traiture of the synod, for a precious monument of their respects to my poor endeavours." It is more to our point to observe, on taking similar leave of the synod, with Dean Hall himself, that the mode of admitting our English divines to that synod was in express violation of its own rule, only to admit the deputies of churches, not political agents; and was obtained surreptitiously, and with much management, by its secret conductors. It is stated, that their instructions went so far in private from King James, as to tie them up to vote in the synod for general redemption, which may serve to explain and introduce the following quotation from Hall's Life, in allusion to the transactions at Dort*. by some of his portraitures, came into the possession of the family of Jermy, of Bayfield Hall, near Holt, in the county of Norfolk; and was bequeathed by William Jermy, Esq. at his death, which happened in January 1750 (Gent. Magazine), to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. See Master's History of Bene't College, Cambridge, p. 367. We should be glad if some Cambridge friend would ascertain the fact of this medal's safe custody, which we have grounds to doubt.

These transactions we may appositely close with a quotation by Mr. Nichols, from one who was as glad to escape the office of deputy to the synod as Dean Hall. "I rejoice that I am not present at the Dutch Synod (says Bergius, who had been appointed a Brandenburg deputy); for I can see nothing transacted in that assembly which is worthy of such immense preparations, labour, and expense. Agricola has acquainted me by letter with almost all the particulars. I am not only certain that no benefit will accrue from the synod, but that the flames of a greater evil will be excited by it; which, although now perhaps suppressed by the power of adversaries, lies hidden in the embers, and will burst forth in a short time with the greater impetuosity. And undoubtedly it is impossible for us to deny, that the Remonstrants have been treated with too much unfairness. What man will ever think of charging it against them as a crime, that they would not acknowledge for their presidents and judges, the Bogermans, the Gomars, the Sibrands, and others, whom they have always accounted their most bitter enemies? How can we [the Lutherans] bring such an accusation against them, when we refuse to have pontiffs and cardinals for our judges? But what act could be more ridiculous, after the Remonstrants were commanded

"When the opinions of the British divines upon the extent of Christ's redemption were read, it was observed that they omitted the distinction between the sufficiency and efficacy of it; nor did they touch upon the limitation of those passages of Scripture, which, speaking of Christ's to retire, than for their judges to occupy themselves for whole days afterwards in declaiming against them, and in boldly refuting their arguments? That is an occupation which does not appear to me of such great importance, as to induce one, for the sake of joining in it, to undertake a long and late journey in the very depth of winter. But this is the sort of proceedings of which those who attended have been witnesses. At our next autumnal fair, I expect to see exposed for sale the satirical remarks of the Papists, the protestations of the Remonstrants, and the refutations of the Synod. God have mercy upon his church! The only hope of safety which remained, was in the reverend fathers of the synod shewing themselves desirous to reconcile parties and to unite discordant spirits: when I was disappointed in this, I entertained no expectations of any thing safe or beneficial." Arminius, p. 420.

May

The friendly intentions of the Synod beforehand expressed, as early as the nomination of Hall's successor, Dr. Goad, are contained in the following page, in a letter from the English Ambassador to King James.

"When the synod hath done with the Remonstrants' opinions, this course will be taken with their persons: That the chief ringleaders (as Üitenbogardt, Episcopius, Grevinchovius, and Vorstius, with some others), will be branded with some note of infamy, and thrust out both of church and state: some others of the chief will have their entertainments [salaries] continued, but [will] be suspended in their functions: the rest, by reason of want of fit men to supply their charges, will be continued, in hope the example of others will keep them within their bounds. This course is like to be taken, rebus sic stantibus [in the present posture of affairs]. But if the French ambassador's endeavours for the delivery of our prisoners, (about which they have now had two public audiences,) or if their private practices in favour of the Arminian party should take any place, we must then expect a mutation." By those persons whom the ambassador here calls our prisoners, are to be understood Barneveldt, Grotius, and Hogerbeets, three of the most eminent men and upright statesmen of the Low Countries, who had always patronized the cause of Arminianism, and who, for their patriotic services to their native country, had, in defiance of all law, been arrested and imprisoned by the orders of Prince Maurice." Arminius, p. 421.

was neither author nor abettor; but he, the father of lies, a liar, a murderer from the beginning,' in procuring the fall of man. Sin being entered, and by sin death, and so all mankind in the mass of perdition, God fitted and prepared a Restorer, a Mediator, the man Christ Jesus; that so whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life;' out of his mercy both free and mere, because he was not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance,' as 2 Pet. iii. 9, and be saved. So large was his mercy, so enlarged his love, that out of his good pleasure it was his will, all men to be saved, and to come to knowledge of the truth.' Shew a contrary resolution of the Church of England, and gag up my mouth, Sir Goose, for ever: else go gaggle on the green." R. Montague's New Gagg for an Old Goose, pp. 179, 180. 1624.folio.

The demon of discord was now let loose; nor was it easy to stay its progress of disaster and blood. It was not in the still small voice of the pacific and well meaning Hall, endeavouring to take the middle course, the "via media," between extremes to accomplish that object. He foresaw the storm which perhaps he had contributed originally, though unintentionally, to raise by the precedents at Dort; but to lay it must have been the work of some higher Prospero. In a tractate published at this period, with the title as above, of " Via Media," he gives the following exquisite passage, deeply affecting as a too true presage of the storm, and yet itself exhibiting, at its close, its very spirit.

"There needs no prophetical spirit to discern by a small cloud that there is a storm coming towards our church: such a one as shall not only drench our plumes, but shake our peace. Already do we see the sky thicken, and hear the winds whistle hollow afar off, and feel all the presages of a tempest, which the late example of our neighbours bids us fear."........The advice which, in con

sequence, he humbly dedicates to his Majesty is, "not to betake himself to his chariot to outride the shower;" but to interpose "his Majesty's seasonable prevention." "Only the powerful breath of your sovereign authority," he adds, " can dispel those clouds, and clear our heaven, and reduce a happy calm." Language such as this echoing on all sides of that servile court, was that which, in fact, hastened and matured the storm. There was, however, something worse than this; for, a little onward in this "Via Media," this "by way of peace," after warning men against controversy, since "never did that Belgic quarrel grow to extremity, till after the solemn conference before the States at the Hague [in 1611] which was intended to appease it,”— the good Dean proceeds, "There is no possible redress, but in a severe edict of restraint to charm all tongues and pens, upon the sharpest punishment, from passing those moderate bounds, which the Church of England, guided by the Scriptures, hath expressly set; or which, on both sides, are fully accorded on." p. 827, vol. ii. Hall's Works.-The advice was followed: and, first, by strangling, as he gives us to understand, his own Via Media; next, by silencing all Puritanism,—that is, Calvinism, doctrinal or disciplinarian; lastly, by giving full swing and full preferment to all anti-Calvinism, of whatever class or degree. What opinions the Dean afterwards formed respecting the "charming" proceedings in the Star Chamber, and the Court of High Commission, we find no trace of in his Life or Writings. The terrible retaliation and reaction of the suffering party, he has sufficiently detailed, as we shall hereafter have occasion to notice in his "Hard Measure."

A single word, however, more, before we proceed, respecting the general contents of this important "Via Media," as a go-between, we may call it, of Calvinism and Arminianism: and that particularly, in

connexion with Mr. Nichols's Arminian Bishop Overall; whose sentiments, it is moreover suggested by Hall, were those intended to be echoed by the gagging Mr. Montague. It so happens, that for almost every sentiment verging on Calvinism in the Via Media, Dean Hall expressly quotes Bishop Overall; and, putting all together, we seem for a moment to be in a goodly company of harmonious doctrinists, beginning with our somewhat Calvinistic Dean, and thence, through Bishop Overall, clear round to the ambiguous Montague, and thus to our avowed Arminian author, Mr.Nichols. The main point, on which we require far more light than Mr. Nichols has given us, nay, on which we think he has quite outrun his authority, is this, namely, the part actually taken by Bishop Overall in this concerted movement. Mr. Nichols alleges Bishop Overall to his own favourite point of conditionate predestination "ex fide prævisâ."

"In addition to the great divines here enumerated by Dr. Heylin, as favourers and defenders of conditional predestination prior to the time in which Arminius flourished, we may specify the names of Erasmus, Bullinger, Sarcerius, Latimer, Duifhusius, Dr. OVERAL, Bishop Andrews, Dr. Clayton, and last, but not least, the two learned professors, (formasi ambo!) Hemmingius of Copenhagen, and Baro of Cambridge." Arminius, p. 89.

Dean Hall as distinctly quotes Overall, for all that we can see to the contrary, as holding with himself unconditional election: and, in terms, we think, very difficult to be mistaken. "It is not the precision of faith, or any other grace or act of man*, where

Non ex præscientia humanæ fidei aut voluntatis sed ex proposito divinæ voluntatis et gratiæ, de his, quos Deus elegit in Christo

liberandis et salvandis. D. Overal de V. Art. in Belgio Controversis.-The history, and character, and opinions of Bishop Overall are most important, as bearing on those times. Coeval in birth with Arminius, but not surviving the Synod of Dort, the friend of Grotius, most learned and most pious, supposed to be the true middle way or stepping stone of the Anglican into Arminian tenets-where,nevertheless, does Mr. Nichols find or ground his assertion,

upon this decree of God [to give special grace to the predestinate] is grounded; but the mere and gracious good will and pleasure of God from all eternity, appointing to save those whom he hath chosen in Christ, as the head and foundation of the elect. This decree of God's election is absolute, unchangeable, and from everlasting. God doth not either actually damn or appoint any soul to damnation, without the consideration in respect of sin." p. 121. Ibid.

The reconciliation of these counter statements we must leave to Mr. Nichols. For ourselves, if our opinion is demanded respecting the decrees of most writers in this "middle" school, we are ready to avow our feeling of an apparent, and, as to some, a misleading ambiguity in their several statements. In expressing their notions of predestination, so as to meet the views on both sides, they make, for instance, with studied accuracy, the rejection of men from salvation the result of no antecedent decree, but simply of sin foreseen. In this they rebut the charge of reprobating souls simply for the good pleasure of God." The election of man is, nevertheless, and most simply given to "the good pleasure of God;" and is made the result, not of faith foreseen, but simply a decree. The want of duly appreciating this distinction of the "middle men," gives an ambiguity to all their statements in the view of the real anti-Calvinist, which is the primum mobile of all his mistakes respecting them; and this from Hey!in, down to Mr. Nichols, who closely imitates the views of Heylin. To assert, that man is lost without decree, simply for his sin, leads at once the Heylin of the day to claim the assertor, as maintaining condi tionate election. To assert, on the contrary, election as of grace, without respect to faith foreseen,

that Bishop Overall was among the favourers and defenders of conditionate predestination; and that, too, prior to the time in whieh Arminius flourished?