BURNET, Thomas, a polite and learned writer in the end of the 17th century, was born in Scotland, but educated in Cambridge, under the tuition of Mr John Tillotson, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury. In the beginning of 1685, he was made master of Sutton's hospital in London; after which he entered into holy orders. During the reign of King James, he made a noble stand in his post as master of the Charter-house against the encroachments of that monarch, who would have imposed one Andrew Popham, a Papist, as a pensioner upon the foundation of that house. In 1680 he published his Telluris theoria sacra, so universally admired for the purity of the style and beauty of the sentiments, that King Charles gave encouragement to a translation of it into English. This theory was, however, attacked by several writers. In 1692 he published his Archæologia philosophica, dedicated to King William, to whom he was clerk of the closet. He died in 1715. Since his death, hath been published his book De statu mortuorum et resurgentium, and his treatise De fide et officiis Christianorum.