Scott, Dr. John

, a learned English divine, was son of Mr. Thomas Scott, a substantial grazier, and was born in the parish of Chippingham, in Wiltshire, in 1638. Not being intended for a literary profession, he served an apprenticeship in London, much against his will,- for about three years but, having an inclination as well as talents for learning, he quitted his trade and went to Oxford. “He was admitted a commoner of New Inn in 1657, and made a great progress in logic and philosophy; but left the university without taking a degree, and being ordained., came to London, where he officiated in the perpetual curacy of Trinity in the Minories, and as minister of St. Thomas’s in Southwark. In 1677 he was presented to the rectory of St. Peter Le Poor; and was collated to a prebend in St. Paul’s cathedral in 1684. In 1685 he accumulated the degrees of bachelor and doctor in divinity, having

| before taken no degree in any other faculty. In 1691 he succeeded Sharp, afterwards archbishop of York, in the rectory of St. Giles in the Fields; and the same year was made canon of Windsor. Wood says that*; he might soon have been a bishop, had not some scruples hindered him;‘.’ and Hickes lias told us that he refused the bishopric of Chester, because he could not take the oath of homage; and afterwards another bishopric, the deanery of Worcester, and a prebend of the church of Windsor, because they were all places of deprived men. This, however, Dr. Isham attributes entirely to his growing infirmities. He died in 1694, and was buried in St. Giles’s church: his funeral sermon was preached by Dr. Isham, and afterwards printed in 1695. In this sermon we are told that” he had many virtues in him of no ordinary growth piety towards God kindness, friendship, affability, sincerity, towards men zeal and constancy in the discharge of the pastoral office and, in a word, all those graces and virtues which make the good Christian and the good man.“When popery was encroaching under Charles II. and James II. he was one of those champions who opposed it with great warmth and courage, particularly in the dedication of a sermon 'preached at Guildhall chapel, Nov. 5, 1683, to sir William Hooker, lord-mayor of London, where he declares that” Domitian and Dioclesian were but puny persecutors and bunglers in cruelty, compared with the infallible cut-throats of the apostolical chair."

This divine wrote an excellent work, called “The Christian Life,” which has been often printed, and much read. The first part was published 1681, in 8vo, wiih this title, “The Christian Life, from its beginning to its consummation in glory, together with the several means and instruments of Christianity conducing thereunto, with directions for private devotion and forms of prayer, fitted to the several states of Christians;” in 1685, another part, “wherein, the fundamental principles of Christian duty are assigned, explained, and proved;” in 1686, another part, “wherein the doctrine of our Saviour’s mediation is explained and proved.” To these volumes of the “Christian Life” the pious author intended a continuation, had not long infirmity, and afterwards death, prevented him. This work is not now much read, although the ninth edition was published in 1729. Mr. Orton, in his “Letters to young Ministers,” seems to recommend the first volume only. | Dr. Scott published two pieces against the papists: I. “Examination of Bellarmine’s eighth note concerning sanctity of doctrine.” 2. “The texts examined, which papists cite out of the Bible concerning prayer in an unknown tongue.” Both these pieces were printed together, Oct. 1688, while king James was upon the throne. He wrote also “Certain Cases of Conscience resolved, concerning the lawfulness of joining with forms of prayer in public worship,” 1683, in two parts; which were both reprinted, and inserted in the second volume of a work entitled “A collection of Cases and other Discourses lately written to recover Dissenters to the Communion of the Church of England,” 1685, 4to. His whole works, including sermons, &c. were published in 2 vols. fol. 1704. ¹