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Milton, whom no oppofition could intimidate when he believed himself engaged in the cause of truth and juftice, endeavoured to support his doctrine by subsequent publications; firft, "The "Judgment of Martin Bucer concerning Divorce;" this alfo he addreffes to the Parliament, and fays, with his ufual fpirit, "God, it "feems, intended to prove me, whether I durft "alone take up a rightful cause against a world "of difefteem, and found I durft. My name I "did not publish, as not willing it should sway "the reader either for me or againft me; but "when I was told that the ftile (which what "it ails to be fo foon diftinguishable I cannot

tell) was known by most men, and that "fome of the clergy began to inveigh and ex"claim on what I was credibly informed they “had not read, I took it then for my proper “season, both to fhow them a name that could "eafily contemn fuch an indifcreet kind of cen"fure, and to reinforce the question with a

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more accurate diligence; that if any of them "would be fo good as to leave railing, and to "let us hear fo much of his learning and chris"tian wisdom, as will be ftrictly demanded of "him in his anfwering to this problem, care was had he should not spend his preparations against a nameless pamphlet."

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Thefe expreffions difplay the franknefs and fortitude of a noble mind, perfectly conscious of its own integrity, in difcuffing a very delicate

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point, that materially affects the comfort of human life. This integrity he had indeed protefted very folemnly in his former Addrefs to the Parliament, where, after afferting that the subject concerned them chiefly as redressers of grievances, he proceeds thus," Me it concerns next, "having, with much labour and faithful dili66 gence, firft found out, or at least with a "fearless communicative candour first published, "to the manifeft good of christendom that " which, calling to witness every thing mortal "and immortal, I believe unfeignedly to be true. The folemnity of this proteftation confirmed as it was by the fingular regularity of his morals, and the fincerity of his zeal as a christian, could not fecure him from cenfures of every kind, which, vehement as they were, he seems to have despised. His ideas were derided by libertines, and calumniated by hypocrites and bigots; but, fuperior to ridicule and to flander, he proceeded refolutely in what he thought his duty, by fhowing how completely his doctrine was confonant, in his own opinion, to that gospel, which he had feduloufly made not only the favorite ftudy, but the constant guide of his life. With this view he published in 1645, his Tetrachordon, expofitions upon the four chief places of fcripture, which speak of marriage. He introduces this work by a third Addrefs to the Parliament, and, fpeaking of their juftice and candor in difdaining to think

of perfecuting him for his doctrine, according to the inftigation of his enemies, he expresses his gratitude in the following animated terms: "For which uprightness and incorrupt refusal "of what ye were incensed to, lords and commons(though it were done to justice, not 66 to me, and was a peculiar demonstration, how "far your ways are different from the rafh vulgar) befides those allegiances of oath and ❝ duty which are my public debt to your "public labours, I have yet a store of gratitude "laid up, which cannot be exhausted and "fuch thanks, perhaps, they may live to be, as "fhall more than whisper to the next ages. This fentence is remarkable in various points of view, but chiefly as it fhows us that the peculiar eagerness and energy with which Milton, at a future period, defended the parliament, originated not only in his paffionate attachment to freedom, but in his ardent fenfe of perfonal gratitude to the legislature of his country. He was however; too magnanimous to wish for fhelter under any authority, without vindicating his innocence and the merit of his caufe; he therefore fays to the parliament, in fpeaking of an antagonist who, in their prefence, had traduced him from the pulpit, "I fhall take licence by "the right of nature, and that liberty wherein "I was born, to defend myself publicly against . printed calumny, and do willingly appeal "to thofe judges to whom I am accufed. "

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a

The preacher had represented the doctrine of divorce as a wicked book, for allowing other causes of divorce than Chrift and his Apostles mentioned, and the parliament as finners for not punishing its authors.

This induces Milton to exclaim with devotional fpirit, which feems predominant in his mind upon every occafion "Firft, lords and com66 mons, I pray to that God, before whom ye "then were proftrate, so to forgive ye those "omiffions and trespasses, which ye desire most "fhould find forgiveness, as I fhall foon fhow "to the world how eafily ye abfolve yourselves "of that, which this man calls your fin, and " is indeed your wisdom and nobleness, where"of to this day ye have done well not to 66 repent.

The scope of Milton, in his doctrine of divorce, is thus explained by himself: "This fhall be "the task and period of this discourse to prove, "first, that other reafons of divorce befides "adultery were by the law of Mofes, and are

yet to be allowed by the Chriftian magistrate, "as a piece of juftice, and that the words of "Chrift are not hereby contraried; next that, "to prohibit abfolutely any divorce whatsoe

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ver, except those which Mofes excepted, is "against the reason of law."

This doctrine he firft delivered as the refult of his own diligent ftudy of the fcripture. He afterwards found and declared it confonant to

what many eminent divines of the reformed church, particularly Martin Bucer and Erasmus, had maintained; laftly, to grace his opinions with the higheft human fupport he afferts "they were fanctioned by the whole affembled authority of England, both church and state, "and in thofe times which are on record for "the pureft and fincereft that ever fhone yet

on the Reformation of his land, the time of "Edward the Sixth. That worthy prince, "having utterly abolished the canon law out of "his dominions, as his father did before him, "appointed by full vote of parliament a com"mittee of two-and-thirty chofen men, divines "and lawyers, of whom Cranmer the arch"bishop, Peter Martyr, and Walter Haddon,

not without the affiftance of Sir John Cheek, "the king's tutor, a man at that time accounted "the learnedeft of Englishmen, and for piety

not inferior, were the chief to frame anew "fome ecclefiaftical laws, that might be instead "of what was abrogated. The work with great diligence was finifhed, and with as great ap

probation of that reforming age was received, " and had been doubtlefs, as the learned preface "thereof teftifies, eftablished by act of parlia

ment, had not the good king's death fo foon "enfuing arrested the farther growth of religion "alfo from that season to this. Thofe laws, "thus founded on the memorable wisdom and