written so methodically as is desirable. Justification Evangelical," 1677. 8vo. In this treatise the worthy baronet takes the middle way on the point of justification, between the two extremes of Baxter and Owen. Whatever opinion we may form of his scheme, the praise of acuteness must be awarded to him.-" A Treatise in favour of Religious Liberty, in 1666." We are ignorant of the exact title of this tract, as our knowledge of its existence is borrowed from Noble." The Mount of Spirits," 1691. 12mo., and finally, "A Preface to Newcome's Life of Machin." Sir Charles served in several parliaments after the Restoration, and died in 1714. His works display a powerful mind, enriched by reading, and exercised in polemical subtleties, but inattentive to the beauties of style. He digs for gold, and in breaking up the earth is careless of the manner in which he wields his tools, and of the flowers he crushes with his efforts. EDWARD POLHILL, of Burwash, in Sussex.-Though this gentleman was a lawyer, his writings are wholly devoted to the gospel, and though himself a conformist, he vindicated the Dissenters from the charge of schism. His wife was a member of the church under the care of Dr. Owen. Some of Mr. Polhill's works have been lately reprinted; all of them deserve that distinction. Their characteristics are fervour and spirituality; a fervour which often rises to eloquence, and a spirituality which addresses itself at once to the heart. His most argumentative work is that entitled, "The Divine Will Considered in its Eternal Decrees," 1673. 8vo.; a book highly esteemed by the late Dr. Williams. A recommendatory preface by Dr. Owen, is attached to this Treatise. He wrote also "An Answer to Mr. Sherlock," 1675. This is on the same subject

as Alsop's Antisozzo.-" Precious Faith Considered," 1675. 8vo.—

66

Speculum Theologiæ," 1678. 4to.-" Christus in Corde,” 1680. 8vo.-" Armatura Dei,”1682. 8vo. "Defence of the Nonconformists against the Charge of Schism," and "Faithfulness of God Considered and Cleared."

THOMAS FETTIPLACE.-This gentleman descended from a very ancient family in Berkshire. He was born in 1603, and educated at Peter House, Cambridge. We learn from the dedications of his Treatises, that he was related to Richard Lord Keble, one of the Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal, and also that he married the sister of Henry Clitherow, Esq. In all probability Mr. Fettiplace was a parliamentarian officer in the civil war, as we find a roundhead colonel of his name often mentioned in the histories of that period, and allusions occur in his treatises which seem to justify this suspicion. After the Restoration, whatever he was before, he professed himself a royalist, and a member of the establishment. Before the civil wars he resided in Essex. Mr. Fettiplace wrote "Sinners' Tears," 1671. 12mo.-"Soul's Narrow Search for Sin," 8vo."The Christian Monitor," 1672. 12mo., and "Holy Exercise." There is little to distinguish Mr. F.'s publications from the general character of Calvinistic divinity. An unaffected strain of piety is their prevailing feature. Sometimes, and especially in his Christian Monitor, he maintains an argument with considerable force, and particularly in defence of the Calvinistic points; he is always judicious, rarely sparkling, never profound. His pieces are valuable as a specimen of the piety infused into the higher orders of society in the time of the parliamentary struggle.

ROBERT BOYLE.-It would be needless to mention this great man,

but that his devotional pieces are rarely noticed. His principal works on this subject are "Some Introductions touching the Style of the Holy Scriptures," an excellent tract, worthy of an attentive perusal. "Some Motives

of

and Incentives to the Love God." In this treatise the author avows his belief in the Calvinistic scheme. "Occasional Reflexions." Eustace Budgell says of this volume, "it shows the least judgment and most invention" of all Mr. Boyle's works. It is, however, a valuable tract, and particularly that part of it which treats on the usefulness of meditation. The lady to whom, under the fictitious appellation of Sophronia, this work is dedicated, was his sister, Lady Catharine Ranelagh, an Independent, and a member of the church under the care of Mr. Daniel Burgess, who preached her funeral sermon. Bishop Burnett, in his funeral sermon for Robert Boyle, speaks of her in the most exalted terms. "Of the high Veneration Man's Intellect owes to God." This is mentioned by Budgell as Mr. Boyle's best piece. Boyle's thoughts are generally better than his style, which is too luxuriant and diffuse. His similes are distilled from the laboratory; they are, however, often happy. His ardent piety and amiableness of disposition, insensibly win our esteem, and fix our attention. Mr. Boyle was a churchman, but he was too much a Christian to be a bigot.

RICHARD BARTHOGGE, M.D. was a Devonshire man, and received his education at Oxford. An account of him is to be seen in Wood's Athenæ, He was an Independent, and the tutor of Stephen Lobb, an eminent Dissenting minister. Dr. Barthogge was considered by his contemporaries as a man of great talents, and lived on intimate terms with

Oceana Harrington, of whose singular disorder he wrote an account. Dunton calls him "a man of great learning, and well skilled in speculation." His works are as follows:-" Causa Dei, or an Apology for God," 1678. 12mo.— "Arguments for Infants' Baptism," 1682. This was answered by Mr. Philip Carey, an Apothecary at Totness." Essay upon Reason," 1694. 8vo., dedicated to Locke.-" Soul of the World," and "Christianity a Revealed Mystery," 1758. 8vo. The last piece, we presume, was a posthumous publication. Dr. Barthogge was rather a man of great acquirements, than of native talent. His pieces have the air of labour, rather than of genius. All that we dare say respecting his "Essay upon Reason," is, that we wonder how the author presumed to dedicate it to Locke. The philosopher, with all his gravity, must have been equally surprized with the book itself, and its selection of a patron. It was like performing the manual and platoon exercise before Marlborough.

(To be continued.)

་་་་་་་་་་་་

MILES.

A SWISS MINISTER'S ANSWER TO DR. J. P. SMITH, WITH INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

(To the Editors.)

GENTLEMEN-From one of the exiled Swiss ministers (the writer of a former letter, from which an extract is given in your last volume, page 664, col. 2.) I have received a letter, which I should think myself to be doing injustice to your readers if I were to withhold. Were I to wait for his consent, perhaps his delicacy would forbid my giving a translation of it to the public. I have no time to make any detailed observations upon the subject of this communication. One or two hints only, allow me to drop.

conscientiously believed yourself bound to write thus, and I respect the sense of duty which led you to take up the pen.

"Being quite incapable of applying myself to any continued study, I cannot attempt a methodical discussion of this subject. I can only offer you, without arrangement, and without explanations, a few thoughts which have arisen on these subjects in my feeble head as I sate by my fire-side. If I were in better health, and if I were not obliged to consider the expense, I would have repaired to London to talk with you, my dear Sir, at length on these points. Perhaps we are agreed in the are agreed in the essence, and differ only in form. I delight myself with the thought that there is only a misunderstanding between us. But, be that as it may, here are the unconnected reflections of a poor sick sufferer, which I commit to your kind consideration.

66

Though I rest my faith only upon the word of God, I do not despise the writings of good men; that would be to despise the gospelministry. But, when the Spirit of God began his gracious influences of late, in a more remarkable manner, in our country, if we set aside our old divines, who were not within the comprehension of common readers, there was scarcely one of the religious books known in the Canton that was really proper to enlighten the souls of men. The books of this kind most current among our population, either did not exhibit the truth, or were positively opposed to it; and these books were even made a

great engine for contradiction to the gospel of the grace of God. Hence we have been obliged to appeal solely and exclusively "to the law and to the testimony."

"I disapprove, as much as you, the practice of making a whole generation learn a catechism, the

language of which can be that only of a soul renewed by divine grace. It is profanation; it is downright impiety; it is drawing souls to ruin,

"If there are any persons who say cavalierly to the souls of men, Believe that you are saved, and you are saved,' instead of fixing their serious attention upon their own ruined state, and the unchanging promises of God, I am far from approving of them. Far from us be every approach to the representing of faith as a mere notion carnally got into the head, instead of its being the act of a soul which, overwhelmed by the sense of its sin, flies to the refuge, and embraces the promise as not only perfectly sure, but perfectly holy!

"I believe that repentance should be preached along with faith, and that in the boldest and strongest manner. Without this, a person might get a semblance of faith in the head, without the heart's having any part in it. Yet we cannot but affirm that we often meet with persons who believe from their hearts, who by the Holy Spirit are enabled to believe the glad tidings, but who have not as yet a deep knowledge of their wretched state. But then it is absolutely certain that this will come afterwards. It is a fruit of the Spirit of God, which can never be wanting; and a minister of Christ should have his vigilant attention particularly directed to such persons, to observe whether this sense of their lost condition is conferred upon them. The want of it would be a sure evidence that the faith thus professed was but an illusion, a deception of Satan.

"If a person should say, 'I believe; and we see him continuing in the same course of life, the same sentiments, the same tastes and inclinations, we should urge most powerfully upon him those

passages of Scripture which declare the necessity of SANCTIFICATION, in order to show him, that he does not really believe. We must cry aloud and spare not.

"But further, my dear Sir, I frankly tell you what I think of faith. Doubting is not believing: and believing is not doubting. This is demonstratively proved by the following, among other passages, Heb. xi. 1.; 1 John v. 9, 10, 11.; James i. 6.; Rom. iv. 18-25. The Gospel is the glad tidings. That which it announces, is the forgiveness of sins. This it This it declares from God to every sinner for himself: every sinner, then, is bound to believe it for himself. If he believe this with the heart, it is the work of the Holy Spirit; he will certainly be sanctified and finally saved. As God declares the forgiveness of sins to every sinner, in the name of Christ, and declares it to him certainly for himself, it follows that, if he does not believe it for himself, he does not believe God. To prove this, I shall cite only Acts xiii. 38, 39., and x. 36. 43.

"Doubt is torment to a reflecting and serious soul, which feels itself daily at the portal of eternity, an eternity of happiness or misery. Doubt is the next neighbour of despair, to a soul which contemplates this eternity seriously, face to face, and as ready every hour to open before it. I may die in a few moments. Shall I be saved? Shall I be cast off for ever? I believe that, under these reflections, it is most frequently the only answer which the mind of even the most eminent Christian can listen to, is this: As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have eternal life.'

I admit that the fruits of the Spirit in our souls are evidences which assure our hearts before

God. Scripture positively declares so. I acknowledge, that a man who sees his life flowing away without perceiving in himself any fruit of the Spirit, cannot but fall into doubt with regard to his election. But their due weight should be given to the following considerations.

"This day the Gospel is preached to me. I may die to-morrow. How shall I find rest to my soul? (For, unless I yield myself to a criminal indifference, I must obtain something to afford peace to my mind against the dreadful possibility of being to-morrow in the state of damnation; and the Bible declares, that faith gives peace.) I will rest upon the promise alone, quite alone, before the fruits of sanctification, which have not yet had time to be produced. Such was the case with the thief upon the cross.

over

"When, as I advance in the Christian course, I discern more and more the depths of my misery as a sinner, there are seasons in which I find myself so whelmed, beset on every side, beaten down by sin, that I can no more perceive in myself the fruits of the Spirit, however really they exist; I can see nothing but the abominations of my heart. What shall I do, that I may not fall into the dreadful abyss of doubt? I will rest upon the promise alone.

"What child of God is there, who does not know that Satan often succeeds so far as to hide completely from our eyes the sanctifying graces which the Lord has, notwithstanding all this, really produced in our hearts?

"I feel myself destitute of sanctification, Certainly this should awaken my vigilance, in a very powerful manner. But, in order to obtain this sanctification, the word of truth directs me to believe and not to doubt. 1 John v. 4.; James i. 5, 6, 7,