Brooks - BX9338 .B7 1813 v3

308 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. he, " in my own conscience, and in the consciences of those who best knew me. I was far from allowing nonresidence and a plurality of livings; yet, to such as were ignorant of all circumstances, there was some appearance of evil.". He undoubtedly possessed several' benefices ; but whether he received the profits of them all, and enjoyed them all at the same time, appears extremely doubtful. Though Dr. Grey denominates him " a fanatical hero, and a professed enemy to the constitution, both in church and state -" yet he in part acquits him of? the vile charge, and invalidates, in a great measure, the authority of the above scurrilous letter.t The Oxford historian brings accusations against Dr. Harris, which, if true, would prove him to have been one of the basest of men. He charges him with having taken for his own use two bags of gold,containing one hundred pounds each, which he found among some old rubbish in Trinity college, soon after he became president. He also affirms, that Dr. Harris told several most glaring falsehoods, with a view to secure the money to himself. Though our documents will not afford us materials for a complete refutation of these charges ; yet the whole of what is asserted, and especially the worst part of it, is so contrary to the uniform spirit and deportment of this learned and pious divine, that the account appears extremely suspicious, and only designed to reproach the memory of the puritans.$ Dr. Harris's last will and testament contains much excel- lent advice to his wife and numerous children, but is too long for our insertion.g His works came forth at different times, but were afterwards collected and published in one volume folio, in 1654. The pious Bishop Wilkins passes an high encomium upon his sermons.fi It does not appear whether he was any relation to Dr. John Harris, whose memoir is given in a foregoing article. CHRISTOPHER FEAKE was first a minister in\the esta- blished church, afterwards he joined the brethren of the separation, espoused the sentimentsof the baptists, became a fifth monarchy-man and was exceedingly zealous in the cause. Edwards, who styles him a great sectary, gives the * Clark's Lives, p. 328. + Grey's Examination, vol. ii. p. 298, 299. t Wood's Athena; Oxon. vol. ii. p. '148. Clark's Lives, p. 338-338. b Wilkins on Preaching, p. 82, 81

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