even under the most selfish and unchristian forms of Christianity is a stronger evidence of the divinity of that religion, than all the miracles of Brahma and Veeshnou could afford, even though they were supported with tenfold the judicial evidence of the Gospel miracles.*

NOTES ON A TRIPLE RECONCILED BY THOMAS FULLER, B.D.

1654.

Page 7.-Doctrine.

God's ministers ought without fear or favour to perform their office, neither to be frighted nor flattered. It is observed that Moses first hanselled this law on his sister Miriam, Numb. xii. 15.

Secondly, we find it served by subjects on their sovereign in the case of king Uzziah, 2 Chron. xxvi. 20.

Five years later this would have cost Fuller a rap on his knuckles from his Bishop.

Ibid. p. 8.

Sad and sorrowful the condition of a sequestered Leper. Indeed some of us have been sequestered; and, blessed be

* In one of the volumes of this work used by the Editor for ascertaining the references, the following note is written by a former

owner:

"October 12, 1788. Begged of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary to take my salvation on herself, and obtain it for Saint Hyacinthe's sake; to whom she has promised to grant any thing, or never to refuse any thing begged for his sake."

It would be very interesting to know how far the feeling expressed in this artless effusion coexisted with a faith in the atonement and mediation of the one Lord Jesus Christ.-ED.

H

God, we have borne our yoke in our youth, hoping that more freedom is reserved for our old age.

A hope amounting to an anticipation of the fast approaching Restoration, while Cromwell was yet alive. But there were men who hoped for a restoration of the Established Church under a moderate Episcopacy from Cromwell himself, and had he dared take the name of King, he probably would not have disappointed them.

Ibid. pp. 43, 44.

First, for Barnabas his title was, by his extraction, being a Levite, Acts xiv. 36, to whom it belonged by their profession to teach the people.

Secondly, he had an extraordinary call from God in the second verse of this chapter; besides, at this time, a civil invitation from the masters of the synagogue. Thus his threefold cable cannot be broken, nor any unlawful invading of the ministerial office be charged upon him.

Thirdly, St. Paul's commission to preach doth appear both by his ability and authority for the same. His ability (Acts xxii. 3)-brought up at the feet of Gamaliel.

Object. We confess his ability, but deny his authority, &c. &c.

Ans. All is confessed, but let the impartial reader consider, first, that Paul was a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, Acts xxiii. 6; secondly, let him also weigh the words of our Saviour, Matt. xxiii. 2, 3. The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' chair; all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not after their works, for they say and do not.

Fuller is here trying to support a plain truth on a false or very questionable pediment. What wonder that he fails? For those who admitted that miracles had ceased in the Church, convincing arguments might have been brought. For those who

believed immediate calls, no arguments could have been convincing.

NOTES ON LIFE OUT OF DEATH, A SERMON BY THOMAS FULLER, B.D.

Page 4.

Was not Hezekiah assured that the setting of his sun here in a mortal life should be the rising thereof in a blessed immortality?

Noticeable even in the sensible Fuller this disposition to consider the Bible, from Genesis to the Apocalypse, one book, so as to antedate the Gospel, and attribute to the good men under the Law, not only the Faith, but the clear and distinct belief and assurance of Christians.

Bishop Warburton fell into the contrary extreme.

Ibid. p. 6.

Well, the Prophet Isaiah is sent with a welcome countermessage, that Hezekiah's prayer was heard, and a longer lease of life indulged unto him, confirmed with miracles from Heaven of the going back of the sun.

Was not the recovery itself a sufficient sign? The sun of his life had gone backward, if at sixty he was carried back and reimplaced in the strength and health of fifty. Query, a figurative expression of a fact, interpreted by the hearers for a distinct fact in itself?

Ibid. p. 11.

Sickness is a time to suffer, not to do in: patients are like bees in winter, no flying abroad to find fresh flowers; either they must starve, or live on that stock of honey which they have provided in the summer time.

A beautiful improvement might be made of this— viz., that God's mercy through Christ does supply to his wisest bees a power of making fresh honey by patience and acknowledgment.

Ibid. p. 14.

David therefore allegeth this as an argument to be continued in the land of the living, Shall the dust praise Thee, O Lord? that God's service might still be preserved so in him, that his body might not be altogether useless, as in dead folk, but have a portion of praising of God, conjoined with his soul (as the opposite part of the quire) in lauding the Lord.

With an ingenuity worthy of Fuller; but more ingenious than ingenuous. Better say it was a question to which sinful man might through God's mercy hope, but could not of his own merits expect, an affirmative answer. Compare with Ezekiel, Can these dry bones live?

101

NOTES ON WORTHIES OF ENGLAND,
BY THOMAS FULLER, B.D.

111

Preface by the Editor, John Nichols, F.A.S.

Even Bishop Nicolson, fastidious as in this instance he is, admits that the work at least "pretends to give an account of native commodities, manufactures, buildings, proverbs, &c., of all the counties of England and Wales, as well as of the great men in Church and State, though the latter looks like the principal design, and makes up the greatest part of the volume." Much might be said, if it were necessary, in vindication of the language of Dr. Fuller.—N.

Fuller's language! Grant me patience, Heaven! A tithe of his beauties would be sold cheap for a whole library of our classical writers, from Addison to Johnson and Junius inclusive. And Bishop Nicolson!-a painstaking old charwoman of the Antiquarian and Rubbish Concern! The venerable rust and dust of the whole firm are not worth an ounce of Fuller's earth!

Memoirs of the Author.

Dr. Thomas Fuller, son of the Rev. Thomas Fuller, rector of Aldwinkle St. Peter, in the county of Northampton, was born in 1608.-N.

Shakspeare! Milton! Fuller! De Foe! Hogarth! As to the remaining mighty host of our great men, other countries have produced something like thembut these are uniques. England may challenge the world to show a correspondent name to either of the five. I do not say that, with exception of the first, names of equal glory may not be produced, in a different kind. But these are genera, containing each only one individual.