that the father called him, a magazine of knowledge, and the library of Christ.'

Such then were the prelates of the church of England in the sixteenth century. And as long as England shall remain a nation, their names will be handed down from father to son with testimonies of the most dignified approbation.

CHAPTER III.

OF THE GENERAL FEATURES OF CHARACTER, WHICH, FOR THE MOST PART, DISTINGUISHED THE ORDER OF BISHOPS IN THE

SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

It was a short, but comprehensive description, which one of the apostles gave of a blameless bishop, when he said, "he must rule well his own house:" 'adding this as a reason: "for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?" And the conclusion is just. For unless the man himself be renewed in the spirit of his mind, and both house and heart are under divine government, how can he be suited in any one department for the service of the sanctuary? But when a man hath been brought into a saving knowledge of the Lord himself, he is then formed for being instrumental to teach others. The bread which he hath eaten and found nourishing, he will gladly break to them that are hungry. The spring at which he hath slaked his own thirst, he will direct every dry creature he meets with to partake of also. For with such minds it forms a luxury, of the noblest kind, not to eat the morsel alone, but as the scripture saith, to be "ready to distribute, and willing to communicate." It was this fellow feeling, refined by godly love, which wrought so powerfully on the mind of the apostle John, when he so warmly and so affectionately recommended Christ to the church, from his

own personal knowledge and enjoyment of him. "That (said he) which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life. That which we have seen, and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." 1 John i. 1, 2.

I venture, therefore, to assume it for a principle, as well founded in reason as in revelation, that it must form a most essential part in the character of every faithful minister, of all orders and degrees, in the church of Christ-a man should be himself savingly converted to God before that he can go forth, in the ministry of the word, as the Lord's instrument for the conversion of others. An unregenerated heart can never speak from the heart, of the things which concern salvation. A man in whom no change hath been wrought from nature to grace, can know nothing of its importance so as to insist upon the necessity of it in others. As soon might the dead describe life; or the blind point out the loveliness of colours; or the deaf speak of the distinction in sounds. But when a man hath himself experienced the change of heart; from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh; and the argumentum ad hominem will come with power, when felt with power. The ground we have gone over we can speak of its safety. The armour we ourselves have proved we may recommend.

I stay not to describe in what this change of heart by regeneration consists. This would be beside my present purpose. My object is different. I only contend for the thing itself. I simply speak of it as among the essentials for the ministry. Every one who knows any thing of the doctrines of Christ, knows also that the great author of the gospel made this as the only possible means of admission into his kingdom. It was in

this point the distinguishing feature of christianity was marked. Here was the standard of decision; the criterion of character. The old schools of philosophy taught men the doctrine, abscindere vitia; to suppress and hide their passions. Christ enforced, abscendere vitia; the divine science of rooting them out. He founded the blessed system of giving "a new heart, and of putting a right spirit" in his followers. His was to be not simply the momentary supply, but "a well of water within, springing up into everlasting life.”

A principle so essential to the very being and wellbeing of every follower of Christ, cannot in its nature be supposed but as indispensably necessary in all the ministers of Christ. And my present province, in describing the general features of character which marked the order of the bishops in the sixteenth century, will be to shew that the men of that age, for the most part, gave evident testimonies they carried about with them this prominent feature. They would have trembled, indeed, to have rushed into the ministry without it. They would have shrunk from the charge of souls while conscious they remained in a state of unrenewed nature. But when convinced in their own minds, of the infinite importance of salvation, in being awakened to the concern of it for themselves, they felt an anxious concern to see it wrought in others. And every relation which we have in history, concerning the holy men of old, very fully manifests that the work of God was upon their own souls before that they went forth to labour in the word and doctrine among the people. What God in his providence hath done for me,' said one of them in the memoirs of his life, written with his own hand, is worthy of everlasting and thankful memory! What I have done for the Lord, is worthy of nothing but silence and forgetfulness !'

It is a striking anecdote of holy John Bradford (as he was frequently called), in confirmation of the

caution and jealousy with which those venerable reformers entered the church, that much pains were taken with him before that he could be prevailed upon to take the cure of souls. His abilities, his zeal, his holy ardour, were well known to all around him. But, he shrunk from the ministry with timid apprehension, as bearing with it the most awful responsibility. Few possessed more firmness of mind in all things relating to transactions with men, than John Bradford: witness his undaunted boldness in martyrdom! But, in soul concerns with God, in respect of divine attainments, so humble did this great man lay in the dust before him, that as it is noted of Luther, so might it have been said of Bradford; Ut nec vox, nec calor, nec sanguis, superesset,' Neither voice, nor heat, nor blood, appeared in him.'

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It is said in the history of this martyr, that the great Bucer urged him to the ministry again and again. But Bradford was too diffident for a long space to listen to the persuasion. In one of their conversations on the subject, the historian who relates the fact, states, that Bradford among other points argued his inability for want of talents. And it is said, that Bucer retorted upon this very ground, by observing that if his materials were coarse, he should notwithstanding feed the Lord's household with the best bread he could give the people. His objections were at length overruled, and he became an eminent labourer in the ministry. Ridley, one of king Edward's bishops, was wont to say of him, that the Lord had made him an abundant blessing to the church. What a contrast is this diffidence in Bradford compared to modern times: when we behold numbers running uncalled and unsent to the ministry, as the unthinking horse rusheth to the battle!

It forms a very interesting account, in confirmation with what is recorded of the men of that generation,

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in their diffidence to enter the service of the sanctuary, concerning the great Usher who afterwards became archbishop: and which with a little variation would have suited the greater part of the prelates in the sixteenth century. This young and hopeful plant,' saith his biographer, in the very blossom of his age, found the true sense of religion in his serious conversion to God.' And all the subsequent parts of his life and ministry, manifested how effectual that work had been wrought by the Lord. And it is a fact, worth mentioning, that, as a spur to diligence in watching over his charge of souls; not only at his entrance into holy orders, he resolved to be directed by it, but he actually took for his episcopal seal, when he received the mitre (and continued in the uniform use of the same, when made an archbishop, to the close of life), that weighty sentence of the apostle, "Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" 1 Cor. ix. 16.

And a greater than Usher, even Paul him self (from whom the archbishop borrowed the motto), had his wonderful conversion continually in remembrance. And no doubt it acted, under the Lord's grace, as an unceasing stimulus to prompt to ardour in the ministry. He rehearsed it to the elders of Jerusalem, when in full assembly. He repeated it before Agrippa, and the concourse of the gentiles at Cæsarea; to the church of Galatia; and to his beloved Timothy; to all these he communicated the wonderful tidings. His whole soul seemed to be on fire, in the recollection, that "the Lord (said Paul) should count me faithful, putting me into the ministry, who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious."

And such, for the most part, were these eminent prelates, which formed the bench of bishops in the sixteenth century. Awakened by the Lord to the lively apprehension of their own everlasting welfare, they felt an awakened concern for the same in others.