blessed; and God leadeth them into that righteousness, which we have already treated of. Concerning them, the apostle saith, he hath elected us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. And again, he saith; whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified (d)."

Archbishop Usher presents us with another concise profession of faith, transmitted by these good people to Francis I. of France, in the year 1544 : which, though subsequent to the opening of the reformation, is too excellent to be wholly unnoticed in this place. A single extract, however, shall suffice. "We believe, that there is but one God; who is a Spirit, the maker of all things, the parent of all men; who is over all, through all, and in us all, and is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth, whom alone we hope for; the distributor of life, food, and raiment; the distributor also of health and sickness, of conveniences and inconveniences. Him we love, as the author of all goodness: him we dread, as the inspector of hearts.

We believe Jesus Christ to be the Son and image of the Father, in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead; by whom we come to the knowledge of the Father, and who is our mediator and advocate: neither is there any other name under heaven, given unto men, whereby to be saved.

"We believe that we possess the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, proceeding from the Father and the

(d)" Sanctus Paulus dicit, Christus dilexit ecelesiam, et semetipsum tradidit pro ea, ut illam sanctificaret, &c. Non ut pararet eam in infernum; sed in cœlum, in quietem, post præsentes labores. Quia certum est, quòd soli beati sunt electi Dei; et illos ducit Deus in eam justitiam, quam superiùs posuimus; de quibus apostolus dicit, elegit nos in ipso, ante constitutionem mundi, ut essemus sancti et immaculati in conspectu ejus in charitate. Et iterùm dicit; quos prædestinavit, hos et vocavit: et quos vocavit, hos et justificavit." Ibid. 179.

Son; by whose inspiration, we are enabled to pray; and by whose efficacy, we are born again. He it is, who worketh all good works in us; and by him are we led into all truth.

"We believe that there is one holy church, viz. The congregation of all God's elect, from the beginning to the end of the world, whose head is our Lord Jesus Christ. Which church is governed by the word, and led by the Spirit of God.

"We believe, that the pious, and those who fear God, will approve themselves unto him, by being studious of good works, which God hath prepared beforehand, that they should walk in them: such are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, honesty, modesty, temperance, and what other works we find applauded in scripture (e)." It would, perhaps, be difficult to meet with so much genuine gospel, comprised within so small a compass, in any writings, except the inspired. If the reader be de

(e) "Credimus unum tantum esse Deum, qui spiritus est, rerum cunctarum conditor, pater omnium, super et per omnia, in nobis omnibus, adorandus in spiritu et veritate, quem solum expectamus; datorum vitæ, alimentorum, indumentorum, prosperæ item valetudinis, infirmitatis, commodorum, et incommodorum. Hunc diligimus, tanquam omnis bonitatis autorem; et, ceu cordium inspectorem, timemus.

"Jesum Christum credimus esse patris filium et imaginem; in quo omnis plenitudo Deitatis habitat; per quem cognoscimus patrem ; qui noster est mediator et advocatus; nec ullum aliud sub cœlo nomen hominibus datum est, per quod servari nos oporteat.

"Credimus nos habere consolatorem, spiritum sanctum, à patre et filio procedentem; cujus inspiratione precamur, et efficaciâ regeneramur. Is in nobis omnia bona opera efficit: atque per eum in omnem deducimur veritatem.

"Credimus unam sanctam ecclesiam, omnium electorum Dei, à constitutione ad finem mundi, congregationem: cujus caput est dominus noster Jesus Christus. Hanc verbum Dei gubernat, spiritus sanctus ducit.

"Pios et Deum timentes credimus Deo se probaturos ut bonis vacent operibus, quæ præparavit ut in eis ambulent. Hæc autem opera sunt charitas, gaudium, pax, patientia, benignitas, probitas, modestia, temperantia, aliaque opera in scripturis commendata." Usher, De Succession, cap. 10. p. 151.

sirous to know the horrid and almost unparalleled persecutions, which the Albigenses suffered at the hands of the Romish church, from age to age (after the more open apostasy of that church from the original faith of the gospel), even to the extinction of no fewer than ten hundred thousand lives; he may, among others, consult that excellent work, entitled, The (f) History of Popery (a book, which it is pity that any protestant should be without) and Mr. Samuel Clarke's General (g) Martyrology. That most excellent prince, Lewis XII. of France, was actuated by a better spirit. When incited to persecute the Waldenses, he returned this truly great reply: God forbid that I should persecute any for being more religious than myself.

From whole churches, let us, for the present, pass to particular persons.

Gotteschalcus, sometime a benedictine monk in the monastery of Orbez, and diocese of Soissons, flourished about A. D. 840. He is thought to have obtained the sirname of Fulgentius, or the Shining, on account of his uncommon attainments in literature (h); though, perhaps, his agreement in doctrine with the famous Fulgentius (bishop of Ruspæ, in Africa, who was counted the St. Austin of his age, and died in the year 533) might have given the first occasion to calling him by that name.

Archbishop Usher has written the history (i) of this worthy and learned person, and of the controversies concerning predestination and free-will, which his (i. e. Gotteschalcus') writings and sufferings were the means of reviving in the ninth century. To this elaborate performance of the great prelate, I

(f) Comprised in two volumes, small quarto; and printed at London, 1735.

(g) Folio, London, 1660.

(h) Cave's Hist. Liter. vol. i. p. 558.

(2) Entitled, Gotteschalci, et Prædestinatianæ Controversiæ ab eo motæ, Historia. Dublinii, 1631.

stand indebted for most of the particulars which I am now going to lay before the reader.

It seems uncertain, whether Gotteschalcus was a native of Germany, or of France. His name appears to indicate the former (k).

His deep acquaintance with the writings of St. Austin brought him into love with the doctrines of grace; and he determined to avow them, at all events. In such a church as the Roman, and in a period of such religious darkness as the ninth age, it was no wonder that his ardent espousal of the evangelical system, and the unyielding firmness with which he openly maintained it, should involve him. in a series of persecution, which, at length, sunk him to his grave.

Hincmar was made archbishop of Rheims, A. D. 845, and soon distinguished himself as Gotteschalcus' inexorable oppressor. This prelate had a mind, unsoftened with any one of the humane feelings (1) : and, for his religion, it was Christianity reversed. Mean, sanguinary, and imperious, by nature; he had, moreover, imbibed some of the grossest dregs of pelagianism (m): which he obtruded on others, with an enthusiastic vehemence, bordering on madness; and with a fierceness, nothing short of brutal. From a metropolitan, thus disposed, and thus prin

(k) Gott enim Germanis Deum, Schalck servum, denotat. ut Gotteschalcus codλov, sive Dei servum, sonet. Usserii Gotesc. p. 14. (7) He caused his own nephew and names-sake, Hincmar, bishop of Laon, to be deposed from his see, in 871, and thrown into prison, where both his eyes were put out; because, in a dispute between the pope and the French king, he had sided with the former, contrary to the judgment of his uncle.

(m) Nor was he a pelagian only, but a violent Anti-trinitarian also; as appears from the following remarkable incident, mentioned by Dr. Cave: "Interiit liber à Ratramno scriptus pro defensione hymni cujusdam vetusti, cui versiculum istum [te Trina Deitas unaque poscimus] Hincmarus expungi jusserat; te summa Deitas, deinceps, in ecclesiâ suâ cantari præcipiens." Hist. Lit. p. 530. sub Art. Bertramus.

cipled; armed, too, with that extent of authority, which ecclesiastics of his rank then possessed; Gotteschalcus had nothing to look for, but that unrelenting hatred and severity, which superior merit [especially, when it ventures to deviate from the beaten path] seldom fails to experience, at the hands of those, in whom ignorance and bigotry are united with the powers of mischief.

Among the articles which Hincmar charged this holy man with maintaining, were the three following (n).

1. That, "As God hath predestinated certain persons to life eternal; so hath he likewise preordained other certain persons to eternal death.

2." It is not the will of God, that every one of mankind should be saved: he willeth the salvation of those only who [eventually] are saved. All are saved, whom God wills to save: consequently, whoever perish, it was not the divine pleasure to save them. For, if all those who are not saved, whom God willeth to be so; it would follow, that God does not act according to his own will: and, if he wills more than he is able to perform, he is no longer omnipotent, but impotent; but the scripture affirms that he is omnipotent; for he doth whatsoever he pleased to do. All things that the Lord would, bath he done, in heaven, and in earth, in the sea, and in all deep places, Psalm cxxxv. 6. Again; O Lord, the King Almighty, the whole world is in thy power; and, if thou hast appointed to save Israel, there is no man that can gainsay thee. Thou art Lord of all things, and there is no man that can resist thee who art the Lord. Esther xiii. 9. 11.

3. "Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was not crucified and put to death for the redemption of the entire world, i. e. not for the ransom and salvation

(2) Usserii Gottesch. p. 15, 16.- Necnon Vossii Histor. Pelagian. 1. 7. par. 4. p. 758.