" prophecy either in my sermons or in my discourses 1655. " with them: and so in this sense I can be no false

" prophet, having never deceived any one by pre" tences of this nature. And as to the other charges " against me, that I am an hireling, I appeal again " to these here present and that know me, whether "they can say that I have preached among them " for the sake of gain or filthy lucre, and whether I " have not on the contrary been ready on all occa" sions to serve and assist them to the utmost of my " power, and to communicate as freely as I receive." Upon which the people, being touched with a sense of gratitude to this minister of God for his extraordinary kindness and constant bounty towards them, but not mindful enough of that sacred regard which was due to the place where they were met, and to the occasion which brought them together, perceiving the silly enthusiast at a perfect nonplus, and not able to speak a word of sense in his own defence, fell upon him a second time with such violence, that had not Mr. Bull bustled very much among them, and by great entreaties prevailed upon them to spare him, and to lead and shut him out of the church, they would have worried him upon the spot. After which Mr. Bull went up again into his pulpit, and finished his sermon.

VIII. Besides the ordinary duties of his function, The method which he constantly performed, the method he took governing in governing this parish contributed very much to the welfare of the people committed to his charge, and answered extremely the ends of his ministry. He did not content himself only with preaching to his flock on Sundays, and with going to the sick,

1655. when their languishing condition required spiritual comfort and assistance; but he visited all his parishioners, rich and poor, without distinction, at their own houses, in a certain compass of time; not to gratify their civil invitations, or his own diversion, but to be serviceable to them in matters of the greatest importance, the salvation of their souls. And therefore upon these occasions the time was not trifled away in empty talk, but his discourse was suited to the several exigencies of those he conversed with. Where he found people neglected in their education, and ignorant in the fundamentals of religion, those he instructed by explaining to them what was necessary to be believed and practised in order to their salvation. Where the ground was overrun with weeds, and some good principles were blended with false doctrines and pernicious errors, there he discovered the dangerous consequences of such tenets, and shewed how inconsistent they were with the holy Scriptures, and the belief of all orthodox Christians. Where he perceived that men laid all the stress upon a right faith, and, provided they secured that part of the duty, were too apt to indulge themselves in some unchristian practices; those he admonished with all that freedom which becometh a faithful pastor, assuring them, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Those who laboured under any affliction received from him advice and comfort, and were instructed how to bear them, and how to make a right use of them. Those who were oppressed with any doubts and scruples in their Christian course had proper remedies applied to resolve them, and to free the persons from that unquietness which possessed them. Where

the pleasant path of virtue was steadily pursued, 1655. those were exhorted to persevere and hold out to the end, because in due time they should reap, if they fainted not. But where vice and wickedness were become habitual, those were sharply rebuked, in order to reclaim them from those sins which would infallibly be their ruin, without a speedy and hearty repentance. By these means he became acquainted with the state of their souls, and was thereby the better enabled to suit his discourses in public to the several wants and grievances of his people; and from this practice he further reaped another advantage, that he thoroughly understood the necessities of those that were really poor, whose hard circumstances he constantly relieved, either from his own charity, or from the bounty of those who supplied him upon all such occasions.

There was hardly a family in the parish which The parish was not furnished with great store of antinomian with antibooks, such doctrines prevailing very much in those bo times, which they read often and valued much; and therefore in these visits he took particular care to examine what books they were most conversant in; and when he found what he had reason to suspect, he constantly warned them against the poison they were so familiar with. By this method, and the blessing of God upon his endeavours, he quickly convinced his parishioners of the false reasonings that were contained in such antinomian books, and how contrary the tenets maintained in them were to the holy Scriptures, and how inconsistent with that scheme of salvation which the blessed Jesus had proposed to all his followers. There is one circumstance in these visits which must not be forgot, be

1655. cause it is very proper for the imitation of such incumbents, who have any parishioners that keep at a distance from their communion. When Mr. Bull found any person, that either never came to the parish church, or, after having frequented it, withdrew to some other communion, his constant practice was to inquire who had seduced them, and desired to know their names, in order to summon them to a conference in the presence of the party who had been prevailed upon to absent from the parish church. These challenges were frequently accepted; for Mr. Bull being young, it was not imagined that he was able to maintain and defend a cause against persons of riper age, and who had been long versed in the controversy; but by the quickness and readiness of his parts, and by his close way of maintaining an argument, which was very natural to him, as I have already observed, he found his account in these conferences, and had thereby very great success in recovering his wandering sheep. As to the younger sort of people, his custom was to address to them in public as well as private, and therefore he would pitch upon some week-day to preach to them before he administered the holy eucharist, that such as had not yet been admitted to that divine ordinance might be thoroughly instructed in the nature and design of the Christian sacrifice, and might be taught what preparation was necessary to qualify them to appear at the holy altar.

The excellency of Mr. Bull's method.

It must be allowed, that these rules by which he managed himself in the government of his parish were very admirable, and exceeding proper, by the assistance of God's grace, to make his labours effectual for the good of souls, and very fit for the imita

tion of the parochial clergy, where their cures will 1655. admit of such a particular application, and where they are not yet fallen into such measures. But what seemeth wonderful to me is, that a young man of one and twenty (for Mr. Bull did not exceed that age, when he first became incumbent of the living of St. George's) should be able to frame so good a scheme for his own conduct, and should have so much industry and zeal, as to put it in execution. Such methods as these, and such manly thoughts, are usually the result of experience and riper years, and seldom occur to those that just enter upon the exercise of their holy function. By this we may fairly conclude, that Mr. Bull was a man of no ordinary capacity, but had a genius for that sacred office he had espoused, and had strong impressions of his duty in the flower of his youth, and was firmly bent to spare no pains that were necessary to discharge it to the honour of God and the good of souls.

IX. The iniquity of the times would not bear The prayers the constant, and regular use of the Liturgy; to public. supply therefore that misfortune, Mr. Bull formed all the devotions he offered up in public, while he continued minister of this place, out of the Book of Common Prayer, which did not fail to supply him with fit matter and proper words upon all those occasions that required him to apply to the throne of grace for a supply of the wants of his people. He had the example of one of the brightest lights of that age, the judicious Dr. Sanderson, to justify him in this practice; and his manner of performing the public service was with so much seriousness and devotion, with so much fervour and ardency of affec