1655. tion, and with so powerful an emphasis in every part, that they who were most prejudiced against the Liturgy, did not scruple to commend Mr. Bull as a person that prayed by the Spirit, though at the same time they railed at the Common Prayer as a beggarly element, and as a carnal performance.

An instance

of the Com

mired by

ers, when

used by

Mr. Bull.

A particular instance of this happened to him mon Prayer While he was minister of St. George's, which because being ad- it sheweth how valuable the Liturgy is in itself, and the dissent- what unreasonable prejudices are sometimes taken up against it, the reader will not, I believe, think it unworthy to be related. He was sent for to baptize the child of a dissenter in his parish; upon which occasion, he made use of the Office of Baptism, as prescribed by the church of England, which he had got entirely by heart; and he went through it with so much readiness and freedom, and yet with so much gravity and devotion, and gave that life and spirit to all that he delivered, that the whole audience was extremely affected with his performance; and notwithstanding that he used the sign of the cross, yet, they were so ignorant of the Offices of the church, that they did not thereby discover that it was the Common Prayer. But after that he had concluded that holy action, the father of the child returned him a great many thanks, intimating at the same time, with how much greater edification they prayed, who entirely depended upon the Spirit of God for His assistance in their extempore effusions, than those did who tied themselves up to premeditated forms; and that if he had not made the sign of the cross, that badge of popery, as he called it, nobody could have formed the least objection against his excellent prayers. Upon which Mr. Bull, hoping

to recover him from his ill-grounded prejudices, 1655. shewed him the Office of Baptism in the Liturgy, wherein was contained every prayer which he had offered up to God on that occasion; which, with farther arguments that he then urged, so effectually wrought upon the good man and his whole family, that they always after that time frequented the parish church, and never more absented themselves from Mr. Bull's communion. From whence we may reasonably conclude, that as a mistaken zeal may throw contempt upon what justly deserves to be admired; so also that gravity, seriousness, and devotion, in reading the prayers, are necessary to secure that respect to the Liturgy which its own excellency requireth from us.

ed from.

While he remained minister of this parish, the An eminent danger he providence of God was pleased to appear wonder- was preservfully in his preservation; for all those second causes that concur to protect us from any danger that threateneth us, must be attributed to that all-wise and powerful hand that overrules them. The lodgings he had taken in this place were contiguous to a powdermill, where he pursued his studies with great assiduity for several months; till the gentleman of the parish, Mr. Morgan, a person of unblemished loyalty and affection to the church, and his lady, daughter to sir William Master of Cirencester, making him a visit, they observed to him the danger he was exposed to by continuing longer in those lodgings, and in a very friendly manner invited him to their own house, where they assured him of all that accommodation which was necessary and agreeable to him. He modestly for some time declined this kind offer; but their repeated importunity at

1655. last prevailed, and he accepted of that obliging proposal, which was the means, under God, of saving his life; for not many days after his removal to Mr. Morgan's the mill was blown up, and his apartment with it, on such a day and hour as he had always been in his study from the time he first came to that place. So that he must inevitably have perished, if his deliverance had not been wrought out for him after this unexpected manner. This singular good-ness of God, which interposed in his behalf, was received with all thankfulness; and a life thus preserved quickened his endeavours in pursuing the true purposes of living.

He goes to Oxford once a year for

the use of libraries.

During his being at St. George's, and some think for a year or two before, his constant custom was to make a journey once a year to the university of Oxford, where he remained about two months to enjoy the pleasure and advantage of the public libraries. It is a great misfortune to a young clergyman, when he is confined to a country cure, to be destitute of such books as are necessary to enable him to make any considerable advance in his studies of divinity, to which other parts of learning contribute their aid and assistance, and therefore consequently are not to be neglected. And if the solid foundation of useful knowledge is not laid, and the habit of studying acquired, while men are in the prime of their days, they seldom make any progress that will be able to distinguish them from persons of ordinary attainments. But Mr. Bull, being sensible of what consequence it was to season his youth with all that learning which he was then capable of attaining, took the method I now mention to supply the want of a good private library; and by the great profi

ciency he made, it very sufficiently answered what 1655-8. he proposed from it; for here he nourished his mind with fresh supplies of learning, and having nothing to distract his thoughts, or to interrupt his studies, we may reasonably suppose, that the advances he made in those two months were much greater than he could attain in double the time at his own cure, where the constant duties of his parish challenged a large share, and where the want of books hindered him from employing his leisure to the greatest advantage. Besides, he reaped another benefit from this excursion, that the exercise of the journey contributed to the preservation of the health of his body, which by a constant sedentary life is exposed to many growing infirmities. In his way to Oxford, and in his return, he always made a visit to sir William Master of Cirencester, where he was constantly received, as a very welcome guest, with great civility and kindness. He usually upon these occasions preached for the incumbent of that place, Mr. Alexander Gregory, whereby was laid the foundation of such an acquaintance and friendship between them, as was afterwards improved to so great an intimacy, that in some time Mr. Bull married one of his daughters.

marries

get Gre

X. In the change of his condition Mr. Bull seemed Mr. Bull to have a regard chiefly to the character of the per- Mrs. Bridson he chose for the companion of his life, and pre-gory. ferred the qualifications of piety and virtue to those temporal advantages, which for the most part influence the minds of men upon such occasions. And as this method ought to be pursued by all those that would build their happiness upon a sure foundation

1655-8. in a married state, so it appears still more necessary in a clergyman, because not only himself, but his family, ought to be a pattern to the whole parish. For he hath solemnly promised, in the presence of God, to apply himself diligently not only to frame and fashion himself, but his family also, according to the doctrine of Christ; and to make not only himself, but them also, as much as in him lieth, wholesome examples to the flock of Christ. Now what means can be so fitly adapted to this end as a prudent mistress of a family, eminent in those virtues which are the peculiar ornament of the female sex, such as devotion and purity, meekness and modesty, mercifulness and humility; to which may be added, that gravity of garb, and decency of dress, which in a particular manner adorn the wife of a clergyman, who will do honour to her husband, and rise in the esteem of others, the more she keepeth at a distance from the vanity and gayety of the age?

The appearance of these Christian and proper endowments for the family of a priest, determined Mr. Bull to conclude a marriage with Mrs. Bridget Gregory, daughter of Mr. Alexander Gregory, under whose care she was educated with great modesty and sobriety. They were joined together in holy matrimony by Mr. William Master, vicar of Preston, according to the form prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer, the use of which was then forbidden under a great penalty. But as Mr. Bull had a particular regard to our excellent Liturgy, in those times when it was the fashion to despise it; so he had not a less esteem for the constitution of the church; for in order to render so serious an action,