the Tenets of Popery, and efpecially its perfecuting Spirit; as he hath fhewn in his Comments on those Paffages of the New Teftament, which refer to this great Apoftacy, and in his much-admired Sermon, on The Abfurdity and Iniquity of Perfecution for Confcience Sake in all its Kinds and Degrees. How he confidered and estimated the Difference between the Churches of England and Rome, will be feen in the following Paffage from one of his Sermons against Popery, (mentioned above p. 62.) fhewing how reasonable and neçeffary the Reformation was, and how justifiable our continued Separation from the Romish Church is. My Brethren, pardon the Freedom of my Speech. I fhould have thought it my Duty to have feparated from the Church of Rome, had the pretended only to determine those Things, which Christ has left indifferent: How much more, when the requires a Compliance with thofe, which he hath expressly for bid? When he has the Infolence to say, "shall not only confine yourself to a prefcribed Form "of Words, but you shall worship in an unknown Tongue: You fhall not only bow at the venerable "Name of our common Lord, but you fhall worship

'

• You

an Image: You fhall not only kneel at the Come "munion, but kneel in Adoration of a Piece of Bread : "You shall not only pronounce, or at least appear "to pronounce, thofe accurfed, who do not believe "what is acknowledged to be incomprehenfible, but "thofe who do not believe what is most contrary to "our Reafon and Senfes.' When thefe are the • Terms of our continued Communion, the Lord judge between us and them! Had nothing but indifferent Things been in Difpute, we should have

I 2

• done

4

< done, as we do by our Brethren of the Church of England, taken our Leave of them with Decency and Refpect: We would have loved them as our Brethren, while we could not have owned them as our Lords. But when they require us to purchase our Peace, by violating our Consciences and endangering our Souls, it is no wonder that we escape as for our Lives: Retiring, not as in the former Cafe, from an inconvenient Lodging, where we are * ftraitened for want of Room, but from a ruinous Houfe, where we are in Danger of being crushed to Pieces; or rather, we retire with Indignation and Horror, as from a Den of Thieves, where we must be either the Affociates or the Sacrifices of their • Wickedness. And to all their Terrors and Threatnings, we oppofe the awful Voice of GOD, Come out of her, my People, that ye be not Partakers of •her Sins, and that ye receive not of her Plagues; for her Sins have reached unto Heaven, and GOD hath remembered her Iniquities.' Revel. xviii. 4, 5.

4

His Benevolence, Affability, public Spirit, and Li

D

berality.

R. Doddridge was very much of the Gentleman, understood the Decorum of Behaviour, and was folicitous to treat others with those Forms of Civility and Complaifance, which are ufual among well-bred

People

People. I know, faith he, that thefe Things are mere Trifles in themselves, but they are the Out'guards of Humanity and Friendship, and effectually prevent many a rude Attack; which, taking its Rife from fome little Circumftance, may neverthelefs be attended with fatal Confequences.' The Wafpifhness of fome learned and good Men, and the Acrimony, with which they treat others, - whom they think their Inferiors in Knowledge and Science, or who differ from them in Sentiments, were very dif agreeable to him. He had contracted nothing of that Morofeness and Distance, which Perfons of great reading, and those who are engaged in a conftant Hurry of Business, are apt to discover in their Converse, especially with their Inferiors. There was nothing uncivil or forbidding in his Behaviour; nothing overbearing or harsh in his Language. He was easy of Access to the poorest, when they came to him about their Afflictions or religious Concerns, and would leave his moft favourite Studies to hear their Complaints, to counfel, comfort and pray with them; he treated them with Tenderness, yet leffened not himself by unbecoming Familiarity. He thought fuch a Deportment peculiarly incumbent on the Ministers of the Gospel and the Inftructors of Youth; out of Regard to their general Character, the Influence of their Example, and from a Concern to lead all with whom they converfed, especially thofe under their Care, to entertain a favourable Opinion of their Humility and Readiness to serve them. In Confequence of fuch an Opinion, they will be more free in their Converfation with them, especially in communicating their spiritual Concerns, than they would be,

if they faw them difficult of Accefs or auftere in their Manner of converfing.His Temper was unfufpicious, mild and fweet; and in his Tongue was the Law of Kindness. This, it must be owned, was fometimes carried to an Excefs; efpecially in younger Life. His Candour led him to think more favourably of fome Perfons than they deferved; particularly those who poffeffed fome fhining Talents or Qualities, especially if they appeared to be active for the Advancement of Religion. At the fame time the Openness of his Temper, and a kind of natural Complaifance, led him to fay civil and obliging Things of their Characters and Views: But in fome Inftances he afterwards faw Reason to alter his Judgment of them, and be upon the Reserve in his Behaviour to them. This produced fome Inconveniences; for a few who did not know him, suspected his Sincerity; and the Perfons in Queftion thought themselves injured, by his declining an Intimacy with them, or a Recommendation of them, from which they expected fome Advantage. While thofe who were moft intimately acquainted with his real Character and the Motives on which he acted, knew him to be incapable of that Diffimulation or Inconfiftency, with which he was charged. I mention this the rather, that it may ferve as a Caution to the good-natured Reader, to restrain the Excesses of Civility and Compliment; agreeably to the Advice of a noble Writer,

Be cautious in all Declarations of Friendship; as ⚫ the very common Forms of Civility are too often ⚫ explained into undefigned Engagements

* Lord Orrery's Life of Swift, p. 224.

But

But the Benevolence of the Doctor's Temper was not shewn in Word and Tongue only, but in Deed and in Truth; and the Effects of it were fubftantial, love-. ly and extensive. His Zeal to do good to the Souls of Men, arifing in Part from this benevolent Principle, hath already been mentioned. I am now to add, that his Heart was touched with the Miseries of the Poor, and this led him to devife liberal Things. No Man was more free from a covetous Spirit. He never fought great Things for himself and his Family, nor was ambitious to leave them rich in this World. He often quoted that Saying of his Mafter, as a true and precious Monument of apoftolic Tradition; It is more bleffed to give than to receive. He enquired after and relieved distreffed Objects; pleaded the Cause off the Poor and Needy in his Sermons and private Difcourfes, and ufed all his Interest with his Friends to induce them to do good and communicate. But he never laid any Burthen of this Kind upon others (if perhaps they might think it fo) without bearing more of it himself, than, fome may think, in Justice to his Family, he ought to have done. He exhorted others, agreeably to the Directions of the New Teftament, to appropriate fome certain Part and Proportion of their Eitate and Revenues to charitable Ufes; with a provifional Increase, as GoD fhould. profper them in any extraordinary Inftances. By this Means they would always have a Fund at hand; and probably be more ready to communicate, when they looked upon what was fo depofited, as not in any Sense their own; but as already given away to fuch Ufes, tho' not yet affixed to particular Objects. He