proved that the Chriftian religion, as delivered in the Scriptures, and free from all corrupt mixtures, is the moft reasonable inftitution in the world. This book was attacked by an ignorant but zealous divine, Dr. Edwards, in a very rude and fcurrilous manner. Mr. Locke answered Edwards, and defended his answer with fuch ftrength of reafon, that he might juftly have expected from his adverfary a public acknowledgment of his error, if he had not been one of those writers who have no more fhame than reafon in them. Mr. Locke was alfo obliged to Mr. Bolde, a worthy and pious clergyman, for vindicating his principles against the cavils of Edwards.

Some time before this, Mr. Toland published a book, intituled, "Christianity not Myfterious," in which he endeavoured to prove," that there is nothing in the "Chriftian religion not only contrary to reafon, but " even nothing above it." Mr. Toland, in explaining fome of his notions, ufed feveral arguments from Mr. Locke's " Effay of Human Understanding." Some Unitarians alfo about this time published several treatifes, in which they affirmed, that there was nothing in the Chriftian religion but what was rational and intelligible; and Mr. Locke having afferted in his writings that revelation delivers nothing contrary to reafon, these things engaged Dr. Stillingfleet, the learned bifhop of Worcester, to publith a treatise, in which he endeavoured to defend the doctrine of the Trinity against Mr. Toland and the Unitarians. In this treatise the bishop oppofed fome of Mr. Locke's principles, judging them heretical, and favouring the above-mentioned writers. Mr. Locke anfwered him, and the bifhop replied the fame year. This reply was confuted by a fecond letter of Mr. Locke's, which drew a fecond anfwer from the bifhop in 1695; and Mr. Locke again replied in a third letter, wherein he treated more largely of the certainty of reafon by ideas, of the "certainty of faith, of the refurrection of the fame "body, and the immateriality of the foul." He fhowed the perfect agreement of his principles with the Chri

ftian religion, and that he had advanced nothing which had the least tendency to fcepticism, which the bishop had very ignorantly charged him with. But the bishop died fome time after this, and the difpute ended. In this controverfy every body admired the ftrength of Mr. Locke's reafoning, his great clearness and exactnefs both in explaining his own notions and principles, and confuting thofe of his adverfary. Nor were men of understanding lefs furprised that fo learned a man as the bishop should engage in a controverfy wherein he had all the disadvantages poffible; for he was by no means able to maintain his opinions against Mr. Locke, whose reasoning he neither understood, nor the thing itself about which he difputed. This learned bishop had spent the greatest part of his time in the study of ecclefiaftical antiquities, and reading a prodigious number of books, but was no great philofopher; nor had he ever accustomed himself to that close way of thinking and reasoning in which Mr. Locke did fo highly excel. However, though our philofopher had fo great a victory over the bishop, and had reafon to complain of the bishop's unjuft charges against him, and for his writing on fubjects of which he was fo grofsly ignorant, yet he did not make an infolent triumph over his ignorance, but in the confutation of his errors treated him with great refpect. He fhows, indeed, that the bishop did not understand the subject he wrote about, and that he was very incorrect and inaccurate in his expreffions; but he rather infinuates this, by producing the bishop's own words, and leaving his readers to judge than reflect on him for it. In fhort, never was a controverfy managed with fo much fkill and art on one fide, nor on the other fo unjustly, confufedly, or fo little to the credit of the author. Time, which is the beft judge of things, has abundantly manifefted this. The bishop's writings on that fubject are neglected and buried in oblivion, but thofe of our author will live for ever.

In 1695 Mr. Locke was appointed one of the Commiffioners of Trade and Plantations, a place worth

1000l. per annum. The duties of this poft he difcharged with much care and diligence, and with univerfal approbation. He continued in it till the year 1700, when, upon the increase of his afthmatic diforder, he was forced to refign it.

He acquainted no person with his defign of leaving that place till he had given up his, commiffion into the king's own hands. The king was very unwilling to difmifs him, and told our author, that he would be very well pleased with his continuance in that office, though he should give little or no attendance, for that he did not defire him to stay in town one day to the hurt of his health. But Mr. Locke told the king, that he could not in confcience hold a place to which fuch a falary was annexed without discharging the duties of it, and therefore he begged leave to refign it. King William had a great efteem for our author, and would fometimes fend for him to difcourfe on public affairs, and to know his fentiments of things. Mr. Locke once told the king very plainly, that if the Universities were not reformed, and other principles taught there than had been formerly inculcated, they would either deftroy him, or fome of his fucceffors, or both.

The last fourteen or fifteen years of his life Mr. Locke spent chiefly at Oates, feldom coming to town; and during this agreeable retirement, he applied himfelf to the study of the Scriptures, of the divinity of which he was thoroughly perfuaded. This ftudy produced in him a very lively and fincere piety, without any affectation. He admired the wisdom and goodness of God in the method found out for the falvation of mankind; and when he thought upon it, he could not forbear crying out, "O the depth of the riches of the "goodness and knowledge of God!" He was perfuaded that men would be convinced of this by reading the Scriptures without prejudice; and he frequently exhorted those with whom he conversed to a serious ftudy of these facred writings. His own application to this ftudy had given him a more noble and elevated idea of the Christian religion than he had before; and

if his ftrength would have allowed him to begin new works, it is probable that he would have written fome, in order to inspire others with the fame grand and fu» blime idea. There is a fine ode of Dr. Watts in his Lyric Poems, on occafion of Mr. Locke's dangerous illness, fome time after he had retired to study the Scriptures. It is infcribed to John Shute, Efq. afterwards Lord Barrington, and author of the Miscellanea Sacra, and other valuable books of the Scriptures, and who was honoured with the friendship of Mr. Locke, though then very young.

I.

And must the man of wond'rous mind
(Now his rich thoughts are just refin'd)
Forfake our longing eyes?

Reason at length fubmits to wear
The wings of faith, and, lo! they rear
Her chariot high, and nobly bear
Her prophet to the skies.

II.

Go, friend, and wait the prophet's flight;
Watch if his mantle chance to light,
And seize it for thy own.
SHUTE is the darling of his years;
Young SHUTE his better likeness bears;
All but his wrinkles and his hairs
Are copy'd in his fon.

III.

'Thus when our follies or our faults
Call for the pity of thy thoughts,
Thy pen fhall make us wife.
The fallies of whose youthful wit*
Could pierce the British fogs with light,
Place our true "intereft" in our fight,
And open half our eyes.

* Alluding to a treatife of Mr. Shute's.

In 1704 our author's ftrength began to fail him more than ever in the beginning of the fummer, a feafon which, for many years, had reflored him some degrees of strength. His weakness made him apprehend his death was near. He often spoke of it himself, but always with great compofure, though he omitted none of the precautions which his skill in medicine could fuggeft, in order to prolong his life. At length his legs began to fwell, and that fwelling increasing every day, his ftrength diminished very visibly. He then faw how fhort a time he had to live, and prepared to quit this world, with a deep fenfe of the manifold bleffings of God to him, which he took delight in recounting to his friends, and full of a fincere refignation to the divine will, and in firm hopes of his promises of a future life. Some weeks before his death, as he was no longer able to walk, he was carried about the house in a chair; and the Lady Mafham going to fee him, October 27th, inftead of finding him in his ftudy, where he ufed to be, the found him in his bed. As the fhowed fome furprise at this, Mr. Locke told her that he had refolved to continue in bed, fince he was fo much fatigued by rising the day before that he could not fupport it, and therefore did not know whether he fhould ever rife again. He could not eat any dinner that day; and after dinner, thofe who kept him company propofed to read to him fomething that might amuse him; but he refused it. However, a perfon having brought fome papers into his chamber, he defired to know what they were; upon which they were read to him, and then he said, "That what he had to "do was now done, and he thanked God for it." Upon this they went to his bedfide, and he added, that he defired to be remembered by them in their prayers that evening. He was told, that if he would, the whole family fhould be called to prayer in his chamber, to which he confented. He was afked, Whether he thought himfelf near his death? To which he answered, "That it

might perhaps happen that night, but could not be "delayed above three or four days." He then fell into