'ed to the first volume of the History of the Puritans." It was reckoned to be written with great judgment, and to establish our historian's character for an impartial regard to truth. And it was reasonably concluded, from this specimen of his powers of defence, that, if his declining state of health had permitted him, he would have as thoroughly vindicated the other volumes from the animadversions afterwards published against them by Dr. Zachary Grey.

The pleasure Mr. Neal had in serving the cause of religious liberty had carried him through his undertaking with amazing alacrity. But he engaged in it at an advanced age, and when his health had begun to decline: this, joined with the close application he gave to the prosecution of it, brought on a lingering illness, from which he never recovered. He had been all his life subject, in some degree, to a lowness of spirits, and to complaints of an indisposition in his head. His love of study, and an unremitting attention to the duties of his office, rendered him averse to the frequent use of any exercise that took him off from his books. In the end, repeated strokes of the palsy, first gentle and then more severe, which greatly enfeebled all his powers both of body and mind, and baffled the best advice, the aids of medicine, and repeated use of the Bath waters, brought him to his grave, perfectly worn out, in the 65th year of his age. He died April 4th, 1743,

During the declining state of his health, Mr. Neal applied to the excellent Dr. Doddridge to recommend some young minister, as an assistant to him. A gentleman was pointed out, and appeared in his pulpit with this view; and a letter, which on this occasion he wrote to Dr. Doddridge, and which the doctor endorsed with this memorandum, "Some wise Hints," affords such an agreeable specimen of Mr. Neal's good sense, candor, and prudence, as cannot fail, we think, to render it acceptable to our readers. "DEAR SIR,

"Your letter which I received yesterday gave me a great 'deal of agreeable entertainment, and made me almost in 'love with a person that I never saw. His character is the very picture of what I should wish and pray for. There 'is no manner of exception that I can hear of, but that of

In the year 1736 came out the third volume of the History of the Puritans: and Mr. Neal's design was completed, by the publication of the fourth, in the year 1738, which brought down the history of non-conformity to the act of toleration by King William and Queen Mary, in the year 1689. This and Mr. Neal's other historical works spread his name through the learned world, and justly secured to him great and permanent reputation. Dr. Jennings speaking of them says, "I am satisfied that there 'is no judicious and unprejudiced person, that has conversed with the volumes he wrote, but will acknowledge he had an excellent talent at writing history. His style. 'is most easy and perspicuous; and the judicious remarks, which he leads his readers to make upon facts as they 'go along, make his histories to be not only more entertaining, but to be more instructive and useful than most books of that kind."*

While this work was preparing for and going through the press, part of his time was occupied in drawing up and publishing an answer to Dr. Maddox, bishop of St. Asaph ; who wrote a pretty long " Vindication of the doctrine, dis'cipline, and worship, of the church of England, established in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, from the injurious reflections (as he was pleased to stile them) of Mr. Neal's 'first volume of the History of the Puritans." This answer was entitled, "A review of the principal facts objectsermons, affected not only the papists, but themselves, in rejecting the baptism of adult persons, and substituting in the room thereof the sprinkling of infants. The author, with this view, besides stating from the New Testament the evidence in favor of his own sentiments, shrewdly applied a great number of passages from the sermons, somewhat in the way of a parody, to establish his own conclusion; and to prove, that if those gentlemen practised or believed any thing as a part of the religion of the holy Jesus, which could not be plainly and clearly proved from the New Testament, (as he conceived that they did in the matter of sprinkling of infants) they must look upon themselves as self-condemned, their own arguments being a full confutation of them. Mr. Killingworth shewed himself an able writer by other pieces in favor of the sentiments for which he was a strenuous advocate and published also "An auswer" to the late very respectable Mr.Micajah Towgood's tract, entitled, "Infant Baptism a Reasonable Service;" by way of appendix to an examination of Dr. Foster's "Sermon on Catholic Communion." In one of his pieces, he likewise replied to the arguments of Mr. Emlyn's Previous Question. *Funeral Sermon, p. 32.

'ed to the first volume of the History of the Puritans." It was reckoned to be written with great judgment, and to establish our historian's character for an impartial regard to truth. And it was reasonably concluded, from this specimen of his powers of defence, that, if his declining state of health had permitted him, he would have as thoroughly vindicated the other volumes from the animadversions afterwards published against them by Dr. Zachary Grey.

The pleasure Mr. Neal had in serving the cause of religious liberty had carried him through his undertaking with amazing alacrity. But he engaged in it at an advanced age, and when his health had begun to decline: this, joined with the close application he gave to the prosecution of it, brought on a lingering illness, from which he never recovered. He had been all his life subject, in some degree, to a lowness of spirits, and to complaints of an indisposition in his head. His love of study, and an unremitting attention to the duties of is office, rendered him averse to the frequent use of any exercise that took him off from his books. In the end, repeated strokes of the palsy, first gentle and then more severe, which greatly enfeebled all his powers both of body and mind, and baffled the best advice, the aids of medicine, and repeated use of the Bath waters, brought him to his grave, perfectly worn out, in the 65th year of his age. He died April 4th, 1743,

During the declining state of his health, Mr. Neal applied to the excellent Dr. Doddridge to recommend some young minister, as an assistant to him. A gentleman was pointed out, and appeared in his pulpit with this view; and a letter, which on this occasion he wrote to Dr. Doddridge, and which the doctor endorsed with this memorandum, "Some wise Hints," affords such an agreeable specimen. of Mr. Neal's good sense, candor, and prudence, as cannot fail, we think, to render it acceptable to our readers. "DEAR SIR,

"Your letter which I received yesterday gave me a great 'deal of agreeable entertainment, and made me almost in 'love with a person that I never saw. His character is the 'very picture of what I should wish and pray for. There is no manner of exception that I can hear of, but that of

his delivery, which many, with you, hope may be conquered or very much amended. All express a very great respect and value for Mr. and his ministry, and are highly pleased with his serious and affectionate manner. And I am apt to think, when we have heard him again, 6 even the thickness of the pronunciation of some of his words will in a great measure vanish; it being owing, in a great measure, (according to my son) to not making his under and upper lip meet together: but be that as it will, this is all, and the very worst that I know of, to use your ' own expression.

"I wish, as much as you, that the affair might be speedily issued; but you know that things of this nature, in which many, and those of a different temper, are concerned, must proceed with all tenderness and voluntary freedom, without the least shadow of violence or imaginary hurry. Men love to act for themselves, and with spontaneity; and, as I have sometimes observed, have come at length cheerful❝ly, and voluntarily into measures, which they would have opposed, if they had imagined they were to be driven into them.

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"I don't mention this, as if it was the present case, for I can assure you it is not: but to put you in mind, that it may possibly not always be for the best to do things too hastily; and therefore I hope you will excuse the digres 'sion. I am exceedingly tender of Mr.'s character and usefulness; and therefore shall leave it to your prudence to fix the day of his coming up; and you may de'pend upon my taking all the prudential steps in favor of this affair, that I am master of. I hope the satisfaction will be general, but who can answer for it beforehand? It has a promising appearance; but if it comes out otherwise, you shall have a faithful account.

"I am pleased to hear that Mr. is under so good an adviser as yourself, who cannot but be apprised of the 'great importance of this affair both to your academy, to 'myself, and to the public interest of the dissenters in this 'city and I frankly declare I don't know any one place 'among us in London where he can sit more easy, and en'joy the universal love and affection of a good-natured people, which will give him all fitting encouragement. We

are very thankful to you, Sir, for the concern you express 'for us, and the care you have taken for our supply. I 'hope you will have a return, from above, of far greater blessings than this world can bestow, and you may ex'pect from me all suitable acknowledgments.

"Pray advise Mr., when you see him, to lay aside 'all undue concern from his mind, and to speak with free'dom and ease. Let him endeavor, by an articulate pro'nunciation, to make the elder persons hear and those that 'sit at a greater distance, and all will be well. He has already got a place in the affections of many of the peo'ple; and I believe will quickly captivate them all. As'sure him that he has a candid audience, who will not make 'a man an offender for a word. Let him speak to the ' heart, and touch the conscience, and shew himself in earnest in his work and he will certainly approve himself a workman that needs not be ashamed. I beg pardon for these hints. Let not Mr. impress his mind too 'much with them. My best respects attend your lady and whole family, not forgetting good Mr., &c. I am, 'Sir, in haste, Your affectionate brother

and very humble servant,
'DANIEL NEAL."*

London, Saturday evening, May 12, 1739.

"Brethren pray for us!"

Disease had, for many months before his death, rendered him almost entirely incapable of public service. This induced him to resign the pastoral office in the November preceding. The considerate as well as generous manner in which he did it, will appear from the following letter he sent to the church on that occasion :

"To the church of Christ, meeting in Jewen-street, London.

"My dear brethren, and beloved in the Lord,

"God, in his all-wise providence, having seen meet for 'some time to disable me in a great measure from serving you in the gospel of his Son, and therein to deprive me of one of the greatest satisfactions of my life; I have been The above letter was very obligingly communicated by the Rev. Thomas Stedman, vicar of St. Chad's Shrewsbury.