posed in the following order :-- The first contains fifty-three discourses on various texts of scripture, most of them very short, often critical and learned, and fitter to entertain students of theology than to be delivered in the course of public instruction. There is, however, some sound and useful criticism in these discourses. The second book contains a number of treatises on subjects connected with places of public worship, and several such matters of Christian antiquity, all of them learned and able, but manifesting vastly too much deference for the opinions and reasonings of the early fathers. For what figment of the imagination, what pestilent fancy of superstition, what perversion of reason and common sense, may not be "ferretted out of that dusty cupboard of antiquity?" The third book contains his treatises on the prophetical Scriptures, viz., the Apocalyptic Key and Commentaries— some small tracts regarding the Apocalypse-a Paraphrase of the 3d chap. of 2d Epistle of Peter-The Apostacy of the latter times-Daniel's Weeks, with two tracts upon Daniel. The fourth book contains letters by Mr Mede in answer to learned men who had written to him respecting his opinions. The fifth book contains Sacred fragments, or Miscellanies of Divinity. Several of his principal works are in Latin.

The whole display the great learning and ingenuity of the author, though frequently without affording the reader satisfaction and repose of mind in the results. Mede, with Dr Henry More, expected the personal reign of Christ, and may be said to have done more to systematize and fortify those opinions than any other writer, whether of ancient or modern times. His views have been adopted, corrected, and repropagated in various forms, suited to the meridian of the particular age, by many writers, at intervals down to the present day. Eras have been calculated upon Mede's data and principia, when the Messiah was certainly to appear. All these writers seemed equally plausible in their predictions, and all equally positive of their verification, but their chosen eras have all passed away, one after another, and yet the Millennium they foresaw has not approached. Mede, however, is a modest inquirer, in comparison with the dogmatists who have followed him in this time. He criticises-they prophecy; he reasons-they divine.'

Bishop Davenant.

BORN CIRC. A. d. 1572.-DIED A. D. 1641.

JOHN DAVENANT, bishop of Salisbury, was descended from the ancient family of the Davenants of Sible-Heningham in Essex. He was born in London, where his father was an eminent merchant. On the 4th of July, 1587, he was admitted of Queen's college, Cambridge. His father left him a large fortune, in addition to which he was admitted to a fellowship in 1597. In 1609, he became D.D., and was elected Lady Margaret's professor of Divinity, which chair he filled till 1621. "In 1613-14, a Royal party visiting Cambridge, on occasion of the marriage of the Princess Elizabeth with the Prince Palatine Fre

Life prefixed to his works.-Middleton's Biog. Evan.

deric, and an entertainment being given to them, Davenant was selected as Moderator, in the theological disputation, which, according to the custom of the age, then occurred. In the following year, on a similar occasion, another public disputation took place between some chief divines of England and of the Palatinate, among whom the Heidelburgh professor, Abraham Scultetus, distinguished himself. The Margaret professor was then also appointed Moderator. The questions discussed, as we learn from Nicholl's Progresses of James I., were these three: Nulla est temporalis Papæ potestas supra reges, in ordine ad bonum spirituale. Infallibilis fidei determinatio non est annexa cathedræ papali. Cæca obedientia est illicita.' The excellent, but pedantic Bishop Hacket, in his Life of Archbishop Williams, records these academical feats with great vivacity. Speaking of one super-eminent disputant, Dr Collins, he thus proceeds :-' He was a firm bank of earth, able to receive the shot of the greatest artillery. His works in print, against Eudæmon and Fitzherbert, sons of Anak among the Jesuits, do noise him far and wide. But they that heard him speak would most admire him. No flood can be compared to the spring-tide of his language and eloquence, but the milky river of Nilus, with his seven mouths all at once disemboguing into the sea. O how voluble! how quick! how facetious he was! What a Vertuninus when he pleased to argue on the right side, and on the contrary. Those things will be living to the memory of the longest survivor that ever heard him. In this trial, wherein he stood now to be judged by so many attic and exquisite wits, he strived to exceed himself, and shewed his cunning marvellously that he could invalidate every argument brought against him with variety of answers. It was well for all sides, that the best divine, in my judgment, that ever was in that place, Dr Davenant, held the reins of the disputation. He kept him within the even boundals of the cause; he charmed him with the Caducæan wand of dialectical prudence; he ordered him to give just weight, and no more. Horat.

I. 1. Od. 3. Quo non arbiter Adriæ major, tollere seu ponere vult freta.' Such an arbiter as he was now, such he was and no less, year by year, in all comitial disputations; wherein whosoever did well, yet constantly he had the greatest acclamation. To the close of all this exercise, I come. The grave elder opponents having had their courses, Mr Williams, a new admitted bachelor of divinity, came to his turn, last of all. Presently, there was a smile in the face of every one that knew them both, and a prejudging that between these two there would be a fray indeed. Both jealous of their credit, both great masters of wit; and as much was expected from the one as from the other. So they fell to it with all quickness and pertinacity; yet, thank the Moderator, with all candour; like Fabius and Marcellus, the one was the buckler, the other the sword of that learned exercise. No greyhound did ever give a hare more turns upon Newmarket heath, than the replier with his subtleties gave to the respondent. A subject fit for the verse of Mr Abraham Hartwell, in his Regina Literata, as he extols Dr Pern's arguments made before Queen Elizabeth: 'Quis fulmine tanto tela jacet? tanto fulmine nemo jacet.' But when they had both done their best with equal prowess, the marshal of the field, Dr Davenant, cast down his warder between them, and parted them.'"

Allport's Memoir.

In October 1614, he was chosen master of his college. In 1618, he was sent by King James as one of his four delegates to the synod of Dort. Upon the death of his brother-in-law, Dr Robert Townson, he was nominated bishop of Salisbury in 1621.

Bishop Davenant continued in favour at court during the life of James; but in the Lent of 1630, he incurred the royal displeasure for some strictures in which he had indulged in a sermon preached at Whitehall on the predestinarian controversy. Charles had been pleased strictly to forbid "all curious search" into this point of doctrine, Davenant defended himself on the ground, that he had advanced nothing contrary to the 17th article of the church. But on being informed that it was not his majesty's pleasure he should ever touch upon the question of predestination, he apologised for his mistake, and promised never more to offend in this way.

Davenant was a man of great learning, and published several theological works which continue in repute to the present day. His 'Expositio Epistolæ D. Pauli ad Colossenses,' is reckoned a masterpiece of expository divinity. It was published at Cambridge in 1627, and republished in 1630 and 1639. A quarto edition was published at Amsterdam in 1646. It has been recently translated by the Rev. Josiah Allport, in 2 vols. 8vo.

"Few men," says Mr Allport," appear to have been more honoured and venerated by all parties than Bishop Davenant. In all the works of friends or opponents, there is not to be found a single sentence approaching even to disrespect, much less any thing that can tend to cast the slightest reflexion upon his deportment in any measure of his public or private life. His profound learning, acuteness of intellect, catholic spirit, active benevolence, and meekness, are constantly adverted to; and the phrases the good Bishop Davenant,' the excellent Bishop Davenant,' the learned Bishop Davenant,' &c. &c. are the usual appendages to his name, even in the writings of those who took up the pen in express hostility to certain of his theological views "

Bishop Bedell.

BORN A.D. 1570.-DIED A. D. 1642

WILLIAM BEDELL, an eminent bishop of the 17th century, was descended from an ancient family in Essex, and was born at Black Notley, in that county, in 1570. He finished his studies at Emanuel college, Cambridge, of which he was chosen fellow in 1593; in 1599 he became bachelor of divinity. He was ordained by the suffragan bishop of Colchester, and on leaving the university, he was settled at St Edmond's Bury, in Suffolk, where he laboured in the ministry of the gospel with much success. On Sir Henry Wotton's being appointed ambassador to the Venetian republic, Bedell accompanied him in the capacity of chaplain; and arriving at Venice at a period when the disputes between the Venetians and the pope had run so high that the former were on the point of dissenting from the Romish communion, he formed a close intimacy with the celebrated father, Paul Sarpi, the principal leader in that struggle against ecclesiastical despotism.

With Bedell's assistance, Father Paul acquired such a knowledge of the English language, as to be able to translate the book of Common Prayer into his vernacular tongue. This he did, it is thought, in the intention, should the existing quarrel with the pope terminate in separation, of making it the model for a new ritual. While at Venice, Bedell acquired an intimate knowledge of the Hebrew, by the aid of the rabbi who was at the head of the Jewish synagogue in that place.

After eight years' stay at Venice, Bedell returned to England, and assumed his parochial duties. He also assisted in publishing a translation of Father Paul's History of the Council of Trent, his History of the Interdict, and also that of the Inquisition. Soon afterwards he was presented to the living of Honingsheath, in the diocese of Norwich, on which occasion he successfully resisted an exorbitant demand by the bishop for induction fees. At this latter place Bedell remained for twelve years, wholly devoted to his pastoral duties, and such was the retirement in which he lived, that Diodati, an eminent Genoese divine, who had known him at Venice, visiting England at that time, in vain inquired for him, and at last met with him merely by accident. His worth and talents, however, gradually became known, and in 1626 he was unanimously elected provost of Trinity college, Dublin. In this new office he sedulously set himself to correct existing abuses, and undertook particularly the religious instruction of the college. In 1624, he had published a controversial correspondence betwixt himself and a Mr Wadsworth, who had been a fellow-student of his own, and had also held a living in the same diocese, but who, having gone to Spain as chaplain to the English ambassador, had renounced Protestantism and embraced the Catholic faith. A 2d edition of these letters was published in 1685.

In 1629, he was appointed bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh, in the province of Ulster. When he entered upon his diocese, he found it in a great disorder; its revenues had been dissipated, its cathedral and parish churches were in a state of dilapidation; more than nine-tenths of the people were papists; and of the few clergymen who were capable of assisting him, each had several parishes to serve. In this state of matters, he fearlessly applied himself to the work of reformation. His first step was to abolish pluralities, and having set the example himself by resigning the see of Ardagh, which had been united to that of Kilmore, on account of the scantiness of the revenues of both, his clergy, with a single exception, relinquished their pluralities also. With great difficulty he accomplished the reform of his own spiritual court; he also abolished various oppressive exactions which his predecessors had practised. For the instruction and conversion of the natives, he caused a short catechism of the elements of Christianity in English and Irish, to be printed and widely circulated; he also established schools in every parish of his diocese, and having himself acquired the Irish language, he composed a complete grammar of it. The New Testament, as well as the Book of Common Prayer, had been already translated into Irish: Bishop Bedell was desirous that the people should possess the whole Bible in their native tongue, and with this view employed a person of the name of King, a converted papist, who was deemed the best Irish scholar of his day. King was then about 70 years of age, but the bishop finding him qualified for the clerical office,

admitted him to orders, gave him a benefice, and employed him in the projected translation, himself revising the work. Having finished it in a few years, he was about to print it at his own expense; but, strange to say, was thwarted in his noble design by the opposition of some of his clerical brethren, among whom was Archbishop Laud; and so bitter was the hostility excited by this effort of our bishop, that on the ground of some trivial delinquency on the part of King, the translator, he was instantly deprived of his living, which was bestowed on the informer. The bishop would now have printed the Bible in his own house, but before he could put his design into execution, the rebellion broke out, and tranquillity was not restored to the country when Bedell himself was called to a better world. The manuscript copy of his translation, however, was saved amidst the general confusion, but was not printed until the reign of King William, when the Hon. Robert Boyle, into whose hands the manuscript had fallen, besides reprinting the New Testament, printed King's translation of the Old, both at his own expense.

A few years before his death, Bishop Bedell was engaged in an amicable controversy with Dr Ward on the subject of baptism. The bishop was a Calvinist in sentiment, but took a warm interest in the design of reconciling the Lutherans and Calvinists. He died on the

7th of February 1642, in the 71st year of his age. Great numbers of the natives attended his funeral, and fired a volley over his grave, crying out at the same time, " Requiescat in pace ultimus Anglorum !" In his person, Bishop Bedell was tall and graceful, he wore a long and broad beard, which gave him a very venerable appearance. His eyesight sustained no decay from age, and his judgment and memory continued unimpaired to the last.'

Archbishop Laud.

BORN A. D. 1573.-died a. p. 1645.

WILLIAM LAUD, archbishop of Canterbury, was the son of a clothier at Reading, in Berkshire, where he was born in the year 1573. He received the elements of instruction at the free school of his native place, whence he removed to St John's college, Oxford, in 1590. He took priest's orders in 1601, and in the following year preached a divinity lecture in his college, in which he maintained the perpetual visibility of the church of Rome till the reformation,-a doctrine which, he conceived, was necessary to support that of the perpetual visibility of the church of Christ upon earth. His sentiments on this point were strongly censured by Abbot, then vice-chancellor of the university, which laid the foundation of that animosity which Laud afterwards exhibited towards the archbishop. His first preferment was the vicarage of Stamford, in Northamptonshire, which he obtained in 1607. In the following year, he commenced D.D., and was appointed chaplain to Neile, bishop of Rochester. He was made king's chaplain on the 3d of November, 1611. In 1616, the king made him dean of Glou

cester.

Life by Burnet.-Christian Observer, vol. xv.—Bayle and Ed.