return to Heidelberg in 1610, being examined on all points of religion before the Duke of Deux Ponts, administrator of the electorate, and several other persons of distinction, answered very judiciously, and in Latin.

Alting was one of the persons appointed to attend the young elector into England, in 1612; where he became acquainted with George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. King, Bishop of London, and Dr. Hackwell, Preceptor to the Prince of Wales, and had also the honour of conversing with King James. The marriage between the elector and the princess of England being solemnized at London, in February 1613, Alting left England, and arrived at Heidelberg on the first of April. In the following August, he was appointed professor of the commonplaces of divinity; and as he could not preside in the disputes without being a doctor of divinity, he took that degree in November, with the usual ceremonies. In 1616, he had a troublesome office conferred upon him, which was the direction of the collegium sapientia of Heidelberg. In 1618, he was offered the second professorship of divinity, vacant by the death of Coppenius, which he refused, but obtained it for Scultetus.

He greatly distinguished himself for his learning at the Synod of Dort, when he was sent there with two other deputies of the palatinate. It was at this time that the University of Leyden had the power of conferring the degree of doctor restored to them, which they had suffered to be extinguished. John Polyander, professor in Leyden, was first created licentiate in divinity by Alting, and afterwards doctor by Scultetus; by which means he became invested with the power of conferring the degree of doctor upon his colleagues. Alting entertained great expectations upon his return to Heidelberg, the elector palatine having gained a crown by the troubles of Bohemia; but this successful beginning was soon followed by a dreadful change; Count Tilli took Heidelberg by storm, in September 1622, and allowed his soldiers to commit all manner of devastations. Alting had a miraculous escape; for being met by a soldier, he was stopped by him in this manner: I have killed with these hands ten men to-day; and 'doctor Alting should make the eleventh, if I could find 'him: Who are you?' Doctor Alting answered, “that "he was schoolmaster at the collegium sapientia." The soldier did not understand this, and so let him escape. He retired to his family, which he had removed some time before to Heilbron, and met them at Schorndoff, but he

was

was allowed to stay there only a few months. He went with his family to Embden, in 1623, and from thence to wait upon the King of Bohemia at the Hague, who retained him to instruct his eldest son, and would not allow him to accept of the church of Embden, the parish of which solicited him to be their minister; nor of the professorship of divinity, which the University of Franeker offered him, upon the death of Sibrant Lubbert. This prince, however, gave him leave, the year following, to accept of a professorship of divinity at Groningen, which he entered upon the sixteenth of June 1627, and kept it till his death. He did indeed intend, in 1633, to quit Groningen for Leyden, but it was upon condition, that the States of Groningen gave their consent, which they refused to do. It is certain, likewise, that he listened to the proposals which Prince Lewis Philip offered him in 1634, of going to re-establish the University of Heidelberg, and the churches of the palatinate; he went as far as Francfort, amidst a thousand dangers, but the battle of Norlingen, gained by the imperialists, having rendered this undertaking abortive, he was obliged to return through many bye-roads to Groningen; and it does not appear that he had afterwards any thoughts of removing to any other place.

The last years of his life proved very painful, being afflicted with grief and bodily distempers. He was so affected with the death of his eldest daughter in 1639, that he fell into a deep melancholy, which threw him into a quartan ague; of this he was cured with great difficulty, but not perfectly, for the remains of it turned to a dangerous lethargy in 1641. The physicians had scarce removed this distemper by their utmost skill and art, when meeting with a fresh domestic affliction, it threw him into a worse state of health than ever; for he lost his wife in 1643, and never after could get the better of his melancholy. From this time to the day of his death, his infirmities continued to increase.

In his last sickness, the excellent Dr. Maresius visiting him, Alting, in the most friendly manner, congratulated him as his designed successor." It much rejoices me, (said "he) that I shall leave to the church and university one,

who is studious of peace, orthodox in judgment, and "averse to novelties: And I require you, that, as you "have ever maintained friendship with myself, you "would do the like with mine, whom I shall leave "behind."

The

The day before his death, he sang the hundred and thirtieth Psalm, with great sense of God's presence and love, and passed the rest of his time in meditation and prayer. In the evening, he blessed his children; and the next morning, finding within himself that his departure was at hand, he told those about him, that before sun-set he should depart, and be with the Lord. Grounding his faith on the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, with the promises of his Gospel, and strengthened and comforted by the gracious influence of the Holy Ghost, he waited for death without any apparent fear; but bade those about him farewell, expressing his readiness and desire to be dissolved and to be with his Master. At length, in the presence of many learned and pious friends and relations, he yielded up his spirit without the least struggling, and quietly departed, August the twenty-fifth, 1644.

He was a man of great worth. The books he wrote shew his learning and the application he gave to the discharge of his academical duties; and we have many proofs of his public spirit and benevolence to mankind. Whilst he lived, he went yearly to wait upon the King of Bohemia, and to inspect the studies of the royal family. He was extremely active in raising the collections which were made throughout all the protestant countries for the churches of Germany, and chiefly of the palatinate: He acted also as one of the three distributors of the collections from England; and was almoner to Lewis de Geer. He was also employed in two other important commissions; one was in the revisal made at Leyden of the New Dutch translation of the Bible, and the visitation of the county of Steinfurt: In the first office he had colleagues, but he was sole general inspector in the second, the Count of Bentheim having sent for him to make inquisition against Socinianism, which the country was threatened with, and to establish good order in the churches. Alting, as we are told in his elogy, was no quarrelsome divine: He did not spend his time in trifling insignificant scruples; he was not fond of novelty, but zealous for the ancient doctrine; an enemy to the subtilties of the schools, and one who kept close to the Scriptures.

The Books which he published are these: I. Nota in decadem problematum Johannis Behm de glorioso Dei et beatorum cælo. Heidelberga, 1688. II. Loci communes cum didactici, tum elenctici. III. Problemata, tam theoretica quam practica. IV. Explicatio catecheseos Palatina cum vindiciis ab Arminianis et Socinianis. Amst. 1646. 3 vols. V. Exegesis

V. Exegesis Augustana confessionis, una cum syllabo con

troversiarum Lutheranarum. Amst. 1647. VI. Methodus

theologia didactica et catechetica. Amst. 1650. They were published together in three tomes, with this title: Scripta Theologica Heidelbergensia. VII. Theologia His torica. 1664, 4to.

WILLIAM TWISSE, D.D.

THIS learned and very laborious divine was born at Speenham-Land, near Newbury, in Berkshire; his father was a substantial clothier in that town, and educated his son at Winchester school, from whence, at the age of eighteen, he was translated to New college in Oxford, of which he was fellow. Here he employed himself in the study of logic, then of philosophy, and afterwards of divinity, with the closest application, for sixteen years together.

In the year 1604, he proceeded master of arts; about the same time he entered into holy orders, and became a diligent and frequent preacher: He was admired by the university for his subtle wit, exact judgment, exemplary life and conversation, and for many other valuable quali ties, which became a man of his function.

In the year 1614, he proceeded doctor of divinity, after having given abundant proof both of his learning and industry, in his lectures and disputations, as well as in transcribing and judiciously correcting the writings of the famous Dr. Thomas Bradwardine, Archbishop of Canterbury, which were to be published by Sir Henry Saville. He was esteemed a popular preacher in the university; and though some thought his discourses a little too scholastic, yet they were accompanied with power, and followed with success.

He was called upon at this time to preach a sermon on a day appointed, for the baptizing a Jew, who taught many of the students Hebrew, and deceived many of the doctors in the university, especially Dr. Lake, provost of New college, by pretending to be converted to Christianity; but the day before he was to have been baptized, having filled his purse, he ran away: However, being pursued and brought back, Dr. Twisse, the next day, laid aside the sermon he had studied, upon a supposition that the Jew

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