an English cleric, a prolific writer and life assurance pioneer. Assheton was more a compiler than an original writer. Having entered holy orders and taken his master's degree, he became a frequent preacher. James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, who was chancellor of the university, appointed him chaplain, and in that capacity he served both in England and Ireland. He gained the degree of D.D. in 1673; next month he had the prebend of Knaresborough in the church of York. The interest of his patron procured him the livings of St. Antholin's, London, and Beckenham, Kent, where he settled in 1676.
1. 'Toleration Disapproved,' Oxford, 1670; there were two editions in the same year, one of which was anonymous (B.M.), Oxford, 1671 (B.M.), 1736 (B.M.).
2. 'Danger of Hypocrisie,' London, 1673 (B.M.).
3. 'Seasonable Ap...
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1. 'Toleration Disapproved,' Oxford, 1670; there were two editions in the same year, one of which was anonymous (B.M.), Oxford, 1671 (B.M.), 1736 (B.M.).
2. 'Danger of Hypocrisie,' London, 1673 (B.M.).
3. 'Seasonable Apology for the Honours and Revenues of the Clergy' (Judicium Carolinum), London, 1674, 1676 (B.M.).
4. 'The Cases of Scandal and Persecution,' London, 1674 (B.M. and 1676); this was answered by Baxter.
5. 'The Royal Apology,' London, 1684 (B.M.).
6. 'An Admonition to a Deist,' London, 1685, anonymous (B.M.).
7. ' A Seasonable Vindication of their Present Majesties,' 1688.
8. 'An Explanation of his Reasons for taking the Oath of Allegiance to William and Mary.'
9. 'Country Parson's Admonition to his Parishioners against Popery,' London, 1686, 1689, 1706 (B.M.).
10. 'A Defence of the Plain Man's Reply to the Catholick Missionaries,' London, 1688; two editions with some variations in the title.
11. 'The Substance of a late Conference with M. S. concerning (1) the Rudeness of Atheistic Discourse; (2) the Certainty and Eternity of Hell Torments; (3) the Truth and Authority of the Holy Scriptures,' London, 1690 (B.M.).
12. 'Discourse against Blasphemy,' London, 1691, 1694 (B.M.).
13. 'Discourse against Drunkenness,' London, 1692.
14. 'A Discourse against Swearing and Cursing,' London, 1692; these three were published at twopence each, in order that they might be extensively circulated as an aid to the royal proclamation for the reformation of manners. *
15. 'Directions in order to the Suppression of Debauchery and Prophaneness,' London, 1693.
16. 'Conference with an Anabaptist,' pt. i., London, 1694; this was the worthy churchman's move against a baptist meeting which had arisen in his parish, but it did not flourish, and its removal or dissolution saved him from the necessity of further argumentation.
17. 'A Short Exposition of the Preliminary Questions and Answers of the Church Catechism, being an introduction to a Defence of Infant Baptism,' London, 1694 (B.M.).
18. 'Discourse concerning a Death-bed Repentance,' London, 1696 (B.M.), 1765 (B.M.), 1800 (B.M.), 1802 (B.M.), 1807 (B.M.); this is said to have been preached before Queen Mary[disambiguation needed], and after her death enlarged and dedicated to the king. It was reprinted in 1872 with Baxter's 'Call to the Unconverted.'
19. 'Theological Discourse of Last Wills and Testaments,' London, 1696 (B.M.).
20. 'Seasonable Vindication of the Blessed Trinity, collected from the works of Tillotson and Stillingfleet,' London, 1697 (B.M.).
21. 'Method of Daily Devotion,' London, 1697 (B.M.).
22. 'Brief State of the Socinian Controversy, collected from the works of Isaac Barrow,' London, 1698.
23. 'The Plain Man's Devotion,' London, 1689, 1698.
24. 'A Full Account of the Rise, Progress, and Advantages of Dr. Assheton's Proposal, as now improved and managed by the Company of Mercers, London, for the benefit of widows of clergymen and others by settled jointures and annuities at the rate of thirty per cent., London, 1699 (B.M.), 1700 (B.M.), 1710 (B.M.), 1711 (B.M.), 1713 (B.M.), 1724 (B.M.).
25. 'Sermon preached before the Sons of the Clergy,' London, 1699.
26. 'Sermon preached before the Hon. Society of the Natives of Kent,' London, 1700 (B.M.).
27. 'Vindication of the Immortality of the Soul,' London, 1703.
28. ' Brief Exhortation to the Holy Communion,' London, 1705, 1775 (B.M.).
29. 'Method of Devotion for Sick and Dying Persons,' London, 1706 (B.M.), 2nd ed. 1745.
30. 'The Possibility of Apparitions,' by a Divine of the Church of England, London, 1706 (B.M.); this book has an interesting place in literary history, for it was occasioned by Defoe's fabricated story of the appearance of the ghost of Mrs. Veal.
31. 'Occasional Prayers from Taylor, Cosins, Ken, &c., and a collection of Hymns,' London, 1708.
32. 'A Seasonable Vindication of the Clergy, by a Divine of the Church,' London, 1709.
33. 'Directions for the Conversation of the Clergy, collected from Stillingfleet,' London, 1710. In the above list such writings of Assheton's as are in the British Museum are indicated by the letters B.M. attached to them.
