apartment, was soon too small for him, and he therefore besought Olearius, then rector of the University, to allow him the use of a public hall. Olearius willingly granted him the desired permission; but in a short time the new place was so crowded, that many of his hearers were obliged to stand outside the door and at the windows. The public lectures which Franké held at the request of Dr. Möbius, dean of the faculty, called lectiones cereales, in which he expounded the second Epistle of Paul to Timothy, were attended by almost three hundred hearers. At the same time, the Collegia Philobiblica, which Franké had commenced with other divines, were still continued, but in a different spirit. Franké also suffered those students who had made considerable progress, to give practical addresses under his superintendence upon passages of Scripture, principally from the Epistle to Titus. Franké was particularly attached at that time to Joachim Langè, the younger brother of his Hamburgh friend, and afterwards professor of divinity in Hallé ; whom Franké at the urgent request of the elder brother had taken under his immediate inspection. "I took great delight," writes he concerning him, "in his excellent abilities, persevering diligence, and love to the word of God; but on his coming to take up his abode with me, thought probably of nothing so little, as that I was receiving my future colleague into my apartments.”

Franke's unwearied labors at Leipzig were likewise accompanied by the divine blessing. On his requesting of Dr. Olearius the use of one of the public halls, the latter embraced him, and said with tears in his eyes, that he saw the benefit of the Collegia Philobiblica in his own son, (Godfrey Olearius, after

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wards professor of divinity in Leipzig,) who before attending them, had excited little hope; but since that time had become quite another man, and had likewise awakened his whole family. And there were many instances of a similar nature. "The divine blessing, says Franké,” “manifested itself more and more in the hearers, so that many were cordially converted to God, and prosecuted their theological studies on a firm basis." And in another place,' he says, “I praise my heavenly Father, that I am sufficiently assured and convinced, that many have really and sincerely repented, have denied all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and begun to live soberly, righteously, and godly; and for this reason have endured with a christian spirit, the ridicule of other students, who obstinately persevered in their sins." Franké was also quite the person to be employed as such an instrument in the hands of God. In the honourable tribute paid to his memory by the academical senate of Hallé, it is said of him with reference to his labours in Leipzig, "His mind, which besides the imparted and indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, was furnished with the natural gifts of an awakened understanding and correct judgment, was improved by sanctified erudition and manifold attainments, as well as adorned by uprightness of conduct, according to the word of God and the example of Christ. To this was added the peculiarly pleasing manner of his outward deportment, by which he the more easily excited love and esteem in others, the more he kept himself at a distance from all vain conformity to the world, and was able to preserve himself in christian seriousness. Besides this, God had gifted him with a natural and unaffected eloquence, and by grace,

with a very distinguished and particular cheerfulness, in order that he might thus the more usefully apply his excellent and abundant gifts. As often therefore, as he stood forth to speak, thus qualified, attentive hearers were not only affected, but also powerfully impelled to approve, especially when in the fulness of holy excitement, he began powerfully to urge their conviction and amendment upon them, and applied the word to their hearts in such a manner, as if he were unwilling to cease and desist until he had gained them."

But that opposition which Franké had foreseen, now began to manifest itself in Leipzig. It excited the envy of some, that one, who was only beginning to be a teacher, should have such a numerous auditory; for not only did many of the students attend his lectures, but also many of the towns-people. He was severely censured for using the German instead of the Latin language in his biblical lectures. It was taken amiss of him that he represented the way of salvation as not very easy. He was accused of pride, for pretending, though still a young man, to be better acquainted with the way of salvation than those that were older and more learned than himself. He was accused of teaching erroneous doctrines ; was termed a separatist, and the head of a new sect of pietists. He was accused of hypocrisy, because they could not comprehend how any one could follow after holiness with his whole heart: and other charges were brought against him of a similar nature.

1" Daily experience," says Franké, "teaches, that nothing more is required to be termed a pietist, than that the individual take to heart the word of God, acknowledge the saving grace of God which hath appeared unto all men, deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world. Let any one

In consequence of these accusations, a commission was appointed to investigate the matter, which sat from the 4th to the 14th of October, 1689, and Franké with several others was examined. However, he was declared guiltless of the charge, notwithstanding the theological faculty, the Leipzig clergy, and the consistory, as regards the majority of their members, were against him. In order to prevent fresh censures, he wrote an apology, and obtained a legal opinion on the subject from Christian Thomasius, who was at that time in Leipzig. The question was at length limited to this; whether masters of arts should be permitted to read theological lectures? This was negatived by the theological faculty, whilst Franké maintained, that his lectures ought by no means to be regarded as theological; for he investigated merely the literal meaning of scripture, without touching upon theolo~ gical polemics, and the addition of that which might contribute to edification and improvement was free to all Christians on every occasion. Notwithstanding this, his lectures were prohibited by the theological faculty in 1690, after which he only read a few lectures, with the consent of the philosophical faculty, and soon afterwards left Leipzig, never to return.

In Advent of the year 1689, he had already made some little excursions into Mansfeld and Altenburg, where privy-councillor Von Seckendorf became acquainted with him, and received him with great kindness: also to Zeitz, Jena, and Erfurt, and from make the attempt, and begin to do this in good earnest, whilst turning with his whole heart to God, and then see whether the world will not brand him as a pietist. So great is the blindness of the mass of Christians, that true repentance and serious conversion to God is regarded as the setting up of a new religion, professing a new creed, and adhering to a new sect. I desire no new religion, but a new heart."

thence to his family at Gotha. He was invited to preach at most of these places: twice in Gotha, at St. Augustine's church and at court; by which means, as well as by his edifying conversation, he brought many to true conversion. On returning to Leipzig in the beginning of 1690, he continued to labour as much as adverse circumstances would permit, until he was called away, shortly afterwards, to Lübeck, by the death of his maternal uncle. He there also preached a few times, on invitation, with visible success. After settling his affairs in Lübeck, he was on the point of returning the third time to Leipzig, when he was invited by the congregation of St. Augustine's church in Erfurt, to preach them a sermon. This invitation being entirely unsought, seemed to him to be the finger of God, which he felt bound to follow. He preached at Erfurt, and was immediately chosen one of the preachers of that church, in June, 1690.

At Erfurt, Franké found in Dr. Breithaupt a likeminded friend. Both preached with power and energy the same doctrine-that a mere outwardly moral walk is by no means the characteristic of a true Christian; but that on the contrary, everything depended upon the renewal of the whole inner man; and that the corrupt human heart must become thoroughly sanctified and rendered fruitful to the bringing forth of inward and outward holiness by living faith in the Redeemer. A great multitude

crowded to hear Breithaupt's sermons, and a still greater number attended Franké's preaching, many of whom came from the parts adjacent. Amongst them were also several Romanists, and as they thereby attained to newness of life, many became more indif