These were generally of Cambridge, formed under some divines, the chief of whom were Drs. Whitchcot, Cudworth, Wilkins, More, and Worthington. Whitchcot was a man of a rare temper, very mild and obliging.  He had great credit with some that had been eminent in the late times; but made all the use he could of it to protect good men of all persuasions.  He was much for liberty of conscience:  And being disgusted with the dry systematical way of those times, he studied to raise those who conversed with him to a nobler set of thoughts, and to consider religion as a seed of a deiform nature, (to use one of his own phrases.) In order to this, he set young students much on reading the ancient Philosophers, chiefly Plato, Tully, and Plotin, and on considering the Christian religion as a doctrine sent from God, both to elevate and sweeten humane nature, in which he was a great example, as well as a wise and kind instructer. Cudworth carried this on with a great strength of genius, and a vast compass of learning.  He was a man of great conduct and prudence:  Upon which his enemies did very falsly accuse him of craft and dissimulation. Wilkins was of Oxford, but removed to Cambridge.  His first rise was in the Elector Palatine’s family, when he was in England.  Afterwards he married Cromwell’s sister; but made no other use of that alliance, but to do good offices, and to cover the University from the sourness of Owen and Goodwin.  At Cambridge he joined with those who studied to propagate better thoughts, to take men off from being in parties, or from narrow notions, from superstitious conceits, and a fierceness about opinions.  He was also a great observer and a promoter of experimental philosophy, which was then a new thing, and much looked after.  He was naturally ambitious, but was the wisest Clergy-man I ever knew.  He was a lover of mankind, and had a delight in doing good. More was an open hearted, and sincere Christian philosopher, who studied to establish men in the great principles of religion against atheism, that was then beginning to gain ground, chiefly by reason of the hypocrisy of some, and the fantastical conceits of the more sincere enthusiasts.

Hobbs, who had long followed the Court, and passed there for a mathematical man, tho’ he really knew little that way, being disgusted by the Court, came into England in Cromwell’s time, and published a very wicked book, with a very strange title, The Leviathan.  His main principles were, that all men acted under an absolute necessity, in which he seemed protected by the then received doctrine of absolute decrees.  He seemed to think that the universe was God, and that souls were material, Thought being only subtil and unperceptible motion.  He thought interest and fear were the chief principles of society:  And he put all morality