And laftly, let them be as great as they may, pious people have refources, which worldlings have not." Ma. Careme. tom. iv. pour le mecredi de la fem. de pallion.

This beautiful topick is exemplified every day by fuch divines as bend their attention to prove the reafonableness of chriftianity-the reasonableness of obferving a fabbath-the fitness of morality to the felicity of a flate -a family-a perfon, &c.the agreement of religious and civil liberty, &c. &c.

(8) Rimark the good and bad in expreffions and actions. Our author confines his pupil to actions and expreffions: but fome improve his rule into obfervations on fingle words, fingle letters, and points. I think they have not fpecificated the important meanings of thofe various dots, flourishes, flips, &c. thofe lufuum literariorum codicum manufcriptorum

in

montes

thofe fprays of the pen, may I call them? which manufcripts more or less contain. The Jewish Rabbies affirm, non eft in lege vel una litera, a qua non magni dependeant." Many Chriftian divines, after them, affirm, "ne iota quidem, aut apicem in fcripturis fruftra exaratum," and they call themselves viros doctiffimos for faying fo. Vid. Hakfpanii Sylloge. Philolog. Gen. xvii. 14.

Where scholars only mean to divert thenfelves with orthographical wit, and for this purpofe play tricks with a point, genius fparkles, boys play at push-pin, and grave men pafs by and fmile: but when fuch puerilities are feriously propofed, and made grounds of faith and practice, the matter becomes very confequential, and must be fully examined. We have in feveral places curforily observed this fubject, as it affects di

vinity.

ties ufurpant Ixx. interp. Vide Gen. xliii. 23. laws υμιν μη φοβείσθε ο Θεός υμών, &c. 2 Sam. xxiii. 17. Ixes

μας κυρίς το ποίησα τοτο. 1 Chron. xi. 19. Iλews μor o Θέος το ποίησα το ρήμα τότο.

(1) Savoureft opover TT Tvos, pro cum aliquo fentire eft phrafis frequens apud græcos fcriptores. Vid. Rom. viii. 5. povedi, we render it to mind. To mind is an old English verb, fignifying to mark to put in mind to regard with affection. Hence the old phrafe a month's mind for a vebement defire. Fisher, Bp. of Rochefter, preached the funeral fermon of Lady Margaret, Mother of Hen. VII.

at the moneth minde of" the faid Lady. Baker of S. John's republished this fermon in 1708, with a very large preface, and in his own book of this edition, lent me by my moft worthy friend, the prefent reverend orator of the university of Cambridge, he has entered with his own hand many marginal, notes, and, among the reft, he has written oppofite to the title-page "month's mind for the two Dukes of Suffolk. See Strype's Ecclef. Memorials, vol. ii. page 281." Baker's affection for Fisher arofe from

not

what he imagined a fimilarity of circumstances. Fisher refufed the oath of fupre macy, and loft his life. Baker was a nonjuror, and loft his fellowship. The present Rev. Dr. Goddard, master of Clare-hall, who knew him well, told me, that Baker refused the oath required to be taken at the revolution: but was winked at, and enjoyed his fellowship till the acceffion of the prefent royal family, when he was ejected. Then the famous Mat. Prior gave him the profits of his fellowship, which he did not want for himself, on which Baker fubfifted in college till his death.

Thou favoureft not the things, that be of God. Our bleffed Lord was entirely mafter of his fubject, and he had a right to deliver his fentiments concerning it: but there are a thoufand cafes, which fall under the notice of ministers, in treating which they may diftinguish facts, and affirm, this is a good action, that is a bad one: but they cannot proceed farther, and affign the hidden motives of the heart in thefe actions, for they are known to God alone. In cafes where the motives of the heart are rendered pretty

clear

are of men.

clear by actions, prudence may fometimes require filence. For example.

1. In church-biftory, which it becomes a divine to study, facts are clear, and make a ground of reafoning: although motives be paffed by. All through the reign of Edward VI. liberty of confcience was granted to foreigners. "Ad vos, ceu ad afylum et portum tutiffimum, fub fanc tiffimi regis alas, confluebant Germani, Galli, Hifpani, Itali, Poloni, Scoti, ut illic Deo fuo in fidei libertate fervirent, quam ipfis patria ingrata negabat." Gualteri præfat. in 1. ep. D. Pauli ad Corinth.

The Dutch had the church of Auftin Friars affigned them, and John a Lafco was their minister. Saxons, and other High Germans had the fame liberty, and fo had the Italians, who had Bernardine, and Michael Angelo Florio for minifters. Valerandus Pollanus was paftor of a Walloon congregation at Glastonbury. French proteftants, and Spaniards had the fame freedom. There There were also French and Walloon churches at Canterbury, Sandwich, Norwich, Colchefter, &c. They preached their own doctrines, performed their own rites, and pracVOL. II.

thing

tifed their own difcipline. Latimer pleaded their caufe in his fermons. Cranmer procured orders of council for them. And the crown not only tolerated them in England: but actually penfioned fome of their great men abroad. John Sleidan had 200 crowns a year, and Juftus Jonas had a fimilar penfion. Queen Elizabeth's protection of all forts of refugees rendered her fo odious to the pope, that he affigns this in the bull of her excommunication as one reason for his cenfure. It was the practice of the English court, during her majefty's long reign, not only to allow li berty of confcience to refugees in England: but even to afford powerful aids to fuch as were perfecuted for religion abroad, and who, in their native countries had taken up arms against their own fovereigns for the defence of their religious liberties.

Witness France and Holland. In later times, the British court has fhewn itself of the moft tolerant dispofition. England as well as Holland and Pruffia published invitations to refugees, and acts of naturalization. Her majefty Q. Ann gave 120001. to the relief of French refugees in 1705. The Protef Dd

tant