Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/401

 A T II E R T O N. 365 Confideration of his knowledge in the c;v ' fiaftical Mtfctters, nv.uk- a prebendary of Chrift-cburch j i I afterward^ advanc Ivihopr; oi Ford and J !('- more, in the year 1636, being then dnJ:l.>r in divinity. His epifcepal ijcivc rnment was a fccne of hc:u y Oppreffio, _ tortion : intlipated by pride, covetonfnels, and cruelty, he i continual'y hm>., n .Ing and perfecutiflg both p.otcil.m s ' papiirs in the rcclefiaftical conrf?, 5co. to the ruin many; ftrjpping whole families of pofleffions they had been Jong and quietly f: tried in, when any colour could be found to r/. ike Lhvjm part of the bilhop's revenue ; by which means he not only hooktd in ieveral confiderable eilates to nib own fee [A], but raked up alfo a plentiful one to hirnfsrlf. Not many years after his advancement to the bifhopric, he had a long and dangerous ficknefs ; during which, from a convic- tion of his total neglect cf his paftoral ch^rpe, he made a foleain vow to God, that, if he Should be reuored to health, he would be diligent both in preaching and catec'..if:n,^ every Sunday. After his recovery, it happened, th^: t I timexh? peni- he -.vent to church to pfeach, the judges of allize were at te. nt D ^ :t! * Waterford; and a thought arifmg within him, that if he^ n a n oe j| fiiould now enter upon that practice, which he had not ufcdDr.Dei'mrd, before, it would be imagined ;he did it for fear of them ; he L ^ nd - l6 ; 1 - deferred it for that day, and never performed it afterwards. He gave himfelf up to the moil unnatural abominations, Lite and * making both fexes a prey to his luft. The number of fmDe thof concubines amounted tonole.'s than fixty-four. To nualifyJ" hnAther : 1 r 11- r 1 r - f i r r l '' n > C. Ul>l nimicli for their fervice, he was otten reduced to make ufedr/ upMi provocatives. The pious Dr t Berr.ard informs us, that hifibid. reading of naughty books, and viewing of immodelt pi6lures, frequenting of plays, and drunkennefs, &c. were the canfers and movers to fouler fa6is. Atherton became at Jail an ad- The pern- vocate for his iniquity, and endeavoured to fliew that it w?.s tentt!tattl expedient and falutary. It is pofitively affirmed, that he wass i *' admonifhed to leave his profligate courfe of life, in a very p. folemn manner, by his own fitter, the wife of one Mr. Leakie ; ll " whofe mother being dead, and having not been ignorant or the bifliop's enormous debaucheries, her ghofl: appeared often to this filter, charging her to go over and warn him, that if he did not forthwith reform his wicked life, it would afiuredly be cut off at the gallows. Whether this was only a bare fancy, [A] In 1637, the earl of Corke was eftate as was v -bole t-.vo forced to compound, and parted v.ith thoufand pjU:---. ; r .i.vjrn, ' Ardmore to the fee of WatcriorJ : ' the biihop wanted as much of his 5 the