tleman very courteously received me, and leading me about, shewed me all the different kinds of them. That, pointing to one, fancies himself to be snow, and would not come near a fire, for fear he should be melted. This, says he, takes himself for an earthen vessel, and keeps carefully from walls, lest he should be broken into pieces. Those four are still madder, for they imagine themselves inspired with the spirit of prophecy. One calls himself Elias, another Jeremiah, another Daniel, and another St. Paul; but I, who am the Holy Ghost, know that they are all mad and impostors, for they never were sent by me. Thus the reverend old gentleman, after he had acquainted me with the different distempers of other madmen, discovered at last his own: For he talked so very soberly, and with so much gravity, that I did not perceive in him the least symptom of madness, till he declared himself to be the Holy Ghost. The same kind of madness may be seen among the pretended reformed: Wise and religious princesses, (meaning the king's sister) wise and faithful counsellors, (the Duke of Sully) wise and learned senators, (Philip de Mornay) all these you may see wise and prudent in every respect, except that they fancy they have the Holy Spirit, which they really have not. So it is, that one part of the world continues to call the other foolish and mad, while in the mean time, perhaps, they themselves are not less so: For what is it, I pray, which is to hinder us from concluding, that the jesuit Cotton, like his reverend guide in the hospital, was not only mad himself, but even madder than those very protestants whom he takes upon him to reproach? Observe by the way, the pious use that was here made of the pulpit, and consider the great comfort that must needs spring up in the breasts of goodmen, upon seeing it dedicated to such holy purposes. Though Henry IV. was very angry at Du Moulin for baffling the jesuit, and defeating all his endeavours to convert his sister, yet the king had always a great regard for him, of which Du Moulin well knew, and of which he ever retained a very grateful remembrance. After the death of Henry IV. therefore, which happened in the year 1610, Du Moulin published a book, in which he charged the murder of that monarch upon Cotton, and the whole order of jesuits. It had been said that Ravillac was excited to that desperate act by some notions which he had picked up in the writings of the jesuits, of Mariana in particular, touching the persons and authority of kings: Upon which account

Father

Father Cotton published an apologetical piece, to shew that the doctrine of the jesuits was exactly conformable to the decrees of the Council of Trent. This was answered by Du Moulin in a book, entitled "Anticotton, or a refutation of Father Cotton: wherein it is proved, that the jesuits were the real authors of that execrable parricide:" Though some indeed have doubted, whether he was the author of that book. In the year 1615 King James I. who had long corresponded with Du Moulin by letters, sent to invite him into England; which invitation his church at Paris would not suffer him to accept of, till he had given a solemn promise in the face of his congregation, that he would return to them at the end of three months.

The king received him with great affection; took him to Cambridge at the time of the commencement, where he was honoured with a doctor's degree; and at his departure from England, presented him with a prebend of the church of Canterbury. Du Moulin had afterwards innumerable disputes with the jesuits; and when they found that nothing was to be done with him this way, they made use of others. They tried to bring him over by the promise of great rewards; and they attempted more than once his life, so that he was obliged at length always to have a guard. In the year 1617, when the united provinces desired the reformed churches of England, France, and Germany, to send some of their ministers to the Synod of Dort, Du Moulin and three others were deputed by the Gallican church, but were forbidden to go by the king upon pain of death. In the year 1618, Ďu Moulin had an invitation from Leyden to fill their divinity chair, which was vacant, but refused to accept of it. In the year 1620, when he was preparing to go to the National Synod of the Gallican church, Baron Herbert of Cherbury, then ambassador from Britain at the court of France, asked him to write to King James, and to urge him, if possible, to undertake the defence of his son-inlaw the King of Bohemia, who then stood in need of it. Du Moulin declined the office; but the ambassador, knowing his interest with King James, would not admit of any excuse. This brought Du Moulin into trouble; for it was soon after decreed by an order of parliament, that he should be seized and imprisoned, for having solicited a foreign prince to take up arms for the protestant churches. Du Moulin, apprized of this, secretly betook himself to the ambassador Herbert, who suspected that his letters to the king were intercepted, and advised him

to

to fly, as the only means of providing for his safety. He went to Sedan, where he accepted the divinity professorship and the ministry of the church, both which he held to the time of his death. He took a journey into England in the year 1623, when Cardinal Perron's book was published against King James, and, at that king's instigation, undertook to answer it. This answer was published at Sedan, after the death of King James, under the title of "Novitas papismi sive Perronii confulatio, regisque Jacobi, sed magis sacræ veritatis defensio.”

One

About three years and a half before his death he had a great hurt by a fall from his horse, after which he enjoyed no good health; yet he did not give over the works of his calling, either in the church or schools, rarely failing to preach once a-week, and to read two divinity lectures. Through his whole life he was much in prayer and meditation; but in his last sickness he was so much in them, that he minded in a manner nothing else. day when he was expected in the pulpit, he awaked in the morning so weak, and with such oppression in his breast, that he thought he should be unable to preach that day, yet encouraging himself in GoD, he went supported to the church; but when he was with difficulty got into the pulpit, he fainted; on which occasion some wine being brought him, he refused it, chusing rather to expect God's help, than to do any thing that might seem to border on indecency. His text was, Psalm xvi. 9. My flesh shall rest in hope: And by GoD's assistance he spoke with more vigour than he had done of a long time before. He applied the doctrine to himself, and gave his hearers an account of his faith and hope, as foreseeing that this would be the last sermon he should preach them. Two days after, the oppression in his breast was become so great as to make it feared it would suddenly terminate in his death. Whereupon, being visited by his colleagues, he said to them," Fare you well, gentlemen; I have good satisfaction in my mind, that I leave this church in the hands of persons whom GOD hath endowed with great gifts, and, above all, with exemplary piety. I make no doubt, but you will carefully look to the flock committed to you." To this one of them returned,

The Lord grant, Sir, that we may imitate you: For you are that good servant, who not only have not buried your talent, but have very much improved it. You have done good service in your life, and your labours will live and do good when you are gone.' To which he answered,

66

“Ah,

"Ah, Sir, you know not how much you grieve me by such language. I have not done all the good I ought to have done; and that little benefit the church hath reaped by my labours, is not from me, but from the grace of GoD which is in me, as it is usual with him to produce a good effect by a weak instrument. I am conscious that I have neglected my duty in many things, and offended my GOD, but I have loved his holy truth, and hope in his mercy. He is my father and my GoD, and Jesus Christ is my Saviour; Whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have life everlasting." His friends told him, that he hurt himself by speaking so much. "It is true, (he replied) but I will die glorifying GOD." His prayers were fervent, and full of penitential sorrow. He said, "He was the greatest of sinners, and the most unworthy of the graces which he had received from GOD." He abhorred his unthankfulness, aggravated his faults, and distasted all that commended him.

"Lord, (said he) I have deserved nothing but punishment. Thou hast heaped blessings upon me. Thou hast honoured me with an holy calling, but I have not laboured according to the worth of it. I have mingled my own glory with thine. I have often neglected thy service, in order to seek my particular interest. O, how much selflove! What perverseness hath opposed the kingdom of thy Son within me! How often have I grieved thy holy Spirit by idle thoughts and carnal affections! But though it had been but justice in thee to have crushed me in thy wrath, yet thou hast always shewed thyself a gracious and merciful father to me. In very faithfulness thou hast afflicted me. Indeed thou hast sometimes chastened me with thy most terrible rod. Thou hast hid thy face from me for a moment, but thou hast remembered me in thy great compassion. Lord, thou wilt do it. Thou art faithful in thy promises. I am thy creature. Thou hast led me and taught me from my youth; O forsake me not in this last period of my life. Have mercy upon me, my GoD; my father, have mercy upon me. 0 Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do. Defer not for thy own sake, O my GoD, even for thy Son's sake, who hath loved me, and given himself for me."

66 The mercy of GOD (said he) is infinite as himself is. There is no sin so great but it may be remitted. How great was Aaron's sin, who made the golden calf? How grievous that of David in the business of Uriah? And that of Solomon, whom God had so highly ho

noured,

noured, whose heart was seduced by the love of strange women to the abominable worship of false gods? And yet GoD said of him, That if he brake God's statutes, and kept not his commandments, he would visit his transgressions with the rod, and his iniquity with stripes: Nevertheless, he would not utterly take his loving-kindness from him. And, (said he) thou wilt pardon me also, O my GOD. Thou wilt deliver me from every evil work, and preserve me to thy heavenly kingdom. Let me die the death of the righteous. Let me see thy face in righteousness. Let me enjoy those good things of which thou hast given me many foretastes. O how happy a thing is it to live in God's fear, and to die in his peace.' His illness being violent, and his pain acute, a friend of his in the ministry, in order to comfort and strengthen him, said to him, Be of good cheer, for the time of your deliverance draws nigh." "O how welcome (replied he) are you to me with that good news! Welcome, kind death! O how happy shall I be to see my GoD, to whom my heart hath been of a long time aspiring! He will be merciful to me. Pray that he will be pleased to perfect his work in me. Yet sometimes the violence of his pain forced a complaint from him. "O Lord, (said he once) lay not too heavy a hand upon thy poor servant. Thou hast sufficiently affiicted me, to make me sensible of my sin." But correcting himself he added, “Yet, Lord, I am far from murmuring against thee. I have kept myself from that in my long trials. I have deserved infinitely more than I suffer. Bruise this dust and these ashes. Bruise this body, and save my precious soul. Miserable as I am, I would not change my condition for that of a king, while I hope in the grace of my GOD."

When one of his friends put him in mind of the words of Jacob, I have waited for thy salvation, O God, he said, "Many of our doctors by that salvation understand the temporal deliverances which God promised his people: But I will apply it to myself in the sense you take it in." Another friend having mentioned the words of the hymn of Zacharias, The tender mercy of our GoD, whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us, he added, "Yes, it is that Sun of Righteousness, with healing in his wing." When he heard the words, Psalm cxxx. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope, he said, "That word is the promise of the gospel, that whosoever believeth in Jesus Christ hath everlasting life. That is the word which my soul doth wait for."

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