injustice. Amidst all his business he found leisure to look into his affairs; well knowing that frugality is the support of charity. His intimacies were but few; it was his endeavour, as he thought the spirit of Christianity required, to dilate, rather than to contract his affections. Yet where he professed a particular friendship, he was a religious observer of its offices. He was a most candid interpreter of the words and actions of others; where he plainly saw failings, he would make every possible allowance for them. He used to express a particular indignation at slander; often saying, it more deserved the gallows than theft. For himself he was remarkably guarded, when he spoke of others; he considered common fame as the falsest medium, and a man's reputation as his most. valuable property. His sincerity was such as became a Christian minister; and he had the strictest regard to truth, of which his whole life was a continual instance: All little arts, and sinister practices, those ingredients of worldly prudence, he disdained. His perseverance in so commendable a part, in whatever difficulties it might at first involve him, in the end raised his character above malice and envy, and gave him that weight and influence in every thing he undertook, which nothing but an approved sincerity can give. Whatever his other virtues were, their lustre was greatly increased by his humility. To conquer religious pride is one of the best effects of religion; an effect, which his religion in the most amiable manner produced. Thus far however he hath had many imitators. The principal recommendation of him, and the distinguishing parts of his character were his conscientious discharge of the duties of a faithful, laborious pastor; his extensive benevolence; and his exalted piety.

In his charitable distributions he had no measure but the bounds of his income; of which the least portion was always laid out on himself. Nor did he give as if he was granting a favour, but as if he was paying a debt; all obsequious service the generosity of his heart disdained. He was more particularly careful to give away in his lifetime whatever he could save for the poor, as he had often seen and regretted the abuse of posthumous charities. "It is

my design, at my departure, (says he, writing to a friend), "to leave no more behind me, but to bury me, and pay my debts." What little he did leave, he left wholly to

VOL. II.

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the poor, deducting a few slight tokens of remembrance that he bequeathed to his friends.

He was buried in his own church, but without any monument besides that of his example, which one would imagine had its influence upon the rectors of Houghton; for perhaps few parishes in England can boast of such a succession of worthy pastors, as that parish can, since Mr Gilpin's death. The late archbishop Secker was one of those pastors.

A sermon preached in the court at Greenwich, before K. Edward VI. the first Sunday after the Epiphany, in the year 1552, is the only revised composition of Mr Gilpin's that survived him. He spent his time more actively than in literary avocations: Yet to what good purpose he might have employed it in his closet, this piece may convince us. It was thought in K. Edward's time a very pathetic strain of eloquence, well adapted to the irregularities then prevailing in the court of that prince. It hath since been taken notice of by most of the writers who treat of the ecclesiastical affairs of those times, and is mentioned by them as a remarkable instance of that commendable zeal and noble freedom, which the illustrious Reformers of our church exerted in the cause of the Protestant religion. But on account of its length, we must refer the curious Reader to the sermon itself, published by his Name-sake, from whom the name of Gilpin has received an additional honour.

EDMUND GRINDAL,

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.

THIS great and good man was born in the year 1519, at Hinsingham, in the parish of St Begh's, in Cowpland, a small village in the county of Cumberland. After

a

a suitable foundation of learning at school, he was sent to Magdalen-college in Cambridge, but removed from then to Christ's, and afterwards to Pembroke-hall, where having taken his first degree in arts, he was chosen fellow in the year 1538, and commenced A. M. in 1541; having served the office of junior bursar of his college the preceding year. In the year 1542, he was appointed proctor of the university, and is said to have often sat as assessor to the vice-chancellor in his courts. In 1549, he became president [vice-master] of his college, and being now B. D. was unanimously chosen lady Margaret's public preacher at Cambridge; as he was also one of the four disputants in a theological extraordinary act performed that year for the entertainment of K. Edward's visitors.

Thus distinguished in the university, his worth was observed by Ridley, bishop of London, who made him his chaplain in 1550, perhaps by the recommendation of Bucer, the king's professor of divinity of Cambridge, who soon after his removal to London, in a letter to that prelate, styles our divine a person "eminent for his learning and piety, a "chief member of Christ, and his associate in the most "sacred ministry of the word of GOD."

Thus a door being opened to him, he rose by quick advances into notice and esteem; his patron the bishop being so much pleased with him, that he designed him the prebend of Cantrilles, in St Paul's church, and wrote to the council (some of whom had procured it for the furnishing the king's stables) for leave to give this living, as he says, to his well-deserving chaplain, who was without preferment, and to whom he would grant it, with all his heart, that so he might have him continually with him and in his diocese to preach, adding, that he was known to be both of virtue, honesty, discretion, wisdom, and learning. What effect this address had, does not appear; but the chanter's place becoming vacant soon after, his lordship, August 24, 1551, collated him to that dignity, which was of much greater value, and likewise procured him to be made chaplain to his majesty (with the usual salary of forty pounds) in December the same year. July 2d, in the year 1552, he obtained a stail in Westminster Abbey ; this, however, he afterwards resigned to Dr Bonner, whom he afterwards succeeded in the bishopric of London. In the mean time, there being a design, on the

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death

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