visiting him, Alting, in the most friendly manner, congratu lated him as his designed successor. "It much rejoices me (said he) that I shail leave to the church and university one, who is studious of peace, orthodox in judgement, and averse to novelties; and I require you, that, as you have ever maintained friendship with myself, you would do the like with mine, whom I shall leave behind." The day before his death, he sang the 130th Psalm, with great sense of God's presence and love, and passed the rest of his time in meditation and prayer. In the evening, he blessed his children; and the next morning, finding within himself, that his departure was at hand, he told those about him, "that before sun-set, he should depart, and be with the Lord." Grounding his faith on the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, with the promises of his gospel, and strengthened and comforted by the gracious influence of the Holy Ghost, he waited for death without any apparent fear; but bade those about him farewell, expressing his readiness and desire to be dissolved and to be with his Master. At length, in the presence of many learned and pious friends and relations, he yielded up his spirit without the least struggling, and quietly departed, August 25, 1644, aged 6). He was a man of great worth. The books he wrote shew his learning and the application he gave to the discharge of his academical duties; and we have many proofs of his public spirit and benevolence to mankind. Whilst he lived, he went yearly to wait upon the king of Bohemia, and to inspect the studies of the royal family. He was extremely active in raising the collections which were made throughout all the Protestant countries for the churches of Germany, and chiefly of the palatinate: He acted also as one of the three distributors of the collections from England; and was almoner to Lewis de Geer. He was also employed in two other important commissions; one was in the revisal made at Leyden of the new Dutch translation of the Bible, and the visitation of the county of Steinfurt. In the first office he had colleagues, but he was sole general inspector in the second, the count of Bentheim having sent for him to make inquisition against Socinianisn: which the country was threatened with, and to establish good order in the churches. Alting, as we are told in his eulogy, was no quarrelsome divine: He did not spend his time in trifling insignificant scruples; he was not fond of novelty, but zealous for the ancient doctrine; an enemy to the subtilties of the schools, and one who kept close to the scriptures.

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Dr. Alting was author of several works, all of which were written in Latin, in an excellent style: they principally consisted of Common places, theoretical and practical problems, a treatise in vindication of the truth against the errors of the Arminians and Socinians, &c. which were well esteemed by the learned.

ALTING, JAMES, son of Henry Alting abovementioned, was born at Heidelberg, Sept. 27, 1618, at which period his father was deputy at the synod of Dort. He went through his studies at Groningen with great success; and being desirous to acquire knowledge in the Oriental languages, removed to Embden in 1638, to improve himself under the rabbi Gamprecht Ben Abraham. He came over to England in 1640, where he became acquainted with many persons of the greatest note; he preached here, and was ordained a priest of the church of England by the learned Dr. Prideaux, bishop of Worcester. He had once resolved to pass his life in England but afterwards accepted the Hebrew professorship at Groningen, offered him upon the death of Gomarus. He entered upon this office the 13th of January, 1643, the very day that Samuel des Marets was installed in the professorship of divinity, which had been held by the same Gomarus. Alting was admitted doctor of philosophy, October 21, 1645, preacher to the academy in 1647, and doctor and professor of divinity in 1667. He visited Heidelberg in 1662, where he received many marks of esteem from the elector Palatine, Charles Lewis, who often solicited him to accept of the professorship of divinity, but he declined this offer. In a little time a misunderstanding arose betwixt him and Samuel des Marets, his colleague, which indeed could hardly be avoided, since they differed as to their method of teaching, and in many points as to their principles. Alting kept to the scriptures without meddling with scholastic divinity; the first lectures which he read at his house upon the catechism, drew such vast crowds of hearers, that, for want of room in his own chamber, he was obliged to make use of the university hall. His colleague was accustomed to the method and logical distinctions of the schoolmen, had been a long time in great esteem, had published several books, and to a sprightly genius had added a good stock of learning: the students who were of that country adhered to him, as the surest way to obtain church preferment; for the parishes were generally supplied with such as had studied according

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to his method. This was sufficient to raise and keep up misunderstanding betwixt the two professors. Alting ha great obstacles to surmount: a majority of voices and the a thority of age were on his adversary's side. Des Marets ga out that Alting was an innovator, and one who endeavoure to root up the boundaries which our wise forefathers ha placed on the confines of truth and falsehood: he according ly set up as his accuser, and charged him with one and thirt erroneous propositions. The curators of the university without acquainting the parties, sent the information and the answers to the divines of Leyden, desiring their opi nion. The judgement they gave is remarkable: Alting was Acquitted of all heresy, but his imprudence was blamed in broaching new hypotheses; on the other hand, Des Marets was censured for acting contrary to the laws of charity and moderation. The latter would not submit to this judgement, nor accept of the silence which was proposed. He insisted on the cause being heard before the consistories, the classes, and the synods; but the heads would not consent to this, forbidding all writings for or against the judgement of the divines of Leyden: and thus the work of Des Marets, entitled "Audi et alteram partem," was suppressed. This contest made a great noise, and might have been attended with bad consequences, when Des Marets was called to Leyden; but he died at Groningen before he could take possession of that employment. There was some sort of reconciliation made betwixt him and Alting hefore his death: a clergyman of Groningen seeing Des Marets past all hopes of recovery, proposed it to him; and having his consent, made the same proposal to Alting, who answered, that the silence he had observed, notwithstanding the clamours and writings of his adversary, shewed his peaceble disposition; that he was ready to come to an agreement upon reasonable terms, but that he required satisfaction for the injurious reports spread against his honour and reputation; and that he could not conceive how any one should desire his friendship, whilst he thought him such a man as he had represented him to be. The person who acted as mediator, some time after returned, with another clergyman to Alting, and obtained from him a formulary of the satisfaction he desired. formulary was not liked by Des Marets, who drew up another, but this did not please Alting: at last, however, after some alterations, the reconciliation was effected; the parties only retracted the personal injuries, and as to the accusations

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sations in point of doctrine, the accuser left them to the judgement of the church. Alting however thought he had reason to complain, even after he was delivered from so formidable an adversary. His complaint was occasioned by the last edition of Des Marets's system, in which he was very ill treated: he said, his adversary should have left no monuments of the quarrel; and that his reconciliation had not been sincere, since he had not suppressed such an injurious ok. The clergy were continually murmuring against what ley called innovations; but the secular power wisely calined these storms, which the convocations and synods would har raised, threatening to interdict those who should revive the quarrel. Alting enjoyed but little health the last three years of his life; and being at length seized with a violent fever, was carried off in nine days, in August 1679. He recommended the care of an edition of all his works to his cousin Menso Alting, burgo-master of Groningen; and they were accordingly printed at Amsterdam, in 1687, in five volumes in folio: they contain several analytical, exegetical, practical, problematical, and philosophical

tracts.

AMBROSE, ISAAC, was born in 1592, and was some time minister of Preston in Lancashire; from which place he was removed to the vicarage of Garstang in the same county, where he laboured in the word and doctrine till 1662, when he was ejected by the Act of Uniformity. He lived and died a nonconformist; he was a man of substantial worth, eminent piety, and an exemplary life both as a minister and a christian. One thing peculiar to him deserves to be mentioned. It was his usual custom, once in a year, for the space of a month, to retire to a little hut in a wood, and avoiding all human converse, to devote himself to contemplation. Possibly by this practice he was the fitter for his Sacred ministration all the rest of the year. He spent the latter part of his life at Preston; and when his end drew near, was very sensible of it. Having taken leave of many of his friends abroad with unusual solemnity, as if he foresaw that he should see them no more, he came home, and set all things in order. When some of his hearers came from Garstang to visit him, he discoursed freely with them, gave them good counsel, told them he was now ready whenever his Lord should call, and that he had finished all he designed to write; having the night before sent away his Discourse concerning

concerning Angels, to the press. He accompanied his frien to their horses, and when he came back, shut himself in 1 parlour, the place of his retirement. Being thought to st long, the door was opened, and he was found just expirin This was in the year 1664, aged 72. He was holy in his li happy in his death, and honoured by God and all good me His works were printed all together in folio, in 1689. One the most celebrated is, " On looking to Jesus."

AMES, WILLIAM, D. D. a learned English divin who was famous for his controversial writings; but mu more so abroad than in his native country; for he lived m ny years in foreign parts, and there ended his days. He w descended from an ancient family in Norfolk, where he w born in 1576. He was educated at Christ Church Colleg Cambridge, under the famous Mr. William Perkins, b whom, probably, he was brought to the knowledge of th truth as it is in Jesus. He seems to have been zealous in th maintenance of it, and vehement against every species of si and particularly against the corruptions and idolatry of th church of Rome. A remarkable instance of his zeal, in th respect, is given by Dr. Füller, in his history of the Unive sity of Cambridge. "Mr. Ames (says he) was preachin (about the year 1610) at St. Mary's, or, to use his own ex pression, "having the place of a watchman for an hour i the tower of the university," took occasion to inveigh agains the liberty taken at that time, especially in those college which had Lords of Misrule, a pagan relique, which he said as Polydore Vergil observed, remains only in England Hence he proceeded to condemn all playing at cards and dice, affirming that the latter in all ages was accounted the device of the devil; and that as God invented the one and twenty letters whereof he made the Bible, the devil found out the one and twenty spots on the die; that cannon-law forbad the use thereof, seeing, Inventio diaboli nullâ consuetudine potest validari. His sermon (continues Mr. Fuller) gave great offence to many of his auditors, the rather. because in him there was a concurrence of much nonconformity, insomuch that to prevent an expulsion from Dr. Val. Cary, the master, he forsook the college, which proved unto him neither loss nor disgrace, being chosen afterwards, by the states of Friesland, professor of their university." In 1613, his dispute with Grevinchovius, minister at Rotterdam, appeared in print. He was at the synod