NUM B. XXV. Bishop KENN's Teftimony concerning Mr. Kettlewell, in a Letter to Mr. Nelfon, upon the Occafion of the Publication of his Sermons: With Mr. Nelfon's Character of him. SIR, Received the Book, which I imagin'd came from you; and for which I return you many Thanks, and fince that, your obliging Letter came to my Hands. You have done an Honour to the Memory of our Dead Friend, which we all ought to acknowledge: And I am very glad that his Life is writing by another Hand, as you tell me. He was certainly as Saint-like a Man, as ever I knew; and his Books are Demonftrations of it, which are full of as Solid and Searching a Piety, as ever I read. God was pleased to take him from the Evil to come, to his own infinite Advantage, but to our great Lofs. His Bleffed Will be done. Since the Date of your Letter, a New Scene has been opened: And if the Act paffes, which is now on the Anvil, I prefume the Prifons will be filled with the Malecontents; and your Friend, though Innocent and Inoffenfive, yet apprehends he may fhare in the Calamity and foreseeing it, it will be no Surprize to him. In refpect of that Sort of Men, I have been always of the Mind of the Prophet, that their Strength was to fit fill: And fo it will be found at the long Run. And 'tis the Wifelt and nioft Dutiful Way, to follow, rather than to anticipate Providence, &c. I commend you all to God's moft gracious Protection. Extract of fome Letters from a Reverend and Pious Clergyman, an Intimate of Mr. Kettlewell, concerning his General Character, and fome Remarkables concerning him, written not long after his Deceafe to Robert Nelfon Ef I SIR, 2 Am very glad you have enter'd upon fo good a Defign, as writing the Life of my Dear Friend Mr. KETTLEWELL, whofe Memory, though his own Works will not suffer it to die, will however be the more revived by yours: And your Name too, like that of the Statuaries, will laft as long as the Monument you erect for another. But Fame, I perceive, is not the Thing you propofe to your feif, but the Benefit of others, and a generous Defign of obliging the Publick with. an Example of a good Life, which is ufually of more Force than Precepts. And I pray God we may all endeavour to imitate it. In the Year 1682, he was promoted to the Vicarage of Colefhill in Warwickshire, which being freely of-. fered to him by one that was a Stranger to his Perfon, (tho' not to his Character) without any feeking after it; he looked upon it as a Call, and fo (tho' he deferved a bettter, yet) did not stand much to deliberate whether he fhould accept of it, or not; and fo at the fame time fhewed both a Religious and Humble Mind, the one by fol |