1665. least sought for, their sense of spiritual things, and of the pastoral care. In these he thought their strength lay. And he often lamented, not without some indignation, that, in the disputes about the government of the church, much pains were taken to seek out all those passages that shewed what their opinions were; but that due care was not taken to set out the notions that they had of the sacred function, of the preparation of mind, and inward vocation, with which men ought to come to holy orders, or of the strictness of life, the deadness to the world, the heavenly temper, and the constant application to the doing of good, that became them. Of these he did not talk like an angry reformer, that set up in that strain, because he was neglected or provoked; but like a man full of a deep, but humble sense of them. He was a great enemy to large confessions of faith, chiefly when they were imposed in the lump as tests: for he was positive in very few things. He had gone through the chief parts of learning: but was then most conversant in history, as the innocentest sort of study, that did not fill the mind with subtilty, but helped to make a man wiser and better. These were both single persons, and men of great sobriety: and they lived in a constant low diet, which they valued more than severer fasting. Yet they both became miserable by the stone. Nairn went to Paris, where he was cut of a great one, of which he recovered, but lived not many years after. Charteris lived to a great age, and died in the end of the year 1700, having in his last years suffered unspeakable torment from the stone, which the operators would not venture to cut. But all that saw what he suffered, and how he bore it, acknowledged that in him they 1665. saw a most perfect pattern of patience and submission to the will of God. It was a great happiness for me, after I had broke into the world by such a ramble as I had made, that I fell into such hands, with whom I entered into a close and particular friendship. They both set me right, and kept me right; though I made at this time a sally that may be mentioned, since it had some relation to public affairs. I observed the deportment of our bishops was in all points so different from what became their function, that I had a more than ordinary zeal kindled within me upon it. They were not only furious against all that stood out against them, but 217 were very remiss in all the parts of their function. Some did not live within their diocese. And those who did, seemed to take no care of them: they shewed no zeal against vice: the most eminently wicked in the county were their particular confidents: they took no pains to keep their clergy strictly to rules, and to their duty on the contrary, there was a levity and a carnal way of living about them, that very much scandalized me. There was indeed one Scougal, bishop of Aberdeen, that was a man of rare temper, great piety and prudence: but I thought he was too much under Sharp's conduct, and was at least too easy to him 5. grievances Upon all this I took a resolution of drawing up a Some of the memorial of the grievances we lay under by the ill of the clerconduct of our bishops. I resolved, that no other fore the bi (See a high character of this bishop, and of his son, who was the author of the book entitled, The Life of God in the Soul of Man, in bishop Bur- gy laid be shops. 1665. person besides my self should have a share in any trouble it might bring on me: so I communicated it to none. This made it not to be in all the parts of it so well digested, as it otherwise might have been: and I was then but three and twenty. I laid my foundation in the constitution of the primitive church; and shewed how they had departed from it, by their neglecting their diocese, meddling so much in secular affairs, raising their families out of the revenues of the church, and above all by their violent prosecuting of those who differed from them. Of this I writ out some copies, and signed them, and sent them to all the bishops of my acquaintance. Sharp was much alarmed at it, and fancied I was set on to it by some of the lord Lauderdale's friends. I was called before the bishops, and treated with great severity. Sharp called it a libel. I said I had set my name to it, so it could not be called a libel. He charged me with the presumption of offering to teach my superiors. I said, such things had been not only done, but justified in all ages. He charged me for reflecting on the king's putting them on his counsels: I said, I found no fault with the king for calling them to his counsels. But with them for going out of that which was their proper province, and for giving ill counsel. Then he charged me for reflecting on some severities, which, he said, was a reproaching public courts, and a censuring the laws. I said, laws might be made in terrorem, not always fit to be executed: but I only complained of clergymen's pressing the rigorous execution of them, and going often beyond what the law dictated. He broke out into a great vehemence; and proposed to the bishops, that I should be summarily deprived and excommunicated: but 1665. none of them would agree to that. By this management of his the thing grew public. What I had ventured on was variously censured: but the greater part approved of it. Lord Lauderdale and 1666. all his friends were delighted with it: and he gave 218 the king an account of it, who was not ill pleased at it. Great pains was taken to make me ask pardon, but to no purpose: so Sharp let the thing fall". But, that it might appear that I had not done it upon any factious design, I entered into a very close state of retirement; and gave my self wholly to my study, and the duties of my function. war. Thus I have run over the state of Scotland in the 1664. Affairs in years 1663, 1664, 1665, and till near the end of England. 1666. I now return to the affairs of England; in which I must write more defectively, being then so far from the scene. In winter 1664, the king de- The Dutch clared his resolution of entering into a war with the Dutch. The grounds were so slight, that it was visible there was somewhat more at bottom than was openly owned. A great comet, which appeared that winter, raised the apprehensions of those who did not enter into just speculations concerning those matters. The house of commons was so far from examining nicely into the grounds of the war, that without any difficulty they gave the king two millions and a half for carrying it on. A great fleet was set out, which the duke commanded in person; h (Dr. Cockburn, a nephew of Scougal, bishop of Aberdeen, gives a different account of Burnet's conduct in this affair. See Specimen of Remarks, &c. occa- broke out at the same time. 1665. as Opdam had the command of the Dutch fleet. The plague But as soon as the war broke out, a most terrible plague broke out also in the city of London, that scattered all the inhabitants that were able to remove themselves elsewhere. It broke the trade of the nation, and swept away about an hundred thousand souls; the greatest havock that any plague had ever made in England. This did dishearten all people and coming in the very time in which so unjust a war was begun, it had a dreadful appearance. All the king's enemies and the enemies of monarchy said, here was a manifest character of God's heavy displeasure upon the nation; as indeed the ill life the king led, and the viciousness of the whole court, gave but a melancholy prospect. Yet God's ways are not as our ways. What all had seen in the year 1660 ought to have silenced those who at this time pretended to comment on providence. But there will be always much discourse of things that are very visible, as well as very extraordinary. The victory at sea not When the two fleets met, it is well known what followed. accidents disordered the Dutch, and what advantage the English had. If that first success had been followed, as was proposed, it might have been fatal to the Dutch, who, finding they had suffered so much, steered off. The duke ordered all the sail to be set on to overtake them. There was a council of war called, to concert the method of action, when they should come up with them. In that council Pen, who commanded under the duke, happened to say, that they must prepare for hotter work in the next engagement. He knew well the courage of the Dutch was never so high, as when they were desperate. The earl of Montague, who was then a |