placed with the reft of his family; and on the other fix preachers; among whom were Dr. John Owen, dean of Christchurch, in Oxford; Dr. Thomas Goodwin, prefident of MagdaJen-college; Mr. Jofeph Caryl, author of the voluminous commentary on Job, and rector of St, Magnus in London; and Mr. Peter Steny. The bold fallies of enthufiafm which Mr. Tillotfon heard upon this occafion, were fufficient to difguft a man lefs difpofed to it than he was both by temper and principles. God was, in a manner, reproached with the deceased protector's fervices, and challenged for taking him away fo foon. Dr. Goodwin, who had pretended to affure them, in a prayer, a very few minutes before he expired, that he was not to die, had now the affurance to say to God, "Thou haft deceived us, and we weredeceived." And Mr. Steny, praying for Richard, ufed thefe indecent words, next to blafphemy, "Make him the brightness of the father's glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon."

The time of Mr. Tillotfon's entering into. holy-orders, and by whom he was ordained, are facts we have not been able to determine but his first fermon which appeared in print, was preached at the morning exercise at Cripplegate, on Matth. vii. 13. At the time of preaching this fermon he was ftill among the Prefbyterians, whofe commiffioners he attended, though as an auditor only, at the Savoy,

G 5

Savoy, for the review of the Liturgy, in July, 1661; but he immediately fubmitted to the act of uniformity, which commenced on St. Bartholomew's day, in the year enfuing.

The first office in the church in which we find him employed after the restoration, was that of curate at Chefhunt, in Hertfordshire, in the years 1661 and 1662. Here Mr. Tillotfon is faid, by his mild and gentle behaviour, and perfuafive eloquence, to have prevailed with an Oliverian foldier, who preached among the Anabaptists in that town in a red coat, and was much followed, to defift from that, and betake himself to fome other employ

ment.

The fhort diftance of Chefhunt from London, allowing him frequent opportunities of vifiting his frends in that city, he was frequently invited into the pulpits there. And on the fixteenth of December 1662 he was elected minister of the adjoining parish of St. Mary Aldermanbury, by the parishoners, in whom the right of choice is invefted.

But Mr.

Tillotion declined the acceptance of that living, however he did not continue long without the offer of another benefice, which he accepted, being prefented in June 1663 to the rectory of Ketton or Keddington, in the county of Suffolk, worth two hundred pounds a year. But fhortly after, being called to London, by the fociety of Lincoln's-inn, to be their preacher; which invitation was so agreeable

able to Mr. Tillotson, that he determined to fettle himself intirely, among them, and tho' in the intervals of the terms he could have given a large part of the year, to his parish in Suffolk; yet fo ftrict was he to the paftoral care in point of refidence, that he refigned that living, even when his income in London could fcarce fupport him The reputation, which his preaching gained him in fo confpicuous a station as that of Lincoln's inn, recommended him the year following, to the trustees of the Tuesday lecture, at St. Lawrence Jewry, founded by Elizabeth viscountefs Camden. And there he was commonly attended by a numerous audience, brought together from the remotest parts of the metropolis, and by a great concourfe of clergy, who came thither to form their minds. The high reputation of Dr. John Wilkins, and the intereft of Villiers duke of Buckingham, having at laft, notwithstanding the oppofition of archbishop Sheldon, and other great men of the church, induced the king to advance him to a bishopric, Dr. Tillotson was defired to preach the fermon on Sunday the fifteenth of November 1668, in the chapel at Ely-houfe. Dr. Tillotfon was now related to bishop Wilkins, by the marriage of his daughter in-law, Elizabeth French, who was neice to Oliver Cromwell, however, his averfnefs to folicitation, did not prevent his merit from having juftice done it, by the intereft which it gained him even at court, as well as in the city, for

upon

upon the promotion of Dr. Peter Gunning to the bishopric of Chichester, in February in 1669-70, in the room of Dr. Henry King, he was collated to the prebend of the second fall in the cathedral of Canterbury, which had been held by the new bishop, and was admitted to it on the fourteenth of March. He kept this prebend till he was advanced to the deanry of that church, in October 1672. Nor was Canterbury the only cathedral, in which Dr. Tillotfon was preferred, for on the eigthteenth of December 1675, he was prefented to the prebend of Ealdland, in that of St, Paul's London, which he refigned for that at Oxgate, and a refidentiaryfhip in the fame church, on the fourteenth of February, 1677-8. This laft preferment was obtained. for him by the interest of his friend Dr. John Sharp, afterwards archbishop of York. The friendship between the dean and Dr, Sharpe was occofioned by an accidental meeting upon this occafion. Mr. Joshua Tillotson the dean's brother, was a wet and dry falter, or cilman, in London, of which trade was the doctor's father, Mr., Thomas Sharp at Bradford in Yorkshire. The Dr. returning from thence, into Sir Heneage Finch's family, with a bill drawn on Mr. Joshua Tilloton, happen.ed to meet at his houfe Dr. Tillotfon who finding Mr. Sharp to be his countryman, and a young clergyman fetting out into the world, being above fourteen years younger than himself, with his ufual goodness and civility, took particular notice of him, and

after

after some converfation gave Mr. Sharp leave to come freely to his houfe, whenever he pleased, and to have recourfe to him as often as he thought it might be serviceable to him. Mr. Sharp judged this a moft fortunate interview. and himfelf extremely happy in fo valuable an acquaintance, and ever after spoke with pleasure of this incident. The dean of Canterbury had now been fome years chaplain to king Charles II, though his majesty had no kindness for him, according to the fuggeftion of bishop Burnet, admitted by Dr. Hickes. But to whomfoever he owed his preferments, which can only be confidered as the just rewards of his extraordinary merits, they had no other effect upon him, than to enlarge his capacity of doing good. He neither flackened his labours, nor advanced his fortunes by them, but gave as much of his time and la bours to his cathedral, as could agree with his other obligations. And all that he defired afterwards upon the revolution was fuch a change of his deanry of Canterbury for that of St. Paul's, as confiderably leffened his income, by the refignation of his refidentiary. fhip of the latter, but delivered him from the invidious load of having two dignities. The rife of his intereft with the prince and princefs of Orange, with the confequence of it in his advancement to the fee of Canterbury, has been ascribed to an accident, which is fuppofed to have happened in the year 1677, and is thus reprefented by one of our hiftorians as drawn