oO JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
but I do not for a moment attribute this action to him; for, strong 
Episcopalian though he was, he knew how to honour true worth 
when he saw it; and Calamy says Prince informed him that Mr. 
Whiddon left behind him the character of a curious preacher and 
a most genteel, friendly, and courteous person. On Whiddon’s death, 
in September, 1679, while Prince was vicar of Totnes, Prince 
allowed the rector of the neighbouring parish of Diptford, a rela- 
tive of Whiddon’s, to preach his funeral sermon in Totnes Church, 
‘“before the mayor, aldermen, and inhabitants of the populous 
town of Totnes,’’ I give his own words, ‘‘ with several justices of 
the peace and ministers of the county, both con. and noncon- 
formists, in which he gave him a very honourable character; and 
the sermon, it is said, met with general approbation; and at its 
close he said, Of late one pulpit hath not held us; but I trust in 
due time one heaven shall, where there is no discord in the saints’ 
harmony, where Calvin and Luther are made friends.” Might not 
some in this enlightened nineteenth century, which boasts of its 
civil and religious liberty, with advantage copy the example of 
some of the Conformists and Nonconformists of the seventeenth 
century, who, whilst holding firm their own opinions, could recog- 
nize and respect the good qualities of their opponents. I cannot 
help admiring John Prince as I read his denunciation of the 
Puritans who occupied the pulpits of the sequestered Episcopalians, 
and remember how, when he came to Totnes, he could admire the 
character of the Nonconformist divine who had occupied the pulpit 
he then filled, and was ready on his death to allow the funeral 
sermon for the holder of conventicles to be preached in his parish 
church, while he granted a place among the ‘‘ Worthies”’ to Dr. 
Theophilus Gale, the Nonconformist divine, whom he considered a 
very learned man, though he looked upon his Nonconformity as a 
great misfortune of his life. 
On reference to the registers of Totnes Church during the period 
Prince was vicar, 1 found that they were at first very illegible, 
but after a while the following entry occurs, which shows that the 
worthy vicar took this matter in hand: ‘“ Dec. 26th, 1680. This 
register was taken into the hands of ye minister and churchwardens. 
Nicholas Oliver, churchwarden.”” The writing then became very 
plain and legible. No doubt before that time it had been left to 
some illiterate parish clerk. 
From one of his published sermons we glean the account of a 
