316 LIVES OF THE -PURITANS. means to procure the welfare and perfect reformation both of that college and university, so far as to me appertains. "JOHN ARROWSMITH." During the above year he was one of the committee of learned divines, which united with a committee of the lords and commons, to treat with the commissioners of the church of Scotland, concerning an agreement in matters of religion.. He took his doctor's degree in the year 1647, and was chosen vice-chancellor of the university the same year. In the year 1651 he was elected regius professor of divinity, upon the death of Dr. Collins, who had filled the chair many years ; and was at the same time presented to the rectory of Somer- sham.+ In 1653, upon the death of Dr. Hill, he was chosen master of Trinity college, Cambridge, when he was succeeded' at St. John's by Dr. fuckney ; and, in 1655, he resigned his professorship, in which office he was succeeded by the same person.# Hewas appointed one of the byers, and ono of the preachers before the parliament. He was aman of unexcep- tionable character, and of great learning and piety ; an acute disputant, a judicious divine, and an' excellent author, as appears from the learned productions of his pen, which gained him great reputation. He died in February, 1659, aged fifty-seven years, and his remains were interred in Trinity college chapel, the 24th of the same month.f Mr. Neal having observed that the learning and piety of our divine were unexceptionable, Dr. Grey adds, "And had our learned historian added, that he was an eminent preacher, and famed for his flowers of rhetoric, I could have helped him to passages in support of such an assertion." He then enumerates the passages, as follows :-"You have endea- voured," says he, " to fence this vineyard with a settled mili- tia, to gather out the malignants as stones, to plant at with men of pietyand truth, as choice vines, to build the towers of a powerful ministry in the midst of it, and to make a wine- press for the squeezing of malignants.-The main work of the spirit of grace is to negotiate the treaty of a match betwixt the Lord Jesus and the coy souls of men.--It is a spiritual affection that hath the Holy Ghost for its father, faith for its mother, prayer for its midwife, the word for its nurse, sin- cerity for its keeper, and trembling for its handrnaid.-After some overtures of a match in the reign of king Henry VIII., Papers of Accorn. p. 13. Baker's MS. Collet. vol. i. p. 265. Kennet's Chronicle, p. 601, 935. Wood's Athena;, vol. ii. p. 371.- Calamy's Account, vol. ii. p. WC-Baker's MS. Collec. vol. i. p. 265.
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