flying Story to the Prejudice of thofe, whom I had apparent Reason, from what I knew of them, to esteem. I am ready to hope and believe the best of 'thofe, who seem to have the Cause of Religion fo • much at Heart. But I am very far from justifying ⚫ them in all the Steps they have taken, or approving all the Lengths they run; and with their Ana• themas and uncharitable Cenfures I am greatly dif'pleased. I fee some of them running into Extravagancies, which grieve me to the Heart: And if any will be fo unjust as to impute these Things to me, because I dare not join in reviling, censuring and judging them, as fome do, amidst their acknowledged Infirmities and Miftakes, I must wait quietly till the Day of the Lord: and I humbly hope that He will, in the mean Time, appear to fupport my Character, as far as his Glory and the • Good of Souls is concerned in it; and further than that, I am not anxiously concerned about it.' By acting in this tender, candid Manner, he might, perhaps, commend and encourage fome, who appeared to be zealous for the Salvation of Souls, before he had fufficient Opportunities of knowing what their Principles and Views were; or the Accounts he had received of the Succefs of their Labours might be exaggerated; or they might reprefent him, as encouraging them more than he did. He might alfo think fome of their Errors of much lefs Confequence, than his Brethren did. But thefe are often the Weakneffes of the beft Minds; and, as a good Judge of human Nature fays, Ut quisque ejl Vir optimus, ita difficillimè eje alios improbos Juf

picatur *. The better a Man himself is, the less will he be inclined to fufpect others of bad De

• figns.'

Cic. Ep. ad Q. Fratr.

SECT. III.

His Catholicifm, Moderation and friendly Behaviour to Perfons of different Sentiments and Perfuafions.

D

R. Doddridge had diligently ftudied the Gospel, and had just Ideas of the Extent and Importance of chriftian Liberty. He had impartially ́examined the Controverfy between the established Church of England, and the Proteftant Diffenters, and thought it his Duty to adhere to the latter. He thus wrote to one of his Fellow-ftudents on this Subject; ' I' am now more fully ftudying the Business of Conformity; and for that Purpose am reading the Controverfy between Bishop Hoadley and Dr. Calamy; as indeed I think it neceffary to examine into the Affair, before I determine upon being ordained among the Diffenters. Upon the whole, I muft fay, that, as nothing hath had a greater Tendency to 'confirm my Belief of Christianity than the most celebrated Writings of Jews and Deifts; and my 'adhering to the Proteftant Caufe than the Apologies of many of the Roman Catholics; fo the Study

6

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of the best Defenders of the Church of England, ⚫ which I have yet feen, hath added a great Deal of Weight to my former Perfuafion, not only of the Lawfulness but Expediency of a Separation from it. Yet when I fee how many plaufible Arguments may be advanced on the contrary Side, I am not inclinable to cenfure thofe, who yield to the Force ' of them.' His generous Heart never confined Truth and Goodness to one particular Sect, nor in any other Refpect appeared bigotted to that, or uncharitable to thofe, who differed from him. The Principles on which he acted will be feen by the following Extracts from his Writings. • I look upon the diffenting Intereft, faith he, to be the Caufe of Truth, Honour and Liberty; and I will add, in a great Measure, the Cause of serious Piety too. It was not merely a generous Senfe of Liberty (which may warm the. Breaft of a Deift, or an Atheist) but a religious Reverence for the divine Authority, 'which animated our pious Forefathers to fo refolute and fo expenfive an Oppofition to the Attempts, which were made in their Days to invade the Rights of Confcience, and the Throne of GOD, its only Sovereign. And if the Caufe be not still • maintained on the fame Principles, I think it will hardly be worth our while to be much concerned about maintaining it at all*. In his Dedication of a Sermon to the pious Mr. Hervey, he thus expreffeth himself; You being, I doubt not, perfuaded in your own Mind, that Diocesan Epifcopacy is of divine Original, and that the Church hath Power to decree Rites or Ceremonies and Authority in • Con

*Free Thoughts, in Tracts, &c. Vol. II. p. 266.

Controverfies of Faith, have folemnly declared that Belief; and, in Confequence of it, have obliged yourself to render canonical Obedience to those, • whom you thereby acknowledge as governing you by an Authority delegated from Chrift; that thus you may be fubject to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's Sake, and thereby approve your Submiffion to him. I have declined that Subjection; not from any Difrefpect to the Perfons of the established ecclefiaftical Governors (many of whom I hold in the highest Efteem and number among the most distinguished Ornaments of our common Chriftianity) and leaft of all from an Unwillingness to yield Subjection, where I apprehend Chrift to have appointed it; for, fo far as I know my own Heart, it would be my greatest Joy to bow, with all Humility, to any Authority delegated from him: But I will freely tell you and the World, my Nonconformity is founded on this, that I affuredly believe the contrary, to what the Constitution of the Church of England requires me to declare, on the above• mentioned Heads and fome others, to be the Truth. And I esteem it much more eligible to remain under an Incapacity of fharing its Honours and Re· venues, than to open my Way to a Poffibility of obtaining them, by what would, in me, while I have fuch an Apprehenfion, be undoubtedly an Act of Prevarication, Hypocrify and Falfhood; reverencing herein the Authority of GoD, and re'membering the Account I muft fhortly give in his Prefence.'- -Yet he behaved with the utmost Candour to the Members of the established Church. I would be far, faith he, from confining all true

• Re

C

Religion to the Members of our own Congregations. I am very well aware, that there are a Multi'tude of excellent Perfons in the Establishment, both ́ among the Clergy and Laity, who, in their different Stations, are burning and shining Lights; fuch as reflect a Glory on the human Nature and the christian Profeffion.' He always spoke of the established Religion of our Country with Respect. In explaining thofe Texts of Scripture in his Familyexpofitor, in which he could not avoid fhewing his Sentiments in fome Points of Difcipline, different from those which generally prevail, he confcientiously abftained from all Reproaches; 'to which indeed, faith he, I am on no Occafion inclined, and which I fhould esteem peculiarly indecent, where the religious Eftablishment of my Country is in Question; and above all, where a Body of Men would be affected, many of whom have been, and are, among the ableft Advocates and brightest Ornaments of Chriftianity. I have been alfo careful to adjust my Expreffions with as much Tenderness and Respect, as Integrity and that Reverence, which an honeft Man would owe to the Judgment of his own Confcience, were it more fingular than mine, would admit *.He never made any petulant Objections against the Worship or Difcipline of the Church of England, nor uttered any fevere or unkind Reflections upon it. Indeed he very feldom mentioned the Grounds of the Difference between it and the Difenters in the Pulpit; and when his Subject naturally led him to it, he took Occafion to shew, how Jmall the Things in debate were, compared with

* Expofitor: Vol. III. Pref. p. iz.

thofe