Hebrew Bible to be read in the morning, and of the Greek Testament in the evening, and upon these he always gave an extemporaneous comment in Latin; to all the students he was father, inspirer, guide; and he greatly helped to fill the land with scholars, gentlemen, and Christians. His old age was of the glorious, gritty kind. His friends begged him not to work so hard; but he gave the proud answer, "Oportet imperatorem stantem mori." One day, in winter, the fellows of the College were leading him toward the chapel where he was to preach; and hoping to dissuade him from the labor, they said, "Sir, you will certainly die in the pulpit." But this, so far from intimidating 'the grand old man, gave him a new delight; and pressing on more eagerly through the snow-drifts, he exclaimed, "How glad I should be if what you say might prove true!"1 His published writings are not many, and all are sermons excepting one-a controversial pamphlet, "Antisynodalia Scripta Americana,” 1662. His most important work is a volume of twenty-six sermons, published in London, in 1659, and entitled, "The Plain Doctrine of the Justification of a Sinner in the Sight of God." On the title-page we are told that the doctrine is "explained . . . in a plain . . . and familiar way for the capacity and understanding of the weak and ignorant;" yet the leading title of the book is in Hebrew, the dedication is in Latin, and the discussion well sprinkled with quotations from Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, and with such technical terms as synecdoche, equipollent, and the like. In spite of this, the ideas are indeed as clear as crystal, and are generally stated in English that is vigorous and keen. Though the formality of stiff topical divisions cramps the movement of his style, and denies him room for swing and flight, the author's mind breaks out often with genuine brightness and power. There are strokes of condensed force, flashes of imagination and passionate light, felicities of epi 1 66 Magnalia," I. 470. "1 thet and comparison, vivifying words, memorable sayings: "God... stabs the wicked as an enemy with his sword, but lances the godly as a surgeon does his patient with the lancet." "As the moon is nearest to the sun when the least light doth outwardly appear; so is God nearest to the godly when they have the least outward light of comfort." "Let all . . . careless wretches know that if justification be a state of blessedness, then their state is a state of cursedness." "We are singing and chanting to the sound of the viol, while God sounds an alarum by the trumpet of war. We are dancing in jollity, while God is marching in battalia. We are drinking in the wine and strong drink, while God is letting out our blood.” “If death arrests you, how will you scramble for bail? How will you wish you had pleased God? . . . Oh, leave not ... that to the last gasp that should be done first. Thou mayest be great and rich and honorable, and yet not fit to live nor to die; but he that is justified is fit for both."5 "It was unknown torment that our Saviour underwent. He encountered both the Father's wrath . . . and entered the lists with Satan and all the powers of darkness. . . All the devils in hell were up in arms, and issued out of their gates; principalities and powers are all let loose against the Redeemer of the world." "Then let us pursue our sins with all possible detestations. . . Let us stab them to the heart, till they bleed their last, that drew the blood of Christ."" The works of President Chauncey that were published, formed but a small portion of those that he wrote. His manuscripts descended to his eldest son, thence to his grandson, who dying left them in possession of his widow. This lady subsequently married again; and her new husband, a godly man, to wit, a deacon and pie-maker of Northampton, straightway proceeded to utilize the learned "The Plain Doctrine," etc. 64. 4 Ibid. 43. Ibid. 46. 2 Ibid. 96. 3 Ibid. 42. Ibid. 84. labors of the deceased president of Harvard, by putting those manuscripts at the bottom of his pies in the oven; and thus the eloquent and valuable writings of Charles Chauncey were gradually used up, their numerous Hebrew and Greek quotations, and their peppery Calvinism, doubtless adding an unwonted relish and indigestibility to the pies under which they were laid. CHAPTER IX. NEW ENGLAND: MISCELLANEOUS PROSE WRITERS. I.-Nathaniel Ward and his collisions with Laud-His position in early American literature-His large experience before coming to AmericaA reminiscence of Prince Rupert. II. Career of Nathaniel Ward in New England-His "Simple Cobbler of Agawam "-Summary of the book-The author's mental traits-His attitude toward his age-Vindicates New England from the calumny that it tolerates variety of opinions-His satire upon fashionable dames in the colony and upon long-haired men-His discussion of the troubles in England-Literary traits of the book. III.-Roger Williams as revealed in his own writings-His exceptional attractiveness as an early New-Englander-What he stood for in his time in New England-A troublesome personage to his contemporaries and why -His special sympathy with Indians and with all other unfortunate folk. IV. First visit of Roger Williams to England-His first book-His interest in the great struggle in England-His reply to John Cotton's justification of his banishment from Massachusetts-His book against a national church -His "Bloody Tenet of Persecution "-John Cotton's reply-Williams's powerful rejoinder-Other writings-His letters-Personal traits shown in them-His famous letter against lawlessness and tyranny. I. IN the year 1631, William Laud, Bishop of London, faithfully harrying his diocese in search of ministers who might be so insolent as to deviate from his own high standard of doctrine and ceremony, became aware of the presence, in one of his parishes, of an extremely uncomfortable parson named Nathaniel Ward, rector of Stondon Massey, Essex. Accordingly, on the twelfth of December of that year, this parson was brought before the bishop for inspection. Though he escaped that time, the bishop kept his inexorable eye upon him, and frequently thereafter cited him into his presence; and at last, in 1633, "left him This man, under the sentence of excommunication." 1 thus turned loose upon the world by the ungentle help of his bishop, naturally found his way very soon to New England, where arriving in 1634 he remained twelve years, and where by his incisive and stiff opinions, the weight of his unusual legal learning, his skill and pungency as a writer, and the flavor of his piquant individuality, he considerably influenced contemporary events, stamped some of his own features upon the jurisprudence of Massachusetts, and connected himself with our early literature by the composition of a book the most eccentric and amusing that was produced in America during the colonial period. Perhaps no other Englishman who came to America in those days, brought with him more of the ripeness that is born, not only of time and study, but of distinguished early associations, extensive travel in foreign lands, and varied professional experience at home. He was graduated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1603, and is named by Fuller among the learned writers of that college who were not fellows. He at first entered the profession of the law, which he practised several years; he then spent several years upon the continent; and upon his return to England took holy orders, and was settled in the parish from which, after about ten years, he was ejected by Laud. His personal and professional standing may be partly inferred from his acquaintance with Sir Francis Bacon, with Archbishop Usher, and with the famous theologian of Heidelberg, David Paræus. It was during his residence upon the continent, that he was brought into relations of some sort with the family of the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James the First, and wife of Frederick, elector Palatine; and in this way he came to have that immediate contact with infantile royalty which many years later suggested a characteristic passage in the book that we are soon to inspect. He took into his arms the young child 1 Laud, quoted in J. W. Dean, "Memoir" of Ward, 39. |