To conclude, it cannot be denied, that in regard to religion, our Author was none of those untractable divines, who will not yield the least thing for the sake of peace. The Irenicum he published proves the contrary; yet his extreme watchfulness against the most trifling innovations, will not allow us to say that he had any great stock of toleration +.

His WORKS. Our Author's exegetical works have been published by his son at Frankfort in 1647, in three volumes, folio. Among these are his "Commentary on St Paul's Epistles to the Romans, in 1617," which gave such offence to King James I. of England, as containing some anti-monarchical principles, that he caused it to be burnt by the common hangman; and the university of Oxford condemned it in the most disgraceful manner ‡.

*He used to say with Luther of fuch turbulent Reformers, A doctore gloriofo, paftore contentiofo, inutilibus quæftionibus, liberet ecclefiam fuam Dominus ! "From a vain-giorious doctor, a litigious pastor, and useless ques❝tions, deliver thy church, good Lord!

+He extended his fpirit against innovations to all the new ways of speaking and teaching, and could not bear Peter Ramus, because he had dared to remove the boundaries of our ancestors; upon which occafion he wrote an epigram against him as follows:

Quæ mutas perdis, dixit Democritus,

Et qua fervas in phyficis funt, Epicure, mea.

Nonne idem Ariftotelis in Ramum maftiga dicat ;

Que mutas perdis ; quæ retines mea funt.

i. c. "What you alter in natural philofophy, said Democritus to Epicurus, 66 you spoil; and what you keep is mine. Might not Ariftotle say the "fame to that rogue Ramus, What you alter you spoil, and what you re"tain is mine?

It was refuted by David Owen, a Welshman, who was D. D. and chapJain to John Ramfey vifcount Hadington and earl of Holdernefs, in a piece entitled, Anti-Paraus, five determinatio de jure regio habita Cantabrigiæ in fcholis theologicis, 19. April, 1619. contra Davidem Paræum, cæterofque reformate religionis antimonarchos, Cantab. 1632, 8vo. He had before published the Concord of a Papist Puritan, for the coercion, difpofition, and killing of kings. Camb. 1610, 4to.

JOHN WELCH.

OHN WELCH was born, about the dawn of the Re formation in Scotland, A. D. 1570, at Colliestoun, in the shire of Nithsdale, where his father possessed a competent estate, and called in that country, LAIRD of Colliestoun.

He was a monument of free and sovereign grace: But the night preceded the day; for he was a most hopeless, extravagant youth. He frequently played truant; and at last, when very young, he left his studies and his father's house, and went and joined himself to the thieves on the Borders of the then two kingdoms, who lived by robbery and plunder. After he had suffered many hardships among them, and, like the prodigal in the gospel, began to be in great misery, and no man gave unto him; he took the prodigal's resolution, to return home to his father's house. He made Dumfries in his way homewards, where lived a Mrs Forsyth, his father's cousin; her he earnestly entreated to bring about a reconciliation for him with his father.

He had not been long with this lady before his father came providentially to visit her; to whom, after conversing a while, she said, Cousin, have you heard any thing of your son John?' O! cruel woman, (said the father, with great grief) how can you mention his name to me? The first news I expect to hear of him is, that he is hanged for a thief.' She answered, Many a profligate boy has become a virtuous man:' And endeavoured to comfort him, but in vain. At length, he asked her, if she knew whether his lost son was yet living? She answered Yes, he was alive and hoped he would make a better man than he was a boy: At the same time she introduced him to his father. The youth came in weeping, and threw himself at his father's feet, beseeching him, for Christ's sake, to pardon his misbehaviour; earnestly, and with much apparent sincerity, promising future amendment. His father reproached and threatened him; but, upon the importunities of Mrs Forsyth, he was persuaded to a reconciliation. He then besought his

father

father to send him to the college; saying, "That, if ever he misbehaved again, he would be content his father "should disclaim him for ever." His father granted him. this request, and after a little time spent there, not only a thorough reformation, but a saving conversion took place in him; and he became so diligent a student, that, in much less time than could be expected, he went through all his necessary studies, and entered early into the ministry.

Our young divine first entered upon his ministerial labours at Selkirk, a rude and dark country. His ministry was admired by some, but (like his Master's) received only by few; for he was, according to a proverb in use in those times, attended with the prophet's shadow, the hatred of the wicked. The ministers also were more ready to find fault with him than to follow his doctrine, as may be seen to this day in their synodal records, where we find he had many to censure, and only some to defend him. However, it is said, that though he laboured for the Lord but a short time in this place, yet he laboured not in vain. Mr Welch, being a single man, boarded in the house of one Mr Mitchel, whose son, then but à child, received such impressions from his conversation and under his prayers, as not only terminated in his conversion, but remained on his mind with comfort to his dying day, though he lived to a great age.

Mr Welch was reported, in this place, when very young, to have been a strict copyer of his great Exemplar, JESUS CHRIST. His custom was to preach publicly once every day; and to spend his whole time in spiritual exercises; and, from his entry into the ministry to his death, he reckoned the day ill spent, if he spent not seven or eight hours of it in prayer. The great opposition, that he met with in this place, caused him to listen to a call he had from Kirkcudbright. And what determined his acceptance of their call, was the following circumstance. Among other persecutors, was a profane gentleman, a Mr Scot of Hawickschaw, (whose family soon after became extinct) who sought by all means to injure Mr Welch; because, as it is supposed, Mr Welch had reproved him for his sinful practices: At length, when he could do no more, Mr Welch always keeping two good horses for his use, he, either with his own hands, or by his servants, cut off the horses' tails close by the rump, upon which they both bled to death. His enemies carried their resentment to every extremity; for, when he wanted his books, and

what

what little furniture he had, to be removed to Kirkcudbright; through dislike in some, and others being deterred by the great, he could not get any one to carry them, till at last a young man, named Ewart, who had two horses, conveyed every thing safe for him to Kirkcudbright. When the young man took his leave, in order to return home, Mr Welch put a piece of gold in his hand, exhorting him to fear GOD; and promised him, he should never want: Which promise GOD in his providence made good, through the whole course of the man's life, which was observed by many of his neighbours.

Mr Welch did not stay long at Kirkcudbright; notwithstanding he had a plentiful harvest of converts to GOD, which subsisted long after his departure, and made a part of Mr Samuel Rutherford's flock, though not his parish, while he was minister at Anwith. Before he left this place, he met with a gay young gentleman, Mr R. Glendoning, just come home from his travels, dressed in scarlet and silver, whom he greatly surprised by the following address: "Sir, it behoves you to change your "garb and way of life, and betake yourself to the study "of the scriptures; for you shall be my successor in the "ministry at Kirkcudbright;" which accordingly came to pass soon after.

where he

He accepted of the call to Air, A. D. 1590, continued till he was banished the kingdom. Here he had a hard beginning, but a very blessed end. Such was the wickedness of the country, and their hatred of religion, that no one would let him a house, till Mr John Stewart, an eminent Christian, and some time provost of Air, accommodated him with an apartment in his house, and was to him a very able friend. Mr Welch first addressed himself to the arduous task of healing their divisions, uniting their factious parties, and putting an end to their daily battles; which were so desperate, that no one could walk in the street at day-time, without the most imminent danger of being wounded. His method was this; after he had put an helmet on his head, he would go between the two parties of fighting men, already covered with blood, but he never took a sword, which convinced them that he came not to fight, but to maké peace. When he had brought them by little and little to hear him speak, and to listen to his arguments against such brutish proceedings; he would order a table to be spread in the street, and beginning with prayer, persuade them to profess themselves friends, and to sit down, and

eat

eat and drink together; which, when done, he would finish this labour of love with singing a psalm. Thus, by degrees, labouring among them in word and doctrine, (for he preached every day) and setting them a good example, he brought them to be a peaceable, happy people; and he grew at length in such esteem among them, that they made him their counsellor, to settle all their differences and misunderstandings; and would take no step of importance in civil affairs without his advice.

As

There was also in Air, before Mr Welch came to it, an aged minister, who was of so easy a disposition, that he used many times to be drawn aside by his neighbours, to unbecoming practices; among the rest, he used to go to the bow-buts and archery on the Lord's day in the afternoon, which gave Mr Welch great uneasiness. he was an elderly man, Mr Welch used policy rather than severity, in order to reclaim him, and therefore sent him an invitation to spend the Lord's day afternoons with himself, and a few select friends, in religious conference and prayer; which, as a minister, he thought he could. not well refuse. By this means, he was not only diverted from every thing scandalous, but was also brought to a more watchful and edifying behaviour in the remainder of his life. Mr Welch's great diligence rendered it doubtful whether his painful laborious sowing, or his abundant harvest of success, was the greater; for it is said, that, if either his spiritual experience in seeking the Lord, or his fruitfulness in converting souls, be considered, they will be found unparalleled in Scotland.' And many years after Mr Welch's death, Mr David Dickson, at that time a flourishing minister at Irvine was frequently heard to say, when people mentioned to him the success of his ministry, that the grape gleanings in Air, in Mr Welch's time, were far greater than the vintage of Irvine in his own.' Mr Welch's preachings were truly evangelical, animated and searchng; his deliverance tender and affecting; and, laying aside, as much as possible, all scholastic phrases, he accommodated himself to the capacities of the most unlearned of his hearers. One of his congregation (who was afterwards minister of Moorkirk, in Kyle,) was heard to say, that it was almost impossible for any one to hear him and to forbear weeping; he was so fervent in spirit, so persuasive, and so moving in his manner.' Luther used to say, • Three things made a preacher, prayer, meditation, and temptation;' according to which, Mr Welch was well qua

lified;