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edified the church. . Ab! break off, faid he, interrupting him, let us not speak of praises at a time when moments are fo precious, and when they ought to be employed to a better ufe. Here, being fatigued, he afked to be put to bed.

He frequently spoke of the happiness of those, who had left France for religion, and befought his family and friends to prize liberty of conscience. Mrs. Claude afked him one day, whether he was not forry to leave her? No, replied he, I am going to my God, and I leave you in his hands in a free country. What can I defire more either for you or myself?

Not being able to fit up, he defired a friend to write, as he dictated, a letter to the prince of Orange. It was fhort, gratulatory, and pathetick. With fome trouble he figned it. His highnefs received it with great condefcenfion; and, all hero as he was, he perceived, as he perused it, that he was a man as well as the writer. He bleffed, and wept for the departing Claude.

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A week before he died, with true patriarchal dignity, he fat up in his bed, and asked to speak with his fon, and family. Son, faid he, tenderly embracing him, I am leaving you. The time of my departure is at band. Silence, and fobs, and floods of tears followed, each clafped in the others arms. The family all came, and asked his bleffing. willingly, replied he, will I give it you. Mrs. Claude kneeled down by the bed-fide. My wife, faid he, I have always tenderly loved you. Be not afflicted at my death. The death of the faints is precious in the fight of God. In you I have seen a fincere piety. I blefs God for it. Be conftant in ferving him with your whole heart. He will bless you. I recommend my fon

and

and his family to you, and I beseech the Lord to bless you. To his fon, who, with an old fervant, was kneeling by his mother, he faid, among other things, Son, you have chofen the good part. Perform your office as a good paftor, and God will bless you. Love and refpect your mother. Be mindful of this domeftick. Take care he want nothing as long as fhe lives. I give you all my bleffing. The afflicted family had not the power of making any anfwer, their tears and their filence spoke for them. The pastor being prefent, Mr. Claude defired him to pray, adding, Be short, . . . I am so oppressed, that I can only attend to two of the great truths of religion, the mercy of God, and the gracious aids of his holy Spirit.

After this a delirium feized him. He had, however, his fenfes at times, and always employed thofe moments in edifying his attendants. Monf. Du Vivie vifiting him in a lucid interval, and asking him of the state of his mind, he faid with a deliberate compofure, I know whom I have believed, and I am perfuaded he is able to keep that, which I have committed unto him against that day. Another time the senior paftor asked him, Do you know me, Sir? Yes, replied he, you are my paftor. My whole recourfe is to the mercy of God... I expect a better life than this... help to fortify my meditations by your prayers. Speaking at another time, to his fon, he faid, Son, our Lord Jefus Chrift is my only righteoufnefs, I need no other, he is all fufficient.

...

When Monf. Arbuffe defired from the pulpit before prayer the prayers of the congregation for one of their brethren extremely ill, who deferved to be lamented by all good people, the congregation looked and listened: but when he added the fick perfon was Mr. Claude, the whole affembly burst into a

flood

2 Tim. i.

12.

flood of tears. Publick prayer was repeatedly offered for him: but the time of his departure was come, and on January 13, in the fixty eighth year of his age, he refigned his foul into the hands of God, who gave it.

Thus lived, and thus died the ineftimable John Claude. Forty two years he served the church of God with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befel him by the lying in wait of men worse than Jews, though called chriftians. In France he was in the highest reputation. His friends loved him, and his adversaries feared him, His banishment completed his credit abroad. His name has paffed with luftre into other countries, and he yet lives and speaks among us by his excellent works.

Mr. Ifaac Claude, after the decease of his father, published five octavo volumes, his pofthumous works. The following treatife is part of the first volume. The second and third volumes contain a body of chriftian divinity. The fourth confifts of thefes, expofitions of paffages of fcripture, and fo on. The fifth contains letters on religion, and on various fubjects. As three of thefe letters clear up an article in our church-history, which regards Mr. Claude, I cannot perfuade myself to put a period to this account without endeavouring to place it in its true light.

In the year 1680 Dr. Stillingfleet, who had made himself known by publishing an oily book with a nafty title, (5) and who afterward obtained the bifhoprick of Worcester by another book affirming the right of bishops to vote in parliament in ca

(5) A weapon-falve for the church's wounds. 1695.

pital

capital cafes; he who pleaded for that odious tyrant Laud, and who thought Locke's effay dangerous to the faith; Stillingfleet, I fay, preached a fermon before the Lord Mayor on the mischief of feperation, and became a fower of difcord among brethren! It was the price of perferment then. This was printed, and in it the diffenters were all condemned as fchifmaticks, and gravely advised not to complain of perfecution. Owen, Baxter, Alfop, Howe and others, answered this feditious libel with great clearness and spirit. The priest, driven to distress, got Compton, Bishop of London, to write to Claude, Le Moyne, and other French prefbyterians, for their opinion of English prefbyterianifm. They gave complaifant: but wary answers. These letters of French non-conformists were published by Stillingfleet as fuffrages for epifcopacy, and against non-conformity, and they were tacked to a book of his own about fchifm. There could not be a more glaring abfurdity; for no art can make that a crime at Dover, which is at the same time a virtue at Calais. Epifcopacy and non-conformity rest on the fame arguments in both kingdoms, and a man, who does not know this, is not fit to write on the controverfy between non-conformists and epifcopalians. Mr. Claude complained bitterly of this ungenerous treatment: but the letters, that contained these complaints, were concealed till his death. Our hiftorian, Neale, therefore, fell into the mistake of allowing, that the French prefbyterians favoured English epifcopacy: but very properly adds, their fuffrages, fuppofing them to be given against us, were of no value in VOL. I.

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an

an argument, which was not to be determined by a majority of votes. (6)

After Mr. Claude's decease, his fon printed the letters. In one to a Lady, who had fent him the bishop's packet, dated at Paris, April 16, 1681, he declares-that he was aftonished to fee his letter printed that he wifhed to fee chriftians united: but that he had written on the fubject with great caution that his chief defign was to remove that calumny, which fome had caft on them, charging them with denying the poffibility of being faved in the epifcopal church-that he had freely taxed the bishops with their feverity-and that he had only expreffed his defire of union in the form of a wish. All this is very different from a juftification of epifcopal tyranny. In another letter to Compton of the fame date, he tells him-that he had received the book and his own letter: but that he did not understand English enough to judge of them—that he never intended to have his letter printed-that, had Stillingfleet confulted him, he would not have agreed to the publication of it. "I am perfuaded, adds he, you will not take it ill, if I fay, on your fide, you ought to contribute all you can to an union with the non-conformists without a party fpirit, and with all prudence and moderation. You, my lords the bishops, are blamed for your eagernefs to perfecute others by penal laws as if they were enemies. You are blamed for your churchgovernment, which, it is faid, is as arbitrary and defpotic over minifters as that of the popish prelates. You are complained of for not admitting any perfon to the miniftry without making oath that epifcopacy is of divine right, which is a cruel rack (6) Hift. of Pur.

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