not Dr. Burn know, that many of the preachers, and some who were even promoted, in the time of

ever to be added here, that the variance which this affair occasioned between Dr. Enfield and the Editor, had subsided long before that respectable gentleman's lamented death; and the circumstance would not now have been mentioned, had it not been to shew what caution should be exercised in relying upon the decisions of Reviewers.

See particularly Howe's Sermons published by Evans and Fletcher.

the

the usurpation, were such as afterwards made a distinguished figure in the church of England, and were among those who (as he expresses it) "laid a foundation for a glorious superstructure in the succeeding period?" viz. such men as Reynolds, Wilkins, Lightfoot, Cudworth, Wallis, Tillotson, &c. Will he not allow these to have been rational preachers? The discourses of some of these very men appear in his own Miscellany-or will he say they became rational after the usurpation ceased? But the blow was aimed at the Presbyterians and Independents. And will this writer seriously maintain, that there was not ONE rational preacher among these? Did he never hear of a Bates or a Howe? Their works have been esteemed by "dignitaries of the church of England," as both rational and learned. And it is well known that they, with several others of their brethren, (after "the twelve years of usurpation,") had the offer of high preferment in the established church. Their being so conscientious as to refuse it, is surely no proof that they were unlearned or irrational. Dr. Burn differs very widely in opinion from some of those very clergymen whose works he has reprinted, who expressed a high idea of the abilities, as well as the piety of these men, and whose own strain of preaching much resembled theirs. Had the Dr. fairly read, as he professes to have done," the printed discourses of those times," he had spared his illiberal reflections. It would be no difficult matter to select four volumes of discourses from the writings of the Nonconformists, which should discover as many marks of learning and rationality, as those contained in his miscellaneous collection.§

Dr.

§ It is readily confessed, that there were many preachers and writers greatly inferior to those referred to above; and doubtless some miserable trash may be found among the publications of those times, which Dr. Burn may probably have met with. But is it equitable to form an estimate of all the rest from these specimens? May not some equally contemptible performances be picked up among the writers on his own side?

Dr. Calamy's Account of the ejected ministers has ever been justly held in very high esteem by Protestant Dissenters; and Dissenting Ministers are particularly interested in it. As it has been many years out of print, and few comparatively are possessed of this rich treasure, a new edition of it was much wanted. As the work is large, consisting of four thick octavo volumes, it has been thought expedient to bring it into a smaller compass, by omitting some things which are the least interesting, to render the circulation of it the more extensive; as well as to insert in their proper places the most important of the Author's subsequent additions to almost every article in the Continuation, which makes two of the volumes.-It may be proper to give the reader some account of the manner in which this design is executed, according to the advice of the judidicious Mr. Job Orton, who first recommended the undertaking. The principal things omitted (besides many redundancies in the language) are, Copies of testimonials respecting the ordination of these ministers, and their induction into livings; the time and circumstances of their taking their several degrees; some of the less curious inscriptions upon their tombs; and some small compositions of theirs, which might properly be printed by themselves; together with the ill-natured reflections and scandalous stories of Wood* and Walkert; and consequently Dr. Cala

my's

Let any one look at the examples produced by Robinson in his Notes upon Claude, from sermons preached by dignitaries and bishops, before Lords and King, both before and after the usurpation, and he will soon be satisfied that Episcopalians themselves have not all been rational preachers.

Mr. Anthony Wood, the author of Athena Oxonienses. The following character of him by Bp. Burnet (in his letter to the Bp. of Litchfield and Coventry, p. 9;) will be thought a sufficient answer to all that he hath written against these good men or any other. "That poor writer "has thrown together such a tumultuary mixture of stuff and tattle, "and has been so visibly a tool of some of the church of Rome, to re"proach all the greatest men of our church, that no man who takes care of his own reputation, will take any thing upon trust that is said by one who has no reputation to lose.

+ Mr. John Walker (afterwards Dr.) wrote An Attempt to recover an

account

ques

my's refutation of them; unless the things in tion appeared to be of importance; in which case a general account of the matter is retained, with a reference to the original work. Such historical facts also are left out of the memoirs, as are related in the Introductory history of the Times; as likewise some anecdotes respecting particular persons which appeared uninteresting or invidious, together with various minute and trifling circumstances in some of the narratives; as well as those low expressions and uncandid reflections in which the author too frequently indulged.-The lists of Books published by these worthies are retained, and several additions made to them. But the Titles of them are generally abridged. In a word, the editor has aimed to make the work as concise as possible, while he has been careful to retain every thing of importance, particularly what appeared most useful in a practical view.

The INTRODUCTION to this work is a concise abstract of the 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, and 14th chapters of Dr. Calamy's first volume, which is an Abridgment of Mr. Baxter's Life, relating to the Times in which the ejected ministers lived, from the rise of the Civil War to the Revolution, intended to give such readers as are unacquainted with history, account of the number and sufferings of the clergy, by way of answer to Dr. Calamy. The Dr. in his Continuation, detects him in such a number of scandalous falsehoods as plainly shew that, where the characters of Nonconformists are concerned, he is not to be depended upon. A general Reply to his furious, but weak attempt, may be seen at the end of Calamy's 4th vol. intitled, The Church and the Dissenters compared as to Persecution. See also Neal's History of the Puritans, vol. ii. p. 17, &c. 4to edit. A proposal has lately been made to republish Dr. Walker's Attempt, as an antidote against the effects of the Noncon. Mem. The editor has no objection to a fair account of the lives of good men, of any description, who have suffered for conscience sake; nor is he unwilling to see persecution in any party exposed; but apprehends that such a voluminous ill-written book as this of Walker will meet with no greater encouragement now, than it did from sensible churchmen on its first publication. The author proposed a second part, which was never called for, and this folio volume commonly sells for 5s.-If, however, it should be reprinted, Dr. Calamy's and Mr. Neal's remarks upon it ought tobe republished also.

*Such, for example as those which are found vol. ii. p, 242, 273. vol. iii. p. 423.

a just

a just idea of their true situation. It also contains the substance of the 10th chapter, on the Grounds of their Nonconformity; without any part of the Dr.'s defence of these in his Notes to the 2d edit. in answer to the exceptions of Hoadley and Olyffe. What relates to Mr. Baxter himself will be found under his name in Worcestershire. The Historical additions after the Revolution are here entirely omitted. They would afford good materials for any one who may undertake to bring down the history of the Dissenters to the present time: a work much to be desired.

But the present publication is not merely an abridgment; some liberties are taken with respect to the composition, which may well be supposed needful, when it is considered, that the accounts of the ministers were drawn up by many different hands, and evidently inserted much as the author received them. His additions in the two last volumes could not with propriety be often subjoined to the first account, but it was found necessary to transpose sentences, and incorporate them with the former narrative. A great number of mistakes also are corrected with regard to the names and situation of places, and other minute circumstances, together with some of importance to the characters of persons.-Additions are likewise made to many original articles, from lives, funeral sermons, and other publications. Several accounts are entirely new written, with much enlargement. Dr. Calamy having but briefly mentioned some considerable persons whose lives had been published, particularly Independents, e. g. such as Dr. Owen and Dr. Goodwin, &c. referring the reader to these lives, the editor has procured such as he could, and extracted the substance of

+ Those who are desirous of a more thorough acquaintance with this part of English history, are referred to Mr. NEALE's History of the Puritans, of which a new edition in octavo was lately published by Dr. Toulmin, who has added some valuable Notes.-A more concise History of Nonconformity, in one vol. 12mo, has been printed by Mr. Cornish, which is recommended to young persons, and others who have not time to read the former.-Printed for Conder.

them.