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without any pre-conceived darling Hypo- SER M. thefis of his own advanced in Print about the Nature and Attributes of God, which might tempt him to adjust the ScriptureDoctrine of the Trinity, as well as he could to it, by far-fetched Criticisms and elaborate Comments; he viewed it, without any Biafs, in the feveral Lights of Scripture, Reason, and Antiquity; he read, he weighed in the Balance, whatever had been faid against it as well as for it; he conversed upon that Subject with the ableft Advocate that Arianism ever boasted, and corresponded with another very confiderable Writer on that Side of the Question; his Determination was not owing to any fudden Heat of Fancy, it was the mature Refult of a thorough, honest and unwearied Examination; during which, through too close an Application, he greatly impaired his Health, and laid the Foundation of that ill Habit of Body, which at laft occafioned his Death. How he was, in a manner, forced into the Controverfy, by a Perfon's committing his Queries to the Prefs without his Confent, or even Knowledge; he has given the World an Account in the Preface to the firft of those excellent Tracts, as the late Earl of Nottingbam * juftly ftiles them, which he wrote on

*See his Anfwer to Mr. Whifton, P. 19. where he calls upon him, or any Man elfe, to give a juft Answer to the excellent Tracts writ by Dr. Waterland in Vindication of Chrift's Divinity.

that

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SER M. that Subject. Whereas his Adverfaries had laid the main Stress of their Cause upon philofophical Subtleties and Objections; particularly, that there was no Medium for the Catholics between Sabellianifm and Tritheifm; he disarmed them of their metaphyfical Artillery, turned it upon them, and made them feem willing to put the Iffue of their Cause folely upon the Foot of Scripture. And let me obferve, with what an ill Grace mere Smatterers in Knowledge charge the Doctrine of the Trinity with Abfurdities from the abstract Nature and Reason of the Thing; when three Perfons of distinguished Abilities (for with three he was at once engaged) were unable, though they did not want an hearty Inclination, to make good a Charge of that Nature.

Arguments, under his happy Direction and Management, were Arrows (of which his Quiver was full) in the Hands of a mighty Man. They carried greater Force with them, and made deeper Impreffions, than when they came from a Person of the common Size: And therefore he was not afbamed when he spake with his ablest Adverfary in fet Conferences *. His Head was

* Some Conferences were propofed and held between him and his learned Antagonist before a very great and illuftrious Perfon; but thofe Conferences were dropt after the Dr. declared his full Conviction. of the Truth and Importance of the Doctrine of the Trinity, and his Refolution to maintain it.

an

an immenfe Library, where the Treafures SER M. of Learning were ranged in fuch exact XV. Order, that, whatever himself or his Friends wanted, he could have immediate Recourfe to, without any Embarrafment. A prodigious Expence of Reading, without a Confufion of Ideas, is almoft the peculiar Characteristic of his Writings. His Works, particularly Those upon our Saviour's Divinity, and the Importance of the Doctrine, and the Eucharift, into which he has digested the Learning of all preceding Ages, will, we may venture to fay, be tranfmitted to, and ftand the Examination of, all fucceeding ones. He has fo thoroughly exhaufted every Subject that he wrote a fet Treatife upon; that it is impoffible to hit upon any thing which is not in his Writings, or to exprefs that more juftly and clearly, which is there.

Yet, whatever Expence of Time and Thought he might be at in laying in Materials, it did not coft him much Pains to commit them to Writing. The largest Volume*, which he has published, wrote with great Accuracy, he, in two Months, finished, and fent to the Prefs. But a Genius is to writing well, as what good Nature is to acting generously. It is an Aptitude to say, as the other is to do, thofe

The second Defence of his Queries.

great

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SERM. great Things with Eafe, Readiness and Freedom, which thofe, who want that Advantage, can scarce perform with much aukward Pains and Induftry. Some Writers, who have made no inconfiderable Figure in the learned World, have been greatly indebted for it to the valuable Notices and Obfervations, with which he furnished them. But he was fo difinterested, that, provided the World was inftructed, he was very indifferent, who had the Honour of doing it. He had fo ample a Fund of Knowledge, that he could impart it liberally, without any Danger of impoverishing himself. Meaner Proficients in Literature muft husband their flender Stock more warily.

Nor was Controverfy his only Talent. His Sermons, adapted to the Level of common Capacities, yet inftructive to the higheft, were compofed with that Plainness and Simplicity, that Perfons of a slender Share of Senfe might be vain enough to think themselves capable of writing as well: But Men of Judgment know, that nothing is more difficult to write, than fuch easy Writing, as his was. Free from that obfcure Diligence, which fometimes embaraffes the Writings of great Scholars, he states each Point of Duty judiciously and accurately, explains it happily, and always goes to the Bottom of his Subject.

A

This Character may be given of his S ER M. Writings in general, that whatever Beauties. XV. of Stile fome few of his latest Compofitions may want; they have all of them, that to recommend them, which is more valuable than all Languages befides, the Language of the Heart. In his learned Writings he afferted nothing, but what he firmly believed; and in his plain familiar Difcourfes taught nothing but what he practifed. He spoke and wrote with that undiffembled Freedom and Opennefs, which ever accompanies an undefigning Honefty, and a thorough Conviction of the Truth. For it is the Property of Truth and Innocence to ftand forth to view, without any ftudied Disguises, naked, but not ashamed. Whereas Falfhood is generally attended with Cowardice, the Companion of Guilt; it is afraid to speak out, and poorly fkulks behind a thousand little Artifices.

But this brings me, 2dly, to give some Account of his Life and Converfation.

His Head and Heart were conftantly at work upon Points worthy of him. And yet, if any Company came in, he would be immediately free and difingaged, forget the hard Student in the eafy Companion, liften to any innocent Converfation, without any seeming Absence of Thought, and join in it with Life and Vivacity. I mention it, as an amazing Inftance of the Liberty and Extent

of