is said he might afterwards have been raised to any bishopric in the kingdom, if he would have conformed to the established church.

Dr. Bates bore a tnost excellent character. Mr. Baxter styles him a learned, judicious, and moderate divine. Mr. John Howe, formerly fellow of Magdalen College in Oxford, in his funeral sermon for him on John xi. 16. has given his character at large. He represents him as a man of the most graceful appearance and deportment; of strong natural abilities, and extensive learning; of an admirable memory; a great collector and devourer of books; of the most agreeable and useful conversation; and remarkable for a peculiar spirit of moderation, and zeal for union among christians, and was honoured with the esteem and acquaintance of lord keeper Bridgman, lord chancellor Finch, and his son, the earl of Nottingham. Dr. Tillotson had such an opinion of our nonconformist's learning and temper, that it became the ground of a friendship between them, which continued to the death of that prelate. Dr. Bates used his interest with the archbishop, in procuring a pardon for Dr. Nathanael Crew, bishop of Durham, who, for his conduct in the ecclesiastical commission, had been excepted out of the act of indemnity, which passed in 1690. When the dissenters presented their address to K. William and Q. Mary, on their accession to the throne, the two speeches to their majesties were delivered by Dr. Bates. The doctor was much respected by K. William; and Q. Mary often employed herself in her closet with his writings. His residence, during the latter part of his life, was at Hackney, where he preached to a respectable society of Protestant Dissenters; and at that place he died, on the 14th of July, 1699, in the 74th year of his age.

As to his character, it was, through grace, of the most exemplary kind. He had great natural talents, and great acquired abilities; and his happiness it was to employ the whole in the service of God and his people. "In giving some account of him (says the no less excellent Mr. Howe, in his funeral sermon upon Dr. Bates) one cannot omit taking notice of the graceful mien and comeliness of his person, which was adapted to command respect in that public station for which Providence designed him. His concern lay not only with mean men, (though he knew how to condescend to the meanest,) he was to stand before kings. It is well known in what relation he stood to one, namely, K.

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Charles II. to whom he was chaplain,) as long as was convenient for certain purposes; and how frequent occasion he had of appearing (never unacceptably) before another, namely, K. William III. His aspect was decently grave and amiable, such as might command both reverence and love. To use his own words, (concerning alderman Ashurst,) “a constant serenity reigned in his countenance; the visible sign of the divine calm in his breast." His endowments (says another writer) were much beyond the common rate. His apprehension was quick and clear: his reasoning faculty acute and ready, so as to manage an argument to great advantage, His judgement was penetrating and solid: his wit never light or vain, though facetious and pleasant, by the help of a vigorous and lively imagination, always obedient to reason. His memory was admirable, and was never observed to fail; nor was it impaired to the last. He could repeat, verbatim, speeches which he had made on particular occasions, though he had not penned a word of them; and he constantly delivered his sermons from his memory, which he sometimes said, with an amiable freedom, he continued to do when he grew in years, partly to teach some, who were younger, to preach without notes. He was generally reputed one of the best orators of the age. His voice was charming: his language always neat and fine; but unaffected, free, and plain. Hence he was called the silver-tongued Dr. Bates by his contemporaries; for it seems to have been indeed a well-tuned cymbal." His method in all his dis courses might be exposed to the severest critics. His style was polite, yet easy, and to himself the most natural. His frequent and apt similitudes and allusions (the produce of a vivid fancy, regulated by judgement and sanctified by grace,) greatly served his pious purpose, to illustrate the truth he designed to recommend, and give it the greatest advantage for entering the mind with light and pleasure, so as at once to instruct and delight the hearer. That fine way of expressing himself, which some were disposed to censure was become habitual to him, and he pleased others by it much more than himself; for he commended Mr. Baxter for "the noble negligence of his style," and says "that his great mind could not stoop to the affected eloquence of words.""Very excellent men (said Mr. Howe, speaking upon this point) excel in different ways: the most radiant stones may differ in colour, where they do not in value."-His learning was a vast treasure, and his knowledge of books so great, that one who was as great a pillar and as bright an ornament of S2

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the church of England as ever it had, was known to "that were he to collect a library, he would as soon co sult Dr. Bates as any one he knew."-" I never knew a one (says Mr. Howe) more frequent or affectionate in the miration of divine grace, upon all occasions, than he w as none had a deeper sense of the impotence and pravity human nature. Into what transports of admiration of t love of God have I seen him break forth, when some thin not immediately relating to practical godliness had taken great part of our time! How easy a step did he make of from earth to heaven! With what high flights of thoug and affection was he wont to speak of the heavenly stat Even like a man much more akin to the other world th this. Let those who often visited him say, whether he d not usually send them away with somewhat that tended better their spirits, and quicken them in their way heave wards." His funeral sermon was preached by Mr. Howe, before-mentioned, and contains a most passionate lament tion of his death, in a strength of language peculiar to th great writer. It is often to be met with alone in 12mo.

It appears from Dr. Bates's own account of himself, th he had for some years been remarkably infirm. In the b ginning of his funeral sermon for Dr. Jacomb, preached Apr 3, 1687, when he was about sixty-two years of age, he say "O frail and faithless life of man! Who would have though that Dr. Jacomb, whose natural vigour and firm complexio promised a longer continuance here, should have a perio put to his days, and that I should survive, whose life ha been preserved for many years, like the weak light of lamp in the open airt."

He was author of, 1." Discourses on the Existence of God; th Immortality of the Soul; and the Divinity of the Christian Re ligion."-2. "The Harmony of the Divine Attributes."-3." Th great Duty of Resignation."-4. "The Danger of Prosperity."5. "Sermons on Forgiveness of Sins."-6. The sure Trial o Uprightness."-7. "The four last Things; viz. Death, Judgement Heaven, and Hell: In which his Book called, The Final Happines of Man is included."-8. " Of Spiritual Perfection."-9. "Eleve Sermons on several Occasions."-10. "A Sermon on the Death o

†The whole of this sermon, containing twenty folio pages, upon Jo xii. 26. is an admirable performance; particularly that part of it which re lates to the ministerial character and duty. It contains a number of th most striking passages, and the most beautiful illustrations that are ap where to be met with. The editor takes the liberty of recommending th attentive perusal of it to every christian minister, who has Dr. Bates works in his possession, or can procure the use of them.

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Queen Mary."-11. "On the Death of Dr. Manton."-12. " On the Death of Dr. Jacomb."-13. " On the Death of Mr. Baxter." 14. On the Death of Mr. David Clarkson,'-15. “On the Death of Mr. Benjamin Ashurst."—16. "On Divine Meditation."→→→ 17. On the Fear of God." &c.-18. "The Lives of several eminent Persons in Latin f."

The above eighteen pieces, which had been separately printed, were collected into one volume in folio; besides which a posthumous piece of his appeared in octavo, containing some "Sermons on the Everlasting Rest of the Saints" He wrote, likewise, in conjunction with Mr. Howe,, "A Prefatory Epistle to Mr. Chaffy's Treatise of the Sabbath," upon its being reprinted; and another before lord Stair's "Vindication of the Divine Attributes."

Dr. Bates is universally understood to have been the litest writer among the Nonconformists of the times.

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BATH, ROBERT, was born in Kent in 1604, and was sent by Archbishop Laud, who was uncle to Mr. Bath's wife, to the rectory of Rochdale in Lancashire. The archbi shop's expectations were greatly disappointed by his proving a Puritan. Mr. Bath heartily agreed with the ministers of the county, and joined with the second classis at Bury. Rather than ensnare his conscience, he left his rectory, though of considerable value, after he had been possessed of it upwards of thirty years. Whitaker acquaints us, that "he complied with all the changes of the times but the last, and retained his benefice till Aug. 24, 1662; when he retired to a small house at Deepleach Hill, in Castleton, where he frequently preached to crowded auditories." On the passing of the Oxford Act, he was forced to leave his family; but upon the king's Indulgence he returned home, and preached to a numerous assembly, in a place called

The exact title of this very excellent performance is, " Vitæ selectorum aliquot Virorum qui Doctrina, Dignitate aut Pietate incluruere." The number of lives is thirty-two, written by various authors, most of whose names are prefixed. Six of them are anonymous. The life of B. Gilpin by Carleton, written in English, was translated into Latin by Dr. Bates; aud another written in French, translated by another person, at his request. The Dr.'s name is not in the title page, but it is at the end of the dedication to Lord Russel; whence it appears, from the expression "Nonnullis de novo additis," that though he was not the author of this work, he made some additions to it. Dr. Calamy had mentioned this work as intitled "Batesii Vitæ selectæ," (probably from the lettering on the back) which has led some to suppose that he was the author. For this reason, says Mr. Palmer, I have given the above circumstantial account, commu nicated in substance by Dr. Furneaux; and the rather as the book is scarce and very little known. It is a large 4to.

Underhill.

be very proper to take notice of them here, because they will serve to acquaint the reader with the character of the man. Being settled at Dudley, he came into the acquaintance of several nonconformists, whom he found to be godly and honest men. They supplied him with several writings on their own side, and amongst the rest, with Ames's "Fresh Suit against Ceremonies," which he read over very distinctly, comparing it with Dr. Burgess's "Rejoynder. Being settled at Dudley, he preached frequently in that town, and in the neighbouring villages, with the approbation of all his hearers. In three quarters of a year he was removed to Bridgenorth, where he officiated as assistant to Mr. William Madstard, then minister of that place, who treated him with great kindness and respect, and did not put him upon many things which he then began to scruple doing. When the ET CETERA Oath came to be imposed, Mr. Baxter applied himself to study the case of episcopacy, and it fared with him as with some others, the thing which was intended to fix them to the hierarchy, drove them into a dislike of it *.

Men of tender consciences thought it hard to swear to the continuance of a church government, which many of them disliked; and yet these men, for the church's quiet, would willingly have concealed their thoughts, had not this oath, imposed under the penalty of expulsion, compelled them to speak. Others complained of the ET CETERA, which, they said, contained they knew not what, and might be extended to they knew not whom, but in all probability to the officers of ecclesiastical courts; and to swear to them they thought not only a little extraordinary, but very far from being lawful. Mr. Baxter seems to have understood

In order to have a just idea of this matter, it is necessary to transcribe this famous oath at large; whence it will appear why some very honest men scrupled it, and why some as honest men took it without scruple. It runs thus: "1 A. B. do swear, that I do approve the doctrine and discipline, or government established in the church of England, as containing all things necessary to salvation: and that I will not endeavour by myself or any other, directly or indirectly, to bring in any popish 'doctrine, contrary to that which is so established; nor will I ever give my consent to alter the government of the church, by archbishops, bishops, deans, and archdeacons, &c. as it stands now established, and as by right it ought to stand, nor yet ever to subject it to the usurpation and "superstitions of the see of Rome. And all these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear, according to the plain and common sense and understanding of the same words, without any equivocation or mental evasion, or secret reservation whatsoever. And this I do heartily, willingly, and truly, upon the faith of a Christian. So help me God, in Jesus Christ."

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