nify his name. Only proceed therein with soberness and reverence, knowing that God will no less accept the sacrifice which you offer him, according to the measure of ability which you have received from him, than if you comprehended all the revelations of angels, and that he will make effectual that which he puts into your mouth, as well to confirm his own, as to confound the adversaries."

Louis de Marsac, one of the two men addressed in the letter just quoted from, thus writes to Calvin :

"Sir and brother-I cannot express to you the great comfort I have received from the letter which you have sent to my brother Denis Peloquin, who found means to deliver it to one of our brethren who was in a vaulted cell above me, and read it to me aloud, as I could not read it myself, being unable to see anything in my dungeon. I entreat of you, therefore, to persevere in helping us with similar consolation, for it invites us to weep and to pray."

When Marsac was led to the place of execution, the rope was not at first put around his neck, as in the case of the others, out of some regard to his quality. "Alas!" cried he," do not refuse me the collar of so excellent an order." His wish was acceded to, and the three went singing to meet the flames.

The cautions addressed to Matthieu Dimonet show that Calvin still remembered the weakness of humanity, amid all the tokens of God's manifest grace.

"I had forgotten one point," he says, "which is that you should reply to adversaries reverently and modestly, according to the measure of faith God gives you. I say this because it is not given to every one to dispute. Indeed the martyrs themselves were no great scholars, nor subtile to enter upon profound disputations. Thus humbling yourself under the guidance of the Spirit of God answer soberly according to your knowledge, following the rule of Scripture, 'I have believed, therefore I speak.' Yet let not that hinder you from speaking frankly and plainly, in the full persuasion that He who has promised to give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist, will never fail you."

It is recorded of this man that having endured many conflicts. and temptations, especially on account of his mother, who, they told him, was dying of grief, he endured the torments of death quite cheerfully, and praying to the Lord."

To that opposite spirit, the spirit, which weakly avoiding suffering for the truth's sake, and ready to adopt almost any expedient in order to avoid it, proved in the end the ruin of the French reformation, he could apply, when need was, a stern rebuke. Of the class alluded to were the Nicodemites, so called, who, under this name, excused their timid and worldly spirit of expediency. That additional force might be given to his reproofs, and at the request of some of the very persons against whom they were directed, he wrote his only letter to Luther, beseeching him to express himself clearly on this subject, and by his authority convince the hesitating ones of the necessity of a bolder confession. Great was his love not only for that "noble army of martyrs" who stood forth at this hour in glorious. contrast with these worldly and vacillating spirits, but also for those refugees, who, leaving friends, home and earthly goods behind them, sought in exile to honor the cause of that Redeemer who was dearer to them than all things beside.

Notwithstanding his love for France, Calvin never returned thither, though at one time the church at Paris desired him for its minister. He was certain in his heart that God had given him his work to do in Geneva, not for Geneva only, indeed, but that he could from that vantage ground do more, even for France, than if he were in Paris itself; and this he effected not in one, but in many ways. It must be remembered that he was the soul of that great theological school from which went forth, year after year, pastors and teachers destined for the service of the French church, and indeed of the church in every land.

The last years of Calvin's life witnessed the beginnings of those religious wars which ended in the accession of Henry IV. to the throne of France, and in the temporary and partial triumph of Protestantism. But these beginnings were in spite of his remonstrances; and though he watched the progress of affairs with the intensest interest, and sent Beza to represent him and the church at Geneva at the treaty of Poissy, and to guide and modify the course of the French church, at this epoch, so far as possible, yet he had little hope of the result on the whole, notwithstanding that he sometimes expresses himself as though God might overrule even these things for good, and so doubtless we

shall find that he has done in the end, yet to France may we not dare to say even in the words of our Saviour to Jerusalem : "If thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes."

He

And now we approach the close of his career. Most touching and beautiful is the minute account which Beza gives us of his last days, dwelling with loving remembrance, as he does, on every circumstance that could illustrate how worthily so noble and pious a soul drew near to the confines of the grave. was oppressed with disease more or less during his whole life, but in his last years so manifold, complicated, and distressing were the forms it assumed that we are filled with wonder as we see how much he still accomplished in spite of it all. "What" said he in answer to Beza's ineffectual remonstrances, because he would not at last be willing to rest, "would you have the Master come and find me idle"? In the midst of his sharpest sufferings, "no man," says Beza, "heard him utter a syllable unworthy a brave, not to say a Christian man; only raising his eyes to heaven How long' he asked, O Lord,'" for this, even when well, he had as a sort of symbol in his mouth, thinking on the calamities of the brethren, by which he was affected more than by any ills of his own.

His farewell address to the council, who of their own accord came to him in his sick chamber, when he had expressed his desire of coming to them once more, is full of humility and confession on his own part, as also of sound and faithful counsel. He also spoke a few carnest words of exhortation to his fellow ministers. To Farel, his old and faithful friend and correspondent, he wrote his last epistle, wishing to prevent the aged minister, now more than seventy years of age, from undertaking the fatigue of a journey on his account. But the good old man came notwithstanding, and when they had spoken together returned on the next day to Neufchatel. The few days that remained were spent by him in almost perpetual prayer. So tranquil was his end that he did not even draw a heavier breath before expiring. His consciousness and reason were present to the last. After he had departed he rather resembled one asleep than dead. His remains were followed to the tomb by almost

the whole city "not without abundant tears." No stone was placed over his grave, for so he had himself commanded. If its true location is now known, it is because love and veneration have preserved its memory.

The brief and comprehensive sketch of Calvin's person and character with which Beza closes his memorial has probably been quoted over and over again, yet it will always be freshly interesting as the testimony of one who knew him well, and was capable of appreciating him. Part of it will not be inappropriate here.

"He was of moderate stature, of a pale and dark complexion, his eyes, which betokened the sagacity of his intellect, retained their brilliancy to the last. In dress, as became his singular modesty, he was neither too careful nor too careless, in regard to his manner of living, far removed from meanness, as from all luxury. He was very sparing in diet, so that for many years, on account of the weakness of his stomach, he ate but once a day; for sleep, he almost went without it. His memory was incredible, so that those whom he had once seen, he instantly recognized, though after many years had passed. He could immediately resume the thread of dictation without any prompting, even after a lapse of some hours; and by however manifold and infinite affairs he was oppressed, he never forgot any of those things which it concerned his office to know. So clear and exact was his judgment, on whatever matters he might be consulted, that he often seemed almost to exercise a prophetic power, nor do I remember any one to have made a mistake who followed his counsel." "Though nature had made him grave, yet none was ever more agreeable than he in the common intercourse of life. In bearing the faults of men that spring from infirmity he was wonderfully prudent, so that he neither shamed nor terrified weak brethren by importunate reproof, nor cherished their faults by connivance or flattery." "By natural temperament he was somewhat choleric, which fault had also been increased by his laborious manner of life, nevertheless the Spirit of the Lord had so taught him to moderate his anger, that no word was heard from him unworthy of a good man, and much less did he proceed to greater extremities; not indeed was he easily excited to anger, except when religion was in question or when he had to deal with the obstinate."

Beza thus closes his brief record:

"Having here faithfully pursued the history of his earthly career, of which I have been an eyewitness for the space of sixteen years, I

think myself well entitled to affirm that in him was proposed for the imitation of us all a most beautiful example of a truly Christian life and death; and one which it may be as easy to calumniate, as it would be difficult to follow."

The calamities of the church in that age had much to do in ripening her heroes. Is there need for us too of a like terrible ordeal, or are there also bright fruits of a peaceful time, equally precious, though different in their kind? Even so no less shall we be gainers by the contemplation of those strong and lofty spirits, the benefits of whose labors and sufferings we, and the church universal, are reaping now, and shall continue to reap until the end of time.

ARTICLE VI.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

EVERY thing has two sides in our imperfect world. The Church of England furnishes no exception. Hence we are required, in the full view of our subject which we have proposed, to dwell on some matters which it would be far more agreeable to ourselves to leave unnoticed. The beauty of her ancient edifices, the impressiveness of her service, the stillness and marked reverence of her worshippers, the orthodoxy of her creed, the simplicity and earnestness of her faithful ministers, her noble priesthood of learning, and the brilliant host of her honored apostles of the truth and defenders of the faith in all this we have a picture which makes us feel, while we look on it, that the earth is not wholly delivered up to the curse.

This is one side. The other is now to be presented. We have said already that we include in the category of the earnest, God-fearing, scriptural preachers a much larger number of her sixteen thousand parochial clergy than many of the faithful sons of the Establishment are disposed to do. We are compelled, nevertheless, to leave them in a very decided minority. The great majority of the ministers from whose lips English church