specimen of the devotions, of a Christian’ (Heber).
It is generally admitted that the literary genius of Taylor is seen at its best in his sermons. A passage in a sermon by South (30 April 1668) is evidently aimed at the pulpit style of Taylor, whose ‘starched similitudes’ he caricatures. But while Taylor's imagination travels far and wide, takes daring flights, and again treads homely ground, he employs his gift in real elucidation of his point; and by the vividness of his own conceptions redeems from commonplace the preacher's most obvious themes. Apart from the play of fancy, the singular neatness of his workmanship gives beauty to his writing. The appalling length of his periods is very much a matter of punctuation. His style is not involved; few writers have been better artists in clear and striking sentences. It is true that he is wanting in some of the higher qualities of eloquence. He arrests and delights rather than moves his reader, for he is not himself carried away. In the midst of splendours he never rises into passion, and bounds his meaning with even cautious care. In his piety there is little fervour, but all his writings give the deep impression of a chastened and consecrated spirit of devotion. ‘His attempts at verse,’ says his editor, Dr. Grosart, ‘are eloquence, not poetry.’ Two or three of his pieces have been adapted for use as hymns; one is included in Lord Selborne's ‘Book of Praise’ (1863). His position as a contributor to ‘a more rational theology’ is well estimated in Hunt's ‘Religious Thought in England’ (1870, i. 334 sq.; see also Tulloch, Rational Theology, 1872, i. 344 sq.).
The following is a list of original editions of Taylor's works: 1. ‘A Sermon … Vpon the Anniversary of the Gunpowder-Treason,’ Oxford, 1638, 4to. 2. ‘Of the Sacred Order and Offices of Episcopacy,’ Oxford, 1642, 4to. 3. ‘A Discourse concerning Prayer Ex tempore,’ 1646, 4to (anon.). 4. ‘Θεολογία Ἐκλεκτικὴ. A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying,’ 1646, 4to. 5. ‘An Apology for … Liturgie,’ 1649, 4to (includes No. 3). 6. ‘The Great Exemplar … History of … Jesus Christ,’ 1649, 4to. 7. ‘Funeral Sermon … Frances, Countesse of Carbery,’ 1650, 4to. 8. ‘The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living,’ 1650, 12mo. 9. ‘The Rule and Exercises of Holy Dying,’ 1651, 8vo (two issues with different title-pages same year). 10. ‘A Discourse of Baptisme,’ 1652, 4to. 11. ‘A Short Catechisme,’ 1652, 12mo (anon.). 12. ‘Two Discourses … 1. Of Baptisme. 2. Of Prayer,’ 1653, 4to. 13. ‘Eniautos. … Sermons for all the Sundays in the Year,’ 3 pts. 1653–5, fol.; 3rd edit. enlarged (including No. 29), 1667–8, fol. 14. ‘The Real Presence … proved, against … Transubstantiation,’ 1654, 8vo. 15. ‘Unum Necessarium,’ 1655, 8vo; the part on original sin is enlarged and defended in ‘Deus Justificatus,’ 1656, 12mo. 16. ‘The Golden Grove,’ 1655, 8vo; enlarged, with title ‘A Choice Manual,’ 1677, 12mo. 17. ‘A Discourse of Auxiliary Beauty,’ 1656, 8vo (anon.); 2nd edit. 1662, 8vo (by J. T., D.D.; ascribed to Taylor by Kennett; includes a defence of face-painting; the phrase on title, ‘artificial handsomeness,’ is also in ‘Ductor Dubit.’ ii. 3, 6). 18. ‘A Discourse of … Friendship,’ 1657, 12mo; 2nd edit. with title, ‘The Measures … of Friendship,’ 1657, 12mo. 19. ‘Σύμβολον Ἠθικο-Πολεμικόν … Polemical and Moral Discourses,’ 1657, fol.; enlarged as ‘Σύμβολον Θεολογικόν,’ 1673–1674, fol. 20. ‘Letter’ in John Stearne's ‘Thanatologia,’ Dublin, 1659, 8vo. 21. ‘The Worthy Communicant,’ 1660, 8vo. 22. ‘Ductor Dubitantium,’ 1660, fol. 23. ‘Certaine Letters … concerning … Originall Sin,’ in ‘A Second Part of the Mixture of Scholasticall Divinity,’ Oxford, 1660, 4to, by Henry Jeanes. 24. ‘Letter’ (on prayer) prefixed to Henry Leslie's ‘Discourse,’ 1660, 4to. 25. ‘A Sermon … at the Consecration,’ Dublin, 1661, 4to. 26. ‘Rules and Advices to the Clergy of … Down and Connor,’ Dublin 1661, 12mo. 27. ‘A Sermond … at the Opening of the Parliament of Ireland,’ 1661, 4to. 28. ‘Ἑβδομὰς Ἐμβολιμαῖος’ 1661–3, 4to (a supplement to No. 14; includes No. 27). 29. ‘Via Intelligentiæ … Sermom (sic) to the University of Dublin,’ 1662, 4to. 30. ‘A Sermon … Funeral of John … Archbishop of Armagh,’ 1663, 4to (with memoir of Bramhall; three editions same year). 31. ‘A Dissuasive from Popery,’ 1664, 4to (three editions same year). 32. ‘Christ's Yoke an Easy Yoke,’ 1675, 8vo (two sermons). Posthumous was 33. ‘On the Reverence due to the Altar. Now first printed from the original manuscript,’ Oxford, 1848, 4to (edited by John Barrow). The sermon at Breda (1649; reprinted 1660), ascribed to Taylor in the British Museum Catalogue, is by Henry Leslie.
Taylor's ‘Whole Works’ were edited by Reginald Heber [q. v.] in 1822 (15 vols. 8vo); revised and improved issue, by Charles Page Eden [q. v.] in 1847–52, 10 vols. 8vo. The ‘Works,’ edited by Thomas Smart Hughes [q. v.], 1831, 5 vols. 12mo, consist of the sermons and the ‘Holy Living and Dying.’ ‘The Poems and Verse Translations’ were edited by Dr. A. B. Grosart, 1870, 8vo
