Characters from the Histories & Memoirs of the Seventeenth Century
History
Characters from the Histories & Memoirs of the Seventeenth Century
Great Britain -- Biography; Great Britain -- History -- Stuarts, 1603-1714
of that high sort of people beyond what became him, perhaps beyond
his own sense of things. He applied himself much to the study of the
law and records, and the original of our constitution, and was a very
extraordinary man. _Patrick_ was a great preacher. He wrote much, and
well, and chiefly on the Scriptures. He was a laborious man in his
function, of great strictness of life, but a little too severe against
those who differed from him. But that was, when he thought their
doctrines struck at the fundamentals of religion. He became afterwards
more moderate. To these I shall add another divine, who, tho' of
_Oxford_, yet as he was formed by Bishop _Wilkins_, so he went into
most of their principles; but went far beyond them in learning.
_Lloyd_ was a great critick in the _Greek_ and _Latin_ authors,
but chiefly in the Scriptures; of the words and phrases of which he
carried the most perfect concordance in his memory, and had it the
readiest about him, of all men that ever I knew. He was an exact
historian, and the most punctual in chronology of all our divines.
He had read the most books, and with the best judgment, and had made
the most copious abstracts out of them, of any in this age: So that
_Wilkins_ used to say, he had the most learning in ready cash of any
he ever knew. He was so exact in every thing he set about, that he
never gave over any part of study, till he had quite mastered it. But
when that was done, he went to another subject, and did not lay out
his learning with the diligence with which he laid it in. He had many
volumes of materials upon all subjects laid together in so distinct a
method, that he could with very little labour write on any of them. He
had more life in his imagination, and a truer judgment, than may seem
consistent with such a laborious course of study. Yet, as much as he
was set on learning, he had never neglected his pastoral care. For
several years he had the greatest cure in _England_, St. _Martins_,
which he took care of with an application and diligence beyond any
about him; to whom he was an example, or rather a reproach, so few
following his example. He was a holy, humble, and patient man, ever
ready to do good when he saw a proper opportunity: Even his love of
study did not divert him from that. He did upon his promotion find
a very worthy successor in his cure, _Tenison_, who carried on and
advanced all those good methods that he had begun in the management
of that great cure. He endowed schools, set up a publick library, and
kept many Curates to assist him in his indefatigable labours among
them. He was a very learned man, and took much pains to state the
notions and practices of heathenish idolatry, and so to fasten that
charge on the Church of _Rome_. And, _Whitehall_ lying within that
parish, he stood as in the front of the battel all King _James's_
reign; and maintained, as well as managed, that dangerous post with
great courage and much judgment, and was held in very high esteem for
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