It is to be lamented
that he did not accompany it with a full biographical account of Mr.
Hales.
"His biographers," says Mr. Chalmers, "all allow that he may be classed
among those divines who were afterwards called Latitudinarians." May he
not be termed the founder of that splendid school? Perceiving that the
minds of men required to be more liberally enlightened, and their
affections to be more powerfully engaged on the side of religion than
was formerly thought necessary, they set themselves, to use the language
of Bishop Burnet, "to raise those who conversed with them to another
sort of thoughts, and to consider the Christian religion as a doctrine
sent from God, both to elevate and to sweeten human nature. With this
view, they laboured chiefly to take men from being in parties from
narrow notions, and from fierceness about opinions. They also continued
to keep a good correspondence with those who differed from them in
opinion and allowed a great freedom both in philosophy and divinity.
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