ously concealed. His sufferings ended with the reign of Charles II. or, at least, in the beginning of the next reign; when Mr. Alsop's son, engaging in [what were termed] treasonable practices, was freely pardoned by king James. After this, our divine went frequently to court; and is generally supposed to have been the person who drew the address to that prince, for his general indulgence. After the revolution, Mr. Alsop gave very public testimonies of his affection for the government; yet, upon all occasions he spoke very respectfully of king James; and retained a very high sense of his clemency, in sparing his only son. The remainder of his life he spent in the exercise of his ministry, preaching once every Lord's day; had a Thursday lecture, and was, besides, one of the lecturers at Pinner's Hall. He lived to be a very old man, and preserved his spirits to the last."

Dr. Calamy, whom we have already quoted, gives the following instance of that intellectual vigour, which Mr. Alsop was so happy as to retain even to old age. "I was," says the doctor *, "very strictly examined by him before my ordination; at which time it falling to my lot to make and defend a Latin thesis upon this question which he himself gave me, An Christus officio sacerdotali fungatur in cœlis tantum? he (for argument's sake, as is the way of the schools) opposed me with all the vigour, smartness, and fluency of a young man, though he was then considerably advanced in years. This was

in the year 1694."

At length, this great and good man, full of days and of renown, slept in Jesus, on the 8th of May, 1703, at his house in Westminster.

It may not be unacceptable to the religious reader, if we acquaint him, that the place of worship, where Mr. Cawton, Mr. Alsop, and Dr. Calamy,

*Continuation, u. s.

were successive pastors, was very lately, repaireḍ and enlarged, by the pious munificence of an* elect lady, aided by the zeal and liberalities of other devout persons. So that the glorious gospel of the blessed God is again preached with power and with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, on that spot, and within those walls.

-Some time

*The late countess dowager of Huntingdon.previous to her ladyship's decease, the concerns of the above chapel were transmitted into the hands of others. It continues to the present, supported by the assistance of eminent evangelical ministers in the establishment, and of the dissenting community. EDITOR.

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE

12

RIGHT REV. DR. THOMAS WILSON,

LATE BISHOP OF SODOR AND MAN.

Few as the modern instances have been of sanctity in lawn; even the present century has seen a prelate, whose purity and simplicity of manners would have done honour to the primitive ages.

He was born, December 20, 1663, at BurtonWirral, near Chester; and, having received his school education in England, was sent, A. D. 1681, to perfect his studies in the university of Dublin; where he continued about eight years, and, at the stated periods, took his two first degrees in arts with singular reputation, on account of his literary attainments, and the unblameable regularity of his life. When of age for holy orders, he was ordained deacon, A. D. 1686, by the then bishop of Kildare and priest, A. D. 1689.

;

Not long afterwards he quitted the university, on being appointed travelling tutor to lord Strange, eldest son to the earl of Derby. But before the young nobleman had completed the tour of Europe, he died in Italy, at the end of three years from their first setting out; and good Mr. Wilson returned with an heavy heart to England. He had, however, acquitted himself so faithfully, and so well in his care of his deceased pupil, that the earl nominated him to the bishopric of Man; and king William approving the choice, our bishop was admitted to a Lambeth degree of Doctor in Laws, and received his episco

pal consecration at the Savoy chapel in London, on the 16th of January, 1697, from the hands of Sharp, archbishop of York; assisted by Moore, bishop of Norwich, and Stratford, bishop of Chester.

From his first acceptance of this see, he determined to reside with his flock, that he might watch over them, as one that must give a speedy and solemn account of his spiritual stewardship. Repairing, therefore, to the Isle of Man, he took possession of his bishopric, with the usual formalities (which, there, are very peculiar); and, by the strictness of his life and conversation, soon began to shine as a light in a dark place.

The year after, viz. in October, 1698, he gave his hand to Mrs. Mary Patten, daughter of Thomas Patten, Esq. of Warrington, in Lancashire; who was directly descended from the elder brother of William Patten (commonly called, from the place of his nativity, William Wainfleet), the devout and munificent bishop of Winchester, who founded Magdalen College, in Oxford, and who died A. D. 1486. This great prelate was hardly more distinguished by his works of piety and liberality, than by his invariable gratitude to his patron, king Henry VI; to whom he stedfastly adhered, and for whose sake he suffered many mortifying inconveniencies, when that prince was deposed, and the house of York became the reigning family. Wainfleet's monument is still remaining, in the cathedral of Winchester. He lies over against cardinal Beaufort; and his tomb, which does not appear to have received any injury during the civil wars, is one of the most elegant and majestic pieces of Gothic architecture in England.

If a bishop ever merited the title of Right Rev. Father, it was Dr. Wilson; who might truly be styled the father of his clergy, and of the whole island. His benevolent care to augment the revenues, to improve the knowledge, and to regulate the lives, of the parochial incumbents; his care to put

the various schools, in his diocese, on such a footing, as to render them seminaries of strict morals and of sound learning; the zeal he showed, and the expences he sustained, in causing the Bible, the liturgy, and other useful books, to be translated into the Manks language, and distributed through the country; together with many instances of piety and liberality, not confined to his own immediate connections, but extending to England, and even far beyond the boundaries of Europe; demonstrated, that, where the heart is fully bent on promoting the glory of God, great things may be done, without the assistance of extraordinary opulence.

He rightly judged, that to employ the young and healthy poor, was rendering them a more substantial service, than by giving them small pecuniary supplies. Hence, he constantly found something for a considerable number of them to do. His method was, to assemble all his workmen, and domestic servants, in his chapel belonging to his palace, before they entered on the various business of the day, at six in the morning, during the summer season; and, in the winter at seven. On these early occasions, he hardly ever failed being his own chaplain; making it a rule, to read the whole service himself, and to dismiss his domestics, and his labourers, with his blessing: which he pronounced, in the true spirit of prayer, with peculiar solemnity and affection. At meal times, his hospitable table was open, not only to his friends and neighbours, but also to his meanest workmen,

*How different his conduct, from that of a certain great church→ man, now living in Ireland! Not long ago, he was repairing his palace there and the labourers were allowed a moderate quantity of small beer daily. But when his lordship paid them off, they found themselves obliged to abate part of their wages, in proportion to the quantity of small beer which they had respectively drank. One of the men, more arch, and less ceremonious, than the rest, addressed him as follows: "I believe, your lordship is the first b- -p that ever sold small beer. I have a good mind to prosecute you, for presuming to sell malt liquor without a licence." -This anecdote is authentic.