FRANCIS WILLUGHBY. 
139 
his particular religious principles ; perhaps the 
state of the times was unfavourable to any marked 
expression of these. It is not the least evil 
resulting from such a political condition as ex- 
isted during the Commonwealth and subsequent 
Restoration, that the wise and good are often 
compelled by it to decline the well-timed and 
moderate avowal of the distinguishing doctrines 
of Christianity, in order to avoid the imputation 
of indifference from the extravagant zealot on the 
one hand, and the charge of religious hypocrisy 
from the profane, rendered still more profane by 
the spirit of revulsion on the other. 
But enough is still said of him to justify the 
most pleasing conclusions. His habits of indus- 
try, temperance, and purity — his enlightened 
estimate of the advantages of birth, wealth, and 
intellectual ability, and of the true nature of per- 
sonal worthiness — his abhorrence of idleness, on 
the ground of its being the parent of almost every 
vice — his eminent virtue and goodness — his re- 
markable humility, justice, and integrity — his 
disinterested constancy to his friends — his com- 
prehensive “ charity toward all good men, to the 
exclusion, howe'ver, of such opinions as are incon- 
sistent with true goodness” — his fear and reverence 
of the Deity, deep sense of his goodness, and 
thankfulness for the same — sincere piety in all 
his actions toward him, and great abhorrency of 
whatever tended to his dishonour — his patience 
and submission, which he also evinced so con- 
spicuously on his deathbed, — all which qualities 
