bishops should have bound in fetters this blind Sampson, and thus have almost deprived the world of his learning and knowledge, says: "More pieces of this rarely accomplished, though unfortunate gentleman, were made public by other persons; and I daily expect more from James Tyrrel, who has the manuscript copies."

The mighty energies of MILTON were at length roused, by the shameful and hypocritical countenance which at this time were given to papists by the king and the Duke of York, the heir presumptive to the throne. He saw through the thin disguise which had, in 1672, granted licenses for opening the meeting-houses of Protestant dissenters; nor could he feel any thing but detestation of the dispensing power arrogated by the king, in granting, for a small sum of money, such licenses. It is not said, but it is by no means improbable, that the bishops might have now solicited the aid of their former implacable foe, and still, as to his dissenting principles, uncompromising enemy. However it was, in the year 1673, he wrote what proved to be his last work, and which was published just before his death. This was entitled, "A Treatise of true Religion, Heresy, Schism, Toleration, and the best Means that may be used to prevent the growth of Popery. The author, J. M. London, printed in the year 1673."

The work thus commences :

"It is unknown to no man, who knows aught of concernment among us, that the increase of Popery is at this day no small trouble and offence to [the] greatest part of the nation; and the rejoicing of all good men that it is so, the more their rejoicing, that God hath given a heart to the people, to remember still their great and happy deliverance from Popish thraldom, and to esteem so highly the precious benefit of his gospel, so freely and so peaceably enjoyed among them. Since, therefore, some have already in public, with many considerable arguments, exhorted the people to beware the growth of this Romish weed; I thought it no less than a common duty to lend my hand, how unable soever to so good a purpose. I will not now enter into the labyrinth of Councils and Fathers, an intangled wood, which the Papist loves to fight in, not with hope of a victory, but to obscure the shame of an overthrow; which yet in that kind of combat, many heretofore, and one of late, hath eminently given them. And such manner of dispute with them, to learned men useful, and very commendable. But I shall insist now, on what is plainer to common apprehension."

"True religion is the true worship and service of God, learnt and believed from the word of God only. No man or angel can know how God

would be worship'd and serv'd, unless God reveal it: He hath reveal'd and taught it us in the Holy Scriptures by inspir'd ministers, and in the gospel by his own Son and his Apostles, with strictest commands to reject all other traditions or additions whatsoever; according to that of St. Paul, Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, than that we have preached unto you, let him be anathema, or accurst; and Deut. iv. 2, Ye shall not add to the word which I command, neither shall you diminish aught from it. any man shall add, &c.

Rev. xxii. 18, 19, If If any man shall take away from the words, &c. With good and religious reasons, therefore, all Protestant churches, with one consent, and particularly the Church of England, in her Thirty-nine Articles. Articles 6th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and elsewhere, maintain these two points as the main principles of true religion, that the rule of true religion is, the word of God only; and that their faith ought not to be an implicit faith, that is to believe though as the church believes, against or without express authority from Scripture."

His exposure of the system of Popery is in his own best manner: he says "One of their own famous writers found just cause to stile the Romish Church, Mother of Error, School of Heresy."

Amongst the best means to prevent the growth

of Popery, he says, "Will be to read duly and diligently the Holy Scriptures, which, as St. Paul saith to Timothy, From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus;' and to the church at Colosse, (chap. iii. 16,) 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,' &c." He adds, "The papal anti-christian Church permits not the laity to read the BIBLE in her own tongue: our Protestant Church, on the contrary, hath proposed it to all men, and to this end translated it into English, with profitable notes to what is met with obscure: though what is most necessary to be known is still plainest, that all sorts and degrees of men, not understanding it in the original, may read it in their mother tongue.

"Another means," he says, "to abate Popery, arises from the constant reading of Scripture, wherein believers who agree in the main, are every where exhorted to mutual forbearance and charity towards one another, though dissenting in some opinions. It is written that the coat of our Saviour was without seam; whence some would infer, that there should be no division in the church of Christ. It should be so indeed; yet seams in the same cloth neither hurt the garment, nor misbecome it; and not only seams but schisms will be, while men are fallible. But if

they dissent in matters not essential to belief, while the common adversary is in the field, and shall stand jarring and pelting at one another, they will be soon routed and subdued."

"It is human frailty to err," says he, "and no man is infallible here on earth. But so long as the Lutherans, Calvinists, Anabaptists, Socinians, and Arminians, profess to set the Word of God only before them as the rule of their faith and obedience; and use all diligence and sincerity of heart, by reading, by learning, by study, by prayer for illumination of the Holy Spirit, to understand this rule and obey it, they have don whatever man can do. God will assuredly pardon them, as he did the friends of Job, good and pious men, tho' much mistaken (as there it appears) in som points of doctrin. But som will say, with Christians it is otherwise, whom God has promis'd by his Spirit to teach all things. True, all things absolutely necessary to salvation: but the hottest disputes among Protestants, calmly and charitably examin'd, will be found less than such. The Lutheran holds Consubstantiation; an error indeed, but not mortal. The Calvinist is tax'd with Predestination, and to make God the author of sin; not with any dishonorable thoughts of God, but, it may be, overzealously asserting his absolute power, not without plea from Scripture. The Anabaptist is accus'd