of Sept., 1674, to the Prebend of Chiswick, in the Cathedral of St. Paul, London; and by Bishop Compton, in 1681, to the Archdeaconry of Colchester. This dignity he sustained with great benefit to the Church, in a most regular and exemplary manner. For, not satisfied with the reports of the churchwardens at visitations, he visited, in person, every parish within his archdeaconry; and took an exact account of every church he visited, the condition it was in, what requisites it had for the due solemnization of divine service, what repairs were necessary, and, what was of the last importance, how the duty was discharged. He was likewise very minute in his inquiries with regard to the houses of the Clergy. On the 5th November, 1684, he was installed Prebendary of Canterbury, in the room of Dr. Du Moulin, deceased. He was likewise appointed Chaplain in Ordinary to King William and Queen Mary. In 1691, on the refusal of Bishop Ken, from a conscientious principle, to take the oaths of allegiance to their majesties, Doctor Beveridge was offered the Bishopric of Bath and Wells, but he could not bring himself to accept it, because, in the language of those times, "He would not eat Dr. Ken's bread. Doctor Kidder, Dean of Peterborough, succeeded; but, on the translation of Bishop Hooper to the See of Bath and Wells, which happened in 1704, Doctor Beveridge was consecrated, on the 16th July, of the same year, Bishop of St. Asaph. From the time he became a Parish Priest, he earnestly desired, and fervently endeavoured, to render his flock a pattern to others for true piety and holiness. He revived amongst them the primitive practice of administering the Sacrament every Lord's day, and his diligent and faithful discharge of every part of his sacred office was crowned with remarkable success. One particular instance of the success of his labours ought not to be omitted. One of his flock, when he was near his end, expressed a wonderful resignation to the will of God, and very little fear of death; great comfort in reflecting upon the better part of his life, especially his charity to the poor, and his zeal in recommending that duty to those about him; and, above all, in a very delightful anticipation of those ecstasies of joy and happiness, which he was going to in another world; as well as an uncommon and enlarged understanding of the mysteries of religion. In the midst of these holy raptures, he owned his great obligation to Doctor Beveridge, for those spiritual blessings. Vigilant and faithful in the care of single parish, when he was advanced to higher stations in the Church, his anxiety and diligence increased in proportion. He was very faithful in watching over the Clergy and laity imparting to them both all necessary instructions for the regular discharge of their respective duties. On his being consecrated to the Episcopal dignity, he in a most pathetic and obliging manner addressed a circular to the Clergy of his Diocese recommending to them the duty of catechising the children, and instructing the people committed to their charge in the principles of the Christian religion; "to the end they might know what they were to believe and do, in order to salvation." And told them "He thought it necessary to begin with that, without which, whatever else he or they should do would turn to little or no account, as to the main end of the ministry." And to enable them to effect this in the best manner, he sent to them a plain and easy exposition upon the Church Catechism, In short, he so conducted himself in the discharge of his high function, that he was, with great justice, esteemed a truly primitive Prelate. As he was remarkable for his great piety and zeal for religion, so was he highly respected for his ability and learning, which he wholly applied towards promoting the interest of his great Master. His reading was extensive; almost universal. His skill in the Oriental languages, particularly in the Hebrew tongue, appears from many of his sermons. Indeed he was furnished, to a very eminent degree, with all useful and important knowledge. His readiness in the Scriptures excited much admiration; for he made it the business and study of his life, to acquaint himself thoroughly with those sacred oracles, whereby "he was furnished unto all good works." On all occasions he was able to produce suitable passages from them, and with great facility and happiness he explained them to others. Thus did this worthy man improve his time and talents in the service of God, and in the exercise of active benevolence, till he attained a good old age; when it pleased his great Master to give him rest from his labours, and to assign him a place in those mansions of bliss, where he had always laid up his treasure, and to which his heart throughout the whole course of his life and actions, had seriously and devoutly aspired. He died at his lodgings, in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey, on the 5th March, 1707-8, in the 71st year of his age, and he was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral. As his whole life was spent in acts of piety and charity, so his death exhibited remarkable instances of both. His character is represented in a most amiable and interesting light. When he was dying, one of the chief of his order deservedly said of him, "There goes one of the greatest and best of men that England ever had." The pious and excellent Mr. Nelson says, "that he cannot forbear acknowledging the favourable disposition of Providence to the present age, in blessing, it with so many of those pious discourses which our truly primitive Prelate delivered from the pulpit because the Bishop gave no orders himself that they should be printed." Dr. Felton, in his Dissertation on Reading the Classics," and forming a just style, observes, that "our learned Bishop hath delivered himself with those ornaments alone which his subject suggested to him, and hath written in that plainness and simplicity of style, which gives authority to the sacred truths he teacheth, and unanswerable evidence to the doctrines he defendeth. There is something so great, so primitive, and apostolical in his writing, that it creates an awe and veneration in our mind, that the importance of his subjects is above the decoration of words, and that what is great and majestic in itself, looketh most like himself the less it is adorned." Bishop Beveridge left the greater part of his estate to the "Society for propagating the Gospel," and to that "For promoting Christian Knowledge." He augmented the Vicarage of Barrow, in his native county of Leicestershire, 531. a-year, and bestowed the patronage of it upon his college. To the Curacy of Mount Sorrel and Vicarage of Barrow, in thankful remembrance of God's mercies vouchsafed to him therein, he bequeathed 201. a-year for ever; on condition, that prayers be read in the morning every day, according to the Liturgy of the L2 Church of England, in the chapel and parish Church aforesaid; with the sum of forty shillings yearly, to be divided equally, upon Christmas Eve, amongst six poor housekeepers of Barrow, as the minister and churchwardens shall agree; special regard being had to those who had been most constant in their attendance at prayers, and at the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, during the foregoing year. "And if it shall so happen, which God forbid! that the Common Prayer cannot be read in the church or chapel aforesaid, my will is," saith this good father of our Church, "that what should have been given, in either place, for that, be in each place allowed to one chosen by the Vicar of Barrow, to teach schools and instruct the youth in the principles of the Christian religion, according to the doctrines of the Church of England." Thus lived this good Prelate, and thus he died; and as he was a bright and shining ornament to our Church whilst living, so his memory will ever continue to be revered now he is dead. The works he has left behind him will consecrate the name of their pious author; who, though departed from amongst men, still loudly calls upon them "to repent and believe the Gospel." His works are many, and full of great variety of learning. Those published by himself are the following: : De Linguarum Orientalium, præsertim Hebraicæ, Chaldaicæ, Syriacæ, Arabiacæ, et Samaritanæ Præstantia, et usu, &c. 1656, 8vo. Institutionum Chronologicarum libri duo, una cum totidem Arithmetices Chronologicæ libellis, Lond. 1669, 4to. Eurodixov Sive Pendectæ Canonum S. S. Apostolorum, et Conciliorum ab Ecclesia Græca receptorum: necnon Canonicarum S. S. Patrum Epistolarum : una cum Scholiis antiquarum singulis eorum annexis, et scriptis aliis huc spectantibus; quorum plurima e Bibliothecæ Bodleianæ Aliarumque MSS. Codicibus nunc primum edita: reliqua cum iisdem MSS. summa fide et diligentia collata.— Oxonii, 1672, 2 vols. fo. Codex Canonum Ecclesiæ Primitiæ vindicatus et illustratus. Lond. 1769, 4to. The Church Catechism explained, for the use of his Diocese of St. Asaph.Lond. 1704, 4to. A Defence of the Book of Psalms, collected into Sternhold, John Hopkins, and others; with Critical Version compared with the Old. Lond. 1710, 8vo. Old Version the preference. English Metre, by Thomas Observations on the New In this book he gives the Next follow Bishop Beveridge's works published after his deceasc, by his executor, Mr. Thomas Gregory : Private Thoughts upon Religion, written when he was 23 years of age, 1709. Private Thoughts upon a Christian Life, in 1709. Thesaurus Theologicus, 1711, 4 vols. 8vo. The great Necessity and Advantages of Public Prayer, and frequent Communion, 1720. One Hundred and Fifty Sermons, in 2 vols. fo. and 12 vols. 8vo. In 1824 a complete edition of Bishop Beveridge's English works was published in nine handsome volumes 8vo., with a Memoir of the Bishop, and a Critical Examination of his Writings, by the Rev. Thomas Hartwell Horne, B.D., who supplied copious indexes of texts and matters. And recently it has been announced that an edition of the entire Commentary on the Thirty-Nine Articles, is in the University Press at Oxford, which will contain the hitherto lost Commentary on Articles XXXI. to XXXIX inclusive. MEDITATIONS ON THE FESTIVALS OF THE CHURCH. No. III.-ST. MARK. THE term Evangelist was usually bestowed upon all the preachers of the Gospel in the first ages of Christianity: it afterwards became the peculiar designation of the authors of the four holy Gospels. As one of those whom the spirit of God had selected for this work, St. Mark is generally styled an Evangelist by the Church. He was probably born of Jewish parents, and descended from the tribe of Levi, though some have thought that he was of foreign extraction, judging from the Roman name by which he is designated. Others have imagined that he was the individual related to Barnabas, whose name is introduced into the Acts of the Apostles, and who was unhappily the means of occasioning some difference of opinion between Barnabas and St. Paul. He has been generally thought, by ancient writers, to have been one of the seventy disciples who were sent forth to preach the Gospel by our Lord; but the evidence in favour of both these opinions is so slight, that little reliance can be placed upon them. It is more probable that he was converted by one of the Apostles, probably by St. Peter, whom he accompanied on his mission to Italy and Rome, and acted as his interpreter or amanuensis. Such at least is the statement made by the most ancient writers, who have been of opinion that though the gift of tongues was conferred by the Holy Ghost upon all the Apostles, still the interpretation of tongues was not bestowed upon all of them alike. It is not, however, to be doubted, that he accompanied St. Peter to Rome, and there, at the request of the Romish Christians, wrote his Gospel under the superintendence of the Apostle. We learn from Eusebius, the sacred historian, that St. Mark was sent by the Apostle Peter into Egypt, where he fixed his residence chiefly at Alexandria. His success in preaching the Gospel in that country was so great, that multitudes were converted to the faith. The statement of Eusebius is not, we imagine, to be credited, that the peculiar sect of ascetics who flourished for a length of time in the vicinity of Lake Mæris, are to be regarded as the converts of St. Mark from the errors of paganism. A full account of this religious body is to be found in the writings of Philo, who has written a treatise on their rites and customs, as also on their philosophical and contemplative course of life. It is more probable that they were of Jewish extraction, and professors, with many philosophical points of difference, of the Jewish religion; and were probably of the sect of Essenes, who had been established long prior to the coming of our Lord. To a certain extent, it is probable, that they were converted by the ministry of St. Mark, if not from idolatry, at all events to a knowledge of the Christian religion. The Evangelist did not, however, confine his labours to Alexandria, but was the means of converting the provinces of Lybia and the adjoining country, where he met with much success, after having encountered great opposition from the barbarity and idolatry of the inhabitants. On his return to Alexandria, he appointed governors and pastors over the Church, and in other respects settled the affairs of the dioceses which he had founded in both Eastern and Western Egypt. Like his divine Master and most, if not all, the Apostles, he was destined to become a martyr to the holy cause which he had so long and zealously laboured to promote, and was called upon to seal his testimony to the truth of the Gospel about the end of Nero's reign, if we may judge from a comparison of many various statements which are to be found in ancient documents. During the festival of Easter, in the Egyptian month Pharmuthi, on the 25th of April, and at the time when the solemnities in honour of the Egyptian god Serapis happened to be celebrating, he was assaulted and seized by the people while performing divine worship, and after his feet had been bound with cords, and he had been dragged through the streets of Alexandria, to a precipice near the sea, was thrown into prison. On the following day he was exposed to the same cruel treatment, which speedily put a period to his life, after enduring the most excruciating sufferings, his flesh having been nearly torn from his body, owing to the manner in which he had been unmercifully treated by his pagan persecutors. After his martyrdom, his body was burnt by his enemies, but his ashes were carefully gathered by the Christians, and entombed near the place where he had been in the habit of preaching to the people. We are further informed that his remains were afterwards conveyed from Alexandria to Venice, where it is said they still are retained and religiously honoured; he has long been the tutelary saint or patron of the Venetian republic. The Gospel which is ascribed to this Evangelist is said to have been written by him at Rome at the request of the Church in that place, and is probably the substance of St. Peter's preaching, who, according to Eusebius, sanctioned and ratified it by his authority. It is thought by Irenæus to have been written after the death of the Apostle; but this is in all probability a mistake, as the best accounts state that St. Peter directed it to be publicly read in the Church, as an authentic relation of the history of our Lord. It has always been subject of remark, that the account of St. Peter's fall and denial of his Master has been described in this Gospel with much more minuteness than it has been by the other Evangelists, owing in all probability to the circumstance of its having undergone the correction of the Apostle; an eminent instance of his repentance and humility, which would not suffer his heinous sin to be either extenuated or concealed. We would only further remark that the Gospel of St. Mark was written originally in Greek, though some have supposed, that as it was written at Rome, by the request and for the use of the Romish Christians, it must have been written in the Latin tongue. In favour of this opinion, it is stated in a note at the end of the Syriac version of this Gospel, that it was published at Rome in the Latin Language; but, however genuine the Syriac version of this Gospel may be, we have not the same grounds for believing that the note appended to it is equally deserving of credit. The original Greek copy, in the handwriting of St. Mark, is said to be still extant at Venice, written by him at Aquileia, and some hundred years afterwards translated from that place to Venice: we need not add, that such an account can hardly be implicitly received. In thus attempting to relate the few particulars that have been transmitted to us of this Evangelist, we would earnestly hope that they may not be without their use in affording us an example, that we should |