pose that it gave occasion to the conferring of this mark of royal favour upon Waterland. But notwithstanding the political considerations which might have an influence in this appointment, it seems hardly probable that he would have been selected in preference to others of the same principles with himself, had not his reputation as a scholar, a divine, and a leading member of the University, given him still stronger claims. Middleton's unworthy insinuations on this occasion scarcely deserve attention. They betray the fretful spirit of a jealous and implacable rival, who found in Waterland a competitor more formidable than he was willing to acknowledge'. After all, there is no evidence that Waterland was actuated either by vehemence of party, or by a time-serving policy, in the political contests at Cambridge. It was undoubtedly his sincere desire to uphold the public tranquillity against those,

Whether the foundation of Middleton's hostility to Waterland was laid at this, or at an earlier period, is not certain; nor whether it had its rise in political, rather than in literary or personal jealousy. In the Harleian Collection, there is a Letter without a name, but which, it is said, the hand-writing determines to be Middleton's, addressed to the Earl of Oxford, in 1716, and giving an account of the motives of his Lordship's friends, the Cambridge Tories, in opposing the Address. The Tories, he maintains, were not actuated by disaffection to the Hanover family, but by a conviction that the Address was a job, intended to procure preferment for Waterland, and impunity for Bentley, who had written and promoted it. Middleton almost always speaks of Waterland with most unbecoming asperity. Perhaps, however, the grudge might have been of older date, as competitors for academical fame, nearly of the same age and standing in the University. Waterland's personal regard for Bentley might also give a keener edge to Middleton's resentment.

who, with whatever purity of intention, were pursuing an object utterly unattainable, without the hazard of involving the nation again in civil war, and incurring evils of which none could calculate the extent, or foresee the termination. The operation of such evils upon the interests of religion and morals he earnestly deprecated, and particularly as affecting the University. Adverting to these, he observes m, "As there are none more sensible of these things than "ourselves, or more likely to suffer by them; so I beg "leave to intimate, how becoming and proper a part " of our profession and business it is, to do what in "us lies to prevent the growth and increase of them. "While animosities prevail, arts and sciences will

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gradually decay, and lose ground; not only as "wanting suitable encouragement, but also as being "deprived of that freedom, quiet, and repose, which

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are necessary to raise and cherish them. As divi❝sions increase, Christian charity will decline daily, "till it becomes an empty name, or an idea only. Discipline will of course slacken, and hang loose; " and the consequence of that must be, a general dis❝soluteness and corruption of manners. Nor will the

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enemy be wanting to sow tares to corrupt our "faith, as well as practice, and to introduce a general latitude of opinions. Arianism, Deism, Atheism, will insensibly steal upon us, while our "heads and hearts run after politics and parties."

These wise and moderate sentiments might well recommend the author to the favour of Government, as a person whose example should be held up for imitation to the Academical body; nor could distinc

m Thanksgiving Sermon in 1716, vol. viii. p. 406.

tion so obtained be justly attributed to any excess of party zeal.

Early in the following year, 1717, Dr. Bentley was elected Regius Professor of Divinity, on the death of Dr. James. It is stated, in the Biographia Britannica, that on this occasion, Waterland was generally pointed out as the fittest person to fill the chair; but that he was prevented from exerting his interest to obtain the situation, by his esteem for Dr. Bentley. This does not appear improbable. But it has been said also, that, notwithstanding his acknowledged ability to fill the station, no interest that he could have exerted would have been likely to avail, against that which Bentley, by his extraordinary address and boldness, had, for some time before the vacancy, secured in his own favour; so that no candidate but himself came forward. Both accounts, however, are consistent with each other; and both were probably well founded. It might be the general wish, and even expectation, that Waterland should succeed to the appointment; and Waterland might willingly have concurred in that wish, had he not been restrained by motives of personal regard towards Bentley; whose pretensions he would be foremost to acknowledge, and desirous to promote, whether or not he had any reason to believe that his own interest could have prevailed against him.

Connected with this part of our author's academical history, is an anecdote, which has passed current in most of the accounts given of him, respecting Dr. Bentley's famous prælection, delivered on the day before he became Professor, on the disputed verse in St. John's first Epistle, Tpeïs eios μaptupoïvTES

ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, κ. τ. λ. in which exercise Bentley argued against the genuineness of the text; and it is said that Waterland, who was present, being asked whether he was convinced, answered, "No, for I "was convinced before." The correctness of this anecdote, to which much importance has been attached by those who relate it, appears to be somewhat questionable. It is asserted with great confidence, and with some degree of triumph, by Whiston, in his memoirs of Dr. Clarke; and probably has been repeated after him by others, without further inquiry. Few authorities, however, on a matter like this, are less to be depended upon than that of Whiston; who readily caught up any current story which might furnish a ground of sarcasm on those who opposed his own opinions. Waterland has not, in any of his writings, disputed the genuineness of this text. On the contrary, in his Sermon on the Doctrine of the Trinity, published many years afterwards, he says, "that though a disputed text, it is "yet not without very many and very considerable

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appearances of being truly genuine "." And in one of his letters to Mr. Loveday, now first printed, he takes notice of this anecdote related by Whiston, and treats it as a weak device or misrepresentation, for the purpose of charging him with inconsistency °. But even if the statement were correct, it can be of little weight, unless the occasion and circumstances were more distinctly known. It might be, that the arguments used by Bentley were such as Waterland was already well acquainted with, and brought no more conviction to his mind than what he had ren See vol. viii. P. 439. • Vol. ix. p. 411.

ceived before and it might also be, that Bentley himself went no farther than to state the considerations which rendered the matter questionable, without inferring a positive conclusion that the text was spurious; to all which Waterland might accede, and yet deem the evidence insufficient to warrant its omission. And this is the more probable, since it appears that Bentley himself, in his proposal for a new edition of the Greek Testament, about four years afterwards, considered the point as still open to discussion.

In the latter part of this same year, the King visited the University of Cambridge; and, in the presence of his Majesty, Waterland had the degree of D.D. conferred upon him. This circumstance is stated in the Biographia Britannica as a special mark of favour; and it is said, that the King "honoured him "with this degree without application." But, however deserving he might be of this, or of any other honour, it seems to have occurred only in the ordinary course of proceeding. There were thirty-two Doctors of Divinity created at the same time, regiis comitiis, by order of the King. The three at the head of the list were those Heads of Houses who had not already attained to that degree; namely, Grigg, Master of Clare Hall, and Vice-Chancellor; Davies, President of Queen's; and Waterland, Master of Magdalene. These were the only persons who were created Doctors in Divinity on that day, in the royal presence; and they were presented by Dr. Bentley, who made the speech on the occasion. The day being Sunday, there was not time for conferring the other degrees; and the remainder were postponed. There