reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James, against popish recusants, ought not to be extended against protestant dissenters: and that the prosecution of protestant dissenters, upon the penal laws, is at this time grievous to the subject, a weakening the protestant interest, an encouragement to popery, and dangerous to the peace of the kingdom.'

king had been a special blessing from heaven, to be much longed for by the protestant church. They likewise gave themselves such a loose against the nonconformists, as if nothing was so formidable as that party. So that in all their sermons, popery was quite forgot, and the force of their zeal was turned almost wholly against the dissenters.' Amongst the rest, Dean Stillingfleet, from whom it was little expected, on the first day of Easter term, 1680, in a sermon before the lord mayor and aldermen of the city, the judges and serjeants, from Phil. iii. 16. (which sermon he entitled, 'The Mischief of Separation,') took occasion to represent all the nonconformists as schismaticks, and inveigh against them as enemies to peace, and dangerous to the church, &c. This sermon was answered by Dr. Owen, Mr. Baxter, Mr. Alsop, Mr. Barret, and others; and among the rest Mr. Howe made some remarks upon it, in a pamphlet, entitled, 'A Letter written out of the Country to a Person of quality in the City, who took offence at the late Sermon of Dr. Stillingfleet, Dean of St. Paul's, before the Lord Mayor;' which Letter was drawn up with great clearness and strength of reasoning. He therein shows how unreasonably the Doctor endeavours to keep the dissenters, who after the utmost search could not be satisfied to conform, in a state of damnation, for scrupling the ceremonies; at least in a neglect of the necessary means of salvation. He shows his arguments, both ad rem and ad hominem too, to be unconcluding; reflects freely on the Doctor for his too great acrimony, and too little seriousness in his way of management; and yet closes with a very genteel and handsome address to such as were offended with the Doctor's sermon, to abate their indignation, and moderate their censures, and stir them up to turn their reflections upon him, into serious prayers for him, for which he shows there was very just occasion.

Mr. Howe had about this time an invitation from Bishop Lloyd, to come and dine with him the next day. He was apprehensive it could not be without some particular design, that a bishop whom he had not seen, or at least with whom he had no acquaintance, should send to desire him to come and dine with him. He sent his lordship word, that he was engaged that day for dinner, (as he really was before the receipt of the message sent him,) but would not fail of waiting upon him afterwards. Hereupon the Bishop sent again, to let him know, that since he could not dine with him, he would not give him the trouble to come so far as his house, but would meet him at Dr. Tillotson's, the dean of Canterbury. They met there accordingly, and the Bishop told him that the reason why he desired a meeting with him, was to know of him, what he thought would satisfy the nonconformists, that so they might be taken into the church. Mr. Howe answered, that he could not pretend to say what would satisfy any besides himself; for that all had not an equal latitude in such matters. The Bishop hereupon pressed him to give his judgment, what he thought would satisfy the most; for, says he, I would have the terms so large as to comprehend the most of them. Mr. Howe told him, that he thought it would go a considerable way towards it, if the law was but so framed, as that ministers might be enabled to promote parochial reformation. Why, says the Bishop, for that reason, I am for taking the lay chancellors quite away, as being the great hinderance of reformation. At length, they agreed upon a meeting the next night, at seven o'clock, at Dr. Stillingfleet's, the dean of St. Paul's. Mr. Howe proposed to bring Mr. Baxter along with him; but the Bishop would by no means allow of it. Then he proposed to bring Dr. Bates, and was answered, that no man could be more proper. Accordingly Dr. Bates and Mr. Howe went at seven in the evening to Dean Stillingfleet's, as had been appointed the day before. The Dean had provided a very handsome treat, but they found not the company they ex-haps beyond his own sense of things.'f pected. They waited till eight, till nine, till near ten o'clock; but the Bishop neither came, nor sent, nor took any notice of the matter afterwards. And that very night, as they heard the next morning, the bill of exclusion was thrown out of the House of Peers, by a majority of thirty voices, fourteen of which were bishops. And after this, there was no further occasion for any talk about a comprehension.

For upon this turn of affairs, it is observed by a celebrated writer on the church side, that 'the clergy struck up with zeal for the duke's succession: as if a popish

CA copy of the Heads of a Bill for uniting his Majesty Protestant Subjects,' which was agreed upon at a committee of the House of Commons, Nov. 18, 1680, may be met with, Abridgment of Mr. Baxter's Life, vol. i. p. 350.

The Doctor himself sticks not to own, that in this Letter he discourses gravely and piously, without bitterness and rancour, or any sharp reflections, and sometimes with a great mixture of kindness towards him, for which, and his prayers for him, he heartily thanks him. This warm sermon of the Doctor's was generally reckoned very ill-timed, to which it's not unlikely but Bishop Burnet may have a reference, when he says of the great man, that 'he went into the humours of the high sort of people, beyond what became him; per

Nor can I forbear to take notice of another sermon, that was preached this year (1680) at court, by Dean Tillotson, from Josh. xxiv. 15. entitled, 'The Protestant Religion vindicated from the charge of Singularity and Novelty.' In this sermon there is this notion; that no man is obliged to preach against the religion of a country, though a false one, unless he has a power of working miracles. King Charles slept most part of the time while the sermon was delivered; and a certain nobleman stepped to him as soon as it was over, and said, 'Tis a pity your majesty slept; for we had the d Bishop Burnet's History of his own Times, vol. i. p. 501, e Preface to his 'Unreasonableness of Separation,' p. lxi. lxii. f History of his own Times, vol. i. p. 189.

violence both in city and country, and the severe laws that had been made against them some years before, as well as some that were made against the papists in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, were rigorously put în exe

the bishops concurred, and by influence from court, were prevailed with to do their endeavour to push forward the civil magistrate, and to sharpen the rigour of the ecclesiastical courts, and that in defiance of the votes of the House of Commons in their favour. And as Bishop Burnet observes, 'such of the clergy as would not engage in the common fury, were cried out upon as the betrayers of the church, and as secret favourers of the dissenters.' The author of 'the Complete History of England,' says, that 'this year there was a vigorous prosecution of the protestant dissenters, which was generally thought a piece of court-artifice, to play the church of England against the dissenters, and enrage the dissenters against the church of England, that they might not unite and see their common danger, but rather by destroying one another, might make room for a third party, that lay behind the curtain, and watched an opportunity of the duke's succession.' And at this juncture, Mr. Howe published a discourse of Thoughtfulness for the Morrow, with an Appendix, concerning the immoderate Desire of foreknowing Things to come,' in 8vo. It is dedicated to the Lady Anne Wharton, of Upper Winchingdon in the county of Bucks, who had expressed a desire of seeing somewhat written on that subject. To which is added, ‘A Discourse of Charity, in reference to other Men's Sins, from 1 Cor. xiii. 6.' He this year also published 'A Funeral Sermon on the Decease of Mrs. Margaret Baxter, who died June 28th. from 2 Cor. v. 8.'

rarest piece of Hobbism that ever you heard in your life. Ods fish, he shall print it then, says the king; and immediately called the lord chamberlain, and gave him his command to the Dean to print his sermon. When it came from the press, the Dean sent it as a pre-cution against them, without any favour. Several of sent to Mr. Howe, as he usually did most of the things he printed. Mr. Howe immediately perused it, and was not a little troubled, to find a notion there, that had so ill a tendency as that forementioned. Whereupon he drew up a long letter, in which he freely expostulated with the Dean, for giving such a wound to the Reformation; signifying to him, that Luther and Calvin, and the rest of our blessed reformers, were (thanks be to God) of another mind. The Christian religion, (said he,) both as to its precepts and promises, is already confirmed by miracles; and must it be repealed, every time a wicked governor thinks fit to establish a false religion? must no one stand up for the true religion, till he can work a miracle? He signified to him, how much he was grieved, that in a sermon against popery, he should plead the popish cause against all the reformers; and insisted upon it, that we had incontestable evidence of the miracles wrought by the apostles, and that we are bound to believe them, and take religion to be established by them, without any further expectations, &c. Mr. Howe carried the letter himself, and delivered it into the Dean's own hands; and he taking a general and cursory view of it, signified his willingness to talk that whole matter frecly over; but said, they could not be together where they were, without interruption, and therefore moved for a little journey into the country, that so they might have freedom of discourse. They accordingly agreed to go and dine that day with the Lady Falconbridge at SuttonCourt, and Mr. Howe re d over the letter to the Dean, and enlarged upon the contents of it, as they were travelling along together in his chariot. The good man at length fell to weeping freely, and said that this was the most unhappy thing that had of a long time befallen him. I see (says he) what I have offered is not to be maintained. But he told him, that it was not his turn to preach as on that day. He that should have been the preacher being sick, the Dean said, he was sent to by the lord chamberlain to supply his place: and he added, that he had but little notice, and so considered the general fears of popery, and this text offered itself, and he thought the notion resulted from it; and, says he, immediately after preaching, I received a command from the king, to print the sermon, and then it was not in my power to alter it. I am the better satisfied that there is no mistake as to the substance of this passage, because he from whom I had it, did not trust to his bare memory, but committed it to writing, presently after he received the account from Mr. Howe himself. And though such a story as this may make us sensible that the very best of men have their slips, yet am I far from thinking it a dishonour to this great man, to be open to conviction.

In 1682 things were much in the same state as the year before. This year also Mr. Howe published several little things; as, 'A Discourse on the right Use of that Argument in Prayer, from the Name of God, on behalf of a People that profess it, from Jer. xiv. 21.' 8vo. 'A Discourse on Self-Dedication, at the Anniversary Thanksgiving of the Earl of Kildare, for a great Deliverance,' in 12mo, and 'A Funeral Sermon for Mr. Richard Fairclough, who deceased July 4th, from Matt. xxv. 21.' And he now drew up those Annotations on the three Epistles of St. John, which are to be met with in the second volume, or continuation, of Mr. Pool.

In 1683 there was a most cruel order made by the justices of peace at their quarter-sessions at Exon, against all nonconforming ministers, allowing a reward of forty shillings to any person that apprehended any one of them, and declaring their resolution to put in execution against them the severest laws, and particularly that of the 35th of Elizabeth, the penalties whereof are imprisonment, abjuration of the realm, or death. And Bishop Lamplugh (who was afterwards archbishop of York) required the order to be read by all the clergy on the next Sunday after it should be tendered to them, on purpose (as was said) 'that the

In 1681 the dissenters were prosecuted with great care of the justices of Devon, for the preservation of

History of his own Times, vol. i. page 501.

h Vol. iii. page 403.

the public peace, might be fuller known, and have a bet- amiable thing. If the Christian community moulder, ter effect.' decay, be enfeebled, broken, dispirited, and ruined in great part, this ruin shall not rest under our hands.'

The same year there was published in the 'Continuation of the Morning Exercise,' an excellent sermon of Mr. Howe's, from Col. ii. 2. upon this question,' What may most hopefully be attempted, to allay animosities among protestants, that our divisions may not be our ruin ?'

On July 20th this year, that noble patriot, William Lord Russel, was beheaded in Lincolns-Inn-Fields, to the no small terror and consternation of the true lovers of their country, and friends of the protestant religion. This was a severe stroke upon the Bedford family, and an unspeakable loss to the excellent lady, who was left a mournful widow, and continued so to the year 1723, when she went to her grave full of years. Mr. Howe upon this melancholy occasion wrote a consolatory letter to her, which very well deserves to be preserved, and transmitted to posterity; an authentic copy of which having been kept safe in his family, here follows.

'MADAM,

'It can avail you nothing, to let your honour know from what hand this paper comes; and my own design in it is abundantly answered, if what it contains proves useful to you. Your affliction hath been great, unspeak

sent; and your supports (in the paroxysm of your affliction) have been very extraordinary; and such as wherein all that have observed or heard, could not but acknowledge a divine hand.

'But your affliction was not limited and enclosed within the limits of one black day, nor is like those more common ones, the sense whereof abates and wears off by time; but is continued, and probably more felt, as time runs on: which therefore makes you need con

'In order to this, he earnestly recommends to all the professors of religion, the maintaining of a sincere love to one another, and the improving of their faith to greater measures of clearness, certainty, and efficacy, in reference to the substantials of Christianity. A generous love, not to Christians of this or that party or denomination only, but to all in whom the true essentials of Christianity are found, would (he says) greatly contribute to the vigour of the Christian life. It would inspire Christians generally with a sacred courage and fortitude, when they should know and even feel themselves knit together in love. It would on the contrary extinguish or abate the unhallowed fire of our anger and wrath towards one another. It would oblige us to all acts of mutual kindness and friendship. Pre-ably beyond what it is in my power or design to reprejudices would cease, and jealousies concerning each other, and a mutual confidence would be produced. It would make us earnestly covet an entire union in all the things wherein we differ, and contribute greatly to it. It would make us much more apt to yield to one another, and abate all that ever we can, in order to as full an accommodation as is any way possible; that if we cannot agree upon either extreme, we might at last meet in the middle. It would make us abstain from mutual censures of one another as insincere for our re-tinued help from Heaven every day. maining differences; and convince us that such censures are very unreasonable, because all have not the same understanding, nor the same gust and relish of things. It would oblige us, after competent endea vours of mutual satisfaction, about the matters wherein we differ, to forbear further urging of one another concerning them and it would make us forbear reviling and exposing one another, and the industrious seeking one another's ruin. And then if, at the same time, we did but endeavour to have our souls possessed with a more clear, efficacious, practical faith of the Gospel, and our hearts so overcome, as practically and vitally to receive it, we should apprehend the things to be truly great wherein we are to unite, and should, in comparison, apprehend all things else to be little; and so should be more strongly inclined to hold together by the things wherein we agree, than to contend with one another about the things wherein we differ. Thus our religion would revive, and become a vital powerful thing; and consequently more grateful to God, and awful to men. And if we in our several particular stations are but herein careful, if we but do our own part, we may be able to say it was not our fault, but Christians had been combined, and entirely one with each other; but they had been more thoroughly Christian, and more entirely united with God in Christ; and that Christianity had been a more lively, powerful, awful,

'Yet there is here a great difference between what expectations we may have of divine assistance, in the beginning or first violence of some great affliction, and in the continued course of it afterwards. At first we are apt to be astonished, a consternation seizes our thinking faculty, especially as to that exercise of it, whereby it should minister to our relief. In this case the merciful God doth more extraordinarily assist such as sincerely trust and resign themselves to him; unto these, as his more peculiar favourites, his sustaining influences are more immediate, and more efficacious, so as even (in the present exigency) to prevent and supersede any endeavour of theirs, whereof they are, then, less capable. And of the largeness and bounty of his goodness, in such a case, few have had greater experience than your ladyship; which was eminently seen, in that magnanimity, that composure and presentness of mind, much admired by your friends, and no doubt by the special favour of Heaven afforded you in the needful season: so that while that amazing calamity was approaching, and stood in nearer view, nothing that was fit or wise or great was omitted, nothing indecent done. Which is not now said, God knows, to flatter your ladyship, (whereof the progress will further vindicate me,) for I ascribe it to God, as I trust your ladyship, with unfeigned gratitude, will also do. And I mention it, as that whereby you are under

obligation to endeavour, your continued temper and former may appear to be a duty, and how far, let it be deportment may be agreeable to such beginnings. considered.

'Where Christianity obtains, and the Gospel of our Saviour is preached, there is much greater cause of joy 'Now as for thoughts suitable to your honour's case, than elsewhere. The visible aspect of it imports a I have reason to be conscious that what I shall write design to form men's minds to gladness, inasmuch as, can make but little accession, I will not say to a closet, wheresoever it comes, it proclaims peace to the world, but to a mind so well furnished, as you are owner of: and represents the offended Majesty of heaven willing yet I know it is remote from you to slight a well-in- to be reconciled to his offending creatures on earth. tended offer and essay, that really proceeds only from So the angel prefaced the Gospel, when our Lord was a very compassionate sense of your sorrows, and un- born into the world, Luke ii. I tell you glad tidings feigned desire to contribute something (if the Father of great joy, which shall be to all people. And so the of mercies, and the God of all comforts and consola-multitude of accompanying angels sum it up; Glory tions, will please to favour the endeavour) to your be to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will relief. towards men.

Christians heretofore, that being justified by faith, and having peace with God, they have rejoiced in hope of the glory of God, unto that degree, as even to glory in their tribulations also, Rom. v. 1-3. And that in the confidence they should be kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation, they have hereupon greatly rejoiced, though with some mixture of heaviness (whereof there was need) from their manifold trials. But that their joy did surmount and prevail over their heaviness is manifest; for this is spoken of with much diminution, whereas they are said to rejoice greatly, and with a joy unspeakable and full of glory, 1 Pet. i. 5, 6, 8.

'Yea, and such care hath the great God taken for the preserving of this temper of spirit among his people more anciently, that even their sorrow for sin itself (the most justifiable of all other) hath had restraints put upon it, lest it should too long exclude or intermit the exercise of this joy. For when a great assembly of them were universally in tears, upon hearing the law read, and the sense given, they were forbidden to weep or mourn, or be sorry, because the joy of the Lord was their strength, Neh. viii. 8-10. That most just sorrow had been unjust, had it been continued, so as to exclude the seasonable turn and alternation of this joy. For even such sorrow itself is not required, or necessary for itself. 'Tis remote from the goodness and benignity of God's ever-blessed nature, to take pleasure in the sorrows of his people, as they are such, or that they should sorrow for sorrow's sake; but only as a means and preparative to their following joy. And nothing can be more unreasonable, than that the means should exclude the end, or be used against the purpose they should serve.

'It is then upon the whole most manifest, that no temporary affliction whatsoever, upon one who stands in special relation to God, as a reconciled (and which is consequent, an adopted) person, though attended with the most aggravating circumstances, can justify such a sorrow, (so deep or so continued,) as shall prevail against and shut out a religious holy joy, or hinder it from being the prevailing principle in such a one. What can make that sorrow allowable or innocent, (what event of Providence, that can, whatever it is, be no other than an accident to our Christian state,) that shall resist the most natural design and end of Christianity itself? that shall deprave and debase the truly Christian temper, and disobey and violate most express Christian precepts? subvert the constitution of Christ's kingdom among men? and turn this earth (the place of God's treaty with the inhabitants of it, in order to their reconciliation to himself, and to the reconciled the portal and gate of heaven, yea, and where the state of the very worst and most miserable has some mixture of good in it, that makes the evil of it less than that of hell) into a mere hell to themselves, of sorrow without mixture, and wherein shall be nothing but weeping and wailing.

'The cause of your sorrow, madam, is exceeding great. The causes of your joy are inexpressibly greater. You have infinitely more left than you have lost. Doth it need to be disputed whether God be better and greater

than man? or more to be valued, loved, and delighted in? and whether an eternal relation be more considerable than a temporary one? Was it not your constant sense in your best outward state, Whom have I in heaven but thee, O God, and whom can I desire on earth, in comparison of thee! Psal. Lxxiii. 25. Herein the state of your ladyship's case is still the same (if you cannot rather with greater clearness and with less hesitation pronounce those latter words.) The principal causes of your joy are immutable, such as no supervening thing can alter. You have lost a most pleasant, delectable, earthly relative. Doth the blessed God hereby cease to be the best and most excellent good? Is his nature changed? his everlasting covenant reversed and annulled? which is ordered in all things and sure, and is to be all your salvation and all your desire, whether he make your house on earth to grow or not to grow, 2 Sam. xxiii. 4. That sorrow which exceeds the proportion of its cause, compared with the remaining true and real causes of rejoicing, is in that excess causeless; i. e. that excess of it wants a cause, such as can justify or afford defence unto it.

'We are required, in reference to our nearest relations in this world, (when we lose them,) to weep as if we wept not, as well as (when we enjoy them) to rejoice as if we rejoiced not, because our time here is short, and the fashion of this world passeth away, 1 Cor. vii. 29-31. We are finite beings, and so are they. Our passions in reference to them must not be infinite, and without limit, or be limited only by the limited capacity of our nature, so as to work to the utmost extent of that, as the fire burns, and the winds blow, as much as they can but they are to be limited by the power, design, and endeavour of our reason and grace (not only by the mere impotency of our nature) in reference to all created objects. Whereas in reference to the infinite uncreated Good, towards which there is no danger or possibility of exceeding in our affection, we are never to design to ourselves any limits at all; for that would suppose we had loved God enough, or as much as he deserved, which were not only to limit ourselves, but him too; and were a constructive denial of his infinite immense goodness, and consequently of his very Godhead. Of so great concernment it is to us, that in the liberty we give our affections, we observe the just difference which ought to be in their exercise, towards God, and towards creatures.

'It is also to be considered, that the great God is pleased so to condescend, as himself to bear the name and sustain the capacity of our nearest earthly relations; which implies that what they were to us, in this or that kind, he will be in a transcendent and far more noble kind. I doubt not but your ladyship hath good right to apply to yourself those words of the prophet, Isa. lvi. 5. Thy Maker is thy husband, &c. Whereupon, as he infinitely transcends all that is delectable in the most excellent earthly relation, it ought to be endeavoured, that the affection placed on him should proportionably excel. I cannot think any person in the world would be a more severe or impartial judge of a