20 
to your hands before you will be gone 
thence. Yet I would not omit this firft 
opportunity of thanking you for your 
remembrance of me. 
Tam glad to fe, that, amidft our other 
riuch leffer differences, we all ttand faft 
and agree in contending for the faith, as 
#t was once delivered tothe fain’s. I hope, 
we may no lefs agree in a true Chrittian 
Jove and charity towards one another. 
God, in his good time, make it per{cét, 
by bringing us to the fame communion 
alfo! 
In the mean while, as I do affure you, 
_Iam one of thofe who profefs myfelf, by 
principle, an enemy to perfecution: fo 
you may be affured, that I will never do 
any thing to weaken your toleration, but 
be as from ever breaking in upon that, as 
from doing any thingto huit our own efta- 
bhihment. 
I pray God to blefs your prefent Meet- 
ing, in defence of our common Lord and 
Malter’s divinity, and remain, Sir, 
Your’s, &c. 
W. CanrT. 

; ILLIAM Harris, D. D. was a 
native of the city of Salifbury. 
His father was a comb-maker, and the 
bufinefs is (till carried’ on by a grandfon. 
Dr. Harris received his academical learn- 
in, under Mr. Grove and Mr. (afterwards 
Dr.) Amory, at Taunten; and at that 
period of his life was remarkable for pres- 
nant parts and the love of books. He 
began to preach when he was very young ; 
it is apprehended before he was nineteen 
years of age. His firft feiilement was 
witha diffenting congregation at St. Loo, 
in Cornwall. From that place he removed 
to the city of Wells, where he was or- 
dained, on the rsth of April, 1741. The 
difcourfes delivered on this occafion had 
fingular merit, and were publithed; the 
fermon, reprefenting the charaéter of St. 
Paul, as a preacher, 2 Cor. iv. 5. by Mr. 
Samuel Billingfley, then minifter of a con- 
gregation at Afwick, near Shepton Mal- 
Jet, afterwards fettled at Bradford, Wilts, 
and lafily at Peckham, near London. 
The charge was a judicious and ‘liberal 
compofition, from Tit. ii. 1. by Dr. 
Amory ;,it inveftigated the nature of found 
doétrine, and exhibited the encourage- 
ments to preach it. 
Mr. Harris did not continue many 
years at Wells; but, on marrying Mis 
Bovet, of Honiton, he removed to that 
town, to reide with two uncles of that 
Jady ; and preached the reit of his life to 
Biographical Notice of Dr. Harris. 
[Auguf 1, 
a very fmall fociety, at Luppit, in the 
neighbourhood. 
Dr. Harris’s firft effay in the walk of 
literature, in which he afterwards made 
a diftinguifhed chara&ter, was the Life of 
Hugh Peters, after the manner of Bayle. 
In 1753, he publifhed “ An Hitterical 
and Critical Account of the Life and 
Writings of James I.” after the manner 
of Bayle, drawn from original writers 
and ftate-papers. In 1758, came from the 
prefs his Life of Charles I. on the fame 
plan. Thefe publications attracted the 
notice and fecured him the friendfhip of 
the munificent Mr. Thomes Hollis ; who, 
2s he underftood, that they were to be 
followed by the lives of Oliver Cromvvell 
and Charles II. colleéted feveral books 
and extraéts fuitable to this defign, and 
prefented them to him, July, 1759, in 
addition to fome curious and interefting 
communications he had made to him in 
the preceding year*. From time to time 
he prefented to Mr. Harris many valuable 
books relative to the (ubjects of his hiftories: 
and, though himfelt averfe to parchment 
honours, was induced by his efteem for him 
to folicit, by the means of a friend, and 
to procure for him, the degree of doéter in 
divinity, from the Univerfity at Glafgow, 
which was conferred upon him, Septem- 
ber, 17657. 
The defign, thus aided by the appro-~ 
bation and patronage of the generous 
Mr. Hollis, was pwitued with diligence 
and fuccefs. In the year 176—, came 
out the Life of Oitver Cromwell, a large 
8vo. volume. In 176—, appeared the 
Life of Charles IL. 2 vols. 8vo. Both 
were executed in the fame manner ; and 
gained the author increafing reputation, 
An ill fate of healib, brought on by noc- 
turnal ftudies, when the mornings had 
been fpent in relaxa:ion and converle with 
neighbou:s impeded his application to 
further hiftorical inveftigations, and ter- 
minated his literary courfe and life on 
Feb. 4, 1770, when he had reached only 
to fifty years of age. 
Dr. Harris adopted the manner of | 
Bayle, as it gave him an opportunity to 
enter into ditquifitions, and to indulge 
refleCtions in the notes, which in the text 
would havei terrupted the connection, and 
been inconfiftent with the even tenor of 
the narrative. His character iftic qualities, 
as a writer, were, diligence in collecting 
materials ; exact fidelity in quoting autho- 

* Memoirs of Hollis, v. i. p. 82, 88. 
+ Memoirs, p. 273, 432 
ritles 5 
