Baptifm, Confirmation, and Repentance. The other, without his Name, was entitled, Some Reflections on (a Book call'd) Amyntor, relating to the primitive Fathers, and the Canon of the New Teftament. I mention Them here, not to put them upon the level with his Other Performances; but only as having upon them the plain Marks of a Chriftian Frame of mind; and as Proofs of his Knowledge in the Writings of those Early Ages, even at his first fetting out into the World.

FROM these Attempts, he proceded, without Intermiffion, to Others of ftill greater Importance: making Ufe of the Leifure and Freedom He enjoyed in his Patron's Family, and of One of the Nobleft Private Collection of Books which ever appeared in England, for the Purpose He had chiefly in his Eye; the Understanding the Phrafeology of the Holy Scriptures, and the Explaining the Meaning of Them, fo as to make Them ufeful to All who are concerned in them. The first Essay, in this Defign, was His Paraphrafe upon St Matthew's Gospel, publifhed in the Year 1701 and foon followed by Paraphrafes upon the Gospels

of

These

of St Mark, Luke, and John. were written with a manly plainness and perfpicuity; and accompanied with a very few fhort Notes, where Any Critical Explication was neceffary. Of how great benefit These have been, and always will be, to Thofe English Readers, who have Senfe and Goodnefs enough to be pleafed with a juft Representation of the True Meaning of what is recorded in the Gofpel; I need not fay. Experience has already faid enough of the Usefulness of fuch a Manner of Interpretation, from fo masterly an Hand. It were highly to be wifhed that He had purfued his Original Defign, and completed the Work upon the Whole New Testament in many Books of which, the Intricate Connexion of the Parts; the feeming Perplexity of the Argument; and the Obfcurity of the Style at this Distance of Time, particularly called for the Affiftance of so Critical an Understanding, capable of finding out the True Ideas annexed to the old Words ; and of discovering the hidden Force of Those Reasonings, which would otherwise escape the view of Common Readers. He had indeed, actually begun

his Paraphrafe upon the Acts of the Apofles, immediately after the Others were published; and had certainly proposed to Himself to go through all the remaining Books. But fomething accidental interrupted the Execution: and it is now only to be lamented that Any thing first diverted Him from it ; or that He did not afterwards prevail upon Himself to refume and compleat fo Excellent a Work; which his Friends often preffed upon Him; and to which He would fometimes anfwer, That it was made lefs neceffary by the Labours of feveral Worthy and Learned Perfons, fince the appearance of his Work upon the Four Gofpels.

BISHOP Moore, who was every day confirmed in the high Opinion of his Superior Talents, and Excellent Qualifications, very juftly thought that there was No place fo deferving of fuch a person, and fo fit for fuch Abilities to exert Themfelves in, for the good of Mankind, as the Metropolis of the Kingdom: And it very foon became his Settled Refolution to make ufe of all his Interest, which at that time was very confiderable amongst the Greatest Men of the Nation, in order

to

to fix him in the most remarkable Scene. of Action. But, in the mean while, He gave Him the Rectory of Drayton near Norwich, and procured for him a Parish in that City; both together of very inconfiderable value; and These He served himself in the Seafon, when the Bishop refided at Norwich. His preaching at first was without Notes; and fo continued till He was Rector of St James's: A Method, in which He was peculiarly happy; not by trusting to his Memory entirely, and fpeaking a Sermon compofed before, in which fome have excelled; nor by heating himself gradually into Any fort of Paffion, to which others have owed all their Fluency of Language; but by a Certain Strength and Coolness of Head, which could not eafily be furprized or deceived; and a Certain Faculty of Expreffion, which was hardly ever at a lofs for plain and proper words.

IN the Year 1704. He was called forth to an Office worthy of fuch an Understanding. It was to preach Mr. Boyle's Lecture, founded by that Honourable Gentleman, to affert and vindicate the Great Fundamentals of Natural and Reveled

a 4

veled Religion. This was a Province, for which if ever Any one was peculiarly fitted by Natural Parts, and Learning; He was the Man. And He executed this Truft in fuch a Manner, that He at once furprized, and inftructed, his most Understanding Hearers. He exceded the Expectations even of Those who knew Him enough to expect Great Things from Him and laid the Foundations of True Religion too deep and ftrong to be fhaken either by the Superftition of Some, or the Infidelity of Others. The Subject of his Difcourfes was, The Existence of GOD, or of a Being of All poffible Perfections. And in the Demonftration of This, He chofe particularly to confider the Arguings of Spinoza and Hobbes, the moft plaufible Patrons of the System of Fate and Neceffity; a Syftem, which by deftroying All true Freedom' of Action in Any Intelligent Being, at the fame time deftroys All that can be ftyled Virtue, or Praiseworthy. This being a Subject, into which all the Subtilties and Querks of Metaphyfics had entred, and thrown their ufual Obfcurity and Intricacy; the Difficulty lay in clearing away this Rubbish of

Confu