Rev. John Ward, M. A. rector of Stoke Ash, Occold R. Suffolk.

Rev. F. Palmer, Combpyne R. Devon. Rev. William Aldrich, elected to St. Mary Elms perpetual curacy, Ipswich, vice Edge, dec.

Rev. B. W. Salmon, rector of Caistor, next Great Yarmouth, Thrigby, R. Norfolk. Rev. R. Llewellyn, M. A. Tolesbury living, near Colchester, Essex.

Rev. J. Banks Jenkinson, B. A. Hawkesbury V. co. Gloucester.

Rev. T. Frere, M. A. Finningham R. co. Suffolk.

Rev. T. Tordiffe, Holcombe R. Oxon. Rev. Edward Bogges, M. A. Hasketon R. co. Suffolk.

Rev. Michael Thomas Becher, M. A. master of the grammar-school in Bury, Wotton-Wawen V. co. Warwick, vice Gaches, dec.

Rev. Richard Williams, M. A. rector of Great Houghton, co. Northampton, of Markfield, co. Leicester, and vicar of Puddington, co. Bedford, to the prebend of Longford-Manor, in Lincoln cathedral.

Rev. Thomas Theophilus Humphries, M. A. Baldock R. Herts.

Rev. Richard Lloyd, St. Dunstan in the West V. London, vice Williamson, resigned. Rev. Robert Hales, M. A. Hemisby V. co. Norfolk.

Rev. Dickins Haslewood, M. A. Aycliffe V. co. Durham.

Rev. John Forster, of Newcastle, Ryther R. co. York.

Rev. John Francis Stuart, M. A. Market-Weston R. co. Suffolk.

Rev. T. Williams, M. A. Weybread V. co. Oxford.

Rev. John Edge, B. A. Naughton R. co. Suffolk.

Rev. J. Carr, M. A. of Leeds, rector of Great Oakley, Essex, to a prebendal stall in Hereford cathedral.

Rev. John Knipe, M. A. Charlton-uponOtmoor R. co. Oxford, vice Fothergill, dec.

Rev. Wm. Wood, M. A. of Woodthorpe, to be minister of St. John's, Wakefield. Rev. Charles Wedge, B. A. BoroughGreen R. co. Cambridge.

A FINE child, upwards of two years old, belonging to Mr. Blenheim, of Bond-street, being at nurse at Blackheath, fell info a well in the garden, and was drowned, it having no cover or fence. The father and mother, on the day before Christmas-day, when visiting the child, foresaw the danger, took dimensions for a cover, and sent it by the coach on the 26th, but the accident had happened before its arrival.

Burnt to death, Mrs. Gooch, of Sloanesquare, mother to the Lady of the Bishop of Bath and Wells.

At Cawthorne, near Barnsley, in her 18th year, Martha Mellor, who was shot by Samuel Ibbotson, a boy 12 years old. Having gone into the house where the girl was, he took up a gun, but was desired to lay it down immediately, which he did; but shortly afterwards took it up again, and, seeing the girl in another room, said. he would shoot her, which he immediately did.

Rev. Matthew Thompson, rector of Bradfield and Mistley, Essex, and in the commission of the peace for that county. He was invited, with a party, to dine with Col. Rigby, at Mistley; when the company were informed that dinner was ready, Mr. Thompson, in the act of rising to go into the dining-room, fell down, and expired immediately, leaving a wife and 11 chil dren to lament his sudden departure.

During the funeral procession of Lord Nelson's remains on the river, a lady of the name of Bayne, was so affected at the scene, that she fell into hysterics, and died in a few minutes.

Aged 70, of a mortification in his foot, occasioned by cutting a toe-nail to the quick, Mr. Abraham Parkinson of Leeds, formerly a liquor merchant, but had retired from business.

Mr. Houghton, shoemaker, at Bury St. Edmund's. He was in apparent good health, chopping a faggot, the same after

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

N your number for September

IN

last, you inserted a very interesting account of the death of Dr. Martin Luther; which, I trust, did not escape the observation of many of your readers. I fear, however, that it may have been passed over by some, from the omission of a short introduction, which would have directed their attention to its merits. I beg leave, therefore, to recal that important paper to their minds. For this purpose, I have sent you some extracts from two discourses in the same volume from which the account of the death of Luther was taken; one of which, is an Oration pronounced at his funeral, by Melancthon; the other, a Sermon delivered on the same great occasion, by Dr. Pomeranus, Chief Pastor of the Church of Wittemburgh. The passages which I have extracted from Melancthon's Oration, though short, contain some striking traits of the great reformer's sentiments and character. The extracts from the Sermon, though principally consisting of a very singular account of the death of "Master Ambrose Bernarde," will be deemed highly curious and interesting by all those who love genuine Chris tian simplicity. I have only to add, that the following passages are all that are particularly valuable in the two discourses from which they are extracted,

JOHANNENSIS*.

I beg leave to correct two mistakes which occur in the account of Luther, in your number for September. The first reCHRIST. OBSERV. No. 51.

Extract from The Oracyon or Pro cesse rehearced of Philipp Melanchton, at the Buryall of the Reverende Man, Doctour Martyne Luther, translated by JOHAN BALE. Anno 1566'+.

sodenlye upon hym, have founde Myselfe verye oft commynge bym in most fervent prayer, with abundaunce of teares ronnynge from hys eyes for the prosperouse estate of the unyversall Christen churche. He appoynted to hymselfe everye daye, a serten tyme of psalmes readynge, wherin he mixed hys.prayers to God with contynuall syghynges and wepynges. And said commonlye, that he allowed not them whych, eyther for wordlye worke or for slouthfulnesse, supposed it ynough a lyttle to mourne in their devocyons. For none other purpose (sayth he) are fashyons of Lordes appoyntement, but that prayer prescrybed unto us, by the through readynge, our myndes myght be inflamed, and that our voyce myght so confesse outwardlye that God whych ys onlye to be called upon.

This

lates to a town which is printed Ballis, for which read Hallis. In my map, I find this "Halle" is situated on the river Saale, or Saaldra, which falls into the Elbe. river Saale is "the daungerouse flode" mentioned in the narrative of Luther's jour ey. The other mistake occurs near the bottom of the first column, page 518. On referring to the original, I found two words omitted in the passage alluded to: It should be read thus, What a cruell sprite our common adversary is. We nede, &c.'

(In this date there is a mistake, LX. being put for XL.) It ought to be 15 16. U

More over than thys, as dyverse and manyfolde daungerouse doubtes of publyque parels, have oft tymes chanced unto us, we have alwayes founde hym stronge and myghtye stomaked, and never cowardlye harted, nor yet terryfyed with wordlye sorowes. Heevermore set hande upon the most sure anker. His trust was in the onlye helpe of God, and had allwayes to stand by him a fayth invyncyble.

Farthermore thys specyall grace he had, to see verye farre in thynges of great wayght or daunger, and wyselye aforehande to seke out the best remedyes. Neyther was he, as manye men have supposed, neg ligent in consyderacyon of the publyque welthe, nor yet in knowlege wherunto men hath therin bene enclyned. But he perfyghtlye knewe what was most commodyouse therunto, and most warily perceyved and consydered the polycyes and conjectures of hys owne eytiezens and though he were most quyck of wytt, yet trusted he not all to that, but affectuouslye read the ecclesyastyck wrytynges both olde and newe, sacred and prophane, with other hystoryes and chronycles, whose clere examples he proponed in all that was to be done.'

Extract from The Christen Sermon made at the Buryall of the Honorable Doctour Martyne Luther, by Doctor Johan Pomerane, the chefe Pastoure of the Churche of Wittemberge. toure of the Churche of Wittemberge,

Anno Domini 1546. Translated by Johan Bale.'

Now have our dere father here obtayned that he longe had in desyre. Wherefor if he wer now agayne amonge us he wolde ernestlye rebuke our present mournynges with these wordes of Christ, Joan. 14. If ye love me, ye wolde trulye rejoice in my most profytable passage unto God my eternall father, or at the least be contented with my perpetuall felycyte and quyett. Christ hath for us overcomen the deathe, why shoulde we than anye

more feare the stynge therof? Non other is the deathe of our bodyes now, than an entraunce of a lyfe contynuall through Jesus Christ our Lorde, whych was for us a most precyouse sacryfyce.

I yet remember it wele, that I ofttymes hearde thys blessed man Doctour Luther saye, as he behelde anye faythfull persone peaceablye depart hens in Christes belefe, The eternal God of heaven graunt me at hys tyme appoynted, so plesauntlye to pass hens into the bosome of Christ my redeemer, and that my bodye be not longe vexed with the terrours of deathe. Notwithstandynge yet Gods wyll be fulfylled in that matter.

In thys unyversyte now of late yeares Mastre Ambrose Bernarde, a man sober, wyse, vertuouse, and soch a one as loved Christ intyrlye, chaunced (as ye knowe) certayne dayes afore he dyed, to be sicke and to keep hys bedde; yet felte he no sore grefe of hys syckenesse, but semed by and by therin transfourmed, as it had bene into another lyfe. For he spoke unto us most solacyouslye and plesauntlye, that he wolde rejoyce with us, as one neyther felynge of deathe nor yet dyscase. He coulde not feare the deathe, for he felte nothynge therof. And ever as mencyon was made of Christ, from the verye hart he rejoyced and sayd, that grace, helthe, and mercye from God the everlastynge father, hath onlye chaunced to us by hys most meke sufferynges. An unspekable love had he unto Christ and alwayes called upon God the father in only sprete and veryte.

As mencyon was made of hys dere wyfe and children, or of hys possessyons, rentes, and dettes owynge hym, he was so ignoraunt in all soch causes, as they never had bene knowne to hym. Us at all tymes he knewe as we communed of Christ, and named us by our names. He talked joyfullye, yea he both dallyed and laughed, but all was in spirytuall thynges; so that

a man not throughlye knowinge the matter, wolde have thought hym never to have bene worldlye-wyse in hys lyfe, neyther yet to have nede of hys bedde at that houre. In thys innocencye did the Lorde Jesus Christ take hym hens, most plesauntlye and swetelye, without other paynes to all our syght. So that havynge knowledge of the Christen fay the, with the intyre love of God and hope of the lattre resurreccyon, he neyther felte doloure nor deathe, neyther tasted it nor yet saw it. As Christ sayth Joan. 8. He that observeth my worde, shall never beholde deathe, but plesauntlye passe hens from deathe unto lyfe.

And though all godlye belevers do not so peaceablye depart as did thys Ambrose, but have great paynes and suffre great anguyshes, as did on the crosse the dere sonne, of God; yet when the extreme houre cometh, they trulye see lyfe and no deathe. As our swete father here did, whych so oft tymes, and so intyrly commended hys sprete into the handes of God; whych graeyouslye hath now delyvered hym from thys lyfe myserable to a lyfe most happye and sure. To him therfor be honoure and glorye worlde without ende. Amen.

'Thys helthsome and merrye hystorie of our Ambrose brought I in here for two causes. First therby sumwhat to mytygate your present dolours for the absens of our father here, whych ye have not without cause. Secundlye for that I see the seyd hystorye so conforme to the matter we have now in hande. Thys Mastre Ambrose was verye nygh of kynne to D. Martyne Luther, whych caused hym oft times to frequent hys, cumpanye both in hys syckenesse and afore. And these were the last wordes that ever he spake unto hym. Mastre Doctour, I thanke yow of your gentyl vysytacyon. I hope as gentlye to vysyte yow agayne where we shall togyther commun of most joyfull causes, And now in dede they maye com.

mun those matters in another lyfe, and holde soch heavenlye felyshypp as they never coulde do here.

The same verye tyme that Doctour Martyne went so from hym, I am well remembred that he sayd thus unto me. This man is surelve gone, though he seme styll here.. For he knoweth no maner of thynge perteynynge to the fleshe nor yet to deathe. When we put hym in mynde of hys matters, he knoweth not the worlde nor yet thys life. He is merye, he joyfullye laugheth, and propoundeth unto us in hys innocent state most wonderfull mysteries. But in the ende he derydeth us. As who shuld saye, fare ye well now, I have no more to do with thys worlde. The Lorde of hys infynyte mercye (sayth he at the last) graunt me soch a gracyouse ende, that in the houre of deathe, I nothynge remembre thys worlde.

In lyke maner at an other season, after the seyd Ambrose was buryed in the yeare of our Lorde M. D. XLII. in the monthe of Januarye, as he one daye passed by, he poynted with hys hande to hys grave, and sayd unto me, Thys man nevther felte hymselfe sycke, neyther yet reckened of deathe, yet was he never without Christes knowledge. Here lyeth he inclosed whych yet knoweth of no deathe. O Lorde Jesus Christ, I besyche thee vouchsave to take me so from thys myserable lyfe. Yea, many tymes sayd thys blessyd father here both to me and to other. Praye unto our most mercyfull father, that he shortlye take me unto hym-for here can I no more do, neyther yet am I, anye longar profytable unto yow. Helpe me hens with your prayers, and prolonge not my lyfe on the earth. Herebye maye ye well perceyve, that he had no great pleasure here, but that hys full desyre was as was Saynt Paules, to be dysolved and with Christ. He sange hys consummatum longe aforre he departed, commyttynge hys sowle to the handes of God.