•  §  7.  Next  after  Barrow,  John  Tillotson  (1630-1694)  perhaps  en-
joys the  highest  and  most  durable  popularity  among  the  pulpit  orators
of  this  time :  indeed  the  popularity  of  his  sermons  has  extended  to  the
present  day,  and  they  are  frequently  read  by  pious  Churchmen  even
now.  But  Tillotson,  though  a  sound  and  classical  English  prose-
writer,  was  a  man  of  a  calibre  far  inferior  to  Barrow.  He  studied  at
Cambridge,  where  he  at  first  rendered  himself  conspicuous  for  his
decided  Puritan  sympathies.  He,  however,  afterwards  made  no  difii-
culty  in  conforming  to  the  rules  aiid  discipline  of  the  Anglican  Church,
and  ultimately  rose  to  the  dignity  of  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.  He
was  a  person  of  easy,  good-natured,  and  amiable  character;  and  his
change  of  party  seems  to  have  left  no  other  effect  upon  him  than  that
of  increasing  his  candor  and  indulgence  for  all  shades  of  sincere  opin-
ion. In  his  conduct' as  a  pastor  and  as  a  prelate  he  exhibited  much
zeal  in  correcting  the  abuses  which  had  crept  into  the  Church,  and
gave  a  notable  example  of  liberal  charity  and  episcopal  virtue.  He
was  renowned  as  a  preacher;  and  his  sermons,  though  falling  far  short
of  Barrow's  in  grasp  of  mind  and  vigor  of  expression,  are  precisely  of
such  a  nature  as  is  most  likely  to  command  popularity.     They  show  an


A.D.  1633-1716.]     SOUTH.    STILLINGFLEET.    SPRAT.  257

easy  flow  of  style,  sometimes,  it  is  true,  carrj'ing  too  far  the  affectation
of  familiarity,  in  consequence  of  which  the  images  and  illustrations
are  occasionally  trivial;  but  there  is  a  good  deal  of  artifice,  and  ev^en
sophistry,  in  the  reasoning,  cunningly  concealed  under  an  air  of  candor
whicla  never  deserts  Tillotson.  His  sentences,  too,  are  often  singularly
unmusical,  and  are  evidently  made  as  colloquial  in  tone  as  possible.
