happy, though their wealth was got without justice or mercy; that to be busy in things they understood not, was no sin.”  These and the like mistakes he lamented much, and besought God to remove them, and restore us to that humility, sincerity, and singleheartedness, with which this nation was blessed before the unhappy Covenant was brought into the nation, and every man preached and prayed what seemed best in his own eyes.  And he then said to me, “That the way to restore this nation to a more meek and Christian temper, was to have the body of Divinity—­or so much of it as was needful to be known—­to be put into fifty-two Homilies or Sermons, of such a length as not to exceed a third, or fourth part of an hour’s reading:  and these needful points to be made so clear and plain, that those of a mean capacity might know what was necessary to be believed, and what God requires to be done; and then some applications of trial and conviction:  and these to be read every Sunday of the year, as infallibly as the blood circulates the body; and then as certainly begun again, and continued the year following:  and that this being done, it might probably abate the inordinate desires of knowing what we need not, and practising what we know and ought to do.”  This was the earnest desire of this prudent man.  And Oh that Dr. Sanderson had undertaken it! for then in all probability it would have proved effectual.

[Sidenote:  Another conference]

At this happy time of enjoying his company and his discourse, he expressed a sorrow by saying to me, “Oh that I had gone Chaplain to that excellently accomplished gentleman, your friend, Sir Henry Wotton! which was once intended, when he first went Ambassador to the State of Venice:  for by that employment I had been forced into a necessity of conversing, not with him only, but with several men of several nations; and might thereby have kept myself from my unmanly bashfulness, which has proved very troublesome, and not less inconvenient to me; and which I now fear is become so habitual as never to leave me:  and by that means I might also have known, or at least have had the satisfaction of seeing, one of the late miracles of general learning, prudence, and modesty, Sir Henry Wotton’s dear friend, Padre Paulo, who, the author of his life says, was born with a bashfulness as invincible as I have found my own to be:  a man whose fame must never die, till virtue and learning shall become so useless as not to be regarded.”

This was a part of the benefit I then had by that hour’s conversation:  and I gladly remember and mention it, as an argument of my happiness, and his great humility and condescension.  I had also a like advantage by another happy conference with him, which I am desirous to impart in this place to the Reader.  He lamented much, that in many Parishes, where the maintenance was not great, there was no Minister to officiate; and that many of the best sequestered livings were possessed with such rigid Covenanters