of Healing to be defired for him, and the fame Conftitutions, Book VIII. Chap. 29. appoint a Form for the Confecration of Oil, and in Want of Oil, of Water, VII. 22. for the healing of the Sick, and the cafting out Demons. Nor at that Time well recollecting the Cure of Severus, the Emperor, by Procullus Torpacio, upon his anointing him with Oil, as Tertullian, a contemporary Hiftorian informs us. And had I been then apprized of this Evidence, 'tis very probable I fhould have confecrated fome Oil, and anointed him. However, he fully fuppofes that God took the Will for the Deed, and accepted of the Prayers we put up to him for his Recovery: When there was nothing but involuntary Ignorance on both Sides: For he recovered, and he has ever fince been in a better State of Health than he had been long before. 'Tis true, that another Baptist, and one of the most learned of the Baptifts, an old Friend of mine alfo, Mr. Morris, in a Sermon of his, has fhewed lately himself a notable Critick upon this Text in St. James, in order to get clear of the Obligation of this anointing; for many of the Baptifts do not allow of it: But fince his Criticisms are not throughly fatisfactory, fince we have the conftant Tradition and Practice of this Duty delivered in the feveral Churches of the World, as far as the Chriftians of St. Thomas in the Eaft-Indies; nay, have it in the first and best Common Prayer-Book of the Church of England; and thence in my own Common Prayer-Book, reduced nearer to the primitive Standard. And fince it appears this Practice has had great and eminent Suc

cefs in healing the afflicted; which the following Baptifts, Mr. Killingworth, the two Mr. Stangers, Mr. Copper, and Mr. Goode, all of my own Acquaintance do fully atteft. These seem to me to give a Divine Approbation to it, so that any Criticisms notwithstanding, I am clear that it is a certain Law of the Gofpel, and ought to be put in Practice by all Churches accordingly: Tho' the particular Subjects of this Unction, and the Circumstances in which it ought to be done, will still deserve our farther very ferious Enquiry. Only Grotius obferves, that the Eastern Churches appointed the seven Presbyters to join in it. In loc. Jacobi. But more of this Matter hereafter.

About the Year 1736, the Jews in Duke'sPlace, by Aldgate, had a moft dreadful Fire, which confumed no small Part of their Dwellings in that Place, and many of the poorer Sort were thereupon under a very fore Degree of Diftrefs. When the News-writers informed the Publick of this terrible Calamity, a Christian Gentleman of a plentiful Estate of my Acquaintance, and a great Student in the Scriptures, without any Application, to fhew his universal Charity and Kindness to all in Distress, of what Denomination foever, fent me a Letter, with a Note of 110/. inclosed, to be received by me, and to permit me to apply the 107. to myself, and defired me to pay the 100l. to the Jews, towards their Relief, and fend him, the Jews Receipt for that Sum; but under a strict Charge

not to have himself named in the whole Tranfaction. Which Directions I executed accordingly. And altho' no-body but myself knew, nor does yet, I fuppofe, know his Name, yet does that Omnifcient Being, who is good to all, and whofe tender Mercies are over all his Works, know it, and will not let him go without his Reward, at the great Day. This I thought proper to mention, for the Honour of Chriftianity, and of fo good a Christian, as well as for the Example of others.

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About the fame Year 1736, and before Queen Caroline died, Mr. Jortin, a great and learned Friend of mine, and from whom I afterward received a Remedy of Sir Edward Hulfe's, for a great Disorder I was then in, which, by God's Bleffing, faved my Life, told me that the late Duke of Somerset, a great Athanafian, once forbad his Chaplain to read the Athanafian Creed (which I imagined was occafioned by a Suggestion from the Queen; to whom I had complained, that altho' fhe was Queen, that Creed was not yet laid afide :) whereupon Mr. Jortin left off the fame Creed for fome Time; till finding Preferment, of which he had not left off the Expectation, was not to be had without complying with the Church in that Matter, re-affumed the reading of it. Mr. Fortin has alfo lately published a very good Book for the Chriftian Religion: Which I fuppofe he believes, as do the reft of his Brethren, but hardly in Earnest, fo as to fuffer any Thing for it. Which believ

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believing in earnest, it is next to impoffible for one of his Abilities to do, while he has not publickly repented of his having fo often formerly curfed the Eufebians, or primitive Chriftinas. In which Cafe I believe on the primitive Church, even after the Repentance of the offending Clergy, would have only admitted them to Lay-Communion.

In the Year 1736, I published Athanafian Forgeries, Impofitions, and Interpolations, under the Title of, A Lover of Truth, and of true Religion, 8vo. But I confefs I was myself the Author of that Pamphlet, as well as of its Appendix; being An Appeal to thirty primitive Councils against the Athanafian Herefy: Of which presently, 8vo. Price of the first s. 6 d. of the fecond 3 d.

The fame Year 1736, I published, The primi tive Eucharift Revived: Or, an Account of the two first Centuries concerning the Celebration of the Lord's Supper; occafioned by a late Tréatife of Bishop Hoadley's, intituled, A plain Account of the Nature and End of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, 8vo. Price 1 s. 6d.

N. B. The Appendix to my New Theory, tho' written 1718, was not printed and added to the New Theory itself, till its fifth Edition, this Year 1736.

N. B. Jofephus's Homily concerning Hades, with its Defence, was alfo firft published in 8vo by itfelf the fame Year 1736. Price 6 d. But being inferted as the Vth and VIth Differtations prefix'd

to

to my Jofephus, of which presently, they need not be farther confidered in this Place.

I publifhed the next Year 1737, The Aftronomical Year: Or, an Account of the many remarkable cœleftial Phænomena of the great Year 1736. Particularly of the Comet which was foretold by Sir Ifaac Newton, and came accordingly. 8vo. Price 6 d.

On this Year alfo 1736, the late Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Potter, was removed from Oxford to Lambeth. I have fome Reason to speak my Mind freely of him, and of the most unhappy Change this great Exaltation made in him, because the late Queen, when Confultation, was had who should be made Archbishop, asked me about his Character, and the Book he had written against the Eraftians, or for the Ecclefiaftical Authority, as diftinct from the State. For his Character at that Time was with me as one of great Piety, Learning, and Moderation; and an excellent Paftor of a Parish, as I heard afterward, without any Marks of Pride or Vanity; whom I accordingly recommended to her Majefty, as one proper to be Archbishop; which I then fincerely wished he might be. As to his Book, I faid it was a very good one; and that he proved his Points very well; only that he had taken one Thing for granted at laft, which he could not prove; namely, "That Conftantine the Great did well in giving "temporal Power to the Clergy." I then little dreamed that this Dr, Potter, by going to Lambeth, would take high and pontifical State upon him;

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