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He was very like that eminent German divine Martin Bucer, in the peaceableness of his temper, and a willingness to accommodate differences. He had a truly great soul, and at the same time a very cool and moderate spirit; and was an utter enemy to that uncharitable and censorious humour that is visible in so many. He did not (as appears from all his writings) look upon religion as a system of opinions, or a set of forms, so much as a divine discipline to reform the heart and life. In lesser matters he could freely give others the liberty of their own sentiments; and was as unwilling to impose, as to be imposed upon.

it signified to him by several, that a certain nobleman that was at that time great at court, was desirous to see him. Taking an opportunity to wait upon him, and being easily admitted, the great man signified that his visit was very acceptable, and seemed to be willing to enter into particular freedoms with him. Among a great many other things, he told him that he was very sensible that the dissenters were a considerable body of people, that deserved regard: and that it was his apprehension that if they had a person that was near the king, and had a good interest at court, that would give them hints by way of advice for their conduct, upon critical emergencies, and that was able and ready to convey their requests to his majesty, as occasions might require, it would be much for their advantage. And he was pleased to express himself in such a manner, that Mr. Howe thought he could easily gather, that the maker of the motion had no aversion from being the person

He seems to have been born into this world, to support generous principles, a truly catholic spirit, and an extensive charity. He was for carefully concealing or lessening the failings and imperfections of others; and in that respect has admirably exemplified his own temper in his printed discourse with reference to 'Charity for other Men's Sins.' But whenever he found men impetu-pitched upon, for the purpose mentioned. After a ous in asserting their own opinions, and peremptory in rejecting the judgment of others, when they had taken care to set things in a due light, and add a suitable evidence, 'twas his way to answer with silence; not at all caring to argue with those, who instead of soberly and modestly inquiring into truth, were always for the last word, for which (for his part) he was for giving them full leave.

He was for having nothing remain as a test or boundary of Christian communion, but what has its foundation as such, in plain reason or express revelation. And to him may those very words be justly applied, which he used in his character of Dr. Bates, in his funeral sermon for nim. He was for entire union of all visible Christians, (or saints or believers, which in Scripture are equivalent terms,) meaning by Christianity what is essential thereto, whether doctrinal or practical; as by humanity we mean what is essential to man, severing accidents, as not being of the essence: and by visibility, the probable appearance thereof and for free communion of all such, of whatsoever persuasion in extraessential matters, if they pleased. And this design he vigorously pursued as long as there was any hope; desisting when it appeared hopeless; and resolving to wait till God should give a spirit suitable hereto, from an apprehension that when principles on all hands were so easily accommodable, and yet that there was with too many a remaining insuperable reluctancy to the thing itself, God must work the cure, and not man. Accounting also, in the mean time, that notwithstanding misrepresentations, it was better to cast a mantle over the failings of brethren, than be concerned to detect and expose them. Knowing that if we are principally solicitous for the name of God, he will in his own way and time take care of ours.'m And as Mr. Howe says in Dr. Bates's case, so may I also say in his, 'in this sentiment he was not alone.'

In many cases he discovered uncommon sagacity; I shall particularly mention one instance, the truth of which may be depended on. In King Charles's reign he had

m See his Funeral Sermon on Dr. William Bates, p. 986.

pause, he made this reply; that the dissenters being a religious people, he thought it highly concerned them, if they fixed upon any particular person for that purpose, to make choice of one that would not be ashamed of them, and whom at the same time they might have no occasion to be ashamed of: and that a person in whom there was a concurrence of these two qualifications was very difficult to find. And he heard no more of him. And it is with me past doubt, that they that were admitted to the knowledge of the secret history of his life, could have recollected several such instances, had the communicating memoirs concerning him been sooner thought of, and attempted.

In common conversation he was many times very pleasant and facetious. Some of his sudden repartees were very remarkable, and deserve to be preserved. Being at dinner with some persons of good fashion, there was one gentleman in the company that expatiated with great freedom in praise of King Charles the First, and made some indecent reflections upon others, that were not at all agreeable to several at the table. Mr. Howe observing he intermixed a great many horrid oaths with his discourse, took the freedom to tell him, that in his humble opinion he had wholly omitted one very great excellency which the prince he had so much extolled was so generally owned to have belonging to him, that he had not known of any one that had the face to contest it. The gentleman seemed not a little pleased to have Mr. Howe come in as a voucher for the prince he applauded, and was impatient to know what that particular excellence was that he referred to. And when he had pressed for it with importunity, he at length told him it was this; that he was never heard to swear an oath in his common conversation. The gentleman took the reproof, and promised to forbear swearing for the future.

At another time, as Mr. Howe was walking along he passed by two persons of quality, who were talking freely together, and with great eagerness; and when he came near them, he heard them damn each other

most abominably: whereupon pulling off his hat, and saluting them with great civility, he cried out, I pray God save you both; which so took with them, that it for the present diverted the humour they were in, and they joined in returning him thanks.

I shall mention yet one passage more, which I think may be depended on as related. It is this; that during the continuance of the debates in parliament about the bill against occasional conformity, Mr. Howe walking in St. James's Park, passed by a certain noble lord in a chair, who sent his footman to call him to him, for that he desired to speak with him. Coming up to him, the said lord very respectfully saluted him, signified he was glad to see him, and entered into discourse with him upon the matter depending, reckoning it a thing of no small consequence, which he intimated he had opposed to his utmost. Among other passages upon that occasion, he so far forgot himself, as to express himself thus: Damn these wretches, for they are mad; and are for bringing us all into confusion. Mr. Howe, who was no stranger to the lord who thus entertained him with discourse, considering his character, made this reply to him: My lord, 'tis a great satisfaction to us,

who in all affairs of this nature desire to look upwards, that there is a God that governs the world, to whom we can leave the issues and events of things: and we are satisfied (and may thereupon be easy) that he will not fail in due time of making a suitable retribution to | all, according to their present carriage. And this great Ruler of the world, my lord, said he, has among other things also declared, he will make a difference between him that sweareth, and him that feareth an oath. My lord was struck with his last hint, and presently replied, Sir, I thank you for your freedom, and take your meaning, and shall endeavour to make a good use of it. Mr. Howe in return said, My lord, I have a great deal more reason to thank your lordship, for saving me the most difficult part of a discourse, which is the application.

'Twould be well if more of his letters could oe recovered.

[Here are subjoined in the original Life, several of Mr. Howe's letters, which are inserted in the present edition at page 1036.]

THE

LIVING TEMPLE;

OR, A

DESIGNED IMPROVEMENT OF THAT NOTION,

THAT

A GOOD MAN IS THE TEMPLE OF GOD.

PART I.

CONCERNING GOD'S EXISTENCE, AND HIS CONVERSABLENESS WITH MAN

AGAINST ATHEISM, OR THE EPICUREAN DEISM.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

WILLIAM LORD

PAGETT,

BARON OF BEAUDESERT, IN THE COUNTY OF STAFFord.

My honoured Lord,

I HAVE not the opportunity of begging your Lordship's foregoing leave to prefix your name to these papers; but despair not of your following pardon. Your name must be acknowledged great, through two potent empires, Christian and Mahometan; and the services greater which you have done to many that may perhaps not have heard the sound of your name. Your prudent and prosperous negociations in the Austrian and Ottoman courts, have obliged multitudes, whose better genius hath taught them more to value themselves, than to think they were born to slavery; from which you have found means, in great part, to save Europe: somewhere, by charming great power, so as to conquer the inclination to use it to so ill a purpose; elsewhere, by preventing its increase, where that inclination was invincible. And hereby you have dignified England, in letting it be seen what it can signify in the world, when it is so happy as to have its interest managed by a fit and able hand.

Yet that knowledge your Lordship hath heretofore allowed me to have of you, cannot suffer me to think you will account your name too great to patronize the cause asserted in the following discourse. That it is unpolished, will not affect your Lordship; let that rest where it ought: the subject and design will, I doubt not, have your Lordship's countenance. And the rather, that it is not the temple of this or that party that is here defended, which would little agree to the amplitude of your Lordship's large mind, and your great knowledge of the world, but that wherein mankind have a common concern. A temple that is the seat of serious, living religion, is the more venerable, and the more extensive, the more defensible, and the more worthy to be defended, by how much it is the less appropriate to this or that sect and sort of men, or distinguished by this or that affected, modifying form; that which according to its primitive designation may be hoped, and ought to be the resort of all nations: which it is vain to imagine any one, of this or that external form, not prescribed by God himself, can ever be; unless we should suppose it possible, that one and the same human prince, or power, could ever come to govern the world. Such uniformity must certainly suppose such a universal monarchy as never was, and we easily apprehend can never be. Therefore, the belief that the Christian religion shall ever become the religion of the world, and the Christian church become the common universal temple of mankind: that "the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and all nations flow to it ;" (as, besides that, many other texts of holy Scripture do plainly speak ;) and an intemperate contentious zeal for one external, human form of God's temple on earth, are downright inconsistencies. That belief, and this zeal, must destroy one another; especially, that which makes particular temples engines to batter down each otne because they agree not in some human additionals, though all may be charitably supposed to have somewhat of divine life in them. Therefore we plainly see, that this universal, Christian, living temple, must be formed and finished, not by human might or power, but by the Spirit of the living God; which Spirit, poured forth, shall instruct princes, and the potentates of the world, to receive and cherish among their subjects the great essentials of Christian religion, and whatsoever is of plain divine revelation, wherein all may agree, rejecting, or leaving arbitrary, the little human additaments about which there is so much disagreement.

Heaven did favour us with such a king: and thanks be to God, that he hath given us such a queen, who is not for destroying any temples that may have true vital religion in them, because they neither all have, or have not, the same pinnacles, or other pieces of ornature alike. God grant all Christian princes and powers may herein equally imitate them both; as many do seriously lament the loss of the former.

It has been long the honour of your family to have had great esteem and reverence for such a temple. And I doubt not, but its having spread its branches into divers other worthy families of the Hampdens, Foleys, Ashhursts, Hunts, has given your Lordship much the more grateful and complacential view, for the affinity to your own in this respect. A temple so truly (and even only) august and great, spreads a glory over the families, kingdoms, and nations where it can have place. What is here written is a mean oblation, for the service of this temple; but acceptable, as even goats' hair was, by being consecrated, with a sincere mind, for the use of the tabernacle of old.

The First Part betakes itself to your Lordship as an orphan, upon the decease of its former patron, in hope of some sort of a postliminary reception. And for the Second Part, it is (as your Lordship shall vouchsafe to receive it) originally and entirely yours.

The former, your Lordship will see, had a former dedication: and I cannot think it will be displeasing to your Lordship, that I let it stand. For though it may seem somewhat uncouth and unusual to have two such epistles come sc near one another, yet the unfashionableness hereof, I conceive, will, in your Lordship's judgment, be over-balanced by considerations of a preponderating weight, that are suggested to the reader. While, in the mean time, I cannot suppose it unacceptable to your Lordship, that a person of true worth in his time, related to the same county in which your Lordship hath so considerable concerns, and not altogether unrelated to yourself, should have had a participation with you in the same sort of patronage; with whom your Lordship hath also a true participation, in all the honour, esteem and sincere prayers that ever were conceived for him, by Your Lordship's most obedient,

And most devoted, humble servant,
JOHN HOWE.

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