vanquished part is destroyed. But, when they look upon themselves as varieties, serving the different aspects and necessities of the same body, they are for the allay of each other's exorbitancies and excesses; and by keeping their own measures, they preserve the man. This the good man well understood: for he so comported himself, that he was respected by parliaments and loved by kings.

God was pleased to invest him with a marvellous sweet nature; which is certainly to be reckoned as one half of the grace of God; because a good nature, being the rehiques and remains of that shipwreck which Adam made, is the proper and immediate disposition to holiness; as the corruption of Adam was to disobedience and peevish counsels. A good nature will not upbraid the more imperfect persons, will not deride the ignorant, will not reproach the erring man, will not smite sinners on the face, will not despise the penitent. A good nature is apt to forgive injuries, to pity the miserable, to rescue the oppressed, to make every one's condition as tolerable as he ean; and so would he. For as when good nature is heightened by the grace of God, that which was natural becomes now spiritual; so these actions which proceeded from an excellent nature, and were pleasing and useful to men, when they derive from a new principle of grace, they become pleasant in the eyes of God: then obedience to laws is duty to God; justice is righteousness, bounty becomes graciousness, and alms is charity.

And indeed this is a grace in which this good man was very remarkable, being very frequent and much in alms, tender-hearted to the poor, open-hearted to relieve their needs. He was of a meek and gentle spirit, but not too soft, he knew how to do good, and how to put by an injury; but I have heard it told by them that knew his life, that, being by the unavoidable trouble of a great estate, engaged in great suits at law, he was never plaintiff, but always on the defensive part: and that he had reason on his side and justice for him, I need alledge no other testimony, but that the sentence of the judges so declared it:

but that in which I pronounced this good man most imitable, was in his religion, for he was a great lover of the church; a constant attender to the sermons of the church; a diligent hearer of the prayers of the church, and an obedient son to perform the commands of the church. He was diligent in his times and circumstances of devotion; he would often be at church so early, that he

Tt2

he was seen to walk long in the churchyard before prayers, being as ready to confess his sin at the beginning, as to receive the blessing at the end of prayers. Indeed he was so great a lover of sermons, that though he knew how to value that which was the best, yet he was patient of that which was not so; and if he could not learn any thing to improve his faith, yet he would find something to exercise his patience, and something for charity: yet this his great love of sermons, could not tempt him to a willingness of neglecting the prayers of the church, of which he was a great lover to his dying day. Oves meæ exaudiunt vocem meam (says Christ), my sheep hear my voice; and so the church says,-My sheep hear my voice, they love my words, they pray in my forms, they observe my orders, they delight in my offices, they revere my ministers, and obey my constitutions: and so did he; loving to have his soul recommended to God, and his needs represented, and his sins confessed, and his pardon implored in the words of his mother, in the voice and accent of her that nursed him up to a spiritual life, to be a man in Christ Jesus.

He was indeed a great lover, and had a great regard for God's ministers, ever remembering the words of God, keep my rest, and reverence my priests. He honoured the calling in all, but he loved and revered the persons of such who were conscientious keepers of their depositum, that trust which was committed to them; such which did not for interest quit their conscience, and did not to preserve some parts of their revenue, quit some portions of their religion. He knew that what was true in 1639 was also true in 1644, and so to 57, and shall continue true to eternal ages, and they that changed their persuasions, by force or interest, did neither believe well nor ill upon competent and just grounds; they are not just, though they happen to be on the right side. Hope of gain did by chance teach them well; and fear of loss abuses them directly. He pitied the persecuted, and never would take part with the persecutors. He prayed for his prince, and served him in what he could: he loved God and loved the church: he was a lover of his country's liberties, and yet an observer of the laws of his king.

* This alludes to the circumstances of the times, and expresses the unchangeable adherence of Sir George to the doctrines and orders of the church of England; notwithstanding the apostacy of many of her mipisters, and the violence of her enemies.-EDITOR,

Thus

Thus he behaved himself to all his superior relatives: to his equals and dependants he was also just, and kind, and loving. He was an excellent friend; laying out his own interest to serve their's, sparing not himself, that he might serve them; as knowing society to be the advantage of man's nature, and friendship the ornament of society, and usefulness the ornament of friendship: and in this he was known to be very worthy. He was tender and careful of his children, and so provident and so wise, so loving and obliging to his whole family, that he justly had that love and regard, that duty and observance, from them, which his kindness and his care had merited He was a careful and provident conductor of his estate: but far from covetousness, as appeared toward the evening of his life, in which that vice does most usually prevail amongst old men, who are most greedy when they have least need, and load their sumpters so much the more, by how much nearer they are to their journey's end: but he made a demonstration of the contrary; for he washed his hands and his heart of the world, gave up his estate long before his death, or sickness, to be managed by his only son, whom he left since, but then first made and saw him his heir: he emptied his hands of secular employment; meddled not with money, but for the uses of the poor, for piety, justice, and religion.

And now having divested himself of all objections, and his conversation with the world, quitting his affections to it, he wholly gave himself to religion and devotion. He awakened early, and would frequently be entertained with reading: when he rose still he would be read to, and hear some of the Psalms of David; and excepting only what time he took for the necessaries of life and health, all the rest he gave to meditation and prayer; save only that he did not neglect, nor rudely entertain the visits and kind offices of his neighbours.

And thus having walked profitably with his neighbour, and humbly with his God, and having lived a life of piety, he died in a full and honourable old age, in the midst of his friends, and in the midst of prayer.

MISCELLANIES.

MISCELLANIES.

ST. AUGUSTIN ON REDEMPTION AND FREE-WILL."

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.

SIR,

T. Augustin is considered as the great bulwark of the Calvinistic tenets, and is a great favourite with those of the soi-disant gospel preachers who are able to read his works, How far they agree with him on two points, the Redemption of the World, and the Free-Will of Man, will appear from the two following extracts, from that great, though not unfrequently too zealous writer.

"Venit redemtor, et dedit pretium; fudit sanguinem suum, emit orbem terrarum. Quæritis quid emerit? Videte quid dederit, et invenite quid emerit. Sanguis Christi, pretium est. Tanti quid valet? Quid nisi TOTUS ORBIS? quid nisi OMNES GENTES? Valde ingrati sunt pretio suo, aut multum superbi, qui dicunt, aut illud tam parvum esse, ut solos Asros emerit; aut se tam magnos esse, pro quibus solis illud sit datum. Non ergo exsultent, non superbiant: pro toto dedit, quantum dedit. Novit quid emerit, quia novit quanti emerit.”

În Ps. 95. Vol. iv. p. 1035. edit. Benedict. 1681. · "The Redeemer came, and gave a ransom; he shed his blood, and purchased the compass of the world. Do ye enquire what he purchased? Consider what he gave, and ye will find what he purchased. The blood of Christ was the ransom given. What could cost so great a price? What but THE WHOLE WORLD? What but ALL NATIONS? They therefore entertain but a low opinion of the ransom given for them, or are very proud, who say, either that it was so small as to be competent to purchase only one sect, or that they are so much worth as that it should be given for them alone. Let them not exult; let them not boast: he gave for the whole, how much soever he gave. He knoweth what he hath purchased, because he knoweth at how high a price he hath made the purchase."

"Venerunt ad nos duo juvenes, Cresconius et Felix, de vestra congregatione se esse dicentes, qui nobis retulerunt monasterium vestrum nonpulla dissensione turba.

tum,

tum, eo quòd quidam in vobis sie gratiam prædicent, ut negent hominis esse liberum arbitrium: et quod est gravius, dicunt, quod in die judicii, non sit redditurus, Deus unicuique secundum opera ejus. Etiam hoc tamen indi→ caverunt, quòd plures vestrum non ita sentiant, sed liberum arbitrum [arbitrium] adjuvari fateantur per Dei gratiam; ut recta sapiamus atque faciamus, ut cum venerit Dominus reddere unicuique secundum opera ejus, inveniat opera nostra bona, quæ præparavit Deus ut in illis ambulemus. Hoc QUI SENTIUNT BENE SENTIUNT.

"Obsecro itaque vos fratres sicut Corinthios obsecravit Apostolus, per nomen Domini nostri Jesu Christi, ut idipsum dicatis omnes, et non sint in vobis schismata. Primo enim Dominus Jesus, sicut scriptum est in Evangelio Johannis apostoli, non venit ut judicaret mundum, sed, ut salvaretur mundus per ipsum. per ipsum. Postea vero sicut scribit apostolus Paulus, judicabit Deus mundum, quando venturus est, sicut tota Ecclesia in Symbolo confitetur, judicare vivos et mortuos. Si igitur non est Dei gratia, quomodo salvat mundum? et si non est liberum arbitrium, quomodo judicat mundum.".

Epist. ccxiv. p. 791. vol. ii.

"There are come unto us two young men, Cresconius and Felix, who say they belong to your community. And these report to us that your monastery is divided by dissensions; because there are some among you who so preach up grace as to deny free-will in man; and what is worse, they say, that at the day of judgment, God will not render to every man according to his works. They acquainted us likewise, that the greater part among you do not entertain these sentiments, but confess that our free will is assisted by the grace of God, so that we may think and do those things that be right; that when the Lord shall come to render unto every one according to his works, he may find our works good; which God hath prepared that we may walk in them. THEY WHO ENTERTAIN THESE SENTIMENTS THINK PROPERLY."

"Wherefore I beseech you, brethren," as the Apostle did the Corinthians, " by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you." For at first our Lord Jesus Christ, as it is written in John's gospel," came not to judge the world, but that the world through him should be saved." But hereafter, as the apostle Paul writeth," God will judge the world" when he shall come," as the whole Church con

fesseth