WILLIAM, a learned English divine in the 17th century, was born in 1641, and educated at Eton school, where he distinguished himself by the vigour of his genius and his application to study. Thence he was removed to Cambridge, where he took his degrees. In 1669 he became rector of the parish of St George, Botolph-lane, in London; and in 1681 was collated to the prebend of Pancras, in the cathedral of St Paul's. He was likewise chosen master of the Temple, and had the rectory of Therfield in Hertfordshire. After the Revolution he was suspended from his preferment, for refusing the oaths to King William and Queen Mary; but at last he took them, and publicly justified what he had done. In 1691 he was installed dean of St Paul's. His Vindication of the Doctrine of the Trinity engaged him in a warm controversy with Dr South and others. Bishop Burnet tells us, he was "a clear, a polite, and a strong writer; but apt to aflume too much to himself, and to treat his adversaries with contempt." He died in 1707. His works are very numerous; among these are, 1. A Discourse concerning the Knowledge of Jesus Christ, against Dr Owen. 2. Several pieces against the Papists, the Socinians, and Dissenters. 3. A practical Treatise on Death, which is much admired. 4. A practical Discourse on Providence. 5. A practical Discourse on the Future Judgment; and many other works.

Dr Thomas, bishop of London, was the son of the preceding Dr William Sherlock, and was born in 1678. He was educated in Catharine hall, Cambridge, where he took his degrees, and of which he became master; he was made master of the Temple very young, on the resignation of his father; and it is remarkable, that this mastership was held by father and son successively for more than 70 years. He was at the head of the opposition against Dr Headley bishop of Bangor; during which contest he published a great number of pieces. He attacked the famous Collins's "Grounds and Reasons of the Christian Religion," in a course of six sermons, preached at the Temple church, which he entitled "The Use and Intent of Prophecy in the several Ages of the World." In 1728, Dr Sherlock was promoted to the bishopric of Bangor; and was translated to Salisbury in 1734. In 1747 he refused the archbishopric of Canterbury, on account of his ill state of health; but recovering in a good degree, accepted the see of London the following year. On occasion of the earthquakes in 1750, he published an excellent Pastoral Letter to the clergy and inhabitants of London and Westminster: of which it is said there were printed in 4to, 5000; in 8vo, 20,000; and in 12mo, about 32,000; beside pirated editions, of which not less than 50,000 were supposed to have been sold. Under the weak state of body in which he lay for several years, he revised and published 4 vols of Sermons in 8vo, which are particularly admired for their ingenuity and elegance. He died in 1762, and by report worth 150,000l. "His learning," says Dr Nicholls, "was very extensive: God had given him a great and an understanding mind, a quick comprehension, and a solid judgment. These advantages of nature he improved by much industry and application. His skill in the civil and canon law was very considerable; to which he had added such a knowledge of the common law of England as few clergymen attain to. This it was that gave him that influence in all causes where the church was concerned; as knowing precisely what it had to claim from its constitutions and canons, and what from the common law of the land." Dr Nicholls then mentions his constant and exemplary piety, his warm and fervent zeal in preaching the duties and maintaining the doctrines of Christianity, and his large and diffusive munificence and charity; particularly by his having given large sums of money to the corporation of clergymen's sons, to several of the hospitals, and to the society for propagating the gospel in foreign parts: also his bequeathing to Catharine-hall in Cambridge, the place of his education, his valuable library of books, and his donations for the founding a librarian's place and a scholarship, to the amount of several thousand pounds.

SHERIFFFE of Mecca, the title of the descendants of Mahomet by Hafian Ibn Ali. These are divided into several branches, of which the family of Ali Bunemi, consisting at least of three hundred individuals, enjoy the sole right to the throne of Mecca. The Ali Bunemi are, again, subdivided into two subordinate branches, Darii Sajid, and Darii Barkad; of whom sometimes the one, sometimes the other, have given sovereigns to Mecca and Medina, when these were separate states.

Not only is the Turkish sultan indifferent about the order of succession in this family, but he seems even to foment the dissensions which arise among them, and favours the strongest, merely that he may weaken them all. As the order of succession is not determinately fixed, and the sherriffes may all alpine alike to the sovereign power, this uncertainty of right, aided by the intrigues of the Turkish officers, occasions frequent revolutions. The grand sherriff is seldom able to maintain himself on the throne; and it still seldom happens that his reign is not disturbed by the revolt of his nearest relations. There have been instances of a nephew succeeding his uncle, an uncle succeeding his nephew; Sherriffe, and sometimes of a person, from a remote branch, coming in the room of the reigning prince of the ancient house.

When Niebuhr was in Arabia, in 1763, the reigning Sherriffe Mefad had filled fourteen years on the throne, and, during all that period, had been continually at war with the neighbouring Arabs, and with his own nearest relations sometimes. A few years before, the pacha of Syria had deposed him, and raised his younger brother to the sovereign dignity in his stead. But after the departure of the caravan, Jafar, the new sherriffe, not being able to maintain himself on the throne, was obliged to resign the sovereignty again to Mefad. Achmet, the second brother of the sherriffe, who was much beloved by the Arabs, threatened to attack Mecca while Niebuhr was at Jidda. Our traveller was soon after informed of the termination of the quarrel, and of Achmet's return to Mecca, where he continued to live peaceably in a private character.

These examples show that the Mussulmans observe not the law which forbids them to bear arms against their holy places. An Egyptian bey even prelumed, a few years since, to plant some small cannons within the courts of the Kaaba, upon a small tower, from which he fired over that sacred mansion, upon the palace of Sherriffe Mefad, with whom he was at variance.

The dominions of the sherriffe comprehend the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jambo, Ta'atif, Sadie, Ghunfude, Haili, and thirteen others less considerable, all situated in Hedjas. Near Ta'atif is the lofty mountain of Gazvan, which according to Arabian authors, is covered with snow in the midst of summer. As these dominions are neither opulent nor extensive, the revenue of their sovereign cannot be considerable.

He finds a rich resource, however, in the imposts levied on pilgrims, and in the gratuities offered him by Mussulman monarchs. Every pilgrim pays a tax of from ten to an hundred crowns, in proportion to his ability. The Great Mogul remits annually sixty thousand roupes to the sherriffe, by an assignment upon the government of Surat. Indeed, since the English made themselves masters of this city, and the territory belonging to it, the nabob of Surat has no longer been able to pay the sum. The sherriffe once demanded it of the English, as the possessors of Surat; and, till they should satisfy him, forbade their captains to leave the port of Jidda. But the English disregarding this prohibition, the sherriffe complained to the Ottoman Porte, and they communicated his complaints to the English ambassador. He at the same time opened a negotiation with the nominal nabob, who resides in Surat. But all these steps proved fruitless; and the sovereign of Mecca seems not likely to be ever more benefited by the contribution from India.

The power of the sherriffe extends not to spiritual matters; these are entirely managed by the heads of the clergy, of different sects, who are resident at Mecca. Rigid Mussulmans, such as the Turks, are not very favourable in their sentiments of the sherriffes, but suspect their orthodoxy, and look upon them as secretly attached to the tolerant sect of the Zeidi.