criminal affection than your ladyship: or that it would look worse unto any eye, if any one should so deeply take to heart the death of an unrelated person, as never to take pleasure more, in the life, presence, and conversation of one most nearly related. And you do well know that such an height (or that supremacy) of affection, as is due to the ever-blessed God, cannot without great injury be placed any where else. As we are to have none other God before him; so him alone we are to love with all our heart and soul, and might and mind. 'And it ought further to be remembered, that whatsoever interest we have or had in any the nearest relative on earth, his interest who made both is far superior. He made us and all things primarily for himself, to serve great and important ends of his own; so that our satisfaction in any creature, is but secondary and collateral to the principal design of its creation. 'Such as he hath pardoned, accepted and prepared for himself, are to serve and glorify him in a higher and more excellent capacity, than they ever could in this wretched world of ours, and wherein they have themselves the highest satisfaction. When the blessed God is pleased in having attained and accomplished the end and intendments of his own boundless love, (too great to be satisfied with the conferring of only temporary favours in this imperfect state,) and they are pleased in partaking the full effects of that love; who are we, that we should be displeased? or that we should oppose our satisfaction, to that of the glorious God, and his glorified creature? Therefore, madam, whereas you cannot avoid to think much on this subject, and to have the removal of that incomparable person for a great theme of your thoughts, I do only propose most humbly to your honour, that you would not confine them to the 'Which consideration would prevent a practical error sadder and darker part of that theme. It hath also a and mistake that is too usual with pious persons, bright side; and it equally belongs to it, to consider afflicted with the loss of any near relation, that they whither he is gone, and to whom, as whence, and from think the chief intention of such a providence is their whom. Let, I beseech you, your mind be more exerpunishment. And hereupon they are apt to justify the cised in contemplating the glories of that state your utmost excesses of their sorrow, upon such an occasion, blessed consort is translated unto, which will mingle accounting they can never be sensible enough of the pleasure and sweetness with the bitterness of your divine displeasure appearing in it; and make it their afflicting loss, by giving you a daily intellectual partiwhole business (or employ their time and thoughts be- cipation (through the exercise of faith and hope) in his yond a due proportion) to find out and fasten upon some enjoyments. He cannot descend to share with you in particular sin of theirs, which they may judge God was your sorrows; you may thus every day ascend and offended with them for, and designed now to punish partake with him in his joys. He is a pleasant subupon them. It is indeed the part of filial ingenuity, ject to consider. A prepared spirit made meet for an deeply to apprehend the displeasure of our father; and inheritance with them that are sanctified, and with the an argument of great sincerity, to be very inquisitive saints in light, now entered into a state so con-natural, after any sin for which we may suppose him displeased and wherein it finds every thing most agreeable to itself. with us, and apt to charge ourselves severely with it, How highly grateful is it to be united with the true centhough perhaps upon utmost inquiry, there is nothing tre, and come home to the Father of spirits! To consider particularly to be reflected on, other than common in- how pleasant a welcome, how joyful an entertainment he firmity incident to the best, (and it is well when at hath met with above! how delighted an associate he is length we can make that judgment, because there with the general assembly, the innumerable company of really is no more, not for that we did not inquire,) and angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect! how perhaps also God intended no more in such a dispensa-joyful an homage he continually pays to the throne of the tion, (as to what concerned us in it,) than only, in the general, to take off our minds and hearts more from 'Will your ladyship think that a hard saying of our this world, and draw them more entirely to himself. departing Lord to his mournful disciples, If ye loved For if we were never so innocent, must therefore such me, ye would rejoice, that I said I go to the Father; a relative of ours have been immortal? But the error for my Father is greater than I? As if he had said, he in practice as to this case, lies here: not that our sits enthroned in higher glory than you can frame any thoughts are much exercised this way, but too much. conception of, by beholding me in so mean a condition We ought to consider in every case, principally, that on earth. We are as remote, and as much short in our which is principal. God did not create this or that ex- thoughts as to the conceiving the glory of the Supreme cellent person, and place him for a while in the world, King, as a peasant, who never saw any thing better principally to please us; nor therefore doth he take than his own cottage, from conceiving the splendour him away, principally to displease or punish us; but of the most glorious prince's court. But if that faith, for much nobler and greater ends which he hath pro- which is the substance of things hoped for, and the posed to himself concerning him. Nor are we to reckon evidence of things not seen, be much accustomed to its ourselves so little interested in the great and sovereign proper work and business, the daily delightful visiting Lord of all, whom we have taken to be our God, and to and viewing the glorious invisible regions; if it be whom we have absolutely resigned and devoted our-often conversant in those vast and spacious tracts of selves, as not to be obliged to consider and satisfy our-pure and brightest light, and amongst the holy inhabitselves, in his pleasure, purposes, and ends, more than our ants that replenish them; if it frequently employ itself own, apart from his. in contemplating their comely order, perfect harmony, celestial King! sublime wisdom, unspotted purity, most fervent mutual 'That I have used so much freedom in this paper, I love, delicious conversation with one another, and per- make no apology for; but do therefore hide myself in petual pleasant consent in their adoration and observ- the dark, not judging it consistent with that plainness ance of their eternal King! who is there to whom it which I thought the case might require, to give any would not be a solace to think, I have such and such other account of myself, than that I am one deeply friends and relatives (some perhaps as dear as my own sensible of your and your noble relatives' great affliclife) perfectly well pleased, and happy among them?tion, and who scarce ever bow the knee before the How can your love, madam, (so generous a love towards mercy-seat without remembering it: and who shall so deserving an object!) how can it but more fervently ever be, sparkle in joy, for his sake, than dissolve in tears for your own? 'Nor should such thoughts excite over-hasty impatient desires of following presently into heaven, but to the endeavours of serving God more cheerfully on earth, for our appointed time: which I earnestly desire your ladyship would apply yourself to, as you would not displease God, who it your only hope, nor be cruel to yourself, nor dishonour the religion of Christians, as if they had no other consolations than this earth can give, and earthly power take from them. Your ladyship (if any one) would be loth to do any thing unworthy your family and parentage. Your highest alliance is to that Father and family above, whose dignity and honour are I doubt not of highest account with you. 'I multiply words, being loth to lose my designs. And shall only add that consideration, which cannot but be valuable with you, upon his first proposal, who had all the advantages imaginable to give it its full weight; I mean, that of those dear pledges left behind: my own heart even bleeds to think of the case of those sweet babes, should they be bereaved of their other parent too. And even your continued visible dejection would be their unspeakable disadvantage. You will always naturally create in them a reverence of you; and I cannot but apprehend how the constant mean aspect and deportment of such a parent will insensibly influence the temper of dutiful children; and (if that be sad and despondent) depress their spirits, blunt and take off the edge and quickness, upon which their future usefulness and comfort will much depend. Were it possible their (now glorious) father should visit and inspect you, would you not be troubled to behold a frown in that bright serene face? You are to please a more penetrating eye, which you will best do, by putting on a temper and deportment suitable to your weighty charge and duty, and to the great purposes for which God continues you in the world, by giving over unnecessary solitude and retirement, which (though it pleases) doth really prejudice you, and is more than you can bear. Nor can any rules of decency require more. Nothing that is necessary and truly Christian, ought to be reckoned unbecoming. David's example, 2 Sam. xii. 20. is of too great authority to be counted a pattern of indecency. The God of heaven lift up the light of his countenance upon you, and thereby put gladness into your heart; and give you to apprehend him saying to you, Arise and walk in the light of the Lord. i History of his own Times, vol. i. page 389. k See the Life of Mr. Kettlewell, in 8vo. page 58, Madam, Your ladyship's Most sincere honourer, and Most humble devoted servant.' Though Mr. Howe did not put his name to this his consolatory epistle, yet the style, and several particularities in it, soon discovered who was the author. The lady sent him a letter of thanks, and told him that he must not expect to remain concealed. She promised to endeavour to follow the advice he had given her, and often wrote to him afterwards, some of which letters I have seen and read, and they show that his freedom was taken kindly, and his pains well bestowed. 'Tis observed by Bishop Burnet,i concerning this excellent person the Lord Russell, who died a martyr for the liberties of his country, that he was a man of great candour, and of a general reputation, universally beloved and trusted, of a generous and obliging temper. He had given such proofs of an undaunted courage, and of an unshaken firmness, that the Bishop says, he never knew any man have so entire a credit in the nation as he had. He adds, that he had from his first education an inclination to favour the nonconformists, and wished the laws could have been made easier to them. On the other hand, the high party represented him as one that had no very favourable opinion of the English clergy in general, as thinking them for the most part a set of men too much bigoted to slavish principles, and not zealous enough for the protestant religion, or the common interest of a free nation. "Tis hoped, that the remaining branches of that noble family will adhere to his principles, and imitate his glorious example. I go on to the year 1684, in which Mr. Howe published a treatise, on Luke xix. 41, 42. entitled, The Redeemer's Tears wept over Lost Souls; with an Appendix, where somewhat is occasionally discoursed, concerning the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, and how God is said to will the salvation of them that perish.' Bishop Burnet owns, that the prosecution of the dissenters was carried very high all this year. They were not only proceeded against for going to conventicles, as he is pleased to call their private meetings for the worship of God, but for not going to church, and for not receiving the sacrament. The laws made against papists, with relation to those particulars, being now applied to them. Many were excommunicated and ruined by these prosecutions. 1 Bishop Burnet's History of his own Times, vol. i. page 591. and Among other warm things which at that time came | faith, strictly orthodox in all the articles of it taught from the press, there was a letter published by Bishop by our Lord Jesus or his apostles, resolvedly loyal, Barlow of Lincoln, for the putting in execution the laws against the dissenters: and this was written in concurrence with that which was drawn up by the justices of the peace of the county of Bedford, bearing date Jan. 14th, 1684. In answer to this warm and angry printed letter of the Bishop of Lincoln, Mr. Howe sent his lordship a free letter by the post, a copy whereof has been preserved, and here follows. 'RIGHT REVEREND, subject to the authority of their governors in church and state, of pious, sober, peaceable, just, charitable dispositions and deportments, may yet (while they agree with your lordship in that evident principle, both by the law of nature and Scripture, that their prince and inferior rulers ought to be actively obeyed in all lawful things) have a formed fixed judgment (for what were to be done in the case of a mere doubt, that hath not arrived to a settled preponderation this way or that, is not hard to determine) of the unlawfulness of some or other of the rites and modes of worship enjoined to be observed in this church? For my own part, though perhaps I should not be found to differ much from your lordship in most of the things here referred unto, I do yet think that few metaphysical questions are disputed with nicer subtlety, than the matter of the ceremonies has been by Archbishop Whitgift, Cartwright, Hooker, Parker, Dr. Burgess, Dr. Ames, Gillespy, Jeanes, Calderwood, Dr. Owen, Baxter, &c. Now, is it impossible that a sincere and sober Christian may, with an honest heart, have so weak intellectuals, as not to be able to understand all the punctilios upon which a right judgment of such a matter may depend? And is it not possible there may be such a thing, as a mental as well as a merely sensitive antipathy, not vincible by ordinary methods? Is there no difference to be put between things essential to our religion, and things confessed indifferent on the one hand, and on the other judged unlawful; on both hands but accidental? (though they that think them unlawful, dare not allow themselves a liberty of sinning, even in accidentals.) If your lordship were the paterfamilias to a numerous family of children and servants, among whom one or other very dutiful child takes offence, not at the sort of food you have thought fit should be provided, but somewhat in the sauce or way of dressing, which thereupon he forbears; you try all the means which your paternal wisdom and severity thinks fit, to overcome that aversion, but in vain; would you finally famish this child, rather than yield to his inclination in so small a thing? 'As I must confess myself surprised by your late published directions to your clergy of the county of Bedford, so nor will I dissemble, that I did read them with some trouble of mind, which I sincerely profess was more upon your lordship's account than my own, (who for myself am little concerned,) or any other particular person's whatsoever. It was such as it had not been very difficult for me to have concealed in my own breast, or only to have expressed it to God in my prayers for you, (which through his grace I have not altogether omitted to do,) if I had not apprehended it not utterly impossible, (as I trust I might, without arrogating unduly to myself,) that some or other of those thoughts, which I have revolved in my own mind upon this occasion, being only hinted to your lordship, might appear to your very sagacious judgment (for which I have had long, and have still, a continuing veneration) some way capable of being cultivated by your own mature and second thoughts, so as not to be wholly unuseful to your lordship. 'My own judgment, such as it is, inclines me not to oppose any thing, either, 1. To the lawfulness of the things themselves which you so much desire should obtain in the practice of the people under your lordship's pastoral inspection: or, 2. To the desirable comeliness of an uniformity in the public and solemn worship of God: or, 3. To the fitness of making laws for the effecting of such uniformity: or, 4. To the execution of such laws, upon some such person as may possibly be found among so numerous a people as are under your lordship's care. 'My lord, your lordship well knows the severity of some of those laws which you press for the execution 'But the things which I humbly conceive are to be of is such, as being executed, they must infer the utter deliberated on, are, 1. Whether all the laws that are in ruin of them who observe them not, in their temporal being about matters of that nature, ought now to be concernment; and not that only, but their deprivation executed upon all the persons which any way transgress of the comfortable advantages appointed by our blessed them, without distinction of either? 2. Whether it was Lord, for promoting their spiritual and eternal wellso well, that your lordship should advise and press that being. I cannot but be well persuaded not only of the indistinct execution, which the order (to which the mere sincerity, but eminent sanctity of divers, upon subjoined directions of your lordship do succenturiate) | my own knowledge and experience of them, who would seems to intend; supposing that designed execution sooner die at a stake, than I or any man can prevail were fit in itself. 'I shall not need to speak severally to these heads: your lordship will sufficiently distinguish what is applicable the one way or the other. But I humbly offer to your lordship's further consideration, whether it be not a supposable thing, that some persons found in the with them (notwithstanding our rubric, or whatever can be said to facilitate the matter) to kneel before the consecrated elements at the Lord's table. Would your lordship necessitate such, perdere substantiam propter accidentia? What if there be considerable numbers of such in your lordship's vastly numerous flock; will it lordship seems to aim at, I wonder what you can expect. Can you, by undoing men, change the judgment of their consciences? or if they should tell you, We do indeed in our consciences judge, we shall greatly offend God by complying with your injunctions, but yet to save being undone, we will do it; will this qualify them for your communion? If your lordship think still, you have judged and advised well in this matter, you have the judgment of our sovereign, upon twelve years' experience, lying against you: you have as to one of the laws you would have executed, the judgment of both houses of parliament against you, who passed a bill (to which perhaps you consented) for taking it away. You have (as to all of them) the judgment of the last House of Commons sitting at Westminster, so far as to the season then, of executing those laws. It may be your lordship thinks it now a fitter season: but if you have misjudged, or misdone against your judgment, I pray God to rectify your error by gentler methods, and by less affliction, than you have designed to your brethren: and do not for all this doubt, (any more for your part than my own,) to meet you there one day, where Luther and Zuinglius are well agreed. If I did think that would contribute any thing to the honest and truly charitable design of this letter, I should freely and at large tell you my name: and do however tell you, I am, be comfortable to you, when an account is demanded periissent nisi perussent: but for the purposes your of your lordship by the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls concerning them, only to be able to say, Though, Lord, I did believe the provisions of thine house purchased for them, necessary and highly useful for their salvation, I drove them away as dogs and swine from thy table, and stirred up such other agents as I could influence against them, by whose means I reduced many of them to beggary, ruined many families, banished them into strange countries, where they might (for me) serve other gods; and this not for disobeying any immediate ordinance or law of thine, but because for fear of offending thee, they did not in every thing comport with my own appointments, or which I was directed to urge and impose upon them? How well would this practice agree with that apostolical precept, Him that is weak in the faith receive, but not to doubtful disputations? I know not how your lordship would relieve yourself in this case, but by saying they were not weak, nor conscientious, but wilful and humoursome. But what shall then be said to the subjoined expostulation, Who art thou that judgest thy brother? we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. What if they have appeared conscientious, and of a very unblameable conversation in all things else? What if better qualified for Christian communion in all other respects, than thousands you admitted? If you say you know of none such under your charge so severely dealt with, it will be said, Why did you use such severity toward them you did not know? or urge and animate them to use it, whom you knew never likely to distinguish? A very noted divine of the Church of England said to me in discourse not very long ago, upon mention of the ceremonies, Come, come, the Christian church and religion is in a consumption; and it ought to be done as in the case of consumptive persons, shave off the hair to save the life. Another (a dignified person) present, replied, I doubt not it will be so, in the Philadelphian state. I long thought few had been in the temper of their minds nearer it than your lordship, and am grieved, not that I so judged, but that I am mistaken; and to see your lordship the first public example to the rest of your order in such a course. Blessed Lord! how strange is it that so long experience will not let us see, that little, and so very disputable matters, can never be the terms of union so much to be desired in the Christian church; and that in such a case as ours is, nothing will satisfy, but the destruction of them, whose union upon so nice terms we cannot obtain; and then to call solitudinem, pacem! But we A sincere honourer of your lordship, And your very faithful, humble servant.' What effects this letter might have I know not, but I must confess I think it to have been very strong and moving, and likely to make impression. In 1685, the dissenters were run down universally, and hardly any one durst speak or write in their favour; and the prospects people had with respect to the public, grew every day more and more gloomy. Mr. Howe therefore having an invitation given him by the Lord Wharton to travel with him abroad, into foreign parts, accepted it readily. He had so little time given him to prepare for his voyage, which he entered upon in the month of August this year, that he had not an opportunity of taking leave of his friends, but sent a letter to them from the other side the water, which was thus directed. 'To such in and about London, among whom I have laboured in the work of the Gospel.' It here follows. 'My most dearly beloved in our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, grace, mercy, and peace be through him multiplied unto you. must, it seems, understand all this rigour your lordship shows, to proceed from love, and that you are for destroying the dissenters, only to mend their understand-'THAT I am at this time at this distance from you, is, I ings, and because afflictio dat intellectum. I hope indeed God will sanctify the affliction which you give and procure them, to blessed purposes; and perhaps m The Complete History of England, vol. iii, page 393, tells us, that the Commons, in 1690, prepared a bill for exempting his majesty's protestant subjects, dissenting from the church of England, from the penalties imposed upon the papists, by repealing the act of 35 Eliz. This bill passed the Commons, and was agreed to by the Lords, and lay ready for his majesty's assent. But am persuaded, (upon the experience I have had of your great love and value of my poor labours,) not pleasant to you, and I do assure you it is grievous to me, though when his majesty came to the throne, to pass this among other bills, this was taken from the table, and never heard of after. Which no man durst have done, without the king's command, or at least his privity and connivance at it. The loss of this bill was complained of in the next parliament at Oxford, but with out satisfaction or redress. stir you up, by putting you in remembrance. I murmur not at the wise and holy Providence that of my thoughts and counsels, for your present help, hath ordered things thus, in reference to you and me: such as are not new to me, nor as you will find to yourbut it added to my trouble, that I could not so much as selves, who are my witnesses, that I have often inculDid farewell to persons to whom I had so great endear-cated such things to you; but they may be useful to ments, the solemnity whereof you know our circumstances would not admit. Nor could I have opportunity to communicate to you the grounds of my taking this long journey, being under promise while the matter was under consideration, not to speak of it to any one that was not concerned immediately about it: neither could I think that imprudent in itself, where acquaintance was so numerous; silence towards dearest friends in such cases usually being designed for an apology to all others. And after the resolution was taken, my motion depending on another, I had not time for that, or any such purposes. And should I yet communicate them, as they lie particularly in my own thoughts, it would lose time that I may more profitably employ, for both you and myself, while I do it not. You will, I may be confident, be more prudent and equal, than to judge of what you do not know: but so much I shall in the general say, that the providence of God gave me the prospect of a present quiet abode, with some opportunity of being serviceable; (and I hope, as it may prove through his help and blessing, unto you, if I have life and health to finish what I have been much pressed by some of yourselves to go on with;) which opportunity I could not hope to have nearer you, at least without being unreasonably burdensome to some, while I was designing service as much as in me lay to all. It much satisfies me that I have a record above, I am not designing for myself; that he who knoweth all things, knows I love not this present world, and I covet not an abode in it, (nor have I when it was most friendly to me,) upon any other account, than upon doing some service to him, and the souls of men. It therefore has been my settled habitual sense and sentiment a long time, to value and desire (with submission to sovereign good pleasure) peace and quiet, with some tolerable health, more than life. Nor have I found any thing more destructive to my health, than confinement to a room a few days in the city air, which was much better and more healthful to me formerly, than since the anger and jealousies of such as I never had a disposition to offend, have of later times occasioned persons of my circumstances very seldom to walk the streets. 'But my hope is, God will in his good time incline the hearts of rulers more to favour such as cannot be satisfied with the public constitutions in the matters of God's worship, and that are innocent and peaceable in the land; and that my absence from you will be for no long time, it being my design, with dependence upon his gracious providence and pleasure, in whose hands our times are, if I hear of any door open for service with you, to spend the health and strength which God shall vouchsafe me, (and which I find through his mercy much improved since I left you,) in his work with and among you. In the mean time, I believe it will not be unacceptable to you, that I offer you some 'I. I beseech you, more earnestly endeavour to reduce the things you know (and have been by many hands instructed in out of the Gospel of our Lord) to practice. Nothing can be more absurd than to content ourselves with only a notional knowledge of practical matters. We should think so in other cases. As if any man should satisfy himself to know the use of food, but famish himself by never eating any, when he hath it at hand: or that he understands the virtues of this or that cordial, but languishes away to death in the neglect of using it, when it might cheer his spirits, and save his life. And the neglect of applying the great things of the Gospel to the proper uses and purposes of the Christian life, is not more foolish, (only as the concernments they serve for are more important,) but much more sinful and provoking to God. For we are to consider whence the revelation comes. They are things which the mouth of the Lord hath spoken; uttered by the breath of the eternal God, as all Scriptures are said to be. God breathed, as that expression may be literally rendered, 2 Tim. iii. 16. And how high a contempt and provocation is it of the great God, so totally to pervert and disappoint the whole design of that revelation he hath made to us, to know the great things contained therein, only for knowing sake, which he hath made known that we might live by them. And oh what holy and pleasant lives should we lead in this world, if the temper and complexion of our souls did answer and correspond to the things we know. The design of preaching has been greatly mistaken, when it has been thought, it must still acquaint them who live (and especially who have long lived) under it, with some new thing. Its much greater and more important design is the impressing of known things (but too little considered) upon the hearts of hearers, that they may be delivered up into the mould and form of the doctrine taught them, as Rom. vi. 12.: and may so learn Christ as more and more to be renewed in the spirit of their minds, and put off the old man and put on the new, Eph. iv. 20. The digesting our food is what God now eminently calls for. 'II. More particularly labour to have your apprehensions of the future state of the unseen world, and eternal things, made more lively and efficacious daily, and that your faith of them may be such as may truly admit to be called the very substance and evidence of those things. Shall that glorious everlasting state of things be always as a dark shadow with us, or as the images we have of things in a dream, ineffectual and vanishing, only because we have not seen with our eyes, where God himself hath by his express word made the representations of them to us, who never deceived us, as our own eyes and treacherous senses have done? Why do we not live as just now entering into the eternal state, and as if we now beheld the glorious |