Bradford, as he was accustomed to be called; 'In my conscience,' said he, I judge him more worthy to be a bishop, than many of us who are bishops of being parish priests.' Who but must admire the sweetness of such a meek and humble frame of mind!

What an interesting representation do such things afford, of the devotedness and sanctity in life and manners, of those holy men of God. The very recollection of their venerable names in their cathedrals, as at any time we walk through the aisles of those buildings, adds a solemnity to the hallowed spot. There is a certain undescribable sensation of sacred pleasure imparted, and which passeth over the mind, on those occasions, peculiarly gratifying. The thought seems involuntary, when we feel constrained to say, here once lived, and were engaged in holy service, those highly honoured servants of the Lord, who now rest from their labours, and are among "the spirits of just men made perfect."

I pass over the awful reign of Mary, which formed a chasm in the auspicious history of the reformed church; and to the ministry of the great and good prelates which filled the episcopal sees, during the life of Edward. Every one knows, who is acquainted with the church's history of these times, the sad events which followed the demise of Edward, and the accession of his sister Mary. It was a mercy to this land that her government extended but to five years. But what a five years of sorrow to the church of God it proved. All who looked on and beheld the approach of Edward's death, looked forward to it with the most lively apprehensions of distress; and presentiments of the greatest evil (and experience too soon proved them well founded) were generally entertained. We learn from the memoirs of those days, that Peter Martyr was at Oxford when the first mass bell rung,

in the revival of popery. He instantly exclaimed,

'Hæc una notula, omnem meam doctrinam evertit, i. e. 'This one bell overturns all my doctrines.'

But how did the prospect brighten up again, and shine with increasing lustre, when on the death of Mary, her sister Elizabeth ascended the throne? And how was the whole reign of Elizabeth adorned with godly and learned bishops, in all the departments of the church? Never, surely, from the days of the apostles, was there ever a period so truly prosperous to the interests of christianity. The queen not only countenanced every thing which had a tendency to promote the welfare of the reformed church, but she was herself the known lover and patroness of all great and good men, both in church and state. It formed, indeed, a grand feature in Elizabeth's character, to be always looking out for men eminent in godliness and abilities to fill the episcopal chair.

Educated herself in the great truths of God, and well versed in them, she had learnt in that school of adversity which the Lord caused her to pass through, during her sister's reign of oppression and persecution, how to improve such circumstances to advantage. There she acquired the truest lessons for the future regulation of her conduct. And in the retirement and mortification, Elizabeth was compelled to observe through the whole of Mary's reign, after her brother Edward's death, her chief time was spent in study, and in the acquirement of knowledge, both divine and human. Little did this princess at the time, foresee the uses which were afterwards to result from it. But here it was, the Lord sent her to school to gather instruction. And well did she profit in this school, (which hath always proved the best for such purposes) when, in the after days of her reign, those instructions taught her how to minister in the most profitable manner to the Lord's glory, and her subject's happiness.

One of the historians of those days, in his lives of

the reformers, hath given this testimony to her attainments in human learning: She understood,' saith Rolt, the Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, and the Dutch languages. She had herself translated several pieces from the writings of Xenophon, Isocrates, Seneca, Boethius, and others of the ancient writers, and with no small taste and accuracy.'

And in respect to her frame of mind, the great lord Bacon hath left upon record her character, in his usual style of perspicuity and elegance. The queen,' said his lordship, as touching her religion, was pious, moderate, constant, and an enemy to novelty. For her piety, though the same was most conspicuous in her acts, and form of government, yet it was no less pourtrayed in the common course of her life, and her daily compartment. Seldom would she be absent from divine service and the other duties of religion, either in her chapel or in her private closet. In the reading of the scriptures and the writings of the fathers, especially St. Augustine, she was very frequent. And she, herself, composed certain prayers upon emergent occasions. Within the compass of one year after her accession to the throne, on the demise of her sister Mary, she did so establish and settle all matters belonging to the church, as she departed not an hair's breadth from to the end of her life.'

It might reasonably be expected, that under the monarchy of such a princess, the episcopal bench throughout the realm was gracefully filled. And it must with truth be acknowledged that Elizabeth's great men in the church at that time, were good men ; and her bishops, " the excellent of the earth.”

Mary died in November, 1558, and before the close of the following year, we find the learned and godly Matthew Parker, in the see of Canterbury, and others of equal worth and ability filling the bench. And during a period of near five-and-forty years to which,

in mercy to the reformed church, the queen's life was prolonged, there was a regular succession of illustrious men in the line of episcopacy, concerning whom it might be said, in point of sanctity of life and manners, as it was said of the giants we read of before the flood; they were mighty in their day and generation; men of renown!"

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And it is no less a duty which we owe to the successor of Elizabeth in the throne, to observe that he was equally alive in promoting to the mitre as the vacancies opened, godly and learned men. James knew how to appreciate the talents of great and good men, though, alas! it is to be feared he wanted grace to imitate what he professed to admire. For it is a fact that I believe will hardly be questioned by those who knew his history best, James, amidst all his eccentricity, and the many personal improprieties of conduct, contradictory as they were to his better knowledge, was allowedly the most learned prince of his day in Europe. And no higher proof can be needed in confirmation of it, than in his appointment of Usher, to the bishoprick of Meath, in Ireland, solely on account of his uncommon learning and godliness. For when much interest had been made among the great men of the court party, for the vacant mitre, James stood firm to the appointment of Usher; neither would he listen to any solicitation to the contrary. And it is said, that afterwards the king was accustomed frequently to speak pleasantly on the occasion, and to say that Usher was a bishop of his own making.

We have another anecdote in proof of James's attention and regard to men of learning, in the instance of George Herbert, commonly called Master George Herbert, orator in the university of Cambridge. The king had written a book, which he called Basilicon Doron. And perhaps, it might be from priding himself in the knowledge of the dead languages, that he not only gave it a greek title, but sent a copy of it

as a present from the king to the university. It of course behoved the heads of houses to gratulate the royal author for the merit of his work, and at the same time to thank him for his condescension towards them. This duty, by virtue of the office, devolved on Mr. Herbert, as the public orator. And in an address, fraught with the purest latinity of compliments to the king on his work, Mr. Herbert, in the name of the university, presented his verses to his majesty. It appears that in the close of the address from the convocation, the orator took occasion to say, 'Quid Vaticanum Bodleianumq. objicis hospes? Unicus est nobis bibliotheca liber. The whole was a masterly performance, and so suited to James's taste, that the king eagerly enquired after the orator's name. And being told, he asked the earl of Pembroke (who was at that time in waiting) if he knew him? Το which that nobleman replied, that he knew him well, and that he was his kinsman. "But,' added he, I love him more for his learning and worth, than for that of his name and family.' At which answer, it is said the king smiled, and very courteously desired the earl's permission to love him too; for,' said his majesty, 'I take him to be the jewel of the university.'

But, independent of all other proofs, the synod of Dort, which at James's particular request received some of the most emment English divines to be added to that convocation, becomes a decided testimony in favour of the learning of this prince, as well as his great attachment to the reformed church.

Perhaps there never sat such a council as this Dordrechtan (excepting the one at Nice, in the fourth century) from the days of the apostles. It was composed of the most learned men, gathered from all the parts of Europe. The synod of Dort might truly be called the synod of theology, and flos scholasticorum. Indeed, the subject they met to discuss, demanded