were their sentiments on the whole affair, did I not think that all persons now present are well acquainted with the result. +

But while engaged in these struggles, this valiant soldier of Christ was at length confined to his bed by a disorder which he had contracted through unremitted labours, continued sitting, perpetual study, and contests which occurred without intermission. It can excite no astonishment, that he should feel a degree of disquietude at the loss of his reputation, the impugning of his salvation, and the waste of his labours; because nothing can be dearer to a good man than his reputation, nothing of greater consequence to a Christian than his own salvation, and nothing more valuable to a Professor of Theology than those demonstrations which he carefully deduces from the scriptures. Oppression, it is said, by the son of Syrach, makes a wise man mad.' This was the real cause of the grief which Arminius felt; and that grief produced the subsequent disorder which terminated fatally in his death. Oppression! thou malignant evil! foul, hateful, and poisonous! thou art the offspring of the lowest hell!-How often have we heard Arminius in private quote with sighs that exclamation of the Prophet! Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me,—a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor have men lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me!' (Jer. xv. 10.) Yet he soon recalled himself within the boundaries of reason and tranquility, being at no time destitute of an elevated and noble spirit, which at the same time displayed itself in benevolent kindness and ingenuous affability towards his brethren, for the sake of whom he was always ready meekly to receive and quietly to digest the reproaches of the malevolent, however grievous they might be, not in the proud stomach of a Cato, but in the abasement and humility of the Spirit of Christ.

The latent disease, which had till then been confined within his bowels, burst forth, on the seventh of February in the present year, and manifested such alarming symptoms, as caused the physicians instantly to determine on the necessity of adopting a slow and cautious mode of cure. Though, at the commencement of the attack, he was so much indisposed as scarcely to be able to move his body along, yet at intervals, as the state of his health permitted, he did not discontinue the labours connected with his lectures and his regular vocation, and never lost an opportunity of advocating his own cause

+ See Appendix V.

when he deemed it necessary. His presence having been required at the Hague, he made several excursions to that place; and, on one of these occasions, he made a noble Decla ration of his Sentiments, and an excellent profession of his faith, in the presence of many witnesses. After the last friendly conference, he derived consolation to himself from this single circumstance,-next to God and the testimony of his own conscience, that a patient hearing had been granted to him, by the kindness of his merciful rulers, in the grand assembly of these provinces, consisting of representatives from every part of Holland and West Friezland. So highly did he estimate the prudence and sagacity of that august body, as to hope, in case of his death, that some of them would not fail to defend, by the patronage of their wisdom and favour, the justice of that cause which had once been offered to them for examination and approval.

Being conveyed home from the Hague, he had but just applied himself to obey the commands of the States of Holland, and accurately to write out the propositions which he had stated in the friendly conference, when the disorder again made its appearance with redoubled violence. + This attack was the more severe on account of the great ascendancy which the complaint had gained through a lingering delay and a diminution of strength. Oppressed by his disorder, in a letter addressed on the twelfth of September to their lordships the States of Holland, he offered a modest excuse for himself for not having been able to comply with their pleasure on the day which they had appointed, and stated, that "he was con"fined to his bed through indisposition, and had already "written a great portion of what had been required of him, "when (such was the good pleasure of God!) he was com"pelled to desist. He had previously obtained a hearing "from them, when every thing had been exhibited in a "written form; and that former document, it was possible, "might satisfy the urgency of their present demand. But "if it were their express wish to have those parts which "he had transcribed, he would make such dispositions and arrangements as to put them in possession of the whole in "an entire and perfect state, in case of his restoration to "health by the grace of Christ; but if his sickness should be "unto death, they should have them in their present unfin"ished and imperfect condition. In regard to the Confession

66

† See Appendix, W.

"or Declaration which he had delivered before them, so far "was he from entertaining any doubts concerning it, that, on "the contrary, in his deliberate judgment he considered it to 66 agree in every particular with the word of God: He there"fore persisted in it, and with the faith which he had then "professed he was prepared to appear, at that very moment, "before the judgment-seat of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, " and the Judge of both the living and the dead."

In the mean time, his complaint daily acquired fresh strength. Those celebrated and most experienced physicians, Doctors Pavius, Sebastian Egberts, Henry Saelius, and Reiner Bontius, attempted to hinder its progress, and gently to call forth the inert powers of nature, as far as art and industry enabled them to accomplish these objects. But all their endeavours were fruitless; for the unsubdued obstinacy of the disorder mocked their art, and set all their remedies at defiance. Its roots had spread themselves and descended too deeply to be easily eradicated; and its devastations were indicated every day by new and varying symptoms,-such as feverish affections, a cough, an extension of the vitals, difficulty of breathing, oppression after taking food, disturbed and unrefreshing sleep, atrophy and the gout. Such a complication of disorders allowed the sufferer no intermission or repose. These complaints were soon succeeded by pains in the intestines, both the ilion and colon, with an obstruction in the optic nerve of the left eye, which produced great dimness.

During this alarming progress of disorders, the rage of calumny never ceased, and relaxed in no part of its accustomed atrocity. Of this I will here relate a dreadfully cruel, astonishing, foul, and horrible example, worthy of being recorded in historic annals and to live in the recollection of posterity:

When it was generally known, that his left eye had become dim, there were some persons who had the audacity to reckon this circumstance among those punishments which God threatens to inflict on his enemies, and on the impious despisers of his holy name. They also affirmed that Arminius had been, above all other men, singularly wicked, [from the very nature of his chastisement. That a degree of consistency and some plausible colouring might be communicated to this foul slander, this incredible and wicked fiction, they ransacked the contents of the sacred Books of the Old and New Testament, to which no true Christian can approach in any other manner than with reverence and prayer. The following passage in

the Prophecy of Zechariah was considered to be well suited to their purpose:- And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusa lem: Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.' (xiv. 12.) Also the following passage in the same prophecy:- Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock; the sword shall be upon his arm and his right eye; his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened. (xi. 17.) This text, wrested from its real meaning, was attempted to be hurled against Christ's holy servant, who was then greatly afflicted in body, but who at no time exhibited any other frame of mind than that of a happy man,-now indeed in the possession of the most exalted happiness!

I shudder at the bare recollection of such an enormous, detestable and impious deed! Who art thou, O man, who condemnest thy brother' for whom Christ shed his precious blood? Why dost thou attack God's servant; and, by prophecies drawn, in some sort, from the very heavens, dost inveigh against him whom a generous and not ungrateful posterity will acknowledge to have in an eminent degree deserved well of the Church Universal ?* What kind of judgment dost thou assume to thyself over thy brother, whom the Lord hath commanded thee to love? Hear what thy Lord says: Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents. But these things are done, that the works of God should be made manifest in him." (John ix. 3.) Hear him again: Judge not, that ye be not judged.' (Matt. vii. 1.) Listen also to an Apostle: But with me it is a very small thing, that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment. He that judgeth me, is the LORD, therefore judge ye nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of God.' (1 Cor. iv. 5.)-Art thou so well assured of all that shall befal thee, as to be confident that thou wilt not be afflicted with a more severe disorder and stronger pains?

Yet, after all their profane appeal to scripture, it was not "the right eye' of Arminius that was disordered, but THE LEFT ONE: Neither was it an utter darkening,' but only A DIMNESS; and his arm was not clean dried up,' on the contrary it was tongue also did not consume away in

MUCH SWOLLEN.

His

* See Appendix X.

his mouth, but it readily PERFORMED ITS FUNCTIONS, even in the very article of death. In this manner are things above and below, on the right hand and on the left, Divine and human, pressed alike into the service of these miserable interpreters of sacred mysteries!-There were those likewise who played on the name of ARMINIUS, from which, with his Christian name JACOBUS, they contrived to produce this Anagram, VANI ORBIS AMICUS," the friend of a vain world;" as though the same buffoonery had not formerly been practised against the sacred name of CHRIST!*-Away, ye vile detractors, the black voracious beetles of the present age! What machinations against the servant will you not devise, who have not spared God himself, the Lord of life and glory?

But I return to that part of the narrative at which this digression commenced. Worn down and fatigued with all this accumulation of maladies, Arminius still preserved his usual firmness of mind and placidity of temper. During the whole of his indisposition, he abated nothing of his cheerful converse and pleasing manners; he continued to shew his accustomed hilarity of countenance, and to manifest the same courteous and gentle disposition,-while he ceased not to approach to God with most ardent prayers for himself and for the concord of the Church of Christ. How frequent and how fervent were the ejaculations which he breathed forth to Jesus Christ his Lord, under the pressure of his multiplied pains and distempers! What heavenly joys did he promise to himself! With what persevering faith did he expect and long for the last day which he would be permitted to spend upon earth! If his brethren knelt down to prayer in his presence, and if he were prevented from uniting with them in devotion on account of the strong pains which at that instant assailed him, he often desired them to wait till he had recovered from the paroxysm and regained his composure, that he might with them discharge this solemn and fraternal duty.

The following are a few of the many forms of prayer which he addressed to his Heavenly Father: "O thou great Shep"herd, who by the blood of the everlasting covenant hast been "brought again from the dead, Jesus, my Lord and Saviour, "be present with me, a sheep of thine that is weak and "afflicted!"

“O Lord Jesus, thou faithful and merciful High Priest, "who wast pleased in all things to be tempted as we are, yet “without sin, that, being taught by such experience how hard

* See Appendix Y.