CHAPTER III. THE COURT CHAPLAIN. Lectureship of St. Bride's-Bishop of London nominates Atterbury-Is appointed Chaplain to the King and Queen-His Sermon on Charity attacked by Dr. Hoadly-Prior's Poem on the same Subject-Indifference of William III. to the Anglican Church-Atterbury's Sermon preached before Queen Mary-Steele's Description of Atterbury as а Preacher-Dr. Burgess, the popular Dissenter-Dr. Atterbury at the Chapel Royal-In Convocation before the House of Commons-Appointed to the Rolls Chapel-Dr. Hoadly again rushes into Controversy-Atterbury becomes Archdeacon Thomas Yalden-The Royal Chaplains- Dr. Smalridge Almoner to the Queen-Steele's Description of Him-Archdeacon Atterbury's High Church and High State Principles-Court Physicians-Radcliffe-Mead-Garth. - THE Lectureship of St. Bride's was an object of clerical ambition at this time. In the summer of 1691, on a vacancy occurring, fourteen clergymen presented themselves as candidates. Of these, two were ordered to preach every Sunday, and when all should have manifested their capabilities, the fourteen were to be reduced to eight, another selection was to cut down the candidates to four, and a third to two. But, "to preserve the peace and unity of the parish," it was resolved in the vestry, on the 15th of September, that the Bishop of London should be requested to recommend a gentleman, not one of the compe DR. BENJAMIN HOADLY. 57 titors; and he named the Rev. Francis Atterbury. This nomination so pleased the authorities, as soon as they could become acquainted with the merit of their lecturer, that on the 22nd of October they voted that thanks should be given to the Bishop for recommending and licensing him. Atterbury had begun his career as a London preacher under the happiest auspices. He was presently appointed one of the chaplains in ordinary to King William and Queen Mary, and about the same time was elected preacher at Bridewell Hospital. They were opportunities for making his talent known which he was not likely to neglect. The first sermon that attracted attention towards him he preached before the Governors of Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals, in the year 1694. It was "On the Power of Charity to Cover Sin," and excited much animadversion from Dr. Benjamin Hoadly, which he published as "Exceptions." The text was taken from St. Peter's well known assertion, and was thus explained: : The virtue of charity is of so great price in the sight of God, that those persons who possess and exercise it in any eminent manner are peculiarly entitled to the Divine favour and pardon with regard to numberless slips and failings in their duty, which they may be otherwise guilty of. This great Christian perfection of which they are masters, shall make many little imperfections to be overlooked and unobserved; it shall cover the multitude of sins. The doctrine is as old as Christianity, but the preacher, notwithstanding he had to shape his discourse for the advantage of the institution to which he had been attached, carefully avoids the sense the 58 SERMON ON CHARITY. Roman Church has given to charity, by circumscribing its virtue on the sinner. The sins it covers, he averred, are small sins only. He gives no encouragement to the thoroughly wicked, to their hope of escaping punishment by a surrender of their riches, when these have ceased to procure them any enjoyment. Hoadly was eager for controversy, and having attacked the first edition of this sermon, in 1708, followed the "Exceptions" with additional comments, in which he remarks: "If God will accept one duty in lieu of many others, and if our performance of that shall be our justification, notwithstanding our omission of many others, this is a sort of salvation, in my judgment, unworthy of the nature of man to receive, and unworthy of the nature of God to offer." The preacher had said nothing about justification or salvation by means of charity; indeed, he is particularly guarded in his estimate of its efficacy, scarcely coming up to that of the Apostle, when referring to the triad of Christian attributes-" but the greatest of these is Charity." There was, however, not only an opening for controversy, but for reproof, as seen in Dr. Hoadly's concluding sentence. Let me therefore intreat you to review the groundless and pernicious doctrine you have unwarily taught on this subject: consider if charity ought to be represented as founded upon a temper inconsistent with innocence and an unspotted conscience [the preacher had said nothing of the kind] as productive of vice and folly and madness!-as leading to the neglect of the principal branches of itself, and the like-and whether it becomes a Christian Divine to set the several parts of God's law at variance! -and to make the performance of one of them an atonement for the neglect of others, as indispensably required.* * "Hoadly's Tracts," 224. 1715. The controversialist, in his eagerness to find fault, does not seem to be aware that he is quarrelling with the Apostle, whose assertion that "Charity covereth a multitude of sins," must mean either that its practice is an atonement for neglect of duty, or it means nothing. His object was so transparent, that Atterbury would not condescend to reply; and this apparent contempt he never forgave. It was probably a perusal of his schoolfellow's celebrated sermon that inspired Prior with his fine poem on the same subject: : Charity decent, modest, easy, kind, Softens the high and veils the abject mind; And in the same strain he concludes : Thou, constant Faith, and holy Hope, shall die, One lost in certainty, and one in joy; Whilst thou, more happy power, fair Charity, Thy office and thy nature still the same Lasting thy lamp, and unconsumed thy flame Shalt still survive ; Shalt stand before the Host of Heaven confessed, The chaplain proceeded on his independent career, earnest in loyalty to his royal patrons and patronesses, but still more earnest in loyalty to his sacred profession. His honesty, as well as his courage, were fully appreciated by William III., who, however, cannot be said to have shown any very sincere regard for the 60 ATTERBURY AT WHITEHALL. Anglican Church. Probably seeing the rock on which the royalty of his father-in-law had been wrecked, he chose to keep as much from it as possible, leaving the critical navigation to his ministers and the prelates. This want of zeal in the acknowledged head of the Anglican Church, encouraged not only indifference, but irreligion, and nominal members of the establishment began to publish works apparently intended to startle the religious public by the heterodoxy of their opinions. In the year 1694, Atterbury preached a sermon before Queen Mary, at Whitehall, "The Scorner incapable of True Wisdom." This was also attacked, and with increased bitterness, in consequence of its containing something like a charge of Socinianism against the late Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Tillotson), as well as some reflections on Sir Robert Howard, who, among other literary efforts, had ventured upon a "History of Religion." But the "two letters to Sir R. H.," in which the preacher was assailed, did not disturb his equanimity, and he continued to deliver sermons to crowded congregations with increasing popularity, both in the Court and in the city. He preached before the Lord Mayor each year, dedicating his sermons to the Right Honorable gentleman who filled the civic chair. In a few years he became so attractive a preacher that he was obliged to absent himself from Bridewell, and there appeared to be a falling off in the receipts of the chapel. Thereupon there was a meeting held at the Court-house, on Thursday, the 8th of August, 1695, when the following resolution was passed : |