Memorials and characters, together with the lives of divers eminent and worthy persons. Consisting chiefly of ... examples of piety and virtue ... from the year 1600 to the present time / Collected and compiled from above one hundred and fifty different authors, several scarce pieces and some original manuscripts, communicated to the editor. To which is added an appendix of monumental inscriptions, in Latin and English.

Wilford, John, active 1716-1742

Date:: 1741

Credit: Memorials and characters, together with the lives of divers eminent and worthy persons. Consisting chiefly of ... examples of piety and virtue ... from the year 1600 to the present time / Collected and compiled from above one hundred and fifty different authors, several scarce pieces and some original manuscripts, communicated to the editor. To which is added an appendix of monumental inscriptions, in Latin and English. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$C“A;f »/As he was av^ ^ ^ J’jH,,* view of that Holy Religion, yout Chnftian. He ha p prftices or the Sournefs of Parties, that as he was fully per- feparated from either f P ft ;ndeed who„ ffefe.d with it> fo he rejoiced in every Difco- fuaded of the Tiuth, jjhiftrate it, or to take off the Objections againft any very that Natuie iuimff 1 . o n r ^rutjls which ought to purify the Hearts X:p vts&L% X sssS o{ PnsTruthof the Corifiian Religion into Arabick, and was at the Charge of a whole Im- oi the 1 ruto oj r« t /. j *, . flatter’d in all the Countries where that Language preffion which he too-refoived todhave carried on the Impreffion of the New Teflament in thTnrki/h Language, but the Company thought it became them to be the Doers of it, aru fo fuffer’d hhn only to rive a large Share towards it. He was at 700 /. Charge in the Edition io lutterci mm omy i g & d t0 be diftributed in Ireland 5 and he contributed liberally teth to fe Weffions of the Weljh Bible, and of the Irijh Bible for Scotland. He gave du¬ ring his Life 300 /. to advance the Defign of propagating the Chnftian Rehg.on in fnenca- .nfas foon as he heard that the Eafi-India Company were entertaining Propofitions for the life Defign in the Eaft, he prefen tly lent 100 /. for a Beginning and an Example, butmtended o tnyft much further when it fhould be fet on Foot to that Purpofe. Thus was his * lively andlffeftuai in the greateft and trueft Concerns of Religion -but he avoided to enter far into the unhappy Breaches that have fo long weaken’d as well as diJlradiedChriftiarnty,any other- wife than I have a greatAverjionto all thofe Morality and Charity. He had a moft particular Zeal againft all severities and 1 eiiecutions upon Account of Religion. I have feldom obferved him to {peak,with more Heat and In lg- narion than when that came in his Way. He did thoroughly agree with the DoSnnes of our Church and conform to our Worfiip; and he approved of the Main of our ConJhtuUon, but much lamented Lie Abufes that he thought remainedftill among us. He gave eminent Inftances of his for the Clergy: Two of “theft I lhall only mention. When he underftood what a share he had in Impropriations, he order'd very large Gifts to be made to the Incumbents in thole Pari flies, and to the Widows of fuch as had died before he had reiolved on t is C ra¬ rity The Sums, as I have been inform’d by one that was concern d 111 two Diftnbutions tl a “ Jre made amounted upon thofe two Occafions to near 600 /. and another very liberal one P alfo orderid by his Will, but in an indefinite Sum, I fuppofe, by reafon of the prefent Con¬ dition of Eftates in Ireland. So plentifully did he iupply thofe who lerved at the Altai, om of that which was once devoted to it, tho' it be now converted to a temporal Eftate. Another Inftance of his Senfe of the fiicred Funflions went much deeper. Scon after the Re¬ flation in the Year Sixty, the great Minified of that Time prefs'd him, both by h.mfelr and w another who was then likewife in a high Poll, to enter into Orders. He did it not merely out of a Refpeft to him and his Family, but chiefly out of his Regard to tl.e Church, uia, he thought would receive a great Strengthening as well as a powerful Example from one w no, U- he once enter'd into Holy Orders, would be quickly at the Top. This he told me made Come Impreffions on him. His Mind was, even then at Three and thirty, fo in.irely d.fen- . wed from all the Projeas and Concerns of this World, that as the Profpea of Dignity m the Church could not move him much, fo the Probabilities of Ins doing Good in it was much . J>ht, ms. in the Months of S'ptember, Oelder, Nmmlsr, Jamary. RWp, March, April, am] May; which ate generally preach'd at the Church ot Si. Mary U Bow. » B*aari Earl of Uanndoa.$

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