53 o B U R 
acquainted with-the.leading men of the different perfua- 
lions tolerated in that country, as Calvinifts, Anninians, 
Lutherans, Anabaptifts, Brownifts, Pa pi If s, and Unita¬ 
rians; among each of which, he tiled frequently to de¬ 
clare, he met with men of fuch unfeigned piety and vir¬ 
tue, that he became fixed in a flrong principle of univer- 
fal charity, and an invincible abhorrence of ail (everities 
on account of religious diflenlions. On his return to Scot¬ 
land, he was admitted into orders, by the bilhop of Edin- 
burgh, in 1665, and prelented to the living of Saltoun. 
The conduct of the Scottilli bifhops fe’emed to iiim fo un¬ 
becoming the epifcopal character, that he drew up a me- 
fnorial of their abufes. In 1668, he was employed in ne- 
gociaring the fc.heme of accommodation between the epif¬ 
copal and prefbyterian parties, and, by his advice, many 
of the latter were put into the vacant churches. The 
year following he was made divinity profelfor at Giafgow, 
■where he Continued four years and a half, equally hated by 
the zealots of both parties. In the frequent vilits he made 
to the duchefs of Hamilton, he Co far gained her confi¬ 
dence as to be minified with rite perufal and arrangement 
of her papers, relating to her father’s and uncle’s minilrry ; 
which put him upon writing Memoirs of the Dukes of 
Hamilton, and occalioned his being invited to London by 
the earl of Lauderdale, who offered to furnifh him with 
Lome anecdotes towards compiling thole memoirs. Du¬ 
ring his (fay in London, as we are told by himfelf and 
foil, he was offered the choice of four bilhoprics in Scot¬ 
land, which lie refilled. On his return to Giafgow, lie 
married lady Margaret Kennedy, daughter to the earl of 
Caflilis, a lady of great piety and knowledge, highly 
elteemed by the prefbyterians, to whole fentituents fhe 
was ftrongly inclined. As there was fome diiparity in 
their ages, that it might remain pall dilpute that this 
match was wholly owing to inclination, not to avarice or 
-ambition, the day before their marriage he delivered the_ 
lady a deed, whereby he renounced all pretention to her 
fortune, which was very conliderable, and muff othervvife 
have fallen into his hands, Ihe herlelf having no intention 
to fecure it. In 1672 he publifhed, A Vindication, &c. 
of the Church and State of Scotland; which at that junc¬ 
ture was looked upon as fo great a fervice, that lie was 
again offered abilhopric, and a protnife of the next vacant 
archbilhopric, but did not accept of it, becaule he re¬ 
marked, that the great defignof the court was to advance 
popery. In 1673 he took another journey to London ; 
and, by the king’s own nomination, after hearing hint 
preach, was made one of his chaplains in ordinary. 
Upon his rettirn to Scotland, he retired to his ihttion at 
Giafgow ; but was obliged trie next year to return to court 
to juffify himfelf again ft the accufations of duke Lauder¬ 
dale, who had reprefented him as the cattle of the mifear- 
riages of all the court meafures in Scotland. The king 
received him very coldly, and ordered his name to be 
llruck out ot : the lift of chaplains ; yet, at the duke of 
York’s entreaty, confented to hear what lie could offer in 
his own junification, with' which he feemed robe fatisfied. 
Neverthelefs, as Lauderdale had not dropped lus relent- 
ment, Mr. Burnet, who was told that his enemies had a 
defign to get him imprifoned, religned his profeffor’s chair 
at Giafgow, and refolved to fettle in London. He preach¬ 
ed in feveral churches; and had been actually chofen mi¬ 
ni (ler of one, had not the electors been deterred from it 
by a meffage in the king’s name. About this time the 
living of Cripplegate being vacant, the dean and chapter 
of St. Paul’s (in whofe gift it was), hearing of his circutn- 
ffances, and the hardfhips he had undergone, lent him an 
offer of the benefice ; but, us he had been informed of 
their firft intention of conferring it on Dr. Fowler, lie ge- 
neroufly declined it. In 1675, at the recommendation of 
lord Hollis, whom he had known in France, ambaffador 
at that court, lie was, by Sir Harbottle Gritnllone, mailer 
of the rolls, appointed preacher of the chapel there, not- 
wkhffanding the oppolition of the court. He was foon 
after chofen alefluterof St. Clement’s, and became one 
NET. 
of the preachers that were mod followed in town. In 
1679 he publifhed the firft volume of his Hiftory of the 
Retormation, fur which he had tile thank's of both houfes 
ot parliament : .and two years after, the fecond volume, 
which met with an equal degree of approbation with 
the firft. About this time he attended a fick perfon, 
who had been engaged in an amour with the earl of Ko- 
chefter. The manner in which lie treated her during her 
illnefs, gave that lord a great curiofity of being acquaint¬ 
ed w ith him. Whereupon, for a whole w inter, he fpent 
one evening in a week with Mr. Burnet, who dtfeourfed 
with him upon all tliofe topics, upon which fceptics and 
men of loofe morals attack the Chriftian religion. The 
happy effect of thele conferences occalioned the publica¬ 
tion of his account of the life and death of that earl ; a 
book, lays the acute and faltidious Dr. Johnfon, “ which 
the critic ought to read for its elegance; the philofopher 
for its argument; and the faint for its piety.” In.1682, 
when the adminiftration was changed in favour ol the 
duke of York, being much reforted to by perfons of all 
ranks and parties, in order to avoid returning vilits, lie 
built a laboratory, and wenr, for above a year, through a 
cottrfe of chemical experiments. Not long after, lie re¬ 
filled a living of 300I. a-year, offered him by the eail of 
Effex, on the terms of not refiding there, but in London- 
His behaviour at the lord Ruflel’s trial, and his attend¬ 
ance on him in prifon and at his execution, having drawn 
on him the indignation of the court, he took a tour to 
Paris, where unufual civilities were (hewn him by the 
king of France’s exprefs direction. He became acquainted 
with feveral eminent perfons; but, not thinking it right 
to be longer abfent from the duties of his calling, he re¬ 
turned to London, and that very year, in purfuance of 
the king’s mandate, was difeharged from his leiftiirefhip 
at St. Clement’s : and having, on the 5th of November, 
1684, preached a fermon at the Rolls-chape!, feverely in¬ 
veighing againff: the doctrines and the principles of the 
papifts, he was, in December following, forbid to preach- 
there any more. 
On king James’s accefiion to the throne, having obtain¬ 
ed leave to go out of the kingdom, he firli went to Paris, 
and lived in great retirement, till contrafling an acquaint¬ 
ance with brigadier Stouppe, a proteftant gentleman in 
the French fervice, he made a tour with him to Italy. He 
met with an agreeable reception at Rome. Pope Inno¬ 
cent II. hearing of his arrival, fent a captain of the Swifs 
guards to acquaint him, that he would give him a private 
audience in bed, to avoid the ceremony of killing his’ho- 
linefs’s flipper : but Dr. Burnet excufed himfelf from ac¬ 
cepting this honour. One evening, upon viliting cardinal 
Howard, he found him diftnbuting fome relics to two 
French gentlemen. Whereupon he whifpered to him in 
Lnglifh, that it was fomewhat odd, that a clergyman of 
the church of England fhould he at Rome, helping them 
off with the ware of Babylon. The cardinal fmiled at the 
remark, and, repeating it in French to the gentlemen, 
bade them tell their countrymen how bold the heretics, 
and how mild the cardinals, were at Rome. Some dil- 
putes which now happened at Rome, concerning religion, 
made it proper for him to quit that city, which, upon an 
intimation given him by prince Borghefe, he accordingly 
did. He purfued his travels through Swilferland and 
Germany. In 1688 he came to Utrecht, with an inten¬ 
tion to fettle in Lome of the Seven Provinces. There he 
received an invitation from the prince and princels of 
Orange (to whom their party in England had recommend¬ 
ed him) to come to the Hague, which he accepted. He 
was foon made acquainted with the fgcret of their coun- 
lels, and advifed the fitting out of a fleet in Holland fuf- 
ficient to fupport their deftgns and encourage their friends. 
This, and the account of his travels, in which, he blends 
popery and tyranny together, and reprefents them as in¬ 
separable, with fome papers reflecting on the proceedings 
of England, that came out in fingle llieets, and were dif- 
perfed iii.feveral parts of England, moft of which Mr. 
.Burnet 
