or Mr. Jackfon, or myself, or Mr. Tomkins, or Mr. Gibbs, &c. have loft on the like account to be compared to them. Had I been in London, I fhould very readily have afforded him all the affiftance I was able; tho' perhaps that fever which carried him off might not thoroughly permit him to join in fuch devotions, as otherwise he was highly difpofed for, and defirous of in the laft period of his holy life. However, 'tis now feveral years, that he has waited 'till the day of his appointed time, when his great change fhould come; and after fuch an incurable infirmity as he has long had, you should no way be furprized at his death, fince at 78 he is come to his full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his feafon. Since his habitual preparation and uncommon degree of piety was all along fo remarkable, there is no doubt but he is now where all good men defire to be, in that land of the pious, in Paradife, in the bofom of Abraham, whence all forrow, grief and lamentation, are banished: to be at last among those fouls of the righteous which are in the Hand of God, where no torment can touch them. Nor ought we to forrow for any good Chriftian, as others which have no hope in their death, much less for fo eminent and religious a Chriftian as your father was, nor indeed did the ancient religious patriarchs seem to have been fo unwilling to die, as good Chriftians are in our latter ages. And as for the martyrs, they were carried to their graves, when they were permitted to have any, with hymns of praife for their having efcaped the miferies of this finful world; and the day of their martyrdoms were called the day of their nativity, and celebrated yearly with great joy, &c.

Your affectionate friend and fervant,

Will. Whifton.

In

In the year 1742, I published III. Tracts, con

taining

I. A Letter to the then Archbishop of Canterbury; with two Accounts of the laying afide Unfcriptural Articles at Geneva, 1706. And the King of Pruffia's Letter to the Clergy at Geneva, in commendation of thofe Proceedings.

II. An Abstract of the Minutes of our fociety, for promoting Primitive Christianity.

III. An Account of Mr. Baratier's Enquiries into the Chronology, the Doctrines, and Difcipline of the Primitive Church. 8vo. Price 1 S. 6 d.

N. B. What is now at the end of page 53, of these Tracts, in all 54 and 55, and almost all the 56th, is fo much better stated in my Sacred Hiftory of the New Teftament, page 87, 88, 597, 608, that I defire thofe pages may be quite omitted in future Editions.

About the year 1744 Dr. Webster published and sent me a small paper, for the Payment of Tythes to theClergy, and that as of such indefeafible right, that the Meffiah himself could hardly alter it; and at the end, hinted that this his writing was, in a manner, put upon him by infpiration. Whereas the fact is plain, and proved in my account of tythes before mentioned; that those tythes were indeed to be paid originally into the Bishop's hands, but not to fupport either himfelf or his Prefbyters or Deacons, but to be diftributed to the widows, the orphans, the poor, and ftrangers in diftrefs; and befides to the orders inferior to deacons, who most probably were of the poorer fort alfo; while the first fruits and voluntary oblations were allotted to the maintenance of the Superior Clergy, Bishops, Priefts, and Deacons. See the forementioned paper, page 77, 78. But when Dr. Webfter in

timates

timates a divine impulfe for a Clergyman to write in vindication of Tythes to be paid Clergymen, contrary to the original law of Chriftianity; Credat Judas Apella, non ego. Chrift has indeed ordained that thofe that preach the Gospel fhould live of the Gofpel; which gives the Clergy a right to a maintenance: But that the maintenance fhould be by the Application of the Tythes thereto, is no where ordained: However, Clergymen fhould always get Laymen to write for their maintenance, but never fhould do it themselves,

In the year 1744 I published a Single Sheet about our Saviour's Refurrection, from Beza's double Copy of the IV Gofpels, and Acts of the Apoftles; with fome Obfervations, fhewing that almost all the difficulties which have long puzzled the most learned Commentators in our vulgar Copies are here cleared, by this much more antient and much more authentic Copy, 8vo. price 3d. It is added also a little corrected at the end of my Primitive New Teftament.

In the year 1745-6 I publifhed Bishop Sherlock's most excellent Sermon, preached at Salif bury, October 6th, 1745, when he was in dread of Popery and Perfecution; which makes men much better Chriftians than times of Profperity. Concerning whom I fhall add a few things. When his Lordship made a Speech for Bribery and Corruption, in the Houfe of Lords, for it was efteem'd no better at that time, I took fuch a prejudice against him, that I did not go to dine with him for a great while, as I used fometimes to do before. This I told Mr. Venn, who was acquainted with us both; and this was fo well understood by the Bifhop, that he told Mr. Venn himself, that he believed fomewhat was the matter between us: Mr. Venn knew what it was, but durft not tell it. At laft, when I was once at the

Master of the Rolls, Sir Joseph Jekyl's, the Bifhop came upon us on the fudden, and afk'd me, what the matter was that I did not come as ufual to dine with him fometimes? I faid, no my Lord, never fince your political Speech in the Houfe of Lords. He reply'd, that I knew he took my reproofs patiently, and he was defirous I would come to him as formerly. I anfwered, No my Lord, political Bishops are the ruin of all [Religion and fo I went away in fome indignation. Moreover, I well remember, that when I had prefented to his Lordfhip the fecond Edition of my Elay on the Revelation of St. John, and he had found I had introduced a Brother Politician of his, the Author of the Codex, as one that was aiming at a new kind of Perfecution, which I call the Codex Perfecution; he knew not how to bear my new expofition. I acknowledged it to be a new one, but juftified what I had fo lately discovered; and I venture to affirm ftill, that I take that my late difcovery and expofition of those matters to be both very true and very confiderable alfo. I alfo well remember, that I once enquired of his Lordship, "How the Church of England

could pretend to be fo pure and primitive, as

fhe has long boafted herself to be, while fhe "ftill retains the Book of Canticles in her Bible, "and the Athanafian Creed in her Common Prayer "Book?" To which he made me no anfwer. And I really believe no good anfwer can poffibly be made to either of thofe queftions. I farther with, very heartily with, that this Bifhop Sherlock, who is fo well able to speak both in Parliament and Convocation, would be the firft to propose the exclufion of that Book and that Creed. If he would do it, I verily hope feveral good men would second him, and not one fober man would oppose him, in either of thofe places; and he

might thereby begin that public Reformation, without which not only revealed, but even natural Religion are foon likely to be banished out of thefe Kingdoms. And when they are once banished, where I pray will be the Church of England?

In the year 1745 I published my Primitive New Teftament in English, in IV Parts. Part I. Containing the IV Gofpels of Matthew, John, Luke, and Mark; with the Acts of the Apoftles; according to the Greek Part of the Manufcript of Beza, now probably above 1600 years old, in the public Library of the Univerfity of Cambridge, collated by Patrick Young, Abp. Usher; and at leaft twice by Dr. Mills, befides a ftill later collation. The imperfections of this Copy are here fupplied from the vulgar Latin.

Part II. Containing the XIV Epiftles of Paul.

According to the Greek of the Clermont manufcript, now probably between 1400 and 1500 years old, in the King of France's Library at Paris: According to the collation in Dr. Mills's New Testament; the Latin of which copy is part of the old Italick verfion, made early in the fecond Century.

Part III. Containing VII Catholic Epiftles.

Part IV. The Revelation of John.

All according to the Greek Alexandrian manu fcript, now about 1400 years old, according to Dr. Mills's collation.

N. B. The obfervations belonging to this and the other Books of the New Teftament are all to be found in my Sacred Hiftory of the New Teftament, in their proper places. N. B. I

X 2