lor had adopted this maxim, and by every argument of a wicked wit inculcated it upon Junius. He had so imbibed it, that his young friend became rooted in the principle, and as complete an Atheist as himself. For more than a year, Junius maintained his profession, and with so much openness, that it appears to have been known by all who knew him. A tumult that occurred at Lyons, first stag. gered him in his new opinion. He was wonderfully preserved in the commotion; and he began to see, that there was something more than mere chance in the case, and something that looked like an over-ruling providence. About the sanie time, his father, having been informed of the alarming state of his son's mind, sent for him, and, with the utmost tenderness, learning, and piety, invited him to read over the New Testament with attention, and confer with him upon it. He obeyed his father's direction; and it pleased God to open his eyes to a full view of the abominable notions, which he had adopted. The first chapter of St. John's Gospel, which he began upon, was made the happy means of this revolution of mind. He was struck with the dignity of the expression, and the weight of the matter*.

From that time, the world and its pursuits appeared vain and insipid to Junius; and the things of God and of hea ven engaged his whole concern. His father was rejoiced at the happy change, but still intended bin for the civil law and human affairs. The inclination of the son soared higher; and, by permission and consent of his father, he went to Geneva, with a view of studying divinity and the languages, about the time of the first breaking out of the civil war in France. He was dismissed with a supply of money, sufficient for his present occasions; and his father

But

• He says of himself, "I read part of the chapter, and was so impressed with what I read, that I could not but perceive the divinity of the subject and the authority and majesty of the Scriptures, to surpass greatly all human eloquence. I shuddered in my body with horror at myself; my soul was astonished; and I was so strongly affected all that day, that I scarcely knew who, or what, or where I was. thou, O Lord my God, didst remember me in thy wonderful mercy, and didst receive a lost and wandering sheep into thy flock! From that time, when the Lord had granted me so great a portion of his Holy Spirit, I began to read the Bible, and treat other books with more coldness and indifference, and to reflect more upon, and be much more conversant with, the things that relate to salvation."

promised

promised to remit him in future, what might be necessary, but was not able through the public commotions. Thus ill-provided with subsistence, he could only purchase four books; and these were, the Holy Bible, Calvin's Institutes, Beza's Confession, and Cevalierius's Hebrew Grammar; which engaged him for a year. Within this space, he was prevailed upon to accompany a party, who were making an excursion into Switzerland, just when his hitle stock was almost exhausted. In this tour, which lasted three weeks, Junius made an acquaintance with Musculus, Haller, Peter Martyr, Bullinger, Farrel, &c. who were all at that time in the cantons. When he returned to Geneva he had scarcely any money left, and for seven or eight months afterwards he received none from his friends. His excessive modesty forbade him to borrow, and therefore he formed a scheme of living hard. He determined with himself to employ one day as a labourer in the fortifications, for his subsistence, the other to engage in his studies. But if Providence tried Junius's faith upon this account, it did not leave him long without a testimony of its care. For a countryman of his was put in his way, whose mother, being left a widow with a numerous offspring, had often been assisted in her necessities by Junius's parents; and this man gratefully embraced the opportunity of acknowledging his obligation. Here indeed was "bread sown upon the waters, and found again after many days." He lodged, he boarded, and did for his benefactor's son, all that was in his power to do. On the other hand, Junius, feeling for the burden and inconveniences which his grateful friend chearfully underwent upon his account, endeavoured to make that burden as light as possible, and, out of a quick sense of delicacy, almost wholly abstained from the food, procured by the laborious industry of his host. He lived with him near seven months; and, for four of the seven, constantly took care to be from home at dinner time, which he spent in walking, meditation, and prayer, In the evening, he ate a couple of eggs, and drank a small cup of the petit vin, or low wine, which is the common be verage of that country, as beer is with us; and all this, that he might not be too chargeable to his kind benefactor. His modesty and extreme delicacy, however, cost him dear; for by this over abstemious kind of life, he contracted a decline, which almost destroyed his tender frame. Provi

dence

dence again interposed in this emergency; for, by the assistance of his friends, and, at length, by the remittance of a sum of money from his father, he was enabled to adopt a better regimen and to use such means as wholly recovered him.

Mr. Leigh, in his " Treatise of Religion and Learning," quotes from Junius himself, that he received a most courteous entertainment from a countryman (and perhaps the countryman abovementioned) in the time of his distress, and adds another circumstance which is wholly omitted by Melchior Adam and other biographers. He relates it in Junius's own words: "Here (Ŏ the wonderful wisdom of God!) my Master had prepared for me the best school of true religion I ever found in my life. For God so wrought upon my soul by the ardent and zealous piety of this poor good man, that a portion of the same divine fervour was imparted through him to me; while I, in the comparison, a very indifferent Christian, was made useful to him in the communication of other knowledge. Upon both of us, at one and the same time, the Lord bestowed an increase of his mercy and grace; upon my simple countryman, by enabling me to enlighten his head; and upon me, by enabling him to kindle a flame of zeal in my heart." The transparent piety, humility, and modesty of this acknowledgement needs no comment. This man of learning had, through grace, followed the apostle's rule, and became a fool" in his own eyes," that he might be wise indeed," not for the puny concerns of time and the world, but to everlasting salvation.

It being contrary to the plan of life, which Junius's father had intended, that he should study divinity, he wrote for him to return home. He wished his son might be religious; but he did not wish him to be a preacher. This reduced Junius to a disagreeable dilemma, out of which he was much relieved by the interposition of a pious and learned friend of his father, who explained to him the ne cessity of his son's remaining longer at Geneva, for the sake of his studies. In the interim, an aweful providence determined the affair. At Issoudon in Aquitain, a murdering banditti set upon Junius's father, and barbarously bereaved him of his life *. Upon

On Corpus Christi day, the Roman Catholics of Issoudon, regard less of the treaty of peace, that had been concluded just before, com

Upon this sad news, Junius had no heart to return to his country, but wrote a most affecting and affectionate letter to his mother, condoling with her upon their mutual loss, and at the same time begging her to indulge no anxiety upon his account, because he was resolved to be no burden to her, but to trust in God's blessing upon his own industry for his future maintenance and support. In this generous and tender resolution, he took upon him to assist in a school, under a minister of the Gospel at Geneva; where, in the day time, he taught Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and, for great part of the night, pursued his own proper studies in divinity and philosophy. But his feeble constitution could not endure a long continuance of such unremitted labours.

About this period, the head master of the school at Geneva died, and the chaplain of the hospital succeeded to him. The chaplainship was offered to Junius; but he declined it, partly lest it should hinder his studies, and partly because he did not wish to fix himself for the present at Geneva. In 1565, however, he was made minister of the Walloon church at Antwerp, which became a troublesome and dangerous situation to him. The Spaniards, who then possessed the Low Countries, were about to establish the inquisition, to which the principal people, of Brussels in particular, were very averse, and had a meeting to confer upon the best mode of preventing the execution of that diabolical tribunal. To this meeting Junius was called, and readily gave his assistance, both by his prayers and advice. His wisdom always inclined him to moderation; and he opposed not only the malicious attempts of the Papists, but the unbridled zeal of his Protestant friends, who were mitted a thousand outrages upon Protestants; upon which Denys Junius (Francis Junius's father) received a commission, as counsellor in the laws, from the king, to enquire into the authors of the sedition and punish them. Denys Junius went to Issoudon, accompanied only by three sheriff's officers, posting the rest in various places before he entered the city. His precautions, however, were of no use. The common people guessed the motive of his coming, and, scizing the gates, invested the commissioner's house, and entering by force, killed D. Junius, threw his body out of the window, dragged it through the streets, flung it to the dogs, and publicly forbade it burial. The king, out of indignation at so horrid a murder, ordered the walls of Issoudon to be demolished; but the arret was changed, by the interest of some lords, because the commissioner had been deemed a Lutheran for twenty four years.

soinetimes

sometimes disposed to go lengths, which neither religion nor reason could justify. When he returned to Antwerp he published some "Political Admonitions," which gave great offence to the Papists. A reward was offered for the discovery and apprehension of the author; though, it seems, in this very paper, he had blamed the intemperance and indiscretion of the Reformed, as well as condemned the violent proceedings of the Roman Catholics. By the style and manner, Junius was suspected to be the author, and very narrowly escaped from the designs of his enemies. With all this love of moderation, and his earnest endeavours to inculcate peace among others, he could find none for himself. He was persecuted every where, and encountered difficulties and dangers, which way soever he turned. But it pleased God wonderfully to preserve him, for his own glory and the good of souls. A rage of Reformation (as an affair of novelty) among the mob, not the sober zeal of true religion, over-ran the Low Countries about this time, and drave all before it. The outrageous multitudes brake into the churches, and swept away all the images, and paintings, and every rag of the Whore of Babylon," before them. All this was done with the fury of madmen, instead of the orderly spirit of Christians. This conduct displeased Junius, who was concerned for the disgrace of the Protestant cause; and he, by opposing it, displeased many among the Reformed, who joined with the Papists themselves in persecuting him.

1

When Junius afterward returned to Antwerp, he found himself excluded from the duties of his profession, by an ordinance of state, which enjoined, that, for the prevention of sedition, only two ministers should be allowed to preach there, and those two to be natives of the country, who should take an oath of allegiance to the prince. Junius was an alien, and could not be naturalized if he would. From Antwerp he went to Limbourg, but found, like the great apostle, that, wherever he went, persecutions attended bim. He lost his library and all his goods by the removal. His labours here were attended with such success, that new dangers arose upon him on every side. In the midst of which, he went on as long as he could with any degree of safety; but at last was obliged to fly, to preserve his life. While he lived here, he was made an instrument of gracious relief to a poor widow, who had been for thirteen VOL. III.-No. 55.

Q

years