quit Lutheranism, in which he had been bred, and enter the Roman Church, where that succession was preserved amidst numerous corruptions. There were be sides several other particulars in the Lutheran faith and practice, which he could not reconcile to the doctrines and customs of the purer ages of Christianity. Being confirmed in his resolution, he presented to the electoral college at Samland, in Prussia, a memorial containing the reasons for the measure he was about to take in 1695; and then leaving Koningsberg, he set out for some Catholic country to put his design into execution. While he was on the road, he was overtaken by a messenger with three answers to his memorial, drawn up by three Prussian divines, in obedience to the orders of the elector of Brandenburg. The perusal of these papers weakened his resolution of embracing Popery, and he went to Berlin, where he had a conference with Philip James Spener, ecclesiastical counsellor to the Elector, who informed him, that he need not go among the Papists for the object he desired, since the visible and uninterrupted succession had been carefully preserved in England, as well as the other points, the want of which he lamented in the Lutheran communion. It is rather surprising that Grabe had not discovered this before, when he was so anxious and inquisitive upon the subject; but as the bent of his studies was almost, if not solely, upon the early history and constitution of the Church, he might consider all Protestants as in the same predicament, and labouring under the same deficiency, especially as the Reformation began with Luther.

However, on receiving this information, Grabe gladly altered his mind, and resolved to go to England, where being well recommended, King William settled upon him a pension of one hundred pounds a-year.

On observing the constitution of the Anglican Church, he was convinced of its conformity to the primitive standard, and though he lamented that the establishment as settled by Edward VI. had not been minutely retained in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, yet he gladly joined her communion, and was ordained deacon and priest.

In 1698 he published "Spicilegium SS. Patrum, &c." or a collection of the lesser works and fragments, rarely to be met with, of the fathers and hereticks of the three

first centuries: induced thereto, as he expressly declared, by the consideration, that there could be no better expedient for healing the divisions of the Christian Church than to reflect on the practice and opinions of the primitive fathers. Upon the same principle he printed Justin Martyr's Apology, in 1700, which was spoken contemptibly of by Thirlby in his edition of that father, 1722, and smartly defended by the authors of the Acta Eruditorum Lipsiæ. In 1702 our author published the works of Irenæus, in folio. On the accession of Queen Anne, whose zeal for the Church of England was sincere and ardent, she took a particular notice of Dr. Grabe, and employed him to print the Septuagint from the Alexandrian MS. in the Royal Library. To enable him to do this, she increased his pension. This was an undertaking of peculiar difficulty, but such as well suited the taste and industry of this indefatigable scholar. In the mean time he employed such hours as were necessary for relaxation, in editing other works of principal esteem. In 1705 he gave a beautiful edition of Bishop Bull's Works, in folio, with notes, on which occasion he received a letter from that excellent Prelate, in which he says: "If my poor labours hereafter prove useful to the Church of God, a great share of the thanks due from men, and of the gracious reward of our good and merciful God, will be justly your's. I wish I were able to make you some sensible effectual requital; but my poor circumstances, are such, that I can return you nothing but my prayers to God that he would reward you abundantly in this life and that which is to

come

*"

Grabe also about this time revised the Scholia to Gregory's folio edition of the Greek Testament, printed at Oxford.

From his first arrival in England he had resided a great part of his time in that University, with which he was exceedingly delighted. Besides the Bodleian Library, there he met with several learned persons of his own turn of mind, among whom he found that freedom of converse and communication of studies which is inseparable from fine scholars, so that now he was grown into universal esteem, and was every where caressed. * Nelson's Life of Bishop Bull, p. 498.

The Alexandrian MS. was the principal object of his labour. He examined it with his customary diligence; and comparing it with a copy from that of the Vatican at Rome, he found it in so many places preferable to it, that he resolved to print it as soon as possible. In 1705 he issued proposals for printing it by subscription, accompanying the same with a particular account of its superiority over the Vatican MS. and three specimens. This year he received the degree of D.D. from the University of Oxford, on which occasion Dr. Smalridge, as Regius Professor, paid a very handsome, but just, compliment to his learning and merit. The success he experienced in this noble design was abundantly answerable to his wishes: besides the Queen's bounty, he received a present from the King of Prussia, and subscriptions poured in upon him from all parts. Nor did he abuse this confidence and encouragement. The first tome of this important work came out in 1707, at Oxford, in folio and octavo. This volume contained the Octateuch, and his design was to print the rest according to the tenour of the MS. but for want of some materials to complete the historical and prophetical books, he chose rather to break that order, and to expedite the work as much as possible.

In the mean time his attention was in some measure taken off by his being obliged to engage in controversy, and that on a subject remote from the great work in which he was engaged. Mr. William Whiston in his ebullient zeal to support the rotten cause of Arianism by all the means he could devise, scrupled not to assert that Dr. Grabe was of his opinion respecting the Apostolical Constitutions, the truth and antiquity of which he fully admitted. This calumny the Doctor neglected to notice for some time, but finding that it gained credit, and was likely to turn to his prejudice, he thought it necessary to clear himself of an aspersion which affected his orthodoxy. He therefore published" An Essay upon two Arabic MSS. in the Bodleian Library, and that ancient book called the Doctrine of the Apostles, which is said to be extant in them, wherein Mr. Whiston's mistakes, about both, are plainly proved,” 8vo. 1711.

At this time we find him labouring not only under bodily fatigue, but also pecuniary embarrassments, of

which the following letter to his great friend and patron, Harley, Earl of Oxford, is a proof; and as it shews the peculiar delicacy and integrity of his mind, it is here given entire.

66 MY LORD,

"I find my constitution by the continual labours which I have undergoue these fourteen years, so much weakened, and my health so much impaired, that within these four months I have had three fits of illness; of the last of which I am not yet fully recovered. Now these, as well as other accidents, have caused to me more than ordinary expences this last year, and made me (receiving nothing of her Majesty's pension in twelve months) run into debts, amounting to fourscore and odd pounds. Of these I have paid, indeed, last week, a part out of the last Michaelmas quarter's pension, which a friend received for me at Whitehall; but since I owe still about threescore pounds (which debt makes me, under those frequent monitions of mortality, very uneasy, and ashamed to see some of my creditors;) and since, the physician thinks it absolutely necessary for the recovery of my health, that I should go without any delay to the Tunbridge Wells, which journey will occasion still more expences, I humbly beg your Lordship, that you would be pleased to order the payment of the three last quarters, in all 75 pounds, now to be made to me, either by Mr. Godfrey, at Mr. Compton's office, where I receive my pension, or at the Exchequer; which afterwards, when the pension-money is paid into the said office, may deduct this sum advanced unto me, and I may pay then to Mr. Godfrey and his clerk their dues. I hope after two or three days to go abroad to the other part of the town, and will make then bold to wait either upon your Lordship for an answer to this my humble request, or upon my Lord Harley; of whom, besides, I intend to hear what day he will be pleased, together with my Lord Duplin, to take a view of the Alexandrian manuscript, which I have copied out entirely some time ago, but cannot give the remainder entirely to the press, for reasons which I will not trouble your Lordship with at present.

"I recommend your Lordship to the grace of Almighty God, heartily wishing that as he has delivered and exalted you to the highest degree of honour, so he may

satisfy

satisfy you with a long life, and at last shew you his satisfaction.

I remain, with the most profound respect,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's most humble servant,

In St. Paul's Church Yard,

August 22, 1711.

JOHN ERNEST GRABE,"

His Lordship not only gratified him in what he desired, but to shew his great value and esteem for him, and for fear so great a man should want any necessary comfort of the things of this world, in such a gloomy season of sickness, he sent him a supply of fifty pounds from his own bounty*.

The death of this truly great and conscientious man was hastened by a bruise which he received in his side, in his last journey to Oxford, in the stage coach, and this being neglected, proved fatal to him November

12, 1712.

His remains were interred in Westminster Abbey, where a marble monument, with his effigy at full length, was erected to his memory at the sole expence of the Earl of Oxford.

Dr. Grabe had so great a zeal for primitive doctrine and order, that he formed the noble plan, and made some progress in it, of restoring episcopacy in Prussia, where also he proposed introducing a liturgy agreeable to the English. By such a method he was in hopes of uniting Protestants together upon the only sound basis, and thereby of effectually weakening the influence of Popery. He left a number of manuscripts behind him, which he bequeathed to Dr. Hickes, who published one of them under this title, "Some Instances of the Defect and Omissions in Mr. Whiston's Collections of Testimonies, from the Scriptures and the Fathers against the true Deity of the Holy Ghost, and of misapplying and misrepresenting divers of them, by Dr. Grabe. To which is premised, a Discourse, wherein some account is given of the learned Doctor, and his MSS. and of this short Treatise found among his English MSS. by George Hickes, D.D. 1712." Svo. There were two other Tracts