"are promised of God to be saved and justified, accord❝ing as we read. The righteousness of God, which is by "faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe, &c. Rom. iii. 22.

"The second caution or danger to be avoided is, that "we now knowing how to discern rightly between the law and the gospel, and having intelligence not to "mistake one for the other, must take heed again that "we break not the order between these two, taking and "applying the law where the gospel is to be applied, "either to ourselves or toward others. For notwith"standing the law and the gospel many times are to be "joined together in order of doctrine; yet it may some"times fall out, that the law must be utterly sequestered "from the gospel. As when any person or persons do "feel themselves, with the majesty of the law and judg"ment of God so terrified and oppressed, and with the "burden of their sins overweighed and thrown down in"to utter discomfort, and almost even to the pit of hell, "as happeneth many times to soft and timorous con"sciences of God's good servants: When such mortified

hearts do hear, either in preaching or in reading, any "such example or place of the scripture, which per"taineth to the law; let them think, that they do not in "the least belong to them, no more than a mourning"weed belongeth to a marriage-feast; and therefore re"moving out of their minds all thoughts of the law, of "fear, of judgment, and condemnation, let them only "set before their eyes the gospel, the sweet comfort of "God's promise, free forgiveness of sins in Christ, grace, "redemption, liberty, rejoicing, psalms, thanks, singing, "and a paradise of spiritual jocundity, and nothing else "thinking thus with themselves, that the law hath done

his office in them already, and now must needs give "place to his better; that is, must needs give room to "Christ the Son of God, who is the Lord and Master, "the Fulfiller and Finisher of the law; for Christ is the "end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. "Rom. x. 4.

"The third danger to be avoided is, that we do not, "on the other hand, use or apply the gospel, instead of "the law. For, as applying the law instead of the gos"pel, is like going to a marriage feast in a mourning gown; so to apply the gospel instead of the law, is to cast pearls before swine: In which there is great abuse among many. For commonly it is seen, that these worldly epicures and secure mammonists, to whom the

"doctrine

«doctrine of the law doth properly appertain, do receive "and apply to themselves most principally the sweet "promises of the gospel: So likewise it is too often the "6 case, for those broken and contrite in heart, to whom "only belong the joyful tidings of the gospel and not "the law, to receive and retain to themselves the terrible "voice and sentences of the law. Whereby it cometh "to pass, that many do rejoice, that should mourn; and "many fear and mourn, that should rejoice. Where"fore, to conclude, in private use of life, let every per"son wisely discern between the law and the gospel, "and aptly apply to himself, that which he seeth con❝venient.

"And again, in public order of doctrine, let every "discreet preacher put a difference between the broken "heart of the mourning sinner, and the impenitent "worldling and so join both the law with the gospel, " and the gospel with the law; that in throwing down "the wicked he ever spare the weak-hearted; and again, so "spare the weak, that he do not encourage the ungodly."

The Christian reader will excuse the length of these extracts, which we will conclude with remarking; that this excellent man Hamilton, and his blessed commentator Frith, lived before the establishment of the reformation in their respective countries of Scotland and England; and that it is comfortable to reflect, that the same Spirit teaches the same truth in all places and times; as appears in the instance before us, which contains the gospel with as much clearness (and would to GOD, it might not be said, with more clearness) as among the professors of a later day.

GERARD GELDENHAUR,

GER

SOMETIMES CALLED,

GERARDUS NOVIOMAGUS.

ERARD GELDENHAUR, a very learned German, was born at Nimeguen, in the year 1482. From his earliest youth, he was distinguished by his love

of

of learning, especially of history and poetry. He studied classical learning at Daventer, and went through his course of philosophy at Louvain with such success, that he was chosen to teach that science there. It was in this famous university, that he contracted a very strict friendship with several learned men, and in particular with Erasmus, as appears from the epistles of the latter. He made some stay at Antwerp, from whence he was invited to the court of Charles of Austria, to be reader and historian to that prince: But not loving to change his abode often, he did not think proper to attend him into Spain, but disengaged himself from his service, and entered into that of Philip of Burgundy, bishop of Utrecht. He was his reader and secretary twelve years, namely, to the year 1524; after which, he executed the same functions in the court of Maximilian of Burgundy. He was sent to Wittemberg in the year 1526, in order to enquire into the state of the schools, and of the church there. He faithfully reported what he had observed in that city, and confessed, he could not disapprove of a doctrine so conformable to the scriptures, as that which he heard there: And upon this he forsook the popish religion, and retired towards the Upper Rhine. He married at Worms, and taught youth for some time. Afterwards, about the year 1531, he was invited to Augsburg, to undertake the same employment; and at length, in the year 1531, he went from thence to Marpurg, where he taught history for two years, and then di vinity to his death. He died of the plague on the 10th of January, A. D. 1542. He was a man well skilled in poetry, rhetoric, and history. The most considerable of his works are-Historia Batavica; Strasburg, 1533; but Vossius mentions an edition of the year 1520.-De Batavorum Insula.-Germania Inferioris Historia; Strasburg, 1532.-Epistola de Zelandiá.Satyre Octo, printed at Louvain, in 1515.-Historiae et Catalogus episcoporum Ultrajectinorum, &c.

His changing his religion, and some writings which he published against the church of Rome, occasioned a quarrel between him and Erasmus. Erasmus called him a seditious fellow, and blamed him for publishing scoffing books, which only irritated princes against Luther's followers. He blamed him also for prefixing the name, and some notes of Erasmus, to certain letters, the intent of which was to shew, that the heretics ought not to be punished. This was exposing Erasmus to the court of Rome, and to the popish powers: For it was saying in

effect,

<

effect, that Erasmus had furnished the innovators' with weapons to attack their enemies. Nothing could be more true; but Erasmus did not like to have such offices done him.ge had made him a coward, if he was not one naturally and he was afraid to avow principles which he secretly maintained. He abused Geldenhaur, therefore, in very severe terms; compared him to the traitor Judas; and, instead of assisting him in his nccessity, put him off with raillery. But, my dear Vultu "rius,' for so he nick-named him, since you have taken the resolution to profess an evangelical life, I wonder you find poverty uneasy; when St Hilarion, not having money enough to pay his boat-hire, thought it cause of glory, that he had undesignedly arrived at such gospelperfection. St Paul also glories, that he knew how to abound, and how to suffer need; and that, having nothing, he possessed, all things. The same apostle 'commends certain Hebrews, who had received the gospel, that they took the spoiling of their goods joyfully. Add that, if the Jews suffer none to be poor among them, how much more does it become those who boast of the gospel, to relieve the wants of their brethren by mutual charity: Especially since evangelical frugality is content with very little? Those, who live by the spirit, want no delicacies, if they have but bread and water: They are strangers to luxury, and feed on fasting. We read, that the apostles themselves satisfied their hunger with ears of corn rubbed in their hands. • Perhaps, you may imagine, I am jesting all this while; -very likely--but others will not think so.'These taunts of Erasmus give us another trace of his true character. He had not grace to dare the frowns of the world, and particularly of the great, among whom were most of his considerable friends; and these were of the Roman communion. Whatever he said in favour of Protestantism, was by pure constraint of the truth. He had very little court to make in that quarter. Hence, as he was a man of great wit as well as learning, he was free in his jests upon the foibles of many excellent men among the Protestants, which served his purpose, with many of the popish party, of concealing his real sentiments, or of enjoying them without molestation. He had, in short, too much of that wisdom, which strives to reconcile God and mammon.

Under this life, Melchior Adam relates an anecdote of John Weselus, a physician, as well as divine, who can

vassed the doctrine of the sacrament full thirty years before the ventilation of that subject by Luther and Zuinglius, and wrote notes upon those passages of the New Testament, in which it occurs. Weselus was also surnamed Basil and Gansfort. He was esteemed of such uncommon learning, piety, and judgment, that he was usually called lux mundi, The light of the world;' and, in respect to any controverted matter (like another Pythagoras) it was sufficient for determination to prove, hoc doxit, hoc docuit, hoc scripsit ; that Weselus had said, taught, and wrote it. He visited most of the universities of note in the Christian world, and was an intimate friend of John de Wesaliâ, whom we mentioned before, and whom the younger Spanheim has mistaken for the same person in his ecclesiastical history. He expected to have shared persecution with his learned friend; and probably would, but for the interposition of David à Burgundiâ, then bishop of Utrecht, whom he had greatly served in his medical capacity. He wrote many tracts, which were printed at Leipsig, Antwerp, &c. and which have been honoured by being placed in the first class of those books, prohibited by the church of Rome. He died in his 70th year. By the writings of this excellent person, were the eyes of Geldenhaur opened, to the acknowledgment of the truth. And he relates this remarkable circumstance, that in the church of St Levinus, in March 1520, he [Geldenhaur] was informed by John Ostendorp, a man advanced in years, that Weselus, long before, had, in conversation with him, when he was but a youth, addressed him [the said Ostendorp,] in these words: "My studious young friend, you will live to see the day, "when the doctrine of our late contentious school-di"vines, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure, and others of the

same leaven, shall be exploded by all true teachers of "the Christian religion."How true a prophet he was, the event amply shewed; for, soon after that time, the Reformation began in Germany. -The learned reader may see more of this Weselus, in Baselius's "Sulpitius "Belgicus," and in the writings of Flaccus Illyricus, Wolfius, and others.

It is proper to observe, that Gerard Geldenhaur was better known by the name of his country, than by that of his family; for he was usually called Geradius Noviomagus and Erasmus, in his letters to him, gives him no

other name.

JOHN