406 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. medium of the ambassador, and it was prevented. The same was also attempted, but without success, when he was chosen by the states of Friesland to the same office in the university of Franeker.. Such were the malice and madness of his persecutors ! Dr. Ames attended at the synod of Dort, and informed King James's ambassador at the Hague, from time to time, of thedebates of that venerable assembly. He was famous for his controversial writings, especially against the Arminians, I3ellarmine, and the English ceremonies ; which, for conciseness andperspicuity, Were not equalled by any of his time.t Dr. Ames having for the space of twelve years filled the divinity chair with universal reputation, began to think the air of Franeker too sharp for his constitution. He was troubled with extreme difficulty of breathing, and thought every winter would be his last. He was, at the same time, desirous to be employed in the delightful work of preaching the gospel to his countrymen ; therefore, he resigned his professorship, and accepted an invitation to the English church at Rotterdam. Upon this exchange of situation, our divine wrote his " Fresh Suit against Ceremonies,"t a work of distinguished worth, chewing his great abilities and erudition. In the preface to this excellent work, he states the controversy thus : " We stand upon the sufficiency of Christ's institu7 tions, for every thing pertaining to divine worship ; and that the word of God, and nothing else, is the only standard in matters of religion. The prelates, on the other hand, would have us allow and use certain human ceremonies in christian worship. We, therefore, desire to be excused, holding them to be unlawful. Christ we know, and are ready to embrace every thing that cometh from him. But these human ceremonies in divine worship, we know not, we cannot receive them." And speaking further on the same subject, he says, 44 I am more than ever persuaded, that such relics of popery, and monuments of superstition, never did any good, but much evil."§ He did not, Kingdom's MS. Collections, p. 141. -F Neal's Puritans, vol. ii. p. 254. Mr.,11,ichard Baxter became a nonconformist by reading this master- piece of controversy.-Sylvester's Life of Baxter, part i. p. 13, 14. § Br. Ames,' in this work, relates the following anecdote: -" I was once," says he," and, thank God, only once, before a bishop, being presented to himby the chief magistrates of a corporation, to be preacher in their town. The lowly prelate first asked them, how they durst choose a preacher without his consent. You,' said he, are to receive the preacher that I appoint; for 1 cm your pastor ;' though be never fed them.
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