436 THE LIFE or MILTON. fecrets and intrigues of government ; what he difpatched was little more than matters of necefrary form, letters and anfwers to foreign ftates ; and he may be juftified for acing in fuch a Ration, upon the fame principle as Sir Matthew Hale for holding a Judge's commiffion under the ufurper and in the latter part of his life he frequently expreffed to his friends his entire fatisfatlion of mind, that he had conftantly employed his flrength and faculties in the defence of liberty, and in oppofition to flavery. In matters of religion too he has given as great offenfe, or even greater, than by his political principles. But ftill let not the infidel glory : no fuch man was ever of that party. He had the advantage of a pious education, and ever exprefred the profoundeft reverence of Mite Deity in his words and at-tions, was both a Chriftian and a Pro- teftant, and Itudied and admired the Holy Scriptures above all other books whatfoever ; and in all his writings he plainly fhoweth a re- ligious turn of mind, as well in verfe as in profe, as well in his works of an earlier date as in thofe of later compofition. When he wrote the Do&rine and Difcipline of Divorce, he appears to have been a Calvanift ; but afterwards he entertained a more favorable opinion of Arminius. Some have inclined to believe that he was an Arian ; but there are more exprefs paffages in his works to overthrow this opinion, than any there are to confirm it. For in the conclufion of his treatife of Reformation he thus folemnly invokes the Trinity ; Thou there- " fore that fitteft in light and glory unapproachable, Parent of " Angels and Men ! next thee I implore Omnipotent King, Redeemer " of that loft remnant whofe nature thou didft afrume, ineffable and " everlafting Love! And thou the third fubilftence of divine infini- " tude illumining Spirit, the joy and folace of created things! one " Tri-perfonal Godhead ! look upon this thy poor, and almoft fpent , and expiring Church, &c." And in his trakt of Prelatical Epifco- pacy he endeavours to prove the fpurioufnefs of fome epiftles attribut- ed to Ignatius, becaufe they contained in them herefies, one of which herefies is, that " he condemns them for minifters ofSatan, " who fay that Chrift is God above all." And a little after in the fame
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