I fhall not add much of the Bishops that have been in that Church fince the laft re-eftablishing of the Order, but that I have obferved among the few of them, to whom I had the honour to be known particularly, as great and as exemplary things, as ever I met with in all Ecclefiaftical Hiftory: Not only the practice of the ftricteft of all the Ancient Ca nons, but a pitch of Virtue and Piety beyond what can fall under common imitation, or be made the measure of even the moft Angelical Rank of Men; and faw things in them that would look liker fair Ideas, than what Men cloathed with Flesh and Blood could grow up to. But of this I will fay no more, fince those that are concerned are yet alive, and their Character is too fingular, not to make them to be as easily known, if I enlarged up on it, as if I named them. * But of one that is dead I may be allowed to say somewhat; with whom the See of A berdeen was as happy in this Age, as it was in his worthy Predeceffor Forbes in the laft both in the number of the years, for he fat fe venteen years in that Chair, and in the rare qualities that dignified them both almoft equally. He alfo faw his Son fill the Divinity Chair, as the other had done; but here was the fatal difference, that he only lived long enough The worthy Perfon here meant, is dead fince this was put in the Prefs; but both his Name and a more particular ac count of him, as it well deferves a Book by it felf, so will haps be given on another occafion. per enough to raise the greatest expectation that I ever knew upon any of that Nation of his standing; for when all hoped to fee in him a fecond Dr. Forbes, or, to bring it nearer home, another Bishop Scougall, for that was his Father's name, he died very young. The endearing gentleness of the Father to all that differed from him, his great ftrictness in giving Orders, his moft unaffected humility and contempt of the World, were things fo fingular in him, that they deferved to be much more admired than his other Talents, which were also extraordinary, a wonderful strength of Judgment, a dexterity in the conduct of Affairs, which he imployed chiefly in the making up of Differences, and a Difcretion in his whole deportment. For he had a way of Familiarity, by which he gave every body all fort of freedom with him, and in which at the fame time he inspired them with a veneration for him, and by that he gained fo much on their affections, that he was confidered as the common Father of his whole Diocess, and the Diffenters themselves feemed to esteem him no lefs than the Conformifts did. He took great pleafure in difcourfing often with young Divines, and fet himself to frame in them right and generous Notions of the Chriftian Religion, and of the Paftoral Care; so that a fett of Men grew up under his Labours, that carry ftill on them clear Characters of his fpirit and temper. One One thing more I will add, which may af ford a more general Inftruction. Several years ago he obferv'd a great heat in fome young Minds, that, as he believed, had very good intentions, but were too forward, and complained much of abufes, calling loudly, and not very decently, for a Reformation of them: Upon which he told them, the noise made about reforming abuses was the likelieft way to keep them up; for that would raise heats and difputes, and would be afcribed to envy and faction in them; and ill-minded Men, that loved the abuses for the advantages they made by them, would blaft and mifreprefent those that went about to correct them, by which they would fall under the jealousy of being ill affected to the Church; and they being once loaded with this prejudice, would be difabled from doing the good, of which they might otherwise be the Inftruments: Therefore he thought a Reformation of Abuses ought to be carried on by every one in his ftation, with no other noife than what the things themselves muft neceffarily produce, and then the filent way of conviction that is raised by great Patterns would fpeak louder, and would recommend fuch Practices more ftrongly, as well as more modeftly. Difcourses work but upon fpeculative People; and it has been fo long the method of factious and ill defigning Men, to accufe publick Errors, that he wished thofe, to whom he ad dreffed dreffed his advice, would give over all thoughts of mending the World, which was grown too old in wickedness to be easily corrected; and would only fet themfelves to do what good they could, with lefs noife; and fo to give lefs occafion to angry people to quarrel with them; and to juftify thofe abufes which are by fuch indifcreet oppofition kept in fome credit, and preferved; whereas without that they must have fallen under fo general an Odium, that few could have the face to excuse them. And now I have done with this digreffion; which not being at all foreign to my defign of raifing the credit due to that venerable Order. I fhall make no Apology for it; but fhall come next to the fubject of the following Book. I had a great Collection of Memorials put put in my hands by a worthy and learned Divine, Mr. Clogy, who as he lived long in this Bishop's Houfe, fo being afterwards Minifter at Cavan, had occafion to know him well: And as he had a great zeal to see the Juftice done to his Memory and the Service done to the World, which the putting thefe in order, and the publishing them muft needs produce; fo he judged it would come better' from another hand than his, that was fo much obliged by him, that it might be thought affection and gratitude had biaffed him too much. I confefs my part in this was fo fmall, that I can scarce affume any thing to my self, but the copying out what was put in my hands. Lives b |