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Thus much for our author's writings. I come now to the character of his perfon. His complexion and hair was brown, his ftature moderate, and habit of body neither fat, or lean. His manner of cloathing plain and unaffected. He was well fkilled in Aftronomy, Geography, Geometry, Natural History and Botany; and had fo excellent a memory, that he not only remembred what was moft remarkable in the books he read, and knew those perfons he had once feen, at any distance of time; but the particulars of their converfation. In the latin poets he remembred all that was most acute and pungent, and his observations upon hiftory, both ancient and modern, were fingular, and fuch as are not made by ordinary readers. He was fo much master over his paffions, as always to make them controulable by his reafon; was never seen tranfported with mirth, or dejected with forrow; always chearful, but rarely merry, and feldom heard to break a jeft without being apt to blush at the levity of it. Those who knew him only by his writings, found themselves deceived in their expectation when they came into his company, from the gravity of his afpect and conversation; for he was fo far from being loquacious, that it was difficult to engage him in any dif course, tho', when once engaged it, he was fingular and uncommon. He was very careful to improve his time, and fo impatient

of floth and idleness, that he would often fay, he could not do nothing. Sir Thomas understood most of the European languages, viz. all contained in Hutter's bible; the Greek and Latin he understood critically. As to his religion, tho' the gentlemen of his faculty have fallen under the difgrace of having very little; yet he has declared himfelf in his RELIGIO MEDICI to be a fteadfaft member of the church of England, preferring its doctrine before any in the world; and for this reafon he fays himself, 'Because every part of it fquares unto his confci'ence, and its articles, conftitutions and cutoms feem fo confonant to reafon,' &c. He was a man of exemplary patience, which was founded upon true Chriftian philofophy, and an humble fubmiffion to the providence of God, which he fhewed to the day of his death. He died at Norwich on the 19th of October, (the day of his birth) anno 1682, in the feventy feventh year of his age, and was buried in the church of St. Peter's Mancroft, at Norwich, where there is a mural monument erected to his memory, fixed to the South pillar of the

altar.

RELI

RELIGIO

F

MEDIC I.

SECTION I.

*

'OR my religion, though there be feveral circumftances that might perfuade the world I have none at all, as the general scandal of my profeffion, the † natural course of my studies, the ‡ indifferency of my behaviour, and difcourse in matters of religion, neither violently defending one, nor with that common ardour and contention oppofing another; yet, in defpite hereof, I dare, without ufurpation, affume the honourable ftile of a Chriftian: not that I meer- . ly owe this title to the font, my education, or clime wherein I was born, as being bred up either to confirm thofe principles my paA

rents

rents inftilled into my unwary understanding, or, by a general confent, proceed in the religion of my country: but having, in my riper years and confirmed judgment, feen and examined all, I find myself obliged by the principles of grace, and the law of mine own reafon, to embrace no other name but this: neither doth herein my zeal so far make me forget the general charity I owe unto humanity, as rather to hate than pity Turks, Infidels, and (what is worfe) Jews; rather contenting myself to enjoy that happy ftile, than maligning those. who refuse so glorious,a title.

SECT. II.

But because the name of a Chriftian is become too general to exprefs our faith, there being a geography of religions as well as lands, and every clime diftinguished. not only by their laws and limits, but

circumfcribed by their doctrines and rules of faith; to be particular, I am of that reformed new-caft religion, * wherein I diflike nothing but the name; of the fame belief our Saviour taught, the apostles diffeminated, the fathers authorised, and the martyrs confirmed; but by the finifter ends of princes, the ambition and avarice of prelates, and the fatal corruption of times, fo decayed, impaired, and fallen from its native beauty, that it required the careful and charitable hand of thefe times to restore it to its primitive integrity. Now the acci† dental occafion whereon, the flender means whereby, the low and abject condition of the perfon by whom, so good a work was fet on foot, which in our adverfaries beget contempt and fcorn, fill me with wonder, and is the very fame objection the infolent Pagans firft caft at Chrift and his difciples,

SECT.