in that which might satisfy even fastidious critics. There is no want of ease and grace in the turn of his periods; of correctness in their structure; or of just discrimination in the selection of his terms and phrases. In these respects, Dr. Waterland will bear a comparison with the most approved writers of his time. But whatever excellencies he attained to of this kind, they appear to have been rather the result of natural good taste, than of studied acquire ments. The temper and disposition of an author will generally more or less betray itself in his writings, especially in those of a polemical cast. Judging of him by this criterion, we should say that Dr. Waterland was frank, open, and ingenuous; warm and ardent in his cause, lively and animated in his perceptions, sagacious in discerning any advantage which an unguarded adversary might afford him; but disdaining any unworthy artifices to carry his point. That no undue warmth, or vehemence of expression should occasionally escape him, it were too much to expect; nor, perhaps, could it with truth be affirmed of any controversial writer. But less intemperance of this kind, less acrimony and bitterness of spirit, is rarely, if ever, to be met with, in any one engaged in such a warfare, and with such opponents. And, after all, the sudden and transient emotions which contests of this kind are wont to excite even in the best-constituted minds, are far less indicative of a morose and uncharitable disposition, than the wily insinuations, the taunting sneers, and the cool malignant sarcasms of those, whose words, though they be "smoother than oil, yet be they very swords." To these odious weapons Waterland never had recourse. There was a generosity, a noble-mindedness in his disposition, which if it did not always restrain him from impetuosity, never suffered him to harbour a rancorous sentiment under the mask of affected candour and forbearancet. Whatever imputations of bigotry or uncharitableness may, indeed, have been cast upon him by those who felt themselves unable to cope with him, the general good-humour and even suavity of his disposition are attested in the strongest terms by those who most intimately knew him. "He was," says Mr. Seed, "very tender of men's characters: he guided his words, as well as regulated his actions, "with discretion; and at the same time that his sa 66 66 66 66 " gacity enabled him to discover, his charity prompted "him to cover and conceal a multitude of faults.' Again: "he was a man of cool wisdom and steady piety; fixed in his principles, but candid in his spirit; easy of access, his carriage free and familiar;-cautious, but not artful, honest, but not unguarded; glad to communicate, though not am"bitious to display his great knowledge. He hated "all party as such; and would never have gone the length of any. He was not one of those narrowspirited men, who confine all merit within their 66 66. 66 Dr. Aikin, whose sentiments were certainly not in unison with Dr. Waterland's, acknowledges, in his Biography, that "as a con"troversialist, though firm and unyielding, he is accounted fair "and candid, free from bitterness, and actuated by no persecuting "spirit." 66 66 66 own pale he thought candidly, and spoke advantageously, of many who thought very differently "from him. He had nothing violent in his nature : ❝he abhorred all thoughts of persecution: cool and prudential measures entirely suited his frame of "mind. Those who entertain a different opinion "of him were strangers to him. Controversy had "not at all embittered, or set an edge upon his spi"rits." This testimony is corroborated by what Mr. Clarke, the editor of his posthumous sermons, has more generally intimated of his excellent qualities; and also by the writer of his memoirs in the Biographia Britannica. The latter states, that "this happy 66 66 disposition recommended him to the notice of the "late Queen Caroline, before whom, when Princess "of Wales, he held some conferences with Dr. "Clarke; and though these dropped after our au"thor declared his full conviction of the truth and "the importance of the doctrine of the Trinity, and "his resolution to maintain it, yet there continued a personal friendly acquaintance between them till "the death of Dr. Clarke, who, in one of his last journeys to Norwich, paid a visit to Dr. Waterland "at Cambridge." This anecdote is related upon the authority of Dr. Theodore Waterland: and it is gratifying to know that two such men, stedfastly opposed to each other upon points which each regarded as of vital importance to religious truth, should have so far subdued any feelings of personal hostility, as to meet together upon terms of courtesy and friendship. With respect to Waterland, instances have 66 already been mentioned of the esteem which some other of his opponents seem to have had for him; and of his readiness to return their good-will. His familiar letters, now first made public, will also be found to throw additional light upon these points of his character. A few words only remain to be added, respecting the arrangement of our author's works adopted in the present edition. To have assorted them strictly in chronological order, would have occasioned an inconvenient separation of some of the works from others connected with them in subject and design". Some classifica "The following is the chronological order in which they were published. 1713. Assize Sermon at Cambridge. 1716. Thanksgiving Sermon on the Suppression of the Rebel lion. 1719. Vindication of Christ's Divinity, being a Defence of some Queries, &c. 1720. Sermons at Lady Moyer's Lecture. Answer to Dr. Whitby's Reply. Letters to Mr. Staunton. 1721. Case of Arian Subscription. Answer to some Queries printed at Exon. 1722. Supplement to the Case of Arian Subscription. 1723. Second Vindication of Christ's Divinity. Sermon on the Trinity. Thanksgiving Sermon on the 29th of May. Sermon for the Charity Schools. Critical History of the Athanasian Creed. 1724. Farther Vindication of Christ's Divinity. 1730. Remarks on Dr. Clarke's Exposition of the Catechism. tion, therefore, which might obviate this inconvenience, was deemed expedient. Accordingly the five first volumes comprise the whole of his controversial and didactic writings in vindication of the doctrine of the Trinity, and his incidental controversies arising out of them; distributed, as nearly as circumstances would permit, in the order in which they were published. The sixth volume contains chiefly those which were written in defence of Chris1730. Nature, Obligation, and Efficacy of the Christian Sacra ments. Supplement to Ditto. Defence of the Bishop of St. David's, in answer to Jonathan Jones. Advice to a young Student. Scripture Vindicated, 1st part. 1731. Christianity Vindicated against Infidelity, 1st Charge. Scripture Vindicated, 2d part. 1732. Christianity Vindicated against Infidelity, 2d Charge. Scripture Vindicated, 3d part. 1734. Dissertation on the Argument à priori. Importance of the Doctrine of the Trinity. 1735. Discourse on Fundamentals, substance of two Charges. 1736. Doctrinal use of the Christian Sacraments, a Charge. 1737. Review of the Doctrine of the Eucharist. 1738. The Christian Sacrifice explained, a Charge. 1739. Sacramental part of the Eucharist explained, a Charge. 1740. Regeneration stated and explained. Preface to Mr. Blair's Sermons. Distinctions of Sacrifice set forth, a Charge. The reader will, perhaps, observe, in the foregoing list, an interval of five years, from 1724 to 1730, in which the author appears not to have committed any work to the press. It is probable, that during that interval he was much engaged in the duties of the Rectory of St. Austin's, which he held from 1721 to 1730; and that most of the excellent Sermons published after his death were composed about that time. |