A Century of Sermons

SERVE GOD AND BE CHEAREFVLL

A TABLE Directing to the TEXTS of SCRIPTURE handled in the following SERMONS.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE and DEATH OF THE AUTHOR.

T HE Son of Sirach, a renowned Preacher in his Generation, has given us counsel to commend Famous Men, and our Fathers of whom we are begotten; and in the close of his excellent Book has presented us with a large Catalogue of them, together with an Encomium of their Actions, whose remembrance (says he) is sweet as Honey in all Mouths, and pleasant as Music at a Banquet of Wine.

St. Paul has directly imitated the Son of Sirach, and enumerated many ancient Heroes, not without a due Commemoration; and farther given us a Precept, To remember our Governors, or Guides in the Christian Faith, holy Bishops and Martyrs after their death, as appears plainly by the following words, whose faith follow, considering the end of their Conversation.

Accordingly in the Primitive times the Bishops of Rome took care that the lives and actions of all holy Men and Martyrs especially should be recorded; For this purpose public Notaries were appointed by S. Clement, say some, though Platina first ascribes their institution to Anterus; whose Records were far more large than the present Roman Martyrology, or that of Bede and Usuardus, or the Menologue of the Greeks, which for the most part contain only the Names and Deaths of the Martyrs; but those were a Narrative of their whole Lives and Doctrines, and Speeches at large, their 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , famous Acts and Sufferings for the Christian Faith; which were also read sometimes in their Religious Assemblies for the encouragement of others, and are said to have converted many to the Christian Faith. But these long since perished through the malice and cruelty of Dioclesian, in those fires which consumed their Bodies and their Books together.

Afterwards, when Christian Religion reflourished, the Christian Church resumed these Studies again. St, Ambrose did right to the memory of Theodosius, Paulinus of St. Ambrose, Nazianzen to Athanasius, St. Jerome to Nepotian, Possidonius to St. Austin, Amphilochius to St. Basil, St. Jerome and Gennadius wrote of all Ecclesiastical Writers and illustrious men in the Christian Church from the beginning of it to their own times. And after all these, there wanted not Martyrologers and Writers of Lives, but such as perhaps we had better have wanted than enjoyed their Writings; insomuch that a great Lieutenant under the Papal Standard durst affirm, that the Stories of the Heathen Captains and Philosophers were more excellently written then of Christ's own Apostles and Martyrs: For those were done so notably, that they were like to live forever, whereas the lives of many Saints in the Christian Church were so corruptly and shamefully pen'd, that they could no way advantage the Reader; so that at this day we have two things to bewail, not only that we have lost the true reports of the Primitive Christians, but likewise that the lives of the Saints we have remaining, have not been written by Saints and true men, but by liars, who have stufft their fastidious Writings with so many prodigious Tales, as are more apt to beget infidelity than faith, and all honest and judicious men are ashamed and grieved to read them.

For my own part I intend not in this tumultuary haste to write an absolute Life of the Author, or recollect all his Actions praise-worthy, but only for satisfaction of some importunate friends, to represent quaedam 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , some few Memoirs and Passages of his Life, which I have received from his Lordships most intimate acquaintance, and for the most part from his own reports. Tecum etenim longos memini consumere Soles! and in them am resolved to sacrifice to Truth, and not to Affection; to the glory of God, and not to human fame: to write nothing false or fictitious, nor things true in an hyperbolical and flaunting manner, as in a Panegyric; but only a Breviary of his most active and industrious life, where the truth shall be recited without false Idea 's and representations, and his Lordship made to appear what really he was, both in his Divine virtues, and human passions.

And though I am likely to do all this with very small Acumen and judgment, yet I hope with true zeal, and sincere affection to the glory of God, and honor of the Church of England. The Members of which Church have been reputed of all others the slackest to celebrate their own Worthies, partly I conceive from the humility and modesty of their Principles and Education, partly from the great multitude of incomparable Scholars therein to be commemorated, that such labors would be almost infinite. For which reason the Dypticks of the Ancient Church were likewise laid aside, when Religion was settled, and Christians grew numerous. But yet if the Divines of the Church of England lived elsewhere we may well conjecture what Books the World should have had of their learning and piety: For who sees not the many Volumes of Lives daily published by others, wherein ample Commendations are given to idleness, popularity, and very ordinary deservings; After an impartial reading thereof, I cannot but think that our Own Church has far better Subjects and matter to write upon, if we that survive wanted not ability or affection to maintain our own Cause, and publish the Merits of our departed Worthies to the World.

Therefore out of Emulation partly, and shame from a foolish Nation, as St. Paul says, but much more out of a profound sense of the Duty I owe to the Memory of this renowned Prelate, and most of all out of hope of stimulating posterity to the imitation of the virtues of better times, I have taken care to give the World this Account of our Author, and not to permit his Books to be buried (as it were) in the Grave with his Body, mortal and immortal to descend together into the same Land of oblivion.

Though it be no real Prerogative, but an accidental and contingent thing, How we are born after the flesh, yet it is commendable to search into the Beginning and Causes of such things as we would thoroughly know, and therefore the Extract and Parentage of learned and great men is usually inquired after in the first place.

John Hacket was born in the Parish of St. Martins in the Strand, near Exeter House, upon September 1. Anno Domini 1592. in the happy Reign of Queen Elizabeth, of honest and virtuous Parents, and of good reputation in that place, his Father being then a Senior Burgess of Westminster, and afterwards belonging to the Robes of Prince Henry; descended from an ancient Family in Scotland, which reteins the Name to this day. His Father and Mother were both true Protestants, great lovers of the Church of England, constant repairers to the Divine Prayers and Service thereof, and would often bewail to their young Son after the coming in of their Countrymen with King James, the seed of Fanaticism then laid in the scandalous neglect of the Public Liturgy, which all the Queens time was exceedingly frequented, the people then resorting as devoutly to Prayers as they would afterwards to hear any famous Preacher about the Town; And his aged Parents often observed to him, that Religion towards God, justice and love amongst Neighbors gradually declined with the disuse of our Public Prayer.

In our Bishops opinion Parentage alone added little to any man, no more than if we should commend the Stock of a Tree when we cannot commend the Fruit, Mirari in trunco quod in fructu non teneas, who held that the glory of our Forefathers reflected upon us, was but Color intentionalis, like the sparkling color of wine upon fair Linnen, or as the Sea-green and Purple in the Rainbow, which are not real colors, but mere shadows and reflections: And that never was Pedegree so well set out as that of Noah: These are the Generations of Noah, Noah was a just man, &c. And in like manner our Blessed Savior commends his Forerunner John the Baptist, not so much for his Honorable Descent, and Miraculous Conception, as for his pious and laborious Ministry, in turning many to Righteousness. This was agreeable to our Bishop 's mind, in comparison whereof he little valued all other Titles of Honor

But in his discourse he would often give God thanks for the place he was born in, viz. that he was born an Englishman, and especially in the City of London. He was indeed a great lover of his own Nation, little England (as he would term it) the sweetest spot of all the Earth, and say that the City of London was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the very England of England, Urbs Urbium, and wish the Country were a little more sprinkled with her Flour; for in his Travels he had discerned in places remote a Northern rigor and churlishness among our Villagers, wanting that Southern sleekness that was usually found in Cities and great Towns, the Metropolis especially. And though there is no place but has in some Age been enlightened with some famous Luminary; The Prophet Jonas was born in Galilee, out of which said the Pharisees, there arises no Prophet. Yet withal it was observed, in Scythia there was never born but one Philosopher, but in Athens all were such: So in all parts of England there have been learned men born, but in London innumerable; and therefore once in a pleasant discourse between Him and a learned Friend, who were reckoning up the Country, where many Scholars were born, and could not presently tell what Countryman Mr. L. was, the Bishop merrily said, As the Rabbins believed when ever any great Prophet was named in Scripture, and the place of his Birth not named, that it was in Jerusalem; so he would take it for granted, by the like parity of reason, since Mr. L's Country was unknown, he must needs be born in London.

Yet in his judgment it was but a small luster likewise, that the Place where any Man was Teem'd could cast upon him, but he ought rather to give Luster to it; for Places did not conciliate Honor to Men, but Men to Places; and that little Hippo was more ennobled by great St. Austin, than great St. Austin by little Hippo. And therefore he never rejoiced so much for the City or Country wherein he was born, as for the Churches sake wherein he was baptized and born again; which of all others to his dying day he most loved and admired; and accordingly he would often render hearty thanks to God that his Birth and Breeding was in a Reformed Church, and of all others the most prudent and exact according to the Doctrine of holy Scripture, and the Primitive Pattern; that would neither continue in the Fulsom Superstitions of the Roman Church, nor in Reforming be born down with the violent Torrent as some others were.

But from these lesser Circumstances of his Birth, let us therefore proceed to those of his Education and Breeding, which are far greater, and do especially make the difference between one man and another; For whereas all by Nature are born alike of the same corrupt Materials, Education only (like the Hand or Wheel of the Potter ) makes us to differ, and become Vessels of Honor or Dishonor. Our Birth from the Womb is not as the Dew of the Morning, fair and pleasant, but tainted like the unwholesome vapors of the Night, with the stench of iniquity, whereby all Youth has a great inclination to Vice and sinful pleasure, and consequently that Age is generally the most riotous and carnal part of our life; but in him it happened quite otherwise, for by the Providence of his pious Parents, and vigilance of a strict School-master, he was well principled and strictly disciplined betimes.

His wise Parents were extreme careful of him, for he was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the only Son and Staff of both their Ages, in whom all their hopes were reposed. Omnis in Ascanio chari stat cura parentis; and having received him in their old Age from God, they were resolved in his early youth to devote him to God again; and therefore never suffered him to lose any time, but being very small and young, entered him into the Kings School at Westminster; where from his tender years he acquired an habit of rising betimes, and constant study; All the day long he was attended with the eye of a diligent Master, and at night sufficiently tasqued when he went home, and never permitted to know what idleness or vanity was by his own leisure or experience.

His Master observing his great propensity to learning, would often foretell that there would be nothing insuperable to his good parts, and great diligence withal, and that with those two wings ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as John, Patriarch of Constantinople said of Damascene ) the young Eaglet would in time soar very high.

Of this School he would speak with the greatest respect possible, that it was Musarum Domicilium, virtutis Officina, noble Doctrinae & Pietatis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the most famous Nursery of Learning and learned men who did excel in all Vocations, more fruitful than Ibsan that had thirty Sons and thirty Daughters, or then Solomon's happy Parent, who lived to beget an hundred Children; being of opinion that more learned Scholars had been bred at Westminster School since the Foundation thereof, than in any other Seminary of Learning in England or elsewhere; that one School furnishing two entire Colleges of great size in Cambridge and Oxford, besides whom it does send to other places by way of Superfetation.

A perpetual gratitude he bore to Mr. Ireland his School-master, and would bewail, that generally throughout England no better Stipends were allowed to that Profession, than which none was more necessary in a Commonwealth, and yet in most places it was so slightly provided for, that it was undertaken out of necessity, and only as a step to other Preferment.

In this School he first became known to the incomparable Bishop Andrew's, who, being then Dean of Westminster, in the necessary absence of the Master, would sometimes come into the School and teach the Boys. There that learned and pious Bishop first took notice of this young Scholar for his great diligence, modesty, pregnancy of parts, strong inclination to learning and virtue, which he afterwards constantly cherished both at School and University to his death: On the other side our young Scholar ever rever'd this great Person in loco Parentum, often retired to him for advice in his studies, and ever honor'd him as St. Cyprian did Tertullian, Tanquam Magistrum.

To tell how well he passed the Circuit of that School I need say no more but what his Master Ireland said, at parting, to him and George Herbert, who went from thence to Trinity College in Cambridge by election together, That he expected to have credit by them two at the University, or would never hope for it afterwards by any while he lived; and added withal, that he need give them no counsel to follow their Books, but rather to study moderately, and use exercise; their parts being so good, that if they were careful not to impair their health with too much study, they would not fail to arrive to the top of learning in any Art or Science.

The courtesy of his Election he ever would acknowledge to Doctor Nevill the most Magnificent Master of Trinity College, and Dean of Canterbury, to whom when his Father (though unacquainted) presumed to address in behalf of his Son, he presently bid him spare further speaking to any one, for that Boy should go to Cambridge, or he would carry him upon his own back. So he was removed to Trinity College, Anno 1608. the day before Doctor Playfers Funeral, where he first saw and heard the most Eloquent Mr. Williams, then Fellow of St. Johns, afterwards Lord Keeper, who made the Funeral Oration for him in St. Mary's the second day he wore a Purple Gown.

Oftentimes would our good Bishop, like Plato, give great thanks to God that he was not bred among rude and barbarous people, but among civil and learned Athenians; that he was not disposed of to some Monkish Society, or ignorant Cloister, but to the Greece of Greece itself, the most learned and Royal Society of Trinity College, which in that and all other Ages since the Foundation equalled any other College in Europe for plenty of incomparable Divines, Philosophers, and Orators: He would often make mention of his learned Tutor, Dr. Simson, that wrote the Church History, Dr. Cumber a great Critick, Dr. Richardson Regius Professor, Dr. Nevill very splendid and sumptuous Governor; the great Hebrician and Chronologer Mr. Lively, one of the Translators of the Bible, the famous and most memorable Dr. Whitgift, sometime Master, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, and assert it was almost impossible for any man to continue ignorant under the advantage of so great Examples, and influence of such incomparable Instructers.

Here our young Scholar was quickly taken notice of by the Seniors for his many singular parts of Wit, Memory, skill in Philosophy, subtlety in disputation, excellent knowledge in the Greek and Latin Tongues especially, great sobriety of Life, integrity of Manners, constant diligence at his Book, no day nor hour passing without turning over some Historian, Orator, or Poet, so that his Tutor was forced rather to restrain than to incite him to his study, and would advise him every morning to walk so many turns; yet he would confess sometimes he felt the sleepy humor upon himself; but then his constant rule was, when ever he found himself doubtful, whether to study or loiter, in that indisposition to choose the better part.

The first proofs he gave of his ability in Logic, Philosophy, and Oratory, were so much above the common sort, that his Preferment was soon presaged in that Society, which he obtained by his own merits, without the intercession of Friends to hoist or heave him up. He was chosen Fellow of the College as soon as he became capable by virtue of his first degree, and afterwards grew into that Credit, that he had many Pupils, and of many of the best Families of Gentry in England.

One Month in the long Vacation, retiring with his Pupil, afterwards Lord Byron, into Nottingham-shire for fresh air, there, in absence from all Books, and having no other more serious studies, he made Loyola, which needs no other Commendation than to remember that it was twice acted before King James, and what an ingenious Pen says in a Prologue,

After his return to the College from this Diversion, he began to set himself wholly to the study of Divinity, being egregiously skilled in the preparatory learning of Logic, Physic, Metaphysics, and Ethics, with which he had most largely informed his mind, and adorned his soul; and then as Diers having dipt their Silks in colors of less value do afterwards give them the last Tincture of Crimson in grain: So our young Scholar having given his mind a large dip of Secular Arts and Sciences became more fit for Divine Speculations; therefore though but a very young man, his first Sermons at St. Mary's and at the Vicarage of Trumpington (which he held with his Fellowship) were so singular and like himself, that (as the learned Bishop Creighton told me) the eyes of the whole University were cast upon him as a Star that would be as bright as any in the Constellation beside.

He received his holy Orders by the hands of John King, Bishop of London, in December, Anno 1618. This good Bishop had a singular affection and kindness for him, which he expressed upon all occasions; once by accident his Lordship passed through St. Paul's Cathedral, where old Mr. Hacket was walking (as the custom then was) his Gentleman who attended him, whispered to his Lordship, that the goodly old man, who was walking there, was young Mr. Hackets Father of Trinity College in Cambridge. The Bishop thereupon beckoned him to come to him, and gave him joy of his hopeful Son at Trinity College, and bid him when he wrote commend him likewise to him, and let him know in due time he would be a means to bring them two together again. So the matchless Andrew's, that great Rewarder of all learning and worth, would oftentimes send him Commendations, and Counsel, and Money to buy Books, sometimes ten Pieces at a time. But above all others he was taken notice of by that Renowned Prelate John Williams, Dean of Westminster, and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, Anno 1621. a Prelate of incomparable learning and knowledge, not only in Divinity and the Tongues, but in all Laws, Civil, Canon, and Common, who presently, upon his receiving the Seal, sent for Mr. Hacket of Trinity College, and admitted him to be his Chaplain, whom of all his Chaplains he ever most loved and esteemed. And on the other side our Bishop would to his last breath acknowledge the Bishop of Lincoln to be the most happy Instrument of Divine Providence that made him known to the world, and to his death bore a most grateful memory to his great deserts and dignity, notwithstanding all his eclipses and slanders cast upon him.

When Mr. Hacket was now a great Tutor, and the very Darling of the College, generally beloved, and so contented, as like to have long there continued, my Lord Keeper would have him to his Service, saying withal, As his Majesty King James had been blamed by many for making so young a Keeper: so he expected to be Censured for choosing so young a Chaplain; but his Lordship knew his abilities very well, and would trust nobody with the choice of his Servants but himself.

Two years he spent in the Keepers Service before his time was come to Commence Bachelor in Divinity, but then beg'd leave to go down to Cambridge to keep the Public Act, Anno 1623. upon the two following questions: Judicio Romanae Ecclesiae in Sanctis canonizandis non est standum. Vota Monasticae perfectionis (quae dicuntur) sunt illicita.

The former question was given very seasonably; for the year before, Anno 1622. Pope Gregory XV. had Canonized Ignatius Loyola the Father of the Jesuits, Franciscus Xavier the Indian Apostle, Philip Nereus the General of the Jesuits, and Madam Teresia a Spanish Virtuosa, who had built twenty five Monasteries for men, and seventeen for women.

He cast his Position into three parts: 1. Because the holy Scripture saith, The memory of the Just shall be blessed, that all Canonization of Saints is not to be accounted superstitious, but by Canonization he meant only a public testimony of the Christian Church, of any eximious Members sanctity and glory after death. 2. That this testimony ought to be given by General or Provincial Councils at least of their own Members. 3. By no means to be left to the breast of the Roman Pontiff, and College of Cardinals. 1. Because they especially attended to false qualifications, which they made undoubted signs of Saintship, which were not such. 2. Consequently had already Canonized unworthy persons, not beatified in Heaven, but rather damned in Hell. 3. For perverse and impious ends, which they ever thought to establish by their Canonization. In all these respects the Pope of Rome (who is their Virtual Church,) was apparently a most partial and unmeet Judge, very apt to be imposed upon himself, and likewise to impose upon others.

After his return to the Keepers service he prefer'd him to the Court to be Chaplain to King James, before whom he preached several times, to the great good liking of that most learned King, and once upon the Gowries Conspiracy, for which a Thanksgiving was continued all that Kings Reign upon August 5. and though some people have denied the Treason, yet our good Bishop was assured that the most Religious Bishop Andrew's once fell down upon his knees before King James, and besought his Majesty to spare his customary pains upon that day, that he might not mock God unless the thing were true: the King replied, Those people were much too blame who would never believe a Treason unless their Prince were actually murdered; but did assure him in the Faith of a Christian, and upon the Word of a King, their Treasonable attempt against him was too true.

Anno 24. he was preferred by the Lord Keeper to be Parson of St. Andrew's Holbourn. About 12 at night the Keeper sent to speak with him; when he came, his Lordship told him, he was not then watching for his own study, but for his; The Living of St. Andrew's Holbourn was fallen, and in the Kings disposal, by reason of the minority of Thomas Earl of Southampton, to which upon the mediation of the Bishop he was presented the next morning by King James.

The same year his Lordship procured for him the Parsonage of Cheam in Surrey, fallen likewise into the Kings gift by the promotion of Dr. Senhouse to the Bishopric of Carlisle; the Keeper telling him, that he intended him Holbourn for wealth and Cheam for health; these two Livings being within a small distance, of ten miles, he held till the Troubles came, and though he was a great lover of Residence, and would say Non-residence was never to be excused, but when utility to the Church, or necessity to the Person for his real health or fitting State required it: Yet he would often dispute the necessity of a Country Living for a London Minister to retire to in hot Summer time, out of the Sepulchral air of a Churchyard, where most of them are housed in the City, and found for his own part that by Whitsuntide he did rus anhelare, and unless he took fresh air in the Vacation, he was stopped in his Lungs and could not speak clear after Michaelmas: But upon one of these he was constantly resident, making as few excursions for pleasure or recreation, as any man living, scarce ever absent from both, nor long from either; in so much that his friend Dr. Holdsworth said, Dr. Hacket resided more upon two Livings, than any Puritan (that ever he knew) did upon one; who usually made more idle Sallies and gossiping Visits from their Charge to Markets and Fairs, and of late to attend Committees, and such Secular Employments, than they whom they ejected for non-Residents, did in their attendance at Court or elsewhere.

Our Bishop would declare, that naturally he was disaffected to live either in City or Court, yet it pleased God, against his disposition to bring him into both, who valued rural retirement and repose at his Study above all the Riches and Dignities of the World, and would often therefore recite those words, Come my Beloved let us retire into the Villages, &c. and that unless it were for the service of God, all the world should not hire him to live among Butchers, and Bakers, and Brewers, Tradesmen of all sorts in the narrow Streets of London, where he could not see the Sun but in some few days all Summer: Yet this he willingly yielded to, a great part of the year for the sake of others, knowing with St. Jerome, Sancta simplicitas solùm sibi prodest; Country retirement was good only for himself, but his Place at Holbourn rendered him beneficial to others, and therefore would compare the Contemplative life, spent in Prayer, Study, and Meditation, to Rachel, who was very beautiful, but almost barren; on the other side, an active and laborious one, spent in daily conversation, and holy Ministrations to Mankind, to Leah, who was more fruitful, though less pleasing and fair; and to encourage Divines to this, observed that no less than three of four Evangelists had taken it for their principal Task to record our Savior's Travels and Miracles, going up and down from one City to another, only St. John took the other Subject to recount to us especially our Savior's Meditations and Prayers; and therefore he little valued that commendation of many Popish Saints, for leaving the company of Mankind, and retiring into Deserts, where they could scarce have opportunity at any time to exercise Piety or Charity, which was in his opinion to forsake the Plow, and cast off Christ's Yoke, and embrace idleness, if not pleasure.

At Holbourn he generally resided till the end of Trinity Term, and preached in person upon all the great Feasts of the Church, and all Sundays in Term, when the Judges and Lawyers were in Town, without admitting any supply, and then commonly retired in the long Vacation for health and privacy till Michaelmas Term. Sometimes indeed he would steal out of Town for one Month in the Spring, which he believed no man did so much Epicurize as himself; whoever found a most luscious sweetness in the Month of April, and nothing else so pleasant in this life, as with a Book in his hand to walk and view the fields and flowers, and to observe every blossom how it grew in that delicious season of the year.

In the last year of King James he was named by the King himself to attend an Embassador into Germany, at which he was very glad, being most desirous to travel and be acquainted with learned men abroad, saying, only low souls loved to dwell always at home, but more knowing and Divine (like the Heavens above ) delighted in business and motion; yet upon second thoughts he was dissuaded from the Journey; for having wrote Loyola, he was told, he would never be able to go safe though in an Ambassadors Train.

To the Memory of King James no man living bore greater respect than our Bishop did for his great wisdom, learning, pacifick disposition, and affection to the Church, to which he thought he might be styled a Benefactor equal to Constantine the Great: His Life he long intended to write, and to that purpose the Keeper conferred upon him Mr. Camden 's Manuscript Notes of that Kings Reign, till his own death, Anno 1623. and his dear Friend and fellow Servant, Mr. John St. Amand communicated to him many choice Letters and Secrets of State of his own collection, who in like manner designed the same thing, to whom the Bishop recommended the perfecting thereof: But the melancholy Rust of the Civil War had so eaten into that Gentleman's soul, that it had quite unfitted him, and the Bishop also having lost many of his Books and Papers upon his Sequestration at Holbourn, was made uncapable to proceed farther in it.

And now having spent some time in his Country-solitariness at Cheam, where he had no company but his Books (though formerly he never meant to have entered into a married state) he cast his affection upon a religious and virtuous Gentlewoman, whom he made his Wife. With this secret he had never acquainted his Master the Keeper, and therefore doubted how he would take it; but upon his Lordships first hearing thereof by another hand, he instantly took Coach and made him a Visit, and enjoin'd him only, as ever he had deserved well of him, to requite it unto Her; by her God blessed him with several hopeful Children; but she died Anno 1637. and after some years he was married a second time to a most select, wise, and religious woman by whom likewise he had a second Posterity, and by both lived to see 32 Children and Grandchildren before his death.

Anno 1628. He commenced Doctor of Divinity, when he preached the Morning Sermon upon Herod 's not giving glory to God, and being struck by an Angel, and eaten up of worms; and performed all other Exercises to the admiration of Dr. Collins and all other Professors, who dismissed him to London again with an I Decus I Nostrum! At his return to Holbourn his Fame increased exceedingly, where by indefatigable Study, constant Preaching, exemplary Conversation, and wise Government he reduced that great Parish to a more perfect Conformity than ever they were in before. His Church was not only crowded at Sermons, but well attended upon all occasions of weekly Prayer, and Sacraments celebrated Monthly, besides other times, at which, especially upon the Churches Festivals, not only the whole Body of the Church, but the Galleries would also be full of Communicants; and all things were done in decoro sanctitatis, in the beauty of holiness; few or none would break the public Order and decent Customs of his Church, but the whole Congregation generally rose and sat, fell down or kneel'd, and were uncovered together. He liked Ceremony nowhere so well as in God's House, as little as you would in your own, (was his phrase) but could by no means endure to see in this Complemental Age, men ruder with God than with Men, bow lowly and often to one another, but never kneel to God: He thought Superstition a less sin than Irreverence and Profaneness, and held the want of Reverence in Religious Assemblies amongst the greatest sins of England, and would prove it from many Histories, that a careless and profane discharge of God's Worship was a most sure Prognostick of God's anger, and that Peoples ruin.

When a Stranger Preached for him upon a Sunday, he would often read the Prayers himself, and with that reverence and devotion that was very moving to all his Auditors. And upon Wednesdays and Fridays he would frequently do the like, and thereby engaged many to resort better to them, always assuring them, God would soonest hear our Prayers in the Communion of Saints. Sometimes, when he had occasion to go into the City, and saw slender Congregations at Prayer, he would much wonder at his Countrymen, that had so little love to holy Prayer; but when he heard of any that would not go to Church to Prayer, unless it were accompanied with a Sermon, he would nor scruple to say, he scarce thought them Christians; and never deemed any Divine to be really famous and successful in his Preaching, who could not prevail with his People to come frequently to Sacraments and Prayers.

He was a great lover of Psalmody, and above all a great admirer of David's Psalms, so full of Divine Praises, and of all Religious Mysteries, great helps to Contemplation, apt to beget a Divine Charity, being a perfect supply for all our wants, joyful to Angels, grievous to Devils, filling the heart with spiritual delights, and a kind of representation of the Celestial felicity; That he constantly called upon his People to be present at them, and at all parts of the Churches Prayers; remembering them, that after our Blessed Savior had cast our the Sheep and Oxen, yet he still called His House the House of Prayer, to show that though those Sacrifices were at an end, yet this should never end; and therefore the Apostles themselves after his death resorted to the Temple at the Hours of Prayer.

He ever took great care to procure a grave and able Curate, a Master of Arts at least, for the instruction of the younger sort in the Church Catechism, Visiting of the Sick, Burial of the Dead, Preaching of Funeral Sermons, Christnings and Marriages: These he generally left to the Curate for his Perquisits and better encouragement; and would often complain, that in great Parishes there was not competent maintenance to keep many Curates under the Parish Priest, that might be able to live at the Altar, and better discharge all private and domestic duties of piety, sorrowing that herein Popish Countries were better provided for, who had ten for one that wait at the Altar there more than we have among us; and therefore though he would much recommend daily visiting of the Flock from house to house, yet found it was impossible for one Minister to perform the Public and Private Duties both.

Private Baptisms he would never countenance unless in Cases of necessity, or some great convenience, as being expressly contrary to the Constitutions of our Church, and greatly derogatory to the dignity of the Sacrament, to be dispensed in a Parlour or a Chamber, and not with that Solemnity that our initiation into God's Church required, and therefore greatly commended the Lutherans, who baptized none at home but the sick and the spurious.

Funeral Sermons, though he rarely preached himself, yet he defended them to be no Novelty brought in with the Reformation; for John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, hath one in Print for Henry the Seventh; and in Edward the Sixth his time, an Herse was set up in St. Paul's Church for King Francis the First of France, and a Funeral Sermon likewise preached for him by Dr. Ridley Bishop of Rochester.

While he lived in this Parish, he would give God thanks, he got a good Temporal Estate; Parishioners of all sorts were very kind and free to him; divers Lord's and Gentlemen, several Judges and Lawyers of eminent quality, were his constant Auditors, whom he found like Zenas, honest Lawyers, conscientious to God, and lovers of the Church of England, and very friendly and bountiful to their Minister. Sir Julius Caesar never heard him preach but he would send him a broad Piece; and he did the like to others; and he would often send a Dean or a Bishop a pair of Gloves, because he would not hear God's Word gratis. Judge Jones never went to the Bench at the beginning of a Term but he fasted and prayed the day before, and oftentimes got Dr. Hacket to come and pray with him: This strict Judge condemned one for stealing a Common-Prayer Book out of his Church, whom he could not save, the Judge would by no means forgive him, because of the sacredness of the place, but accepted well of his Intercession, and said he should prevail in another matter; and when the Doctor saw he could not succeed, he thanked the Judge for his severity.

Anno 1631 the Bishop of Lincoln made him Archdeacon of Bedford, whither he ever after went once a year commonly the Week after Easter, and made the Clergy a Speech upon some Controversial Head, seasonable to those Times, exhorting them to keep strictly to the Orders of the Church, to all regular conformity to the Doctrine and Discipline by Law established, without under or over doing, asserting in his opinion, that Puritanism lay on both sides, whosoever did more than the Church commanded, as well as less, were guilty of it. And that he only was a true Son of the Church, that broke not the boundals of it either way.

About this time of King Charles the First's Reign it was justly said, Stupor mundi Clerus Anglicanus; and whereas in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth 's Reformation Siquis 's had been set up in St. Paul's; If any man could understand Greek, there was a Deanry for him, if Latin, a good Living; but in the long Reign of Queen Elizabeth and King James, the Clergy of the Reformed Church of England grew the most learned of the World, for by the restlessnes of the Roman Priests they were trained up to Arms from their youth, and by the Wisdom and Example of King James, had wrote so many learned Tractates, as had almost quite driven their Adversaries out of the Pit, and forced them to yield the Field: So that now we were only unhappy in our own differences at home. But above all the Bishop admired, that People should complain in those days for want of Preaching, wherein lived Brownrig, and Holdsworth, and Micklethwait, and both the Shutes, and infinite more, especially Josiah Shute, whom the Bishop ever termed, Generalis Praedicatorum, in Allusion to the General of the Jesuits, or the Praepositus Dominicanorum; besides many other incomparable Orators in and about the City of London.

In the first rank of whom our excellent Author may well be reckoned if we consider his acute Wit, deep Judgment, flowing Elocution, singular Learning, and great Reading, whereby (as Porphiry complained of Origen ) he made use of all Heathen Learning to adorn the Doctrine of Christianity: Who was expert withal to handle both Testaments, Law and Gospel, that sometimes his Auditors would acknowledge he had (like St. Chrysostom) swarms of Bees sitting upon his Lips, and that nothing but Honey and Milk lay under his Tongue: At other times he seemed (like St. Basil ) to be a strong Hail shower, bearing down all before it, and, as was said of Pericles, left a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or wound upon the most obstinate and insensible mind behind him. Yet as Joseph Scaliger would say, He envied the learning of three men, Theodore Gaza, Angelus Politianus, and Picus Mirandula, so the Bishop would acknowledge he could never enough admire Ushers profound skill in Antiquity, Overalls great knowledge in Divinity, nor imitate Brownrigs Preaching, when he would put forth his utmost powers.

But let any man peruse this Course of excellent Sermons upon all our Savior Christ's great Works, and many more remarkable matters of Scripture, which were most of them his weekly Preaching, together with what I hope will hereafter follow, whole Chapters and Psalms of Scripture expounded by continued Discourses upon the Chain of the holy Text from first to last, after the custom of the Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, and other ancient Fathers yet extant, and let him speak impartially if this great Prelate be not for Learning, Piety, perspicuity of Phrase, and knowledge of Divine and Human things almost equal with any of them.

Methinks when I read his accurate and divine Labors, and withal contemplate the religious and peaceable days wherein they were preached, in an Auditory equal to the greatest of old, wherein God was served with so much holy Order, I cannot reckon with myself readily where, either by St. Austin at Hippo, St. John Chrysostom at Antioch, or Constantinople, or the famous St. Basil at Neocaesarea, any people were more happy in the labors of a Pastor, or any Pastor more beloved by the wisest of his People. Whatsoever he preached to them once upon the Lord's Day, he preached six times over again in his Pious Conversation upon the days of the Week following, and ever thought that frequent Preaching was but a sorry commendation to any man, unless prepared with study and diligence before, to speak as became the Oracles of God; and likewise attended with agreeable practice afterwards, to make that easy by example, which had been before only dictated in Doctrine.

While he Officiated here, I must not forget two things more, First, his Charity to the Poor, of whom he held himself bound by his Calling to have an especial care, and be no less than a continual Overseer: Besides his spiritual Alms and counsel upon all occasions freely administered, he gave freely also out of his own Estate upon all Holy-days, and Prayer-days, and would often engage the Parish Officers so to distribute their Collections as might best bring the Poor to Prayers, to Catechising, and to reap other benefit to their soul at the same time that they received a Boon for the body.

In all public meetings (which were many in that great Parish) this worthy man would never so much as eat and drink (as the custom had been) upon the Parish Stock, but always bore his own Expences, though he met upon the Parish Account, so that by his prudence and industry, and frugality for them, the Revenues of the poor were in his time very much increased above what they were formerly.

But his main concern for that place is yet behind, ( Church and Poor commonly go together, and he had an equal care of both) the Church Edifice was fallen into great decay; the Church-yard too small to bury their Dead, and the Church itself too little to contain the Living, so that a great desire he had to build them a new Church from the ground, for which purpose he had obtained the promise of the Patron the most Religious and Noble Earl of Southampton, to confer all the Timber for the Roof, and very large Subscriptions he had procured from the Nobility and Gentry, and from many other well-affected Parishioners for the finishing of the rest; for these he had been soliciting from the time of his first coming; scarce any of quality dying, but according to ancient Piety, at his request left a Legacy to that purpose, which was laid up in the Church Chest. The good Doctor often telling them, how mournful a sight it was to him to see any place excel the Church in Beauty and Magnificence, and that it was not the Fashion in the best times of Religion for any man to dwell better than God, and that the Fabric of Churches ought not only to be suited to the bare Convention of people, but likewise to the riches and wealth of the Parish or Nation, from which God expected a suitable proportion to the setting forth of his glory. And therefore as much as King Solomon's Temple exceeded Moses's Tabernacle, so much did he conceive ought our Churches nowadays to exceed the poverty and plainness of our Forefathers, and would often bewail to see the contrary, that our Forefathers were sumptuous in God's House, and poor at home; but we, who are far richer, have built our own Houses rich and new, while God's House lies waste. To remedy this, he was not willing to permit that any rich men's bones should lie sumptuously buried in his Church who never bestowed so much upon God's House in their life as the value of their Tomb amounted unto, saying, Such did not adorn, but trouble the Church.

By his persuasions many gave very liberally; in particular, I remember the pleasantness of Sir Henry Martin, who at his first speaking bade his man pay him Thirty Pounds; when he received it, because he gave him humble thanks, he bade his man count him Five Pounds more for his humble thanks.

About Ann. 39. having many thousands in stock and in subscription, he went to my Lord's Grace of Canterbury, to ask his Lordships leave, that what Workmen were willing might indifferently be entertained by him, without being thought prejudicial to the repair of St. Paul's; but our Troubles came on, and the Long Parliament seized the Money gathered for the repair of both Churches, to carry on their War both against King and Church. Thus was he defeated in his pious intention here, yet God made him happy in accomplishing the like hereafter, as you shall hear elsewhere.

Long before (viz.) Anno 1625. being the great Plague Year, which happened at the beginning of the Reign of Charles I. upon complaint of the Common Council-men of his Parish, that they wanted room to bury their dead, he purchased for that end the new Church-yard in Shooe-Lane, and because in that sickly time it could not be Consecrated, he obtained under the Bishop of London's hand and Seal a leave Provisional to read his Lordships indulgence Instrument only upon the ground, with promise of procuring Consecration when the Plague ceased. At the same time with the consent of the Bishop, and his Vestry in Holbourn, he composed a Table wherein were set the Rates of burial in Church or Churchyard, New or Old, and was able to prove, that the like was done in elder times, and therefore the Learned Author was deceived, who thought all Church-yards were freely given for the use of the dead: And he found by experience unless you would allow Fees for Funeral Attendances, the Tythes would be too small in great Parishes to find Officers, who must wait upon such occasions both day and night; Likewise unless you make distinction of Prices for burial, all people will be buried in one place, in the very Church, yea, and Chancel itself, if it might be allowed: Nor in a Plague time can you get the Poor born to the Grave, but it will cost dear; and he was of opinion, the Profits, got by the Rich, ought to pay for the Poor, and that there was no more Simony in a Divines payment for some hours attendance upon a Funeral, than in the Clerk's or Sexton's payment for ringing of Bells, or the Heralds for their Escucheons and other Insignia funebria, now of late grown customary; yet most of these were at first mere Oblations and Free-will Offerings, though now due secundum legem Terrae.

But to come to the most afflicted part of his Life, and our never to be forgotten Calamities, in the late days of darkness and gloominess. He hath often protested, that a long time before, he foresaw our troubles gathering in the Clouds of discontents, and would bewail, that Charles the First, the most Religious and best of Princes met with so bad Parliaments, generally factious, discontented, and leavened with Puritans: Whereas Queen Elizabeth ever had calm Parliaments, and that made her Reign glorious, although She assumed more Prerogative than either King James or King Charles; yet then nobody cried, Stand to the Liberties of the People; but nothing destroyed Liberty more than the affectation of too much Liberty: Besides, he observed it was the design of Parliaments to put that mild King upon Wars, and then refuse to give him moderate supplies to serve his just necessities, unless he would part with his Court and his Church in exchange, whereby He was constrained to supply himself by way of Loan, which whosoever paid, much more whosoever of the Kings Divines persuaded others to pay, incurred the fury of the opposite Party.

Then were the Seeds of the future Sedition sown, with an evil report brought upon David's Government, that all the People might loath it, and after rise up to pluck it down. Libels and licentious discourses were scattered, ever portending future Mutinies, as hollow blasts, and secret murmurings in the Air go before dangerous Tempests at Sea. These things he discoursed, not only from his own observation, but from the prediction of many holy and learned men, and wondered that Cardinal Bellarmine, Mr. Hooker, and Mr. Mead after both should all agree, that the Establishment of the Church of England was not like to continue above seventy or eighty years, the Age of a Man; and he would tell how the late Bishop of Chichester hath said unto him, his Father foretold the same, and Bishop Wren said the same from Bishop Andrew's; but above all, Mr. John Shearman, Register to my Lord of Canterbury, told him, that he heard Archbishop Abbot before his death, at a solemn Meeting before many friends, with many tears foretell the same; and it was our Bishops opinion, that the Spirit of Prophesy was not quite dried up, but sometimes pro hic & nunc God gave Mankind still a knowledge of future Events.

In the Convocation of 1640, was composed a Book of Canons, which he well approved, always using to call Church Canons so many Buttresses to the House of God, raised up without the walls, to support the building within. Yet considering the swinge of the times, he once presumed to request my Lord of Canterbury not to proceed, but to indulge to the hardness of the people's hearts; for he was well assured, if his Grace could make another Epistle to the Romans, the people then would not receive it, and therefore often wished those Books had never been made in England, nor the Liturgy sent into Scotland, which he would often bewail in the words of his learned Friend, Liturgia infoelicissime ad Scotiam missa, where the Secular Arm was too weak to protect the Loyal party in their Ecclesiastical obedience.

He accounted it no good Omen to have the Sun Eclipsed that very hour the Long Parliament began, in November Anno 1640, though not visible here, save in the disastrous effects: From the beginning thereof all things were managed with Uproars and Tumults: However some hope there was, that upon moderation shewn matters might be peaceably composed, whereupon the House of Lord's appointed a Committee out of their own Members, for settling peace in the Church, in March following; at the same time the Lord's appointed a sub-Committee to prepare matters for their Cognizance; the Bishop of Lincoln had the Chair in both, and was authorised to call together divers Bishops and other Divines to consult for correction of what was amiss, and to settle peace: of the sub-Committee those that appeared and consulted together in Jerusalem Chamber at Westminster (some others were named) were these only, the Bishop of Lincoln, Primat of Armach, Bishop of Durham, Bishop Hall then of Exeter, Dr. Ward, Dr. Prideaux, Dr. Twisse, Dr. Sanderson, Dr. Featly, Dr. Brownrig, Dr. Holdsworth, Dr. Hacket, Dr. Burgess, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Calamy, Mr. Hill. Many things for six several Meetings were propounded, but in the midst of May, while (in order to settlement) divers things were upon the Loom, the Bill called Root and Branch was brought into the House of Commons, and that, like Atropos, cut off all the threads of this proceeding, to that the whole matter proved abortive and came to nothing.

After this appeared nothing but tumultuous Concourses of raging people, seeking to manage all Affairs by the whirwind of their own ignorant clamours, and to remedy grievances without consulting Religion or Justice. He much wondered that any men could think it possible, that the God of Order would ever mend anything by their means, who (take them one by one) were most ignorant and illitterate, take them all together, were most bloody and violent; and no man preached more boldly against the licentiousness of those times than he, challenging the Boutefeus to show, wherever the Scripture gave countenance to Uproars and Rebellions? Julian the Apostate reading the Bible with a malicious intention to quarrel at it, said, that Christianity was a Doctrine of too much patience, but he could never find any place in it to object that it was a Doctrine of Rebellion. If the Administration of a Kingdom were out of frame, our Bishop maintained it were better to leave the redress to God, than to a seditious Multitude, and that the way to continue purity of Religion was not by Rebellion, but by Martyrdom. To resist lawful Powers by seditious Arms, and unlawful Authority, was not the Primitive and Apostolical Christianity, but Popish Doctrine, not taught the first 300 years, but much about 1000 years after our Savior 's ascension into Heaven, by the Pope of Rome, the very time the Spirit of God said, Satan should be let loose, viz. by Gregory the VII. who first taught the Germans to rebel against the Emperor Henry the fourth: Yet this poison was now given the English People to drink out of the Papal Cup, while they pretended quite contrary. But our Bishop ever asserted this was not the way to pull down Antichrist, but Protestant Religion, and therefore he warned the Non-conforming Divines, with whom he lately treated, to have a care how they cried up a War, and became famous only in the Congregation (as Erostratus ) by setting the Temple on fire.

To prevent that fatal Bill of Root and Branch, the Committee condescended to print the Liturgick Psalms in King James 's Translation, to expunge all Apocryphal Lessons, and alter some passages in the body of the Book of Common-Prayer, and certain other things, which divers of the Presbyterian Divines said were satisfactory, save that the furious Party of them put the Commons upon the violent way: in particular old Mr. John White told many of the party, who still pressed at Conferences for further Abatement of Conformity, and the Laws established; Time would come when they would wish they had been content with what was offered.

While this Committee was sitting, the House of Commons having now entered upon the debate of taking away the whole Government Ecclesiastical by Bishops, Deans, and Chapters, together with all their Revenue, several Members of that House being friends to the Hierarchy, moved that no man's Freehold might be taken away in Parliament, without hearing them first speak for themselves; whereupon the whole Committee imposed the Task upon Dr. Hacket forthwith to depart to his own House and Study, and meet them again tomorrow morning prepared to speak as the Advocate of the Church of England in the behalf of Deans and Chapters. The Speech itself I found among his Papers, which in regard that it was never yet published at large, I have thought meet to add as follows.

In the Afternoon it was put to the Question, and carried by many Votes, that their Revenues should not be taken away; yet not long after, in the same Session, after a most Unparliamentary manner, they put it to a second Vote, and without a second hearing Voted the contrary.

And now all things tending to violence, it was no longer safe to debate these things publicly, therefore at his House were held constant meetings of the Loyal Clergy, Bishops often, and others, Morton, Brownrig, Holdsworth, Jefferies, and many more, who from thence wrote Letters all over England to all Divines of learning and reputation, especially of the University of Cambridge, to know how they stood affected; Quae vobis mentes recte quae stare solebant? And to engage them to stand fast in the cause of the King and Church. Amongst others Dr. Brownrig (having been formerly acquainted) sent to old Mr. Dod the Decalogist for his opinion; who answered, That he had been scandalized with the proud and tyrannical practices of the Marian Bishops, but now after more than sixty years experience of many Protestant Bishops, that had been worthy Preachers, learned and Orthodox Writers, great Champions for the Protestant Cause, he wished all his friends not to be any impediment to them, and exhorted all men not to take up Arms against the King, which was his Doctrine (he said) upon the Fifth Commandment, and he would never depart from it. Likewise Letters were written by them to many Forreign Divines to try their affection in that day of need; Blondel, Vossius, Hornbeck, and (whom he most condoled) Salmasius were sent to in vain, though afterwards that great Scholar came off from his rigor, and made ample amends for his error. Vossius contained himself for fear of the Parliament, and of losing his Prebend at Canterbury, in their possession, which King Charles the First conferred upon him with great liberality. Deodat wrote firm for Episcopal Government from Geneva, and accused the Presbyterians of Schism. Hugo Grotius said, nothing happened but what the wise King James had foretold, and he now beheld with great horrors. Episcopius much pitied the sufferings of the Kings Divines, and particularly of Dr. Ward, whom he accounted the most learned member of the Synod of Dort. Monsieur Amyrald declared himself a friend to Episcopacy in a Select Tractate sent hither, which one of that Party borrowed and would never restore, and so it could not be Printed. He who was thus zealous both in and out of his Pulpit in the King's and Churches Cause, could not be long permitted to Officiate in the City of London; one Sunday while he was reading the Common Prayer in his Church a Soldier of the Earl of Essex came, and clapt a Pistol to his breast, and commanded him to read no further, the Doctor smiled at his insolency in that sacred place, and not at all terrified, said he would do what became a Divine, and he might do what became a Soldier, so the Tumult for that time was quieted, and the Doctor permitted to proceed.

But the War being begun, and all things in confusion, the Orthodox and Loyal Clergy were everywhere Articled against, and ejected, committed to Prisons without accommodations, but upon unreasonable Payments, such as they were unable to make. In the City of London and Parishes adjacent one hundred and fifteen Parochial Ministers were turned out, besides many hundreds in all Countries more than ever had been in all Queen Mary's, Queen Elizabeth's, and King James's, or King Charles's Reigns by the Bishops of all sorts. Some few factious Parishioners Articled against him at the Committee of Plunderers, and he was advised by Mr. Selden that it was in vain to make defences, they would never permit him to preach in that public Theatre, but he must retire to Cheam, and he would endeavor to keep him quiet there; but thither also the storm followed him, for the Earl of Essex his Army being upon their March against the King, took him Prisoner away with them, till after some time he was brought before Essex himself, and others, who knew him, and had often heard him preach at Whitehall, who made him great proffers, if he would turn to their side, which he disdained to accept; They kept on their March, and, as he would say, at length the Princes of the people let him go free.

From that time he lay hid in his little Villa, as Gregory the Great in his little Sazimus, which he would pleasantly call, Senectutis suae nidulum. There he constantly preached every Sunday Morning, expounded the Church Catechism every Afternoon, read the Common Prayer all Sundays and Holy days, continued his wonted Charity to all poor people, that resorted to it upon the Week days in money, besides other relief out of his Kitchen, till the Committee of Surrey enjoined him to forbear the use of it by Order of Parliament at any time, and his Catechising out of it upon Sunday in the Afternoon. Yet after this Order he ever still kept up the use of it in most parts, never omitting the Creed, Lord's Prayer, and Ten Commandments, Confession, and Absolution, and many other particular Collects, and always as soon as the Church Service was done, absolved the rest at home, with most earnest Prayers for the good success of his Majesty's Armies, of which he was ever in great hope, till the Tidings came of the most unfortunate Battle at Nazby. He was that Morning at an especial Friends house ready to sit down to Dinner, but when the news came, he desired leave to retire, went to his Chamber, and would not Dine, but fasted and prayed all that day, and then was afraid, that excellent King and Cause was lost; using to say of Cromwell, as the Historian of Marius, He lead the Army, and Ambition lead him, and therefore looked far nothing but the ruin that came.

He was naturally of a very pleasant and cheerful temper, but sad news made his soul retire a great way further into him, and quite of another humor. Indeed no man was more troubled and angustiated in mind for the miseries and distresses of this Church and Kingdom; I have often heard his deep Sighs, and his great Complaints, when he did profess, he did only breath, but not live. I have seen the heaviness of his eyes, when he spake nothing, his grave and ripe wisdom made him apprehend Fears more deeply than other people did. But when his Majesty's sufferings in Person came, no man could conjecture the load of sorrow that was upon him, He would say he felt his old heart wither within him, and could not but sigh away his spirit; he would often repent He had done no more by Preaching and Writing to prevent it; and after the Kings Death, frequently desired nothing else but to depart from this world of sin and suffering, crying out, Satur sum omnium quae video aut audio.

But next to the Death of his Royal Majesty he would bewail the cutting up the pleasant Vine of the Church of England, and alienating the Churches Patrimony, together with those of the King, Queen, Loyal Nobility, and Gentry, whereby the whole Kingdom of England was then in the hands of unjust Possessors.

For the City's abetting this bloody War, He was now grown to a strong aversation toward London, the place where he was born, baptized, bred, and nothing could ever move him to go thither more, until the Earls of Holland and Norwich both requested his Assistance at their expected deaths.

The Earl of Holland was very penitent, for that he had deserted so good a Master in the beginning of the Wars. Norwich was very cheerful in the comforts of a good Conscience. He would much admire, how God sometimes gives secret admonition of things contrary to all human expectations, for the Earl of Holland had many Messengers came, and told him they had Votes enough, and to spare, for his life, yet nothing would persuade him but he should die within a few days, and so he did; The Earl of Norwich, that knew of no friends yet would not believe but he should escape, and so he did.

After this he returned to his Rural retirement, to end his Old Age in continual Prayer and Study, omitting all exercise of body, whereupon he fell into a great fit of sickness; and upon his recovery, the famous D ^r . Harvy enjoined him two things, to renew his cheerful conversation, and take moderate walks for exercise, assuring him, that in his practice of Physic since these times he observed more people died of grief of mind than of any other disease, and that his studious and sedentary life would contract him frequent sickness, unless he used seasonable exercise. Whereupon afterwards, for his healths sake, he would every Morning, before he settled to his study, take large walks very early to make him expectorate phlegm, and other cloudy and fuliginous vapors, whereby he afterwards continued Vegete and healthful to the last.

At this time he did much good in the Country, by keeping many Gentlemen firm to the Protestant Religion, who were much assaulted by lurking Priests, who sought to persuade them that it was then necessary to join with the Roman Church, or else they could be of none, for they saw (as the others said) the Protestant Church quite destroyed. But the good Doctor advised them better, that the Church of England was still in being, and not destroyed, rather refined by her sufferings. God then tried us as Silver is tried in the hot fire of persecution, which purifies but wastes not. Then especially our Church resembled the Primitive, which grew up in persecutions, and as the Earth is said to be the Lord's in all its Fulness, so the Church of England was the Lord's in all its penury and emptiness.

And in these lowest of times he was full of faith and courage, that himself should still live to see a better world one day, and would greatly blame any of the Kings Friends who despaired of seeing the time of the restitution of all things; His opinion was the Youths at Westminster spun a Spiders Web, that could not last long, and therefore was very confident of his Majesty's return, and would instance in Josephs case, who was sometime sold for a slave, imprisoned as a Malefactor, yet afterwards advanced to be Governor of the Kingdom; and in David who was hunted over all the Mountains of Israel, yea, and forced to fly his Country too, and yet after brought to the Throne, and also in Gaius Marius, who was forced to hide himself in the Flags of a Fenny ditch from the pursuers of Sylla, so that the Historian asks, Quis eum fuisse Consulem, aut futurum crederet? Who would ever have thought him to have been Consul, or should live to be Consul again? And therefore when any would say, There was but little hope, he would answer Tum votorum locus est, cum nullus est spei; They ought to pray the more, and Prayer was a good reserve at the last cast.

Accordingly he would acknowledge that his many cares for the welfare of the King and Church of England did often send him to his Prayers, but gave God thanks, that his Prayers did always expel his cares. After a day spent in Prayer, he would tell an especial Friend, he found in himself a marvelous illumination and cheerfulness in the Evening, and that as usually thick clouds in Winter cause dark weather, till they were dissolved in rain or snow; but then the Sun would show himself, and the air grow pleasant again: So sorrows and cares cloud the mind and soul, till we are able to dissolve them into devotion and holy Prayers, and then post nubila Phoebus, and professed, nothing more contributed to his divine joys than his often reading and meditation upon David's Psalms, which he conceived they had done very wisely, who set them in the midst of the Bible, as the Fourth Commandment for Religious Assemblies was by God himself in the midst of the Decalogue.

In those doleful days that was done in St. Paul's London which Selymus threatened to St. Peter's at Rome, to Stable his horses in the Church, and feed them at the High Altar; whereupon our Doctor was very confident their ruin grew ripe apace, and not long after happened the death of Oliver; of which being suddenly told, and the manner of it, he only said, as Tully of a Villain, Mortem quam non potuit optare obiit; and that we should see within a little while all the world would stink of him, and disdain his Arbitrary and bloody usurpations; and accordingly in a very short time we saw all things incline to work about the happy revolution, towards the accomplishment whereof no man was more active in stirring up the Nobility, Gentry, Clergy, and People to desire a free Parliament, and Petition General Monk to that purpose, whereby he should be a Benedictine Monk, or a Blessing to the Nation, and not a Dominican, Dominari in exercitu. He preached before the Commissioners at Croydon, and first read the Common-Prayer himself to them, at that great meeting for the peace of the Country. And afterward when his Royal Majesty was restored, he laid aside his long Antipathy, and came up to London, where one going to congratulate his coming thither; so (he answered) he did his own, for he hoped in God he did not appear as a Porpoise, only once in twenty years before a great storm, but as an Halcyon for a sign of fair weather; and when he was restored to his ancient Parish and Church again, being one day visited by many sequestered and banished Friends, returned again with himself, whom he pleasantly called his Charonitae, a By name which the Romans gave to them who were restored to their Possessions and Country after they had been proscribed by Sylla. As if Charon had wafted them over the Lake of Death, and brought them back again. At the same time he gave to God great thanks for the opportunity of meeting them again in that place, and prayed God that they might all take notice, first, of the real faults that brought down the late sad Judgments, and be sure to repent of them; and then also secondly, take into consideration the supposed faults or scandals that seemed to do it, and as far as was meet take care likewise to prevent them for the time to come.

He had been installed one of the Residentiaries of St. Paul's Church, a little before the beginning of the Civil War, to which he was now restored, whereby he was frequently called to preach there, where he could not spare to tell his Country-men sometimes of their faults, That however his Majesty's most gracious Act of Oblivion had delivered them from all human Penalties, yet unless they abhorred those sins so easily forgiven by the most merciful and most courteous King in the world, yet the Anger of God would find them out; and though his Majesty had obliged the Royal Party to forget their sufferings, yet the Presbyterians were ever bound to remember their doings. But his deserts were too eminent and well known to be long in any Orb less than the highest in our Church, therefore my Lord Chancellor sent to offer him the Bishopric of Gloucester, which he beg'd his Majesty's and his Lordships leave to refuse, answering (as Cato) He had rather Future times should ask why Dr. Hacket had not a Bishopric than why he had one.

Afterward it pleased his Majesty to confer upon him the Bishopric of Lichfield, and recommend that most ruined Cathedral, City, and Diocese to his prudent Circumspection, and Government; He first thought that now in his old age the Charge was too great for him, but because Caesar had commanded it, he would resign up himself to his Majesty's Commands, and willingly put his neck to the burden of the Chair, and to his best abilities not be wanting in his duty to God and the King. But he found in himself a great reluctancy to leave his old people in City and Country, he had so long lived there, that now the place was grown natural, and stuck to him like the Bark to the Tree; but again would sometime say, Holbourn was not the same Parish he left it, a new Generation for the most part rose up in twenty years that knew not Joseph, nor the piety and conformity of ancient times, and that probably young men might suit better with young men, and therefore would accept his Sovereigns gracious offer, and yet always retain a paternal affection and care for them too; and would thereupon show how vain some Canonists were in prescribing an eternal obligation between Pastor and People, whereas he forsakes not the Church who serves it in another place, but in some circumstances it is his duty to remove, when better qualified for that other Church, and his removal duly required of him: For we are not to consecrate our studies and labors to Places, but to Persons, not to any particular people only, but to the glory of God and best advantage of the Catholic Church.

He received his Consecration December 1661. upon the same day that he had forty three years before received his first Orders, and the Spring following he took his journey to reside upon his Charge, with great congratulations of the loyal Gentry, and most dutiful salutations of the Orthodox Clergy, and inconceivable joy and satisfaction of all people. When his Lordship came to Coventry he was entertained with a Latin Speech, made by Sir Thomas Norton Baronet, and in holy Orders: and again upon his first Entrance into Staffordshire, by Mr. Powel Schoolmaster of Stafford with Another; to which his Lordship presently in the same language gave an elegant reply to every particular.

The whole Clergy upon this first meeting were of opinion that his Majesty had still the old Apostolical spirit of discerning, having sent to them a Prelate so wise and learned, as they could scarce have wished one altogether so fit for themselves, and 'tis not to have been doubted, if the sole election had been in themselves, but that the Diocese would have chosen him as unanimously as the people of Constantinople did Nectarius, to whom no man dissented, insomuch that some say the place wherein they held the Election was ever after called Concord from the universal approbation of the Fact.

It is much to be admired that the people (who for the most part are none of the best Judges) in those ancient times should oftentimes choose so luckily, who yet sometimes chose men to be Bishops as St. Ambrose of Milan, Synesius Bishop of Cyrene, and Nectarius an Arch-Bishop at Constantinople, besides others who had scarce received any former Orders, and were some of them not well instructed in all parts of Christian Religion, nor indeed baptized: St. Jerome a learned, but sharp Writer, might well gird at this practice Heri Catechumenus, hodie Pontifex; but against our Bishop there lay no such exceptions, who would sometimes rejoice like Greg. Nazianzen, that he had not been made a Bishop before long labor, and much pains spent in preaching and converting others to the Christian Faith, and gave God thanks he had run through all the lesser Offices, had been long Scholar and Fellow of a College, then been made Deacon, Priest, Chaplain, which was equal to Curat, and sometime Vicar of a poor place, afterwards Parson, Doctor, Prebendary, Archdeacon, and Residentiary of St. Paul's, and had discharged all these with great pains in his own person, in the heat of the day, both in time of peace and persecution, so that he did not leap, but by his merits orderly arise to his Episcopal honor and dignity.

The City of Litchfield has its name from the old Saxon Lice or Carcase, because of the great multitude of Christians thereabouts slain in the Persecution of Dioclesian, which are in the Arms of the City to this day. Therein before the Wars had been a most beautiful and comely Cathedral Church, which the Bishop at his first coming found most desolate, and ruined almost to the ground, the Roof of Stone, the Timber, Lead, and Iron, Glass, Stalls, Organs, Utensils of rich value all were embezell'd, 2000 shot of great Ordnance and 1500 Granadoes discharged against it, which had quite battered down the Spire, and most of the Fabric, so that the Old man took not so much comfort in his new Promotion, as he found sorrow and pity in himself to see his Cathedral Church thus lying in the dust; so that the very next morning after his Lordships arrival, he set his own Coach-horses on work, together with other Teems, to carry away the Rubbish; which being cleared, he procured Artisans of all sorts to begin the new Pile, and before his death set up a complete Church again, better than ever it was before, the whole Roof from one end to the other, of a vast length, all repaired with stone, all laid with goodly Timber of our Royal Sovereign's gift, all leaded from one end to the other, to the cost of above 20000 l. which yet this zealous and laborious Bishop accomplished a great part out of his own bounty, with 1000 l. help of the Dean and Chapter, and the rest procured by Him from worthy Benefactors, by incessant importunity, the Gentry of Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Warwickshire contributing like Gentlemen, whose names are entered into the Registry of the Cathedral; unto which work none were backward but the Presbyterians, whom our Reverend Bishop yet treated with more civility than their cross-grain'd humors deserved.

This rare Building was finished in eight years, to the Admiration of all the Country, the same hands which laid the Foundation laying the Top-stone also; All which owes itself to his great fidelity, incredible prudence in contriving, bargaining with workmen, unspeakable diligence in soliciting for money, paying it and overseeing all; Nehemiah 's eye was ever upon the building of the Temple, and therefore the work proceeded with incredible expedition. The Cathedral being so well finished, upon Christmas Eve Anno 1669 his Lordship dedicated it to Christ's honor and service, with all fitting solemnity that he could pick out of ancient Rituals in the manner following.

His Lordship being arrayed in his Episcopal Habiliments, and attended upon by several Prebends and Officers of the Church, and also accompanied with many Knights and Gentlemen, as likewise with the Bailifs and Aldermen of the City of Lychfield, with a great multitude of other people entered at the West door of the Church, Humphry Persehouse, Gent. his Lordships Apparitor General going foremost, after whom followed the Singing-boys and Choristers, and all others belonging to the Choir of the said Church, who first marched up to the South Isle on the right hand of the said Church, where my Lord Bishop with a loud voice repeated the first verse of the 24. Psalm, and afterward the Choir alternately sung the whole Psalm to the Organ. Then in the same order they marched to the North Isle of the said Church, where the Bishop in like manner began the first verse of the 100 Psalm, which was afterward also sung out by the Company. Then all marched to the upper part of the Body of the Church, where the Bishop in like manner began the 102. Psalm, which likewise the Choire finished. Then my Lord Bishop commanded the doors of the Choir to be opened, and in like manner first encompassed it upon the South side, where the Bishop also first began to sing the first verse of the 122 Psalm, the Company finishing the rest: And with the like Ceremony passing to the North side thereof, sung the 132. Psalm in like manner.

This Procession being ended the Reverend Bishop came to the Faldistory in the middle of the Choir, and having first upon his knees prayed privately to himself, afterwards with a loud voice in the English Tongue called upon the People to kneel down and pray after him, saying,

Our Father which art, &c.

Then the Bishop pronounced a solemn Blessing upon the whole Administration performed, and upon all that were present.

Then followed the Service of Morning Prayer for that day, two especial Anthems in extraordinary being added. Provision was made instantly for Alms to the Poor.

And in a very stately Gallery which the Bishop erected in the House where he lived, his Lordship annexed to the precedent Solemnity a Feast for three days.

First to feast all that belonged to the Choir and the Church, together with the Proctors and other Officers of the Ecclesiastical Courts.

On a second day, to remember God's great goodness in the restauration and reconciliation of the Church, He feasted the Bailiffs, Sheriff, and all the Aldermen of the City of Lichfield.

On a third day, to the same purpose, in the same place, He feasted all the Gentry, Male and Female of the Close and City.

He would often afterwards give God thanks, who had accepted him as an unworthy Instrument to build him an House, that what he could not accomplish at Holbourn in his younger years, when he was more able to take pains, yet He had now enabled him to do in his old age, and far worse times; when he found by experience, the Wars had exhausted not only the Wealth but Piety of the Nation, and that it was far easier under Charles the First his Reign to raise an hundred pound to Pious Uses than now ten pounds: So some observe that in the Primitive Church Charity ebb'd lower and lower till the stream quite dried up: the first examples thereof were most bountiful, to provoke the liberality of following Ages; Barnabas gave all his Possessions, and so did many others. Ananias divided half or thereabouts, but the next Age minced it to a considerable Legacy, and then it fell to Charity in small money, afterwards to good words only as St. James says, and I pray be comforted; sed ecquid tinnit Dolabella? seldom one cross or coin dropt from them: the like he observed in our own Church in the Ages past, and present; when Christianity was first planted among us, our glorious Founders built Colleges and Cathedral Churches; the next rank of Benefactors endowed Schools and Parishes; after Ages gave Plate to the Communion, Bells to the Steeples, costly Vestures to the Minister; now it's come to this pass, some Great man will be content to set up a new Pew for his own use, but stick at all other new building, and sometimes at the mending and repair of what was built formerly, and after a while perhaps the World will do just nothing, and then it is time sure for the Gospel to seek out better people, who will bring forth more fruit.

Two things the Bishop used greatly to bewail in his Diocese; First the great loss and spoil of the Antient Demeans of the Bishopric, having had many Manors torn from it in the time of Edw. 6. besides an ancient Episcopal House in London to entertain the Bishops when they came up to Parliament, pulled down, with others by the Duke of Somerset, to make room for the building of his new House in the Strand; and his Palace at Lychfield, and Castle of Eccleshal likewise were quite demolished by the late Wars; so that the good Bishop was fain to lie in a Prebendal House, upon which he laid out a 1000 l. to make it fitting for his Residence, and thought to have procured an Act of Parliament to have annexed it to the See forever; but till he had finished God's House he less regarded his own. The ancient Bishops of this See, and of all others, were famous for the breeding up many young Scholars and Gentlemen to piety and learning in their own Families, as one (that's best able) tells us, that Bishops Families were Schools of gravity and wisdom, to breed Divines and Gentlemen civilly before they were transferred to Noblemen's and King's Houses, and were as requisite after Scholars came from the Universities to adapt them to business and public charge, as the Universities themselves were for the ripening of such as were raw before: But our Bishop would complain, though he had means enough left for himself and other ordinary uses, yet the curtail'd Revenues of his Bishopric, reliquiae Danaum ac immitis Achillî, were no way proportionable for this great Expence.

Secondly, far more than this loss to his own See he would bewail the Sacrilege committed upon very many poor Vicarages under his Jurisdiction in that Diocese, some great persons to whom God hath given many Lordships, yet would not allow their poor Vicars a competency of Glebe and Tythes to reside upon, and watch over their Tenants souls in the Country, nor wherewithal to buy Books and become learned men, nor indeed tolerable Preachers: Till better provision was made in this kind, he never hoped to see Christian Religion flourish in the remote parts of his Diocese, and therefore earnestly desired that future Parliaments would take this greatest grievance into their Christian consideration, and cause the joyful Jubilee to be proclaimed, when these Revenues should return to their right Owners, or at least in this flourishing Kingdom, where all others possess great Inheritance, Country Divines alone might not have a scanty Patrimony, and till that were done he had just cause to fear that Sacrilege was the sin of the Reformed Churches, and as the Papacy was much too blame to endure no Reformation in the Church because of their covetousness, so many Protestants were more too blame who reformed, not out of conscience, but covetousness; whereby all Church means were of more uncertain Tenure nowadays than any other private Estate; for whereas every Mechanic could leave an Inheritance secure to his own Children, only the public Charities bequeathed to pious uses were in danger of being taken away.

His Lordship would sometime pleasantly compare our times with theirs of the Old Testament, when there was laid up in the Ark for greater security, Aaron's Rod, the Pot of Manna, and the two Tables of the Law; but we read that all was lost but the Tables of the Law; in like Manner now Some men steal away our Discipline, Aaron's Rod; others steal away our golden Pot of Manna, the Tythe of the Church; and if they had loved the Law or Commandments, they had stole them away too; Sed tu quod facias hoc mihi Paete dolet. But that this should be done by Protestants troubled our Bishop exceedingly, who would much commend Archbishop Cranmar for opposing King Henry the 8. his Alienation of Abby Lands from uses of piety and charity; and Peter Martyr much more, who when he left the Monastery, would not carry away the least thing from it, but restored a Ring belonging to the House (the Seal of the Abbot ) which he was wont to wear formerly; and wished all Protestant Ministers oftentimes to preach upon this Theme, not out of charity to themselves, but the souls of their hearers; not so much to prevent their own poverty and hard fortune for a little time, as the others condemnation and endless sorrow forever.

No Bishop ever more desired to have his Clergy pious and learned, that they who were sent to reprove the faults of others might be without offense themselves; but he despaired of such as long as the Vicarages of his Diocese were so exceeding low, where wit and poverty often meeting together, did not always make honest men; yet for his own part he was very careful in all his Ordinations to allow none without sufficient testimony, and to examine all himself, in Latin or in English, as they liked best, that he might better know the State of his Clergy, where he would not spare to reprove whatsoever he found amiss in any sort, their very hair and habit itself, which he always required to be grave and modest, becoming Divines the Ambassadors of Christ, and not like Ruffians and the Woers of Penelope: To that purpose under his Signification Paper for Orders upon the Cathedral Door was sometimes also written

When ever he found a learned modest Scholar presented to him, he would bid him very welcome; yet after long wars where the Universities could not be attended, and Church Means commonly were seized upon, he would not refuse any tolerable competency of learning, if he found it accompanied with discretion and gravity: Sometimes he would note how he had heard in our troublesome times, that the Presbyterians were so strict in their usurped Ordinations and Trials of Ministers, that he believed in his conscience, he should not have been able to have passed them himself, if he had been bound to appear before them; but in all his Diocese he found none greater Dunces than such as had been of their stamp formerly, several of whom craved to receive Orders from him, and though he could not endure to have the Ark of God drawn by meagre and feeble Cattle, yet in hope of future improvement and better conformity he did admit them. He never cared to have any presented to him very young, till the heats which boil in the bloods of youth were well scum'd off, if not quite boil'd away; affirming that a scandalous Minister had confiscated his own authority of reprehending that in others which he was guilty of himself, and that the Doctrine and Discipline of our Church could never have been so contemptible, but for their sakes, who with their ill lives and manners made all the threatenings of holy Scripture, which they preached, and all the Censures of the Church, which they passed, or denounced, ridiculous and insignificant: yet withal his Lordship ever gave the people warning not to despise the chastening of their Mother; for no man can lightly esteem the power of the Keys upon earth, and yet be well prepared in heart, to receive the judgment of God in the World to come.

For better amendment of whatsoever was amiss his Lordship would like St. Austin and other ancient Bishops frequently sit Judge in his Ecclesiastical Courts, and hasten the dispatch of all Affairs, and especially if there were anything that concerned his Clergy, would always be present at the hearing of those Causes, that neither his Clergy, nor any by them might be wronged: when he went not in person to the Court, he gave ready access at his own House to all who came to complain, even the meanest people, who were grieved with long and tedious Suits, and after hearing what they could say, would sometimes send for the Chancellor and Proctors on both sides, and what he could not redress at home, he would oftentimes go to Court and end there, throwing out many Causes, that had been long depending for trivial matters, and would not suffer any Causes to be entered for defamatory words or trifles without his own knowledge first, to the end they might be composed without much vexation to the parties: by this means his Lordship created to himself much trouble, which he valued not, for the great good he did by it; and though less profit came to the Officers of the Court, yet were they also contented, believing God would better bless them for taking only those Fees which so conscientious a Judge was willing to allow.

After Ordination he seldom dismissed any whom he ordained without rare counsel, To remember they were Ordain'd to Cures, not to Sine Cures, the Cure of Souls, the greatest of all others, and wish them every day to think of the invaluable dignity and seriousness thereof, and therefore in all their Preachings to avoid lightness, Quia Nugae in ore Sacerdotum sunt blasphemy; as likewise all ridiculous gestures, and loud vociferations, empty affectation of words and phrases without weighty and ponderous sense and significancy, accounting that elegant words without solid matter were but perfumed Nonsense, and that there was infinite difference between plainness and rudeness: They had a duty to discharge both to the wise and unwise, and therefore must take care, that the learned Auditor might still learn somewhat, and the unlearned Auditor might understand, not only some, but all. His charge was, that in everything we should retain this great Principle, to offer to God the very Best we have; whosoever builds God an House, let them build it better than their own, the Ornaments thereof should be fairer than our own, our Sermons there superior to our ordinary discourses or labors in any other kind, arising not from extemporary sawciness, but our studied and best industry; and therefore ever warned them, as St. Paul did Timothy, though he had the gift of Prophecying, still to attend to reading as Preaching, and remember St. Paul himself would not preach without Books, and therefore caused them to be brought after him in all his Travels, and sometimes preached the same thing the next Sabbath-day, and therefore probably kept Notes: He conceived it small commendations to any to pour out faster than they took in, and that indiligent and over-frequent Preaching beyond the Preacher's parts, or what the people's needs required, was no advantage to learning or piety, especially in the obvious way of Preaching altogether by Doctrine, Reason and Use, which of all Expositors of Scripture Musculus first took up, and was one great means to lay the Pulpit open to the profanations of the late times, such Preaching being oftentimes so poor and easy, that every Justice of Peace his Clerk thought he could perform as well as his Minister; whereas a good Preacher had need be skilled in the whole Encyclopedy of Arts and Sciences, Logic to divide the Word aright, Rhetoric to persuade, School Divinity to convince Gainsayers, knowledge of many Tongues to understand Originals and learned Authors; and above all, he