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"The whole amount of his fortune, when compared with the great preferments which he had enjoyed from his first fetting out, is a mere trifle: and he has left a noble example to his fucceffors in this, as well as fo many other instances. The extent of his charities is fcarcely to be imagined, and his great revenues in the church were a general bleffing. It is grievous to hear every day of the defolation of fuch numbers as owed the best part of their fubfiftence to his bounty. Nor was he only charitable, but kind and generous to a degree, which can be known only by thofe who were acquainted with his private and domeftic life. I have feen a catalogue of his manufcripts, which are to be deposited in the library at Lambeth; and well as I was acquainted with his unwearied application, it furprized me to find fuch monuments of folitary ftudiousness in one who had been fo much engaged in the active duties of his station, which he executed with an exactness and a diligence beyond any perfon I ever knew."

In the fame interesting and entertaining work, is the following important note, written when Dr. Secker was bishop of Oxford.

"All perfons into whofe hands my manufcripts may fall, if they will do me justice, must not confider what Í have written in them, excepting my Sermons, as my real and fixed opinion, even upon thofe very points upon which I have written. Much lefs muft they draw confequences concerning my opinion about fuch other matters as they may think connected with these. The things they will meet with are chiefly hints and memorandums, generally fuggefted to me by authors whom I have read, fometimes by my own thoughts, apter to furnish me upon every fubject with difficulties than anfwers. And I have fet them down to be further confidered and examined, and many of them I hope to be confuted all, indeed, which make against that Religion of which I am a Minifter. Some fuch, I am now able to anfwer, but have not leifure to draw up my anfwers, and fet them down. Others I hope to fee through more clearly in time; and those which I cannot confute in particular, I am well fatisfied are fufficiently confuted in general, by the fu-. perior evidence of the truth of Chriftianity. Let no one therefore, impute to me any thing contrary to this declaration, how pofitively foever I may happen, often for shortnefs, to have expreffed myself, and often intending not to write in my own perfon, but in that of an objector, or to mark down only that one point of view, in which the fub

ject

ject then prefented itself. And let no one make use of thefe fragments either to unfettle his own mind or other perfons. Whatever may have this bad effect, I purpose to deftroy before my death, if I have fufficient warning and ability. If not, I beg it may be done afterwards. And I fear what is of a better tendency will not be confiderable enough to be worth preserving.

September 13, 1739.

THOMAS OXFORD.

The excellent biographer of the archbishop, having given a general account of his manufcripts, makes thefe obfervations. 66 It may juftly seem surprising, that in a life so active, fo full of employment and avocation from ftudy, the archbishop could find leifure to read fo much, and to leave behind him fo many writings: fome of them learned and critical; all of them full of good fenfe and useful knowledge. The fact is, that in him were united two things which very rarely meet together, but when they do, can produce wonders, ftrong parts and unwearied induftry. He rose at fix the whole year round, and had often fpent a bufy day, before others began to enjoy it. His whole time was marked out and appropriated in the most regular manner to particular employments, and he never fuffered even those broken portions of it, which are feldom much regarded, to be idly thrown away. The ftrength of his conftitution happily kept pace with the conftitution of his mind, and enabled him to go on inceffantly from one business to another with a most unremitted application, till, his fpirits being quite exhausted, he was obliged at, laft to have recourfe to reft, which however he always took care to make as fhort as poffible. Induftry like this, continued through a long courfe of years, could not poffibly be the effect of any thing but that which was indeed at the bottom of it, a ftrong fenfe of duty. was not because the archbishop had lefs relish for ease, or lefs diflike to fatigue than other men, that his diligence and perfeverance fo far exceeded theirs; but because he thought himself bound to labour for the glory of God and the good of mankind, and that all indolence and felf-indulgence, which interfered with thefe great objects, was in fome degree criminal. Whenever therefore he was engaged (as he was almost continually) in ferving others, he never reckoned his own time or pains for any thing, nor did it seem so

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much as once to enter into his thoughts, that he ought to allow himself any amusement. Even the pleasures of polite literature,which were highly grateful to him, he thought him. felf obliged to relinquish for the peculiar ftudies of his profeffion, and these again for the practical duties of religion, and the daily offices of common life. On this principle he made it a point to be at all times acceffible. Even in those early hours, which were more peculiarly dedicated to retirement and ftudy, if any one came to him on the smallest pretence of bufinefs, he would instantly break off the most pleafing or moft abftrufe fpeculations, receive his visitors with perfect good humour, and facrifice thofe precious moments to duty, civility, and propriety, which he would on no account have given up to relaxation or repose.

This was only one inftance among many of that wonderful command he had obtained over his most favourite inclinations, and the facility with which he controlled his ftrongest paffions. His temper was naturally quick and impatient; but by keeping a watchful eye over the movements of his own mind, and prefcribing to himfelf certain rules and precautions, he fo completely fubdued this propenfity, that few who knew him were fufpicious of his being fubject to it.

In him appeared all the efficacy of religious principle, the calmnefs, greatness of mind, fortitude, and cheerfulness, which no other principle could infpire, fupport and improve through a whole life. That fervent, yet rational piety, which glowed in his writings and animated his devotions, was the genuine feeling of his foul, the guide of all his actions. The honour of God, and the interefts of religion, were always nearest his heart. He thought of them, he talked of them, he was concerned and anxious for them; he fought out for opportunities of advancing them, and he was careful not to fay or do any thing that might hurt them in the estimation of mankind.

His foul was generous beyond defcription. Even when his income was but moderate, he lived hofpitably and gave liberally. As his revenues increased his beneficence rofe in proportion, and after his tranflation to Canterbury, his charitable donations were confiderably more than two thousand pounds a year. The eafe and readiness with which he gave away the largest fums, fhewed that long habit had rendered it quite natural and familiar to him, and that he faw nothing extraordinary in acts of generofity which others could not

obferve

observe but with furprize. Yet his favours were not lav ished with undiftinguifhed profufion. He took pains to find out the real merits and diftreffes of those who asked relief, and endeavoured, as far as he was able, to fingle out the virtuous and religious, as the peculiar objects of his bounty. He thought it a material part of true benevolence to have an eye not only to the removal of misery, but to the encouragement of piety and morals. With this view, he was particularly attentive to fuch charities as were calculated to advance useful knowledge or fpiritual improvement, which he made a point of encouraging by his example, not only as being in themselves highly beneficial, but as also too much difregarded by many very worthy perfons.

In his family regulation, there was an air of eafe and generofity without the affectation of fhow or magnificence. His houfe was hofpitable, and his table plentiful, yet plain and fimple. He wished to have every thing suitable to his rank, but would allow nothing beyond it: as he thought it right in one of his ftation and order to discountenance luxurious extravagance. He received his company with politeness and good humour, and entertained them when he was in health and fpirits, with lively and improving converfation. Yet at times he was cold and reserved, which proceeded not from pride, as fome unjustly might think, but from bodily pain, laffitude, or accidental uneafineffes.

He chose rather to talk of things than of perfons; and he was very sparing in giving his opinion of characters, but always candid when he did. Compliments were very irkfome to him, and he would fometimes exprefs his dislike of them in terms which effectually prevented the repetition of what was found to be so disagreeable to him.

The biographer of Mrs. Čarter has recorded an anecdote of the archbishop, which fhews his candour, good nature, and humility, in a very pleasing point of view.

That lady was complaining to him one day in the palace at Lambeth, of the unfair manner in which our tranflators have rendered the 12th and 13th verses of the 7th chapter of the first epiftle to the Corinthians; that for the evident purpose of supporting the fuperiority of the husband, they had tranflated the fame verb (apieva and apil) as applied to the husband put away, and as applied to the wife leave: Let him not put her away, and let her not leave him. The archbishop denied the fact, and afferted that the words in the original were not the fame; but finding his antagonist obftinate, "Come with me, madam Carter,"

faid

faid he at length, "to my ftudy, and be confuted." They went, and his grace, on confulting the paffage, inftead of being angry that he was found to be in the wrong, said with the utmost good humour, "No, madam Carter, it is I that must be confuted, and you are in the right."

The translation of Epictetus, by that learned lady, was revifed by him when bishop of Oxford, and he greatly promoted the fubfcription to the first edition of that work, which may justly be pronounced an honour to our country. It fold fo well, and the price kept up fo remarkably, that some years after, Dr. Secker, then archbishop of Canterbury, brought a bookfeller's catalogue to her, faying, "Here, madam Carter, fee how ill I am used by the world; here are my fermons felling at half price, while your Epictetus truly is not to be had under eighteen fhillings, only three fhillings lefs than the original fubfcription."

When Dr. Secker was bishop of Oxford, there were fome worthy and learned gentlemen in that univerfity, who obtained the name of Hutchinfonians, from their attachment to the principles, philological and phyfical, of John Hutchinfon. Nothing could be more harmless certainly than thofe principles, and no perfons were more studious, exemplary, and regular, than the ftudents upon whom the appellation was faftened as a ftigma.

Yet there were fome zealous members of the univerfity, and fomé diftinguifhed perfons in the church, who appeared to be alarmed at the progrefs of a fyftem which from its obfcurity was but little understood.

Even the bishop of Oxford, candid and difcerning as he was, fell into this erroneous mifconception of the Hutchinfonians, and not only affifted archdeacon Sharp in his controversy with them, but even went fo far as to point fome frictures against their principles in one of his charges. To his honour, however, be it fpoken, he altered his opinion upon this fubject, long before his death, and not only lived on terms of intimacy with feveral perfons of that way of thinking, but promoted their interefts and respected both

them and their works.

Letter from ABP. SECKER, to MR. WALLACE, one of the Minifters of Edinburgh.

"Good Mr. Wallace,

"I BEG pardon that I have fuffered a month to país without making any acknowledgment to you for your oblig.

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