TUE LIVES OP THE PURITANS. JOHN BALE, D. D. - This laborious and celebrated divine was born at Cove, near Dunwich, in Suffolk, -No7 vember 21, 1495. His parents being in low circumstances, and incumbered with a large family, he was sent, at twelve years of age, to the monastery of Carmelites in Norwich ; and from thence to Jesus College, Cambridge. He was educated in all the superstitions of the Romish church ; but afterwards he became a most zealous and distinguished protestant. The account of this changein his sentiments is from his own pen, therefore we shall give it in his own words r-44 I wandered," says lie, C4 in utter ignorance and blindness of mind both there (at Norwich) and at Cam- bridge, having no tutor or patron ; till, the word of God shining forth, the churches began to return to the pure fountain of true divinity. In which bright rising of the New Jerusalem, being not called by any monk or priest, but seriously stirred up by the illustrious the Lord Went- worth, as by that centurion who declared Christ to be the Son of God, I presently saw and acknowledged my own deformity ; and immediately, through the divine goodness, I was removed from a barren mountain, to the flowery and fertile valley of the gospel; where I found all things built, not on the sand, but on a solid rock. Hence I made haste to deface the mark of wicked antichrist, and entirely threw off hisyoke from me, that I might be partaker of the lot and liberty of the sons of God. And that I might never more serveso execrable abeast, I took to wife thefaithful Dorothy, in obedience to that divine command, Let him that cannot contain, marry." Bishop Nicolson, with great injustice, insinuates, that a dislike of -celibacy was the grand motive of Bale's conversion. 44 He was converted," says this writer, ti by the procurement of Thomas Lard Wentworth;
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