and casting far from her the rags of her old vices, may press on hard to happy emulation to be found the soberest, wisest, and most Christian peop when thou, the eternal and shortly-expected King, shalt open the clouds to ral kingdoms of this world, and distributing national honours and rewards t just commonwealths, shalt put an end to all earthly tyrannies, proclaiming th mild monarchy through heaven and earth; where they, undoubtedly, that b counsels, and prayers, have been earnest for the common good of religion try, shall receive above the inferior orders of the blessed, the regal addition o legions, and thrones into their glorious titles, and in supereminence of beat gressing the dateless and irrevoluble circle of eternity, shall clasp insepara joy and bliss, in overmeasure for ever."

To this and other attacks from puritan pens, bishop Hall, and, about archbishop Usher, replied; the former in "An humble Remonstrance to tl Parliament," and the latter in the "Apostolical Institution of Episcop answers to these very learned and able works were produced in the same yea To continue our extracts from the Second Defence :-" Afterwards," (that pamphlet,)" when two bishops of superior distinction vindicated their privile principal ministers, I thought that on those topics, to the consideration of solely by my love of truth, and my reverence for Christianity, I should no worse than those, who were contending only for their own emoluments and therefore answered the one in two books, of which the first is inscrib Prelatical Episcopacy, and the other Concerning the Mode of Ecclesiastic and I replied to the other in some Animadversions, and soon after in an A It is not too much to say that Milton was a match for the learned Us weapons, and his superior in other respects. The first of the replies, so fa Dr. Johnson's snarl, is a model in style, of simplicity and moderation, and logic and sound learning. The archbishop's forte lay in his erudition, and of the strongest men of his time; but his discomfiture is complete, whe carries the controversy before a higher tribunal than that of antiquity. T inconveniency, and impiety of quoting the fathers and excluding th method adopted by the episcopalians (as formerly by the papists) to estab Christianity, is plainly, strongly, and fully shown. "Whatsoever," says ou time or the heedless hand of blind chance, has drawn down to this pres drag-net, whether fish or sea-weed, shells or shrubs, unpicked and unchos fathers." And so he chides the good prelate for divulging useless treatis the specious names of Ignatius and Polycarpus, with fragments of old distract and stagger the multitude of credulous readers. The piece is h perusal, as an exposure of the claims of tradition. It is a complete dispers "cloud, or rather petty fog, of witnesses."

The other performance, entitled "The Reason of Church-Governme Prelaty," and principally intended against the same archbishop's account episcopacy, is in every point of view a valuable and powerful production. in two Books. In the Preface, (frequently the most interesting portion of stating the importance of the subject of church-government, and after refer tion, or rather uproar, concerning it, he expresses a hope that England will sce-patriarchal, nor to see-prelatical, but to that ministerial order of presby which the apostles instituted. There are seven chapters in this Book, of wh the titles, merely premising that there is more in each than meets the ey compactly and logically arranged, that any attempt to present the reader them, without injuring their cumulative force, would be impossible. In c

tained, That church government is prescribed in the gospel, and that to say otherwise is unsound. In ch. II. That church government is set down in Holy Scripture, and that to say otherwise is untrue. In ch. III. That it is dangerous and unworthy of the gospel to hold that church government is to be patterned by the law, as bishop Andrews and the primate of Armagh maintain. In ch. IV. That it is impossible to make the priesthood of Aaron a pattern whereon to ground episcopacy. In ch. V. we have a reply to the arguments of bishop Andrews and the primate. In ch. VI. That prelaty was not set up for prevention of schism, as is pretended; or if it were, it performs not what it was first set up for, but quite the contrary. In ch. VII. That those many sects and schisms by some supposed to be among us, and that the rebellion in Ireland, ought not to be a hinderance, but a hastening, of reformation. In proof of our assertion, that there is more in each chapter than the title would appear to warrant us to expect, take these few sentences from the first section, on the importance of " discipline." "What need I instance? He that hath read with judgment, of nations and commonwealths, of cities and camps, of peace and war, sea and land, will readily agree that the flourishing and decaying of all civil societies, all the moments and turnings of human occasions, are moved to and fro as upon the axle of discipline. So that whatsoever power or sway in mortal things weaker men have attributed to fortune, I durst with more confidence (the honour of Divine Providence ever saved) ascribe either to the vigour or the slackness of discipline. Nor is there any sociable perfection in this life, civil or sacred, that can be above discipline; but she is that which with her musical cords preserves and holds all the parts thereof together. And certainly discipline is not only the removal of disorder; but if any visible shape can be given to divine things, the very visible shape and image of virtue, whereby she is not only seen in the regular gestures and motions of her heavenly paces as she walks, but also makes the harmony of her voice audible to mortal ears. Yea, the angels themselves, in whom no disorder is feared, as the apostle that saw them in his rapture describes, are distinguished and quaternioned into their celestial princedoms and satrapies, according as God himself has #rit his imperial decrees through the great provinces of heaven. The state also of the blessed in paradise, though never so perfect, is not therefore left without discipline, whose golden surveying reed marks out and measures every quarter and circuit of New Jerusalem. Yet is it not to be conceived, that those eternal effluences of sanctity and love in the glori fied saints should by this means be confined and cloyed with repetition of that which is prescribed, but that our happiness may orb itself into a thousand vagancies of glory and delight, and with a kind of eccentrical equation be, as it were, an invariable planet of joy and felicity; how much less can we believe that God would leave his frail and feeble, though not less beloved church here below, to the perpetual stumble of conjecture and disturbance this our dark voyage, without the card and compass of discipline!"

There are numerous passages, rising like this, naturally, out of the subject, not thrown in for the sake of ornament, in each of these seven chapters of the 1st Book, every whit equal to this, and of every sort and variety of eloquence. Milton's flights into the regions of imagery are never taken either for the sake of display, or to escape from the pressure of an argument. He is never in the air when he should be on the ground. He resorts to the wings of rhetoric, from the firm summit of a vast pile of argumentation, and though for awhile he may be lost in the solar blaze, he soon comes down with "fell swoop" to his quarry. The 2nd Book consists of a preface, three chapters, and a conclusion. Awe-stricken yet are we in perusing the preface to this 2nd Book. More or less than man he must be who can read it without emotion. It is throughout magnificent,—a glimpse into the heart and soul of Milton. He opens his bosom-he discourses with his conscience in our presence. He discloses his convictions of duty, and discovers his confidence of rectitude. He divulges bis lofty hopes, springing out of his patriotism and his piety. Here we have that remarkable

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covenant with the knowing reader," to attempt ere long some poetical work, which his countrymen would not "let die." The noble promise is a pledge for the greatest performHis aspirations amount to positive faith: Paradise Lost is seen at the end of the radiant vista. This exordium is too long to extract entire: any fragmentary anticipation of it would spoil the whole. The electrical shock which follows invariably the voice of true eloquence, and proves incontestably its power and presence, admonishes us to point, in this instance, the reader's attention to the exordium at once, and in silence. It is "a sevenfold chorus of hallelujahs and harping symphonies."

In the 1st chapter of the 2nd book, the author maintains that prelaty opposes the reason and end of the gospel in three ways, and first in her outward form. "Who is there that measures wisdom by simplicity, strength by suffering, dignity by lowliness? Who is there that counts it first to be last, something to be nothing, and reckons himself of great command in that he is a servant? Yet God, when he meant to subdue the world and hell at once, part of that to salvation, and this wholly to perdition, made choice of no other weapons or auxiliaries than these, whether to save or to destroy. It had been a small mastery for him to have drawn out his legions into array, and flanked them with his thunder; therefore he sent foolishness to confute wisdom, weakness to bind strength, despisedness to vanquish pride." In the 2nd chapter it is maintained, that the ceremonious doctrine of prelaty opposeth the reason and end of the gospel.

In the 3rd chapter, the thesis is, That prelatical jurisdiction opposeth the reason and end of the gospel and state. The political reasons against this obnoxious form of churchgovernment will probably be most interesting to the majority of his readers. There is an evident leaning to independency in all of the preceding works.

Bishop Hall, or his son, or nephew, more witty than wise, having published “ a Defence of the Humble Remonstrance," Milton's next work was "Animadversions" upon it. The preface apologizes for that harshness of style which he felt justified in adopting. This he does to satisfy tender consciences, who might shrink from the employment of such a weapon as satire in such a cause. The point is enlarged upon in the preface to the next work. In "uncasing the grand imposture," he copes with his adversary, sentence by sentence, and thus vindicates truth by taking the sophist short " at the first bound." It is one of the pleasantest of the theological tracts; nor is it, although a tragi-comic dialogue between unequal competitors, less subtle or profound than any of its predecessors. We may refer to the answer to the Remonstrant's assertion in the 4th section, as one of the most splendid passages ever penned. The topic itself was a hackneyed one, even in those days, but they who are acquainted with these writings, know full well, that however unpromising a subject may appear to be, it is best to see what is made of it, lest by overlooking it we miss some of the finest things in the language. We give the conclusion of the beautiful prayer, or rather prayerode, with which the section closes. "Come therefore, O thou that hast the seven stars in thy right hand, appoint thy chosen priests according to their orders and courses of old, to minister before thee, and duly to press and pour out the consecrated oil into thy holy and ever-burning lamps. Thou hast sent out the spirit of prayer upon thy servants over all the land to this effect, and stirred up their vows as the sound of many waters about thy throne. Every one can say, that now certainly thou hast visited this land, and hast not forgotten the utmost corners of the earth, in a time when men had thought that thou wast gone up us to the farthest end of the heavens, and hadst left to do marvellously among the sons of these last ages. O perfect and accomplish thy glorious act! for men may leave their works unfinished, but thou art a God, thy nature is perfection: shouldst thou bring us thus far on from Egypt to destroy us in this wilderness, though we deserve; yet thy great name would suffer in the rejoicing of thine enemies, and the deluded hope of all thy servants. When thou hast settled peace in the church, and righteous judgment in thy kingdom, then shall

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all thy saints address their voices of joy and triumph to thee, standing on the shore of that Red sea into which our enemies had almost driven us. And he that now for haste snatches up a plain ungarnished present as a thank-offering to thee, which could not be deferred, in regard of thy so many late deliverances wrought for us one upon another, may then perhaps take up a harp, and sing thee an elaborate song to generations. In that day it shall no more be said as in scorn, this or that was never held so till this present age, when men have better learnt that the times and seasons pass along under thy feet, to go and come at. thy bidding; and as thou didst dignify our fathers' days with many revelations above all the foregoing ages, since thou tookest the flesh; so thou canst vouchsafe unto us (though unworthy) as large a portion of thy Spirit as thou pleasest: for who shall prejudice thy allgoverning will? seeing the power of thy grace is not passed away with the primitive times, as fond and faithless men imagine, but thy kingdom is now at hand, and thou standing at the door. Come forth out of thy royal chambers, O Prince of all the kings of the earth! put on the visible robes of thy imperial majesty, take up that unlimited sceptre which thy Almighty Father hath bequeathed thee; for now the voice of thy bride calls thee, and all creatures sigh to be renewed."

The next section, containing the law case, is perhaps next also in excellence. The sermons are always better than the texts; and when it is recollected that this is the third work on the same subject in one year, its perusal may well excite our wonder.

Next year his last work on the puritan side of the controversy came out, " An Apology for Smectymnuus," in reply to bishop Hall or his son's "Modest Confutation against a scandalous and seditious Libel." The bishop's personalities may have quickened as they certainly sharpened the movements of his pen, and hastened this publication, in which he justifies at large the style and manner of his prior work; and after making his reader merry at the expense of his modest opponent's title, proceeds to vindicate his own character, and furnish us with an eloquent and interesting account of himself, his education, studies, and pursuits. We refer those who, though on our author's side, dislike his "honest way of writing," to the first section in this tract for a most interesting digression on style. He well knew what he was about when he poured his overwhelming sarcasms on his assailants. It was as much out of his power to alter or soften the style in which he wrote, and for which he has been insolently abused, as to "dissolve the ground work of nature, which God created in him." A regard to truth, the relief of his "burden," the full reflection of his very soul, whatever might be the state of its emotions on his friends or his foes, rendered it impossible for him to divest himself of it. We will quote a passage from the section we refer to.

"In times of opposition, when either against new heresies arising, or old corruptions to be reformed, this cool unpassioned mildness of positive wisdom is not enough to damp and astonish the proud resistance of carnal and false doctors, then (that I may have leave to soar awhile as the poets use) Zeal, whose substance is ethereal, arming in complete diamond, ascends his fiery chariot drawn with two blazing meteors, figured like beasts, but of a higher breed than any the zodiac yields, resembling two of those four which Ezekiel and St. John saw; the one visaged like a lion, to express power, high authority, and indignation; the other of countenance like a man, to cast derision and scorn upon perverse and frandulent seducers: with these the invincible warrior, Zeal, shaking loosely the slack reins, drives over the heads of scarlet prelates, and such as are insolent to maintain traditions, bruising their stiff necks under his flaming wheels."

I splendid part of the performance, is the eulogy on the Long Parliament; but he is always instructive, and most so when he leaves his merryman of the text, and strikes cut into incidental or collateral topics. He is very severe upon the clergy, not only because Cher principles were in his opinion dangerous, and their practice disgraceful, but his usage

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at their hands was barbarous.-What can be more so than this serious saying of old or young Hall,-" You that love Christ, and know this miscreant wretch, stone him to death, lest you smart for his impunity." This is the language of a bishop, or of his son, but is it that of a Christian? Milton's spirit was a perfect contrast to Hall's. "In his whole life he never spake against a man even that his skin should be grazed." Hall's murderous advice is certainly of a piece with that pious prayer which is recorded in his Memoranda of his own Life, concerning the subtle and wily atheist, that had so grievously perplexed and gravelled him at Sir Robert Drury's, till he prayed the Lord to remove him, and his prayers were heard; for shortly after the atheist went to London, and there perished of the plague in great misery. But what can be expected from a man who in one of his epistles dares to assert that " separation from the church of England is worse than whoredom or drunkenness?" The formularies of the church as by law established, are examined in the 11th section, and severely exposed. Being taxed by his adversary with a want of acquaintance with the councils and fathers of the church, we have in the 12th section a remarkable account of his reading in, and of his opinion of, them, which concludes by advising his readers not to be deceived "by men that would overawe your ears with big names and huge tomes, that contradict and repeal one another, because they can cram a margin with citations. Do but winnow their chaff from their wheat, ye shall see their great heap shrink and wax thin past belief." We have a remarkable testimony to the character of the nonconformists. "We hear not of any, which are called nonconformists, that have been accused of scandalous living; but are known to be pious, or at least sober, men." After answering a few more impertinent points, his adversary having said that he had met with "such a volley of expressions, as he would never desire to have them better clothed." "For me, readers," says the ingenuous apologist, "I cannot say that I am utterly untrained in those rules which best rhetoricians have given, or unacquainted with those examples which the prime authors of eloquence have written in any learned tongue; yet true eloquence I find to be none, but the serious and hearty love of truth: and that whose mind soever is fully possessed with a fervent desire to know good things, and with the dearest charity to infuse the knowledge of them into others, when such a man would speak, his words (by what I can express) like so many nimble and airy servitors trip about him at command, and in well-ordered files, as he would wish, fall aptly in their own places." The remainder of this discourse is devoted to the further castigation of his adversary, recommends the total removal of prelaty, the due distribution of church property, and predicts that when their coffers are emptied their voices will be dumb. This is the last time he drew his pen for the presbyterians, or rather, not so much for presbyterianism, as for liberty; and in her behalf we shall soon find that he had to wage war against his former allies, whose recreant steps led them at last to fight against her under the prelatical banner. The bishops fell, and Milton went on, and took no more notice of them, except in conjunction with the puritan apostates, whose perilous battle he fought, and whose victory was soon abused.

He thus refers to these works in his narrative,-" On this occasion it was supposed that I brought a timely succour to the ministers, who were hardly a match for the eloquence of their opponents; and from that time I was actively employed in refuting any answers that appeared. When the bishops could no longer resist the multitude of their assailants, I had leisure to turn my thoughts to other subjects; to the promotion of real and substantial liberty ; which is rather to be sought from within than from without; and whose existence depends not so much on the terror of the sword, as on sobriety of conduct, and integrity of life. When therefore I perceived that there were three species of liberty, which are essential to the happiness of social life; religious, domestic, and civil; and as I had already written concerning the first, and the magistrates were strenuously active concerning the third, I de