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fans who came by land about eight days after, but these were also discovered, as were feveral others who endeavoured to furprife them, but were always difappointed, except in the case of Mr. Liile; which affected Mr. Say and Col. Bifco fo much, that they removed first into Germany, and then to Holland; whither, upon the breaking out of the firft Dutch war with King Charles II, they earnestly invited the Lieutenant-general to come, in order, as they faid, to head a body of Dutch troops, with which De Witt propofed to invade England; but, the States having tamely fuffered Corbet, Okey, and Barktead, three of the Regicides who had taken fhelter at Delft in 1661, to be trepanned and fent prifoners to England by Sir George Downing, King Charles IId's Minifter, the Lieutenant-general would never hearken to any offers from the Hague or Amfterdam, unless the States would firt difclaim that action, and next promise not to make any treaty without fecuring all who fhould engage with them; but as this was rever complied with, he did not ftir from Vevay, though he had procured a pofs from the Count D'Eftrades for that purpose, had he received the acknowledgment he demanded. Whether the English Court had any knowledge of thefe negociations, or only guelfed that fomething of this fort might be fet on foot between the fugitives and the Dutch and French, we know not; but the renewed and redoubled her diligence, thro' the Duchefs of Orleans and the Queen-mother of England's means, to get the Lieutenant-general and his friends affaffinated, many attempts being made during this treaty, and even after the peace with the Dutch, who took no fort of care of any of the Regicides: But it pleafed Providence, fays he, to fruftrate, not only all thofe bloody defigns, but also to baffle all the endeavours ufed by Charles II, and his mercenary tools, to deprive any of the exiles of the protection granted, and more than once openly avo ved, by the canton of Bern to them. By this means, the Lieutenant-general not only furvived Charles II, but lived to fee the ruin of James H, by the Revolution, in which he earneftly defired to have been an affiftant; and left his retreat at Vevay, and came to England, in order to exert his old-age in that caufe; having fome expectations of being employed in Ireland, against the Popish and other adherents, as he ftyles them, to the abdicated King. In this defign he ventured to appear fo openly in London, that an addrefs was prefented to his Majesty King William from the House of Commons, by the hands of Sir Edward Seymour, Noyen

ber the 7th, 1689, that he would be pleased to put out a proclamation for the apprehending of Col. Ludlow, attainted for the mur der of King Charles I. Whereupon our author being informed of the motisn, haftened to the fea-ide, whence, after waiting near a fortnight for a good wind, he returned to Vevay, where he continued till his death, which happened in the year 1693, and in the 73d of his age. His corpfe was interred in the beft church there, in which, his Lady erected a monument of her conjugal affection to his memory whercon the placed the following inteription:

Sifte gradum et respice. Hic jacet Edmond Ludlow, Anglus, &c.

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Stop and behold.

Here lies Edmond Ludlow, an Englishman, of the county of Wilts; fon of Henry Ludlow, Knight and Member of Parliament, as he alfo was; honourable by defcent, but more fo by his own virtue By religion a Proteftant, and eminent for piety. In the 23d year of his age, he was made Colonel of a regiment, and foon after Lieutenant-general of the army. In that poft, he helped to reduce Ireland; intrepid and . careless of life in battle, in victory merciful and humane; a defender of his country's liberty, and a warm oppofer of arbitrary power; for which caufe, banished from that country_32 years, though worthy of better fortune, he took refuge in Switzerland, and, dying there in the 73d year of his age, regretted by his friends, flew to the eternal feats of joy.

• His most beloved, courageous, and most forrowful confort, as well in misfortune as in matrimony, Mrs. Elifabeth de Thomas, who, moved by a greatness of mind, and the force of conjugal affec tion, conftantly followed him in his exile till his death, confecrated this monument in perpetual memory of her true and fincere affection to her deceased husband, in the year of our Lord 1693."

-Her maiden name feems to be Oldf worth; our author frequently mentions his father-in-law by that name. She went, during her husband's exile, occafionally to England, to fettle her affairs; and it was by the income of her fortune, that he was fupported.

Ludlow's charater has been drawn in the courfe of thefe Memoirs, to which we hall only add an observation of Mr. Ad

dison,

dison, that, during this exile in Switzerland, though he was a conftant frequenter of fermons and prayers, yet he would never communicate either with thofe of Geneva, or Vevay. We do not find that he left any if fue or any writings, except his Memoirs, which were first published about five years after his death, printed at Vevay, in the canton of Bern, in 1698; 8vo. And in 1699, a third volume was published, with a collection of original papers. In 1751, an edition was printed at London, in one volume folio, to which was added the Cafe of King

Charles I, as drawn up by John Cook of Gray's-inn, appointed Sollicitor to the High Court of Juftice against that Prince, and intended to have been made ufe of, in cafe his Majefty had pleaded to their charge. The Memoirs were foon attacked after they came out, by fome friend of Cromwell's party and principles, in a pamphlet intitled, A Modeft Vindication of Oliver Cromwell, &c. London 1698, 4to. The author of which publifhed afterwards another piece in 8vo. against the 3d vol. of the Memoirs, with the title of Regicides not Saints.'

THOUGHTS on the Completion of the PROPHECIES of the Old and New Teftaments, a fufficient Motive_to_convince Deifts, that they were divinely inspired, and confequently that the Religion revealed in them is true.

is a miraculous

or account of events before they happen, and, being therefore unquestionably above the reach of human capacity, is a proper and convincing evidence, that the revelation, in which it is given, is not a human production. To pretend to account for the prefcience of the actions of free agents may be wholly out of our reach in the prefent ftate; but we can form fome conception of its being poffible.

We commonly fee inftances of very found judgments paffed by wife men on the future conduct of others. May we not rationally ́expect this judgment, and in a perfect degree from him, who made us? He perfectly knows our frame; he immediately perceives the moft fecret motions of our minds, he forefees with the utmolt exactnefs, and without a poffibility of being deceived, the whole preceding and concurrent circumftances in which any of his creatures can at any future time be engaged; and fhall he not then form a judgment fuitable to his wilddom of the future conduct of his creatures? It is true, that all things are the effect of his directing Providence, except the attions of free creatures, to whom he has given liberty and power of action within a certain fphere: Granted. But to imagine that this judgment should at all affect the future behaviour of the creature feems as groundless as to conclude that one created being's judging of the future conduct of another thould actually influence and over-rule his conduct. The judgment is, by the fuppofition, formed upon the charafter of the perfon judged of; not the character influenced by the judgment.

With all the pretended obfcurity of prophecy, there are ftill enough of unquestion able and manitat completions, to flew, that the predictions of Sulpture were given, not

chance, nor

One, who faw through futurity, down to conjecture, but by the most diftant periods. The few following examples may ferve as a proof of this.

The wife Lawgiver of the Jews founded a very important part of that constitution in a manner extremely injudicious, and improvident, if we fuppofe him not to have acted upon divine authority. What I refer to is his confining the priesthood, which he declares to be everlafting, to the fingle family of Aaron. Had he not done this upon divine authority, he must have run an obvious hazard of the downfall of the religious polity he was fetting up, by the poffible failure of male iffue in Aaron's family, who had only two fons, Eleazar and Ithamar. This part of the Mofaic conftitution may therefore be confidered as a prediction that, in a course of fome thousand years, there should not be wanting male iffue proceeding from one fingle family, at that time confitting only of two perfons. Had this prediction failed; had thefe two perfons, or their potterity, been cut off, by natural death, or by an enemy, the whole Jewish economy must have funk, for want of a priesthood, and all the pro, hecies had been falfified, or had never been given.

In the book of Jeremiah, c. L. and following, it is foretold, that Babylon, the greate city, and feat of the greateft empire at that time in the world, fhould not only be deftroyed, but that it fhould never be again inhabited. This latt particular no man prudence or judgment would have venture! his credit as a Prophet upon, when he could have av ided giving any fuch prediction, urlefs he had been by divine infpiration affurt! of what he affirmed. For nothing could well be imagined more improbable, t that the feat of that empire of the world

thout

fhould be destroyed; and ftill more unlikely was it, that it fhould never be rebuilt. But the event fhews the truth of the prophecy; and this prediction is likewife one of thofe of which it cannot be pretended that it was written fince the event.

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my, Mofes threatens their difobedience with judgments and plagues of every kind; particularly that they thould become an altonifhment, a proverb, and a bye-word in all countries;' that an enemy hould come upon them as fwiftly as eagles,' probably alluding to their conqueft by the Romans; that they fhould in the feverity of the fiege be reduced to eat their very children; that they should be scattered through all countries of the world; that they fhould be forced to ferve other gods; and that, among the nations where they should be fcattered, they should have no eafe nor reft,' but a trembling

and continual fear for their lives,' with inany other threatenings to the fame purpofė.

In Ezek. xxx. 13. it is exprefsly foretold, that there fhould be no more a Prince of the land of Egypt.' No man of judgmeat would have ventured, without authority, his credit upon fuch an affertion, as he might have been wholly filent on the head. For who could know, without inspiration, that there fhould never more a Prince, a native of Egypt, fit on the throne of that king-heart,' and failing of eyes,' and 'forrow," dom? The event, however, has verified the prediction. For, foon after the time when it was given, Egypt was made a province of the Perfian empire, and has been governed ever fince by foreigners, having been, fince the fall of the Perfian monarchy, fubject fucceffively to the Macedonians, the Saracens, the Mamalukes, and the Turks, who poffefs it at prefent. This is one of thole prophecies against which it cannot be objected, that it is poffible it may have been written fince the event.

In the xxvith c. of Ezekiel it is foretold, that the great and powerful city of Tyre, at that time the general refort of traders, and mart of the world, should be utterly defolate, fo as to be a place for the fpreading of nets,' and should never more be rebuilt. This prediction, at the time it was given, fo utterly improbable, has been literally fulfilled, as may be seen in Maundrell's voyage. And Dr. Pocoke, late Bishop of Offory, Lays, in his travels to the Eaft, that as he failed by the place where it formerly stood, he faw the ruins of it covered with fithing-nets. The Scriptures of both the Old and New Teftaments are full of predictions of the difperfion of the Jews for a long period of time as a punishment for their vices, and of their being at laft restored to their own land in great triumph and happiness. So early as the days of Mofes, whole era profane hiftory confirms to have been about the time we place it, viz. above three thousand years ago, we have predictions of the ruin which was to come upon that people in cafe of their difobedience, and which did come accordingly, fo clear and explicit, that no writer of out times, with the help of history, and particularly Jofephus's account of the deftruction, of Jerufalem, and with the advantage of knowing the prefent unhappy condition of that people almoft in all the countries of the world but our own, could in imitation of the prophetic ftyle defcribe their cafe more exactly. In the xxviiith c. of Deuterono

It is alfo foretold by other Jewish prophets as well as by Mofes, that, notwithtanding this unexampled difperfion of the Jews into all nations, they thould be fill preferved a diftinct people; that God will not deftroy them utterly,' but that when they fhall call to mind, among all nations, whither God has driven them, and fhall return to the Lord, he will turn their captivity, and gather them from all the nations

from the fartheft parts of the earth-even in the LATTER days. That though he makes a full end of all other nations,' by revolutions, and mixtures of one people with another, which renders it impoffible to diftinguith their genuine defcendants; yet he will not make a full end of them;' but a remnant of them' fhall be kept unmixed with any other people, and shall return out of all countries whither God has driven them;' that he will fet up an enfign for the nations, and will allemble the outcafts of Ifrael,' and 'gather together the dispersed of Judah' (the posterity of the ten tribes; at prefent, according to Scripture prophecy, undiftinguished; as well as of the two) from the four corners of the earth;' which fhews that the return here (poken of is not that from the Babylonith captivity; as is also evident from its being fixed to the latter days,' and from its being also spoken of by the prophet Hofea, who lived after the return from the feventy years captivity at Babylon; and by Ezekiel, who lived in the captivity itfelf.

And in the Now Teftament it is clearly foretold by Chrit, that Jerufalem should be destroyed with fuch a destruction as had not been faxce the beginning of the world, nor ever fhould be.' And it is remarkable that he again exprefly mentions the Eagles; in all probability to point out the Romans, who bor.eagles on their ftandards, for the executions of the divine vengeance on that PP

perverse

perverfe people. Jofephus's hiftory of that tragical complication of events corresponds exactly to our Saviour's prediction of it. He alfo foretells that the Jews fhould be carried captive into all nations, and that Jerufalem fhould be trodden down by the Gentiles, till the time of the Gentiles fhould be fulfilled. In the Epiftles there are vari ous predictions to the fame purpofe. And we accordingly fee that people to this day preferved diftinct from all others in the world, without King, without country, without government to inforce the obfervance of their ceremonial law, which yet they keep up with great ftri&tnefs, wherever they can. That through all the changes which have happened in all other kingdoms of the earth, from the date of the first of thefe predictions to the prefent time, a period of more than three thousand years, that people fhould have had exactly the fortune that was foretold them by Mofes; and that they fhould now, in fo wonderful and unexampled a

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manner be preserved unmixed with, and ea fily diftinguishable from, the people of all the countries where they are scattered; and this in fpite of the cruel ufage they have had in moft countries, which might have been expected to have driven them long ago to give up their religion, and mix with the people among whom they lived; and that there should nothing in this long course of years have happened to render it impoffible; but that, on the contrary, it fhould be probable, that the remaining prediction of their return to their own land will be accomplished, as well as the reft: This gives upon the whole fuch a view as is not to be equalled by any thing elfe in the world; the most amazing of all phænomena; and thews that prophecy is given by authority from the fame by whom the government of the world is carried on; fince none but he, or whom he authorifes, could thus declare the end from the beginning.

Two CHARACTERS, upon EXTREMES.

To steer in the middle Path, between Enthusiasm and Infidelity, is a Mark of 'the highest Wisdom in a reasonable Being.'

WH

Hofoever takes a careful and impartial furvey of mankind, muft neceffarily obferve how apt they are to run into extremes, and to deviate from the true fixed point of action. The conviction men receive of having ftrayed too much on the right hand, often determines them to step haftily acrofs the middle path of fafety and virtue, and to wander as widely on the left. By this means their happiness, in this ftate of being, is greatly obftructed; and the qualifications requifite to intitle them to future felicity are too much neglected. The human mind, from its natural excentricity, feldom remains long in that mediocrity of action, which is beft calculated to preferve its prefent, and fecure its future happinefs. It too frequently turns afide from the path of fafety, either into the gloomy confines of enthufiafin, or on the dangerous precipices of infidelity.

But, as example ftrikes deeper than barren precept, permit me, through the channel of your Magazine, to point out the deplorable effects attending these two extremes, in the characters of Furiofo and Libertas.

Furiofo was educated in the principles of the Established Church, at Cambridge, and defigned for the gown. He was a youth of a good heart, and commendable moral condict'; but, his capacity not being of the first dals, he did not make fo quick a progress in

3

ANON.

his ftudies as many others. Being naturally of cool paffions, and a fedentary complexion, it was believed his virtues were much indebted to his conftitution; and that, although he did not indulge himself in the fashionable vices of the age, it was because he was lefs fufceptible of temptation than many of his gayer companions.

During his refidence in the University, he became acquainted with a few of the scholars who were known to be tinctured with Methodifm, although the rules and orders, to which they were obliged to fubmit, prevented their publicly efpoufing the doctrines of Mr. Whitefield.

As these youths were pretty much of the fame turn of mind with Furioso, and their moral conduct fimilar to his own, he contracted a clofe intimacy with them. They mutually unfolded their fentiments to each other, without referve; and were thereby mutually ftrengthened in their opinions. They faw the too general profligacy of manners that difgraced their fellow students; and, left they should catch the contagion, generally kept out of their company.

By degrees, Furiofo became fo tired of an academic life, that he requested his parents to remove him from the University, which he reprefented to them as a feminary of vice and immorality.

In compliance to his requeft, his father gave

gave him leave to return home. As foon as he arrived at the house of his parents, he commenced preacher to a congregation of Methodists in the town. Here he poured forth his incoherent and enthufiaftic effufions, with all the fire of an ignorant zealot, against profeffors of every other denomination. And fo far did his religious frenzy deprive him of his reason, that he not only excluded all others from the benefits of the gofpel covenant, but, on his parents coolly remonftrating with him on the uncharitable nefs of fuch principles, he (regardless of the ties of duty and natural affection) pronounced eternal deftruction upon them alio, if they did not renounce the principles which they profeffed, and join with him in fenti

ment.

But as his parents were too wife to credit fuch wild irrational tencts, and too charitable in fentiment to admit fuch unworthy notions with respect to the reft of mankind, they endeavoured all in their power to recall him to reafon. This caufed him to diffegard their inftructions, and to treat them with a cold contempt, as perfons unworthy his notice, and who were intirely left out of the covenant of faving grace.' So fond was he of the chimeras of his own brain, that he frequently boafted of having held an intercourfe with angelic beings and departed faints. Nay, he has fometimes been mad enough to declare, that he had converfed with the Saviour of the world, and that he had affured him of eternal falvation, whatsoever his future actions might be.

From hence (although he ftill remained very strict in the performance of ceremonies, and what he vainly termed religious worship) he became utterly regardless of moral virtue. He would never fit down to a meal, without prefacing it with a long grace, although it was his ufual practice to fit over his bottle at the clofe cf it, till he was incapable of rifing up from it a reasonable being; and whilt he wore the external marks of a faint in public, would fecretly commit almost every ipecies of iniquity. If any fober, rational man took the liberty to diffent from his opinions, or to prove them erroneous, he would burft out into a flame, and be ready to add the force of his arm to fupply the deficiency of his other arguments; and fight as well as difpute, in defence of what he called religion.

Thus Furiofo is at once a difturber of his own peace, and that of others. He is a flave to his own prejudices, an enthufiaftic deceiver of himself, and an enemy to mankind. His pretenfions to religion are a real injury to the caufe of virtue; and they

moft effectually strengthen the bands of infidelity.

A character equally to be avoided is that of Libertas. He alfo had moderate abilities, and the best opportunity of improving them at the University. Being naturally of a gay and fprightly difpofition, and difcovering more of the flash of wit, than the fteady luftre of red wiflom, his company was fought by the beaux efprits of the age, and by fuch as had just fenfe enough to laugh at, but not to understand religion.

With thefe he spent the hours of vacation from study; with these he turned the night into day, at the table of riotous excess, or in the chamber of wanton lewdnefs. From fuch companions, he learned a few of thofe dull common-place repartees, which weak infidels have feebly squirted out against that religion and virtue, which the Son of God came to promulgate on the earth; and with them pronounced it all a cheat, or merely the phantom of an over-heated imagination. The wife reftraints of virtue and morality he declared were fetters, with which no man of fenfe or fpirit would ever fubmit to be bound; that they were only impofed on fools, by the power and artifice of Priefts, to keep the vulgar in awe, while they maintained an unlimited authority over them. Libertas laid it down as an eftablished maxim, that pleasure was the only object worth a wife man's purfuit;' and, by a fallacious chain of reafoning inferred, that, as God had given man fenfes and faculties capable of enjoying pleafure, he could have no defire to deprive them of that enjoyment, by reftricting the gratification of thole appetites and fentes through which it was communicated.

From there, and the like principles, he proceeded to treat every facred fubject with contempt and ridicule; to deny the truth of the Scriptures; and to affert the precepts they enjoined were only the refined ftate policy of artful men, who found their account in thus impo ing on the ignorant and unwary. He reprefented Chrift as a grand impoftor, and dilbelieved the immortality of the foul, a future judgment, and fubfequent rewards and punishments.

Having thus freed himself from every moral and religious reftraint, he indulged himself in the unbounded gratification of every paffion; in one continued circ e of profligacy and vice; of licentious diffipation and deliberate wickednefs. Regardless of every moral, every focial obligation, he now triumphs in the ruin of virgin innocence, and with a favage delight, exults in the fufferings of bleeding virtue; whilft the friendlefs are Pp 2

the

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